Vaccinating immunocompromised patients for common infectious diseases, including influenza, is a commonly missed opportunity. Clinicians caring for immunocompromised individuals often focus on other more immediate health concerns, or may believe that vaccines do not provide worthwhile protection or could even be harmful. In a recent series of 112 oncology patients at a single center in France, only 34 (30%) had undergone vaccination against influenza in the past year [1]. Numerous studies have shown reasonable rates of seroprotection and seroconversion in a variety of immunocompromised hosts, including oncology patients, with very minimal downside. Therefore, seasonal flu vaccination is broadly recommended across immunocompromised patient populations [2–4]. Bogoch et al. [5] demonstrated that the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic caused severe illness in a cohort of immunocompromised solid organ and bone marrow transplant patients from our hospitals. The hospitalization rate in this transplant setting was 71%, which far exceeded the hospitalization rate among confirmed cases in the general population, generally <5%. Given the severity of the H1N1 pandemic, wide-scale vaccination was recommended for immunocompromised subjects, including oncology patients [6, 7].

Xu et al. [8] examined the immunogenicity of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine in a variety of cohorts, including patients with solid tumors on myelosuppressive chemotherapy, patients with solid tumors on nonmyelosuppressive treatment or no treatment, patients with hematologic malignancies, and healthy controls. The study was a single-center trial with a relatively small number of subjects (n = 146). Seroconversion, seroprotection, and increases in antibody titers were not statistically different in any of the cohorts, although there was a trend toward lesser immunologic responses in those on myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Immune responses were generally fairly robust, regardless of malignancy: seroconversion was noted in 80% of healthy controls and 72%–87% of oncology patients, whereas the seroprotection rate was 96% in healthy controls and 79%–91% in oncology patients. Myelosuppressive therapy was highly varied and included corticosteroids; biologics such as imatinib, sorafinib, sunitinib, and rituximab; and cytotoxic chemotherapy agents considered to have immunosuppressive potential, such as fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercaptopurine, cytarabine, L-asparaginase, and vinca alkaloids. Because of the extremely varied nature of the therapy, no conclusions could be drawn about the impact of specific agents.

Immune responses in these patients were reasonably robust, especially when compared with other trials, and were comparable with those in healthy controls. In another recent oncology trial, for example, the seroprotection rates after influenza vaccination were 50% for those with solid tumors and 27% for those with hematological malignancies (p = .11), whereas the respective seroconversion rates were 45% and 19% (p = .06) [9]. In another trial of oncology patients published this year, protective antibody titers developed in 39% of patients with B-cell malignancies (p < .001), 46% of allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients (p < .001), and 85% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (p = .086), After a second dose, the seroprotection rates were 68% (p = .008), 73% (p = .031), and 95% (p = .5), respectively [10]. Responses in other trials have been similarly variable; nonetheless, most authors concluded that influenza vaccination is recommended [2].

Given the suboptimal immune responses to immunization of immunocompromised patients, various approaches have been developed to address this. The optimal timing, dosing, use of adjuvants, and delivery method might maximize the immunologic benefit of vaccination in oncology patients. The most beneficial timing of vaccination in patients receiving chemotherapy has not been well studied. In the study by Xu et al. [8], it was strongly recommended, but not required, that the H1N1 vaccine be given between i.v. chemotherapy treatment cycles, and patients taking oral chemotherapy or biologic targeted therapy could continue therapy without interruption for the vaccination. In another trial, patients with solid tumors who were given vaccination midcycle developed the highest pH1N1 titers, although timing and blood count were not associated with seroconversion or seroprotection [9]. In general, deferring vaccination to a period of lower immunosuppression is recommended, with careful attention to the expected arrival of influenza in the community. For example, seasonal influenza usually arrives in the northern hemisphere in late December and lasts for several months; it would be prudent to vaccinate patients at least 2–4 weeks before this period starts. In addition, if a vaccine is given during a period of peak immunosuppression, clinicians may wish to repeat the vaccine at a later date to try to optimize the immunologic response. In the absence of strong evidence to drive the clinical decision, programs should develop local protocols.

There are several additional ways in which responses to immunization can be augmented. Adjuvants are used to stimulate the immune system by attracting a greater number of antigen-presenting cells to the site of vaccination. This results in a more potent stimulation of both cellular and humoral responses to the vaccine. The vaccine used in the study by Xu et al. [8] did not contain any adjuvant. Some similar studies used adjuvanted vaccine. Whether or not it would be preferable to use adjuvanted vaccine, especially in immunocompromised hosts, remains to be determined. Intradermal injection (rather than intramuscular) is another technique that has been used with a variety of vaccines to augment immunity; thus far, it has not been well studied in oncology patients. Multiple doses of vaccine are another way to augment the immune response. One study in HIV+ patients showed a significant augmentation of the immunologic response after repeat vaccination; the rate of seroconversion after the first dose of an adjuvanted H1N1 influenza A vaccine was 68%, which increased to 92% after a second dose [11], suggesting that repeat vaccination may be indicated as a means to augment immunity. Similarly, Rousseau et al. [12] demonstrated that, in oncology patients on cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy (the VACANCE study), after one and two doses of the H1N1 vaccine, the seroprotection rates were 48% and 73%, respectively, and seroconversion rates were 44% and 73%, respectively, suggesting that two doses may be beneficial.

Numerous studies have shown that, although vaccination in oncology patients may result in less robust immunologic responses, it is nonetheless worthwhile and recommended because many patients develop at least a moderate degree of immunologic response and protection against disease. The paper by Xu et al. [8] confirms this. Clinicians may wish to consider additional methods to enhance the immunologic response, such as using an adjuvanted vaccine or intradermal injection, especially in individual patients who might be less likely to respond to a single dose of vaccine. If vaccines are given during periods of potent immunosuppression, they may wish to repeat the vaccination once the immunosuppression has been diminished. In addition, if the influenza season lasts longer than usual, repeat vaccination may be helpful in providing additional protection. A growing dataset supports the view that vaccinating these vulnerable individuals is an opportunity that should not be missed.

See the accompanying article on pages 125–134 of this issue.


A fundamental goal in network neuroscience is to understand how activity in one brain region drives activity elsewhere, a process referred to as effective connectivity. Here we propose to model this causal interaction using integro-differential equations and causal kernels that allow for a rich analysis of effective connectivity. The approach combines the tractability and flexibility of autoregressive modeling with the biophysical interpretability of dynamic causal modeling. The causal kernels are learned nonparametrically using Gaussian process regression, yielding an efficient framework for causal inference. We construct a novel class of causal covariance functions that enforce the desired properties of the causal kernels, an approach which we call GP CaKe. By construction, the model and its hyperparameters have biophysical meaning and are therefore easily interpretable. We demonstrate the efficacy of GP CaKe on a number of simulations and give an example of a realistic application on magnetoencephalography (MEG) data.


The aggressive behavior of malignant breast cancer cells is determined by a complex array of signaling pathways that regulate functions such as growth, survival, and migration. Production of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-P3 (PIP3) by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K) results in activation of downstream targets including the protein kinase Akt that plays critical roles in cell survival and growth. Recent studies have highlighted alternate, PI 3-K independent pathways often associated with malignancy that lead to Akt reactivation. The goal of our studies is to investigate the role of PI 3-K catalytic subunits in Akt reactivation in breast cancer. Surprisingly, knock-down of the catalytic subunit of class I PI 3-K PIK3CA actually enhances phosphorylation of Akt, as well as the downstream targets S6K1 and GSK3β in a subset of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. The resulting increase in Akt phosphorylation is mTORC2-dependent and is insensitive to the class I PI 3-K inhibitors. Rescue experiments with wild type PIK3CA alleles reveal a further enhancement of Akt phosphorylation, when compared to PIK3CA knock-down alone. Moreover, silencing of distinct class I subunits PIK3CB and PIK3CD also enhanced Akt phosphorylation in TNBC. However, this effect is not universal and is not observed in numerous other breast cancer cell lines, or using specific PIK3CA inhibitors. This reactivation of Akt signaling suggests the interruption of a feedback loop similar to the mTOR-S6K-IRS1 negative feedback loop. It also indicates specific roles for individual PI 3-K isoforms in breast cancer and dependent on the mutational status of PTEN and PIK3CA. This research is supported by Susan G. Komen for the Cure postdoctoral fellowship KG111139 to EC and AT. Citation Format: Emilie Collmann, Alex Toker. Inhibition of PI 3-K isoforms lead to reactivation of Akt signaling in a subset of breast cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 547. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-547


Over the last decade, students of the welfare state have produced an impressive body of research on retrenchment, the dominant thrust of which is that remarkably few welfare states have experienced fundamental shifts. This article questions this now-conventional wisdom by reconsidering the post-1970s trajectory of the American welfare state, long considered the quintessential case of social policy stability. I demonstrate that although most programs have indeed resisted retrenchment, U.S. social policy has also offered increasingly incomplete risk protection in an era of dramatic social change. Although some of this disjuncture is inadvertent—an unintended consequence of the very political stickiness that has stymied retrenchment—I argue that the declining scope of risk protection also reflects deliberate and theoretically explicable strategies of reform adopted by welfare state opponents in the face of popular and change-resistant policies, a finding that has significant implications for the study of institutional change more broadly.


Rosmarinus officinalis plants are self-compatible but automatic self-pollination is prevented by strong protandry. Flowers of R. officinalis set abundant seed when cross-pollinated by hand. Nevertheless, the seed set by self-pollination is clearly lower and similar in amount to those obtained in open-pollination. Insect-mediated geitonogamy is possible, and appears to be responsible for the lower seed set in open-pollination. Seed set by male-sterile plants indicates that gynodioecy could be considered as a strategy to increase reproductive output in R. officinalis. Two different steps can be distinguished in the halting of seed selfing: early abortion of the embryo/endosperm just after fertilisation, leading to small and empty seeds; and late abortion of the embryo, leading to empty but apparently normal seeds.


Critiques of science by feminist scholars and philosophers have focused primarily on the social and biological sciences. Comparatively little has been done to extend this work to the physical sciences, and relatively few practicing scientists have been involved in the dialogue. Our paper encourages an interdisciplinary feminist analysis of the physical sciences and reviews how we became interested in evaluating feminist science philosophies.


Purpose
This paper aims to examine the performance of select "socially conscious" (SC) mutual funds and a control group of conventional funds during recent bullish and bearish financial markets. It aims at exploring the interface of these funds' historical returns and selectivity of their investment screening.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors' data come from Morningstar Direct and focuses on "equity" funds/class A shares only. The authors controlled for age, expense ratio, size and management turnover in comparing SC and mutual funds' returns.

Findings
SC funds underperformed conventional funds in both expansionary and recessionary periods and in short and long term. Paradoxically, SC funds' return generally improved with the number of social screens adopted. The gap in returns between SC, conventional funds and indices of market return narrowed as investment horizon became longer and also during boom market conditions, suggesting that doing good need not come at the expense of doing well.

Research limitations/implications
The authors' study focused on class A shares only.

Practical implications
In choosing SC funds, investors need to focus on expense ratio and management turnover which seem to influence returns more. Neither age nor size of SC funds seem to have affected returns in systematic and statistically significant way.

Originality/value
This paper provides the most recent scorecard of SC funds' performance, compared to similar conventional funds and market return, since the 2007 global financial crisis.


Robustness to Accounting for Deep-Rooted Determinants of Economic Development In Table SA.I, we establish the robustness of our baseline cross-country analysis of civil conflict to additionally accounting for the potentially confounding influence of other deep-rooted determinants of comparative economic development. Specifically, we augment the analysis in Table I with controls for (i) the time elapsed since the onset of the Neolithic Revolution (e.g., Ashraf and Galor, 2013a); (ii) an index of experience with institutionalized statehood since antiquity (e.g., Bockstette et al., 2002); (iii) the time elapsed since initial human settlement in prehistory (e.g., Ahlerup and Olsson, 2012); and (iv) the great-circle distance to the closest regional technological frontier in the year 1500 (e.g., Ashraf and Galor, 2013a). The results indicate that regardless of the estimation sample or the specification, contemporary population diversity remains a significant predictor of the annual frequency of civil conflict onsets.


Abstract: this article considers the special relationship of the Tathagata with "speaking truth". Valuable material for studying this relationship in detail we take from the Sutras of "Digha-Nikaya". And in these parts the Tathagata is extremely similar to a certain character of early Upanishads ("Brihadaranyaka Upanishad" and "Chandogya Upanishad"), who called brahmishtha. This character is mysterious, in the later Brahministic and Hinduistic traditions it is not fixed. The article makes the assumption that Tathagata was in the ancient pan-Indic term, only subsequently established exclusively for Buddhism, brahmishtha was and remained a peripheral term, the hero of local traditions.


In this article, a virtual reality system for vocational rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities (VR4VR) is presented. VR4VR uses immersive virtual environments to assess and train individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities. This article focuses on the system modules that were designed and developed for the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) population. The system offers training on six vocational skills that were identified as transferrable to and useful in many common jobs. These six transferable skills are cleaning, loading the back of a truck, money management, shelving, environmental awareness, and social skills. This article presents the VR4VR system, the design considerations for the ASD population, and the findings with a cohort of nine neurotypical individuals (control group) and nine high-functioning individuals with ASD (experiment group) who used the system. Good design practices gathered throughout the study are also shared for future virtual reality applications targeting individuals with ASD. Research questions focused on the effectiveness of the virtual reality system on vocational training of high-functioning individuals with ASD and the effect of distracters on task performance of high-functioning individuals with ASD. Follow-up survey results indicated that for individuals with ASD, there was improvement in all of the trained skills. No negative effects of the distracters were observed on the score of individuals with ASD. The proposed VR4VR system was found by professional job trainers to provide effective vocational training for individuals with ASD. The system turned out to be promising in terms of providing an alternative practical training tool for individuals with ASD.


This paper presents a game-based learning study in Malaysia in which a game has been designed for remedial Mathematics students at primary school level. Mathematics is a core subject taught in all primary schools in Malaysia. However, for students who are recognized as weak in Mathematics, teachers use remedial modules supplied by the Ministry of Education in teaching and learning activities. A research study has been initiated to propose digital game-based learning for the remedial students, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of the modules. A prototype game is designed to be playable on tablet computers. The game contains lessons under the title of Whole Numbers: Addition in Year Two syllabus. This paper reveals the concepts and rationale behind the study and the game design. The research plan is also included to justify the ecological validity of the study.


Nonvolatile storage of analog values with floating-gate transistors has been useful for many applications. While most proposed analog nonvolatile memory devices employ electron tunneling to modify floating-gate charges, this brief presents an embedded analog nonvolatile memory device that employs only hot-carrier injections to achieve bidirectional programmability. Without using electron tunneling, the proposed circuit not only avoids multiplexing high-voltage signals but also facilitates direct storage of new data. In addition, each memory cell incorporates a simple inverter to make the programming process nearly linear, facilitating bidirectional and linear adaptability for neuromorphic systems. A prototype array of the analog memory has been fabricated with the standard CMOS 0.35- technology. The chip includes a simple on-chip comparator to program the analog memory accurately and automatically by negative feedback. The effective resolution is more than 8 bits over a dynamic range of 1.4 V. The intercell disturbance during programming and the data retention ability are also examined.


In this paper, we propose a system to recognize alphabet characters (A-Z) and numbers (0-9) in real-time from stereo color image sequences using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). Additionally, a robust method for hand tracking in a complex environment using Mean-shift analysis in conjunction with 3D depth map is introduced. The depth information solve the overlapping problem between hands and face, which is obtained by passive stereo measuring based on cross correlation and the known calibration data of the cameras. 3D combined features of location, orientation and velocity with respected to Cartesian systems are used. And then, k-means clustering is employed for HMMs codeword. The hand gesture path is recognized using Left-Right Banded topology (LRB) in conjunction Viterbi path. Experimental results demonstrate that, our system can successfully recognize hand gestures with 98.33% recognition rate.


We studied the influence of different positions in neighboring joints on strain in the tibial and plantar nerves during ankle and toe movements. Tibial nerve strain at the ankle was measured during ankle dorsiflexion in ten cadavers; plantar nerve strain was measured during toe extension. Tibial nerve strain increased with ankle dorsiflexion (mean increase: 3.9%) and strain was higher when the nervous system was pretensioned by either knee extension or hip flexion (p < or = .011). Strain was even higher when the nerve bed was elongated at both the hip and knee (p < or = .006) before performing dorsiflexion. A similar trend was observed for the plantar nerves with ankle positioning. In conclusion, the change in nerve strain is strongly influenced by positions in neighboring joints. This insight into nerve biomechanics provides a foundation for progressive mobilization exercises for disorders such as tarsal tunnel syndrome.


Historically, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) and James Cameron's Aliens (1986) have attracted an exorbitant amount of scholarship focusing on the numerous representations of the maternal body scattered throughout the pair of films. However, the majority of criticism tends to restrict the narrative in each film by structuring it as a binary opposition between Ellen Ripley and the Alien Queen, each seemingly embodying the role of "good" and "bad" mother respectively. In this article, I argue that the relationship between these two maternal figures is not so easily reduced to the strict dichotomy between "good" and monstrous body; in fact, it is one of subjection. The following article incorporates Barbara Creed's scholarship on Scott's Alien to illustrate that the first film in the franchise pays close attention not only to the primordial archaic mother of the pre-Symbolic, but to how the traumatic experience of birth is internalized in the psychic realm. Furthermore, this article explores how this very experience of abjection facilitates a "turning toward" phallic Law in order to assuage the trauma of the originary loss. Using Judith Butler's theory of homosexual melancholy, I argue that the Alien Queen in Cameron's Aliens is not merely a horrifying phallic mother but an Absolute Subject of maternity that Ripley must embody to be recognized within the phallogocentric network of representation.


ABSTRACT. Marciano A.F., Fiorotti J.P., Souza L.A., Camargo M.G., Perinotto W. M.S., Angelo I.C., Golo P.S., Sa F.A., Coutinho-Rodrigues C.J.B., Quinelato S. & Bittencourt V.R.E.P. [Efficiency in vitro of a oil formulation of Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato in the control of Rhipicephalus microplus.] Eficiencia in vitro de uma formulacao comercial de Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato no controle de Rhipicephalus microplus. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinaria, 35(Supl.2):28-34, 2013. Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Instituto de Veterinaria, Anexo 1, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Seropedica, BR 465 Km 7, Seropedica, RJ 23897-970, Brasil. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Rhipicephalus microplus is an ectoparasite responsible for great economic losses in cattle industry. In an effort to reduce the use of chemical acaricides, which causes many environmental problems, the research for alternative ways to control ticks, in special the use of formulations of entomopathogenic fungi, has been attracting attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oil-based formulations in different oil concentrations of a commercial product of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metarril WP Organic®) against eggs, larvae and engorged female of R. microplus. Eight groups were formed: an aqueous control group treated only with sterile distilled water and 0.1% Tween 80, a group treated with the aqueous suspension Metarril WP Organic®, three control groups containing 1, 3 or 5% mineral oil and three groups treated with the oil-based formulations Metarril WP Organic® containing 1, 3 or 5% mineral oil. The formulations had a concentration of 108 conidia.mL-1. The treatment consisted of the immersion of the specimens in one mL of suspension tested for three minutes. The biological parameters of engorged females were significantly affected by the oil-based formulations Metarril WP Organic®, leading to 97.35% efficacy control in the group treated with the fungal oil-based formulation containing 5% mineral oil. In the treatment of eggs, oil-based formulations Metarril WP Organic® decreased 55 times larvae hatching when compared to the control groups. In the treatment of larvae mortality was 100% at fifth day after the treatment with the fungal formulations containing 3 and 5 % mineral oil. These results suggest that the formulations of Metarril WP Organic® containing 1, 3 or 5 % mineral oil are effective in vitro against tick developmental stages of R. microplus.


It has been hypothesized that conceptus estrogens influence endometrial protein secretion during pregnancy in swine. To test this hypothesis, the effect of estrone and estradiol treatment from d 30 to 60 of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy on endometrial protein secretion was investigated. Pregnant (P; n = 16) and pseudopregnant (PP) gilts (n = 18) received either sham treatment or estrone or estradiol implants (5 mg/d release rate; 60 d release) on d 30 of P or PP. Blood samples were collected on d 30, 40, 50, and 60 to measure estrone and estradiol. On d 60, gilts were hysterectomized. For P gilts, endometrium in apposition to one placenta from each uterine horn was collected. For PP gilts, each uterine horn was flushed with 40 mL of leucine-deficient minimal essential medium (MEM), and endometrial tissue was collected from each horn. Endometrial tissues were incubated in MEM in the presence of 50 microCi of [3H]leucine to examine protein secretion. Estrone and estradiol treatments increased both plasma and endometrial concentrations of estrone (P < .01 except endometrium for P gilts) and estradiol (P < .01, respectively). Endometrium from P gilts secreted more nondialyzable macromolecules (NDM), acid phosphatase activity (AP, a measure of uteroferrin), and retinol-binding protein (RBP) in culture than did endometrium from PP gilts. Estrone treatment increased (P < .01) endometrial NDM from P gilts but not that from PP gilts; estradiol had no effect. Both estrone and estradiol increased (P = .069) endometrial secretion of AP of PP but not of P gilts. Endometrial secretion of RBP was not affected by either estrone or estradiol treatment. Neither estrone nor estradiol affected total protein or AP and estrone treatment decreased (P < .05) RBP in uterine flushings from PP gilts. These data indicate that endometrium from P pigs secretes more protein than endometrium from PP pigs but neither estrone nor estradiol completely mimics the effect of pregnancy.


The function of a programmable logic array (PLA) was implemented using a microcomputer. The equipment is suitable for use in laboratories because it is electrically programmable, easy to be realized and maintained, and has sufficient capacity. It has been used for implementing fixed-point arithmetic algorithms, a subject of a laboratory course given to computer science majors of the University of Electro-Communications. The PLA program is created on a personal computer using a text editor and transmitted to the PLA through a serial communication line. Parallel interface circuits between the personal computer and the arithmetic unit to be implemented by the students were also prepared. The arrangements enable them to write and execute Pascal programs to test whether the implementation meets given specifications. >


Potential effects of sublimation of water ice from very slowly moving millimeter-sized and larger grains, a product of activity at ~10 AU or farther from the Sun driven presumably by annealing of amorphous water ice, are investigated by comparing 2I/Borisov with a nominal Oort Cloud comet of equal perihelion distance of 2 AU. This comparison suggests that the strongly hyperbolic motion of 2I mitigates the integrated sublimation effect. The population of these grains near the nucleus of 2I is likely to have been responsible for the comet appearing excessively bright in pre-discovery images at 5-6 AU from the Sun, when the sublimation rate was exceedingly low, as well as for the prominent nuclear condensation more recently. All grains smaller then 2-3 cm across had been devolatilized by mid-October 2019 and some subjected to rapid disintegration. This left only larger chunks of the initial icy-dust halo contributing to the comet's suspected hyperactivity. Sublimation of water ice from the nucleus has been increasing since the time of discovery, but the rate has not been high enough to exert a measurable nongravitational acceleration on the orbital motion of 2I/Borisov.


Age at first marriage is an important demographic event affecting births, deaths, and women's and children's health. This study aims to explore the levels, trends and determinants of age at first marriage of women in Bangladesh. This study utilized data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The univariate (some basic statistics), bivariate (simple cross-tabulation and χ2-test) and multivariate (analysis of covariance, multiple classification analysis and binary logistic regression) techniques were adopted to analyze the data. Age of women at first marriage in Bangladesh has been increasing over time, while the pace is sluggish. Respondent's education has a strong positive effect on age at marriage. Women with a higher level of education are more likely to get delayed marriage. Current age, religion, region, place of residence and husband's education are also influential factors affecting age at marriage. Wealth index is partially significant, that is, women from households with economically poor status are significantly more likely to marry early than those from affluent households. The change in age at marriage is associated with major social structural changes such as women's educational attainment and urbanization process.


Abstract:This article explores the role of miscellany collections as aids to recitation and education. It offers an insight into the perceived social and cultural roles of literature in the later eighteenth century, and suggests some of the ways we might use miscellanies to understand the relationship between the practical, educational, and aspirational uses of poetry, and the formation of a literary canon. Recitation miscellanies not only showed readers how to achieve affect, but they also gave them collections of literature to appreciate, and some introduction to the terms on which those readers might value the texts that they encountered. In examining the numerous recital collections of this period, we can see not only the close connection between miscellany publication and the contemporary social vogue for reading aloud, but also the ways in which miscellany texts mediated a whole range of cultural concerns, from social aspiration, to moral rectitude.


Combining a transition metal dichalcogenide monolayer (ML) and molecular semiconductors is an attractive route for forming nanoscale hybrid van der Waals heterostructures with potentially novel (opto‐)electronic properties. The energy level alignment at the hybrid interface governs these properties, but precise determination of the interfacial electronic structure is challenging due to the pronounced excitonic nature of both components and the non‐trivial band structure of the inorganic ML. For instance, dielectric screening by the supporting substrate of such a heterostructure may impact the energy levels, but very few experiments have attended to this important issue to date. Here, it is shown how photoelectron spectroscopy can be used to unravel the energy level line‐up at the C60/ML‐WS2 interface supported on an insulating (sapphire) and a semi‐metallic (graphite) substrates. On both substrates, an almost identical staggered type‐II level alignment is determined. However, C60/ML‐WS2 exhibits stronger n‐type characteristics on sapphire, which is suggested to be due to native donor‐type defects of ML‐WS2. While these remain occupied and active on the insulating substrate, they are emptied into the charge reservoir of the conductive substrate. These insights should be considered in the future design of functional heterostructures of inorganic ML and molecular semiconductor materials.


The paper is concerned with the development and comparison of alternative machine learning methods of determining the type of truck crossing a bridge from the dynamic response it induces within the bridge structure, the so-called weigh-in-motion problem. Weigh-in-motion is a rich engineering problem presenting many challenges for current machine learning technologies, and for this reason is proposed as a benchmark for guiding and assessing advances in the application of this field of artificial intelligence. A review is first provided of existing methods of determining truck types and loading attributes using both machine learning and heuristic search techniques. The most promising approach to date, that of artificial neural networks, is then compared to support vector machines in a comprehensive study considering a range of configurations of both modeling techniques. A local scatter point smoothing schema is adopted as a means of selecting an optimal set of design parameters for each model type. Three main model formats are considered: (i) a monolithic model structure with a one-versus-all truck type classification strategy; (ii) an array of sub-models each dedicated to one truck type with a one-versus-all classification strategy; and (iii) an array of sub-models each dedicated to selecting between pairs of trucks in a one-versus-one classification strategy. Overall, the formats that used an array of sub-models performed best at truck classification, with the support vector machines having a slight edge over the artificial neural networks. The paper concludes with some suggestions for extending the work to a broader scope of problems.


Innovations change the world in all spheres of life, and education is not an exception. Modern requirements of time put us new challenges that require the use of new information technologies at all stages of the educational process in higher education institutions, in particular the use of the Internet. In addition, it has been noted that Internet resources increase motivation and contribute to the formation of a fully developed personality. Testing and evaluating students' knowledge and abilities is an integral part of the credit-module system. One of the forms of evaluation of the initial level of knowledge, consolidation and improvement of assimilation of information is testing. It should be noted that in a number of countries, testing has shifted traditional forms of control — oral and written exams and interviews. However, in Ukraine, educators remain adherents of a combination of testing and classical analysis of material. It allows the most efficient distribution of the training time of a practical class, 100% control of the knowledge and the effectiveness of mastering the material of all the students of the academic group. Technical progress stimulates the search for new variants and possibilities of testing, its various variations. One of the options that can help solve this problem was a smartphone. In order to facilitate the work of the teacher at the Department of Microbiology, an online testing system with the use of smartphones was introduced. Online testing is conducted among students with Ukrainian and English language training. With the Google Forms platform, the teacher creates a form which contains the student's records and tests. Students directly from the teacher get a link to fill out an online form directly at the lesson. For testing, a database containing standard KROK-1 licensed test tasks is used. The form can contain any number of test tasks that are in arbitrary order, as well as a changed order of distractors, which makes it impossible to write off. At the same time, all students are in the same conditions: all write one option. After submitting the form, the student receives a notification that his response is recorded. Re-linking is not possible. In turn, the teacher receives a message on the result of the test in the table — the ratio of correct answers to the total number of questions, as well as options for their answers. First and foremost, questions are displayed on which students gave the largest number of incorrect answers. This allows the topic to be considered in the process of discussion of the most difficult tasks from the students perspective, and in the future it will allow more efficiently to create forms for on-line tests and to focus on these issues.


This work aimed, based on forestry industry data bank, to analyze the influence of different variables over harvester production and to obtain mathematic models to predict the expected productivity on different work conditions. This study analyzed data referent of 4.2 millions m3 of eucalypt wood, harvested on first rotation, and 200 thousand hours of work done by 68 harvesters, totalizing more than 14 thousand data lines. Average individual volume was the variable that, isolated, better explain harvester productivity, followed by mean DBH, mean height and volume of wood per hectare. More precise models were obtained for different work systems (i.e. with or without wood debarking), with determination coefficient higher than 0.75, by multiple linear regression.


Researchers and practitioners alike express concerns about the conceptual difficulties associated with the concepts of momentum and kinetic energy currently taught in school physics. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the treatment given to them in 44 published textbooks written for UK secondary school certificate courses. This is set against some of the more contentious issues apparent in the literature concerned with the underlying physics and pedagogical arguments about how best to help students understand. The research evolved a set of criteria which were used to scrutinize how texts explain ideas and exemplify their applications. Despite the evident merits of many textbooks, the findings suggest that incomplete explanations are surprisingly prevalent, with several fundamental issues likely to be unclear to student readers, particularly those relating to when and where conservation might apply. Confusion exists between these difficult and somewhat overlapping ideas, arguably through the neglect of constructivist considerations. The commonly emphasized mechanistic, number-crunching approach to the analysis of simple collision problems is judged to be un-profitable, underlining the more general point that prevailing, accepted content and pedagogy may be the source of many misunderstandings. Implications are discussed and suggestions made for alternative treatments of these deceptively complex topics.


The principal objective of this work is to provide new information on the trends in the total precipitation and extreme events of precipitation in the State of Ceara, making an analysis of different indices of detection of climatic changes, based on data of daily precipitation. Precipitation data of 18 stations were used, in the period from 1935 to 2006, representing all the microregions of the State; the software used in the processing and quality control of the data was RClimdex 1.9.0. The results show local changes in the precipitation and a visible increase in the humidity conditions in Ceara.


The effect of temperature on the mineral precipitation sequence during evaporation of the natural brine from lake Katwe was studied. Laboratory isothermal evaporation experiments at temperatures (30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 ) using the original Katwe surface brine were undertaken. PHREEQC, a solubility software was used to predict the crystallization paths at the different study temperatures. The mineralogy and morphology of the precipitates were determined by the XRD and SEM techniques, respectively. The precipitation sequence majorly started with sulphates followed by chlorides and lastly carbonates at all temperatures after precipitation of the calcium-magnesium carbonates. Halite emerged the most dominant mineral, with thernadite, trona and glaserite following respectively. Thenardite, glaserite and burkeite precipitation flourished at lower temperatures (30 and 40 ) whereas soda ash precipitation flourished at higher temperatures (60 and 70 . Halite equally precipitated at all temperatures thus not showing a temperature preference in this study.  Temperature variation is a key design parameter in the extraction of mineral salts from the Brines of Lake Katwe.


Seven new isostructural lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), [Ln(Hpzbc)2(NO3)]·H2O (1-Ln, Ln = Nd(3+), Sm(3+), Eu(3+), Gd(3+), Tb(3+), Er(3+), and Yb(3+) ions, H2pzbc = 3-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl) benzoic acid), with one-dimensional (1D) channels decorated by nitrate anions and pyrazoyl groups have been constructed. 1-Ln, as revealed by structural analysis, represent uncommon microporous 3D Ln-pyrazoyl-carboxyl systems using pyrazoyl-carboxyl bifunctional ligands as bridges. The luminescent investigations show that 1-Eu is an excellent MOF-based fluorescent probe, with high sensitivity, selectivity, and simple regeneration, for environmentally relevant Fe(3+) and Cr2O7(2-) ions. 1-Eu also presents highly selective capture for CO2 over N2 and CH4 due to the multiple binding sites for CO2 molecules, which were supported by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations.


Cyanobacteriochromes are members of the phytochrome superfamily. In contrast to classical phytochromes, these small photosensors display a considerable variability of electronic absorption maxima. We have studied the light-induced conversions of the second GAF domain of AnPixJ, AnPixJg2, a phycocyanobilin-binding protein from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120, using low-temperature resonance Raman spectroscopy combined with molecular dynamics simulations. AnPixJg2 is formed biosynthetically as a red-absorbing form (Pr) and can be photoconverted into a green-absorbing form (Pg). Forward and backward phototransformations involve the same reaction sequences and intermediates of similar cofactor structures as the corresponding processes in canonical phytochromes, including a transient cofactor deprotonation. Whereas the cofactor of the Pr state shows far-reaching similarities to the Pr states of classical phytochromes, the Pg form displays significant upshifts of the methine bridge stretching frequencies concomitant to the hypsochromically shifted absorption maximum. However, the cofactor in Pg is protonated and adopts a conformation very similar to the Pfr state of classical phytochromes. The spectral differences are probably related to an increased solvent accessibility of the chromophore which may reduce the π-electron delocalization in the phycocyanobilin and thus raise the energies of the first electronic transition and the methine bridge stretching modes. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the Z → E photoisomerization of the chromophore at the C-D methine bridge alters the interactions with the nearby Trp90 which in turn may act as a gate, allowing the influx of water molecules into the chromophore pocket. Such a mechanism of color tuning AnPixJg2 is unique among the cyanobacteriochromes studied so far.


The south-eastern islands of Indonesia between Bali in the west and Timor in the east define a region that is at the interface of the Asian and Australasian biogeographic regions. Three subspecies of the colubrid snake Dendrelaphis pictus have previously been recognized from the region: Dendrelaphis pictus pictus (Bali and Lombok); D. p. inornatus (Sumba to Timor); and D. p. intermedius (Sumbawa to Alor). A re-examination of Dendrelaphis pictus in this region uses multivariate statistics to examine the geographic variation in head-shield and body measurements within the species. The findings re-interpret the taxonomy, indicating that D. pictus from Bali and Lombok are specifically different from D. inornatus on the remaining islands on the Banda Arc. The populations of D. inornatus on the islands of Sumbawa, Sumba, Sawu, Flores, and Lembata are subspecifically different from those on Roti, Semau, Timor, Alor, and Wetar.

Several head-shield measures are strongly correlated with longitude within D. inornatus, suggesting environmentally triggered selection gradients. However, for many variables, the two subspecies differ significantly in the direction of the trends which suggests the subspecies respond differently to these environmental gradients. There is evidence that Dendrelaphis individuals may be transported through the islands by anthropogenic agencies.


There is a growing demand for the identification of alternative sources of collagen not derived from land-dwelling animals. The present study explored the use of pepsin- and acid-based extraction protocols to isolate collagen from the swim bladders of Megalonibea fusca. After extraction, these acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) samples respectively were subjected to spectral analyses and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) characterization, revealing both to be comprised of type I collagen with a triple-helical structure. The imino acid content of these ASC and PSC samples was 195 and 199 residues per 1000 residues, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that samples of freeze-dried collagen exhibited a compact lamellar structure, while transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed the ability of these collagens to undergo self-assembly into fibers. ASC samples exhibited a larger fiber diameter than the PSC samples. The solubility of both ASC and PSC was highest under acidic pH conditions. Neither ASC nor PSC caused any cytotoxicity when tested in vitro, which met one of the requirements for the biological evaluation of medical devices. Thus, collagen isolated from the swim bladders of Megalonibea fusca holds great promise as a potential alternative to mammalian collagen.


Introduction. The aim of the paper is to study the notes of the participants of Russian naval expeditions to the east coast of the Caspian Sea since the middle of 18th to the second half of 19th c. as a source of information on the political and legal position of local Turkmen tribes. Another aim is to analyze the significance of this information for the further advance of the Russian Empire to Central Asia.

Methods and materials. The sources of the study are official reports of the heads of expeditions, scientific works and, in some cases, memoirs of the participants. The methods used in the paper are critical analysis of textual sources, historical and legal study, comparative historical analysis, institutional approach.

Analysis. The notes of the participants of Russian naval expeditions contain valuable and sometimes unique information on specific features of the social and political structure of nomadic tribes of the East Caspian region including the political structure of tribes, legal regulation of different fields of relations, such as trade relations, extractive activities, settlement o conflicts, etc. The comparative analysis of the notes demonstrates that by the middle of 19th c. the evaluation of East Caspian nomads became more critical and strict. This reflected the views of Russian political circles on the necessity to strengthen the positions of the Russian Empire in Central Asia even by military methods.

Results. Information of the participants of Russian naval expeditions is of great value as they were eye-witnesses or even participants of political, legal and socioeconomic relations in the region. These notes became a part of the informative and ideological base for the further advance of the Russian Empire to Central Asia.


The cooling load in winter season is significant in many commercial buildings and hotels because of the usage of office equipments and the high efficiency of wall insulation. The development of a multi-heat pump that can cover heating and cooling simultaneously for each indoor unit is required. In this study, a 4-room simultaneous heating and cooling heat pump system was designed and its performance was measured at each operating mode. The system used R-410A and adopted variable speed compressor. The problems on the designed system were analyzed and defined. In addition, the solutions of the problems were suggested to improve system efficiency and to obtain the stable operation.


Library Office Automation (abbreviated OA) system , which can improve efficiency, standardize business processes, reduce office costs, is the symbol for library to achieve modern management. This paper makes Shenyang Aerospace University Library as an example, discusses how to use the core technology of current information field ----- workflow technology, designs and implements OA system, so as to provide a new platform for library modern management.


We read with great interest the article by Law et al., in which the authors introduced their experience of performing a modified endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with the assistance of transprosthetic endoscopic therapy [1]. The balloon enteroscopy was used to access the excluded stomach. A direct retrograde percutaneous endoscopic gastrostoma was created, and then a fully-covered self-expandable metal stent was deployed within the gastrostomy tract. Finally, a regular ERCP was performed through the percutaneous gastrostoma. The results revealed that this method of modified ERCP is feasible and can be performed during a single endoscopic session in patients with previous Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). This procedure involved balloon enteroscopy, creation of the gastrostoma, stent placement, and regular ERCP. Our comment is that there are too many steps involved, which may not all be necessary. The number of patients undergoing RYGB for weight loss is increasing, and ERCP is more difficult in these patients [2]. In the past 10 years, several studies have performed modified ERCP procedures using single-balloon enteroscopy, double-balloon enteroscopy, and spiral enteroscopy, as well as laparoscopic gastrostomy, with immediate closure after the procedure [3–5]. Reaching the target papilla, successful cannulation, and postprocedural complications are reported to be similar with each of these three endoscopic methods. The efficiency of pure enteroscopy-assisted ERCP is limited by the length of the limb remaining after surgery, especially after RYGB, and often results in the enteroscope being unable to advance to the papilla. Despite the limitations, endoscopic therapy is a less invasive and repeatable method. Most patients wish to avoid a gastrostomy if possible. In the report by Choi et al., complications occurred in 14.5% of the surgical patients; complications in all but one of these patients were associated with the gastrostomy [6]. However, surgery was not appropriate for those patients with urgent conditions, such as severe jaundice and colicky abdominal pain. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness of procedures is receiving more and more attention: the cost of surgery is usually greater than the endoscopic procedure because an additional procedure is required to create the gastrostomy [6]. Schreiner et al. listed several associated factors that predict the success of enteroscopy-assisted ERCP. The result showed that only the limb length definitely affected the therapeutic success. The authors concluded that enteroscopy-assisted ERCP should be performed in patients with a limb length of less than 150cm, and laparoscopy-assisted ERCP should be performed when the limb length is 150 cm or longer. As enteroscopy-assisted ERCP could be performed successfully in all patients, including those with a surgical or laparoscopic gastrostomy, delaying the procedure to allow for gastrostomy maturation was not required for the majority of patients [5]. In summary, enteroscopy-assisted ERCP could be performed in most patients with previous gastric bypass surgery. We think this should be recommended as the firstline therapy, and ERCP after gastrostomy maturation should only be considered in a small selected group of patients.


In 113 cases of fetal cardiac arrhythmia, i.e. 94 with supraventricular arrhythmia, 5 with atrioventricular block and 14 with ventricular arrhythmia, the clinical outcome was studied and compared with the general pregnant population. The arrhythmia group was afflicted with a significantly increased frequency of congenital malformations, 6.2% vs. 2.0%; fetal distress in labor, 20.4% vs. 13.5%; perinatal mortality, 3.5% vs. 0.7%; and neonatal mortality, 1.8% vs. 0.1%. In 4 cases, pharmacological cardiac treatment was needed in utero due to fetal heart failure. Fetuses with cardiac arrhythmia thus constitute an obstetric and pediatric high‐risk group that should be subjected to an intensified supervision to detect fetal heart failure or fetal distress. When indicated, these complications can be treated in utero.


Objective: To compare the rate of neonatal respiratory morbidity between individuals who received prenatal corticosteroids before to caesarean delivery at 34-37 weeks and those who did not. Patients and Methods: A total of 150 patients who presented with preterm labour having gestational age between 34-37 weeks and no neonatal congenital anomaly on anomaly scan were recruited from June-2021 to December-2021 from the gynecology unit of Nishtar Hospital Multan. Women divided into two groups. Group A; in these patients intramuscular dexamethasone (12 mg) was given in 2 doses 12 hours apart. Group B (Control group): in these patients no drug was given as a prophylaxis again neonatal respiratory morbidity. After delivery, each neonate was monitored for 24 hours after delivery to determine the respiratory morbidity. Results: Mean age of patients was 31.19±5.02 years. Mean gestational age was 35.66±1.10 weeks with range of 34-37 weeks. There were 78 (52.0%) patients who were prima-gravida and remaining 72 (48.0%) were Multi-gravida. There were 14 (9.3%) patients who were having previous abortion history. Respiratory morbidity was diagnosed in only 2 (2.7%) neonates in group A and in 07 (9.3%) neonates in group B (p-value 0.08) Conclusion: Prenatal corticosteroid therapy prior to elective caesarean section at 34–37 weeks of gestation significantly reduces neonatal respiratory morbidity. Keywords: Antenatal corticosteroids, Elective cesarean section, Neonatal respiratory morbidity.


Abstract Tourism fuelled economic transformation of Ladakh region is bringing a change in demography and livelihood preferences leading to increased exploitation of scarce natural resources. In addition to the nerve centre of tourism-related activities (Leh city), rural hinterlands of Ladakh are also witnessing a stark transformation in land and resource use patterns. In this study, we quantified and assessed the changes in key environmental parameters of rural Ladakh between 1969 and 2020. We observed a decrease in glacier area, glacier volume and vegetation cover by approximately 19%, 13% and 14%, whereas built-up and lake area increased by approximately 238% and 122%, respectively. Simultaneously, local population of the region doubled while tourism footprint increased by approximately 620-folds. The study highlights the environmental changes happening at a higher rate in rural regions around Leh city. Therefore, need of the hour is to recognize the disruptive changes being brought in the traditional way of life and to devise strategies to reorient the development paradigm towards sustainable resource use and management.


With the redesign of the syllabuses in Nursing Studies new curricular strategies are implemented in order to achieve a comprehensive training in nursing graduates. A descriptive longitudinal study having an intervention section was conducted with the purpose of assessing the fulfilment of the curricular strategies in Nursing Studies. The target group was comprised of 60 students and 32 professors. Out of the total of 60 students in third academic course; 40 were interviewed at "Pepe Portilla" Children Hospital and 32 professors belonging to Pinar del Rio municipality. The different variables were expressed in tables and in percentages for a better understanding. The documentary review considered the ways to integrate the curricular strategies in each subject through the P1. The strategy related to Natural and Traditional Medicine was applied in correspondence with the academic year, as well as giving a follow up to the strategy related to the fulfilment of the ethical principles by means of the main comprehensive disciplines, taking into account the topics of sexually transmitted infections and the disciplines of Medical-surgical Nursing Care, Introduction to Public Health and Basic Foundations of the Nursing Care. The majority of the professors knew the documents to carry out the implementation and the evaluation of these strategies through the current evaluative system. The level to follow up the strategies is fulfilled by the teaching staff of the disciplines.


Nowadays, the current state of development of information and communication technology (ICT) connects individuals across time and space in one common environment, that is accessible for anyone, the virtual world. To collaborate with somebody or to participate in a team activity does not require a physical presence anymore. Virtual settings allow real-time communication and cooperation across any distance at any time with negligible delay. ICT allows formation of virtual teams where those accomplish various functions in work, education and private life. Compared to local teams of physically present individuals, the collaboration in virtual environments is more intensively influenced by significantly impacting factors and requires intensive motivation of the team members, extensive support by their team leader and appropriate technology. Among all the available ICT tools, not each ICT tool is equally suitable for each and every team activity. This paper aims to provide analysis of various ICT tools, to disclose their potential to contribute to team's quality communication and to reduce drawbacks caused by impersonal environment. Our aim is to optimize the composition of the ICT supporting infrastructure in order to form successful and effective collaboration.


The interest of this research is focused on a methodological analysis of the reading comprehension courses in EFL at Universidad de Antioquia-Colombia, where more than one hundred reading courses for undergraduate students from all programs that this university offers every semester. The specific problem of this research arises from the fact that the two English reading comprehension syllabi do not propose a concrete methodology. The data was collected from students, teachers and the syllabi, by means of questionnaires, interviews, and direct class observation.This work attempted to look for an alternative that allowed them to unify criteria to define a more effective and integral methodology for those courses. The findings showed that the teachers of the these courses did not handle enough theoretical foundations on the reading field, which became evident in the recurrent misunderstanding of concepts in relation to reading such as strategies, techniques, activities, approaches and methodologies. The conclusions remark that reading comprehension teachers need theoretical foundations to design and develop any EFL reading syllabi.


Parricide is underresearched in the UK, and the contexts of this gendered form of violence are poorly understood. Heide's typology provides an advanced understanding of parricide in the United States, where the majority of parent-killings involve firearms. This article develops a UK-based analysis of the contexts of parricide, combining national statistics with police case study data (n = 57) and case review data (n = 21). Our findings indicate that mental illness plays a key role, combined with a gendered context of "parental proximity" and the simultaneous responsibilization and marginalization of parent-victims (particularly mothers), supporting the need for feminist analyses of parricide.


Insulin resistance (IR) is frequently observed in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The relationship between IR and the angiographical characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis were investigated in 66 patients with coronary artery lesions. Insulin resistance was assessed by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). The angiographical characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis (i.e., the severity of CHD) were defined by both Gensini's score (GS) (a higher degree of coronary artery stenosis or a proximal lesion was assigned a higher score than a distal lesion) and the number of significantly stenosed vessels. When GS was examined as a categorical variable classified by tertile values (Group A, n = 22: 1< or =GS< or =14; Group B, n = 22: 15< or =GS< or =32; and Group C, n = 22: 33< or =GS), patients with a high GS (Group C) had significantly (p<0.05) higher values of fasting plasma insulin, insulin response, and HOMA IR than patients with a low GS (Group A) (12.6+/-1.2 microU/ml vs. 6.9+/-1.2 microU/ml, 122.2+/-11.9 microU ml(-1) h(-1) vs. 72.9+/-12.9 microU ml(-1) h(-1), and 2.9+/-0.3 vs. 1.5+/-0.3, respectively). The values in Group B patients (9.4+/-1.2,microU/mI, 108.5+/-12.5 microU ml(-1) h(-1), and 2.1+/-0.3, respectively) were intermediate between those in Groups A and C. The area of insulin/area of glucose ratio was significantly (p<0.05) higher in Groups B and C than in Group A (0.54+/-0.06 microU/mg, 0.54+/-0.06 microU/mg, and 0.32+/-0.06 microU/mg, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed in variables of glucose tolerance, serum lipid, lipoproteins, fibrinogen, uric acid, and blood pressure among the 3 groups. Significant (p<0.05) positive associations were found between GS, the number of diseased coronary arteries, and fasting immunoreactive insulin, insulin response, the area of insulin/area of glucose ratio and HOMA IR by logistic regression analysis. After adjusting for the number of diseased coronary arteries, the association between GS and IR was not significant, suggesting that IR contributed to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis but not to the distribution of lesions. In conclusion, IR was associated with the severity of CHD as measured by both Gensini's score and the number of diseased coronary arteries, and increased the risk of CHD regardless of the location of the lesions.


Background/Objective: To describe an apparent relationship between smoking and the neuropathic pain experience in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Case Reports. Participants/Methods: Two individuals treated at a rehabilitation center. The first was a 38-year-old white man with a T12 SCI, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS) A, secondary to motor vehicle crash. Duration of injury was 14 years. He reported burning pain in his legs, and has smoked ½ pack per day for the last 15 years. The second was a 55-year-old African American man with a T6 SCI, AIS A, secondary to gunshot wound. Duration of injury was 22 years. He was a 40-year ½ to 1 pack per day smoker, who, after injury, consistently experienced burning, radicular pain, rated 7/10, around the level of the injury. Summary: The first subject rated his pain as 4/10 when not smoking and 7/10 when smoking. The pain subsided 30 minutes after smoking was discontinued. He noted an immediate increase in neuropathic pain when smoking. The second subject quit smoking for 1 month and immediately noted that the pain disappeared, rating it 0/10. After he resumed smoking, his radicular pain was 8.5/10 in the morning and 5/10 in afternoon. Conclusions: No similar reports have been published, based on a MEDLINE search. Nicotinic receptors have been implicated in pain perception. It is unclear to what extent these 2 cases generalize to the SCI population. We plan to explore this via survey and experimental research. Smoking cessation may have a dual benefit of increased health and decreased neuropathic pain. J Spinal Cord Med. 2005;28:330–332


The allocation of authorship credit in academic publication raises complex ethical issues but is comparatively under-researched, particularly in the social sciences. The paper analyses the results of research into attitudes to multiple authorship based on a survey questionnaire of academics working in education faculties in universities in Hong Kong. The results illustrate the way in which intellectual contribution is often overridden by considerations related to hierarchical power relations, notably in relation to research project leadership and doctoral supervision. These considerations normalize a gift economy. Belief in the legitimacy of power ordering and gift ordering of academic contributions to multiple authored publications indicate the need for research universities to pay more regard to institutional policies on scholarly authorship.


Background: The association between heart rate variability (HRV), training load (TL), and performance is poorly understood. Methods: A middle-aged recreational female runner was monitored during a competitive 20-wk macrocycle divided into first (M1) and second mesocycle (M2) in which best performances over 10 km and 21 km were recorded. Volume (km), session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), TL, and monotony (mean TL/SD TL) were the workload parameters recorded. The root mean square of the successive differences in R-R intervals (RMSSD), its coefficient of variation (RMSSDcv), and the RMSSD:RR ratio were the HRV parameters monitored. Results: During M2, RMSSD (p = 0.006) and RMSSD:RR (p = 0.002) were significantly increased, while RR was significantly reduced (p = 0.017). Significant correlations were identified between monotony and volume (r = 0.552; p = 0.012), RR (r = 0.447; p = 0.048), and RMSSD:RR (r = −0.458; p = 0.042). A sudden reduction in RMSSD (from 40.31 to 24.34 ms) was observed the day before the first symptoms of an influenza. Conclusions: The current results confirm the practicality of concurrent HRV and sRPE monitoring in recreational runners, with the RMSSD:RR ratio indicative of specific adaptations. Excessive training volume may be associated to both elevated monotony and reduced RMSSD:RR. Identification of mesocycle patterns is recommended for better individualization of the periodization used.


NAMI-A, imidazolium trans-imidazoledimethylsulfoxidetetrachlororuthenate, is a ruthenium based compounds capable of inhibiting the growth of lung metastases of solid tumours in a number of experimental conditions.The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of NAMI-A by the oral route to treat lung metastases of MCa mammary carcinoma in the CBA mouse. treatment of mice, carrying intramuscular tumours in advanced stage of growth, for 11 consecutive days caused a significant reduction of the weight of lung metastases over the range of doses from 150 to 600 mg/kg/day. No sign of toxicity was observed at the histological analysis in the gut epithelium or in the kidney parenchyma, and NAMI-A concentration in the kidney was more than 10-fold lower than after intraperitoneal treatments. NAMI-A is thus active against metastases also by the oral route, suggesting the use of this way to treat tumour bearing hosts for long periods.


Introduction: Abortion is legally permitted in Sri Lanka, only if it is performed to save the mother's life. However, it is estimated that a large number of induced abortions takes place in Sri Lanka. Objective: To describe the accessibility of abortion related information and its association with attitudes towards induced abortion in an urban community in Sri Lanka Methods: A cross-sectional community-based household study was conducted in the City of Colombo among 743 respondents recruited using stratified, cluster sampling method. An interview-administered questionnaire collected data on access to formal and informal sources of information on induced abortion and attitudes on induced abortion and access to information on attitudes. Descriptive statistical analysis and non-parametric hypothesis testing were performed using SPSS software. Results: The majority of respondents agreed to legalize abortion for rape (65%), incest (55%) and pregnancies with lethal foetal abnormalities (53%). However, less than 7% agreed to legalize induced abortion for other reasons such as contraceptive failure, bad economic condition and on request. The most common source of information on abortion was informal discussions, followed by the mass media. Access to information on abortion through newspapers, leaflets/handouts, television/ radio programs and news, internet and informal discussions shows a positive association with liberal attitudes towards induced abortion. Access to mass media showed the highest influence in determining abortion attitudes. Conclusion: Access to information was positively associated with the liberal attitudes towards induced abortion.


INTRODUCTION
Despite efforts in prevention, suicide rates in the US military remain unchanged. This article describes the development of a tool for leaders to identify and mitigate suicide risk factors.

METHODS
A seven-item measure, the Leader Suicide Risk Assessment Tool (LSRAT), was constructed to allow leaders to assess and mitigate suicide drivers. During a 6-mo pilot, unit leaders completed the LSRAT for 161 at-risk soldiers. The LSRAT data were compared to clinical data from a subset of these soldiers.

RESULTS
The LSRAT showed good test-retest reliability. The LSRAT scores showed significant correlations with both clinical and screening measures of suicidality. Command actions mitigated or partially mitigated 89% of risk factors identified on the LSRAT.

CONCLUSIONS
This study provides initial psychometric data on a tool that prescribes concrete responses to mitigate risk. The LSRAT may be a valid and feasible tool to assist front-line commanders in identifying potential area's risk mitigation. Synchronization efforts between commanders, clinicians, and support services are crucial to ensure effective intervention to prevent suicide behavior.


Aim: A comparative study of immunohistochemical, hematoxylin & eosin staining and its diagnostic importance in Hirschsprung's disease. Material and Methods: The study of 510 patients comprised colorectal, appendicectomy biopsies and myectomy specimens at various levels. The study included both ganglionic and aganglionic segments of intestine. The specimens were fixed in 10% formalin solution. In the laboratory, the sections of paraffin embedded tissues were stained H & E and compared with Cathepsin D; repeated sections were taken from these cases for the demonstration of H & E and Cathepsin D. Results: In our study of 357 cases, 223 are male children and 74 are female children (Male: Female ratio-3:1). Short segment was the most commonly occurring type constituting 229 cases (64%), while long segment was 77 cases (21.5%). The less common is the total colonic aganglionosis constituting 21 cases (5.8%). Conclusions: Cathepsin D is equally good like Acetyl cholinesterase and can be used as a reliable immune-histo chemical stain in detecting immature ganglion cells..


OBJECTIVES
Anxiety modulates symptom perception in adults following concussion, prolonging the time to full recovery. The authors sought to determine whether parental anxiety was associated with persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS) in their children following concussion.

METHODS
A prospective observational cohort with 98 children aged 5 to 17 years following concussion participated from a tertiary pediatric emergency department (ED). The main exposure was parental anxiety at the time of acute presentation following pediatric concussion, measured using the self-administered, validated Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety Scale (STAI-S). The primary outcome measured was presence of PCS in the child at 1 month, per the validated Post-Concussive Symptom Inventory (PCSI). Secondary outcome measures included parental anxiety score over time, school absenteeism, and return to sports. Data were collected during the initial ED visit and at 3-day, 7-day, 2-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups.

RESULTS
Of 98 children enrolled, 27% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19% to 36%) developed PCS at 1 month. No significant associations were detected between parental anxiety at the index visits and the number of previous pediatric concussions (p = 0.73), sex (p = 0.61), loss of consciousness (p = 0.43), history of migraines (p = 0.31), or history of anxiety diagnosed in the patients (p = 0.09). A significant association was noted between patient diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and parental anxiety at the index visits (p = 0.001). Parental anxiety at acute presentation was not associated with children's prolonged symptoms at 1 month (p = 0.63). Parental anxiety remained elevated in parents whose children had prolonged symptoms compared to those parents whose children's symptoms resolved (median = 30, interquartile range [IQR] = 22 to 44; and median = 21, IQR = 20 to 25, respectively; p < 0.001). Initial parental anxiety presentation was not associated with school absenteeism (p = 0.23) or not returning to sport or gym class (p = 0.89). There were no significant effects involving ADHD alone (p = 0.44) or together with baseline parental anxiety (p = 0.36 for ADHD and p = 0.55 for anxiety) using logistic regression analysis to examine potential predictive effects of child's ADHD combined with parental anxiety at the index visit on persistent symptoms at 1 month.

CONCLUSIONS
Parental anxiety at time of acute presentation does not appear to be associated with prolongation of postconcussive symptoms in their children. However, parents of persistently symptomatic children remain significantly more anxious than those whose children's symptoms have resolved. Future research should attempt to reduce the familial burden of concussion through expectation management strategies.


The pathological characteristics and natural history of 35 gastric remnant cancers after partial gastrectomy for a malignant condition and 16 gastric cancers after gastrectomy for benign conditions were compared. Gastric remnant cancer following malignant disease was characterized by a well defined rather than diffuse appearance (in 43 versus 12 per cent of gastric remnant cancers after benign conditions, P < 0·05), location away from the anastomosis (83 versus 25 per cent, P < 0·05) and a shorter interval after the first operation (5–14 versus ≧ 20 years, P < 0·01). The 15‐ and 16‐year survival rates appeared to be worse for gastric remnant cancer after malignant than after benign disease, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in a generalized Wilcoxon test. In the former, direct invasion to adjacent organs was frequently observed. These findings suggest that gastric remnant cancer after gastrectomy for malignancy may be a metachronous multiple lesion, while that following benign disease may occur as a new cancer caused by the partial gastrectomy. To improve the survival of patients with cancer after gastrectomy for malignancy, a rational extended operation may be useful.


Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have played increasingly important role in antivirus detection. At present, some principal artificial intelligence techniques applied in antivirus detection are proposed, including heuristic technique, data mining, agent technique, artificial immune, and artificial neural network. It believes that it will improve the performance of antivirus detection systems, and promote the production of new artificial intelligence algorithm and the application in antivirus detection to integrate antivirus detection with artificial intelligence. This paper introduces the main artificial intelligence technologies, which have been applied in antivirus system. Meanwhile, it also points out a fact that combining all kinds of artificial intelligence technologies will become the main development trend in the field of antivirus.


We present a continuous variable tomography scheme that reconstructs the Husimi Q function (Wigner function) by Lagrange interpolation, using measurements of the Q function (Wigner function) at the Padua points, conjectured to be optimal sampling points for two dimensional reconstruction. Our approach drastically reduces the number of measurements required compared to using equidistant points on a regular grid, although reanalysis of such experiments is possible. The reconstruction algorithm produces a reconstructed function with exponentially decreasing error and quasilinear runtime in the number of Padua points. Moreover, using the interpolating polynomial of the Q function, we present a technique to directly estimate the density matrix elements of the continuous variable state, with only a linear propagation of input measurement error. Furthermore, we derive a state-independent analytical bound on this error, such that our estimate of the density matrix is accompanied by a measure of its uncertainty.


Although much efforts have been devoted to understanding IS change processes that take place in a single organization, there is very little understanding about the change processes that affect IS decisions and developments across organizations. In this paper we provide a conceptual framework to analyze and explain complex multi-level IS change. To demonstrate the use of the framework we apply it to analyze changes in the domain of eCustoms, as in this domain we find rich examples of multi-level IS changes. The framework combines the work on "motors of change" by Van de Ven and Poole with Pettigrew's notions of "vertical" and "horizontal" levels of analysis. Based on our case analysis we conclude that the conceptual framework proves to be a useful lens through which to analyze complex multi-level IS change. We propose extensions of the framework by identifying different interaction types between the changes and we outline directions for further research. In this respect, this paper can be seen as a contribution to the existing IOS research on change.


In this paper, progress in the development of high-efficiency metal-insulator-semiconductor inversion-layer (MIS-IL) silicon solar cells at ISFH is presented. We fabricated MIS-IL solar cells showing independently confirmed energy conversion efficiencies of up to 18.5%. This represents the highest value reported to date for MIS-IL silicon cells. The increase in cell efficiency has been possible by improvements along several lines: (i) reduced perimeter recombination losses, (ii) a reduced contact resistance of the MIS front grid, and (iii) reduced rear surface recombination losses. The cells are characterised in detail and design modifications for further improvements towards 20% efficiency are presented.


Motivation and self-efficacy are fundamental factors that influence second language acquisition and are increasingly considered a significant concern in psychology and foreign language didactics. For an in-depth exploration of the subject, action research was conducted to learn whether the motivation strategies proposed by Dörnyei (2001) influence learners' self-efficacy in SLA. The study focused on introducing selected motivational techniques to the research group and measuring the impact of the application of these strategies in the classroom on learners' levels of self-efficacy and motivation. All the data needed to answer the research questions were collected using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The most valuable conclusion that emerges from the research results is that selected motivational techniques increase students' level of self-efficacy in second language acquisition.


Abstract In this article the author argues that for 150 years Jewish education has negotiated the tensions between modernity and Judaism by means of liberal religion, ultra Orthodoxy, and secular Zionism. All three are in crisis today due to the rise of postmodernism. Jewish educational thought therefore needs to create new syntheses between Jewish and postmodern life. To this end the concepts of Aliyah, modernity, and exile should be reevaluated and Jewish education should embrace the goal of working with God toward redemption. For more than 150 years Jewish education has focused on the tensions between rabbinic Judaism and modernity. Each of the models for negotiating these tensions-religious liberalism, ultra orthodoxy, and secular Zionism-succeeded beyond the imaginations of those who conceived them. Yet, each is in a state of crisis today, resulting from a deconstruction of both the rabbinic and modern assumptions upon which they are based. Addressing these crises requires reevaluation of key assumptions about the educational significance of Israel, modernity, and exile in order to lay the groundwork for more productive interactions between the Jewish people and its heritage on the one hand and the postmodern condition into which we are emerging on the other.


In a Wireless sensor network, specifically data aggregation reduces the amount of communication and energy utilization. Newly, the research centre has proposed a strong aggregation framework called synopsis diffusion which combines multipath routing schemes with duplicate-insensitive algorithms to perfectly compute aggregates (e.g., predicate Count, Sum) unkindness of message losing results from node and communication failures. But this aggregation framework does not solve the problems which are appearing at base station side. These problems may occur due to the irrespective of the network size, the per node communication over-head. In this paper, we make the synopsis diffusion approach secure against attacks in which compromised nodes put in false sub aggregate values. In particular, we present a novel lightweight verification algorithm by which the base station can determine if the computed aggregate (predicate Count or Sum) includes any false input. In this paper, we study the compromised node and denial-of-service is the two key attacks in wireless sensor networks. We disagree that multipath routing approaches are highly helpless to such attacks. So, for these attacks we develop the mechanisms that generate randomized multipath routes. In this designing, the routes are taken by the shares of dissimilar packets transform over time. So, we analytically examine the security and energy performance of proposed schemes.


This study proposes a two-phase non-inverting buck-boost converter that uses a coupled inductor. The multi-phase converter has many advantages over single-phase counterparts, such as reduced output current ripple and conduction loss in switching devices and passive elements. Although the output current ripple of the multi-phase converter is reduced significantly because of the interleaved effect, the inductor current ripple is not reduced in multi-phase converters. One of the solutions to this problem is to use a coupled inductor. A 4 kW prototype converter is built and tested to verify the performance of the proposed converter.


In an attempt to develop a model of the denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease that can be analyzed experimentally under physiological conditions, a series of four large fragments of this small protein which extend from residues 1 to 103, 1 to 112, 1 to 128, and 1 to 136 have been generated through the overexpression of nuclease genes containing stop codons at defined positions. Large amounts of protein fragments were accumulated in induced cells and were purified by carrying out all fractionation steps in the presence of 6 M urea. The far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra of all four fragments suggested the presence of small to moderate amounts of residual structure. When the CD spectra were monitored as a function of concentrations of the tight-binding ligands Ca2+ and thymidine 3',5'-bisphosphate and the known affinity constants for wild-type nuclease (1-149) were used, apparent equilibrium constants of 160 and 2000 for the reversible denaturation reaction for fragments 1-136 and 1-128, respectively, were estimated. Four single and two double mutations, all of which exhibit unusual behavior in the full-length protein on solvent denaturation [Shortle, D., & Meeker, A. K. (1986) Proteins: Struct., Funct., Genet. 1, 81-89] and thermal denaturation [Shortle, D., Meeker, A. K., & Freire, E. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 4761-4768], were recombined into the 1-136 and 1-128 fragment expression vectors, and purified mutant fragments were characterized.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We consider the problem of efficiently solving Sylvester and Lyapunov equations of medium and large scale, in case of rank-structured data, i.e., when the coefficient matrices and the right-hand side have low-rank off-diagonal blocks. This comprises problems with banded data, recently studied in [22,32], which often arise in the discretization of elliptic PDEs. We show that, under suitable assumptions, the quasiseparable structure is guaranteed to be numerically present in the solution, and explicit novel estimates of the numerical rank of the off-diagonal blocks are provided.
Efficient solution schemes that rely on the technology of hierarchical matrices are described, and several numerical experiments confirm the applicability and efficiency of the approaches. We develop a MATLAB toolbox that allows easy replication of the experiments and a ready-to-use interface for the solvers. The performances of the different approaches are compared, and we show that the new methods described are efficient on several classes of relevant problems.


Puccinia psidii, the causal agent of myrtle rust, was first recorded from Latin America more than 100 years ago. It occurs on many native species of Myrtaceae in Latin America and also infects non-native plantation-grown Eucalyptus species in the region. The pathogen has gradually spread to new areas including Australia and most recently South Africa. The aim of this study was to consider the susceptibility of selected Eucalyptus genotypes, particularly those of interest to South African forestry, to infection by P. psidii. In addition, risk maps were compiled based on suitable climatic conditions and the occurrence of potential susceptible tree species. This made it possible to identify the season when P. psidii would be most likely to infect and to define the geographic areas where the rust disease would be most likely to establish in South Africa. As expected, variation in susceptibility was observed between eucalypt genotypes tested. Importantly, species commonly planted in South Africa show good potential for yielding disease-tolerant material for future planting. Myrtle rust is predicted to be more common in spring and summer. Coastal areas, as well as areas in South Africa with subtropical climates, are more conducive to outbreaks of the pathogen.


Control systems are usually modeled by differential equations describing how physical phenomena can be influenced by certain control parameters or inputs. Although these models are very powerful when dealing with physical phenomena, they are less suitable to describe software and hardware interfacing the physical world. This has spurred a recent interest in describing control systems through symbolic models that are abstract descriptions of the continuous dynamics, where each "symbol" corresponds to an "aggregate" of continuous states in the continuous model. Since these symbolic models are of the same nature of the models used in computer science to describe software and hardware, they provided a unified language to study problems of control in which software and hardware interact with the physical world. In this paper we show that every incrementally globally asymptotically stable nonlinear control system is approximately equivalent (bisimilar) to symbolic model with a precision that can be chosen a-priori. We also show that for digital controlled systems, in which inputs are piecewise-constant, and under the stronger assumption of incremental input-to-state stability, the symbolic models can be obtained, based on a suitable quantization of the inputs.


The identity of a peptidase activity with human serum pseudocholinesterase (PsChE) purified to apparent homogeneity was demonstrated by co-elution of both peptidase and PsChE activities from procainamide-Sepharose and concanavalin-A--Sepharose affinity chromatographic columns; comigration on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; co-elution on Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and coprecipitation at different dilutions of an antibody raised against purified PsChE. The purified enzyme showed a single protein band on gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions. SDS gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions, followed by silver staining, also gave a single protein band (Mr approximately equal to 90,000). Peptidase activity using different peptides showed the release of C-terminal amino acids. Blocking the carboxy terminal by an amide or ester group did not prevent the hydrolysis of peptides. There was no evidence for release of N-terminal amino acids. Potent anionic or esterase site inhibitors of PsChE, such as eserine sulphate, neostigmine, procainamide, ethopropazine, imipramine, diisopropylfluorophosphate, tetra-isopropylpyrophosphoramide and phenyl boronic acid, did not inhibit the peptidase activity. An anionic site inhibitor (neostigmine or eserine) in combination with an esterase site inhibitor (diisopropylfluorophosphate) also did not inhibit the peptidase. However, the choline esters (acetylcholine, butyrylcholine, propionylcholine, benzoylcholine and succinylcholine) markedly inhibited the peptidase activity in parallel to PsChE. Choline alone or in combination with acetate, butyrate, propionate, benzoate or succinate did not significantly inhibit the peptidase activity. It appeared that inhibitor compounds which bind to both the anionic and esteratic sites simultaneously (like the substrate analogues choline esters) could inhibit the peptidase activity possibly through conformational changes affecting a peptidase domain.


Many theories of biochemical processes in cancer assign a conspicuous role to quantitative changes in glutathione. Variations in the reduced form are said to be responsible for the alleged abnormal proteolysis in malignant tissue; variations in the equilibrium between the reduced and the oxidized form are said to be partly responsible for, or at least to reflect, the disturbed oxidation-reduction balance. Such difficulty surrounds the collection and preparation of human normal and neoplastic material that most of the studies of glutathione in human cancer are confined to the concentrations found in blood. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the quantitative alterations in tissue glutathione content, sufficient to initiate or to stimulate a malignant process there, might be accompanied by quantitative alterations of this constituent in the blood. This investigation was undertaken to show what differences, if any, can be found between the reduced and the oxidized glutathione contents of the blood of cancerous and of noncancerous individuals.


The reflection properties of the stigma in male gametes of Ectocarpus siliculosus (Dillw.) Lyngbye were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy in the epireflection contrast mode. The complex reflection pattern obtained after optical xy (horizontal) and xz (vertical) sectioning was consistent with stigma ultrastructure as revealed by serial thin sections. The intensity and pattern of the reflection signal varied with the orientation of the cell/stigma to the incident laser light. Maximal reflection occurred only in approximately normal orientation of the stigma to the light source. Focusing of reflected light from an elongated concave depression of the stigma on the region of the flagellar swelling was observed in xy and xz sections of living and fixed gametes. The results indicate the importance of mechanisms (focusing) other than quarter‐wave interference reflection in signal amplification by the eyespot of flagellate algae.


The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized test method that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) can apply to evaluate the environmental impact of stormwater infrastructure materials. Three laboratory stormwater infrastructure material leaching protocols named static, stirbar, and modified Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (mTCLP) were developed. These protocols were evaluated for their ability to predict field stormwater quality and aquatic toxicity caused by a pipe rehabilitation material. Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) was used in this study as a model rehabilitation material because there was prior evidence this technology could cause environmental damage. The study objective was achieved, and during this project it was discovered that the material installation process itself was the main cause of environmental pollution, more than the material. Additional materials and installation processes should be examined in future work. Freshly cured CIPP samples were removed from the field and were submerged in synthetic stormwater and deionized water (54 hr, 23°C, pH 7.2, 120 ppm as CaCO₃). Every 18 hour extractant water was analyzed for chemical oxygen demand (COD), UV₂₅₄ absorbance, and styrene levels along with nonvolatile organic contaminants. CIPP weight gain measurements were also conducted to understand polymer composite water interaction. Results showed that the greatest CIPP weight increase occurred during the first contact period and was roughly 2% to 3%. Water pH and alkalinity levels were unaffected by contact with CIPP specimens. The mTCLP method resulted in the greatest chemical leaching as shown by elevated COD, UV₂₅₄ absorbance, and styrene levels, while the static and stirbar methods both poorly predicted field stormwater quality levels. For mTCLP testing, COD, UV₂₅₄ absorbance, and styrene levels for the material leaching protocols were roughly 12, 43, and 4 times less than levels observed in the field stormwater, respectively. Water type, exposure duration, and agitation methods were found to be statistically significant factors influencing chemical release. Four tentatively identified chemicals were detected in both the laboratory and field testing that included styrene, benzene, 4-(1,1-dimethyl)-cyclohexanol, and 4-(1,1-dimethyl)-cyclohexanone. Several (18) contaminants found in field stormwater were not detected during laboratory material leaching tests. With the exception of styrene, the concentration of detected chemicals was not quantified. None of the laboratory material leaching test extractant waters was acutely toxic to Daphnia magna for any exposure period. As shown by the results of this study, chemicals other than styrene were released by CIPP into stormwater. Any further CIPP testing should not be limited to a few contaminants, but be expanded to include other contaminants of environmental and human health concern. Further work is necessary to determine the ability of the mTCLP method to predict field stormwater levels at multiple installation sites, for broader range of materials, and evaluate additional water quality and toxicity indicators. Additional materials that should be examined with this method include at least those that are created in-situ by chemical reactions such as spray-on coatings and liners. Further testing with additional model systems and individual compounds and at field sites is recommended.


Field studies have shown that subsurface drainage systems can be managed to conserve water and reduce losses of nitrogen (N) to surface waters. The practice, called controlled drainage (CD) or drainage water management (DWM), is a viable alternative for reducing N loads from drained cropland, including millions of acres in the Midwest. This article reviews past studies on the effect of CD on drainage volumes and N losses for a wide range of soils and climatological conditions and uses simulations to examine mechanisms affecting the practice. Results published in the literature show that CD has reduced drainage volumes and N losses in drainage waters by 17% to over 80%, depending on soil properties, crops, drainage intensities, control strategies, and location. This study resulted in the following conclusions. CD reduces subsurface drainage and raises water tables, while increasing ET, seepage, and surface runoff. Seepage, which depends on soil properties and site conditions, is an important factor that often governs the effectiveness of CD. Experiments to determine the effect of CD on drainage volumes and N losses should be conducted on the field or watershed scale so that impacts of seepage are properly represented. Increases in ET in response to CD are important but are rarely greater than 10%. The effect of this increase in water use on drainage water loss is also less than 10% for most locations. CD reduces N losses in drainage water by about the same percentage as its effect on subsurface drainage volume in most cases. The effect of CD on N loss to surface waters depends on denitrification, both in the profile and in reduced zones along seepage paths. For soils that do not develop reduced zones, the effect of CD on N loss may be substantially less than its effect on drainage volume.