BACKGROUND
Until recently, human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG), a urinary extract containing a fixed combination of LH and FSH, was the only source of exogenous LH for women with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism undergoing ovulation induction with gonadotrophins. Recombinant human LH (rLH) is now available for clinical use, providing a new treatment option but clinical data on its use are scanty. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of rLH combined with recombinant FSH (rFSH) to induce follicular development and ovulation in World Health Organization (WHO) group I anovulatory women.

METHODS
We included in this multicentre study 38 hypogonadotrophic anovulatory (WHO group I) women. Patients received 150 IU/day rFSH and 75 IU/day rLH (with the possibility of dose adjustment) as a single s.c. injection for up to three cycles with a total of 84 treatment cycles.

RESULTS
Sufficient follicular growth was observed in 79 (94%) out of 84 initiated cycles. The 75 IU rLH dose was found to be effective in most treatment cycles (94%) and only five cycles in three patients required daily dose increase. Overall, HCG was administered to trigger ovulation in 67 (80%) of the 84 cycles while it was withheld in 12 cycles (14%) due to ovarian hyper-response and five cycles (6%) were cancelled for insufficient follicular growth. The pregnancy rate per started treatment cycle and per cycle given HCG was 18 and 22.4% respectively. Pregnancy was achieved by 15 (39.5%) of the 38 patients. Mild to moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome occurred in three patients. Local tolerance was good.

CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that combined rFSH and rLH treatment induces follicular growth, ovulation and pregnancy in a good proportion of hypogonadotrophic anovulatory patients and is well tolerated. The doses of 150 IU rFSH and 75 IU rLH daily seem the most appropriate but in a small minority of patients doses >75 IU rLH/day may be necessary.


Research indicates that managers' active support is essential for the successful implementation of mental health-related organizational interventions. However, there is currently little insight into what subjective beliefs and perceptions (=mental models) make leaders support such interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative systematic review of this specific topic, and it considers 17 qualitative studies of managers' perspective. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this review provides an overview of three action-guiding factors (attitudes, organizational norms and behavioral control) that can serve as starting points for engaging managers in the implementation of mental health-related measures and ensuring their success. Our results provide evidence that supportive organizational norms may particularly help to create a common sense of responsibility among managers and foster their perceived controllability with respect to changing working conditions. Our study thus contributes to a more differentiated understanding of managers' mental models of health-related organizational interventions.


Despite the fact that much research has investigated travel motivations, little work has incorporated perceived constraints with motivations when studying travel behavior. The impacts of motivations and perceived constraints on satisfaction and behavioral intentions were examined and the mediating effect of satisfaction on the relationship between the identified variables was tested. 300 self-administrated questionnaires were distributed to tourists in Oman and SEM analysis was used to test hypotheses and models. Although the results revealed that both motivations and constraints have significant impacts on satisfaction, no evidence supports their impacts on behavioral intentions. Tourist satisfaction plays a mediating role among other identified variables and has significant effects on both purchase intentions and word-of-mouth intentions. Practical and theoretical contributions are discussed, with future research suggested.


The transcription factor Oct4 is essential for maintaining stem cell pluripotency and for efficient cell reprogramming, but its functional roles are far from being understood. Here, we investigate the functions of Oct4 by rapidly depleting Oct4 from mouse embryonic stem cells and conducting a time-resolved multiomics analysis. Oct4 depletion leads to an immediate loss of its binding to putative enhancers that are accessible in chromatin. Loss of Oct4 is accompanied by a concomitant decrease in mRNA synthesis from putative target genes that are part of the transcriptional network that maintains pluripotency. Oct4 binding to enhancers does not correlate with chromatin accessibility, whereas Sox2 can apparently retain accessibility after Oct4 depletion even in the absence of eRNA synthesis. These results are consistent with the model that Sox2 primarily acts as a pioneer factor that renders enhancers accessible, whereas Oct4 acts primarily as a transcriptional activator that stimulates transcription of pluripotency enhancers and their target genes.


A major new study of Percy Shelley's intellectual life and poetic career, Shelley and the Revolutionary Sublime identifies Shelley's fascination with sublime natural phenomena as a key element in his understanding of the way ideas like 'nature' and 'imagination' informed the social and political structures of the Romantic period. Offering a genuinely fresh set of perspectives on Shelley's texts and contexts, Cian Duffy argues that Shelley's engagement with the British and French discourse on the sublime had a profound influence on his writing about political change in that age of revolutionary crisis. Examining Shelley's extensive use of sublime imagery and metaphor, Duffy offers not only a substantial reassessment of Shelley's work but also a significant re-appraisal of the role of the sublime in the cultural history of Britain during the Romantic period.


Abstract Log responses in crystalline rocks are a function of the lithology (rock matrix), macro- and microfractures. Basically, the porespace-geometry dependent petrophysical parameters (porosity, internal surface area, permeability, formation factor) are similarly interrelated as in sediments, but mineralogy and fractures exert greater control than in sediments. A qualitative log interpretation method was developed and tested. Fractured and otherwise deteriorated zones with anomalous properties are identified, using a suitable combination of five standard logs. Before a quantitative well-log analysis of petrophysical parameters is possible, the logs are corrected for lithology effects, using a quick-look lithology identification program. For lithology identification seven logs are considered sufficient. Their mean lithology-dependent response in the German KTB borehole is reported.


We present a real-time gesture classification system for skeletal wireframe motion. Its key components include an angular representation of the skeleton designed for recognition robustness under noisy input, a cascaded correlation-based classifier for multivariate time-series data, and a distance metric based on dynamic time-warping to evaluate the difference in motion between an acquired gesture and an oracle for the matching gesture. While the first and last tools are generic in nature and could be applied to any gesture-matching scenario, the classifier is conceived based on the assumption that the input motion adheres to a known, canonical time-base: a musical beat. On a benchmark comprising 28 gesture classes, hundreds of gesture instances recorded using the XBOX Kinect platform and performed by dozens of subjects for each gesture class, our classifier has an average accuracy of 96:9%, for approximately 4-second skeletal motion recordings. This accuracy is remarkable given the input noise from the real-time depth sensor.


Abstract Objectives Interventions for necrotizing pancreatitis are generally postponed until 4 weeks after the onset of acute pancreatitis, but there remains controversy about whether we should always wait >4 weeks or can intervene early when necessary. This meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate treatment outcomes of necrotizing pancreatitis according to the cut‐off defined in the revised Atlanta classification (≤4 vs. >4 weeks). Methods Using PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane database, we identified clinical studies published until March 2022 with data comparing outcomes of early and delayed interventions of necrotizing pancreatitis. We pooled data on adverse events, mortality, technical and clinical success rates, and needs for necrosectomy and open surgery, using the random‐effects model. Results We identified 11 retrospective studies, including 775 patients with early interventions and 725 patients with delayed interventions. Patients with early interventions tended to be complicated by organ failure. The rate of adverse events was comparable (OR 1.41, 95% CI 0.66–3.01; p = 0.38) but the rate of mortality was significantly higher (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.21–2.40; p < 0.01) in early interventions. Technical success rates were similarly high but clinical success rates tended to be low (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.15–1.00; p = 0.05) in early interventions, though not statistically significant. Pooled ORs for necrosectomy and open surgery were 2.14 and 1.23, respectively. Conclusions Early interventions for necrotizing pancreatitis were associated with higher mortality rates and did not reduce adverse events or improve clinical success. However, our results should be confirmed in prospective studies.


We present the case of a 6-year-old, immunocompetent boy with chronic osteomyelitis of the calcaneus caused by Mycobacterium xenopi. Of note, typical histopathology was not visible on the first biopsy and developed only later over a period of 6 weeks, highlighting the difficult differential diagnosis of osteomyelitis caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria.


The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern has prompted the need for near real-time genomic surveillance to inform public health interventions. In response to this need, the global scientific community, through unprecedented effort, has sequenced and shared over 11 million genomes through GISAID, as of May 2022. This extraordinarily high sampling rate provides a unique opportunity to track the evolution of the virus in near real-time. Here, we present outbreak.info, a platform that currently tracks over 40 million combinations of PANGO lineages and individual mutations, across over 7,000 locations, to provide insights for researchers, public health officials, and the general public. We describe the interpretable and opinionated visualizations in the variant and location focussed reports available in our web application, the pipelines that enable the scalable ingestion of heterogeneous sources of SARS-CoV-2 variant data, and the server infrastructure that enables widespread data dissemination via a high performance API that can be accessed using an R package. We present a case study that illustrates how outbreak.info can be used for genomic surveillance and as a hypothesis generation tool to understand the ongoing pandemic at varying geographic and temporal scales. With an emphasis on scalability, interactivity, interpretability, and reusability, outbreak.info provides a template to enable genomic surveillance at a global and localized scale.


Reported here is a computational study based on density functional theory that presents the first attempt to investigate the 2-electron 2-proton reaction of Fe(III)-H2NOH to Fe(III)-HNO in the catalytic cycle of hydroxylamine oxidoreductase-a multiheme-containing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of hydroxylamine (HA) to nitrite in nitrifying bacteria. Two subsequent protonation events are proposed to initiate the process, of which the second is suggested to be concerted with a one-electron oxidation. The final one-electron oxidation is further proposed to be accompanied by a third deprotonation process, suggesting that Fe(III)-HNO may not be an isolable intermediate in the HAO catalytic cycle. Further explorations are suggested to be focused on the following steps in the catalytic cycle, the influence of the lateral substituents of the heme (and especially of the Cys and Tyr cross-links), the comparative study of hydrazine oxidation, the proton delivery network in the distal site and, possibly, on linkage isomerism.


Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and magnetosonic waves are commonly observed in the Earth's magnetosphere associated with enhanced ring current activity. Using wave and ion measurements from the Van Allen Probes, we identify clear correlations between the hydrogen‐ and helium‐band EMIC waves with the enhancement of trapped helium and oxygen ion fluxes, respectively. We calculate the diffusion coefficients of different ion species using quasi‐linear theory to understand the effects of resonant scattering by EMIC waves. Our calculations indicate that EMIC waves can cause pitch angle scattering loss of several keV to hundreds of keV ions, and heating of tens of eV to several keV helium and oxygen ions by hydrogen‐ and helium‐band EMIC waves, respectively. Moreover, we found that magnetosonic waves can cause the resonant heating of thermal protons. Our study indicates the importance of energy transfer from the EMIC and magnetosonic waves to ions with different species at thermal energies.


Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by behavioural impairment and deficiencies in social interaction and communication. A recent study estimated that 1 in 89 children have developed some form of ASD in European countries. Moreover, there is no specific treatment and since ASD is not a single clinical entity, the identification of molecular biomarkers for diagnosis remains challenging. Besides behavioural deficiencies, individuals with ASD often develop comorbid medical conditions including intestinal problems, which may reflect aberrations in the bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut. The impact of faecal microbial composition in brain development and behavioural functions has been repeatedly linked to ASD, as well as changes in the metabolic profile of individuals affected by ASD. Since metabolism is one of the major drivers of microbiome–host interactions, this review aims to report emerging literature showing shifts in gut microbiota metabolic function in ASD. Additionally, we discuss how these changes may be involved in and/or perpetuate ASD pathology. These valuable insights can help us to better comprehend ASD pathogenesis and may provide relevant biomarkers for improving diagnosis and identifying new therapeutic targets.


Objective: The study examined organizational culture, structural supports, and employee health program integration influence on registered nurse (RN) outcomes. Methods: An organizational health survey, employee health clinical operations survey, employee attitudes survey, and administration data were collected. Multivariate regression models examined outcomes of sick leave, leave without pay, voluntary turnover, intention to leave, and organizational culture using 122 medical centers. Results: Lower staffing ratios were associated with greater sick leave, higher turnover, and intention to leave. Safety climate was favorably associated with each of the five outcomes. Both onsite employee occupational health services and a robust health promotion program were associated with more positive organizational culture perceptions. Conclusions: Findings highlight the positive influence of integrating employee health and health promotion services on organizational health outcomes. Attention to promoting employee health may benefit organizations in multiple, synergistic ways.


BACKGROUND
Thyroid nodules are relatively common and are routinely evaluated by fine-needle aspiration cytology, usually performed by clinicians. We noticed qualitative and/or quantitative variability in samples submitted to the cytopathology laboratory from clinicians, for example, the number of glass slides submitted (2-25) and air-dried smears versus alcohol-fixed slides, with variability in specimen adequacy and interpretability. The objective of this study was to standardize the preanalytic variables to determine if there is an improvement in the specimen quality.

METHODS
We standardized the method of collection (ultrasound-guided, 25-gauge needle, four passes) and preparation of samples (four total smears: two air-dried, two fixed, with liquid-based preparation and/or cell block) and personnel involved.

RESULTS
Standardization of thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration and sample preparation by clinical staff resulted in an overall improvement in the quality of sample (odds ratio = 3.82, 95% confidence interval 2.02-7.24, p < 0.0001) with an increased proportion of satisfactory samples from 67% prestandardization to 89% poststandardization.

CONCLUSIONS
Standardization resulted in a significant improvement in specimen interpretability.


How to remove unnecessary enzymes The terminal amino acid of proteins can determine their longevity. Chen et al. now delineate a third N-end rule pathway that they discovered in yeast. This pathway, termed the Pro/N-end rule pathway, is involved in the turnover of gluconeogenic enzymes after they are no longer required. The authors identified Gid4 as the pathway's Pro/N-recognin and elucidated its specificity for a combination of the N-terminal Pro residue and adjacent sequence motifs in cellular proteins. Science, this issue p. eaal3655 Gid4 is the Pro/N-recognin of a Pro/N-end rule pathway in yeast that targets N-terminal proline and adjacent motifs. INTRODUCTION Cells synthesize glucose if deprived of it, and destroy gluconeogenic enzymes upon return to glucose-replete conditions. Gluconeogenesis (de novo synthesis of glucose) is, in effect, a reversal of glycolysis, in which glucose is converted to pyruvate. Some enzymatic steps are shared between gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, but other steps are confined to one of the two pathways. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the gluconeogenesis-specific enzymes are fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (Fbp1), isocitrate lyase (Icl1), malate dehydrogenase (Mdh2), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Pck1). We found that Gid4, a subunit of the oligomeric GID ubiquitin ligase, is the recognition component of a proteolytic pathway termed the Pro/N-end rule pathway, which conditionally destroys gluconeogenic enzymes. The N-end rule pathway is a set of proteolytic systems whose unifying feature is their ability to recognize and polyubiquitylate proteins containing N-terminal degradation signals called N-degrons, thereby causing the degradation of these proteins by the proteasome. In eukaryotes, the previously known branches of this system are the Arg/N-end rule pathway and the Ac/N-end rule pathway. The Arg/N-end rule pathway targets specific unacetylated N-terminal residues of cellular proteins, including Asn, Gln, Glu, Asp, Arg, Lys, His, Leu, Phe, Tyr, Trp, Ile, and Met (if Met is followed by a bulky hydrophobic residue). The pathway's other branch, called the Ac/N-end rule pathway, targets proteins for degradation by recognizing their Nα-terminally acetylated (Nt-acetylated) residues. About 90% of human proteins are cotranslationally and irreversibly Nt-acetylated. Many, possibly most, Nt-acetylated proteins bear N-degrons of the Ac/N-end rule pathway. RATIONALE We wished to identify the recognition component of the multisubunit GID ubiquitin ligase and also to determine whether GID, which was known to mediate the conditional degradation of gluconeogenic enzymes, might recognize them through their N-terminal Pro residues, and also through Pro at position 2. RESULTS The successful strategy involved a version of two-hybrid assay for in vivo protein interactions. The main discovery identified Gid4, a subunit of the GID ubiquitin ligase, as the recognition component (termed Pro/N-recognin) of the Pro/N-end rule pathway. Gid4 was shown to target the gluconeogenic enzymes Fbp1, Icl1, and Mdh2 (and possibly other yeast proteins as well) through the binding to their N-terminal Pro residues in the presence of cognate adjacent sequence motifs. Pck1, the fourth gluconeogenic enzyme, contains Pro at position 2. Gid4 was also required for the degradation of Pck1 through the ability of Gid4 to target the Pro residue of Pck1 at position 2. The properties of Gid4 discovered so far indicate that its substrate-binding groove can recognize either the N-terminal Pro residue or Pro at position 2 in the presence of cognate adjacent sequence motifs. The recognition flexibility of Gid4 suggests that the true diversity of Gid4 substrates is only beginning to be determined. Subunits of the S. cerevisiae GID ubiquitin ligase have counterparts in animals and plants. Thus, the discovery that yeast Gid4 is the Pro/N-recognin will facilitate the understanding of the Pro/N-end rule pathway in other eukaryotes as well. CONCLUSION With our identification of the Gid4-mediated Pro/N-end rule pathway that specifically recognizes the N-terminal Pro residue, all 20 amino acids of the genetic code have now been shown to act, in specific sequence contexts, as destabilizing N-terminal residues. Thus, most proteins in a cell may be conditionally short-lived N-end rule substrates, either as full-length proteins or as protease-generated natural protein fragments. The Pro/N-end rule pathway and the Gid4 Pro/N-recognin. (Top left) Degradation of the P-Mdh2 (Pro-Mdh2) gluconeogenic enzyme in yeast cells under glucose-replete conditions. (Top right) Two-hybrid protein binding assays with Gid4 vis-à-vis the wild-type P-Fbp1 gluconeogenic enzyme (row 1), its S-Fbp1 mutant (row 2), and analogous pairs of the P-Icl1/S-Icl1 (rows 3 and 4) and P-Pyk2/S-Pyk2 (rows 5 and 6) proteins. Note the binding of Gid4 to P-Fbp1 and P-Icl1. (Bottom) The Pro/N-end rule pathway and the Gid4 Pro/N-recognin. The Gid4 subunit of the multisubunit GID ubiquitin ligase binds to the N-terminal Pro (P) residue of a cellular protein substrate if it also contains a cognate adjoining sequence motif. The targeted substrate is polyubiquitylated and processively destroyed by the 26S proteasome. The same pathway can also recognize substrates in which Pro is at position 2. Cells synthesize glucose if deprived of it, and destroy gluconeogenic enzymes upon return to glucose-replete conditions. We found that the Gid4 subunit of the ubiquitin ligase GID in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae targeted the gluconeogenic enzymes Fbp1, Icl1, and Mdh2 for degradation. Gid4 recognized the N-terminal proline (Pro) residue and the ~5-residue-long adjacent sequence motifs. Pck1, the fourth gluconeogenic enzyme, contains Pro at position 2; Gid4 directly or indirectly recognized Pro at position 2 of Pck1, contributing to its targeting. These and related results identified Gid4 as the recognition component of the GID-based proteolytic system termed the Pro/N-end rule pathway. Substrates of this pathway include gluconeogenic enzymes that bear either the N-terminal Pro residue or a Pro at position 2, together with adjacent sequence motifs.


Microenterprise programmes can be excellent vehicles to foster savings among poor populations, with considerable benefits both for those saving and for the programmes themselves. The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to savings mobilization from the vantage point of projects that seek to reach poor people who are self-employed in productive activities. Microenterprise development projects in particular are the focus of this study.The first section provides background for the discussion, asking why people save, and what sort of savings schemes prevail among poor populations. The second section turns to examples of savings mobilization in microenterprise programmes to identify the factors that contribute to success.Finally, the article identifies the circumstances under which mobilizing savings makes economic sense, and provides some approaches for future microenterprise lending programmes.


Background Adolescents and young adults often are exposed to potentially damaging loud music during leisure activities. As a consequence, more and more young adults suffer from tinnitus, hearing loss, and hyperacusis. The present study provides prevalence numbers for noise-induced tinnitus (NIT) in this group, the attitude toward loud music, and the factors influencing the use of hearing protection (HP). Method A questionnaire was undertaken to evaluate the influence of permanent/transient tinnitus after loud music, the attitudes toward noise, influence of peers, and the ability to manipulate HP on the use of HP. The questionnaire was completed by 145 university students. Results Approximately 89.5% of the students had experienced transient tinnitus after loud music exposure. The prevalence of transient NIT was higher in female subjects compared with male students. Permanent NIT was experienced by 14.8%. Nevertheless, few respondents were worried, and the degree of HP use was low (11%). However, the presence of permanent tinnitus was a motivation for HP use. Most respondents held a neutral to positive attitude (i.e., pronoise) toward loud music and were not fully aware of the risks of too much noise exposure. Conclusion NIT is a common phenomenon among young adults. The lack of knowledge in young adults and the underuse of HP in leisure activities provide useful information to refine preventive measures in the future.


Community lover of Japanese cultureis one of the teenagers gathering place with adistinctive and unique appearance that is different from other communities. With the appearance of its members a unique, asymmetrical haircuts and clothest end to bebrightly colored with trinkets attached here and there,making them very easy to recognize.Japan Independent Community (Jaico) is one of the community who are lovers of Japanese culture at Semarang State University (UNNES). Jaico member UNNES students and outsiders who have the same interests and hobbies that Japanese culture. The existence of such communities JaicoUNNES able to attract students to join in it. Especially for those who basically do like the Japanese culture. With qualitative research methods. And located in UNNES, the author would like to know the background of students attend Japanese pop culture lifestyle, their motivation to join the community of lovers of Japanese culture, and community lifestyle lovers of Japanese culture itself .Most of them follow the Japanese pop culture because it is unique and interesting. The presence of media and peer influence in motivating students of the community to join. They follow the lifestyle of Japanese pop culture that are considered interesting and different look of the hairstyles and clothing styles are in the adoption of Japanese artists.


Space-time (ST) block coding based transmit diversity is considered in the third generation mobile communication standards for wideband-CDMA downlink transmission. On the other hand, turbo equalization can be used to enhance the wireless system performance. Hence, recently we proposed a minimum mean-square error (MMSE)-based turbo equalization scheme for the ST block coded CDMA downlink. In the proposed scheme, we assumed that perfect channel information is available at the receiver. However, in practice, channel coefficients are unknown to the receiver and have to be obtained through channel estimation. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the channel estimation errors on the MMSE-based turbo equalization in the downlink of ST block coded CDMA systems. It is demonstrated through simulations that substantial performance improvements can be obtained using the MMSE-based turbo equalization for moderate-to-high channel estimation quality


For the micro-blog sentiment analysis problem in big data environments, the " dimension disaster " caused by the continuous increase in text information data brings great challenges to the emotional analysis of micro-blogs. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a fusion of the advantages of three feature dimensionality reduction algorithms, based on the traditional document frequency (DF), mutual information (MI), and chi-square test (CHI). Firstly, the document frequency factor is added to the mutual information (MI) algorithm to solve the problem of low-frequency word defects. Then, the standard score factor is added to the chi-square test (CHI) algorithm to solve the negative correlation problem. Finally, the average value is calculated and the advantages of the three algorithms are fused. An improved Proposed DF-MI-CHI fusion algorithm is proposed. The simulation results show that after using this algorithm to process the micro-blog data, the accuracy of sentiment analysis is improved and maintained at 95%. The recall rate is more than 90%, and the F value is maintained between 92% and 94%. In the % interval, it is higher than other improved algorithms and tends to be stable, which indicates that the algorithm can effectively improve the accuracy and efficiency of micro-blog emotional sentiment analysis when dealing with massive micro-blog text data.


Cyclic GMP (cGMP) kinase is ultimately involved in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle tone. Its tissue concentration was determined in normotensive and hypertensive rats by use of monospecinc antJ-cGMP kinase antibodies. Hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats and renovascular (Goldblatt II) hypertensive rats contained half the concentration of cGMP kinase than those of the respective normotensive animals. The increase in blood pressure and the resulting left ventricular hypertrophy were correlated inversely with the left ventricular cGMP kinase concentration. This decrease was specific for the left ventricle and was not observed in other tissues. In addition, the cardiac concentration of cGMP kinase was unchanged in hyperthyroid animals that had comparable left ventricular hypertrophy and mild hypertension. This suggested that in severe renovascular hypertension the decrease in cardiac cGMP kinase concentration is caused by a relative lack of cardiac vessel growth during the development of hypertrophy. In agreement with this conclusion, immunohistochemistry of cardiac cross sections showed that cGMP kinase was exclusively located in cardiac vessels. In support of this localization, the maximal arterial blood flow of heart, liver, skeletal muscle, and kidney correlated excellently with the cGMP kinase content of the respective organ. These results suggest that the cGMP kinase concentration of nonsmooth muscle tissues depends on the amount of organ-specific vascular smooth muscle and may be used as an index for the vascularization of these organs. {Circulation Research 1989;65:1361-1369)


The review is devoted to the generalization and analysis of domestic and foreign works describing the mechanism of development of neurogenic dysfunction of the bladder after surgery on the pelvic organs in cancer patients. All modern authors agree that the cause of these disorders is trauma of the pelvic nerves and interruption of the reflex arc. Unfortunately, when removing malignant tumors of the pelvic organs, urological complications are difficult and often impossible to avoid. This is due to the complex neuroanatomy of the bladder, its proximity to the rectum, the uterus, as well as the volume and radicality of cancer operations. The article shows that if the parasympathetic ganglia are damaged, there is a violation of the evacuation function of the bladder and a weakening or absence of the urge to urinate. If the sympathetic nervous system is damaged in isolation, on the contrary, an increase in the detrusor tone, intravesical pressure and a decrease in the capacity of the bladder is observed, which is in conditions of low bladder sphincter tone causes imperative urges, frequent urination and incontinence. Prior radiation therapy also affects the development of urological complications. Postradiated soft tissue changes, ischemia, fibrosis lead to great technical difficulties during surgery. In addition, factors that are important in the development of pelvic disorders in this category of patients include urinary system diseases and metabolic – endocrine disorders in case history.


A recent reconnaissance survey at White Sands National Monument highlighted the importance of understanding the unique geology of the gypsum dunefield in order to interpret the archaeological record. Our geoarchaeological studies, carried out in conjunction with that survey and follow‐up excavations, generated insights into site formation processes, the timing of past occupations, the landscape context of sites, and the resource procurement strategies of the people who visited the dunefield during the past several millennia. Our research also produced information about natural processes that can create landscape features superficially similar to archaeological sites, illuminated soil formation processes, and highlighted the importance of biotic soil crusts in the dunefield environment. The results are useful for interpreting archaeological data produced by other studies and will be helpful in guiding future archaeological investigations. In addition, our study suggests that continued archaeological research could contribute significantly to understanding rates of dune migration, the long‐term trajectory of dunefield growth, and local impacts of climate change.


In their article the authors provide a comprehensive and clear description of an evidenced-based stepwise therapy for unipolar depression (1). However, there are two further aspects that should be considered. First, the meta-analysis on antipsychotic augmentation (2) assumes comparable levels of efficacy for aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. That means that if, for example, the approved quetiapine cannot be used because of metabolic contraindications, aripiprazole would be available as a metabolic more neutral agent for evidence-based—albeit off-label—use. The drug has been approved in the United States for the indication of major depression. In addition, the substance will become available as a generic drug in 2015. The second aspects concerns the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In the light of the high relapse rates after successful acute treatment, the option of maintenance ECT should be mentioned as well. Although still limited, the available evidence supports a combined use of pharmacotherapy and ECT (3, 4) for relapse prevention; consequently, this approach has also been recommended as a treatment option in various guidelines (5).


Morgagni hernias are a rare form of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, accounting for 2%-3% of cases. The presence of a simultaneous Morgagni hernia and paraesophageal hernia (PEH) is even more rare, with only a few reported cases in the surgical literature. Both open and laparoscopic surgical approaches have been previously described. Herein we discuss a robotic-assisted surgical approach to the repair of simultaneous Morgagni hernia and PEH in a 65-year-old woman. Simultaneous repair of Morgagni hernia and PEH is indicated mainly when symptoms are generally indistinctive. The use of robotic technology allowed for both hernias to be repaired both primarily and with mesh reinforcement.


Background and objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, demographics, co-morbidities and treatment of AF among in-hospital Bulgarian patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study including 1027 consecutive patients (n = 516, 50.2% males) with a mean age of 67.6 ± 11.3 years, hospitalized for any reason from 1 May until 31 December 2016 in one of the largest internal clinics in Bulgaria, was carried out. Results: Atrial fibrillation was diagnosed in 634 (61.7%) patients. The prevalence of modifiable AF risk factors was as follows: heart failure, 98.9%; arterial hypertension (HTN), 93.5%; valvular heart disease, 40.9%; chronic lung disease, 26.7%; type 2 diabetes mellitus, 24.9%; thyroid disease, 16.9%; and ischemic heart disease, 11.2%. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors with strongest impact on AF: left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (odds ratio (OR) = 1.951, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.208–3.151), valvular heart disease (OR = 1.926, 95% CI 1.134–3.862), left ventricular ejection fraction 40–49% (OR = 1.743, 95% CI 1.248–3.017), HTN (OR = 1.653, 95% CI 1.092–3.458). History of ischemic stroke was present in 14.4% of the patients with AF. Oral antithrombotic drugs were prescribed to 85.7%: direct oral anticoagulants to 37.9%, vitamin K antagonists to 43.2%, and antiplatelets to 4.6%. Heart rate control medications and antiarrhythmics were prescribed to 75.4% and 40.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation was highly prevalent among our study population. Reduced and mid-range left ventricular ejection fraction, valvular heart disease, and HTN were the risk factors with the strongest association with AF. Although a large number of our AF patients were administered antithrombotic treatment, the prescription rate of oral anticoagulants should be further improved.


Dispute occurrence on construction projects is almost inevitable. If not addressed adequately, disputes can cause contract termination and loss of benefits for all parties involved. Among various dispute resolution methods, mediation is gaining popularity in the construction industry as it satisfies the desired degree of control of both parties among other factors (e.g., time, cost). Mediation is a cooperative problem-solving method that benefits from the expertise of a neutral third party known as the mediator. Well-defined tactics such as creating trust atmosphere, tackling the core of dispute, and using advanced integrative approach for solution determination are essential to reduce the gap between disputants and ensure effective discussions. The aim of this paper is two-fold. First, it investigates common mediator tactics and relates them to the likelihood of having a successful mediation. The San-Ramos Channel case study is used to illustrate the efficiency of mediator tactics. Second, this paper takes a closer look into the use of mediation in Lebanon as an example of a country with minimal regulations on mediation. Barriers for an effective implementation of mediation such as the role and the influence of the engineer on the construction process and the mediator's lack of technical expertise are discussed and recommendations are derived.


BACKGROUND
For patients needing coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a planned, staged intervention has been recommended by experts. Ad hoc CTO-PCI, however, occurs in practice.

METHODS
Observational, contemporary, multicenter, international registry. Our goals were to determine the frequency, characteristics, procedural techniques, and outcomes of patients who underwent ad hoc vs planned CTO-PCI.

RESULTS
Among 2282 patients who underwent CTO-PCI between 2012 and 2017, 318 (14%) were ad hoc. Patients undergoing ad hoc CTO-PCI had lower J-CTO, PROGRESS CTO, and PROGRESS Complications scores. Antegrade-wire escalation was used more often in ad hoc PCI (96% vs 81%; P<.001), whereas antegrade-dissection re-entry (22% vs 32%) and retrograde approaches (14% vs 38%) were more common in planned PCI (P<.001). There was no difference in ad hoc vs planned PCI in technical (85% vs 86%) and procedural success (84% vs 84%). In-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were more common in patients who underwent planned procedures (0.6% vs 2.9%; P=.02). Multivariable analyses showed that ad hoc CTO-PCI was not associated with technical success or MACE.

CONCLUSIONS
Ad hoc CTO-PCI occurs more commonly in less complex lesions and is associated with similarly high success rates as planned CTO-PCI in lower J-CTO score lesions, suggesting that ad hoc CTO-PCI may be an acceptable option for experienced hybrid operators in carefully selected cases. Complex cases, as quantified by the J-CTO score, have a higher in-hospital MACE rate and should preferably be performed following proper planning and preparation.


Of the patients in whom operative construction of the middle ear (tympanoplasty) was carried out with the objective of eradication of infection and restoration of hearing during 1954, the findings were recorded in detail in 125 cases of chronic otitis media and 22 cases of postradical mastoidectomy. The results of examination of the state of the stapes in these cases are presented here. The state of the stapes is not only closely related to the restoration of hearing, but treatment of this part is also an extremely important problem from the standpoint of elimination of inflammation and restoration of hearing. Mobility of the stapes also determines the necessity or unnecessity for fenestration, and the presence or absence of the stapes is important from the standpoint of method of treatment. The basis for operative procedures in chronic otitis media to eradicate inflammation, prior to determination of whether to carry out secondary


BACKGROUND
Intravenous (IV) lidocaine and dexmedetomidine have been shown to decrease postoperative pain, reduce analgesic consumption and facilitate return of bowel function. We investigated whether lidocaine combined with dexmedetomidine infusion was superior in controlling pain and recovery of bowel function.

METHODS
A total of 240 women undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned into four groups: group CON received normal saline infusion, group LIDO received lidocaine infusion (1.5 mg/kg loading, 1.5 mg/kg/h infusion), group DEX received dexmedetomidine infusion (0.5 µg/kg loading, 0.4 µg/kg/h infusion) and group LIDO+DEX received lidocaine (1.5 mg/kg loading, 1.5 mg/kg/h infusion) and dexmedetomidine infusions (0.5 µg/kg loading, 0.4 µg/kg/h infusion). The primary outcome was visual analog pain scale (VAS) scores at 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. The secondary outcomes included time to first bowel sounds and flatus, postoperative fentanyl requirement and perioperative propofol and remifentanil consumption.

RESULTS
The VAS scores were significantly lower in groups LIDO and DEX at 4, 8, and 12 hours compared to group CON after surgery (P<0.01). The VAS scores were also significantly lower in group LIDO+DEX at 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours compared to other three groups after surgery (P<0.01). Time to first bowel sounds and flatus was significantly shorter in groups LIDO and LIDO+DEX than groups CON and DEX (P<0.01). Postoperative fentanyl requirement was significantly lower in group LIDO at 1 and 4 hours and in group DEX at 1, 4, 8 hours compared to group CON after surgery (P<0.01). Postoperative fentanyl requirement was also significantly lower in group LIDO+DEX at 1, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours compared to other three groups after surgery (P<0.01). Propofol and remifentanil consumption was significantly lower in groups LIDO, DEX and LIDO+DEX compared to group CON (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Lidocaine combined with dexmedetomidine infusion significantly improved postoperative pain and enhanced recovery of bowel function undergoing abdominal hysterectomy.


The mass spectra of a series of 3-aryl-1,2,-3-oxathiazolidine 2-oxides were obtained. The fragment ions were chiefly formed by the elimination of SO2 from the M+ ion. In this step, both the effects of the ring substituent and the torsion angle of the oxathiazolidine ring on the rate of the elimination were observed.


ObjectiveTo assess the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in a central African population and to study maternal factors associated with perinatal transmission. DesignProspective cohort study of infants born to HIV-1-positive women and controls born to HIV-1-negative women enrolled sequentially in two prenatal clinics and one maternity hospital in Brazzaville, Congo. Subjects and methodsA total of 118 exposed and 208 control infants were followed from birth for at least 2 years. Assessment of infection in children and computation of transmission rate were made according to the European Economic Community/World Health Organization Ghent guidelines (1992). ResultsThe transmission rate was 40.4% [95% confidence interval (Cl), 30.7–50.1]. Maternal age, parity, history of adverse pregnancy outcome or history of deceased children were not associated with transmission. However, independently, women whose relationship with their infant's father was less than 1 year, or women who had symptoms of HIV-1 during pregnancy had an increased risk of transmission [adjusted odds ratios, 11.1 (95% Cl, 2.4–50.2) and 10.3 (95% Cl, 2.9–37.1), respectively]. ConclusionThe transmission rate observed in Congo is in the upper range of the rates reported in Africa. The uneven distribution of cofactors for perinatal transmission, such as the presence of symptoms of HIV disease during pregnancy, may explain some of the variation observed across studies.


The relation between the lasing efficiency of a copper vapour laser and relaxation of the metastable states is studied at high average pump powers. The prepulse concentration Nms0 of metastable states in tubes of diameter 2 cm in lasers with a high efficiency (above 1%) is shown to be negligible up to linear output powers of ~50 W m-1 and has no effect on the output power. At a lower lasing efficiency caused by the mismatch between a power supply and the laser tube, the population of metastable states strongly increases during afterglow and can become a main factor restricting the output power in a repetitively pulsed regime. As the neon pressure is increased or hydrogen is added, the matching is facilitated and the effect of Nms0 on the lasing parameters of a high-power copper laser decreases.


Aims and Background: Sputum has been examined for the identification of potential biomarkers for the non- invasive diagnosis of lung cancer. However, no definitive biomarkers with reliable accuracy have been identified yet. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the analysis of sputum for the non-invasive diagnosis of lung cancer. Methods: Induced sputum samples from lung cancer patients (n = 9) and control subjects (n = 6) were collected for proton ( 1 H) MRS analysis. Samples from two cancer patients and one control subject were discarded as these samples were confirmed to contain only saliva by cytologic examination. Only the true sputum specimens containing alveolar macrophages were analyzed by 1 H MRS. To facilitate MRS analysis, sputum samples were dispersed in 2M sodium chloride solution buffered with phosphate-buffered-saline (PBS). MR spectra were obtained using a one-pulse sequence with presaturation of the water resonance. Results: Glucose was found to be absent in sputum samples obtained from lung cancer patients. Spectra of sputum samples collected from control subjects showed presence of glucose signal except for one whose sputum cytology indicated the presence of atypia. The absence of glucose in sputum from cancer patients could be attributed to an increased rate of glycolysis in the lung cancer cells. The present observation, albeit on a small sample size, showed a better sensitivity (100%) and overall accuracy (92%) compared to sputum cytology (sensitivity = 50%; overall accuracy = 70%). Conclusions: Absence of glucose in sputum could be an indicator of lung cancer and the present methodology can be a valuable addition to the non-invasive diagnostics of lung cancer.


Title of Document: Development and Initial Validation of the Work Addiction Inventory Nicole A. Bryan, Master of Arts, 2009 Directed By: Dr. Robert W. Lent, CAPS Department The purpose of the study is to develop and validate the Work Addiction Inventory (WAI). The WAI is designed to assess individual's addiction to work via self-report. Data were collected from 127 working professional employed on at least a part-time (20 hours per week) basis. Results of an exploratory factor analysis retained 24 items and indicated that the WAI consists of three underlying factors. The WAI subscale and total scores showed adequate internal consistency reliabilities. Convergent and discriminant validity was initially supported by the relationship between WAI scores, an existing measure of workaholism, and social desirability. Also, WAI scores correlated highly with several criterion variables. Finally, evidence was found to suggest that the WAI accounts for unique variance beyond an existing measure of workaholism. In conclusion, psychometric properties of the WAI were initially supported by findings of the study. Development and Initial Validation of the Work Addiction Inventory


Workshop (2010-ongoing) is an exhibition foregrounding the potential of 'making together' as a means of negotiating ideas around labour and collective work. It is informed by research into the history of London-based print collectives such as See Red Women's Workshop and The Poster Workshop, and is a development of Workshop in previous manifestations at Kunstverein Hamburg (2010) and Spike Island, Bristol (2012).

Commissioned by The Showroom, London, Workshop (2010-ongoing) explores both the solo and collective strands of my practice. The exhibition combines a new installation of screenprints on newsprint and large-scale works on cotton with a two-month temporary print studio sited in the gallery over the course of the exhibition. Throughout October and November 2013 guest artists, designers and local women's groups were invited to bring their different knowledge and experiences of working together to the Workshop to collaborate on making prints together.

By simultaneously presenting finished artwork, and artwork in the process of production, Workshop (2010-ongoing) invites visitors to the gallery to consider their relationship not only to the art on view, but also to the processes of discussion, thought and labour that bring it into being. The intention is not to illustrate or perform the making of art, but to use the context and support structure of the gallery, and the duration of the exhibition to forge new relationships, discussion and artworks, and to deepen and extend previously established collaborative relationships to explore questions around labour, collective work and the experimental and wider uses of print.


Pts (median age 60 yrs, range 37 – 73 yrs) with intermediate- and advanced-stage multiple myeloma were assigned to maintenance therapy with bortezomib beginning a minimum of three and a maximum of four mos after the day of autologous PBPC transplantation following a standard preparative regimen of high-dose melphalan (200 mg/m2). Eligibility for the initiation of maintenance required nl organ function, post-transplant neutrophil and plt recovery (defined as ANC ≥ 1000 mm−3 and untransfused plt ≥30,000 mm−3). Cohorts of 3 pts each were entered at 1 of 3 dose levels of bortezomib (1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 mg/m2) given IV q wk for 3 wks followed by a 1-wk rest period constituting 1 treatment cycle for a total of 8 cycles. To-date, 29 pts were eligible for study treatment and 23 pts received at least 1 dose of maintenance. Reasons for not proceeding to maintenance included 1 pt with an ANC 2 mg/dl, and 4 additional pts unable to travel to the center. The median t from diagnosis to transplant was 11.4 mos (range, 4.9 to 59.7 mos), and the median t from autologous transplant to the initiation of bortezomib maintenance was 3.7 mos. Protocol adherence was excellent with one pt missing the final dose of treatment and one other pt discontinuing therapy due to personal reasons. After completion of the Phase I portion of the study, the DLT was determined to be 1.6 mg/m2 based on grade 3 diarrhea in 2 pts after 2 and 3 cycles of treatment, respectively. All subsequent pts entered were treated at the MTD of 1.3 mg/m2. Other, non-dose-limiting toxicities included thrombocytopenia (14 pts), neuropathy (12 pts), anemia (12 pts), fatigue (11 pts), neutropenia (8 pts), musculoskeletal pain (7pts), nausea (5 pts), Herpes zoster reactivation (4 pts), diarrhea (3 pts), edema (3 pts), cough (2 pts), as well as upper respiratory infection, chills, fever, dyspepsia, and anorexia (1 pt each). Disease assessment consisted of serum and urine PEP monthly for all pts, and bone marrow aspiration quarterly for those pts with nonsecretory myeloma. Repeat bone surveys were required for pts 3, 9, 15, and 21 mos post-transplant. 2 pts required termination of the study drug, 1 at the end of treatment cycle 8 and the other during cycle 3, due to unacceptable side effects. 2 separate pts terminated the study due to disease progression, 1 during cycle 5 and the other during cycle 6, respectively. One additional pt discontinued further study treatments due to personal reasons during cycle 2. All 23 pts are eligible for response assessment. 13 pts continue to be followed every 3 mos for evidence of disease recurrence in the post-treatment period while 4 others continue on treatment. After a median follow-up from transplantation of 17.1 mos (range 4.1 to 30.3 mo), 6 pts have relapsed while none have died of recurrent myeloma. The current median relapse-free survival is 15.8 mos. This phase I/II trial demonstrates that bortezomib can be safely administered as a maintenance after conventional autologous PBPCl transplantation with an MTD of 1.3mg/m2 given 3 times per month for 8 mos; treatment consolidated remission achieved by autologous transplant as will be presented. These preliminary results, when compared to published results of autologous transplantation for myeloma, suggest that with further follow-up, bortezomib maintenance may favorably impact t- to-recurrence.


In 1859, an amateur British naturalist published a book of findings that shook the scientific community to its core and changed the structure of religion and science as we know them. The product of over 20 years of research, The Origin of Species challenged the popular belief that species could not evolve and argued that species can adapt to their environment and develop accordingly. Although other scientists had observed some of the phenomena that Charles Darwin addressed, he was the first to theorize that natural selection, and later, evolution, were viable explanations for the origins of life. The implications of Darwin's findings still reverberate today, in the classroom, in the courtroom, and at the highest legislative levels. Lively thematic chapters explore how Darwin came to the conclusions published in The Origin of Species-and in later works such as The Descent of Man-from his early years at Cambridge, to his observations of species on the HMS Beagle voyages, through the 20 years of research that culminated in Origin. Also included is an insightful discussion of Darwin's impact as it is felt today, from movies and popular culture to the current Intelligent Design controversy. Biographies of influential figures, primary source letters and selections from Origin, a glossary of terms, and an extensive annotated bibliography round out this accessible work.


This paper presents a new hybrid current-programmed, current-output active pixel sensor (APS) suitable for real time X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) and an off-panel CMOS readout circuit. The pixel circuit is designed using hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistor (TFT) technology. The simulation results based on the measured characteristics of a- Si:H TFTs show that the proposed pixel circuit can successfully compensate for characteristic variations (e.g. mobility and threshold voltage shift) in a-Si:H TFTs under prolonged gate voltage stress. The readout circuit exploits correlated double sampling (CDS) technique to reduce the offset current, low frequency noise and fixed-pattern noise (FPN) on the array operation.


We have developed a new synthetic strategy for the preparation of a series of isoindolin-1-imines and isoindolin-1-ones from aromatic ketones and phthalonitrile. Self-condensation reactions of these isoindolin-1-imines led to the formation of a novel class of benzo-fused, highly electron-deficient core-extended azadipyrromethene chromophores ("MB-DIPY"). The influence of temperature, catalyst, and the template ions, on the self-condensation reaction rate, yield, and stereoselectivity, was examined in detail. New chromophores (sodium, zinc, and metal-free compounds) were characterized by NMR, UV-Vis, fluorescence, high-resolution mass spectroscopies, and in many cases, X-ray crystallography. Their redox properties were probed by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical approaches that revealed the remarkable electron-accepting nature of the new systems. Stepwise one- and two-electron reduction of the new MB-DIPYs and their zinc complexes was investigated by spectroscopic and spectroelectro-chemical methods. Both one- and two-electron reduced forms of all zinc complexes studied have strong absorption in the NIR region up to ~1200 nm. An unusual spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of these dyes were correlated with their electronic structures and excited state natures predicted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-Dependent DFT calculations. Despite some structural similarities with well-known aza-BODIPYs, the new MB-DIPYs differ remarkably from them in spectro-scopic and redox properties.


AIM
To investigate the effect of RGD peptides derived from dentine phosphophoryn (DPP) on odontoblast-like cell in terms of differentiation and mineralization.

METHODOLOGY
Mouse dental papilla cell line (MDPC-23), a rat odontoblast-like cell line, was used. Briefly, RGD peptides (RGD-1: SESDNNSSSRGDASYNSDES, RGD-2: ANSESDNNSSSRGDA, RGD-3: SRGDASYNSDESKD) were immobilized onto tissue culture polystyrene dishes (TCPS) assisted by carbodiimide chemistry. Surface characterization including carboxyl group quantification and amino acid analysis was carried out to ensure the existence of peptides on plates. Cells were inoculated to those peptides-modified and control dishes. Next, cell morphology was observed under phase contrast microscopy; cell numbers were counted manually using a hemocytometer. Furthermore, differentiation was examined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity quantification, conventional and real-time RT-PCR. Finally, calcific deposition was observed by alizarin red staining and quantified using the cetylpyridinium chloride extraction method. Differences between the experimental groups and the control group were analysed statistically using one-way anova and Tukey's multiple comparison tests.

RESULTS
Peptides were immobilized onto TCPS successfully as evidenced by carboxyl group density and amino acid analysis. Cell morphology remained unchanged between peptides-immobilized groups and control, but adhered cell numbers were higher on those peptides-immobilized dishes (significant differences existed between RGD-1-0.5 with control, RGD-2-0.1 with control, and RGD-3-0.5 with control, respectively). RGD-3-0.5 exhibited the highest ALP activity on day 7 (P < 0.05) and promoted a twofold greater DMP-1 mRNA expression compared to the control on day 10 (P < 0.05). RGD peptides grafted dishes accelerated the mineralization of cells, amongst the experimental groups tested, RGD-3 groups (comprising RGD-3-0.1 and RGD-3-0.5) had significantly higher amounts of calcific deposition as compared to the control (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
RGD peptides originated from DPP especially RGD-3 promoted MDPC-23 differentiation and mineralization.


Carrying out measurements of low-carbon city development levels and exploring their core driving factors are focuses of attention in the field of building sustainable low-carbon cities (LCC). Previous studies have mainly focused on the national or provincial level, ignoring the problem of heterogeneity among different cities, and the consideration of the influencing factors of low-carbon cities has not been comprehensive enough. Given this, the authors of this paper selected 107 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2006 to 2019, constructed a general comprehensive index system for measuring the high-quality development level of low-carbon cities at the prefecture-level city level, and explored the spatial and temporal evolution trends and core drivers of the high-quality development level of low-carbon cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt using the CRITIC–VIKOR method and an ensemble learning algorithm. The empirical results showed that most of the cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt showed an overall upward trend in the level of high-quality development and a certain degree of "central collapse" in the spatial distribution. In addition, this paper further confirms that industrial structure is the most central driver of low-carbon urban development, the importance of urban carbon emissions and the level of science and technology innovation are gradually increasing, and a certain aggregation effect is formed in space that has led to a significant urban "siphon effect". These results provide new evidence on the spatial and temporal evolution of the high-quality development of low-carbon cities in China and can help authorities formulate more targeted policies and strategic plans to enhance the high-quality development of low-carbon cities.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine numerically the natural convection heat transfer in a cubical cavity induced by a thermally active plate. Effects of the plate size and its orientation with respect to the gravity vector on the convective heat transfer and the flow structures inside the cavity are studied and highlighted.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical code is based on the finite volume method with semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equation algorithm. The convective and diffusive terms in momentum equations are handled by adopting the power law scheme. Finally, the discretized sets of algebraic equations are solved by the line-by-line tri-diagonal matrix algorithm.

Findings

The results show that plate orientation and size plays a significant role on heat transfer. Also, the heat transfer rate is an increasing function of Rayleigh number for both orientations of the heated plate. Depending on the thermal management of the plate and its application (as in electronics), the heat transfer rate is maximized or minimized by selecting appropriate parameters.

Research limitations/implications

The flow is assumed to be 3D, time-dependent, laminar and incompressible with negligible viscous dissipation and radiation. The fluid properties are assumed to be constant, except for the density in the buoyancy term that follows the Boussinesq approximation.

Originality/value

The present work will give some additional knowledge in designing sealed cavities encountered in some engineering applications as in aeronautics, automobile, metallurgy or electronics.


This article discusses an interpretation of the Qur'an by Abdullah Saeed using the contextual interpretation model. However, this paper will focus on how Abdullah Saeed developed the concept of the hierarchy of values inspired by Fazlur Rahman's thought, which discussed the problem hierarchy of values as general principles. However, Fazlur Rahman did not provide specific devices to develop the hierarchy of values. Abdullah Saeed developed and formulated the concept hierarchy of values into five levels, including obligatory values, fundamental values, protective values, implementational values, and instructional values. The five hierarchies of values become a complete unified frame as an effort to the contextual interpretation of the Qur'an, especially the ethico-legal verses that mostly fill the daily life of most Muslims based on the understanding of maqashid al-sharia and the concept of good deeds. This study uses a descriptive analysis method and hermeneutic analysis techniques to apply the concept hierarchy of values in the Qur'anic interpretation. The results of this paper are in the contextual interpretation of QS. Al-Hujurat verses 1-18 contain the five hierarchical levels of values that have been specifically conceived by Abdullah Saeed


Estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ), the latest member of the ERR family, does not have any known reported natural ligands. Although the crystal structures of the apo, agonist-bound, and inverse agonist-bound ligand-binding domain (LBD) of ERRγ have been solved previously, their dynamic behavior has not been studied. Hence, to explore the intrinsic dynamics of the apo and ligand-bound forms of ERRγ, we applied long-range molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to the crystal structures of the apo and ligand-bound forms of the LBD of ERRγ. Using the MD trajectories, we performed hydrogen bond and binding free energy analysis, which suggested that the agonist displayed more hydrogen bonds with ERRγ than the inverse agonist 4-OHT. However, the binding energy of 4-OHT was higher than that of the agonist GSK4716, indicating that hydrophobic interactions are crucial for the binding of the inverse agonist. From principal component analysis, we observed that the AF-2 helix conformation at the C-terminal domain was similar to the initial structures during simulations, indicating that the AF-2 helix conformation is crucial with respect to the agonist or inverse agonist for further functional activity of ERRγ. In addition, we performed residue network analysis to understand intramolecular signal transduction within the protein. The betweenness centrality suggested that few of the amino acids are important for residue signal transduction in apo and ligand-bound forms. The results from this study may assist in designing better therapeutic compounds against ERRγ associated diseases.


These studies were designed to investigate the protective effects of the new angiotensin II receptors antagonist BAY 10-6734 (6-n-butyl-4-methoxycarbonyl-2-oxo-1[(2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) -3-fluorobiphenyl-4-yl)methyl] 1,2-dihydropyridine, CAS 156001-18-2) on haemodynamic, hormonal, renal, and structural parameters in renin transgenic rats (TGR(mRen2)27), salt-loaded Dahl S and R rats, and salt-loaded stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) in long-term trials. Study 1: In SHR-SP the development of blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, and the deleterious effects of salt loading on kidney structure and kidney function was prevented by BAY 10-6734. Study 2: In salt-loaded Dahl S rats with a suppressed plasma renin activity treatment with BAY 10-6734 did not delay the increase in blood pressure but prevented cardiac hypertrophy and the increase in plasma ANP (Atrial natriuretic peptide). Study 3: TGR develop malignant hypertension associated with cardiac hypertrophy, elevated left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure and increased plasma ANP. After 6 weeks of treatment with BAY 10-6734 (30 mg/kg p.o. bid) cardiac pump function was improved and cardiac hypertrophy was reversed in this angiotension dependent form of hypertension. The beneficial effects of BAY 10-6734 in these different animal hypertension models are also emphasized by a reduction in mortality.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety of interleukin-6 receptor inhibition and to collect preliminary data on the clinical and immunologic efficacy of tocilizumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODS
In an open-label phase I dosage-escalation study, 16 patients with mild-to-moderate disease activity were assigned to receive 1 of 3 doses of tocilizumab given intravenously every other week for 12 weeks (total of 7 infusions): 2 mg/kg in 4 patients, 4 mg/kg in 6 patients, or 8 mg/kg in 6 patients. Patients were then monitored for an additional 8 weeks.

RESULTS
The infusions were well tolerated. Tocilizumab treatment led to dosage-related decreases in the absolute neutrophil count, with a median decrease of 38% in the 4 mg/kg dosage group and 56% in the 8 mg/kg dosage group. Neutrophil counts returned to normal after cessation of treatment. One patient was withdrawn from the study because of neutropenia. Infections occurred in 11 patients; none was associated with neutropenia. Disease activity showed significant improvement, with a decrease of > or =4 points in the modified Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment version of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score in 8 of the 15 evaluable patients. Arthritis improved in all 7 patients who had arthritis at baseline and resolved in 4 of them. Levels of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies decreased by a median of 47% in patients in the 4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg dosage groups, with a 7.8% decrease in their IgG levels. These changes, together with a significant decrease in the frequency of circulating plasma cells, suggest a specific effect of tocilizumab on autoantibody-producing cells.

CONCLUSION
Although neutropenia may limit the maximum dosage of tocilizumab in patients with SLE, the observed clinical and serologic responses are promising and warrant further studies to establish the optimal dosing regimen and efficacy.


Prime Minister Tony Blair has launched a reform programme for the NHS in England that he believes will once again make it "the healthcare system the world most envies."

The NHS Plan: A plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform proposes changes to consultants' and GPs' contracts; promises more doctors and nurses; sets targets for waiting times for treatment; recommends a concordat between the NHS and the private sector; and aims to reduce inequalities.

Tony Blair criticised consultants' and GPs' contracts, which he said were "outdated and inflexible."

The government has ruled out "buying out" consultants in private practice, which it estimated would cost at least £700m ($1050m). Instead, newly qualified consultants will be contracted to work exclusively for the NHS for "perhaps the first seven years" of their career, providing eight fixed sessions and more of the out of hours service.

The right to undertake private practice will depend on fulfilling job plans and NHS service requirements. If agreement cannot be reached on these changes the government says that it will consider introducing a new specialist grade for newly qualified hospital specialists. In addition, all existing consultants will have to work seven fixed sessions a week.

Distinction awards and discretionary points, which provide £170m a year in superannuable bonus payments for senior doctors, will be merged into a single, …


Students in Professor Rogers ENC1102 class on the Mueller Campus can use this guide to find sources for their research paper.


Recently, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) G.hn standard identified the classical in-house mediums such as power lines, twisted-pairs and coax, to enable broadband data communication. The carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) schemes such as G.hn allow only a single transmission at a time to deal with the signal collisions. However, in the case of G.hn, where a large number of devices share the same medium, the network resource utilization may be a critical issue. To this end, there has been a lot of efforts to optimize the resource utilization and reduce collisions in order to enhance the system performance. In particular, the efficient network resource utilization for communication between devices in different G.hn domains (i.e., inter-domain communication) may be a challenging task for a network with large number of devices. Given the consequent need for higher network capacity, this paper presents an architecture to deal with collisions and improve network resource efficiency for inter-domain communication, while maintaining the quality of service (QoS) for both user devices.


Mounier-Kuhn syndrome (MKS), or tracheobronchomegaly, is a rare clinical and radiologic condition characterized by pronounced tracheobronchial dilation and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. Tracheobronchomegaly presents when the defect extends to the central bronchi. MKS can be diagnosed in adult women when the transverse and sagittal diameters of the trachea, right mainstem bronchus, and left mainstem bronchus exceed 21, 23, 19.8, and 17.4 mm, respectively. Its diagnosis is based on chest radiograph and chest computed tomography (CT). Patients, usually middle-aged men, may be asymptomatic or present with clinical manifestations ranging from minimal symptoms with preserved lung function to severe respiratory failure. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) typically reveal a restrictive pattern. This report presents an elderly woman with previously diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis with symptoms of increased sputum production and haemoptysis. High-resolution chest CT showed tracheal and main stem bronchi dilatation along with bronchial diverticulosis. PFTs indicated a restrictive pattern characteristic of the underlying pulmonary fibrosis. The patient is the oldest, referred to the female gender, at presentation of MKS hitherto reported. This case highlights the need to include MKS in the differential diagnosis of recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, even in older subjects.


The binding sites for adsorption of a single Si atom on the reconstructed Si(100) surface are identified using first-principles total-energy calculations. We establish several saddle points for the migration of the adatom by mapping out the total energy as a function of its position on the surface. For the diffusion parallel to the dimer rows on the surface, we find an activation energy of 0.6 eV; for diffusion perpendicular to the rows, the activation energy is 1.0 eV. One-dimensional hopping motion of individual adatoms should be observable by scanning tunneling microscopy at moderately low temperatures.


SODIUM CASEINATESTABILIZED EMULSION: A CARRIER MATRIX TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF EPIGALLOCATECHIN-GALLATE Somayeh Sabouri Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Professor M. Corredig Co-advisor: Professor A. J. Wright Oral bioavailability of tea polyphenols may improve using food matrices as their carrier. Tea polyphenols have a high affinity to bind to proline rich proteins such as caseins. This thesis focuses on the interactions between epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) and sodium caseinate at an oil-water interface, the stability and colloidal behavior of the designed emulsion at neutral and low pH, as well as the emulsion digestibility, and efficiency as EGCG carrier. After addition of EGCG to a model emulsion the stability, size, and charge of the emulsion particles were not affected, and the sodium caseinate oil-water interface showed a high loading capacity for EGCG up to 1 mg/m. Moreover an increased interfacial tension in the presence of EGGC was demonstrated which confirmed the EGCG-sodium caseinate interactions at the interface. Under acidification, the presence of EGCG at the interface lowered the pH at which emulsion destabilized, and resulted in less droplet coalescence at pH 4.5. While under acidification, sodium caseinate emulsion was stabilized by the addition of 0.3 and 0.45% high methoxyl pectin (HMP), presence of EGCG reduced the electroadsorption of HMP to the interface, affecting emulsion's colloidal behavior and microstructure. Designed emulsions were subjected to a static in vitro digestion, simulating the three stages of human upper gastrointestinal. Results indicated that sodium caseinate was fully hydrolyzed in the the presence of EGCG, while less fatty acids were released. Futhuremore higher amount of intact EGGC in the digested emulsions containing EGCG was detected compared to equivalent EGGC solutions which suggested a preserved bioactivity for the carried EGCG in the emulsion system. This was also confirmed by digested emulsions containing EGCG showing higher anti proliferative activity than digested EGCG solutions. Intestinal absorption of EGCG after digestion was also studied using an in vitro transport experiment. Although it was quite challenging to measure the EGCG recovery after an in vitro absorption analysis, the transported fractions showed anti-proliferative activity which was an indicative of presence of EGCG or its bioactive metabolites. The findings from this thesis propose the application of an emulsion/dairy-based designed structure as a novel vehicle for improving the bioaccessibility of EGCG.


The safety and availability of sociotechnical critical systems still relies on human operators, both through human reliability and human ability to handle adequately unexpected events. In this article, the authors focus on ergonomic field studies of nuclear power plant control room operator activities, and more specifically on the analysis of communications within control room crews. They show how operators use vague and porous verbal exchanges to produce continuous, redundant, and diverse interactions to successfully construct and maintain individual and mutual awareness, which is paramount to achieve system stability and safety. Such continuous interactions enable the operators to prevent, detect, and reverse system errors or flaws by anticipation or regulation. This study helps in providing cues for the design of more workable systems for human cooperation in nuclear power plant operation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 43–78, 2007.


"Curriculum in the Education 2030 Agenda: Latin America and the Caribbean"1 discusses the importance of rethinking the curriculum in light of a transformational, humanistic and holistic vision of education. The Education 2030 Agenda, which emerged from the World Education Forum (WEF) 2015 held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, positions curriculum as a powerful education policy tool leading the way to effective, relevant and sustainable learning opportunities, processes and outcomes. Curricula have a positive effect as levers for the sustainable, inclusive, fair and cohesive development of a country. They reflect and help to construct the type of society envisioned. The article provides recommendations to strengthen the positioning of curriculum toward an inclusive and equitable quality education in Latin America and the Caribbean. It therefore addresses the following questions: 1) How is curriculum currently conceived?; 2) What role does it play in the reforms aimed at improving equity and quality of the learning processes?; 3) What are the main regional challenges in relation to curriculum development?; and 4) How could countries align their curricula with their development needs?


We developed a new device for isocenter detection and verification for use in proton therapy. This device can be used to confirm the isocenters of a room laser, a digital radiography system, and a rotational gantry. Agreement between the isocenters of a room laser and a digital radiography system was examined visually. We used the star-shots method for detecting and verifying the rotational gantry isocenter. The gafchromic film could be irradiated with this method using a 2 mm slitted 200 MeV proton beam. The isocenters of a room laser and digital radiography system were in good agreement. The size distribution of the isocenter by the star-shots method was <2 mm, which is the value recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 142. This new device can be used to evaluate comprehensive isocenter detection and verification for related equipment. Subsequent checking using this new device will decrease the uncertainty in measuring an isocenter. When using this device, the working time was significantly reduced to about 30 min, including preparation. These measurements should be useful for high accuracy daily treatments.


Complexes of lansoprazole 2[[[[3-methyl, 4-(2′,2′,2′-trifluoro-ethoxy)]-2-pyridinyl] methyl]sulfonyl]–1H–benzimidazole (LAN) with chlorides of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) were synthesized. LAN is a weak base and it can form several complexes with transition and non-transition metal ions. It should be noticed that the reaction of all the metal salts yielded bis(ligand) complexes of the general formula [ML2(H2O)2] and [ML2] (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Mn and Zn). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility measurements, IR, 1H-NMR, UV-visible spectral studies, ESR, SEM, x-ray diffraction, TGA and mass spectra. In all the complexes ligand is coordinated by participation of the pyridine nitrogen of the benzimidazole ring and sulphonyl group. Electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility reveal octahedral geometry for Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes and tetrahedral for Zn(II) complex. The antimicrobial activity of the ligand and its complexes against bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavous were investigated. The effect of metals on the antimicrobial activity of the ligand has been discussed.


A low-thermal budget (<450/spl deg/C), multilayer CMOS compatible, surface micromachining process has been developed to fabricate IR bolometers and microswitches for RF and automatic test equipment applications. While there is a significant body of literature on the characterisation of thin films of materials for MEMS applications, the published work deals mainly with films or structures of one material. This paper describes the work undertaken to characterise the elastic modulus and residual stress in films of individual dielectric and metal layers and results on composites of dielectric and metal. This paper considers the results obtained for structures composed of oxide, oxide-aluminium/silicon-titanium, oxide-titanium and titanium layers. Material properties are measured using cantilever and fixed beam arrays fabricated in oxide, metal and composite metal/oxide films. The parameters extracted are residual stress, stress gradient and elastic modulus.


Ninety symptomatic patients aged between 16 and 90 years were investigated by ambulatory continuous 24 hour electrocardiography. 75 of these patients underwent endocavitary exploration of atrioventricular conduction and sinus node function within 48 hour of ambulatory electrocardiography. Symptoms occurred during the recording in 30% patients, enabling the mechanism of the malaise to be determined. Every time that abnormalities in the zone surrounding the Tawara node were demonstrated by endocavitary recordings, the 24 hour electrocardiogramme showed the symptoms to be due to other causes than complete heart block. In 70% patients no symptoms were experienced but 58% of them had cardiac arrhythmias and particularly sinus node dysfunction (24 out of 37 patients) on the 24 hour electrocardiogramme. Comparing the results of these two methods of investigation, continuous electrocardiography appears to be a better technique for the diagnosis of sinus node dysfunction but endocavitary study of sinus node function would seem more suited to determine its severity. Endocavitary recordings seem more reliable in the investigation of paroxysmal atrioventricular blocks. These results demonstrate the complementary nature of these two methods in determining the causes of syncope and dizziness.


Objective: Solid tumor cells utilize amino acid transporters (AATs) to increase amino acid uptake in response to nutrient-insufficiency. The upregulation of AATs is therefore critical for tumor development and progression. This study identifies the upregulated AATs under amino acid deprived conditions, and further determines the clinicopathological importance of these AATs in evaluating the prognosis of patients with cancers. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE62673, GSE26370, GSE125782 and GSE150874) were downloaded from the NCBI website and utilized for integrated differential expression and pathway analysis v0.96, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and REACTOME analyses to identify the AATs upregulated in response to amino acid deprivation. In addition, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets with prognostic information were assessed and employed to evaluate the association of identified AATs with patients' prognoses using SurvExpress analysis. Results: Using analysis of NCBI GEO data, this study shows that amino acid deprivation leads to the upregulation of six AAT genes; SLC3A2, SLC7A5, SLC7A1, SLC1A4, SLC7A11 and SLC1A5. GSEA and REACTOME analyses identified altered signaling in cells exposed to amino acid deprivation, such as pathways related to stress responses, the cell cycle and apoptosis. In addition, Principal Component Analysis showed these six AAT genes to be well divided into two distinct clusters in relation to TCGA tumor tissues versus normal counterparts. Finally, Log-Rank analysis confirmed the upregulation of this panel of six AAT genes is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with colorectal, esophageal, kidney and lung cancers. Conclusion: The upregulation of a panel of six AATs is common in several human cancers and may provide a valuable diagnostic tool to evaluate the prognosis of patients with colorectal, esophageal, kidney and lung cancers.


Abstract: As the staple food of Indonesians, rice has become an economic and political commodity in the country. This study aims to analyze the agrarian dynamics of rice farmers from a historical perspective, focusing on studying how the agrarian change affected the rice production mode in the present situation. The historiography approach used to produce critical analysis was complemented by tracing literature studies, especially in West Java, one of the main rice producers in Indonesia. The results showed that the structure of land tenure and ownership in rice farming had undergone a fundamental change. The dynamics that appear in rice can be seen at the level of agricultural technology intervention and local and national policies, which have experienced changes due to pressure from the agricultural production input sub-system. This pressure led to a change in peasant institutions that shifted from informal to formal, which was not in line with the structure of land tenure and ownership, which was still dominated by petty commodity producers.
Keywords: Agrarian dynamics, farmers, historical, paddy


The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Advertising Appeals and Customer Loyalty in Telecommunication firms in Port Harcourt. The study population comprised four (4) registered and functional Telecommunication service providing firms operating in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The authors adopted a census study due to the small nature of the study population hence; there was no need for sampling. Thirty two (32) strategic managers of the four telecommunication firms constituted our respondents for the study. However, eight (8) respondents were randomly drawn from each of the telecommunication companies and thirty two (32) copies of structured questionnaire were administered to the managerial staff of the firms at their respective offices while twenty five (25) copies were retrieved, cleaned and used for the study. Descriptively, measures of central tendencies and measures of dispersions were used in analyzing the respondent's demographics. Similarly, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used in testing the various hypotheses in other to ascertain the relationship between the predictor variable (Advertising Appeals) and the criterion variable (Customer Loyalty). The result of the analysis revealed that Advertising Appeals significantly influenced Customer Loyalty in Telecommunication firms in Port Harcourt. The study further discovered that amongst the dimensions of Advertising Appeals used in this study that Rational advertising appeal was found to be the most significant predictor of Customer Loyalty in Telecommunication firms in Port Harcourt. Hence, the researcher concluded that Advertising Appeals significantly affect Customer Loyalty and therefore recommended that the management of Telecommunication firms in Port-Harcourt should adopt the dimensions of advertising appeal used for the study as strategies for improving their level of customer loyalty.


Email has become a part of most people's lives, and the ever increasing amount of messages people receive can lead to email overload. We attempt to mitigate this problem using email thread summarization. Summaries can be used for things other than just replacing an incoming email message. They can be used in the business world as a form of corporate memory, or to allow a new team member an easy way to catch up on an ongoing conversation. Email threads are of particular interest to summarization because they contain much structural redundancy due to their conversational nature. Our email thread summarization approach uses machine learning to pick which sentences from the email thread to use in the summary. A machine learning summarizer must be trained using previously labeled data, i.e. manually created summaries. After being trained our summarization algorithm can generate summaries that on average contain over 70% of the same sentences as human annotators. We show that labeling some key features such as speech acts, meta sentences, and subjectivity can improve performance to over 80% weighted recall. To create such email summarization software, an email dataset is needed for training and evaluation. Since email communication is a private matter, it is hard to get access to real emails for research. Furthermore these emails must be annotated with human generated summaries as well. As these annotated datasets are rare, we have created one and made it publicly available. The BC3 corpus contains annotations for 40 email threads which include extractive summaries, abstractive summaries with links, and labeled speech acts, meta sentences, and subjective sentences. While previous research has shown that machine learning algorithms are a promising approach to email summarization, there has not been a study on the impact of the choice of algorithm. We explore new techniques in email thread summarization using several different kinds of regression, and the results show that the choice of classifier is very critical. We also present a novel feature set for email summarization and do analysis on two email corpora: the BC3 corpus and the Enron corpus.


Postoperative fibrinoid reactions are regarded as a localized form of endophthalmitis caused by microbial contamination of the capsular bag during intraocular lens implantation. The incidence of early fibrinoid reactions within the first 6 postoperative days following extracapsular cataract extraction was examined after intraocular administration of antibiotics vs placebo. In a double-blind randomized trial, 2 mg cefamandol or a placebo was administered in a 0.4-ml volume at the end of the operation. A group of 28 patients received the antibiotic (mean age 74.6 years; 15 f, 13 m), while 33 patients received the placebo (mean age 72,1 years; 21 f, 12 m). Fibrinoid reactions were observed in 8 out of 61 patients during the first 6 postoperative days. There was no significant difference between the antibiotic group and the placebo group (P = 0.31). We were unable to reduce the incidence of fibrinoid reactions although we had selected a broad-spectrum cephalosporin for antibiotic treatment. The results give rise to the suspicion that most of the early postoperative fibrinoid reactions we observed were not caused by contamination with bacteria of low pathogenicity.


The present article has put forward the design of the XML-based enterprise internal mail system frame and provided the data-process center——XCPU's design structure and its main functions.Meanwhile it has discussed the design methods of data storage structure..


BACKGROUND
The outcomes of pregnancy in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) are uncertain. This study assessed the effects of pregnancy on kidney disease progression and risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in IgAN.

STUDY DESIGN
A matched-cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Women with IgAN with at least one pregnancy, 1 year of follow-up, and kidney function and proteinuria measurement at baseline (time of biopsy) matched with nonpregnant women with IgAN from Peking University First Hospital.

PREDICTORS
Pregnancy, treated as a time-dependent variable; proteinuria; hypertension; and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

OUTCOMES
Kidney disease progression, defined as eGFR halving or end-stage kidney disease; rate of eGFR decline; and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including severe pre-eclampsia, intrauterine death, embryo damage, fetal malformation, and induced and spontaneous abortions.

RESULTS
Of 239 female patients, 62 women had 69 pregnancies and 62 matched nonpregnant patients were selected as controls. Pregnant patients had median proteinuria at baseline with protein excretion of 1.27 (range, 0.06-7.25)g/d and mean eGFR of 102.3 (range, 40.0-139.0)mL/min/1.73m(2). During a mean follow-up of 45.7 months, 4 patients in the pregnancy group and 6 in the nonpregnancy group had kidney disease progression events. Time-dependent Cox analysis showed that pregnancy was not an independent risk factor for kidney disease progression events (HR, 1.2; 95%CI, 0.3-5.7). There was no significant difference in the median rate of eGFR decline in the 2 groups (-2.5 vs -2.4mL/min/1.73m(2) per year; P=0.7). Adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed in 15 patients. Proteinuria during pregnancy (OR, 1.39; 95%CI, 0.96-2.01) was a borderline predictor of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

LIMITATIONS
Retrospective study, most patients had preserved kidney function, study underpowered to detect a difference in kidney failure events.

CONCLUSIONS
The study does not permit a definitive conclusion about the effect of pregnancy on kidney disease progression in IgAN.


Abstract Cost–utility analyses are slowly becoming part of randomized control trials evaluating physical and mental health treatments and (preventive) interventions in child and adolescent development. The British National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, for example, insists on the use of gains in Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) to compute the "value for money" of interventions. But what counts as a gain in quality of life? For one of the most widely used instruments, the EuroQol 5 Dimensions scale (EQ‐5D), QALYs are estimated by healthy individuals who provide utility scores for specific health states, assuming that the best life is a life without self‐experienced problems in five domains: mobility, self‐care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The worst imaginable outcome is defined as "a lot of problems" in each of these five domains. The impact of the individual's problems on the social network is not weighted, and important social–developmental domains (externalizing problems, social competence) are missing. Current cost–utility computations based on EQ‐5D favor physical health over mental health, and they rely on adult weights for child and adolescent quality of life. Thus, a level playing field is absent, and developmental expertise is sorely missing.


This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of public space management (PSM) in the Latin American context by analysing the perspectives of different governance actors. Issues in the PSM literature include ineffective political decisions, prevalence of the private sector, lack of coordination between government institutions, and a need for more effective social participation. While most PSM studies focus on European cities, empirical PSM knowledge in the Latin American context is scarce. To address this gap, this research elucidates the Mexican context by investigating PSM in Mexico City and Puebla. The case study research is based on qualitative document research and interview analysis from four groups of governance actors: government officials, academics, NGOs, and architecture/urban planning firms. We found multiple PSM challenges: uncoordinated efforts in the maintenance of public space, lack of and polarisation of investment, and privatisation of public space. At the intra-governmental level, the research identified a lack of coordination between government institutions, increasing reliance on the private sector for PSM, and limited opportunities for residents to participate in PSM processes. The paper highlights the missing links between existing governance actors involved in PSM and wider residents, in the pursuit of the ambitious role of achieving public space quality.


The ultimate objective of our research is to gain a better understanding of man's mental capacities by studying the ways in which these capacities manifest themselves in language. Language is a particularly promising avenue because, on the one hand, it is an intellectual achievement that is accessible to all normal humans and, on the other hand, we have more detailed knowledge about language than about any other human activity involving man's mental capacities.


Changes in temperature and hydro-meteorological patterns due to climate change are believed to be impacting farming communities in different ways. From a gender neutral perspective, climate change implications affect members of communities alike. From a gender perspective however, impacts of change vary from place to place, household to household and for individual members of the household due to a multiplicity of factors including expectation of individual members of a household to take additional responsibilities in difficult times. Taking empirical evidence from the hazard affected region of Chitral Pakistan, we argue that climate change vulnerabilities are contextually determined, are place based and impact individual members of households differently. As an unavoidable coping strategy, the affected communities are compelled to send male members away from home in search of alternate sources of livelihoods. This compels women to take additional responsibilities at farm household and the community levels. These responsibilities give birth to new vulnerabilities for women. Female members are forced to contribute to communal tasks traditionally performed by male member. Therefore, differentiated analysis of climate change impacts, based on gender roles and responsibilities, is crucial to understand impacts of climate change on different segments of the society even individual members of the same households.