A predictive control algorithm, artificial neural-network-based predictive control (ANNPC), is proposed. This algorithm adopts both the neural net (NN) information processing mode and a predictive control mechanism. It shows great promise for conventional predictive control and NN optimal control, and can deal with complicated nonlinear systems. Simulation comparisons between the ANNPC algorithm and a conventional algorithm are given.<<ETX>>


Uranyl peroxide cluster species were produced in aqueous solution by the treatment of uranyl nitrate with hydrogen peroxide, lithium hydroxide, and potassium chloride. Ultrafiltration of these cluster species using commercial sheet membranes with molecular mass cutoffs of 3, 8, and 20 kDa (based on polyethylene glycol) resulted in U rejection values of 95, 85, and 67% by mass, respectively. Ultrafiltration of untreated uranyl nitrate solutions using these membranes resulted in virtually no rejection of U. These results demonstrate the ability to use the filtration of cluster species as a means for separating U from solutions on the basis of size. Small-angle X-ray scattering, Raman spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of uranyl peroxide cluster species in solution and were used to characterize their size, shape, and dispersity.


BACKGROUND
Recent large retrospective studies suggest that breast-conserving therapy (BCT) plus radiation yielded better outcomes than mastectomy (MST) for women with early-stage breast cancer (ESBC). Whether this is applicable to the different subtypes is unknown. We hypothesize that BCT yielded better outcomes than MST, regardless of subtypes of ESBC.

STUDY DESIGN
Data on women diagnosed with first primary stage I to II breast cancer between 2010 and 2017 who underwent either BCT or MST were from the population-based 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate unadjusted 5-year overall survival and cause-specific survival. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional regression models were used to determine the impact of surgical approaches on the hazard ratios adjusted for relevant demographic and clinical variables for molecular subtype (luminal A, luminal B, triple-negative, and HER2 enriched).

RESULTS
Of the 214,128 patients with breast cancer, 41.6% received MST. For the different subtypes, BCT yielded better 5-year overall survival and cause-specific survival than MST. After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, the risk of overall survival and cause-specific survival was still statistically significantly higher among MST recipients than BCT recipients for all subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS
BCT yielded better survival rates than mastectomy for women with all subtypes of ESBC. The role of mastectomy for women with ESBC should be reassessed in future clinical trials.


In the last two decades, several applications became more dependent on the nonlinearity phenomena in glasses, for example: laser glass has low nonlinear refractive index (n2), while as higher values serve in optical switching. In this study, Vanadium-Lithium-Phosphate glass samples [V2O5-Li2O-P2O5] were prepared by the melt-quenching technique. The amorphous structure of these glasses is examined by XRD analysis. The recorded reflectance and transmittance were investigated over the range from for the five samples. The two parts of the calculated refractive indices are estimated via an analytical technique. The dispersion parameters, such as Sellmeier gap energy based on Wemple and DiDomenico model, dispersion energy, as well as Abbe's number were deduced. From the obtained results, the parameters for absorption dispersion, namely, the optical energy gap for indirect transition as well as the Urbach energy, were extracted. Moreover, the other parameters such as: the molar refractivity, the reflection loss and density are calculated. The measured optical parameters were found to vary nonlinearly with increasing vanadium oxide (V2O5), in the presence of Li2O in the phosphate matrix. In the aim of enhancing the performance in this glass system, the effects of ascending doping with a transition metal oxide (V2O5) on both the predicted nonlinear and the linear optical parameters, are investigated and analyzed.


Combining the characteristics of complicated system in the way of structure and function, such as stratify, relevance, parallel and intricacy, the paper took the diagnosis object as a whole, and from the view of responding custom request and solving the complicated tasks, researched two key technologies, including fault diagnosis process and diagnosis resource utilization. The diagnosis task decomposition mode of complicated system was exhausted. Combining the restraint relationships among the tasks, processes and activities, the activities organization process based on restraint and its solution strategy were analyzed; the paper analyzed the resource management and dispatch process based on multi-agent, and finally given the resource optimization dispatch algorithm based on target criterion of TQCS (Time, Quality, Cost and Safeness).


Likelihood methods are being developed for inference of migration rates and past demographic changes from population genetic data. We survey an approach for such inference using sequential importance sampling techniques derived from coalescent and diffusion theory. The consistent application and assessment of this approach has required the re-implementation of methods often considered in the context of computer experiments methods, in particular of Kriging which is used as a smoothing technique to infer a likelihood surface from likelihoods estimated in various parameter points, as well as reconsideration of methods for sampling the parameter space appropriately for such inference. We illustrate the performance and application of the whole tool chain on simulated and actual data, and highlight desirable developments in terms of data types and biological scenarios.


In this paper, we prove that the stochastic telegraph equation arises as a scaling limit of the stochastic higher spin six vertex (SHS6V) model with general spin $I/2, J/2$. This extends results of Borodin and Gorin which focused on the $I=J=1$ six vertex case and demonstrates the universality of the stochastic telegraph equation in this context. We also provide a functional extension of the central limit theorem obtained in [Borodin and Gorin 2019, Theorem 6.1]. The main idea is to generalize the four point relation established in [Borodin and Gorin 2019, Theorem 3.1], using fusion.


The progenies arising from crosses between cultivated tomatoes and a wild relative were screened with their parents for resistance to bacterial leaf spot disease. The aim is to develop a tolerant variety that is well adapted to humid forest ecology where the disease is endemic. The results obtained showed that the cultivated varieties, Roma and Nsukka local, were highly susceptible with disease incidence of 100 per cent. The wild relative on the other hand showed a high level of resistance with a reduced disease incidence. The reactions of the backcrosses and F2 offspring were not impressive as negligible percentage of resistant plants were identified in the F2 . Plants with resistance were recovered in the F3 generation from crosses between the wild and L. esculentum indicating the possibility of transfer of gene(s) for resistance of leaf spot from the wild to the cultivated tomatoes. The increase in the number of resistant plants in this generation is an indication that genes for resistance to leaf spot can be accumulated over generations thereby increasing the selection potentials for resistance to the pathogen in higher generations.


It is argued that the increasing interest in the use of phenomenological methods in sport psychology could help rescue research in this area from its current obsession with measurement and prediction. Phenomenology proceeds from a very different set of philosophical assumptions from the natural science approach that underlies most research and practice in sport psychology. Phenomenology insists that psychology should focus on meaning and investigate the essence of human experience. The concept of anxiety occupies a central position within phenomenological perspectives in psychology. This paper examines the experience of anxiety in sport by drawing on applied sport psychology work undertaken with professional footballers in the English Premier League (EPL). The phenomenology of anxiety is considered by distinguishing between May's psychological account and Heidegger's philosophical perspective. Anxiety is viewed positively by both philosophical and psychological phenomenology due to its links to the idea of authenticity. This is discussed in depth in the paper and consideration will be given to how this connects to important sources of meaning and identity in sport, such as spirituality and religious belief.


This study has the purpose of addressing four questions that lie at the base of the probability theory and statistics, and includes two main steps. As first, we conduct the textual analysis of the most significant works written by eminent probability theorists. The textual analysis turns out to be a rather innovative method of study in this domain, and shows how the sampled writers, no matter he is a frequentist or a subjectivist, share a similar approach. Each author argues on the multifold aspects of probability then he establishes the mathematical theory on the basis of his intellectual conclusions. It may be said that mathematics ranks second. Hilbert foresees an approach far different from that used by the sampled authors. He proposes to axiomatize the probability calculus notably to describe the probability concepts using purely mathematical criteria. In the second stage of the present research we address the four issues of the probability theory and statistics following the recommendations of Hilbert. Specifically, we use two theorems that prove how the frequentist and the subjectivist models are not incompatible as many believe. Probability has distinct meanings under different hypotheses, and in turn classical statistics and Bayesian statistics are available for adoption in different circumstances. Subsequently, these results are commented upon, followed by our conclusions


The interferons are a class of biological agents that have demonstrated antineoplastic activity in a variety of tumors both in vitro and in vivo. Previous reports have suggested that interferons can be safely administered by the intraperitoneal (IP) route with a pharmacokinetic advantage for peritoneal cavity exposure compared with the systemic circulation and with objective antitumor activity being demonstrated. On the basis of these reports and laboratory data suggesting activity for recombinant gamma-interferon (r-GIFN) against several malignant cell lines, we treated 27 refractory ovarian carcinoma patients, including six with very-small-volume residual disease, with this agent delivered by the IP route. While r-GIFN was found to be remarkably well tolerated, with a 150- to 200-fold pharmacokinetic advantage for peak levels achieved in the peritoneal cavity compared with the plasma, no objective responses were observed. Despite the lack of demonstrated activity for single-agent IP-administered r-GIFN in this clinical setting, there remains considerable interest in this agent when delivered by the IP route because of in vitro data suggesting concentration-dependent synergy between r-GIFN and other biological agents.


In this paper a combination strategy for reactive power optimization is proposed. It bases on the optimal reasult of Genetic-Simulated Annealing Algorithm and Primal-Dual Interior Point(PDIP) Algorithm, and solves the problem of discrete and continuous control variables in reactive power optimization effectively. Simultaneity, it introduces the soft costraint to handle the infeasibility problem appearing in the course of reactive power optimization. Numeriacal simulation results on the IEEE57 and the IEEE118 test system show that the proposed method can brings up the speed and the convergence of computation, and illustrate that the proposed method can effectively handle and detect the infeasibility problem caused by bottleneck constraints and get a reasonable solution fast.


Protein-based therapeutics typically require high concentrations of the active protein, which can lead to protein aggregation and high solution viscosity. Such solution behaviors can limit the stability, bioavailability, and manufacturability of protein-based therapeutics and are directly influenced by the charge of a protein. Protein charge is a system property affected by its environment, including the buffer composition, pH, and temperature. Thus, the charge calculated by summing the charges of each residue in a protein, as is commonly done in computational methods, may significantly differ from the effective charge of the protein as these calculations do not account for contributions from bound ions. Here, we present an extension of the structure-based approach termed site identification by ligand competitive saturation-biologics (SILCS-Biologics) to predict the effective charge of proteins. The SILCS-Biologics approach was applied on a range of protein targets in different salt environments for which membrane-confined electrophoresis-determined charges were previously reported. SILCS-Biologics maps the 3D distribution and predicted occupancy of ions, buffer molecules, and excipient molecules bound to the protein surface in a given salt environment. Using this information, the effective charge of the protein is predicted such that the concentrations of the ions and the presence of excipients or buffers are accounted for. Additionally, SILCS-Biologics also produces 3D structures of the binding sites of ions on the proteins, which enable further analyses such as the characterization of protein surface charge distribution and dipole moments in different environments. Notable is the capability of the method to account for competition between salts, excipients, and buffers on the calculated electrostatic properties in different protein formulations. Our study demonstrates the ability of the SILCS-Biologics approach to predict the effective charge of proteins and its applicability in uncovering protein-ion interactions and their contributions to protein solubility and function.


Many complex behaviors in biological systems emerge from large populations of interacting molecules or cells, generating functions that go beyond the capabilities of the individual parts. Such collective phenomena are of great interest to bioengineers due to their robustness and scalability. However, engineering emergent collective functions is difficult because they arise as a consequence of complex multi-level feedback, which often spans many length-scales. Here, we present a perspective on how some of these challenges could be overcome by using multi-agent modeling as a design framework within synthetic biology. Using case studies covering the construction of synthetic ecologies to biological computation and synthetic cellularity, we show how multi-agent modeling can capture the core features of complex multi-scale systems and provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms which guide emergent functionalities across scales. The ability to unravel design rules underpinning these behaviors offers a means to take synthetic biology beyond single molecules or cells and toward the creation of systems with functions that can only emerge from collectives at multiple scales.


Stroke is a huge public health burden worldwide. It is the 3rd cause of death and 1st cause of disability, showing a negative impact not only on the quality of life of the affected patient but also on the family, with a large number of patients suffering functional dependence even more than one year after the event. Moreover, the cost for health care systems is severe because there are direct costs (e.g. hospital stay, rehabilitation, transportation, medical monitoring, pharmaceutical consumption), and indirect costs (e.g. loss of productivity of patients and caregivers, loss of activity, premature mortality). The object of this thesis was to explore stroke physiopathology from a genetic point of view. Indeed, there is an important genetic implication in stroke, discovered in the early nineties by twin and familiar aggregation studies, but the genes responsible for the inheritance remain largely undetermined.
 One of the first variants that was highlighted as a risk factor for ischemic stroke in an Icelandic population, was a haplotype located in the phosphodiesterase gene. Since then, a multitude of candidate-gene association studies have been released. However, from a practical point of view, there is still no solid evidence today to routinely determine any of those genes and to make stroke predictions among healthy or high risk people. One of the goals of this thesis was thus specifically to identify a panel of genetic factors that could be used as predictive markers for the disease and especially in the Spanish population. The strategy was to analyze some polymorphisms that were previously published for other populations (PDE4D and ALOX5AP genes) or for whom the association was still unclear although it has been extensively studied (ACE gene). We also included in our analysis a list of genes revealed from the first genome-wide association study in ischemic stroke and an extensive list of all the markers that we could identify more or less related to stroke from the literature. Our studies resulted in the identification of various genetic risk factors for ischemic stroke in the Spanish population, which could perhaps be used as markers in other populations as well. Namely, the markers identified are the rs10947803 of the KCNK17 gene, the rs7956957 of the LRP1 gene, the rs2276109 of the MMP12 gene, the rs5742912 of the SCNN1A gene, the rs10507391 of the ALOX5AP gene and the rs10275136 and rs310585 of the NOS3 gene. All the associations observed resisted adjustment for stroke clinical and demographic risk factors, correction for multiple testing by Bonferroni, except for the SNP in LRP1 and were replicated in an independent sample. Moreover, all SNPs except the one in LRP1 showed a clear influence on the function of the corresponding gene or protein.
 In summary, we identified 5 genetic risk variants for ischemic stroke in the LRP1, SCNN1A, MMP12 and NOS3 genes. This panel of polymorphisms improved risk discrimination from conventional clinical risk factors and permitted to classify subjects who could benefit from primary prevention. Moreover, four of those variants showed a clear association with functional analyses.


The anti-inflammatory activity of the sulfonanilide, 4-nitro-2-phenoxymethanesulfonanilide (R-805) has been demonstrated in conventional models (carrageenan-induced edema of the rat's paw, UV-induced erythema of guinea-pig skin, adjuvant-induced arthritis of the rat). R-805 differs from most currently available acidic anti-inflammatory drugs in that its functional acidic group is not carboxyl. The relative anti-inflammatory potency of R-805 is comparable to indomethacin. Calculation of acute therapeutic indices (LD50/ED50) for 8 acidic anti-inflammatory drugs show R-805 to possess a more favourable index than the other drugs examined.


Objective of this study was to determine reproductive performance of A. philippiana. Samples were collected from the oil affected mangrove mudflat in Pototan, Guimaras, Philippine on September 2007. A. philippiana were induced to spawn using the serotonin method. Only A. philippiana with shell length of approximately 4.0-5.5 cm were induced to spawn. Three pairs of one ripe female and one ripe male were chosen and placed in aquaria with 3 replicates. A 0.3 ml of 4 rnM serotonin solution (Gros et al., 1997) was injected into 1-2 mm of the gonad of both male and female clams using 0.65 x 25-mm bore hypodermic needle attached to a 5 ml plastic syringe during mid until late afternoon. Number of spawned eggs was calculated, and fertilization was conducted. At 47 h, the percentage of normal (D-larvae) veliger relative to the initial number of eggs was calculated (Massapina et aL, 1999). Larvae from each spawner were reared separately in aquaria for several days without feeding in order to estimate survival rates. The number of larvae we re-estimated every 24-h intervals until total mortality. The decrease in the number of larvae per container we re-calculated as the proportion of live larvae from the initial number of larvae (extinction rate) (Narvarte and Pascual, 2003). Result of this study are total Total spawned eggs (x10 (g m) is 86.11±3.80, Fertilization rate (%) is 83.01±3.13, and harching rate is 36.51+8.64, Length of newly hatched larvae (gm) is 135.73±1.96, Number of days to total mortality (after hatching) without feeding is 9-10 days. Keywords: reproductive, Anodotia philippiana


The TEX86 and U37K' molecular biomarker proxies have been broadly applied in downcore marine sediments to reconstruct past sea surface temperature (SST). Although both TEX86 and U37K' have been interpreted as proxies for mean annual SST throughout the global ocean, regional studies of glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) and alkenones in sinking particles are required to understand the influence of seasonality, depth distribution, and diagenesis on downcore variability. We measure GDGT and alkenone flux, as well as the TEX86 and U37K' indices in a 4 year sediment trap time series (2010–2014) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), and compare these data with core-top sediments at the same location. GDGT and alkenone fluxes do not show a consistent seasonal cycle; however, the largest flux peaks for both occurs in winter. U37K' covaries with SST over the 4 year sampling interval, but the U37K'-SST relationship in this data set implies a smaller slope or nonlinearity at high temperatures when compared with existing calibrations. Furthermore, the flux-weighted U37K' value from sinking particles is significantly lower than that of underlying core-top sediments, suggesting preferential diagenetic loss of the tri-unsaturated alkenone in sediments. TEX86 does not covary with SST, suggesting production in the subsurface upper water column. The flux-weighted mean TEX86 matches that of core-top sediments, confirming that TEX86 in the nGoM reflects local planktonic production rather than allochthonous or in situ sedimentary production. We explore potential sources of uncertainty in both proxies in the nGoM but demonstrate that they show nearly identical trends in twentieth century SST, despite these factors.


INTRODUCTION
Annually a considerable number of people die because of breast cancer, a common disease among women also in Iran. Identifying risk factors and susceptible people can lead to prevention or at least early diagnosis. Among susceptibility risks, 5-10% of patients have a family history predisposing factor which can influence the risk of incidence among the family. Having a registry program can be a more practical way to screen high risk families for preventive planning.

METHOD
Based on inclusion criteria, a questionnaire was prepared and after a pilot study on a small number of patients, actual data were collected on 400 patients and processed in SPSS 16.0.

RESULTS
Totally, 28.2%of the patients were younger than 40 years old and 36.8% had the included criteria for familial breast cancer (FBC). 102 patient's samples could be compared for receptor presentation. Similar to other studies, the number of triple negative breast cancers increased as the age decreased.

CONCLUSION
The high percentage of patients with FBC among 400 cases in this study demonstrates that in order to design an infrastructural diagnostic protocol and screening of patients with FBC, a precise survey related to frequency and founder mutations of FBC is needed nationwide.


This paper presents an equalization-based digital background error-correction technique for successive approximation analog-to-digital converters (SA-ADCs). Computer simulation indicates that large differential and integral nonlinearities resulting from component errors including capacitor mismatch, comparator offset, and switch-induced offset can be corrected in the digital domain by an FIR adaptive filter, which essentially performs a linear equalization (LE) to align the digital codes of the SA-ADC to those of a slow-but-accurate reference ADC. In return, the size of the sampling capacitors can be scaled down to the kT/C limit without matching concerns. For SA-ADCs with resolutions of 10 bits and above, a large power saving is envisioned using the proposed low-cost, power-efficient digital calibration technique. The treatment improves the scalability and power efficiency of SA-ADCs in deeply scaled CMOS technology.


Author Summary: Metal accounting is one of the main tools for financial and technical management of metal production industry. It is based on measurements and has to manage the uncertainty inherent to the measurement process. The uncertainty in the metal accounting generates financial risk. The accuracy of the metal accounting results is directly linked to the accuracy of the material balance and then to the accuracy of the mass and content measurements. Estimate the overall measurement error, through its probability distribution or its first and second moments (mean and variance), can contribute to the enterprise decision making. The overall measurement error can be calculated and analysed by establishing the uncertainty budget. If this approach has been mainly introduced to calculate the analytical error (cf. ISO GUM), it has to take into account the sampling procedure. Even though it is not explicitly named "uncertainty budget", the same approach is proposed in the Pierre Gy's Theory of Sampling (TOS), where the various components of the overall error are well identified and described with their properties and their relative weights. The present paper proposes a methodology to build such uncertainty budgets in the frame of the implementation of a metal accounting system. It can be applied to an existing measurement system, analysing the results in order to find some ways for improving the measurement accuracy. In addition, it can be used to define a new measurement procedure with an objective of accuracy. Various real examples illustrate both applications.


Fifty-seven Antarctic marine bacteria were examined for their ability to degrade commercial diesel oil as the sole organic substrate at both 4 °C and 20 °C. Based on the preliminary screening, two isolates (B11 and B15) with high capacity to degrade diesel oil were selected and their biodegradation effi ciency was quantifi ed by gas chromatographic analysis. As expected for psychrotrophs, diesel oil biodegradation was slower at 4 °C than at 20 °C. The two strains also mineralized the C28 n-paraffi n octacosane at 20 °C and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at 4 °C and 20 °C.


Background The goal of cleft lip repair is a symmetrical balanced lip with minimal scar. Fat grafting is an established procedure in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for restoration or correction of contour deformity, volume loss, and improved tissue characteristics. In this study, we evaluated the use of fat grafting in correction of cleft lip volume asymmetry. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of our series of patients who underwent fat grafting using the Coleman technique for cleft lip volume asymmetry. Sex, age at primary repair, age at fat grafting, perioperative data, and preoperative and postoperative photographs were reviewed. Results A total of 52 children underwent fat grafting as secondary revision for both unilateral and bilateral cleft lip repair. Fat was hand suctioned from the abdominal or buttock region with a mean yield of 3.0 mL (range, 2.0–5.0 mL). An average total volume of 3.0 mL (range, 2.0–4.5 mL) of fat was injected via an intraoral incision into the philtrum, vermillion, and volume deficiencies in the vertical component of the lip for volume restoration. No complications were noted with fat harvest or with fat grafting. Mean follow-up was 48 months. Postoperative assessment revealed improved volume symmetry in all patients, and all patients or families were pleased with the results. Conclusions Fat grafting via an intraoral incision is a minimally invasive, safe, and reliable secondary procedure to improve volume asymmetries after cleft lip repairs.


It is noted that Saturn's equatorial zone showed some activity during the first months of 1978. Several white spots were noted by a number of European observers. In particular, from March 5 to April 19 of that year, a white spot having a rotation period of 10h17m38.1s (plus or minus 10s) was very well followed, being observed on 15 occasions. It is pointed out that this period is in the midrange of the periods (10h14.5m to 10h21m) observed for the equatorial zone on other occasions. Hence it is possible that differential atmospheric currents exist in the planet's equatorial zone.


Raja Yoga Meditation is one of the ancient solutions to modern problems. It has gained a lot of popularity around the world during the century. Raja Yoga Meditation, as many people often subscribe to, is not merely a method to attain mental peace, but also a powerful method to get rid of ignorance which causes various kinds of suffering in human life. 'Education is the manifestation of the divinity already in man'. It emphasizes on life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. The very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the collecting of facts. Raja Yoga Meditation is not simply sitting and Gazing eyes on light. Raja Yoga Meditation stabilizes a person in the real and original self and enables him to have his divine worth and dignity. It also involves certain ethical practices. These ethical practices are known as Moral, Spiritual, social, Professional and family values. Raja Yoga Education and Research Foundation, it is an education system is effective and incorporates into itself these ethical practices. Raja Yoga Meditation provides peace of mind, relaxed body, positive attitude in every situation, improves concentration and increases clarity of thought, develops the positive relationships, it realizes the purpose of life, feeling of content and stability and it provides good health, happiness and prosperity in life.


Kombucha tea (KT) is a popular health beverage and is used as an alternative therapy. KT is prepared by placing the kombucha culture in solution of tea and sugar and allowing to ferment. The inoculum is a fungus consisting of symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria. KT is consumed in several countries and is believed to have prophylactic and therapeutic benefits in a wide variety of ailments, viz., intestinal disorders, arthritis, ageing and stimulation of immunological system. Though KT is used in several parts of the world its beneficial effects and adverse effects have not been scientifically evaluated. Since there are no animal toxicological data on KT, subacute oral toxicity study was carried out. Five groups of rats were maintained: (a) control group given tap water orally, (b) KT given 2 ml/kg orally, (c) plain tea (PT) given 2 ml/kg orally, (d) KT given in drinking water, 1% (v/v) and (e) PT given in drinking water, 1% (v/v). The rats were given this treatment daily for a period of 90 days. Weekly records of weight, feed intake, water intake and general behaviour were monitored. There was no significant difference in the growth of the animals as evidenced by the progressive body weight change. The organ to body weight ratio and histological evaluation did not show any toxic signs. The haematological and biochemical variables were within the clinical limits. The study indicates that rats fed KT for 90 days showed no toxic effects.


Background/aim Prenatal exposure to organochlorine compounds (OCs) can increase the risk of adverse respiratory symptoms in children and adolescents, but evidence is mainly based on reported symptoms and it is still unknown whether these compounds can impact on lung function. We assessed the longitudinal association between prenatal exposure to OCs and lung function until early adulthood. Methods We included 2750 participants belonging to the INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) prospective birth cohort in Spain in Menorca, Valencia, Gipuzkoa, and Sabadell regions. Prenatal concentrations of OCs (hexachlorobenzene [HCB], dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT], dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene [DDE], and four polychlorinated biphenyls [PCB-118, PCB-138, PCB-153, and PCB-180]) from each participant were measured in maternal or cord serum. Lung function was measured by spirometry at 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, and 18 years of age. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the association between prenatal OCs concentrations and lung function. Results High percentage of samples presented quantifiable levels of all the analysed OCs. DDE, HCB, and PCB-153 were the compounds with higher median concentrations (e.g. median for DDE=1.03 ng/mL; Inter quartile range=1.37 ng/mL). Preliminary results in the Menorca cohort (n=327) revealed that prenatal exposure to the second tertile of PCB-153 concentrations was associated with reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) and reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) when compared to the lowest tertile at 11 and 14 years (e.g. β for FVC at 14 years=-0.17 L; 95% CI: −0.31 to −0.03). Exposure to the second tertile of DDE and PCB-118 was associated with reduced FVC at 11 years, compared to the lowest tertile. No other associations were found. Final results including all cohorts will be presented. Conclusion Preliminary results showed that prenatal exposure to OCs was associated with reduced lung function until adolescence. Such exposure might alter the structural development of the lung and predispose for chronic respiratory diseases later in life.


Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with important cognitive deficits that persist during the periods of remission. Although these deficits seem to play an important role in the functional impairment experienced by bipolar patients, evidence regarding their clinical management is scant. We revised the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, and clinicaltrials.gov, searching for studies focusing on the pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment of cognitive deficits among bipolar patients. In addition, a manual search of bibliographical cross-references was performed. Currently, there is no Food and Drug Administration–approved pharmacological agent for the management of cognitive deficits in BD. A number of agents have been tested in the treatment of cognitive deficits in BD, with mixed results. Nonpharmacological interventions, such as cognitive remediation and noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, seem promising, but their role has not yet been properly explored among bipolar patients. Additional studies, aiming at evaluating the efficacy of interventions combining cognitive rehabilitation and biological treatments, are highly desirable.


circumstances are unique. I did not change my name: As a physical and genetic hermaphrodite this was done officially when my birth certificate was corrected from 'Boy' to 'Girl' as a result of affidavits from my father, a surgeon, and a sexologist. The correctness of this change was also verified in the High Court in 1972 and, as described, was made in 1960 and not 1957 as Dr Pryor states. Some ofthese minutiae are of minor importance but when one has spent a lifetime helping people it is always nice to get things right and hope to be appreciated. GEORGINA SOMERSET 59 Hill Brow, Hove East Sussex BN3 6DD, UK


Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been taken much attention for various applications, such as catalyst, energy storage, and electronics. However, the lack of effective exfoliation methods for obtaining 2D materials in a large quantity has been one of the technical barriers for the real applications. We report a facile liquid-phase exfoliation method to improve the exfoliation efficiency for single-layer MoS2 sheets in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) assistant. The concentration of the exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets was greatly improved compared to that achieved with conventional liquid-phase exfoliation methods using NMP solvent. We demonstrate stable operation of sodium-ion battery by using the exfoliated MoS2 and MoS2-rGO composite as anode materials.


Investigation of phototransduction in invertebrate photoreceptors has revealed many physiological and biochemical features of fundamental biological importance. Nonetheless, no complete picture of phototransduction has yet emerged. In most known cases, invertebrate phototransduction involves polyphosphoinositide and cyclic GMP (cGMP) intracellular biochemical signaling pathways leading to opening of plasma membrane ion channels. Excitation is Ca(2+)-dependent, as are adaptive feedback processes that regulate sensitivity to light. Transduction takes place in specialized subcellular regions, rich in microvilli and closely apposed to submicrovillar membrane systems. Thus, excitation is a highly localized process. This article focuses on the intracellular biochemical signaling pathways and the ion channels involved in invertebrate phototransduction. The coupling of signaling cascades with channel activation is not understood for any invertebrate species. Although photoreceptors have features that are common to most or all known invertebrate species, each species exhibits unique characteristics. Comparative electrophysiological, biochemical, morphological, and molecular biological approaches to studying phototransduction in these species lead to fundamental insights into cellular signaling. Several current controversies and proposed phototransduction models are evaluated.


The method establishes new cell in system message, as well as adds information of frequency point of secondary carrier wave into the new cell and sends the system message to UE. The invention also discloses the device for network side to inform information of frequency point of secondary carrier wave (IFPSCW) to UE. The said device includes following parts: cell establishment unit in use for establishing new cell in system message; information of frequency point unit in use for adding information of frequency point of secondary carrier wave into new cell; the unit of informing information in use for sending the system information with added IFPSCW to UE. Being able to inform IFPSCW to UE, the invention makes UE obtain each IFPSCW in multicarrier subzone from system message sent by network side, makes UE access the subzone through secondary carrier waves.


Dynamic measurements to correctly adjust the magnitude in fatigue testing require a dynamic calibration of force transducers and conditioning electronics if the dynamic loads are to be measured correctly. International standard ISO 4965 describes a calibration method for these components. At PTB, such a calibration of bridge amplifiers has now been performed for the first time. The calibration includes tests with static and dynamic signals. The reference for the calibration is the dynamic bridge standard of PTB. It is particularly suitable for this application as it can generate static and dynamic signals, and thus all investigations can be performed with one reference and in a reasonably short time. The signal creation and the data analysis were carried out using the open source program GNU Octave. For the data analysis, a semi-automatic procedure was developed to simplify the process. Calibrations of two digital bridge amplifiers were carried out.


Abstract This article investigates optimal quality report design problems in a dynamic context when the service providers have moral hazard problem. I use a two-period repeated contest model between two firms in an attempt to attain a relatively better rating since a better rating leads to a bigger market share. The quality report agency calculates a firm's current rating with the inspected quality of the firm's service and carried-over advantage from the firm's past rating. The size of this advantage is the agency's control variable and models the degree of inertia in the scoring rule. The result shows that how much inertia a scoring rule is required to have, depends on several market characteristics such as the uncertainty in quality production, the consumers switching costs, and the quality investment persistency.


In this paper, we focused on numerical solutions of carcinogenesis mutations models that are based on reaction-diffusion systems and Lotka-Volterra food chains. We consider the case with one and two-stages of mutations with appropriate initial conditions and the zero-flux boundary conditions. The main purpose is to construct a stable discretization scheme, which allows much accuracy than those of a standard approach. To this end, we use the spectral method to postprocess numerical solutions for the proposed model by using some classical methods for solving differential equations. The implementation of the algorithm is simple and it does not need to solve the linear or nonlinear system (in case the model is nonlinear). We simulate the one and two-stage carcinogenesis mutations model and compared the results with previously published ones.


The Internet continues its growth as a medium for the sale of goods and services - and yet, although it would seem that digital content was one of the most obvious products for sale, content providers continue to struggle to find business models which will bring in adequat e revenue. In this paper we initially review the literature on business models for digital content providers and note the wide variance in perspective amongst those writing in this field. Building on our work for the European Commission SimWeb project, we then consider the ways in which content providers in the online news industry actually operate and the ways in which they contribute to the content value chain, suggesting a framework of our own which suggests a continuum of business model types for cont ent provision - ranging from "pure" content provision at one end to an extension beyond content itself to the provision of the technology needed to read content at the other end. We then elaborate on this framework, discussing the ways in which companies are making money from content provision in the online news industry, on the basis of a number of cases within the European market. Finally, we discuss the possible directions other content providers might wish to take in this environment.


Abstract. Rapid generation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) based flood extent maps provide valuable data in disaster response efforts thanks to the cloud penetrating ability of microwaves. We present a method using dual-polarimetric SAR imagery acquired on Sentinel-1a/b satellites. A false-colour map is generated using pre- and post- disaster imagery, allowing operators to distinguish between existing standing water pre-flooding, and recently flooded areas. The method works best in areas of standing water and provides mixed results in urban areas. A flood depth map is also estimated by using an external DEM. We will present the methodology, it's estimated accuracy as well as investigations into improving the response in urban areas.


Content based image retrieval (CBIR) system is a database management system for retrieval of images based on the similarity of image content with the query image. The issue of semantic gap causes retrieval of irrelevant images from database. In the proposed CBIR system, fuzzy clustering of the Tamura texture features extracted from the database is used to overcome this problem. Natural language querying is implemented by use of fuzzy data space. The fuzzy membership values derived using fuzzy c-means clustering is used as similarity measure. The proposed technique is implemented in Matlab and its effectiveness is verified using the standard Brodatz texture database.


What is a national economy? What does it measure, value, or represent? What does it do? This article argues for ethnographic attention to national economies as a serial global form, arguably the most privileged epistemological and political object of our unevenly shared modernity. In dialogue with feminist approaches to the study of capitalism, economic anthropology, and the social studies of finance, this article asks how national economies become both intelligible, possessing representational unity or naturalized authority, and compelling—the stuff of fantasy and desire, power and subjugation. Taking a series of national economic conferences in Equatorial Guinea as a point of departure, the article argues for the centrality of the state and questions of geopolitical scale in any approach to the national economy form. Juxtaposing the literature on economic performativity with Equatoguinean political history and the power of U.S. oil companies in the global South highlights the open-endedness of what Michel Callon has called economics "in the wild" and the as-if qualities generated at the crossroads of economic theory and postcolonial inequality. This article thus aims to open up ethnographic possibilities in the face of national economies far beyond Equatorial Guinea's borders.


Allium derivative propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO) is a new additive for animal feed which improves animal health when used as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Despite the effort of the European Union to ensure the control of animal feed alterations, information available on this new additive is sparse and analytical methods used for its monitoring have limited reach. Moreover, existing analytical methods exhibit shortcomings when applied to other matrices or when attempting to measure low concentration levels. This paper describes for the first time that PTSO reacts instantaneously with cysteine (CYS) and glutathione (GLU) generating s-propyl mercaptocysteine (CSSP) and s-propyl mercaptoglutathione (GSSP), thus explaining the limitations of previous methods when applied to feed with high concentration levels of CYS and GLU. Therefore, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method combined with a sample treatment based on simple solid–liquid extraction with methanol is proposed for the monitoring of PTSO, CSSP and GSSP in a wide range of animal feed samples including those for pigs, piglets, broilers, hens, rabbits and partridges. This method provides a simple, robust and efficient alternative for the determination of this additive. Matrix-matched calibration curves were established for PTSO, CSSP and GSSP and limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were estimated, being lower than the ones previously reported for PTSO when using HPLC-UV. The relative standard deviation of the whole analytical method was lower than 10% in all cases, while recoveries ranged from 93% to 104%.


This paper proposes a microcontroller based control method for the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of a photovoltaic system under variable temperature and insolation conditions. For the reduction of tracking time, fuzzy logic control algorithm is implemented with the embedded microcontroller for improved performance as compared to conventional techniques in power efficiency and swift maximum power point tracking. The system includes a photovoltaic array, a PWM controlled DC-DC converter and sensor circuits. The designed controller regulates the converter output voltage by varying duty cycle of the PWM signal using maximum power point (MPP) algorithm and it maximizes the output power extracted from photovoltaic array. This paper discusses the low cost implementation of MPP algorithm in a 8-bit microcontroller using the tools and techniques to generate optimized real time code in C for ATMega8 microcontroller which will demonstrate how maximum power point tracker might provide elegant and efficient solution for increasing the efficiency of a solar system based on experimental results rather than on mathematical models.


D-Ribitol and D-ribitol-5-phosphate are non-immunogenic, five-carbon sugar molecules; they are important metabolites in the pentose phosphate pathway and are an integral part of bacterial cell wall polysaccharides, and also constituent components of water-soluble vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and its coenzyme flavin mononucleotide (FMN; riboflavin-5-phosphate), respectively. The main focus of the present study was to generate antibodies to ribitol and ribitol-5-phosphate by utilizing hapten-carrier conjugates containing respective epitopes and to utilize these rabbit IgG antibodies to develop immunoassays to detect and quantitate riboflavin and FMN, respectively, in some selected foods.
Antibodies specific to D-ribitol was generated using reductively aminated D-ribose-BSA conjugate (~30 moles of ribitol/mole of BSA) as the immunogen in rabbits. Caprylic acid precipitation of immune serum to remove serum albumin followed by hapten affinity chromatography on ribitol–KLH–Sepharose CL-6B resulted in pure ribitol–specific antibodies (~45–50 μg/mL) with an affinity constant of 2.9 × 107 M−1 and showing 100% specificity towards ribitol, ~800% cross–reactivity towards riboflavin, and low cross-reactivity with various sugars, sugar alcohols and riboflavin derivatives in indirect-competitive ELISA (icELISA).
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Similarly, Antibodies specific to D-ribitol-5-phosphate were generated using reductively aminated D-ribose-5-phosphate-BSA conjugate (~32 moles of ribitol-5-phosphate/mole of BSA) as the immunogen in rabbits. Antibodies specific to ribitol-5-phosphate were purified by caprylic acid precipitation of immune serum to remove serum albumin followed by hapten affinity chromatography on ribitol-5-phosphate–KLH–Sepharose CL-6B (yield: ~60–65 μg/mL) with an affinity constant of 7.1 × 108 M−1 and showing 100% specificity towards ribitol-5-phosphate, ~230% cross–reactivity towards FMN, and low cross-reactivity with various sugars, sugar alcohols, riboflavin and FAD in icELISA.
For the development of ELISAs for quantifying riboflavin and FMN in foods, inhibition curves were prepared using icELISA by competition between affinity-purified hapten-specific anti-ribitol and anti-ribitol-5-phosphate antibodies with riboflavin (LOD = 0.02 ng/mL) and FMN (LOD = 0.24 ng/mL), respectively, which showed linear range between 0.1 and 100 ng of competitors and <1% cross reactivity with other water-soluble vitamins. Food samples were subjected to acid hydrolysis to obtain total riboflavin (TRF), and with methanol: methylene chloride (9:10, v/v) to obtain non-degraded individual flavins, and were used as the source of competing analyte in the immunoassay. Quantification of individual flavins (riboflavin and FMN) by icELISAs showed variation in their values compared to TRF, and were in good agreement with the HPLC and AOAC spectrofluorimetric methods. Further, spiking and recovery analysis
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of food sample using inter and intra-assays showed no significant matrix effects with good recovery, sensitivity, accuracy and precision.
The present study also describes the use of antibodies to ribitol and ribitol-5-phosphate for the immunological detection of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria by indirect immunofluorescence and its polyribosyl-ribitol-phosphate (PRP)-containing glycoconjugate vaccines (Hiberix™, Sii HibPro™ and Pentavac SD® containing PRP conjugated to tetanus toxoid) using icELISA.


ABSTRACT Patients with somatoform disorder (SFD) are characterized by the presence of chronic physical complaints that are not fully explained by a general medical condition or another mental disorder. Insecure attachment patterns are common in this patient group, which are often associated with interpersonal difficulties. In the present study, the mediational role of two types of alexithymia and negative affectivity (NA) was examined in the association between attachment styles and interpersonal problems in a group of 120 patients with SFD. Patients were requested to fill out several self-report questionnaires for the assessment of attachment strategies, alexithymia, NA, and interpersonal problems. Cognitive alexithymia (i.e., the inability to identify and verbalize emotions) mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment patterns and interpersonal problems, even after controlling for NA. Preliminary findings also suggested that NA acted as a moderator of the mediator cognitive alexithymia. These results have important implications for clinical practice, as this study clearly shows that interpersonal problems do not automatically follow from insecure attachment strategies, but are contingent upon alexithymic features. It is recommended to target alexithymic features in patients with SFD, particularly in the context of negative emotions. Therefore, cognitive alexithymia may be an important therapeutic focus, specifically in the treatment of avoidant ptients with SFD.


ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To identify studies that aimed to determine the effects of topical oils on neonatal skin. DATA SOURCES Authors searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Science Direct databases. STUDY SELECTION The databases were searched for studies published through February 2022 (when the search was conducted) using the keywords "skin", "neonatal", "infant", and "oil". Fourteen randomized controlled trials that met the eligibility criteria were included in the review. DATA EXTRACTION Researchers used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) reporting guidelines to guide this systematic review. Two authors reviewed and evaluated the articles independently. DATA SYNTHESIS The 14 studies included in this review were conducted with a total of 5,683 neonates, most of whom were preterm. The included studies used blended sunflower (n = 8), coconut (n = 5), almond (n = 2), olive (n = 1), mustard (n = 1), and vegetable (n = 1) oils. These studies investigated the effects of topical oils on the skin's barrier functions and skin integrity. Most studies used noninvasive measurement devices to evaluate the skin's barrier functions; they used a variety of scoring systems to evaluate skin integrity. Eleven of the studies concluded that the oils used in the skincare of neonates effectively improve the skin condition and barrier functions of the skin. However, three studies found equivocal, negative, or mixed findings. CONCLUSION Although current evidence indicates a potential benefit, more studies with a high level of evidence on the subject are required.


1570 Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α) by an RNA antagonist, EZN-2968, in vitro and in vivo. 1Enzon Pharmaceuticals, 20 Kingsbridge Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, 2Santaris Pharma, Boge Alle 3, DK-2970 Horsholm, Denmark
 HIF-1α is a transcription factor that plays a critical role in angiogenesis, survival, metastasis, drug resistance, and glucose metabolism. Elevated expression of HIF-1α is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients; it can be elevated in response to hypoxia (due to reduced protein degradation), or when growth factor pathways are hyperactivated. Therefore, down-regulation of HIF1-α by RNA antagonists may have broad therapeutic application. EZN-2968 is a locked nucleic acid (LNA) RNA antagonist that specifically inhibits the expression of HIF-1α. Unlike other RNA antagonists, in LNAs the ribose sugar ring in each monomer is fixed in a RNA-like conformation by the introduction of a methylene bridge, linking the 2′-oxygen and 4′-carbon. This imparts LNA RNA antagonists with higher affinity and resistance against degradation compared with other oligonucleotides. In vitro, in human prostate (15PC3, PC3, DU145) and glioblastoma (U373) cells, EZN-2968 induced a potent, selective, and durable antagonism of HIF-1α expression (IC50 1 to 5 nM), both under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Additionally, down-regulation of HIF-1α by EZN-2968 led to reduction of its transcriptional targets (VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase 2 proteins) and significant reduction of HUVEC tube formation. In DU145, A549, and U373 cancer cell lines, treatment with EZN-2968 led to apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. In vivo, administration of EZN-2968 to normal mice led to specific, dose-dependent, and highly potent down-regulation of endogenous HIF-1α and VEGF in liver. The effect of a single dose of EZN-2968 (50 mg/kg) lasted at least 4 days but less than 8 days, with a maximum effect of 75% reduction of HIF-1α and 60% reduction of VEGF mRNA 5 days after dosing. In efficacy studies, tumor reduction was found in mice implanted with DU145 cells that were transfected with EZN-2968 prior to implantation and given systemic treatment with EZN-2968 post tumor implantation. In conclusion, EZN-2968 is a potent and selective inhibitor of HIF-1α in vitro and in vivo. Ongoing Phase I studies will determine the optimal dose and schedule of EZN-2968 for the treatment of cancer.


The searches for extra-dimensions, top resonances, 4 generation quarks and leptoquark signatures are presented. The results are based on proton-proton collision data at √ s = 7 or 8 TeV, corresponding to various integrated luminosities. No signal of physics beyond the Standard Model has been observed so far.


Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is characterized by glomerular proteinuria in the absence of infiltrating cells or immunoglobulin deposits. Although it is suspected that T cells secrete a circulating factor that leads to proteinuria by altering the permeability of the glomerular filtration barrier, the precise etiology of this syndrome is unknown. Because an animal model that mimics human idiopathic nephrotic syndrome does not exist, we developed a humanized mouse model of the disease by injecting CD34(+) stem cells or CD34(-) peripheral blood mononuclear cells from afflicted patients into immunocompromised mice. Even though both CD34(+) and CD34(-) cells induced the engraftment of human CD45(+) leukocytes in mice, only the injection of CD34(+) stem cells induced albuminuria. Ultrastructural analysis of glomeruli from the resulting proteinuric mice revealed effacement of podocyte foot processes, similar to the pathology observed in the human disease. Therefore, our data suggest that the cells responsible for the pathogenesis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome are more likely to be immature differentiating cells rather than mature peripheral T cells.


This study suggested an integrated classification method for generalized characteristics of PC beam-column connection according to connection details. Quantifying the failure mode of PC-beam column connection and characteristics of corresponding details, this study suggested to use deformation contribution of each element of beam-column assemblage. According to the expected failure mode of beam-column connection assemblage, PC beam-column connection can be classified into 'equivalent monolithic system' and 'jointed system'. In this study, four test specimens were tested for verification of detailed classification method of PC beam-column connections. Test was carried out with typical beam-column connection test method. Load was applied at the top of test specimen and end of beams were restrained by hinge. In order to verify the deformation contribution of each test specimen, 34-LVDTs were mounted on test specimen. According to test results, deformation contribution of each test specimen have different characteristics. Deformation characteristics of joint and other components which are quantified by test results, equivalent monolithic system can be classified into two categories. Strong connection have extremely small deformation contribution of joint and much larger deformation contribution was shown in flexural behavior of beam. The other type of beam-column connection is ductile connection which allows the larger deformation in joint area compared with strong connection.


This study focuses on the legal treatment of educational uses of copyrighted works under Italian law. Considering the very narrow room for free, unauthorized educational uses under Article 70 of the Italian Copyright Act, one would expect a large recourse to rights clearance mechanisms ensuring a wide and legitimate use of copyrighted works for educational purposes (especially when such works are communicated through digital networks and are used on e-learning platforms). Unfortunately, this is not the case in Italy, where neither stakeholders nor competent authorities have taken steps to create an effective system of licenses for educational uses. A comparative analysis of exceptions and licensing mechanisms for educational uses in a few countries of continental Europe, northern Europe and of the United States reveals solutions and contractual patterns that show possible solutions for Italy to escape from the present stalemate. In nearly all jurisdictions considered in the study, collective bargaining and collective management constitute an essential element of the regulation of educational uses of copyrighted works and set up mechanisms and levels of economic compensation for authors, publishers and other categories of right-holders. In conclusion, the study suggests a reform of Italian law based on the examples of statutory licensing schemes created for educational uses by countries like Germany and France. Such reform would aim at legalizing a number of educational uses to the benefit of certain categories of beneficiaries through the recognition of remuneration rights in favor of copyright holders.


ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to investigate compression after low-velocity impact (CAI) properties of a multistitched composite. It was found that the CAI strength of the multistitched composite was high compared to the unstitched composites. In addition, stitching density, stitching type, stitching direction, and stitching fibers were found to be important structural parameters. The CAI load on the multistitched composites resulted in lateral damages near the impacted indentation region. The structures showed large damaged areas, but the out-of-plane layer delamination was confined to relatively small areas. Thus, the multistitching enhanced the CAI properties of the composite.


The properties of robustness and finite-time convergence provided by sliding mode (SM) theory have motivated several researches to deal with the problems of control and state estimation. In the SM theory, the super-twisting algorithm (STA), a second-order SM scheme, has demonstrated remarkable characteristics when it is implemented as a controller, observer or robust signal differentiator although the presence of noise and parametric uncertainties. However, the design of this algorithm was originally developed for continuous-time systems. The growth of microcomputers technology has attracted the attention of researchers inside the SM discrete-time domain. Recently, discretisations schemes for the STA were studied using majorant curves. In this study, the stability analysis in terms of Lyapunov theory is proposed to study a discrete-time super twisting-like algorithm (DSTA) for non-linear discrete-time systems. The objective is to preserve the STA characteristics of robustness in a quasi-sliding mode regime that was proved in terms of practical Lyapunov stability. An adequate combination of gains obtained by the same Lyapunov analysis forces the convergence for the DSTA. The problem of state estimation is also analysed for second-order mechanical systems of n degrees of freedom. Simulation results regarding the design of a second-order observer using the DSTA for a simple pendulum and a biped model of seven degrees of freedom are presented.


CONTEXT
The association between psoriasis and hypoparathyroidism has been reported by several authors, and it has been suggested that abnormalities in calcium homeostasis may be involved in the development or exacerbation of psoriasis. However, so far there have only been two reports of pseudohypoparathyroidism associated with psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE
To describe the familial occurrence of this association for the first time.

CASE REPORTS
Two siblings with psoriasis associated with pseudohypoparathyroidism were presented. The first patient was a 24-year-old white male with disseminated erythrodermic pustular psoriasis that began 2 months before admission. He had had a history of mental retardation, recurrent otitis, seizures and arthralgia from the age of 11 years onwards. He presented the characteristic phenotype of Albright osteodystrophy: short stature, obesity, round facies, broad forehead, short neck and brachydactylia. He adopted a position of flexed limbs and showed proximal muscle weakness and a positive Trousseau sign. He had clinical signs of hypocalcemia (0.69 mmol/l ionized calcium and 3.2 mg/dl total calcium), hyperphosphatemia (6.6 mg/dl), hypomagnesemia (1.0 mEq/l), hypoalbuminemia (3.1 g/dl), normal serum intact PTH levels (45.1 pg/ml), primary hypothyroidism (13.2 mU/ml TSH, and 4.7 mg/dl total T(4)), hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism (116.0 ng/ml LH, 13.2 mU/ml FSH and 325.0 ng/dl testosterone), osteoporosis, and diffuse calcifications in soft tissues and in the central nervous system. The second case was a 14-year-old white girl with a history of psoriasis vulgaris from the age of five years onwards, and antecedents of mental retardation. She presented signs of Albright osteodystrophy (short stature, round facies, obesity, short neck, brachydactylia), hypocalcemia (ionized calcium of 1.08 mmol/l and total calcium of 6.7 mg/dl) hyperphosphatemia (9.4 mg/dl), elevated serum PTH levels (223.0 pg/ml), osteoporosis, and hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism (7.0 mU/ml LH, 9.3 mU/ml FSH and undetectable estradiol levels).


Abstract. The Dutch Wadden Sea is a UN World Heritage Site connected to the
North Sea by multiple tidal inlets. Although there are strong tidal currents
flowing through these inlets, the magnitude and direction of the residual
circulation in the western Dutch Wadden Sea is important for sediment,
salinity and nutrient balances. We found that the direction of this residual
flow is reversing. This residual circulation has been the subject of various studies since the
1970s, in which substantially different net volume fluxes were presented. Differences in tidal conditions in the main inlets,
tidal rectification and meteorology were identified as driving mechanisms. Here we analysed
almost 13 years of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) observations collected on the ferry crossing the
Marsdiep tidal inlet in the Dutch Wadden Sea since 2009. The results are
combined with earlier investigations covering the period 1998–2009. We find
a significant trend in the magnitude of the residual volume flux, with
decreasing export to the North Sea and with occasional imports observed in
recent years. We hypothesise that this trend is related predominantly to
changes in tides in the North Sea, which are caused by increased strength
and duration of stratification in response to global warming. With warming
projected to continue, we expect the residual flow in the Marsdiep to
continue to reverse to full inflow within the current decade, with potential
knock-on effects for the sediment budget and ecosystem of the western Wadden
Sea.


Abstract This paper describes an original on-line video device developed in order to study bubble instabilities occurring in the film blowing process, taking into account their three-dimensional behavior. For a linear low-density polyethylene, two forms of instabilities and combination have been observed: draw resonance and helical instability. These instabilities could be quantitatively described and differences in behavior could be assessed using real objective measurements and criteria. The influence of key processing conditions was investigated and the results showed that the instabilities are enhanced by increasing the draw ratio, blow up ratio and frost line height. These first results are in agreement with the majority of the results reported in the literature, but allow for a more accurate analysis of the phenomena.


Objective: To investigate the effect of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc perforation on expression of type Ⅰ collagen in TMJ disc cells. Methods: The fibroblastic-like cells from the surgical removed TMJ disc tissue (disc perforation or TMJ condyle hyperplasia) were cultured. The cultured cells were identified as fibroblastic-like cells by toluidine blue and immunofluorescence staining. The expression of type Ⅰ collagen was detected with Western blotting and the content of type Ⅰ collagen was examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Fibroblastic-like cells were cultured from TMJ disc cells and the controls. The collagen-Ⅰ and collagen-Ⅱ were positive in both toluidine blue and immunofluorescence staining. In Western blotting, the expression of typeⅠcollagen in cells from joints with disc perforation was lower than that from normal joints. The content of collagen-Ⅰ was (1.62±0.52) μg/L from controls, and (0.85±0.33) μg/L from disc perforation respectively (P=0.0134). Conclusions: The disc cells from TMJ with disc perforation expressed lower type Ⅰ collagen than that from controls, which may be related to the lower content of collagen-Ⅰ in TMJ disc and the formation of TMJ disc perforation.


SpiNNaker is a custom-made architecture designed to model large-scale spiking neural nets. One of the most significant characteristics of neural nets is their extreme communication needs; each neuron propagates its activation to thousands of other neurons. This paper shows analytical proof that the novel multicast router in SpiNNaker is a better solution for simulating neural nets than more powerful point-to-point routers such as those found on datacentres or high performance computing systems, even when it has significantly lower requirements in terms of complexity, area and power. First, we characterised the utilization of resources required by both multicast and unicast networks. Then we derived the band-width needs of different communication architectures. Finally, we derived the amount of neurons the different networks can support. From these analyses we determined that the multicast communications adopted in SpiNNaker will be able to support the target application under the expected operation conditions.


Because of the complicated interaction of the sludge compost components, it makes the quality evaluation system of sludge compost appear the fuzziness. According to the physical circumstances of sludge compost, a compost quality evaluation modeling method based on fuzzy neural network is presented. We select the index of sludge compost quality and take the high temperature duration, degradation rate, nitrogen content, average oxygen concentration and maturity degree as the evaluation parameters. We construct the structure of fuzzy neural network that used for the quality evaluation of sludge compost, and adopt the Levenberg-Marquart optimizing algorithm to train fuzzy neural network. With the ability of strong self-learning and function approach of fuzzy neural network, the modeling method can truly evaluate the sludge compost quality by learning the index information of sludge compost quality. The experimental results show that this method is feasible and effective.


This article argues that the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) adds value to international efforts to protect populations from genocide and mass atrocities, but not in the ways commonly thought. It suggests that RtoP is not particularly effective as a 'rallying call' that mobilises action in cases where international society may be initially reluctant to act. Where it does add value is in helping to reshape states' identities and interests such that consideration of the protection needs of populations, in relation to the threat of genocide and mass atrocities, has been internalised to some extent by the UN Security Council. As such, RtoP is best seen as being a 'habit former'. The principle does not, however, determine particular behaviours or guarantee international consensus because decision-making is heavily influenced by contextual factors. The argument proceeds in three parts. The first examines instances where RtoP has been invoked since early 2006. The second explores the role of context in shaping how the UN Security Council responds to particular crises. Finally, to amplify the points made in these sections, the third section considers the UN Security Council's response to the crisis in Somalia after 2006.


Quantifying sediment transport and storage in fluvial systems is fundamental for understanding the transfer of eroded materials from source to sink. Here, we investigated the potential of a combined approach using a luminescence measured in modern fluvial sediments and numerical simulations to quantify transport and storage in rivers. We acquired luminescence data at the single‐grain scale on feldspar sediments of Waimakariri and Rakaia braided rivers (New Zealand) using a post infra‐red infra‐red stimulated luminescence protocol. We considered three metrics from the analysis of luminescence equivalent dose (De) distribution: the percentage of bleached and the percentage of saturated grains, and the mean De. All three metrics show similar longitudinal trends along both rivers. To derive quantitative information on sediment transfer from these data, we developed a numerical model that simulates the longitudinal evolution of De distribution of a population of grains during transport and storage in floodplains. The model considers four main parameters: the transport length of grains during floods, their resting time between successive transport events, the bleaching probability (probability of the luminescence signal to be reset due to sunlight exposure during transport or rest), and the likelihood of partial bleaching. Identification of model parameters that best reproduce natural observations allowed estimating transit time of sediments between 2.1 and 10.3 Kyr (mean of 6.9 ± $\pm $ 2.9 Kyr), corresponding to mean virtual transit velocity of 20–95 m.yr−1 (mean of 46 ± $\pm $ 28 m.yr−1). Our study illustrates the potential of the combined single‐grain luminescence and modeling approach to quantify sediment transfer in fluvial systems.


Performing collinear laser spectroscopy on low intensity radioactive beams requires sensitive detection techniques. We explain our apparatus to detect atomic resonances in neutralized (208-210)Fr ion beams at beam energies of 5 keV and intensities of 10(5) s(-1). Efficient neutralization (> or = 80%) is accomplished by passing the beam through a dense Rb vapor. Increased detection efficiency is achieved by amplitude modulating the exciting laser to decrease the scattered light background, allowing fluorescence detection only when the laser is near its minimum in the modulation cycle. Using this technique in a collinear geometry we achieve a background reduction by a factor of 180 and a signal-to-noise increase of 2.2, with the lifetime of the atomic state playing a role in the efficiency of this process. Such laser modulation will also produce sidebands on the atomic spectra which we illustrate.


Goal: To identify the characteristics, outcomes and treatment options of odontogenic infections through a retrospective analysis of cases treated for odontogenic abscess. Place and Duration: In the Oral and Maxillofacial department of Cat D Hospital Gara Tajik Peshawar for the duration from June 2021 to November 2021. Methods: A total of 80 patients were included in this study. Age, gender, affected facial spaces, affected teeth, the type of antibiotic therapy, hospital stays, previous medication, past medical history and body temperature during the admission were the studied variables. Results: Patients' age ranged from 5-85 years, and 42.4% of those who had an odontogenic infection were under 35. Most patients had body temperatures between 37 to 37.5 °C. The mandibular third molars are the most affected teeth. The 7.5% of the mandibular molars were most severely affected among children. 37.5% of patients have 1-44 days stay in hospital. The most often found bacterial strain was streptococci. The commonly involved space was the buccal space, 10 patients have Ludwig's angina and 48.8% multi-space involvement. Penicillin G with metronidazole or metronidazole and cefazoline were the most often prescribed antibiotic combinations. The 2.5% was the mortality rate and all cases have Ludwig's angina. Conclusions: The submandibular and buccal spaces are the main affected facial spaces. Penicillin, the most widely used antibiotic, has been proven to be successful in treating infections of the jaw. Odontogenic abscesses are most frequently linked to the eruption of the mandibular molars. Keywords: Abscess, Infection, and Antibiotics


OBJECTIVES
Perioperative transfusion of red blood cells is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The authors investigated the correlation between preoperative risk factors and the number of red blood cell units received in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

DESIGN
A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

SETTING
A single-center study performed in an educational hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
All patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery between 1998 and 2007 (N = 10,626) were included.

INTERVENTIONS
Isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the impact of preoperative and perioperative factors on transfusion of 1 or more units of red blood cells. The following independent risk factors for receiving red blood cell units were identified: age, female sex, low body surface area, low left ventricular ejection fraction (<35%), emergency operation, previous cardiac surgery, low preoperative hemoglobin, and low preoperative creatinine clearance. Perioperative risk factors were the use of extracorporeal circulation, longer bypass time, use of crystalloid cardioplegia, the need for intra-aortic balloon pump, perioperative myocardial infarction, and re-exploration for any cause.

CONCLUSIONS
In this study, the authors identified risk factors for receiving red blood cells in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The authors were able to implement these factors in their daily practice by sharpening the criteria for the direct availability of red blood cells in the operating room.


Specific alpha 1-globulin of the brain was assayed by an immunoenzyme technique in blood sera from cases of various brain pathologies and healthy donors. Relative elevation in brain specific alpha 1-globulin level, as compared with that in healthy subjects, was more frequent in patients with malignant glial tumors of the brain, less frequent in cases of benign glial tumors and in very few patients suffering from other brain diseases. Raised level of specific alpha 1-globulin may be caused by disorders in the blood-brain barrier or lesions in brain or tumor tissues which is peculiar to glial malignancies of the brain. The said test offers much advantage in diagnosis of glial tumors.


This manual was initially written to support the University of South Dakota's Palm Initiative. It has been substantially revised and updated to include the latest in handheld applications with educational uses, and it applies to any Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) using the Palm OS Software (3.1 or higher) and having at least 8 megabytes of memory. This manual covers the following uses of the handheld computer: reading e-books; creating e-books from Word documents; reading, creating, and editing documents; database software; finding online information; putting course information on the handheld; Web clipping; installing and storing pictures and images; beaming data and applications; creating quizzes; maintaining gradebooks on the PDA; quick installation of applications and data; sharing information and applications; time management; and a list of URLs and books for current awareness on handhelds and their academic and informational applications. (AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Beyond the Organizer: A Manual of Educational Uses for the Handheld Computer By: Carol A. Leibiger PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY


What am I referring to when I say "I"? This little word is so easy to use in daily life, yet it has become the focus of intense theoretical debate. Where does my sense of self come from? Does it arise spontaneously or is it created by the media or society? This concern with the self, with our subjectivity, is now our main point of reference in Western societies. How has it come to be so important, and what are the different ways in which we can approach an understanding of the self? Nick Mansfield explores how our notions of subjectivity have developed over the past century. Analyzing the work of key modern and postmodern theorists such as Freud, Foucault, Nietzsche, Lacan, Kristeva, Deleuze and Guattari, and Haraway, he shows how subjectivity is central to debates in contemporary culture, including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, postmodernism, and technology.


Absolute integrated backscatter (IB) levels and other derived parameters such as cyclic variation (CV) have been used for ultrasonic tissue characterization. Ideally, such a parameter would provide information on the scattering structure and would be independent of the acquisition or the equipment used. It is well known however, that the measured reflected signal of a scattering structure depends on the precise position of the individual scatterers. In order to estimate the sensitivity of IB to this stochastical process, the authors analyzed backscattered data from structures with fixed scatterer densities but with a random distribution, Several independent measurements were made and the variability in IB was calculated. In order to produce the radio frequency (RF) data the authors firstly used computer simulations. Secondly, a real-time RF acquisition system was used to acquire RF data from a tissue mimicking phantom. Finally, an adapted imaging approach was evaluated using mathematical simulations in order to see if it can reduce the measured variability of IB.


Abstract Data taken during the Air Mass Transformation Experiment (AMTEX) by the NCAR Electra aircraft have proven useful for investigating the structure of thermals penetrating into the turbulent inversion layer which caps the convective mixed layer. On 16 February 1975, two flight legs, one upwind and one crosswind, and each about 12 min long (∼80 km in length), were flown at a nominally constant altitude at about the level of the turbulent inversion layer. Because of the variations in height of this relatively thin layer, the airplane spent about equal amounts of time above and below the inversion layer. These two legs are further split into six sections for statistical analyses, each with somewhat different characteristics. Variances, co-variances, spectra and cospectra of potential temperature, the three air velocity components, and humidity are computed to illustrate the dynamic processes occurring in this region. Two spectral maxima occur in vertical velocity and temperature: one at a wavelength of...


The biology of CML (chronic myeloid leukaemia) has been extensively investigated as the disease is a paradigm of neoplasms induced when a translocation results in expression of a novel fusion protein, in this instance p210(BCR-ABL). Although CML manifests itself principally as unregulated expansion of the myeloid lineage, the lesion is present in the stem cell population and it has long been assumed that disregulated stem cell kinetics must underlie the basic pathology of the disease. In this review, we present evidence that, in normal haemopoiesis, less primitive precursor cells retain considerable flexibility in their capacity to undergo self-renewal, allowing them to maintain lineage-specific homoeostasis without inflicting proliferative stress upon the stem cell population. This mechanism is dysregulated in CML and we have developed a self-renewal assay for CFU-GM (colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage) which demonstrates that, in CML, the PI (proliferative index) of the myeloid progenitor cell population is increased. The ability to measure the PI as an endpoint of p210(BCR-ABL) expression gives considerable versatility to the in vitro investigation of putative therapeutic regimes in CML.


The short and biomimetic synthesis of the potent HCV protease inhibitor antrodin A, (I), in three steps and 73% overall yield represents a significant improvement over previous routes.


Abstract Objective To evaluate the validity of food photographs used to support the reporting of food intake with an FFQ designed for adolescents from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Design A set of ninety-five food photographs was elaborated. The photographs' evaluation process included the acknowledgement of foods and portions in the pictures. In the identification of foods (ninety-five photographs) and typical portions (twelve photographs), the adolescents were requested to answer a structured questionnaire related to the food photographs. The identification of the portion size of amorphous foods (forty-three photographs) was performed using three different portion sizes of actual preparations. The proportions (and 95 % confidence intervals) of adolescents who correctly identified foods and portion size in each photograph were estimated. Setting A public school in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Subjects Sixty-two adolescents between 11·0 and 18·9 years old, randomly selected. Results At least 90 % of adolescents correctly identified the food in ninety-two photographs and the food in the three remaining photographs was recognized by 80–89 % of the adolescents. At least 98 % of the adolescents correctly identified eleven typical or natural portions in the food photographs. For amorphous foods, at least 70 % of teenagers correctly identified the portion size in the photograph of thirty-one foods; for the other photographs, the portion size was correctly recognized by 50–69 % of the adolescents for eight foods and by less than 50 % of adolescents for four foods. Conclusions The analysed photographs are appropriate visual aids to the reporting of food consumption by adolescents.


In this paper we consider a homogeneous analytic center cutting plane method in a projective space. We describe a general scheme that uses a homogeneous oracle and computes an approximate analytic center at each iteration. This technique is applied to a convex feasibility problem, to variational inequalities, and to convex constrained minimization. We prove that these problems can be solved with the same order of complexity as in the case of exact analytic centers. For the feasibility and the minimization problems rough approximations suuce, but very high precision is required for the variational inequalities. We give an example of variational inequality where even the rst analytic center needs to be computed with a precision matching the precision required for the solution.


We consider the problem of approximation of eigenvalues of a self-adjoint operator J defined by a Jacobi matrix in the Hilbert space l 2 (N) by eigenvalues of principal finite submatrices of an infinite Jacobi matrix that defines this operator. We assume the operator J is bounded from below with compact resolvent. In our research we estimate the asymptotics (with n ! 1) of the joint error of approximation for the eigenvalues, numbered from 1 to N; of J by the eigenvalues of the finite submatrix Jn of order n ◊ n; where N = max{k 2 N : k rn} and r 2 (0;1) is arbitrary chosen. We apply this result to obtain an asymptotics for the eigenvalues of J. The method applied in this research is based on Volkmer's results included in (23). MSC: 47B25, 47B36, 15A18


The dissociation constants of 45 substituted 1- and 2-naphthoic acids in six organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, pyridine) have been used to evaluate the substituent effects in the naphthalene skeleton. The dissociation constants data have been treated traditionally by using Dewar-Grisdale equation and the Taft DSP equation, and the alternative interpretation of substituent effects (AISE) method. Quantitative comparison of substituent effects and their transmission from different positions, combination of inductive and resonance effects from various positions, and effects of solvents are discussed. Best results are predominantly provided by the AISE. Substituent effects are stronger in the case of substituents affecting from ring of the naphthalene skeleton bearing carboxylic group than from ring not bearing carboxylic group, and there are no substantial differences between the individual positions of this ring. The contribution of resonance effects at 4a and 8β positions distinctly changes with the medium. Special quality of substituent H was found in comparison with other substituents presumably due their bulkier character. The principal component analysis (PCA) has been also applied to treat the mean dissociation constants using the single substituent property approach. The dissociation together with reactivity data for other naphthalene derivatives have been tested for comprehensive evaluation using PCA. There was found a large similarity of naphthalene reactivity data tested from the point of view of substituent effects.


This paper presents an adaptive, heart-model-based ECG compression method. After a conventional pre-filtering the waves from the signal are localized and the model's parameters are determined. The structure of the algorithm allows real-time adaptation to the heart's state. The compression, for better comparison, was performed for one and more channels from the MIT/BIH database samples. The compression ratio depends on the maximal allowed root mean square reconstruction error (RMSRE). As a second classification criterion we applied the performance of the signal detection method from the compacted data. We used an adaptive entropy encoder to reduce the redundancy. The major advantage of this method is the possibility to accomplish a real-time, adaptive and patient specific encoding with relatively low computational power, ideal for telemetry measurements. This research is supported by the Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research, Grant T29830 and FKFP0301/0999 Project.


Design diversity has been used for many years now as a means of achieving a degree of fault tolerance in software-based systems. While there is clear evidence that the approach can be expected to deliver some increase in reliability compared to a single version, there is no agreement about the extent of this. More importantly, it remains difficult to evaluate exactly how reliable a particular diverse fault-tolerant system is. This difficulty arises because assumptions of independence of failures between different versions have been shown to be untenable: assessment of the actual level of dependence present is therefore needed, and this is difficult. In this tutorial, we survey the modeling issues here, with an emphasis upon the impact these have upon the problem of assessing the reliability of fault-tolerant systems. The intended audience is one of designers, assessors, and project managers with only a basic knowledge of probabilities, as well as reliability experts without detailed knowledge of software, who seek an


Introduction The contribution of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile ) to the burden of hospital-associated infections (HAIs) remains undetermined in many African countries. Aim This study aimed to identify a sensitive and readily adaptable C. difficile detection assay and to evaluate the C. difficile HAI risk in Kenya. Methodology Sterile swabs in neutralizing buffer were used to sample equipment or surfaces that patients and clinical staff touched frequently. These swabs were either plated directly on chromogenic agar or cultured in an enrichment broth before plating. The swab suspensions, enrichment broth and plate cultures were screened by quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine the most efficient detection method. The HAI risk was evaluated by testing the C. difficile -positive samples by qPCR for the A, B and binary toxins. Results C. difficile was detected on 4/57 (7.0 %) equipment and surfaces by direct culture. The additional enrichment step increased the detection rate 10-fold to 43/57 (75.4 %). In total, 51/57 (89.5 %) environmental samples were positive for C. difficile detected through either culture or qPCR. The genes encoding the primary toxins, tcdA and tcdB, were detected on six surfaces, while the genes encoding the binary toxins, cdtA and cdtB, were detected on 2/57 (3.5 %) and 3/57 (5.3 %) surfaces, respectively. Different C. difficile toxin gene profiles were detected: the tcdA+/tcdB− gene profile on 4/10 (40 %) high-touch surfaces, tcdA−/tcdB+ on 3/10 (30 %) surfaces, tcdA+/tcdB+/cdtA+/cdtB+ on 2/10 (20 %) surfaces and tcdA−/tcdB+/cdtB+ on one high-touch surface. Conclusion The widespread contamination of hospital environments by toxigenic C. difficile gives a strong indication of the high risk of C. difficile infections (CDIs). The two-step culture process described can easily be adapted for monitoring hospital environment contamination by C. difficile .


This licentiate thesis has been prepared within the framework of the graduate school in educational science at the Centre for Educational and Teacher Research, University of Gothenburg.

In 2004 the University of Gothenburg established the Centre for Educational Science and Teacher Research (CUL). CUL aims to promote and support research and third-cycle studies linked to the teaching profession and the teacher training programme. The graduate school is an interfaculty initiative carried out jointly by the Faculties involved in the teacher training programme at the University of Gothenburg and in cooperation with municipalities, school governing bodies and university colleges


The Laboulbeniales are the largest and most diverse group of insect-parastic fungi, with nearly 2000 species and 140 genera. They are ectoparasitic and their vegetative body, called a thallus, remains outside the host, which they only penetrate through an inconspicuous haustorium. Potential Laboulbeniales hosts must meet several requirements, the most important of which are that their imagoes (adults) must overwinter and inhabit wet environments and their populations must be large and stable. According to data from the Iberian Peninsula, the most suitable environments to catch insects with Laboulbeniales are riparian habitats (38,5% of known Iberian Laboulbeniales), aquatic (14,6%) and cavernicolous (10%). Worldwide, Laboulbeniales are currently only known to parasitize 10 orders of insects, out of an approximate total of 33. Eighty percent of Laboulbeniales parasitize beetles (Coleoptera) and 10% live on flies (Diptera). Within the Iberian geographical range, carabids (28,4%) and staphylinids (25,3%) are the coleopteran families with the largest number of Laboulbeniales species. It has been broadly accepted and demonstrated that the Laboulbeniales are highly specialised fungi. The two basic types of specialisation are high specificity for an insect host taxon and preference for growth in very restricted areas of the host body. It seems evident that the Laboulbeniales form a monophyletic group. Their origins and phylogenetic affinities are enigmatic. Recent studies of sequencing of nucleic acids demonstrate their affinity with mycelial Ascomycota of the genus Pyxidiophora.


PURPOSE
To determine the threshold and efficiency of corneal ablation for various values of laser fluence at the ultraviolet wave length of 213 nm.

METHODS
A commercial Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was used to produce the fifth harmonic wavelength of 213 nm. Ablation trials were carried out on porcine corneas. Slit ablations of dimensions 0.5 x 2.5 mm were performed using seven values of laser fluence to obtain the most efficient fluence for ablation. The morphology of each ablation was obtained using a computer-automated confocal profiling system. These profiles were then analyzed to determine the ablation depth for the range of fluence values used.

RESULTS
A fluence in the region of 200 mJ/cm2 was found to be the most efficient for ablation. The efficiency in this region was approximately 0.35 mm3/J, and the ablation rate was found to be 0.6 microm/pulse. The ablation threshold was found to occur at a fluence of 50 mJ/cm2. In the region of highest efficiency, the peak varied slightly in the fluence range between 150 and 250 mJ/cm2.

CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that the corneal ablation properties at 213 nm are comparable with those at the 193-nm excimer laser wavelength. Increased pulse energy was obtained for the fifth harmonic of Nd:YAG lasers at 213 nm through the use of new nonlinear optical crystals to perform the frequency conversion. A solid state laser is feasible to replace the excimer gas laser for performing refractive surgery procedures. For the first time, the increased energy at 213 nm allows large-beam ablations to be performed at this wavelength.