THE AGING FOOT AND ITS ROLE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY AGING B the age of 50 our feet have carried us an average of 75,000 miles. Research shows that the quality of life as we age is directly related to our abillity to stay active. Foot pain, acquired foot deformities and the fear of falling are significant factors that limit activity in older people. Common age-related changes to the foot increase the risk of injury and falls. Even something as simple as finding a comfortable shoe can be problematic due to age-related changes of the foot. Based on a thorough review of the most recent peer-reviewed literature, this lecture will discuss how the foot changes with age and how to address the most common causes of foot problems through exercise, footwear changes and balance training.


For any electronic communication system bandwidth utilization and BER performance under different channel conditions are major aspect of consideration, to cope up with these conditions different modulation technique are used one of them is MC-CDMA (Multicarrier Code Division Multiple Access) which outperforms other techniques for bandwidth utilization and performs well under noisy and fading channels, as theoretical derivation states. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of MC-CDMA system over the AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise) and Raleigh channel for different number of subcarrier and different number of users, system analysis is performed by simulating the MC-CDMA using MATLAB program, and finally the paper also presents a comparison between simulated and theoretical results.


Amyloid diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, are linked to a poorly understood progression of protein misfolding and aggregation events that culminate in tissue-selective deposition and human pathology. Elucidation of the mechanistic details of protein aggregation and the structural features of the aggregates is critical for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of protein oligomerization and fibrillization. Vibrational spectroscopies, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman, are powerful tools that are sensitive to the secondary structure of proteins and have been widely used to investigate protein misfolding and aggregation. We address the application of the vibrational approaches in recent studies of conformational dynamics and structural characteristics of protein oligomers and amyloid fibrils. In particular, introduction of isotope labelled carbonyl into a peptide backbone, and incorporation of the extrinsic unnatural amino acids with vibrational moieties on the side chain, have greatly expanded the ability of vibrational spectroscopy to obtain site-specific structural and dynamic information. The applications of these methods in recent studies of protein aggregation are also reviewed.


Converting a set of sequencing reads into a lossless compact data structure that encodes all the relevant biological information is a major challenge. The classical approaches are to build the string graph or the de Bruijn graph. Each has advantages over the other depending on the application. Still, the ideal setting would be to have an index of the reads that is easy to build and can be adapted to any type of biological analysis. In this paper, we propose a new data structure we call rBOSS, which gets close to that ideal. Our rBOSS is a de Bruijn graph in practice, but it simulates any length up to k and can compute overlaps of size at least m between the labels of the nodes, with k and m being parameters. If we choose the parameter k equal to the size of the reads, then we can simulate a complete string graph. As most BWT-based structures, rBOSS is unidirectional, but it exploits the property of the DNA reverse complements to simulate bi-directionality with some time-space trade-offs. We implemented a genome assembler on top of rBOSS to demonstrate its usefulness. Our experimental results show that using k = 100, rBOSS can assemble 185 MB of reads in less than 15 minutes and using 110 MB in total. It produces contigs of mean sizes over 10,000, which is twice the size obtained by using a pure de Bruijn graph of fixed length k.


Uses the simulation and emulation mentality,takes the timer as the actuation mechanism,with the animation way,takes the Process Scheduling as center,the system has realized the simulation and emulation of movement process of five kind of Scheduling Algorithms,at the same time,realized the visualization of the Process of Process Creating,Scheduling,Executing,Blocking and Terminating.The system can automatically complete the recording and analyzing of advancement evolution process data.Under the identical condition,the system can take the histogram as a form,carry on the comparative evaluation and analysis to the capability of correlative Scheduling Algorithm,the effect is direct-viewing.This has the vital significance to catch on the kernel layer of operating system,to dialyse process principle,to discover and study the new Scheduling Algorithm.


The action of interferon in inhibiting either visible virus effect on cells or viral multiplication is intracellular. The evidence suggests that very soon after its adsorption interferon acts to delay virus synthesis in cells naturally susceptible to virus as well as those naturally insusceptible, even when interferon is added after viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) adsorption to cells is completed. This action occurs beyond the point of cellular adsorption, penetration, and removal of virus protein without gross effect upon virus release. It further appears that interferon does not block intracellular sites of attachment for viral multiplication, nor does its effect depend upon direct inactivation of parental viral RNA.
 Interferons produced in the allantoic sac of chicken embryos by a myxovirus (influenza A) or an arthropod-borne virus (Japanese encephalitis) had similar inhibitory effects on chicken embryo cells against Western equine encephalitis virus as well as against the RNA extracted from poliovirus Types I and II. Avian interferon had no detectable effect on susceptibility of HeLa cells to poliovirus RNA.


The effects of sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) de�ciency on stratum corneum (SC) barrier function (skin permeability of the hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds) and SC lamellar structure are unknown. Skin permeability of the hydrophilic compound increased signi�cantly for SMS2-KO mice when compared with that of WT mice. In contrast, no difference was observed in the penetration of lipophilic compounds in the skin of both SMS2-KO and WT mice. In SC of SMS2-KO mice, two sharp SAXS peaks were observed due to the lamellar structure with a repetition period of 4.8 nm. The WAXS revealed that the intensity ratio R 0.42/0.37 of the 0.42 nm peak at 2.4 nm − 1 to the 0.37 nm peak at 2.7 nm − 1 was smaller in the SMS2-KO mouse than in the WT mouse. Due to the temperature dependence of the WAXS, the peaks of 2.4 and 2.7 nm − 1 remained until the higher temperatures in SMS2-KO mouse SC than those in WT mouse SC. The results of X-ray diffraction suggest that de�ciency of SMS2 may cause the appearance of highly ordered structures of SC, which in turn may reduce the barrier function of SC.


A simplified model for the surface-to-volume atomic ratio dependent cohesive energy of nanocrystals is obtained in this letter. On the basis of the model, we predict that the cohesive energy can not only decrease but also increase with the increasing surface-to-volume atomic ratio under different conditions. The model predictions are found to be in agreement with the experimental values of Mo and W nanoparticles. The conditions on the cohesive energy of an embedded nanocrystal increasing or decreasing with the increasing surface-to-volume atomic ratio are discussed. The relations between the cohesive energy of nanoparticles, nanowires and nanofilms, and the shape effect on nanoparticles are also discussed. Since the cohesive energy is regarded as being directly related to the nature of the thermal stability of nanocrystals, the relationship to the phenomenon of melting and superheating given by our cohesive energy model seems sensible.


Neonatal tetanus (NNT) remains among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria and a huge challenge in achieving the fourth goal of the Millennium Development Goals. We reviewed the morbidity and mortality pattern among neonates with NNT admitted to the District General Hospital in north-east Nigeria from 2006 to 2009. Half of the patients were from rural areas and were delivered at home by untrained traditional birth attendants with no prior antenatal health care. Razor blades and scissors were the instruments used to cut the cord in nonhygienic conditions. Spasticity, lack of sucking, trismus, fever, omphalitis, risus sardonicus and opisthotonus were the most common presenting signs and symptoms. Overall, mortality was 56%. Health education of mothers and traditional birth attendants, the promotion of hospital delivery and antenatal tetanus immunization of all pregnant women, particularly in rural areas, are recommended if NNT is to be prevented.


Few social questions are more timely or reflect a broader base of public concern than how to alleviate the negative impact of divorce on children and parents. The social problems resulting from divorce fill the offices of increasingly large number of professionals. Because of its impact on the tax-conscious public who support the judicial system, divorce has become a political issue as well. The growing dissatisfaction with existing methods of processing custody disputes is having a significant impact on public policy, as well as on the focus of social research and the practice of the mental health professions. New custody legislation emerging in numerous states such as California. New York, and Oregon demonstrates the extent to which public pressure exists to change the policies and practices commonly applied to custody dispute-processing.


A system of quality-control data analysis by computer is described, in which two-way analysis of variance is used for partitioning sources of laboratory error into day-to-day, within-day, betweenpools and additivity variation. The partition for additivity is described in detail as to its advantages and applications. In addition, control charts based on two-way analysis of variance computations are prepared each month by computer. This computer program is designed to operate with the IBM 1800 or 1130 computers or any computer with a Fortran IV compiler. Examples are presented of use of the control charts and of tables of analysis of variance.


The self-consistent version of the energy density formalism is used to study the variations of the neutron skin thickness near and far from the stability line. The shell effects in the differences between RMS radii and neutron and proton density distributions are found to be weak. Approximate droplet model sharp radii are also defined for the self-consistent densities, in order to compare the results with the droplet model predictions. Important differences with this model are found. In particular, the values obtained far from the stability line for the neutron skin thickness seem to be incompatible with the droplet model.


Peculiar feature of the container flight, dropped from the subsonic aircraft were studied. Container dynamics at the dropping point as well as influence of the initial conditions on the flight parameters near the impact point were evaluated. Container was considered as a rigid object having six degrees of freedom. Exemplary numerical calculations were performed. It was found that the small divergence from the assumed dropping conditions lead to the significant deviation of the impact point.


The article presents a 3D model of an automated manipulator with a computer vision system for harvesting horticultural crops. It was elaborated an algorithm of the computer vision system to determine the boundaries of the berries and theirdegree of ripeness. The results of field experiments, measuring the area of berries at different times of the day are given. It has been established that thelighting conditionshave a significant impact under on the detection of borders and areas of strawberries, and their degree of ripeness.


Stress, of both physical and emotional origin, has effects on the reproductive system. Although both ACTH and glucocorticoids are elevated in stress, there is little evidence that these hormones directly affect gonadotropin secretion or ovulation. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) does interact with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-producing neurons, probably through an opioidergic pathway, suppressing gonadotropin secretion. Opioids, primarily beta-endorphin, originating through CRF-independent mechanisms in the brain or even the pituitary may also inhibit GnRH production. Tonic, pulsatile gonadotropin secretion is inhibited by stress and by administered morphine, but morphine does not block the estrogen-induced preovulatory surge in primates. Accordingly, impaired follicular development appears to be the most common cause of reproductive dysfunction attributable to stress in the human female. New developments in the understanding of the role of stress in reproduction must take into consideration the many differences between the hormonal responses to stress in the human and laboratory animals.


This short article is primarily concerned with, what the authors consider to be, two important considerations in any form of residential child care, particularly long-term: 1 The great need for a coherent overall philosophy, which is clearly understood by all members of staff. It is felt that, all too often, assumptions are made about general agreement, which are not necessarily borne out by observed practice. 2 The need for the meticulous selection of primary caring staff, followed by relevant in-service training rather than an overreliance upon, what are sometimes, quite arbitrary qualifications. The article attempts to present a broad profile of a unit which, although it does not claim to represent the ideal, is nonetheless beginning to assume a purposive and identifiable character. The point is made that clinicism, professionalism and academic discussion are important but they are not the only considerations. The children must remain the raison d'etre for such a unit, not the justification. The authors hope to have conveyed their conviction that cooperation and communication between the members of a multidisciplinary team presents the most practical and the most productive approach to the care of profoundly and multiply handicapped children.


We study the evolution of age at maturity in a semelparous life history with two age classes. An individual may either breed in the first year of its life and die, or delay breeding to the second year. In this setting a mixed strategy means that a fraction of the individual's offspring breed in the first possible breeding event, while the remaining fraction delay breeding. Current theory seems to imply that mixed strategies are not evolutionarily stable strategies (ESSs) under a steady-state population dynamical regime. We show that a two-dimensional feedback environment may allow the evolution of mixed age at maturity. Furthermore, different phenotypes need to perceive the environment differently. The biological reasoning behind these conditions is different resource usage or predation pressure between two age classes. Thus, the conventional explanations for the occurrence of mixed strategies in natural populations, environmental stochasticity or complex dynamics, are not needed.


In order to obtain better concentration prediction results of the unknown urine spectra, the PLS and PCR methods were applied. The calibration model was composed with those methods for the prediction. The results of the two methods were compared by observing the correlation between the pre-examined and the predicted results.


This paper analyses the regulation of market abuse under the Financial Markets Act 19 of 2012 in order to investigate the adequacy of such regulation as regards to the combating of market-abuse practices in South Africa. To this end, the paper provides an overview analysis of the market abuse (insider trading and market manipulation) offences as well as the penalties and other anti-market abuse-enforcement approaches that are employed under the Financial Markets Act 19 of 2012 in a bid to provide a revamped and adequate anti-market abuse regulatory and -enforcement framework in South Africa. Moreover, where possible, the paper also provides a comparative analysis of these offences, penalties and other anti-market abuse-enforcement approaches and those that were provided under the Securities Services Act 36 of 2004. This is done to examine whether the anti-market abuse regulatory and -enforcement framework that was re-introduced under the Financial Markets Act 19 of 2012 has now adequately resolved the flaws and gaps that were associated with a similar framework under the former Act.


Microspheres of tramadol hydrochloride (TM) for oral delivery were prepared by complex coacervation method without the use of chemical cross-linking agents such as glutaraldehyde to avoid the toxic reactions and other undesirable effects of the chemical cross-linking agents. Alternatively, ionotropic gelation was employed by using sodium-tripolyphosphate as cross-linking agent. Chitosan and gelatin B were used as polymer and copolymer, respectively. All the prepared microspheres were subjected to various physicochemical studies, such as drug–polymer compatibility by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy, frequency distribution, drug entrapment efficiency, in vitro drug release characteristics and release kinetics. The physical state of drug in the microspheres was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). TLC and FTIR studies indicated no drug–polymer incompatibility. All the microspheres showed initial burst release followed by a fickian diffusion mechanism. DSC and XRD analysis indicated that the TM trapped in the microspheres existed in an amorphous or disordered-crystalline status in the polymer matrix. From the preliminary trials, it was observed that it may be possible to formulate TM microspheres by using biodegradable natural polymers such as chitosan and gelatin B to overcome the drawbacks of TM and to increase the patient compliance.


Thirty‐eight normal volunteers and 10 patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis were each given 0.5 ml of Lugol's solution daily for 10 days. On days 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20, serum levels of T4, free T4, T3 and TSH (by sensitive immunoradiometric assay) were measured. In normal subjects, the serum concentrations of free T4 declined significantly at day 10 while TSH levels were significantly increased at days 5, 10 and 15. Serum levels of T4 and T3 did not change significantly. All the observed changes took place within the limits of normal ranges for the hormones mentioned. In contrast, in the thyrotoxic subjects, both T4 and T3 were significantly decreased at days 5 and 10, while serum TSH remained below detection limit (0.14 mU/l) throughout the study. Short exposure to excessive iodide in normal subjects affects T4 and T3 release and this effect could be partially overcome by compensatory increase in TSH. In thyrotoxicosis, lack of compensatory increase in TSH results in rapid decreases in T4 and T3 levels. The integrity of the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐thyroidal axis may be effectively assessed by measuring TSH response to iodide suppression, using a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay.


This paper1 deals with dynamic resource allocation problem for OFDMA-based cognitive radio systems. The proposed solution is specifically tailored for a secondary base stations (SBS) transmitting to secondary users (SUs) over the same bands of the licensed primary users (PUs) in underlay fashion. The downlink transmission goodput is thereby maximized while keeping the interference on the PUs within a tolerable range. The NP-hard goodput maximization problem is tackled resorting to an efficient meta-heuristic algorithm based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) framework.


Third Santa Fe Conference on Global and Regional Climate Change; Santa Fe, New Mexico, 30 October to 4 November 2011 At the Third Santa Fe Conference on Global and Regional Climate Change, hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Center for Nonlinear Studies, researchers offered some of the latest thinking on how to observe and model the driving forces as well as the impacts of regional and global climate change, climate system responses, and societal impacts. It was the third in a series of conferences held at 5-year intervals. More than 140 climate science experts from the United States and foreign universities and research centers attended the conference, held at the La Fonda Hotel in historic downtown Santa Fe. The conference program included more than 80 invited and contributed oral presentations and about 30 posters. The oral sessions were grouped by topic into sessions of four or five talks, with discussion occurring at the end of each session


An improvement in the security of stream cipher is achieved by introducing dynamic polynomial switching in the Linear Feedback Shift Registers. Several researches declared that this introduction enhances the stream cipher's immunity to cryptanalysis. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey that summarizes the recent approaches for applying this idea for the purpose of shaping a clear vision of these designs. This vision will assist the development process of new designs.


Rat liver perchloric acid-soluble protein (L-PSP) is a potent inhibitor of cell-free protein synthesis; however, its mechanism of action is not known. Here we show that the protein is a unique ribonuclease and that this activity is responsible for the inhibition of translation. The addition of perchloric acid-soluble protein to a rabbit reticulocyte cell-free system at a concentration of 6.2 μm led to an almost complete inhibition of protein synthesis. The kinetics are unlike those of hemin-controlled inhibitor, a protein that acts at the initiation step. The inhibition appears to be due to an endoribonucleolytic activity of perchloric acid-soluble protein because L-PSP directly affects mRNA template activity and induces disaggregation of the reticulocyte polysomes into 80 S ribosomes, even in the presence of cycloheximide. These effects were observed with authentic as well as recombinant L-PSP. Analysis by thin-layer chromatography of [α-32P]UTP-labeled mRNA incubated with the protein showed production of the ribonucleoside 3′-monophosphates Ap, Gp, Up, and Cp, providing direct evidence that the protein is an endoribonuclease. When either 5′- or 3′-32P-labeled 5 S rRNA was the substrate, L-PSP cleaved phosphodiester bonds only in the single-stranded regions of the molecule.


In vitro studies were done to examine the effects of contrast media on blood enzymatic activities. The results observed are very significant: in the most simple cases they result in a competitive or mixed-type type inhibition of these enzymes. In systems which involve two substrates and two products a Bi-Bi ping-pong enzymatic mechanism is transformed in Bi-Bi random enzymatic mechanism.


Progress in biological imaging is intrinsically linked to advances in labeling methods. The explosion in the development of high-resolution and super-resolution imaging calls for new approaches to label targets with small probes. These should allow to faithfully report the localization of the target within the imaging resolution – typically nowadays a few nanometers - and allow access to any epitope of the target, in the native cellular and tissue environment. We report here the development of a complete labeling and imaging pipeline using genetic code expansion and non-canonical amino acids in primary neurons that allows to fluorescently label masked epitopes in target transmembrane proteins in live neurons, both in dissociated culture and organotypic brain slices. This allowed us to image the differential localization of two glutamate receptor auxiliary proteins in complex with their partner with a variety of methods including widefield, confocal, and dSTORM super-resolution microscopy.


This research is an attempt to compare executive functions in two groups with adaptive and maladaptive goals. 31 individuals with adaptive goals and 39 with maladaptive goals were selected with multistage sampling in Tehran. The individuals were asked to answer questionnaires of motivational structure (PCI) and Tower of London (TOL). Data were analyzed by t-test to compare the means of two independent groups. The results showed that there were some differences between two groups in executive functions, in terms of total time, time-tested, the total number of errors and the total result. The research concludes that there is a direct relationship between executive function and adaptive motivational structure, it means any person with more adaptive motivational structure also will receive better results in executive functions.


This paper considers the consistency-based remote diagnosis of discrete-event systems, where the diagnostic task is decomposed into an onboard and an off-board task. The system to be diagnosed is modelled by a new type of timed automata possessing discrete inputs and outputs. Faults are modelled as parameters of the edges and invariants of the automata. A consistency-based diagnostic method is derived for this model class by extending a method developed for timed automata without inputs and outputs. This method can be used for fault detection on the on-board component and for fault identification on the off-board component of the remote diagnostic system. The results are illustrated by an example.


Spatial lithofacies and lithofacies association serves as one of the reliable methods in assessing the depositional process of sediments and interpreting its depositional environment. The method of facies analysis is adapted in this study where four newly exposed stratigraphic sections along the Jerantut-Maran road in Jerantut, Central Pahang of Peninsular Malaysia were studied. Previous studies showed that the environment of deposition of these continental deposits is broadly of braided-meandering river. Sedimentological data from the newly exposed stratigraphic sections had given a better understanding on the sedimentation processes involved in these deposits where interpretation on the environment of deposition is construed up to its sub-environment. The main lithofacies recognized include conglomerate, sandstone, and fine-grained facies. The facies associations identified include (i) massive to laminated silt/mudstone, (ii) massive sandstone, (iii) thin to thick ripple to parallel laminated sandstone, (iv) conglomeratic sandstone, (v) graded channelized sandstone, (vi) coarsening upwards medium bedded sandstone and (vii) heterolithic sandstone. The different facies associations are grouped to four (4) facies assemblages showing characteristics of certain environment: (1) floodplain, (2) channel bar complex, (3) point bar and (4) crevasse splay. Floodplain facies assemblage is marked by fine-grained facies, mainly siltstone/mudstone and fine-grained sands with lower flow regime structures. Channel bar complex is identified by high energy deposits of coarse-to-medium grained sandstones often with scoured bottom and lenticular geometry. Point bar is recognized by the lateral accretion surfaces often consisting of normal graded sandstone with sharp top and bottom contact, sometimes capped with thin mudstones. Crevasse splay facies assemblage is characterized by heterolithic sandstone, dominated by flaser-wavy bedding and coarsening upwards medium bedded sandstone that is overlain by fine-grained facies of the floodplain assemblage. The overall facies based on an outcrop scale suggests general features of fluvial facies with fluctuations in flow energy. The environment of deposition is thus interpreted to be of braided river with floodplains and isolated point bar.


ABSTRAK

Purpose of this research is to description and analyses: ( 1) social network formed between bream farmers in Desa Luwung with stakeholder which is related; ( 2) reason of bream farmer in Desa Luwung forms social network.
Form of this research applies qualitative research approach. Research strategy of case study. Data source gotten from: (1) research subject that is member of bream farmer social network in Luwung (2) place and event, that is agricultural activity of fish in Desa Luwung, and (3) document applied in the form of monography Desa Luwung and photograph. Sampling technique applies purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Data collecting technique applied, that is: (1) in-depth interview technique (In-depth interview); (2) participant observation; (3) document analysis. Validity test applied is: trianggulation of source, trianggulation of technique, review informan and Focus Group Discussion. Data which collected analysed with interaktif model started with collecting data, reduction of data, viewed data and conclusion withdrawal. From research result done made sosiogram to depict the relation of between members in fish farmer social network in Luwung.
Based on this inferential research: (1) forming of bream farmer social network based: (a) its historical, was growed since year 1930 but have time to experience finite ebb of year 1960 and rapidlies grow after the year 2003; ( b) way of its forming, be by the way of nonformal is formed x'self by farmer as according to its capacities and formal (by organization) but has not been realized in Desa Luwung; (c) based on condition of its forming is three, first that is there are actor who amounts to minimizing nine that is farmer, other farmer, equipment seller, chicken dirt seller, feed seller of fish, fish seed seller, merchant, organization, and consumer. Secondly that is there are tying between business perpetrator. Third condition that is there are peripatetic current in network. (2) bream farmer social network is formed by equation of purpose of to reach maximum result for business each member of stakeholder. But in business to reach maximum result there is limitation of ability. Therefore member of stakeholder does cooperation with other party to can reach result wanted. Cooperation would continuously take place when each member of network feels gets many benefits from cooperation which has taken place. duration of Relationship intertwining that can take place stripper even can up to the next generation. On the contrary if when cooperation done not to bring advantage hence the relationship will be broken.


OBJECTIVE
To study the association between the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI), premature death and the need for surgical treatment for lower limb ischaemia.

DESIGN
Population based cohort study.

SUBJECTS
Three hundred and fifty-three men and women, 50-89 years old, underwent a leg pain questionnaire and measurement of ABPI and was then followed for 10 years.

OUTCOME MEASURES
All cause mortality, vascular procedures and major amputations.

RESULTS
A low ABPI was independently associated with premature all cause mortality in the multiple regression analysis, carrying a relative risk of 3.4 (95% confidence interval 2.0-5.9) and 2.1 (1.3-3.3) for ABPIs <or=0.50 and 0.51-0.80, respectively, compared to those with ABPI >or=1.0. Individuals with an ABPI in the interval 0.81-0.99 suffered only a slight, not statistically significant risk increase compared to normals. A low ABPI at baseline implied a continuous constant increased risk of death throughout the study period. The same risk was observed among elderly (70-89, median 77 years), and in the middle aged (50-69, median 63 years) individuals. The vast majority of those subjected to vascular intervention or major amputation during follow-up had an ABPI<or=0.8 at baseline (83 and 89%, respectively). However, within that group, the individual ABPI was not predictive for surgical intervention.

CONCLUSION
The association found between an ABPI <or=0.8 and premature mortality in this cohort of symptomatic subjects implies that the ABPI is a powerful, independent predictor for premature death. The prognostic information carried by an ABPI in the interval 0.81-0.99 remains uncertain. Septuagenarians and octogenarians carry the same risk increase associated with a low ABPI as those in the middle ages.


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We consider two important challenges that arise when thermal energy is to be stored in foodstuffs. We have previously introduced economic optimizing MPC schemes that both reduce operating costs and offer flexible power consumption in a future Smart Grid. The goal is to utilize the thermal capacity of refrigerated goods in a supermarket to shift the load of the system in time without deteriorating the quality of the foodstuffs. The analyses in this paper go before closing any control loops. In the first part, we introduce and validate a new model with which we can estimate the actual temperatures of refrigerated goods from available air temperature measurements. This is based on data obtained from a dedicated experiment. Since limits are specified for food temperatures, the estimate is essential for full exploitation of the thermal potential. Secondly, the thermal properties, shapes and sizes of different foodstuffs make them behave differently when exposed to changes in air temperature. We present a novel analysis based on Biot and Fourier numbers for the different foodstuffs. This provides a valuable tool for determining how different items can be utilized in load-shifting schemes on different timescales and for estimating maximum energy storage time. The results are shown for a large range of parameters, and with specific calculations for selected foodstuff items.


Objective: Despite advances in supported treatments for early onset obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), progress has been constrained by regionally limited expertise in pediatric OCD. Videoteleconferencing (VTC) methods have proved useful for extending the reach of services for older individuals, but no randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have evaluated VTC for treating early onset OCD. Method: RCT comparing VTC-delivered family based cognitive–behavioral therapy (FB-CBT) versus clinic-based FB-CBT in the treatment of children ages 4–8 with OCD (N = 22). Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up assessments included mother-/therapist-reports and independent evaluations masked to treatment condition. Primary analyses focused on treatment retention, engagement and satisfaction. Hierarchical linear modeling preliminarily evaluated the effects of time, treatment condition, and their interactions. "Excellent response" was defined as a 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale. Results: Treatment retention, engagement, alliance and satisfaction were high across conditions. Symptom trajectories and family accommodation across both conditions showed outcomes improving from baseline to posttreatment, and continuing through follow-up. At posttreatment, 72.7% of Internet cases and 60% of Clinic cases showed "excellent response," and at follow-up 80% of Internet cases and 66.7% of Clinic cases showed "excellent response." Significant condition differences were not found across outcomes. Conclusions: VTC methods may offer solutions to overcoming traditional barriers to care for early onset OCD by extending the reach of real-time expert services regardless of children's geographic proximity to quality care.


Microorganisms produce bioemulsifier/biosurfactants having a wide structural and functional diversity. This review highlights the method of investigation to determine these ampiphilic molecules, bioemulsifier produced by different microorganisms from various origin its classification based on its molecular weight, its chemical composition and that are capable of producing bioemulsifier of industrial and biological applications. Keywords: Bio emulsifier, glycolipids, lipopeptides, industrial potential, biological potential.


To determine the association of plasma copeptin, a surrogate of vasopressin, with the incidence of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Early detection of individuals having the highest risk could help avoid this complication. 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 20 apparently healthy subjects serving as control were included. Plasma levels of Copeptin and other biochemical parameters were determined. The correlation between copeptin and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was investigated. There was a significant association between elevated copeptin concentrations and eGFR decline ( P= 0.001). High plasma levels of copeptin were associated with lower ACR (P < 0.001). As copeptin is emerging biomarker in diagnosis of many diseases ,our results suggest that copeptin could be a useful prognostic marker for kidney function decline in type 2 diabetic patients and by this eventually help prevent kidney complications.


An algebra $\mathbf A = \langle A, \to, 0 \rangle$, where $\to$ is binary and $0$ is a constant, is called an implication zroupoid ($\mathcal I$-zroupoid, for short) if $\mathbf A$ satisfies the identities: $(x \to y) \to z \approx [(z' \to x) \to (y \to z)']'$ and $ 0'' \approx 0$, where $x' : = x \to 0$, and $\mathcal I$ denotes the variety of all $\mathcal I$-zroupoids. An $\mathcal I$-zroupoid is symmetric if it satisfies $x'' \approx x$ and $(x \to y')' \approx (y \to x')'$. The variety of symmetric $\mathcal I$-zroupoids is denoted by $\mathcal S$. An identity $p \approx q$, in the groupoid language $\langle \to \rangle$, is called an identity of associative type of length $3$ if $p$ and $q$ have exactly 3 (distinct) variables, say x,y,z, and are grouped according to one of the two ways of grouping: (1) $\star \to (\star \to \star)$ and (2) $(\star \to \star) \to \star$, where $\star$ is a place holder for a variable. A subvariety of $\mathcal I$ is said to be of associative type of length $3$, if it is defined, relative to $\mathcal I$, by a single identity of associative type of length $3$. In this paper we give a complete analysis of the mutual relationships of all subvarieties of $\mathcal I$ of associative type of length $3$. We prove, in our main theorem, that there are exactly 8 such subvarieties of $\mathcal I$ that are distinct from each other and describe explicitly the poset formed by them under inclusion. As an application of the main theorem, we derive that there are three distinct subvarieties of the variety $\mathcal S$, each defined, relative to $\mathcal S$, by a single identity of associative type of length $3$.


We derive in this paper the transient queue length and the busy period distributions of a single server queue with phase-type (PH) service times and a batch Markovian arrival process (BMAP). These distributions are obtained by the uniformization technique which gives simple recurrence relations. The main advantage of this technique is that it leads to stable algorithms for which the precision of the result can be given in advance.


This study examines changes in value-relevance of earnings and book values for stock prices and the ability of earnings to predict future operating cash flows when there is a substantial change in a country's accounting standards and surrounding business and economic environment. The 1997 financial crisis in Korea precipitated the changes, and changes occurred well into the next decade with Korean policy makers adopting IFRS effective after 2010. Results show increased combined value relevance of current earnings and book value for stock prices as well as for earning and book value incrementally over the 1982 to 2011 period. The incremental relation between earnings and one-year ahead operating cash flows also increased, showing that changes in accounting standards motivated for external reasons (i.e., capital markets) can also have implications internal to firms. The results should be of interest in countries debating changes to domestic standards including possible IFRS adoption.


A new metastable surface state on the boundary of 3He-B is found analytically in the vicinity of the first-order transition line between 3He-B and 3He-A. This state consists of an A-phase layer separated from the B phase in bulk liquid by a conventional A-B interface. As distinct from all other surface states obtained by calculation so far, this state has a spontaneous mass supercurrent along the surface.


Two independent measurements of cross sections for the 19F+93Nb dissipative heavy ion collisions have been performed at incident energies from 100 to 108 MeV in steps of 250 keV. In the two measurements, two independently prepared targets were used. All other experimental conditions were identical in both experiments. The data indicate that non-reproducibility of the non-self-averaging oscillation is yielded in the two measurements. This supports the recent theoretical predictions of spontaneous coherence, slow phase randomization and extreme sensitivity in highly excited complex quantum systems.


Background The prevalence rate of SLE in previous reports has widely varied by as much as 12-fold over the years, which is likely due to variabilities in study populations, case definitions, and case ascertainment sources. Previous studies covered relatively small populations such as city, county, state, or Medicaid. To our knowledge, there are no reports of SLE prevalence covering the entire US population. Although, elegant CDC registries covering several counties in 5 states provide valuable information on SLE prevalence, there is an important unmet need to estimate the national prevalence of SLE. Methods We used ambulatory physician visits derived from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey databases based on a multistage probability design to enumerate encounters that represent SLE using ICD-9 code 710.0. We then estimated the number of SLE patients from these encounters. SAS was used to determine the mean and 95% CI of SLE prevalence, overall and by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and geographic region. We calculated the cumulative percent change in prevalence between 2001 and 2011 (Chi-square test), modeled trends, and calculated the annual percent change using Joinpoint regression analysis. Results The overall prevalence rate of SLE during 2001–2011 is 86.4 per 1 00 000 persons (95% CI, 69.6–103.3). The annual SLE prevalence increased 6% (95% CI, 2.5–9.5) each year from 2001 through 2011, with cumulative increase of 59.4% during this period (72.2 in 2001 to 115.1 in 2011, p<0.0001). The period prevalence of SLE during 2001–2011 is 9-fold higher in females (137.5 [95% CI, 109.2–165.9]) than males (15.2 [95% CI, 8.0–22.4]). Non-Hispanic black persons had the highest prevalence (200.8 [95% CI, 125.9–275.8]). There were substantial variations in SLE prevalence by geographic regions: persons living in the West had the highest prevalence (108.9), followed by South (89.5), Northeast (79.4), and Midwest (65.7). Conclusions Analysis of national survey data reveals an increasing trend in SLE prevalence across the US during 2001–2011, which may reflect an increased recognition of SLE, changes in physicians coding practices, decreasing mortality, or actual increases in the prevalence. Lack of verification of SLE diagnosis by rheumatologists is a major limitation of this study, especially since there is discordance even among rheumatologists as to what constitutes a diagnosis of lupus. Nevertheless, our data show demographic and regional differences in SLE prevalence across the US, with the highest prevalence in black persons and females, as reported previously, and in the West. Funding Source(s): Rheumatology Research Foundation's Medical and Graduate Student Preceptorship Award


The downlink of a system with phase coherent coordination between several base stations is considered throughout this paper. Within the framework of the power minimization problem, two Joint Power Control and Optimal Beamforming (JPCOB) algorithms have already been proposed in previous works. However, one of the major challenges associated with network coordination is the design of algorithms which result in low-complexity requirements as the number of users increases. In this paper, one of the previous JPCOB algorithms is modified in order to obtain a low-complexity solution by reducing the amount of feedback required from single antenna users in the system. The performance of this algorithm is then compared with the previous JPCOB solutions. Simulation results in a W-CDMA scenario show that the low-complexity algorithm equals the performance of the previous solutions for a given number of coordinated base stations. However, it suffers a severe penalty for scenarios with high SINR requirements at the users. In order to overcome this drawback, two iterative schemes based on the particular structure of the matrices involved in the power control updating step are proposed. Moreover, these schemes could be seen as efficient and computationally simple scheduling techniques.


In order to assess the role of vagal nerve afferents in the decrease in food-motivated behavior induced by proinflammatory cytokines, the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 400 micrograms/kg ip) and recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1, 750-1500 ng/mouse ip) were tested on nose poke for food in vagotomized and sham-operated mice. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy attenuated the decrease in response rate induced by IL-1 and LPS. These results suggest that the peripheral immune message is transmitted to the brain via a neural rather than a humoral pathway.


The coming era of large photometric wide-field surveys will increase the detection rate of supernovae by orders of magnitude. Such numbers will restrict spectroscopic follow-up in the vast majority of cases, and hence new methods based solely on photometric data must be developed. Here, we construct a complete Hubble diagram of Type II supernovae (SNe II) combining data from three different samples: the Carnegie Supernova Project-I, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II SN, and the Supernova Legacy Survey. Applying the Photometric Color Method (PCM) to 73 SNe II with a redshift range of 0.01–0.5 and with no spectral information, we derive an intrinsic dispersion of 0.35 mag. A comparison with the Standard Candle Method (SCM) using 61 SNe II is also performed and an intrinsic dispersion in the Hubble diagram of 0.27 mag, i.e., 13% in distance uncertainties, is derived. Due to the lack of good statistics at higher redshifts for both methods, only weak constraints on the cosmological parameters are obtained. However, assuming a flat universe and using the PCM, we derive the universe's matter density: providing a new independent evidence for dark energy at the level of two sigma.


In the ferret liquid-filled trachea in vivo, intraluminal bradykinin (BK, 3-300 microM) produced concentration-dependent increases in the output of lysozyme from submucosal gland serous cells and albumin movement into the lumen. Baseline outputs of albumin and lysozyme were not altered significantly by intraluminal indomethacin (10 microM) or thiorphan (10 microM). However, intraluminal indomethacin completely blocked the BK-induced increase in albumin output. Intraluminal thiorphan (10 microM) did not significantly potentiate BK-induced albumin output, although mean output was higher. Neither indomethacin nor thiorphan significantly altered BK-induced lysozyme output, although mean output was reduced in the presence of indomethacin. Thus BK increases albumin output and may increase lysozyme output via the action of cyclooxygenase products. Inhibition of neutral endopeptidase activity may enhance the action of BK on albumin output.


Cellular nucleic-acid binding protein (Cnbp) is a highly conserved protein involved in both transcriptional and translational regulation of several genes. Knockout and knockdown studies suggest that Cnbp is required for proper craniofacial cartilages development. Here we provide a new insight into the influence of Cnbp dose on rostral head formation by overexpressing the wild-type Cnbp or a dominant negative mutant in both transient and stable transgenic approaches. The expression of neural crest marker genes and the development of craniofacial cartilages were adversely affected in either dominant negative or wild-type Cnbp transiently overexpressing specimens. The development of other embryonic structures was not affected neither by dominant negative or wildtype Cnbp overexpression, thus ruling out unspecific defects caused by the ectopic expression of Cnbp or its mutant. Results indicate that delimited level of Cnbp is required for proper rostral head development in zebrafish. Tol2-mediated transgenesis yielded up to 50% of stable wild-type Cnbp and 5% of dominant negative mutant overexpressing lines. Unlike observed in transient overexpression experiments, F2 offspring developed with no differences between controls and either of the two stable transgenics. Noteworthy, Cnbp levels in transiently overexpressing embryos were significantly higher than those ones measured in stable transgenics. Results suggest that stable transgenics derive from progenitors expressing constrained Cnbp levels.


Prevention of vascular disease and acute pancreatitis is the goal of hyperlipidemia treatment. The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) increases with increasing plasma cholesterol levels because low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the major carrier of cholesterol in the plasma, is atherogenic. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), especially the HDL2 subfraction, protects against CHD. Hypertriglyceridemia, although not an independent risk factor for CHD, is generally accompanied by low HDL cholesterol (HDLch), which may predispose to CHD. Reducing plasma LDL and raising HDL levels are thus goals in preventing CHD. Serum LDL levels may be lowered by reducing saturated fat and cholesterol intake; weight loss may decrease LDL but is more effective in lowering plasma triglycerides and raising HDLch. The percent of total calories from polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fats should be less than 10%, up to 10-15%, and less than 10%, respectively. High cholesterol intake increases the flux of cholesterol, which may be harmful to arterial walls, but beyond a certain point does not increase plasma cholesterol levels. Some diets change the composition rather than the level of LDL and apoproteins. Weight reduction and maintenance are the most effective dietary measures to lower plasma triglycerides; omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) have shown promise in reducing triglyceride but not cholesterol levels. Substitution of starch for sugar lowered triglyceride levels toward normal in hypertriglyceridemia patients. Fasting triglyceride levels rise in all individuals fed high-carbohydrate diets, but the high levels persist in hypertriglyceridemia patients. Weight loss, cessation of cigarette smoking, increased physical activity, good control of diabetes, and moderate alcohol use all raise HDLch levels. Vitamin E deficiency causes neurological sequelae in children with severe malabsorption problems due to abetalipoproteinemia or cholestatic liver disease.


The introduction of the «therapeutic equivalence» concept into the Russian legislation is critical for evaluation of medicines interchangeability and for recognising them as generics. It is stipulated by the legislation that therapeutic equivalence has to be evaluated using a special instrument — «therapeutic equivalence study». The aim of this work was to analyse the validity of considering a therapeutic equivalence study as the only study that allows for confirmation of therapeutic equivalence of medicines. The term «therapeutic equivalence» has been adopted by the leading world regulators, but there is no clear concept of what is a therapeutic equivalence clinical study. The key distinctive features of the foreign approach, as compared to the Russian one, are comparison of medicines with one active pharmaceutical ingredient, and additional conditions for the establishment of therapeutic equivalence. The clinical trial methodology, which is based on the use of statistical analysis methods, also imposes constraints on evaluation of «similarity» of properties, efficacy and safety of medicines in a single study. Hence, there are several reasons why the results of comparative clinical trials can not be used as a sole basis for the establishment of therapeutic equivalence. These results have to be substantiated by confirmation of comparable composition and pharmacokinetic parameters of medicines in order for them to be considered therapeutically equivalent. This does not contradict the existing regulatory framework and is consistent with the current scientific methodology for conducting clinical trials.


It has long been known that local leech (Hirudinea sp) contain a substance with anticoagulant properties and the isolation of this was first in 1984 (Weinberg 1994). In this study the purification of the blood-thinning agent hirudin, protein profiling and quantification from different parts of leech body are reported. The result shows the sample from leech head gave the highest result in protein concentration with a value of 69.33 ug/ml compared with the sample from the whole body and headless leech which was 36.67 ug/ml and 26.67 ug/ml, respectively. Sample from leech head was subsequently used for purication by gel permeation chromatography on Sephadex G-75. Fractions which contain significant amounts of protein with absorbance value of more than 0.2 at 595 nm were tested for their anti-coagulant activity on rabbit blood. The result shows that Peak III (fraction number = 23, optical density = 0.256, protein concenntration = 82.00ug/ml) took the longest time for blood to clot (123.33 min) and did not contract but 380 minutes later when compared with Peaks II (fraction number = 21, optical density = 0.293,protein concentration = 94.33 ug/ml) and V (fraction number = 36, optical density = 0.214,protein concentration = 68.00 ug/ml) where clotting was relatively earlier and occurred within13.33 and 23.33 minutes and showed conctraction much sooner at 24.33 and 41.67 minutes later, respectively. Crude protein and eluted fractions which contain significant amount of protein with the longest time of blood to clot were subjected to SDS-PAGE anlysis. The result shows that the molecular weight of hirudin was about 11.36 kDa. From the purification determined by gel permentation chromatographic technique the profiles of leech crude extract from different parts of body indicated that the anti-coagulant agent or hirudin is only found in substantial quantities in the head (salivary glands) of leeches.


We provide the convergence analysis for a sinc-Galerkin method to solve the fractional Dirichlet problem. This can be understood as a follow-up of an earlier article by the same authors, where the authors presented a sinc-function based method to solve fractional PDEs. While the original method was formulated as a collocation method, we show that the same method can be interpreted as a nonconforming Galerkin method, giving access to abstract error estimates. Optimal order of convergence is shown without any unrealistic regularity assumptions on the solution.


Many wood-inhabiting fungi are today threatened as modern forestry practices drastically reduce the amount of dead wood available in various forest ecosystems. We investigated whether the occurrence of red-listed wood-inhabiting fungi differed between natural and managed forest landscapes adjacent to the timberline in the middle part of Sweden. We assessed whether environmental variables such as the degree of human impact, length of forest roads, dead wood volume and quality affected species richness and abundance. The effects of forestry on wood-inhabiting fungi have been assessed in several studies in lowland Swedish forests. Few studies have, however, been conducted in forest landscapes adjacent to the timberline in Sweden. This is potentially important since forests close to the Swedish mountains have been pointed out as one of few intact forest landscapes in Fennoscandia and they are subjected to increasing logging pressure. Similar to other studies, species numbers and abundances were positively correlated with larger volumes of logs in various decay stages. However, never shown previously, the length of forest roads was negatively correlated with species abundance and occurrence of red-listed species. We suggest that a low amount of forest roads can be used as a conservation indicator to localize still-intact forest landscapes.


A series of 15 piano-stool complexes featuring either a RuII, RhIII or IrIII metal center, a bidentate thiopyridone ligand, and different leaving groups was synthesized. The leaving groups were selected in order to cover a broad range of different donor atoms. Thus, 1-methylimidazole served as a N-donor, 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (pta) as a P-donor, and thiourea as a S-donor. Additionally, three complexes featuring different halido leaving groups (Cl, Br, I) were added. Leaving group alterations were carried out with respect to a possible influence on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters, as well as the cytotoxicity of the respective compounds. The complexes were characterized via NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (where possible), mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. Cytotoxicity was assessed in 2D cultures of human cancer cell lines by microculture and clonogenic assays as well as in multicellular tumor spheroids. Furthermore, cellular accumulation studies, flow-cytometric apoptosis and ROS assays, DNA plasmid assays, and laser ablation ICP-MS studies for analyzing the distribution in sections of multicellular tumor spheroids were conducted. This work demonstrates the importance of investigating each piano-stool complexes' properties, as the most promising candidates showed advantages over each other in certain tests/assays. Thus, it was not possible to single out one lead compound, but rather a group of complexes with enhanced cytotoxicity and activity.


The Internet of Things aims to digitize everyday physical objects by connecting them to the internet. As a result, cyber-physical environments of multiple sizes emerge, imposing new requirements on applications and software systems in regards support to heterogeneity and volatility. A challenging stage in the engineering of these systems is the validation. Although, there have been significant efforts to offer shared real-world testbeds, the simulations platforms are required to make the validation process cost and time effective. Existing simulation approaches only offer partial coverage to the key IoT environment characteristics, focus on communication or are specific for particular use cases and domains. In this paper, we propose a novel agent-based model that enables the simulation of the IoT systems with the key characteristics of an IoT environment. This model is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different experiments. Our approach introduces events in IoT environments as stochastic processes, enabling the evaluation of IoT systems under different conditions that otherwise would be time consuming and costly. We present the results of our experiments for evaluation of our model. These show that our proposal is a practical solution for the validation of IoT software systems, complementary to the real-world tests.


Supertree methods allow to reconstruct large phylogenetic trees by combining smaller trees with overlapping leaf sets into one, more comprehensive supertree. The most commonly used supertree method, matrix representation with parsimony (MRP), produces accurate supertrees but is rather slow due to the underlying hard optimization problem. In this paper, we present an extensive simulation study comparing the performance of MRP and the polynomial supertree methods MinCut Supertree, Modified MinCut Supertree, Build-with-distances, PhySIC, PhySIC_IST, and super distance matrix. We consider both quality and resolution of the reconstructed supertrees. Our findings illustrate the tradeoff between accuracy and running time in supertree construction, as well as the pros and cons of voting- and veto-based supertree approaches. Based on our results, we make some general suggestions for supertree methods yet to come.


Leptin has received extensive attention as an endogenously produced satiety factor. Although once considered to be solely derived from adipose tissue, it is now apparent that leptin can be produced by various tissues including those comprising the cardiovascular system such as blood vessels and cardiomyocytes. Moreover, leptin receptors (OBR) have been identified in cardiovascular tissues. The increased cardiovascular risk associated with obesity is well known and many of the effects of leptin appear to be compatible with its potential role as a contributing factor to increased cardiovascular morbidity associated with obesity. Evidence from both animal and human studies implicated leptin as a potential contributor to the increased incidence of cardiovascular morbidity associated with hyperleptinemic conditions. This review focuses on some of the complex vascular actions of leptin and the emerging role of leptin as a cardiovascular regulator in terms of normal homeostatic function, but particularly in cardiovascular pathology.


We present a generalisation of rst-order uni cation to the practically important case of equations between terms involving binding operations. A substitution of terms for variables solves such an equation if it makes the equated terms -equivalent, i.e. equal up to renaming bound names. For the applications we have in mind, we must consider the simple, textual form of substitution in which names occurring in terms may be captured within the scope of binders upon substitution. We are able to take a "nominal" approach to binding in which bound entities are explicitly named (rather than using nameless, de Bruijn-style representations) and yet get a version of this form of substitution that respects -equivalence and possesses good algorithmic properties. We achieve this by adapting two existing ideas. The rst one is terms involving explicit substitutions of names for names, except that here we only use explicit permutations (bijective substitutions). The second one is that the uni cation algorithm should solve not only equational problems, but also problems about the freshness of names for terms. There is a simple generalisation of classical rst-order uni cation problems to this setting which retains the latter's pleasant properties: uni cation problems involving -equivalence and freshness are decidable; and solvable problems possess most general solutions. c © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


The rates of transient faults such as soft errors have been significantly impacted due to the aggressive scaling trends in the nanometer regime. In the past, several circuit optimization techniques have been proposed for preventing soft errors in logic circuits. These approaches include, inclusion of concurrent error detection circuits on selective nodes, selective gate sizing, dual-VDD assignment and selective node hardening at the transistor level. However, we show in this paper that larger wirelengths for nets can act as larger RC ladders and can effectively filter out the transient glitches due to radiation strikes. Based on this, we propose a simulated annealing based placement algorithm that significantly reduces the SER of logic circuits. We accurately capture the soft error masking effects by using a new metric called the {\em logical observability}. The cost function for simulated annealing is modeled as the summation of the logical observability weighted with the netlength for each net, while simultaneously constraining the total area and the total wirelength. The algorithm tries to assign higher wirelengths for nets with low masking probability for higher glitch reduction, while maintaining low delay and area penalty for the overall circuit. Each placement configuration is represented as a sequence pair and the moves in the space of sequence pairs are probabilistically accepted depending upon the cost gradient and the iteration count. Higher cost moves have a higher probability of acceptance at initial iterations for better state space exploration, while at later iterations the algorithm greedily tries to minimize the cost. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that soft error rate reduction is attempted during the placement stage. The proposed algorithm has been implemented and validated on the ISCAS85 benchmarks. We have experimented using the FreePDK 45nm Process Design Kit and the OSU cell library which indicate that our radiation immune placement algorithm can significantly reduce the SER in logic circuits with very low overheads in delay and area.


Based on 297 interplanetary shock waves and corresponding geomagnetic disturbances, the relation between their structures has been studied. For the case in which the interplanetary magnetic field lies basically in the ecliptic plane, we found that (1) the temporal profile of geomagnetic disturbance is mainly determined by the plasma state of the shock waves, especially, the closed relation exists between the plasma temperature profile and the recovery phase of geomagnetic disturbances; (2) shock wave energy transfer index, F s , as defined in the paper, can give a good prediction of the temporal profiles of geomagnetic disturbances. Thus, it may be deduced that there is a basic energy transfer mechanism associated with plasma processes, which would control geomagnetic disturbance profiles, when a southward-component of interplanetary magnetic field is not significant.


PURPOSE
This study was conducted to assess the stigmatizing attitudes of nursing students toward individuals who had made suicide attempts as well as these students' attitudes toward death.

DESIGN AND METHODS
The universe of this descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 650 students studying in the fall semester of the 2017-18 academic year. No sample selection was made and a total of 560 students who agreed to participate in the study were reached. The Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS) and the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R) were used as data collection tools.

FINDINGS
We found that the students had a moderately positive attitude toward death and, in terms of the DAP-R, they exhibited more Neutral Acceptance and Approach Acceptance. It was determined that the stigma against suicide decreased when positive attitudes toward death increased.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
To reduce stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide, it is important to ensure that students learn about both death and suicide earlier during their education, to design forms of training that aim to eliminate negative beliefs and attitudes toward suicide attempts and to ensure that this training is sustainable.


Biliary cystadenomas are predominately benign tumours that have a low malignant potential. We present a case of a 30-year-old female with a histopathological confirmation of a biliary cystadenoma following resection. The diagnosis was made pre-operatively by MRI using the hepatocyte-specific contrast agent gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) (MultiHance; Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Princeton, NJ). At the biliary excretory phase, delayed phase images demonstrated communication between the multilocular cystic mass and the biliary tree, which helped to confirm the diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma. This highlights the beneficial use of hepatocyte-specific agents for their dual function as an extracellular agent and a hepatobiliary agent.


BACKGROUND
The management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has changed over the last decade. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacologic treatment of AMI in the clinical practice, with special emphasis in thrombolytic therapy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Prospective drug utilization survey, collecting data from 26 hospitals belonging to the Andalusian Health Service, Spain, during one month period. Pharmacologic treatment in the first 24 h was obtained.

RESULTS
Out of 379 patients recruited, 52.8% received thrombolytic therapy, although another 19% could have obtained some benefit from that therapy. Alteplase was the most frequently used thrombolytic (65.5%). The regimen prescribed was mainly that followed in GUSTO Study (45.8%) or double bolus (43.5%). In a high percentage of patients the thrombolytic selection was not made according to the results of the literature. Women and patients older than 75 years were less likely to receive thrombolytic therapy. There was a high utilization of aspirin (89.7%), nitrates (84.4%) and heparin (83.6%).

CONCLUSIONS
Thrombolytic therapy was prescribed in a higher percentage of patients than is reported in other trials. In spite of that, thrombolytics should have been used in more patients. As alteplase does not have a definitive benefit over streptokinase, protocol is needed when selecting a thrombolytic agent.


The purpose of this study was to describe and compare ground reaction forces (GRF) as measured by a force plate between vertical jumps of ballet dancers landing en pointe and landing on the full foot. Seven female dancers did two trials of three consecutive jumps landed by rolling through the full foot and then two trials of three consecutive jumps landing en pointe. The left leg was positioned to land on a NMFL Force Plate 9281C so as to record the GRF's at the landing phase of the jump. This data was preliminarily analyzed using inverse dynamics to find the joint reaction forces at the ankle for later interpretation. For the GRF's recorded, landing en pointe generated a mean maximum force of 531.14 N (± 82.28) while landing on the full foot generated 735.93 N (± 95.79). Thus landing en pointe created 72.17% of the force that landing on the full foot did. When jumping from and landing on pointe, due to ankle mobility restriction, jump height decreased from when the participant jumped from and landed on the full foot. The difference in jump height between the two jumping styles is a reason for the differences in GRF values. Ankle mobility restriction is related to the ankle GRF duration differences because the ankle has a wider range of motion in jumps landing on the full foot.


The administration of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) conjugate of the "nonimmunogenic" copolymer of D-glutamic acid and D-lysine (D-GL) 1 induces a state of profound DNP-specific immunological tolerance (1-6). In our original description of the model several years ago (1), normal or DNP-immune inbred guinea pigs treated with DNP-D-GL were found to be incapable of developing anti-DNP antibody responses following immunization with an immunogenic DNP-protein conjugate. The tolerant state was shown to be expressed exclusively in the population of DNPspecific antibody-forming cell precursors as evidenced by a significant diminution in the frequency of both DNP-specific antigen-binding bone marrow-derived (B) lymphocytes and anti-DNP antibody-forming cells in guinea pigs tolerized with DNPD-GL as compared to normal or immune animals (1, 2). Moreover, tolerant animals displayed a very marked depression both in plaque-forming cells secreting high affinity anti-DNP antibody and in high affinity serum anti-DNP antibody, indicating a preferential tolerization of precursor B cells bearing high affinity receptors (2). Subsequent studies in inbred mice demonstrated that administration of DNP-B-GL induced a state of DNP-specific tolerance in such animals irrespective of their immune status at the time of treatment (3). Taking advantage of the relative ease with which DNP-D-GL can induce tolerance in an animal previously primed with an immunogenic DNP-carrier conjugate, we established conditions for tolerance induction in an adoptive cell transfer system. Thus, the adoptive secondary anti-DNP antibody response of DNP-primed spleen cells was abolished by exposure of such cells to DNP-D-GL either in vivo or in vitro (3). Utilizing the adoptive transfer tolerance system, evidence was obtained to support the hypothesis that the tolerant state induced by DNP-D-GL represents an irreversible inactivation of specific B lymphocytes. This conclusion was based on the following experimental observations (3): (a) The tolerant state was maintained through as many as two serial adoptive transfers performed over a period


Two stability-indicating chromatographic methods are described for simultaneous determination of amiloride hydrochloride (AMI), atenolol (ATE), and chlorthalidone (CHL) in combined dosage forms. The first method was based on HPTLC separation of the three drugs followed by densitometric measurements of their bands at 274 nm. The separation was carried out on Merck HPTLC silica gel 60F254 aluminum sheets using chloroform-methanol-ammonia 27%, w/w (9 + 2 + 0.3, v/v/v) mobile phase. Analysis data was used for the linear regression graph in the range of 0.1-0.5, 0.8-5.0, and 0.3-1.5 microg/band for AMI, ATE, and CHL, respectively. The second method was based on an RP-HPLC separation of the cited drugs performed on an RP stainless steel C18 analytical column (250 x 4.6 mm id) with a gradient elution system of methanol and 0.05 M aqueous phosphate buffer adjusted to pH 4 as the mobile phase, at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Quantitation was achieved with photodiode array detection at 275 nm for AMI and 225 nm for ATE and CHL. The calibration graphs for each drug were rectilinear in the range of 2-50, 25-150, and 2-100 microg/mL for AMI, ATE, and CHL, respectively. The proposed chromatographic methods were successfully applied for determination of the investigated drugs in pharmaceutical preparations. Both methods were validated in compliance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, LOD, and LOQ.


We present a case of a spontaneous asymptomatic rupture of an intracranial dermoid cyst with CT and MR images. The literature on the subject is reviewed. The potential associated complications are discussed.


Closed rupture of the tibialis anterior tendon is a relatively uncommon clinical phenomenon, and review of the literature reveals fewer than 150 reported cases. Even more limited are the reported treatment methods and repair techniques. The disruption of the tendon can occur as a result of traumatic or atraumatic rupture, and is often a missed diagnosis that presents late to the treating surgeon. Depending on the time since injury and condition of the tendon, the rupture may be repaired either primarily or through secondary repair with autogenous interpositional grafting. Regardless of age, sex, medical comorbidities, and diagnostic delay, both techniques have shown promising results. The repair of the ruptured tibialis anterior results in restoration of dorsiflexion strength, ankle cosmesis, and return of function. Depending on the patient's functional deficit and desired level of activity, surgical repair is generally a safe and effective means to restore function, independent of injury acuity.


An attempt is made to formulate techniques of program modification, whereby a given program that achieves one goal can be transformed into a new program that uses the same principles to achieve a different goal. For example, a program that uses the binary search paradigm to calculate the square root of a number may be modified to divide two numbers in a similar manner, or vice versa. The essence of the approach is to find an analogy between the specifications of the given and desired programs, and then to transform the given program accordingly.


Magnetic Resonance Imaging is an established technology for both imaging and functional studies in clinical and research environments. The field is still very research intense. Two major research areas are acquisition time and signal quality. The last decade has provided tools for more efficient possibilities of trading these factors against each other through parallel imaging. In this thesis one parallel imaging method, Sensitivity Encoding for fast MRI (SENSE) is examined. An alternative solution CCASENSE is developed. CCASENSE reduces the acquisition time by estimating the sensitivity maps required for SENSE to work instead of running a reference scan. The estimation process is done by Blind Source Separation through Canonical Correlation Analysis. It is shown that CCASENSE appears to estimate the sensitivity maps better than ICASENSE which is a similar algorithm.


Objective: To explore the application of comfortable nursing in the preparation of colonoscopy in oral magnesium sulfate, and to provide scientific reference direction for nursing staff. Methods: 68 patients with colonoscopy were randomly divided into experimental group and control group (n = 34). In the control group, the routine nursing intervention was used, and the intervention group was treated with comfortable nursing intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0. Results: The total satisfaction score of the experimental group was (96.88 ± 1.26), the total satisfaction score of the control group was (80.65 ± 3.32), the test group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group. The incidence of adverse reactions was 5.88% in the experimental group and 23.53% in the control group. Conclusion: The effect of comfortable nursing on the preparation of colonic gut in the oral magnesium sulfate method is relatively large.


We are very grateful to those scholars who have spent so much time and effort on the important task of serving as peer reviewers for State Politics and Policy Quarterly for Volume 10. The conscientious efforts of these reviewers drive the scholarly process and without their efforts, our authors would produce less useful and interesting work, and society would know less about the political process.


This work was focused on the determination of the in vivo nutritional value of some boiled freshwater fishes. Four freshwater fish species, collected in Batie (Division of the Western region of Cameroon) were boiled according to the method used in our households and then used for the composition of rats' feed. Five iso-protein diets were prepared and used for the evaluation of growth parameters of young male and female Wistar albino rats. The effects of these diets on growth performance, as well as on feed intake and digestibility were determined. The serum lipid profile and some biochemical parameters were also obtained from these rats. The results showed that, feed intake of the experimental diets were similar to those of the positive control rats. The biometry of the bodies revealed a normal evolution except for those of the negative control diet which presented renal hypertrophies. Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) of rats that ate feed based on Heterotis niloticus was the best. The serum total cholesterol rates, HDL-Cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol and (LDL VLDL)-Cholesterol revealed some significant differences, in rats fed with diets based on Silurus glanis and Cyprinus carpioio whereas the others remained close to the values obtained with the positive control especially in females. These results make it possible to conclude that freshwater fish collected in the locality of Batie are of good nutritional quality.


The uncertainty budget of the BIPM primary standard manobarometer of the BIPM-Jaeger type, which has been replicated commercially for use in other national metrology laboratories, has been re-assessed. The effect of different media on the paths of the two white-light beams sensing the mercury column height has been studied using the actual spectrum of the light. The dominating contributions to the overall uncertainty have been reduced substantially.


Background : Gastric cancer is the most prevalent cancer with poor survival in gastro-intestinal tract. Caspase 3 and 9 play an important role in the development and progres-sion of cancer. Polymorphisms in the genes for these enzymes can affect gene activity and thus may influence susceptibility to gastric cancer. In this study, caspase 3 and 9 genes polymorphisms in patients with gastric cancer were examined. Methods : In a case - control study, 100 patients with gastric cancer and 100 healthy in-dividuals were evaluated in the region rs4647601: G > T for caspase-3 and -1263 A > G gene promoter for caspase 9. DNA extraction was performed from whole blood accord-ing to manufacture protocol. RFLP-PCR method was carrying out for detection of caspase 3 and 9 genes genotype in two groups. Results : In this study, 143 men and 57 women were evaluated. All of them were se-lected from the same race and geographical area. The results indicated an increase of the mutant G allele in the control group, which leads to a decreasing in the incidence of gastric cancer (P < 0.0001, OR: 0.096, ( % 0.95CL) = 0.04-0.23). Conclusion: It seems that screening of -1263 A > caspase 9 polymorphism could be a useful marker in personal sensitivity to gastric cancer and help to cancer treatment and prevention process. It is concluded that caspase gene variation may be a diagnostic factor in the gastric cancer. Abstract


: The pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed from the observations made in 3 cases of typical acute bilateral sudden deafness as a result of coincident gastrointestinal infections.


Many authors in ethics, economics, and political science endorse the Lottery Requirement, that is, the following thesis: where different parties have equal moral claims to one indivisible good, it is morally obligatory to let a fair lottery decide which party is to receive the good. This article defends skepticism about the Lottery Requirement. It distinguishes three broad strategies of defending such a requirement: the surrogate satisfaction account, the procedural account, and the ideal consent account, and argues that none of these strategies succeed. The article then discusses and discharges some remaining grounds for resistance to these skeptical conclusions, as well as the possibility of defending a weaker version of a normative lottery principle. The conclusion is that we have no reason to believe that where equal claims conflict, we are morally required to hold a lottery, as opposed to simply picking one of the parties on more subjective grounds or out of pure whim. In addition to the practical consequences of this skeptical view, the article sketches some theoretical implications for debates about saving the greater number and about axiomatic utilitarianism


In this work, we present a combined experimental and theoretical study on the V L2,3-edge x-ray absorption (XAS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectra of VIVO(acac)2 and VIII(acac)3 prototype complexes. The recorded V L2,3-edge XAS and XMCD spectra are richly featured in both V L3 and L2 spectral regions. In an effort to predict and interpret the nature of the experimentally observed spectral features, a first-principles approach for the simultaneous prediction of XAS and XMCD spectra in the framework of wavefunction based ab initio methods is presented. The theory used here has previously been formulated for predicting optical absorption and MCD spectra. In the present context, it is applied to the prediction of the V L2,3-edge XAS and XMCD spectra of the VIVO(acac)2 and VIII(acac)3 complexes. In this approach, the spin-free Hamiltonian is computed on the basis of the complete active space configuration interaction (CASCI) in conjunction with second order N-electron valence state perturbation theory (NEVPT2) as well as the density functional theory (DFT)/restricted open configuration interaction with singles configuration state functions based on a ground state Kohn-Sham determinant (ROCIS/DFT). Quasi-degenerate perturbation theory is then used to treat the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) operator variationally at the many particle level. The XAS and XMCD transitions are computed between the relativistic many particle states, considering their respective Boltzmann populations. These states are obtained from the diagonalization of the SOC operator along with the spin and orbital Zeeman operators. Upon averaging over all possible magnetic field orientations, the XAS and XMCD spectra of randomly oriented samples are obtained. This approach does not rely on the validity of low-order perturbation theory and provides simultaneous access to the calculation of XMCD A, B, and C terms. The ability of the method to predict the XMCD C-term signs and provide access to the XMCD intensity mechanism is demonstrated on the basis of a generalized state coupling mechanism based on the type of the excitations dominating the relativistically corrected states. In the second step, the performance of CASCI, CASCI/NEVPT2, and ROCIS/DFT is evaluated. The very good agreement between theory and experiment has allowed us to unravel the complicated XMCD C-term mechanism on the basis of the SOC interaction between the various multiplets with spin S' = S, S ± 1. In the last step, it is shown that the commonly used spin and orbital sum rules are inadequate in interpreting the intensity mechanism of the XAS and XMCD spectra of the VIVO(acac)2 and VIII(acac)3 complexes as they breakdown when they are employed to predict their magneto-optical properties. This conclusion is expected to hold more generally.


This paper develops an approach to the conditions of changing the health geography in Cuba, and it refers to some of the field sciences that can consolidate and allow the progress today in the development of knowledge in this direction in Latin America.


The influence of the Tridentine rites in sustaining the Absolutism of the Catholic States of the Ancien Regime is a pertinent question, despite the fact that thisform of government has already been abundantly discussed. The existing analyzes on Absolutism did not look directly at the prism that we propose to the reader with this work. Centered on the French case of Louis XIV, we will try to better understand the close relationship between the Throne and the Altar in Europe under the Ancien Regime, and how this osmosis strengthened and ensured until the liberal revolutions the domination of European society by these two institutions. We will do this through a particular prism: that of religious, Catholic, post-Tridentine rites, and those of Louis XIV's "Court Society". Since times immemorial, humanity has used symbols to express different realities and ways to legitimize the exercise of power. From the Pharaoh gods, through the Augustus of Antiquity, we know that religion was absolutely fundamental and indispensable and articulated and legitimized forms of political power. The study of the relationship between ecclesiastical rites and those of a monarchy in times of affirmation of Absolutism, in the final centuries of the Modern Era, emerges as necessary in this context. Therefore, this paper seeks to answer the following question: what role did Catholic rites play in the construction of the maximum icon of European Absolutism?


Sediment records from several high alpine lakes in the Grand Teton National Park (GRTE), Wyoming were examined for stable isotopic signatures δ 15 N and diatom community composition because atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) is known to be altering ecosystem functioning in other lakes of the Rocky Mountain Range. Alpine lakes exposed to greater Nr impacts in Colorado have higher N:P ratios in the water column, indicating an excess of N, thus GRTE sites were selected across a range of N:P values, spanning measures indicative of nitrogen to phosphorus limitation. Sediment cores were analyzed for diatom relative abundances, concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and stable isotopic signatures of δ 13 C and δ 15 N. Every sediment record showed progressive δ 15 N depletion, evidence of increasing Nr deposition during the past forty years. In the GRTE, benthic flora dominated the community composition without changes to the fossil diatom taxonomy, a response atypical of other Nr impacted sites in the Rocky Mountain Range that have exhibited a marked shift towards nitrophilous planktonic diatoms Asterionella formosa and Fragilaria crotonensis . The suite of GRTE lacustrine sediment records exhibited a continuum of increasing nutrient enrichment from low to high N:P ratios, suggesting that lakes sensitive to Nr enrichment exhibit elevated ratios of N:P. The long-term impact of Nr deposition has not reached a critical threshold, but monitoring of the GRTE lakes needs to incorporate assessment of the N:P ratios in advance of greater ecological impacts.


Sponsored search has dramatically influenced how people interact with the Web. It has funded the Web searching infrastructure that users have grown accustomed to and provided unparalleled reach, frequency, and control of marketing efforts and advertising campaigns. Sponsored search advertising has dramatically impacted search engines, consumers, and organizations, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.


Hydroxyapatite (HAp) with the formula of chemical compound Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 is a bone replacement material used in alternative bone graft technology. This study aims to analyze the effect of variations in pH and time on Hydroxyapatite synthesis using microwave irradiation and sintering. The results show variations in pH and time affect crystal size, degree of crystallinity and morphological forms. XRD characterization showed that the samples irradiated by microwaves with time variations produced a crystal size of around 15 until 21 nm. The addition of the sintering process results in three times the crystal size be compared to the microwave process. XRD characterization also shows that variations in pH give rise to a secondary phase in the form of chlorapatite. FTIR characterization shows that the sintering process removes carbonate groups and SEM-EDX characterization of pH 11 samples which are only irradiated by microwaves produces a particle size of about 63.43 nm with a Ca / P ratio of 1.59 and the addition of the sintering process produces a particle size of around 180.62 nm with a Ca / P ratio of 1.48. The use of high temperatures affects the growth of crystals in the synthesis of Hydroxyapatite.


Soft robotic grippers often incorporate pneumatically-driven actuators that can elastically deform to grasp delicate, curved organic objects with minimal surface damage. The complexity of the actuator geometry and the nonlinear stress–strain behavior of the stretchable material during inflation make it difficult to predict actuator performance prior to prototype fabrication. In this work, a scalable modular elastic air-driven actuator made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is developed for a mechanically compliant robotic gripper that grasps individual horticultural plants and fungi during automated harvesting. The key geometric design parameters include the expandable surface area and wall thickness of the deformable structure used to make contact with the target object. The impact of these parameters on actuator displacement is initially explored through simulation using the Mooney–Rivlin model of hyperelastic materials. In addition, several actuator prototypes with varying expandable wall thicknesses are fabricated using a multistep soft-lithography molding process and are inserted in a closed ring assembly for experimental testing. The gripper performance is evaluated in terms of contact force, contact area with the target, and maximum payload before slippage. The viability of the gripper with PDMS actuators for horticultural harvesting applications is illustrated by gently grasping a variety of mushroom caps.


Our recently developed multiple transmission−reflection infrared (MTR-IR) spectroscopy method was applied to measure arachidic acid Langmuir−Blodgett films on hydrophilic and hydrophobic silicon substrates. High-quality MTR-IR spectra at both s and p polarizations were obtained. The MTR-IR absorption intensity at different incident angles was found to be linearly correlated with the transmission times (N) for arachidic acid monolayers on a hydrophilic silicon substrate. Significant differences in polarization-dependent intensities were observed for some specific vibration modes, for example, CH3 and CH2 stretching, carboxylic acid stretching, and CH2 bending, on different types of monolayer and multilayer films. By means of polarization-dependent spectra, the molecular orientation was numerically calculated, and the molecular structures such as the crystalline packing of hydrocarbon chains and the trans and cis configurations of carboxylic acid species were deduced. Obvious and repeatable intensity differ...


The effect of thrombin on mesangial cell function was investigated. Thrombin caused a dose-dependent increase in [3H] thymidine incorporation (EC50 = 0.36 +/- 0.09 U/ml), intracellular calcium [(Ca++)i] mobilization (EC50 = 1.9 +/- 0.5 U/ml) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production (EC50 = 0.25 +/- 0.02 U/ml) in rat glomerular mesangial cells. These effects were blocked by the thrombin inhibitor, hirudin (KB = 10.4 +/- 0.2 nM). The role of (Ca++)i mobilization and arachidonate metabolism in thrombin-stimulated proliferation was tested by the addition of the calcium channel blocker, nifedipine, and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, to mesangial cell cultures. Indomethacin, at doses that completely inhibited the thrombin-mediated production of PGE2, had no significant effect on proliferation. The Ca++ channel blocker, nifedipine, inhibited both PGE2 production and [3H] thymidine incorporation in a dose-dependent fashion, but only at concentrations considered nonspecific. In addition to its effects on PGE2, thymidine incorporation and Ca++ mobilization, thrombin caused mesangial cell contraction as determined by a substrate distortion technique. This effect was not inhibited by indomethacin. These results indicate that thrombin can alter mesangial cell function in vitro.


The issue addressed in the study reported on here was the establishment of a clinical school-based model of supervision which was pragmatic and developmental-oriented for the professional development of teachers, a concept currently advocated by the supervisory corps. Since a mixed methods approach was used in the study, a closed-ended 3-point Likert-type questionnaire (1 to 31) was used to collect quantitative data with one question (32), gathering qualitative from 102 respondents who were purposively and systematically selected. The developmental aspect embedded in the school-based supervisory model demands that the process is constant and continuous, ruling out traditional supervisory models which demanded more control, compliance, predictability and accountability. Consequently, this would render the traditional inspectorate teams redundant. Supervisors armed with various models of supervision would be compelled to adopt an eclectic approach to supervision contingent to the situation.
Keywords: appraisal; autocratic; clinical; evaluation; models; professional development; supervisee; supervisor


This dissertation examines various aspects of the geographic segmentation of economic activity across local labour markets. In Chapter 1, I present a methodological improvement to traditional methods of selection bias correction. Selection bias plagues many empirical studies that exploit variation across regions or cities, due to the residential sorting of individuals. Using machine learning tools I develop a semi-parametric method which relaxes the strong assumptions and restrictions imposed by more traditional methods. Through numerical experiments I show that this method tends to outperform more traditional methods and more flexibly corrects for selection bias. Using this improved methodology in Chapter 2, I correct for selection bias in estimating the returns to education at the State level using the 1990 US Census. I confirm the general pattern of an upward bias in the returns to a college education as found by previous studies, but my results depart significantly from those obtained using more traditional means of selection correction. My findings indicate that traditional methods overstate the upward bias in the returns to a college education, and conversely, understate the upward bias in the returns to an advanced degree. These results confirm the importance of using the improved methodology outlined in Chapter 1 of this dissertation. In Chapter 3, I analyse the cross-city wage effects resulting from workers having the opportunity to find relatively high paying unionised jobs. I examine, and separately identify, two distinct channels of effects; the wage bargaining channel whereby workers with relatively high alternative employment opportunities can negotiate higher wages, and the wage emulation channel whereby firms pay higher wages to stave off unionisation. I build a novel model of union formation and wage setting which informs the empirical methodology employed. Specifically, I use Bartik style shift-share instruments to deal with issues related to endogeneity. I find evidence in favour of substantial spillover effects: average hourly earnings would be 2 percentage points higher had the composition of union work remained at its 1980 level. Furthermore, I find substantial heterogeneity across sub-populations in the role played by union spillovers in wage fluctuations.