Hepatic hydrothorax (HH), variceal haemorrhage (VH) and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) are complications associated with hepatic cirrhosis (HC) and involve poor prognosis.

HH occurs in 4%-17% of cirrhotic patients [1]. Atypical presentations include pleural effusion without ascites and left-sided only effusions. The pathophysiology is believed to involve defects in tendinous diaphragmatic portion. Usual treatment includes diuretics and thoracocentesis, and even transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and liver transplantation [2]. Among patients with cirrhosis, due to portal hypertension (PH), varices form quite frequently (10% a year, approximately), and about a third of patients with varices will develop VH. PVT is commonly developed in cirrhosis (ultrasonography studies have reported prevalence of 5 to 24 per cent), and is related to unbalanced haemostasis and slowing of portal flow.


Y-BaF2-Cu precursor films for Y-Ba2Cu3O7-y (YBCO) coated conductors have been deposited on both uncoated nickel and Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrate (RABiTSTM) tapes by electron beam coevaporation. The water partial pressure was kept constant at 1×10-5 Torr during the deposition in order to control the oxygen content in the precursor films. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy measurements indicate an average composition of Y:Ba:Cu of 1.05:2.10:3.0 with a standard deviation of less than 2.0%. This result was obtained for both moving and stationary tapes. The thickness variation of such precursor films is less than 2.5% over lengths of up to 1 m. Films up to 5 µm thick have been deposited on a stationary tape. An end-to-end Jc of 100 000 A cm-2 from a 1 m length of RABiTSTM sample has been obtained with the highest Jc of 774 000 A cm-2 in a short section within the tape. The present research demonstrates a possible route for industrial scale-up using electron beam coevaporation of YBCO precursors.


The need for land use and transport integrated modelling (LUTI modelling) as a decision aid tool in urban planning, has become apparent. Instantiating such models on cities, requires a substantial data collection, model structur-ing and parameter estimation effort. This work is a partial effort towards the integrated calibration of LUTI models. It considers one of the most widely used LUTI models and softwares, Tranus. The usual calibration approach for Tranus is briefly reviewed, then the calibration of Tranus' land use module is reformulated as an optimisation problem, proposing a clear basis for future fully integrated calibration. We analyse the case of transportable and non-transportable economic sectors. We also discuss how to validate calibration results and propose to use synthetic data generated from real world problems in order to assess convergence properties and accuracy of calibration methods. Finally, results of this methodology are presented for real world scenarios.


Problems connected with non-Hamiltonian nature of low energy nucleon dynamics in the effective field theory (EFT) of nuclear forces is investigated by using the formalism of the generalized quantum dynamics (GQD) developed in [J. Phys. A , 5657 (1999)]. This formalism is based on a generalized dynamical equation derived as the most general equation of motion consistent with the current concepts of quantum physics. By using the example of the EFT of nuclear forces, we demonstrate that a theory, which, being formulated in terms of Hamiltonian formalism, leads to ultraviolet divergences, may manifest itself as a perfectly consistent theory free from infinities, if it is considered from the more general point of view provided by the GQD. We show that non-Hamiltonian character of nucleon dynamics gives rise to some new problems connected with discontinuity of the evolution operator. This discontinuity results in the fact that the Hilbert space of nucleon states cannot be realized in the standard way. A space which allows one to realize, in a natural way, the Hilbert space of nucleon states is investigated. The structure of this space reflects the existence of the high energy degrees of freedom which affect on low energy nucleon dynamics.


Kambaata (Highland East Cushitic) is an aspect-marking language with a prominent opposition between perfective and imperfective aspect. The absolute location of an event in time (tense) is expressed by devices other than verbal inflection or inferred from the aspectual value of a verb. The present article discusses the devices that are applied to encode future in Kambaata. Firstly, imperfective verb forms can be interpreted as expressing future reference. Secondly, the language has grammaticalised two purpose constructions into imminent and/or intentional future constructions. Furthermore, certain converb forms can be used to express that events in subordinate clauses are later in time than events expressed in the matrix clause. A comparison with related languages shows that Kambaata is a typical Highland East Cushitic language, as far as the means used to encode future time reference are concerned.


This paper describes the thermodynamic analysis of pathways related to penicillin production in Penicillium chrysogenum. First a thermodynamic feasibility analysis is performed of the l‐lysine pathway of which one of the precursors for penicillin biosynthesis (α‐aminoadipic acid) is an intermediate. It is found that the l‐lysine pathway in P. chrysogenum is thermodynamically feasible and that the calculated standard Gibbs free energy values of the two enzymes controlling the pathway flux indicate that they operate far from equilibrium. It is therefore proposed that the regulation of α‐aminoadipate reductase by lysine is important to maintain a high concentration of α‐aminoadipate in order to direct the carbon flux to penicillin production. Secondly the changes in Gibbs free energy in the penicillin biosynthetic pathway during fed‐batch cultivation were studied. The analysis showed that all reactions in the pathway were thermodynamically irreversible at physiological conditions during fed‐batch cultivations. Furthermore it was observed that the higher thermodynamic driving force of IAT could explain why penicillin is mainly formed from isopenicillin N in a one‐step reaction, as it has been previously proposed.


Abstract : The conversion of mapping technology in the DOD community from analog- to digital-based technology, which started in the 1980's required precise equipment to convert aerial photographs to digital data (pixels). These are referred to as image scanners or digitizers. This paper describes the recent development of a precise image scanner by the Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) (formerly ETL). A contractor successfully developed this scanner, called the Image Digitizing System (IDS). This paper describes the general design and operation of the system, and many of its unique characteristics. The paper also describes several test results that verify the high-geometric and high- photometric characteristics of the IDS.


Evidence has shown that human infection rates for West Nile virus are largely dependent on viral amplification that occurs between competent avian host species and mosquito vectors. The threat of West Nile virus to humans is influenced by the diversity and competence of avian host species available to the mosquito vectors. This study used data collected through avian surveys in Montana to analyze the diversity and competence of avian species in those areas. These data were compared to existing GIS model predictions of avian diversity and avian viral competence in Montana to test the accuracy of the model. The GIS model diversity predictions were then compared to the infection rates for avian survey locations, sites that tested positive for West Nile virus, and sites where the primary vector species C. tarsalis was found. It was hypothesized that areas with low avian diversity and high viral competence of avian species would be associated with increased infection rates, whereas high diversity and low competence would be associated with lower infection rates. In this study, the GIS model appeared to be an accurate indicator of avian diversity, and in all cases an amplification effect was observed in which sites containing greater avian diversity appeared to have an increased risk of West Nile virus. However, it is still unclear how significant the role of avian viral competency is in viral amplification and dilution.


Rogersville, Tenn., Sept. 13, 1905. To the Editor: —Under separate cover I am to-day mailing you a marked copy of the Rogersville Review , a weekly newspaper published in this, a town of about 3,000 inhabitants. I have had the editor copy your editorial 1 of September 2 on the patent medicine fraud as it prevails in the United States with special reference to peruna. These little weekly papers circulate among the rural people, where every issue is read through, ads and all alike. I would suggest that you induce every member of the American Medical Association to have this or some like article occasionally brought out in his home paper. Surely all the physicians of a town would have sufficient influence with their local paper to do this. I assure you that it would work wonders. The people at large have never heard anything but praise of these nostrums, and


The purpose of this study was to investigate activity‐dependent excitability changes in polyneuropathy and their correlation with symptomatology. First, we recorded sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) with an intraneural microelectrode during impulse trains in 11 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. When the stimulus frequency was increased to ≥20 Hz, all patients showed marked decreases in the amplitudes of averaged SNAPs (128 responses) associated with latency increases. The amplitude decreases were much greater than those in patients with axonal neuropathies. In single‐unit recordings, responses showed latency increases, which were small but sufficient to cause decreases in the averaged responses. Clinical sensory impairment was correlated with the degree of preexisting conduction block or axonal loss, but not with the degree of rate‐dependent amplitude decreases. Activity‐dependent changes occur preferentially in demyelinating neuropathy and are a sensitive measure of demyelination. The mechanism responsible for the amplitude decreases could be conduction slowing or block caused by activity‐dependent hyperpolarization. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 899–904, 1999


Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of music therapy on autistic symptoms and quality of life in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: In this research, 24 ASD diagnosed chil-dren in two groups; one group that received no treatment except monthly routine child psychiatric follow-up and special education, and the other group that received additional music therapy were compared in terms of pre and post music therapy autistic symptoms and quality of life. The children in the music therapy group received twice-weekly forty minute sessions of improvisational music therapy for eight weeks by a music therapist. Autistic symp-toms were assessed with the Autism Behavior Checklist (AuBC) and quality of life was assessed with Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Results: There was statistically significant difference in relationship building, language skills, total scores of AuBC and in emotional quality of life scores of PedsQL between two groups after music therapy with no statistically significant difference in AuBC or PedsQL scores before music therapy. In addition, it was revealed that ASD children in music therapy group had statistically significant lower scores in relationship building, body-object use, language skills, social self-care, total scores of AuBC and statistically significant higher scores in emotional, social, school, psychosocial, total quality of life scores of PedsQL after music therapy com-pared to before. Discussion: In our research, it was revealed that music therapy provide additional positive results in autism spectrum symptoms and quality of life in children with ASD. These results obtained in our study were consistent with the literature and suggested that music therapy could be used as a complementary method in addition to routine treatment in children with ASD.


Rogers and colleagues from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City report a rotavirus outbreak in the 42-bed pediatric unit having both bone marrow transplant patients and non-bone marrow transplant oncology patients. Nosocomially acquired rotavirus was defined as diarrhea, vomiting, or gastrointestinal upset with onset 48 hours or more after hospital admission, accompanied by a positive enzyme immunoassay for rotavirus antigen. Between February 24 and April 4, 1997, eight patients on the pediatric unit had nosocomial rotavirus. Aggressive infection control measures were instituted. Patients with rotavirus were cohorted and placed on Contact Precautions (strict hand washing, gloves, and gown). Investigation by the infection control team revealed that communal toys in the playroom were not being cleaned according to the weekly protocol and may have served as fomites in the transmission of rotavirus. FROM: Rogers M, Weinstock DM, Eagan J, Kiehn T, Armstrong D, Sepkowitz KA Rotavirus outbreak on a pediatric oncology floor: possible association with toys. Am J Infect Control 2000;28:378-380.


Abstract One mechanism for evaluating educational systems for inclusion is through academic outputs of students who are taught in either segregated or inclusive setting. The goal of the research was to examine and compare the academic achievement in Mathematics of students with special education needs (SEN) in the fifth and sixth grade (11-12 years old students) in different educational settings in the Republic of Serbia. In this study, 175 students from 11 special and 7 regular schools participated in the research. Assessment results demonstrated statistically significant differences achievement for students in sixth grade in special schools compared to students with SEN in the same classes of regular schools. At fifth grade level there was no statistical difference between the students in special and regular schools. We discuss possible reasons why differences may or may not exist, including distinguishing between inclusion and integration as well as sociohistorical differences in grade levels.


Biodiversity inventory, monitoring, and species-recovery efforts can be advanced by a dynamic collaboration of Western, citizen, and ethnoscience. Indigenous and local traditional knowledge of place-based biodiversity is perhaps the oldest scientific tradition on earth. We illustrate how an all taxa biodiversity inventory network of projects in collaboration with the Comcaac (Seri people) in northwestern Mexico is advancing not only biosystematics but also species recovery, habitat restoration, language conservation and maintenance, and the maintenance of traditional livelihoods. We encourage scientists to establish collaborations with indigenous and other place-based communities to better understand the wealth of knowledge held in local categorization systems. It is essential to not merely seek out one-to-one correspondences between Western and indigenous knowledge but also to recognize and respect the creative tensions among these different knowledge systems, because this is where the most profound insights and fruitful collaborations emerge.


Since the socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered this new era, the "curriculum ideology and politics" concept has become one of the innovative achievements in the reformation of ideological and political education courses in colleges as well as universities. Based on the emphasis of "curriculum ideology and politics" among graduate students and the influence of the "learning to strengthen the country" concept, this article analyzes universities in regard to the curriculum settings, faculties, and their graduate students. It also explores the "curriculum ideology and politics" concept in consideration of the ontology of teaching, school education, social influence, etc., and propose practical and extendable countermeasures.


BACKGROUND
We investigated the effects of using large-diameter femoral heads in total hip prostheses on early postoperative gait restoration in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS
We collected data for 19 primary THAs using 28-mm metal-on-polyethylene heads (conventional group) and for 12 THAs (BHR group) using metal-on-metal femoral heads with an average size of 45 mm (range, 40 - 49 mm). All patients had unilateral femoral head avascular necrosis. All patients underwent Harris Hip Scores evaluation and gait analysis with the IDEEA device at the same 3 time points which were before surgery and then at 1 month and again at 3 months after surgery, and the parameters measured were walking speed, stride length (SL), single limb support (SLS), cycle duration (CD), and swing power (SP). Harris Hip Scores and gait analysis parameters for both groups were compared.

RESULTS
Intraclass comparison indicated that Harris Hip Scores, speed scores, and gait parameter measures in both groups improved significantly with the passage of time; Interclass comparison showed no significance between Harris(1m postop) - Harris(preop) and Harris(3m postop) - Harris(preop) in both groups. The speed in the BHR group at 1 month and at 3 months after surgery was significantly higher than that of conventional group. At 1 month after surgery, each mean for SL(normal) - SL(affected), (SLS(normal) - SLS(affected))/CD, and SP(normal) - SP(affected) in the BHR group was significantly lower than that for the conventional group. At 3 months after surgery, the differences between means for both groups for SL(normal) - SL(affected), (SLS(normal) - SLS(affected))/CD, and SP(normal) - SP(affected) were not significant, but the mean of SP(normal) - SP(affected) in the BHR group was significantly lower than that in the conventional group.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that large-diameter femoral heads in THA provide better early gait restoration than conventional-size femoral heads.


The need for operational sustainability management of infrastructures is described in the context of emergency response. Emergency response organizations are faced with complex, unprecedented events with the potential for catastrophic losses. Advanced computing and communications technologies provide the potential to reduce this complexity by facilitating information and data processing. Integration of intelligent decision support models into these advanced systems has further improved operational decision making. However, new models need to be developed and the traditional command and control structure of decision making be revised to accommodate greater flexibility and creativity by teams. We propose the concept of intelligent decision support for sustainability management, using the case of emergency response. The process of emergency response in light of this new concept is first discussed and opportunities for supporting the process identified. A synopsis of recent technologies and their integration with structured decision making methods illustrates how technologies can assist emergency response organizations in achieving greater flexibility in highly uncertain environments. We discuss a project at the Port of Rotterdam, where we are currently implementing these new technologies and a new decision making concept for emergency management. We conclude with suggestions for implementing operational sustainability management for the infrastructure.


In interventional X-ray for cardiology of flat panel digital detector (FPD), the phenomenon that exposure dose was suddenly increased when a subject thickness was thickened was recognized. At that time, variable metal built-in filters in FPD were all off. Therefore, we examined whether dose reduction was possible without affecting a clinical image using metal filter (filter) which we have been conventionally using for dose reduction. About 45% dose reduction was achieved when we measured an exposure dose at 30 cm of acrylic thickness in the presence of a filter. In addition, we measured signal to noise ratio/contrast to noise ratio/a resolution limit by the visual evaluation, and there was no influence by filter usage. In the clinical examination, visual evaluation of image quality of coronary angiography (40 cases) using a 5-point evaluation scale by a physician was performed. As a result, filter usage did not influence the image quality (p=NS). Therefore, reduction of sudden increase of exposure dose was achieved without influencing an image quality by adding filter to FPD.


Farmers grow non-canola local varieties viz., Reli and Rajasthani of rapeseed with lower seed rate, delayed sowing, low plant population, improper nutrient management and inadequate plant protection in Muktsar Sahib District, Punjab state. Also, the local varieties contain high erucic acid and high glucosinolates, considered to be undesirable to consumers from the health perspective. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab conducted frontline demonstrations (FLDs) during rabi 2015-16 to 2017-18 with improved technologies including better variety (GSC 7), optimum seed rate and spacing, line sowing, soil test based nutrient management and need based plant protection to show the productivity potential and profitability under farmers'situations. The mean seed yield improved by 11.7 per cent with higher gross monetary returns, net returns and BC ratio with improved technology compared to farmers' practice during the three year period. The technology gap decreased from675 kg/ha to 145 kg/ha indicating the sustainability of the improved technology. The extension gap increased from 70 kg/hato 330 kg/ha, due to higher yields with the improved technology. The technology index decreased from 30.3 to 6.5 per cent indicating the feasibility of the improved technology in farmers' fields. In order to improve the productivity of rapeseed-mustard in Muktsar Sahib district, concerted efforts have to be made involving all the stakeholders to popularize the improved technologies.


Bayesian network structure learning algorithms with limited data are being used in domains such as systems biology and neuroscience to gain insight into the underlying processes that produce observed data. Learning reliable networks from limited data is difficult, therefore transfer learning can improve the robustness of learned networks by leveraging data from related tasks. Existing transfer learning algorithms for Bayesian network structure learning give a single maximum a posteriori estimate of network models. Yet, many other models may be equally likely, and so a more informative result is provided by Bayesian structure discovery. Bayesian structure discovery algorithms estimate posterior probabilities of structural features, such as edges. We present transfer learning for Bayesian structure discovery which allows us to explore the shared and unique structural features among related tasks. Efficient computation requires that our transfer learning objective factors into local calculations, which we prove is given by a broad class of transfer biases. Theoretically, we show the efficiency of our approach. Empirically, we show that compared to single task learning, transfer learning is better able to positively identify true edges. We apply the method to whole-brain neuroimaging data.


Background. Few studies have examined everolimus therapy with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal in maintenance heart transplant patients. Methods. In a prospective, single-arm, single-center study, CNI-treated heart transplant patients were converted to everolimus and were followed up for 24 months. The primary endpoints were kidney function and arterial hypertension at 12 and 24 months after conversion. Results. Fifty-eight patients were recruited (mean time posttransplant 5.6±3.7 years), 55 of whom (91.7%) had renal impairment. Mean creatinine clearance increased from 43.6±21.1 mL/min to 49.5±21.2 mL/min at month 24 (P=0.02). Median blood pressure increased from 120/80 mm Hg at baseline to 122.5/80 mm Hg (P=0.008 and 0.006 for systolic and diastolic pressure, respectively). Lipid parameters did not change significantly over the 24-month follow-up. Early resolution of most non-renal CNI-related adverse events was sustained. CNI therapy was re-introduced at a mean of 309 days (range, 31–684 days) in eight patients after month 6 due to adverse events (n=13) or withdrawal of consent (n=2). No significant changes in cardiac function parameters were observed. Conclusions. CNI-free immunosuppression with everolimus is an effective and safe option in selected heart transplant maintenance patients. Most adverse effects under everolimus occurred early after conversion and generally resolved without intervention within a few weeks. Refining selection criteria may reduce the need to re-introduce CNI therapy.


THERE are many reports of systemic poisoning resulting from the absorption of drugs instilled into the eyes. Symptoms have followed the instillation of cocaine and atropine into the conjunctival sac. It has not always been certain whether such absorption occurred through the mucous membrane of the conjunctiva or through the nasal mucous membrane after the drug had reached the nose by way of the nasolacrimal duct. Macht1ligated or cauterized the nasolacrimal ducts of dogs and was able still to elicit the central actions of morphine and apomorphine after their instillation into the eye. Other drugs studied through their pharmacologic responses in animals2include aconitine, nicotine, potassium cyanide, cocaine, pilocarpine and potassium iodide. There are no reports in the literature on the absorption of protein through the conjunctival mucosa. It is the purpose of this study to demonstrate, by immunologic means, that unaltered protein may be absorbed through


This paper differentiates as a first step between the terms sexism, gender, and sexuality. It deals with the sexist language used by Oscar Wilde in writing his famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. This literary work is analysed according to Sara Mills model suggested in her book Sexism and Language. This model  falls into three levels: Overt sexism, Indirect sexism, and Discourse analysis level. Only two of these levels have been adopted in the present paper that are: Overt sexism level and Discourse analysis level.


Buildings in cities are one of the major contributors of carbon emissions worldwide. Thus improving building energy efficiency is one of the key strategies towards sustainable urbanization. Urban building energy modeling (UBEM) is a valuable methodology to tackle these challenges, as it provides users with the energy demand of the building stock, scenarios evaluation, peak loads and other useful analyses. This paper presents an open-source tool to automatically convert 3D building models into ready-to-run Modelica models for urban energy simulations. The software enables users to create 3D building geometries, perform data enrichment and execute model generation of ready-to-run reduced order Modelica models. The software is written in Python and it has been developed as an add-on for the 3D creation application Blender. The first part of the paper describes the general approach and the architecture of the tool. In the second part, a demonstration of the tool's capabilities is illustrated


A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a primary complaint of unintentional weight loss. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a large duodenal tumor, and computed tomography (CT) showed tumor invasion of the pancreatic head, associated with lymph node swelling around the tumor and abdominal aorta. After 4 courses of chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6), follow-up upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy showed no evidence of a duodenal tumor. However, follow-up CT showed persistent lymph node swelling near the superior mesenteric artery. The patient therefore underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with curative intent. At 18 months after the surgery, there were no findings suggestive of tumor recurrence.


Background: Epidemiological studies from us and others have reported an association of obesity with more aggressive breast tumors and >30% higher risk of recurrence and mortality compared to normal weight patients. This includes poorer outcomes for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype with early recurrence and shorter survival. Metformin is a leading frontline therapy for type 2 diabetes and its safety profile is well documented. Laboratory and clinical studies including ours suggest that metformin may have anti-tumor effects in breast cancer. However, the nature and molecular mechanisms of these correlations are poorly understood. Experimental design and methods: We used a PDX (patient-derived xenograft) breast cancer model in diet-induced obese mice to study how obesity promotes breast cancer growth and how metformin antagonizes these effects. After feeding the mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) vs. a control diet (CD), we transplanted a TNBC PDX into the mammary fat pads. When tumors reached about 50 mm3, mice in HFD and CD groups were randomly assigned to metformin treatment or no treatment. Tumor volumes were measured bi-weekly, and blood, tumors, and organs were collected after 4 weeks of treatment. Histological and immunohistochemical staining, serum adipokines array and metabolomics and lipidomics analyses were performed to examine potential mechanisms. Results: HFD (obese) group compared to CD (lean) group was associated with larger tumors, whereas metformin compared to no treatment was associated with smaller tumors. A panel of adipokines and metabolites was identified to be differentially expressed between the groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest a growth promoting effect of obesity in TNBC, while metformin appears to have the opposite effect. The identification of adipokines and metabolites involved in these effects will help us understand the mechanisms by which obesity and metformin alter the progression of TNBC. Citation Format: Laura Camacho, Lei Xue, Lacey Dobrolecki, Susan G. Hilsenbeck, Chandandeep Nagi, Nagireddy Putluri, Michael T. Lewis, Arun Sreekumar, Sao Jiralerspong. Obesity and metformin alter progression of triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3470.


A precise approach to the quantification of relationships between suture complexity, as measured by fractal analysis (step-line procedure), the architecture of shells, and the main colonized environments, has been made in a set of Late Jurassic ammonites (N=507). Statistically significant differences between fractal-dimension (Df) mean values of evolute and involute shells are interpreted as caused by differences in the surface:volume (S:V) ratio. Suture complexity is also related to the shape of whorl section. The lowest Df values correspond to subcircular whorl sections (low S:V ratio) and the highest ones to acute sections (high S:V ratio). The shape of flanks shows correlation with suture complexity. The highest values of Df are found in planulate shells and the lowest ones in whorl cross sections with convex flanks. Highly significant differences appear between Df mean values from unsculptured shells and those from ammonites with ribs and/or tubercles of medium to large size. Multivariate analysis shows a combined variation of shell features and suture complexity, resulting in a heterogeneous distribution of Df values within the ammonite morphospace, mainly according to structural (shell architecture) and ornamental (sculpture strength rather than density) factors. Finally, the data obtained on relationships between suture complexity and the colonized environments (epicontinental vs. epioceanic inhabitants) suggest that suture complexity is not primarily related to bathymetry, and/or that no major differences in habitat depths existed between epicontinental and epioceanic ammonites.


SUMMARY Forecasting the maize yield of China's Jilin province from 1962 to 2004, with climate conditions and fertilizer as predictors, was investigated using multiple linear regression (MLR) and non-linear artificial neural network (ANN) models. Yield was set to be a function of precipitation from July to August, precipitation in September and the amount of fertilizer used. Fertilizer emerged as the dominant predictor and was non-linearly related to yield in the ANN model. Given the difficulty of acquiring fertilizer data for maize, the current study was also tested using the previous year's yield in the place of fertilizer data. Forecast skill scores computed under both cross-validation and retroactive validation showed ANN models to significantly outperform MLR and persistence (i.e. forecast yield is identical to last year's observed yield). As the data were non-stationary, cross-validation was found to be less reliable than retroactive validation in assessing the forecast skill.


This article examines the long-term reemployment, retraining, and relocation experiences of a random sample of displaced steelworkers from a manufacturing community in western Pennsyl vania who lost jobs due to plant closings in the early 1980s. Contrary to a frequently voaced conjecture that many displaced workers lack interest in exploring new employment options, this study found respondents to be active in pursuing retraining and employment in other locales. These efforts, however, were often thwarted by a number of social and economic difficulties that reduced the numbers of persons who actually relocated or enrolled in training. The economic benefits to those who did relocate or participate in training were mixed. Short-term, entry-level training did little to advance hourly wages, although more advanced training was associated with higher incomes. Out-of-state job searches were often unsuccessful, although persons who did find work and relocated had higher wages and employment levels than did those who did not relocate.


As important stakeholder research streams have built their own silos over time, it has become increasingly difficult to visualize a full picture of stakeholder management. To begin to address this gap, we synthesize five distinct stakeholder research streams, which include stakeholder identification, stakeholder understanding, stakeholder awareness, stakeholder prioritization, and stakeholder action. We juxtapose each of these five stakeholder research streams with Scott's framework consisting of participants, socials structure, environment, technology, and goals of an organization, respectively. What emerges from this analysis of the literature is the notion of "stakeholder work" defined as the purposive processes of an organization aimed at identifying, understanding, being aware of, prioritizing, and acting with respect to stakeholders.


Bus Rapid Transit Trans Semarang is a means of mass transportation to the transit system  that began operating since 2009 as a solution to reduce congestion in the city of Semarang. This research focuses on the optimization and management of institutional BRT Trans Semarang to improve it's performance.  The purpose of this study is to optimize the performance of the organization and management of BRT Trans Semarang with variable types of institutional cooperation BRT operations, and leadership style. Stages of the methodology to do is identify the problem, literature, comparative studies of Trans Jogja, stakeholder's need analysis, data processing, and formulating policy recommendations.  The results showed a number of conditions and institutional and management problems BLU-UPTD Terminal Mangkang as the governing institution of BRT Trans Semarang, among others: 1) Need to changes 3 old buses with 1 BRT so BRT can reduce the congestion effectively and also can incrase BRT load factor. 2) Need 20 fleets BRT to supply the passenger's demand. So the subsidy is still needed to complete the BRT's cost operational until the load factor reach 70%. 3) The institutional leadership style BRT is currently 69(minimum criteria is 75). While the percentage of fulfillment of expectations of leaders based employee appraisal is only 70.45(minimum criteria is 75). The recommendation to optimize the organization and management of BRT Trans Semarang are construct BLU so it has flexibility to manage substitution the old moda with BRT, to determine the cost policy that cheaper than old moda's cost in order to increase load factor, still gets subsidy to keep quality service base on SPM. In additional needs to increase coordination and communication in institution to increase efectivity of institution's works.


This study was designed to investigate causes of culling in industrial dairy herds in Fars province and to describe the pattern of reason-specific culling with respect to age of animal and interval from calving to culling. A total number of 9 dairy herds were selected for the study and information about culling reasons, birth date, last calving date and culling date was collected for culled cows during 2005-2006. Infertility (32.6% of all culls) was the most prevalent reason of culling followed by mastitis (6.5%). The time interval from last calving to culling averaged 240 days (SD = 176) and nearly 28% of cows were culled in the first 100 days after calving. Mean age of animals at culling was 6 years (SD = 2.7) and median was 5.7 years. In Cox proportional hazard model for calving to culling interval, infertility (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.26) showed lower risk whereas mastitis (HR = 2.40), left displaced abomasum (HR = 2.60) and peripartum problems (HR = 2.60) had higher risk of culling compared with voluntary cull. In the Cox model for age at culling, risk of culling was significantly higher for infertility (HR = 1.70), left displaced abomasum (HR = 3.15), and peripartum problems (HR = 2.10) compared with voluntary culling. In conclusion, farmers tend to keep infertile cows for longer period from calving to culling while infertile cows are generally culled at younger age. Also, early culling appeared to have a high proportion of culls in the studied herds.


The article presents a review of objective methods of hearing diagnostics. Methods of hearing loss and partial deafness treatment (PDT) by means of hearing implants are also discussed in the study. Due to the surgical treatment, the results of hearing preservation in patients undergoing partial deafness treatment (PDT) enable the efficient use of acoustic components. The results of speech comprehension achieve 100% in silence and about 68% in noise at a level of 65 dB SPL.
The paper outlines the post-operative care and rehabilitation of patients with a cochlear implant (the care of multiple specialists, auditory-verbal therapy, telerehabilitation). National teleaudiology network connecting numerous centres is one of the elements improving the effectiveness of the therapy. It allows patients to get necessary care close to their homes and – what is more important – to be less tired (which is especially important in the case of children) during the rehabilitation.
The article also underlines the influence of technological progress, which with proper surgical technique allows patients that were treated early enough (prelingual deafness) to attend general, not special, schools. One of the important results of the therapy with cochlear implants is that many users of cochlear implants graduate from universities


OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility and implications of imputing race and ethnicity for quality and utilization measurement in Medicaid.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING
2017 Oregon Medicaid claims from the Oregon Health Authority and electronic health records (EHR) from OCHIN, a clinical data research network, were used.

STUDY DESIGN
We cross-sectionally assessed Hispanic-White, Black-White, and Asian-White disparities in 22 quality and utilization measures, comparing self-reported race and ethnicity to imputed values from the Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding (BISG) algorithm.

DATA COLLECTION
Race and ethnicity were obtained from self-reported data and imputed using BISG.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
42.5%/4.9% of claims/EHR were missing self-reported data; BISG estimates were available for >99% of each and had good concordance (0.87-0.95) with Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White self-report. All estimated racial and ethnic disparities were statistically similar in self-reported and imputed EHR-based measures. However, within claims, BISG estimates and incomplete self-reported data yielded substantially different disparities in almost half of the measures, with BISG-based Black-White disparities generally larger than self-reported race and ethnicity data.

CONCLUSIONS
BISG imputation methods are feasible for Medicaid claims data and reduced missingness to <1%. Disparities may be larger than what is estimated using self-reported data with high rates of missingness.


Recent approaches for low-light image enhancement achieve excellent performance through supervised learning based on convolutional neural networks. However, it is still challenging to collect a large amount of low-/normal-light image pairs in real environments for training the networks. In this letter, we propose an unsupervised learning approach for single low-light image enhancement using the bright channel prior (BCP) that the brightest pixel in a small patch is likely to be close to 1. An unsupervised loss function is defined with the pseudo ground-truth generated using the BCP. An enhancement network, consisting of a simple encoder-decoder, is then trained using the unsupervised loss function. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt that enhances a low-light image through unsupervised learning. Furthermore, we introduce saturation loss and self-attention map for preserving image details and naturalness in the enhanced result. The performance of the proposed method is validated on various public datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed unsupervised approach achieves competitive performance over state-of-the-art methods based on supervised learning.


A lab scale study on the degradation of anionic and non-ionic surfactants in aqueous solution was carried over by ozonation in order to study the effect of ozonation and its operational variables such as ozone concentration, ozonation time and ionic nature of surfactants. Two types of surfactants namely Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS) an anionic surfactant and Tween 80 (T80) a non-ionic surfactant were taken and the degradation was recorded in terms of their Critical Micille Concentration (CMC) values, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and absorbance for spectrum light. In terms of CMC the residual surfactant concentrations after ozonation were about 4 mg/L in the case of SDS and 1.25 mg/L for T80. In absorbance study the degradation efficiency was noted to be about 86.67%for SDS and 97.14% for T80 and the residual concentrations were found to be 4 mg /L and 2mg/L respectively. COD reduction was measured as 73% and 77% for T80 and SDS respectively.


Abstract This study assessed seasonal variation of total liver proteins level (LPLs) and biotransformation biomarkers in two fish species, G. niger and Z. ophiocephalus, during a one year-survey in the low contaminated Ghar-El-Melh lagoon, Tunisia. Analyzed biomarkers were compared with physiological indexes such as the condition index, hepato-somatic index, and gonado-somatic index and environmental parameters. A significant annual rhythms of glutathione-S-transferase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities were validated by cosinor. The highest peak (acrophase) of activities occurred in summer likely related to the elevated seawater temperature. Midline Estimating Statistic of Rhythm and amplitudes were higher in Z. ophiocephalus than in G. niger. The results showed, as well, an acrophase of (LPLs) in spring coinciding with reproductive period in Z. ophiocephalus and beginning of reproductive period in G. niger. This study established a baseline for the selected enzymatic activities in gobies, which required information for a correct interpretation of biomarker responses in environmental monitoring.


Environmental education has the power of raising the ecological consciousness of children in the formal education system. Environmental education is key to sustainable development as it not only sensitizes children on the current global environmental issues but also prepares them for future challenges. In India, environmental education was made compulsory in schools and higher education institutions by the apex court in 2005. However, the integration of environmental education into curriculum had its own issues and challenges. Some schools have performed exceptionally well in the implementation of environmental education with collaboration and support from environmentalists and environmental organizations. These collaborations with innovative teaching methods help in sensitizing young children on local and contextual environmental issues. This research paper presents the findings of an environmental literacy programme for children to conserve wetlands of river Thamirabarani, using visual arts as part of their formal course on environmental education. Visual arts are art forms that include drawing, painting, photography, video, films, documentaries and crafts. Around 30 students from a private school in Tirunelveli were selected for this research and were imparted knowledge on wetlands through various visual media. While films screened focused primarily on the issues concerning wetlands, the discussions and reflections after watching films helped children to locate the exact environmental problems in the Wetlands of Thamirabarani and have clarity of thoughts to step into relevant action. Pre and post survey and in depth interviews were the methods of evaluation. The results revealed that environmental education using visual arts was helpful to orient school children so as to develop critical thinking and to indulge in pro environmental activities and to have positive behavioural changes to conserve the environment.


Purpose: Ovarian cancer shows heterogeneous characteristics which cause chemoresistance and recurrence. The goal of this study was to elucidate characteristics common to various ovarian cancers in order to evaluate their potential for targeted therapy. Methods: Microarray results for cell lines of serous, mucinous, and brenner types of ovarian cancers were reanalyzed and validated via ovarian cancer cell lines, GEO datasets and TMA blocks. RO-3306 which is an inhibitor of Cdk1 and si-cdk1 was used to measure the growth rate of ovarian cancer cell lines via FACS analysis. In addition, combination treatment with RO-3306 and cisplatin was administered in vitro and in in vivo xenograft mouse model. Results: Microarray reanalysis revealed that expression of Cdk1 and cyclinB1 was higher in 5 types of ovarian cancer cell lines, 4 GEO datasets and ovarian cancer TMA blocks than in HOSE cells. Ovarian cancer TMA particularly showed increased level of cytoplasmic Cdk1 protein, but not in nucleus. When Cdk1 was inhibited by siRNA and a potent Cdk1 inhibitor (RO-3306), growth of ovarian cancer cells decreased, while G2/M arrest or apoptosis increased. In addition, tumor growth was significantly lesser in a xenograft mouse model treated with a combination of RO-3306 and cisplatin than in mice treated with each drug alone. Conclusions: Cdk1 is a promising gene for targeted anticancer therapy. It is expected that combined treatment with Cdk1 inhibitor and chemotherapeutic agents would maximize the effects of ovarian cancer treatment. Citation Format: Hanbyoul Cho, Wookyeom Yang, Ha-Yeon Shin, Eun-ju Lee, Doo-Byung Chay, Jae-Hoon Kim. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) is a promising therapeutic target to overcome ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr C155.


Abstract
The empirical literature on charismatic or transformational leadership demonstrates that such leadership has profound effects on followers. However, while several versions of charismatic leadership theory predict such effects, none of them explains the process by which these effects are achieved. In this paper we seek to advance leadership theory by addressing this fundamental problem. We offer a self-concept based motivational theory to explain the process by which charismatic leader behaviors cause profound transformational effects on followers. The theory presents the argument that charismatic leadership has its effects by strongly engaging followers' self-concepts in the interest of the mission articulated by the leader. We derive from this theory testable propositions about (a) the behavior of charismatic leaders and their effects on followers, (b) the role of followers' values and orientations in the charismatic relationship, and (c) some of the organizational conditions that favor the emergence and effectiveness of charismatic leaders.


The kinetics, molecular weight averages, and the average degree of branching, DB, are calculated for the self-condensing vinyl copolymerization (SCVCP) of a vinyl monomer M with an "inimer" AB* in the case of different reactivities of active species. Emphasis is given to two limiting cases: formation of "macroinimers" occurs if the monomer M is more reactive than the vinyl groups of inimers or polymer, and "hyperstars" are formed in the opposite case. It is shown that the kinetics, the molecular weight averages, and the average degree of branching strongly depend on the relative reactivities of monomer and inimer. Comparison with experimental data shows that consistent fits of the reactivity ratios can be obtained.


Background: Many aromatic compounds have attracted much interest as value-added chemicals and are widely used as additives in foods and cosmetics. Although there are many reports on heterogeneous synthesis of aromatic compounds in microorganisms, most of these studies used glucose as the sole carbon source. Lignocellulose is the most abundant renewable resource in the world. It is an economical and environmentally friendly alternative when using cellulose as a carbon source to produce high value-added products.Results: In the present study, carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC) was utilized as the sole carbon source, and a metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain SK10-3, which can degrade CMC, was co-cultured with other metabolically engineered S. cerevisiae strains to achieve the de novo biosynthesis of multiple aromatic compounds from CMC. After a series of optimization, 71.71 mg/L p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and 16.91 mg/L caffeic acid were obtained from 30 g/L CMC medium.Conclusion: De novo biosynthesis of multi aromatic compounds from lignocellulose, a renewable and inedible carbon source, via a co-cultivation strategy provides favorable support for the biosynthesis of more high value-added products from more economical substrates. Furthermore, the multi-strain co-culture strategy could be an alternative solution to improve the final titer of target products and apply it to industrial production.


Most manufacturing oriented simulation languages only offer the facility to model the system in one mode: discrete or continuous. However if a real, single mode system is examined more closely, some characteristics of the opposing mode can usually be found. It is to what extent that the opposing mode can be neglected that determines in which mode the system can be successfully modelled. For many systems it is not satisfactory to approximate to a single mode system, and a mixed-mode systems simulation language would be required. A genuine mixed-mode simulation language would be able to model both discrete and continuous systems individually, in addition to combined continuous/discrete systems, and would therefore be a more useful general purpose simulation tool. It has been postulated that all systems should be treated as mixed-mode, with those with only discrete characteristics, or those with only continuous characteristics treated only as exceptions instead of the rule. >


A new class of highly stable ferroelectric material, that is, a mesostructured SrTiO(3)/BaTiO(3) composite film, obtained by a surfactant-templated sol-gel method is reported. Due to the concave surface geometry and abundant hetero-interface between SrTiO(3) (ST) and BaTiO(3) (BT) phases, a large number of strains can be created in the composite film, thereby leading to dramatic enhancement of ferroelectric property (see scheme).


Death ligands such as CD95L and TRAIL initiate the extrinsic apoptotic signalling cascade by activation of the death-inducing signalling complex (DISC). Upon ligand binding to the receptor, the adaptor protein FADD is subsequently recruited to the receptor, thereby allowing for further recruitment of caspase-8 and its negative regulator cFLIP. In addition to the well-known caspase-8-mediated cell death induction, DISC-induced gene expression via the activation of NF-κB ruled out to be an important signalling pathway. Even if the major key players in DISC signalling have been described, the molecular mechanisms in DISC formation remain to be elucidated. In addition, the function of some DISC-associated proteins is unknown to date. To this day, the role of caspase-10, a homologue of caspase-8, in DISC signalling remains unknown and is controversially discussed.
In this study, we elucidated the function of caspase 10 in DISC-induced cell death signalling and unexpectedly observed anti-apoptotic features under endogenous protein conditions. In contrast to previous thoughts, our data reveal that caspase-10 negatively regulates caspase 8-mediated cell death signalling in the DISC by blocking the recruitment to the complex and thereby the activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, we demonstrate that caspase 10 functions independent of cFLIP for inhibition of caspase-8 activation in the DISC. In addition, we show that caspase-8 does not compete with other tandem DED proteins such as cFLIP or caspase-10 in binding via FADD to the receptor as current models suggest. By utilising CRISPR-Cas9 mediated homologous recombination, we generated caspase-8 knockout cell lines and were able to demonstrate that caspase-8 has to be placed upstream of both cFLIP and caspase-10 in the DISC. We found that even FADD association with the DISC was drastically reduced in the absence of caspase-8. Interestingly, reconstitution of wild type caspase-8 and its active site mutant rescued the phenotype, indicating that caspase-8 is indispensable for the formation and/or stability of the DISC independent from its enzymatic activity. Moreover, we identified caspase 10 to promote DISC-mediated NF-κB activation. Caspase-10 favours at least the degradation of IκBα upon DISC stimulation resulting in enhanced NF-κB activation and inflammatory gene expression.
Therefore, our data are consistent with a model in which caspase-10 rewires DISC signalling to NF-κB activation and cell survival. As a consequence, caspase-10 and cFLIP co-ordinately regulate caspase-8-mediated cell death signalling whereas both proteins contrast in their ability to induce gene expression upon death receptor activation.


k-Nearest Neighbor is a simple and effective classification method. The primary idea of this method is to calculate the distance from a query point to all of classified data points and make choice of a class which occurs maximum time in k closest neighbors. The Euclidean distance and cosine similarity the common choice for similarity metric among all the similarity measures. Apart from Euclidean and Cosine there are various similarity measures available and being used to calculate similarity in n-dimension vector space model for classification. Similarity calculation is complex operation and computationally need high time if vector dimension increases. Hence this paper explores the usefulness of nine different similarity measures in kNN and presents their experimental results on agriculture dataset. We also compared the time required to finish the classification task and concluded that Idivergence is taking minimum time compared to these algorithms. General Terms k-Nearest Neighbor, Similarity measure


: Aims: To study the prevalence of asymptomatic gall stone in type 2 diabetes mellitus. To study the relationship of Risk Factors with gall stone disease. . Material & Method: The present study was conducted on 100 diabetic subjects, out of which 62 were males and 38 were females. All the patients were diagnosed case of Type 2 diabetes mellitus patient or newly detected Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients which admitted in J.A. Group of Hospitals and who attend Medicine OPD were included. BMI measurement and ultrasound examination to find gallstone was done. Blood samples were taken for HbA1C, FBS, Lipid profile and the association between duration of diabetes, lipid levels, FBS, with gallstone was evaluated. Results: prevalence rate of asymptomatic gallstone found to be 26% in diabetic patients.65.38% were females other hand only 34.16% male patients have gall stone (P= 0.001). Among the female patients with asymptomatic gall stone 52% was multiparous and 30.76% was primiparous (P=0.02). The mean BMI (body mass index) of study group with gall Stone Age 27.77+ 3.29. It shows that there is a very significant positive correlation of BMI with the incidence of gall stone in diabetic population (P value 0.01). Among patient with dyslipidemia and gall stone 73.07% have hypertriglyceridemia followed by raised LDL (42.30%) and raised total cholesterol (34.61%) but On statically analysis it is found that serum triglyceride and serum cholesterol level shows positive correlation with incidence gall stones. (P=0.002 & P= 0.01 respectively) Conclusion: The prevalence of asymptomatic gallstones in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is high. Female, total cholesterol, and BMI were risk factors for asymptomatic gallstones in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.


The purpose of this research is to supply empirical evidence about the acceptance of Cloud Storage Services (CSS), by attempting to build an enhanced research framework with based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to identify factors that affect postgraduate students' intentions to use CSS. Factors examined are cloud storage service support, cloud storage self-efficacy, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on intention to use CSS. Using convenience sampling method, a total of 219 postgraduate students from 4 Malaysian technical universities participated in the study. Structured equation modelling was used to analyse the data and findings indicate that CSS support have a significant positive relationship with "perceived usefulness", and "cloud storage self-efficacy" have significant positive relationship on the "perceived ease of use". Both "perceived usefulness" and "perceived ease of use" have a significant relationship on students' intention to use CSS. The findings of this study can help the service providers to develop successful strategic plans for usage of CSS. Universities should also have policy and guidelines in using services to ensure the security when access information from intranet.


Writing as a collaborative process' is the major philosophy of writing instruction in the contemporary university writing center. The view of writing as a process, not as a product, puts the emphasis of instruction on the process of writing instead of the product of writing, which focuses on the 'talk' of the instruction, not the text. In this light, the writing tutorial in the writing center is a conversational procedure for the work of writing, and the instruction for writing is enacted through the talk and transferred to the future revision. This study examines how an L2 writer interacts with an L1 tutor during the writing tutorial and how the shift of the focus of writing instruction from the text to talk is played out in their actual tutorial. Through the analysis of their talk-in-interaction for the work of the tutorial, this study will investigate how the L1 tutor and L2 tutee revise a paper 'orally' through talk and what it means to instruct writing by talk, not by text, for the work of the tutorial in the frame of the process-oriented philosophy of writing instruction.


Cellular engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering to the problems of cell and molecular biology of both a basic and applied nature. As biomedical engineering has shifted from the organ and tissue level to the cellular and subcellular level, cellular engineering has emerged as a new area. Cellular engineering includes the role of engineering in both basic cell biology research and in the making of products which use living cells, e.g tissue engineering and bioprocess engineering. The former involves the use of living cells in the development of biological substitutes for the restoration or replacement of function. An example of this is the regeneration of nerves. The latter i.e. bioprocess engineering, involves the use of living cells to manufacture a biochemical product e.g. through the use of recombinant DNA technology. In fact, as biomedical engineering has expanded to include the cellular level, and bioprocess engineering has shifted in interest from microbial organisms to include mammalian cells, there are intellectual issues in which an interest is shared by those two formerly separate areas of engineering activity. Cellular engineering thus transcends the field of biomedical engineering. More than that, it represents a response of engineering to the biological revolution which has unfolded over the past several decades.


Glioblastoma brain tumors represent an aggressive form of gliomas that is hallmarked by being extremely invasive and aggressive due to intra and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. This complex tumor microenvironment makes even the newer advancements in glioblastoma treatment less effective long term. In developing newer treatment technologies against glioblastoma, one should tailor the treatment to the tumor microenvironment, thus allowing for a more robust and sustained anti-glioblastoma effect. Here, we present a novel gold nanoparticle therapy explicitly designed for bioactivity against glioblastoma representing U87MG cell lines. We employ standard conjugation techniques to create oligonucleotide-coated gold nanoparticles exhibiting strong anti-glioblastoma behavior and optimize their design to maximize bioactivity against glioblastoma. Resulting nanotherapies are therapy specific and show upwards of 75% inhibition in metabolic and proliferative activity with stark effects on cellular morphology. Ultimately, these gold nanotherapies are a good base for designing more multi-targeted approaches to fighting against glioblastoma.


Hypopigmented lesions of the skin constitute one of the important problems in dermatologic practice. Study was conducted with objective to study different clinical presentations of post-inflammatory hypopigmented macules, age and sex distribution, socioeconomic status, natural course, seasonal incidence, commonest to rarest variant amongst all etiologies and to do a detailed histopathological study of such lesions. 100 patients presenting with post-inflammatory hypopigmented macules were considered and detailed history and general examination was done. Certain specific Lab investigations and histopathological study was done in selected cases. The study showed amongst all varied etiologies of post-inflammatory hypopigmentation, commonly observed in dermatologic practice were Tinea Versicolor, Leprosy, Pityriasis Alba, Mechanical and thermal injuries, Allergic contact dermatitis, Morphoea, Discoid lupus erythematosus, Stevens Johnson syndrome and Psoriasis. Commonest age group affected was in 21-30 years of age. Males (62%) outnumbered females (38%) grossly. People of lower socioeconomic status (57%) presented with post-inflammatory hypopigmentation, commonly. Upper limbs and face and neck region were the commonest sites involved. Commonest etiology amongst all cases was Tinea Versicolor, followed by Leprosy, Pityriasis Alba and thermal burns. The study concludes that post-inflammatory hypopigmentation is a self limiting disease, presenting with varied clinical manifestations, more common in young adults with male preponderance, commonly seen in people of lower socioeconomic group with a family history of similar disease in not more than 30%. Upper limbs and face and neck is the commonest sites of involvement and histopathological diagnosis correlates well with clinical study in most of the cases.


The implementation of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in English curriculum has led to the use of CEFR aligned foreign textbooks in Malaysian schools. However, the application of CEFR English textbooks from the United Kingdom has encountered a few oppositions as the advocates of Malaysian based textbooks believe that English should be written contextually by emphasizing the local cultures and histories. In lieu of this, a group of in service teachers in a Masters course had developed and evaluated each others Oral History materials. The research objectives are to find out what are the material evaluation criteria frequently attended to by in service TESL teachers when evaluating an oral history workbook and to what extent the in-service teachers have gained from evaluating oral history workbook developed by their peers. A mixed methodology research approach using basic frequency count, percentages and qualitative data was employed in this study. Data was gathered from 109 in service TESL teachers via their Personal Reflective Journal (PRJ), which they had written after evaluating an oral history workbook based on Tomlinsons and Mukundans evaluation checklists. The findings showed the frequently attended criteria by the in service teachers and that there are new criteria that can be added to the evaluation checklists. It is anticipated that this study could encourage educators to develop their own classroom materials, for material evaluators to consider the English textbook contextually and for a revision to the material evaluation checklists to reflect current 21st century pedagogy.


We explore some exotic phenomena in charged black holes, arising from the second quantization of matter fields or from the first quantization of fundamental strings. Spherically symmetric magnetic black holes admit special modes of electrically charged fermions, known as Callan-Rubakov modes, which can be quantized efficiently. We find that the chargeless sector generates non-thermal quantum radiations from extremal Reissner-NordstrOm black holes, thereby reducing the black hole masses below the familiar classical bound in spite of the vanishing Hawking temperature. On the other hand, the charged sector induces a vacuum energy distribution and the gravitational backreaction thereof, which are particularly pronounced for extremal dilatonic black holes. Implications of these quantum effects are studied in great detail. Also considered is a string-inspired two-dimensional gravity with non-singular charged black holes among its solutions. After a lengthy discussion on the stability of these novel space-times, we speculate on the possibility and implications of nonsingular black holes in full-blown string theories.


Dear madam,
The destructive floods in Pakistan have wreaked havoc, leading to increased mortality and morbidity rates among people. More than 1,100 people, including the excess of 350 children, have passed away, and the number is expected to grow [1]. The infrastructure is destroyed with no food or shelter. A halt in conveyance has made the necessities to life unattainable on people, and pregnant women are no exception.
In Pakistan, about 500,000 pregnant women were affected by the 2010 floods, and 1.5 million women required emergency obstetric care [2]. Of the pregnant women during the disaster, 1,700 gave birth and hundreds suffered from complications during childbirth. Retained placenta, obstructed labour and fetal distress are some of the complications that pregnant women are at risk of during disaster. The scarcity of healthcare facilities and providers makes it difficult to manage maternal health problems, and delivery in these conditions often leads to maternal death [3]. The maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is 186 deaths per100,000, with rural areas having a 26% higher ratio [4].
Reproductive health is also affected by disasters through spontaneous abortion, birth defects, and low birth weight of babies [3] [5]. Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and women with various disabilities have suffered the most. Sometimes women cannot express their problems which may lead to psychological issues. In addition, delay in transport and medical help affect maternal mortality in rural areas.
Pakistan has limited healthcare resources in flood affected areas, making it difficult for pregnant women to help. An obstetrics field hospital must be established with trained staff with concerning disaster protocols. An experienced obstetrician should be taken on board to assess the emergency and set-up of prerequisite healthcare resources. Social media, mass media and public campaigns should be popularized to put an impact on this topic. Furthermore, public awareness for both genders and setting up medical camps in remote areas might help. Telecommunication must be established with field operators in coordination with other disaster relief providers to initiate the need of medicines like folic acid and other vitamins. Portable ultrasound must be arranged. The usage of alcohol-based cleanser instead of water to eradicate contamination. The impact that floods have on lives of pregnant women is an issue that is not given much attention. More studies are required in this area to understand the full extent of the problem.


This work discusses the development and characterization of rectangular shaped Epoxy Composite Laminated Piezoelectric Stress-Enhanced actuators (ECLIPSE). ECLIPSE actuators are unimorph type d31 actuators that are manufactured with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) plate sandwiched between unidirectional Kevlar 49/epoxy composite layers with dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion in orthogonal directions. Cooling the actuator from an elevated curing temperature resulted in a residual stress gradient through the actuator, a compressive stress on the brittle piezoelectric plate, and a large out-of-plane deformation. Extended classical lamination theory (ECLT) is used to model the residual stress state and curvature of the actuator. The model results are compared to the classical lamination theory. The ECLT was developed by Hyer to explain the non-linear behavior of unsymmetric cross-ply laminates [1-3]. Three actuator layups were fabricated and characterized: [90/PZT/90/0], [90/90/PZT/90/0/0], and [90/90/90/PZT/90/0/0/0]. It is shown that geometric non-linearity is important to consider when modeling ECLIPSE actuators.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of customer, competitor, innovation, entrepreneurship and Change Orientation Strategy (COS) on OP. This research gives contribution in developing science, especially the science of marketing management, by elaborating factors affecting the OP, so there will be clarity of how to improve OP. This research takes the population of managers of food MSMEs in Surakarta. It uses a method of convenience sampling, and determines 500 samples. The method of analysis applied is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This research results show that Customer Orientation Strategy (CuOS) and CA influence positively and significantly on OP. The Competitor Orientation Strategy (CoOS) and IOS do not influence OP. The Entrepreneurship Orientation Strategy (EOS) and COS has negative and insignificant effects on OP. CA has positive and significant impacts on OP and mediates the influence of CuOS and IOS on OP but does not mediate CoOS.


Obesity has reached such epidemic proportions that world health offi cials have decided they need to take a more aggressive approach if they are to change a global explosion of obesity related diseases. After years of focusing on promoting healthy eating to dampen the demand for junk food, the World Health Organization is now examining what can be done on the supply side: enlisting the cooperation of food producers.


The Na–P and Li–P chemical systems were studied under pressure using synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell up to 20 GPa, combined with the AIRSS ab initio random structure searching technique. The results reveal an enhanced reactivity of both alkali metals with phosphorous at slightly elevated pressures. This enables the synthesis of Li3P and Na3P at room temperature (RT) starting from element precursors, bypassing the established chemical synthesis methods. Both compounds undergo a pressure-induced phase transition from the hexagonal Na3As-type structure (stable at ambient conditions) towards a Fmm (FCC) structure that remains stable up to 20 GPa. Attempts to synthesize compounds with higher alkali metal content (such as Li5P) using high-temperature and -pressure conditions (up to 2000+ K and 30 GPa), inspired by recent theoretical predictions, were not successful.


In recent years, Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries have made
important advances in the modernization of their public procurement systems.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the aim of maintaining and
deepening its commitment to LAC countries under its development
effectiveness framework, has been adapting the approach to procurement in
projects to ensure that internationally accepted standards and good market
practices are followed, while assisting countries efficiently and effectively in a
changing environment. This study presents a comparative analysis of the
normative public procurement frameworks of 12 LAC countries with respect to
IDB procurement policies. The main goal of the study is to identify the main
differences and opportunities that have been analyzed the most in IDB?s
procurement policies to support the strategy of alignment to the demands of
the countries in the abovementioned development effectiveness framework.
The study identified the need to describe explicitly the guiding principles of
public procurement in the IDB?s Procurement Policy, as well as broaden the
concept of value for money; include new methods of procurement, such as
competitive dialogue and negotiation; make the evaluation criteria for works
and goods in complex projects more flexible; incorporate the use of technology
for certain contracting methods, such as framework agreements and reverse
auctions; and streamline the use of national public procurement systems.


This study aimed to evaluate the level of infestation by weed species in a consolidated Jatropha plantation, as a function of the plant species grown in interrows. The experiment was installed in 2006 at the district of Itahum, city of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, made possible through a partnership between Embrapa Western Agriculture and Paraiso Farm. Treatments consisted of (1) Jatropha in monocrop, with no plant at the interrrows; or the following plants cultivaded at the interrows of Jatropha: (2) Stylosanthes spp.; (3) Brachiaria ruziziensis; (4) Brachiaria ruziziensis + Stylosanthess pp.; (5) Brachiaria humidicola; (6) Panicum maximum cv. massai; (7) Cajanus cajan cv. anão; (8) Crotalaria spectabilis; (9) Crop rotation system 1 – (maize second crop Crambe abyssinica soybean – peanut); and (10) Crop rotation system 2 – (cowpea radish maize – cowpea) conducted for two years. Phytosociological characterization of weed species was accomplished in 2011 based on the Ecological Approach. Estimations of relative abundance, frequency, dominance and Importance Value Index were obtained. Areas were also characterized by the diversity coefficients of Simpson and modified Shannon-Weiner, and then grouped by cluster analysis. Areas with low soil coverage resulted in higher infestation levels; crop rotation in the interrows of Jatropha produced a significant reduction in weed infestation, but the lowest infestation levels were observed when grasses were grown intercropped with Jatropha. Lower diversity coefficients were associated with occurrence of the most troublesome weed species. In the first years after planting Jatropha, species of Brachiaria or a crop rotation involving species with high mulching ability and whose biomass exhibit a high C:N ratio, should be established in the interrows to avoid problems with weeds infestation.


We introduce a deep generative model for representation learning of biological sequences that, unlike existing models, explicitly represents the evolutionary process. The model makes use of a tree-structured Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, obtained from a given phylogenetic tree, as an informative prior for a variational autoencoder. We show the model performs well on the task of ancestral sequence reconstruction of single protein families. Our results and ablation studies indicate that the explicit representation of evolution using a suitable tree-structured prior has the potential to improve representation learning of biological sequences considerably. Finally, we briefly discuss extensions of the model to genomicscale data sets and the case of a latent phylogenetic tree.


Mesh erosion is a rare complication of the transobturator tape (TOT) procedure. Mesh erosion can be treated with topical estrogen therapy if it is seen in a small area, however excision of the mesh is necessary when the erosion is larger or if any infection is present. In this case, we report a patient who had mesh erosion after the TOT procedure. Her treatment consisted of surgical excision of the mesh and primary closure of the wound after adequate debridement. Pam Med J 2014;7(3):230-233


Machine learning is a popular technique to predict the retention times of molecules based on descriptors. Descriptors and associated labels (e.g., retention times) of a set of molecules can be used to train a machine learning algorithm. However, descriptors are fixed molecular features which are not necessarily optimized for the given machine learning problem (e.g., to predict retention times). Recent advances in molecular machine learning make use of so-called graph convolutional networks (GCNs) to learn molecular representations from atoms and their bonds to adjacent atoms to optimize the molecular representation for the given problem. In this study, two GCNs were implemented to predict the retention times of molecules for three different chromatographic data sets and compared to seven benchmarks (including two state-of-the art machine learning models). Additionally, saliency maps were computed from trained GCNs to better interpret the importance of certain molecular sub-structures in the data sets. Based on the overall observations of this study, the GCNs performed better than all benchmarks, either significantly outperforming them (5-25% lower mean absolute error) or performing similar to them (<5% difference). Saliency maps revealed a significant difference in molecular sub-structures that are important for predictions of different chromatographic data sets (reversed-phase liquid chromatography vs hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography).


The binary alloy of Al-Cu and ternary alloys of Al-Cu-Mg was developed. The effect of magnesium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of Aluminium-copper-magnesium alloys was examined for different weight % of Magnesium. Rolling and Full annealing of Al-Cu-Mg Aluminium alloys was carried out. Comparison of microstructures and mechanical properties with different deformation rates and aging time was also done and its effect on properties of Al-Cu-Mg Aluminium alloys was analyzed. These properties were then compared with the properties of AlCu5 alloy which underwent the most optimum heat treatment cycle.


Safe pipeline transportation of energy resources is a major concern for the public. Since a pipeline has been built and buried, geologic hazards, corrosions and third-party damages all pose cumulative internal and environmental risks to the pipeline's integrity. As today's pipeline engineering and operation become more reliant on geospatial data for safety in the pipeline's life cycle of design, construction, maintenance, and emergency response of pipeline facilities, the rapid and cost-affordable acquisition of terrain data along the pipeline corridor becomes increasingly critical. This paper addresses the use of airborne lidar and imaging technology for pipeline mapping and pipeline safety applications. We aim to improve the safe and secure transmission of gas and liquid energy in pipeline system by assessing the potential benefits of airborne lidar technology. It is concluded that airborne lidar could be an effective technology to assist pipeline risk management to assure safety in design, construction, operation, maintenance, and emergency response of pipeline facilities. Industrial and scientific advances in lidar systems and data processing techniques are opening new technological opportunities to develop an increased capability to accomplish the pipeline mapping and safety applications. The potential integration with other imaging sensors is expected to put lidar data acquisition and application on a new level with far reaching prospects.


We exploit changes in child benefits in Canada to study the impact of family income on child and family well-being. Using variation in child benefits across province, time, and family type, we study outcomes spanning test scores, mental health, physical health, and deprivation measures. The findings suggest that child benefit programs had significant positive effects on test scores, maternal health, and mental health, among other measures. We find strong and interesting differences in the effects of benefits by child sex: benefits have stronger effects on educational outcomes and physical health for boys, and on mental health outcomes for girls. (JEL I12, I31, I38, J13)


Relay or indirect interpreting is one of the interpreting modes where the message is conveyed from the source language to the target language via the medium of a third one. In other words, the interpreter does not listen to the speaker but to another interpreter. Relay interpreting is common at large conferences and during official sessions in, for example, the European Parliament. In interpreter training, the equipment accessibility is one of the keys to success. However, not all universities have enough quality equipment to cover all the training needs at all times. Moreover, it may not be flexible enough to facilitate tasks designed by the teacher. In such cases, using iPads may be just the solution. At the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, we succeeded in developing a way of iPad implementation in relay simultaneous interpreting practice that received positive feedback from both teachers and students. iPads gave us the needed flexibility. There are of course other benefits to using iPads, f.e. the price. In comparison to simultaneous interpretation equipment, iPads are much cheaper. Furthermore, they are portable, which means they can be moved from classroom to classroom, and easy to use. And finally, they can accommodate multiple trainings seminars at different language departments throughout the year. Our solution is based on a set of instructions and steps that have to be followed in a particular order to ensure success of the exercise. They involve setting up "a scene", ensuring a wi-fi connection, adjusting audio volume and using a video player and an audio recording application. Two iPads and two sets of headphones are necessary for a pair of students working together. The number of students practicing at the same time is limited only by the number of iPads. The recordings made during the practice can be used later in the seminar e-learning course where self-evaluation, peer evaluation, teacher feedbackandself-reflectiontakeplace.


The stress state in graphite epoxy tension specimens subjected to pure tension, to combined tension, and to out-of-plane bending is analyzed. A finite element solution technique is used that includes full representation of the wedge-action grip mechanism of the testing machine as well as end tabs bonded to the test laminate with a finite thickness adhesive layer. Results of the study indicate that stresses are generally lower for the tension specimens with tapered tab geometry. Peak stresses in the specimens are found to be sensitive to tab length. thickness, and layer orientation, as well as test laminate stiffness. Out-of-plane specimen bending resulting from grip misalignment also resulted in significant increases in the specimen stresses.


When the editorial board of Human Molecular Genetics was queried to consider potential topic areas for the annual 'special review', one topic that was enthusiastically endorsed was 'stem cells and regenerative medicine'. The fusion of these two topics reflected the hope and potential that advances in regenerative medicine may be the primary outcome of much of the current basic and translational research in the field of stem cell researches.

The goal in soliciting input for this special issue was to capture the current thinking, and identify priorities, in stem cell biology as it relates specifically to human molecular genetics. The order of the articles in this issue approximates the timeline of embryonic development toward adulthood and then regeneration. Many of the important germline derivatives are covered in this review, to include pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and their genetic regulation, animal ESC models and potential applications. Organ- or tissue-specific applications encompass dermal and endocrine derivatives, applications toward neural and skeletal diseases and potential therapies in regeneration. In order to capture a glimpse of the current view of stem cell and regenerative medicine, we asked several leaders in stem cell biology to comment on what they considered the most important issues currently facing the fields of stem cell and regeneration.

The historical perspective and broad agenda are described in a particularly insightful review by Christopher Scott, Director of the Program on Stem Cells in Society, and Renee Reijo Pera, Director of the Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education, both at Stanford. This story begins with a discussion of the controversy surrounding the historical decision by the US Executive Branch to ban funding for research on human embryos and how this has shaped research on human ESCs (hESCs) researches. The article weaves through the important controversies that have altered the current landscape of hESC research. The issue continues with a review by Amander Clark and Gayane Ambartsumyan from the Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA that lays the groundwork for a fascinating approach to model human aneuploidies (such as germline trisomies and monosomies) via the use of hESCs. This could provide a novel approach for probing human chromosomal nondisjunction, since it could elucidate unique cell cycle and checkpoint requirements in the early human embryo. The journey continues with the article authored by Niels Geijsen from the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Technology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, and Leanne Jones at the Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute. These researchers merged their ideas and reviewed the current understanding of male germline cell differentiation, their unique environmental and genetic profiles, and their relevance in the study to pluripotent stem cell and regenerative biology. George Daley, current President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute/Children's Hospital, Boston, then provides an assessment of pluripotency, and the transcriptional and regulatory factors responsible for its maintenance. This theme is continued with the review authored by Geof Rosenfeld and Victoria Lunyak from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at UCSD as they describe the 'epigenetic instruction manual' for stem cell biology, by reviewing the remarkable progress in understanding chromatin properties and histone modifications as well as other regulatory mechanisms under the influence of key factors such as OCT4 and NANOG. Their own work in identifying functionally important co-repressors in maintenance of stem cell fate has opened up new avenues for understanding this regulation of cellular identity.

As we progress through this special issue, James Byrne, from the Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education in the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford, reviews the current methodologies for reprogramming primate somatic cells into pluirpotent stem cells. Future cell-based therapies will surely benefit from isogenic transplantation (i.e. cells from one patient, reprogrammed and differentiated for transplantation to that patient). This is a critical issue that has been the subject of intense research in the last few years. If cell-based therapy is to reach its full potential, understanding of the cellular capacity for reprogramming, and continued comparison between methods, is critical. This review naturally precedes that of Marlon Schneider from the Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Munich, which considers the importance of large animal models for understanding disease and testing therapies. The canine is proposed as a model for testing cell-based therapies as the review discusses disease models and progress in establishing canine pluriopotent stem cells. The subject of pluripotent stem cells, especially challenges and early solutions for the manufacture of clinical-grade hESCs, is further expounded upon by Outi Hovatta et al. from the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology at the Karolinska Institute. Their valuable perspective comes from years of working in close contact with a clinical human in vitro fertilization facility, and in contemplating methods to move cells into clinical applications.

Specialized somatic derivatives are the subject of subsequent reviews beginning with that provided by Ben Yu, a dermatologist and molecular geneticist from UCSD, who discusses the potential role for stem cell therapy in treating disorders of the skin, and the current knowledge of inducing dermal subtype differentiation. Julie Gaulden and Jeremy Reiter from the Cardiovascular Research Institute and Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center at UCSF then discuss the influences of extracellular signals such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and wingless and int family (Wnts) in regulating stem cell fates, particularly in regards to the developing neuronal lineage. Fred Gage et al. at the Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute discuss the multiple layers of control in the pathway from ESC to neuron, including chromatin modification, methylation, microRNA and posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation of neuronal fate. With so many unique types of cells in the nervous system, the review provides a guide for future challenges of cell-based therapies in the neurosciences. Steve Goldman et al. from the Division of Cell and Gene Therapy and Center for Translational Neuro-medicine at the University of Rochester discuss how they have overcome the challenges in developing treatment strategies for myelin central nervous system disorders using cell-based therapy. They further discuss disorders such congenital central hypomyelination/leukodystrophies and their success with transplantation of human neural cells into the shiverer mouse mutant. Transplantation is further discussed by Zhiguo Chen and Theo Palmer, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Neurosciences Institute at Stanford, as they describe practical considerations of stem cell grafts into the central nervous system, and raise the limitations and challenges faced while overcoming immunological responses. Finally, we close with the review by Michael Longaker from the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford. Dr Longaker is a leader in osteogenic regeneration, and describes the frontiers of this exciting field, including evolving models to test the effects of adipose-derived stromal cell-based therapies in skeletal injuries and disorders.

We would be hard-pressed to find a field moving forward more rapidly, which has benefited from the focused public eye (and public funding), and which has elicited great expectations for clinical efficacy and utility. Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine is an area of biomedical sciences where some of the most exciting discoveries may be disseminated prior to full peer review and publication, and where information about new methodologies or important advances may spread like wildfire prior to validation. We hope that this timely compendium of reviews by scientific leaders may positively impact this field, through the introduction of new ideas and recognition of the common challenges that lay ahead in a well-balanced manner. Clearly, the field has a responsibility to communicate openly and fairly about advances, as well as failures, so that the public might reap the maximal benefits of this exciting emerging field.


INTRODUCTION
There are multiple causes for ascites and conventional diagnostic method for most of them is paracentesis. This method is invasive and time consuming. The aim of this study is to survey the reliability of measuring gallbladder wall thickness to discriminate between cirrhotic and malignant ascites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In our study we measured the gallbladder wall thickness by ultrasonography in 100 consecutive patients with portal hypertension induced ascites and in 100 consecutive patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis induced ascites.

RESULTS
The mean Gallbladder wall thickness was 3.94±0.69 mm in cirrhotic patients and 2.26±0.62 mm in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Gallbladder wall thickening in cirrhotic patients was significantly more compared to patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (p-value=0.001).

CONCLUSION
This study shows that the thickened gallbladder wall in patients with ascites is highly predictive for diagnosis of portal hypertension induced ascites.


Related methodologies for improving software field quality and reliability are introduced. These methodologies will help predict and measure when it is appropriate to release the software and involves forecasting the number of software problems that switching customers will encounter. The methodologies use releasability and reliability models. System test and verification phase completion dates and reliability levels are predicted. Field problems are predicted based on the software's verification testing, design, and marketing and sales projections, as well as the number of features contained in the software.<<ETX>>


Abstract Exposure to elevated levels of particulate air pollution from motor vehicles is frequently associated with increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular conditions, lung cancer, and nonmalignant respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, respiratory tract infections). It appears, however, that less attention has been paid to the potential role of road traffic fumes in the induction of allergic conditions. Laboratory studies in humans and animals have shown that particulate toxic pollutants—particularly diesel exhaust particulates—can enhance allergic inflammation and can induce allergic immune responses. Most of these immune responses are mediated by the carbon core of diesel exhaust particulates. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, phenanthrene) are major chemical components of diesel exhaust particulates, and they have enhanced the production of immunoglobulin E. Although several large epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong association between exposure to motor vehicle traffic emissions and allergic symptoms and reduced lung function, the evidence for the development of allergic sensitization from diesel exhaust particulates is less abundant than for the aforementioned associations. Recent comparisons of the prevalence of hay fever, as well as positive skin-prick tests, between citizens of former West and East Germany and between Hong Kong and China civilians, have demonstrated marked differences. Crucial variations in the level of particulate air pollution from motor vehicles in these countries may account for the observed increased prevalence of atopy. Although road-traffic pollution from automobile exhausts may be a risk factor for atopic sensitization, the evidence in support of this view remains conflictive. Some investigators have reported a clear association between the prevalence of allergy and road-traffic-related air pollution, whereas such a difference was not observed in other studies. Most discrepancies have been related to important variations in study design and methodology. In addition, inasmuch as exposure to ambient particles differs substantially in worldwide urban environments, perhaps qualitative—rather than quantitative—variations in particulate air pollution at different locations account for differences in the prevalence and/or severity of respiratory allergies.