Reported here are studies that have established novel features of the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction of substrates containing tethered trapping moieties. Products having new structural motifs can be created. (i) Medium-sized fused rings can be produced by varying the length of the tether. (ii) The tether can emanate from an atom within the linker unit that joins the 1,3-diyne and diynophile. (iii) The importance of the rate of trapping by the benzynophile is established.


We have carried out a thorough optical study of the closest star formation jet. The inner arcminute surrounding the class 0/I binary protostar L1551 IRS5 and its associated jet (HH154) have been observed using the Hubble Space Telescope with the WFPC2 camera, the ESO New Technology Telescope with the EMMI spectrograph and the Nordic Optical Telescope with the ALFOSC spectrograph. This data set is compared to earlier ground based imaging with the aim to study the evolution of this particular jet, and its possible interaction with the molecular material in the bipolar molecular outflow associated with this source. The velocity field of the jet is mapped out. The highest velocities are found in the vicinity of the recently discovered X-ray source emanating from a shock in this jet. The energy radiated by the X-ray source is compatible with these velocities. The Hα and Hβ emission from the jet is used to determine the extinction, which is found to increase inwards in the jet towards the protostar. The extinction towards the X-ray source is consistent with the one determined from the X-ray spectrum.


Background Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses are the leading cause of death in the developing world. However; there is limited evidence regarding the incidence of mortality among admitted HIV patients in Ethiopia. Objective To determine the incidence of mortality and its predictors among admitted HIV/AIDS patients in selected tertiary care hospitals in Ethiopia. Methods A prospective cohort study involving 136 admitted HIV/AIDS patients from April 1 to August 31, 2018 was conducted in selected tertiary care hospitals in Ethiopia. Data were collected on socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, and drug related variables. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used to compare survival experience of the patients and identify independent predictors of mortality. Hazard ratio was used as a measure of strength of association and p-value of <0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. Results Of 136 patients, 80 (58.8%) were females. The overall in-hospital incidence of mortality was 2.83 per 1000 person-years. The incidences of mortality due to AIDS and non-AIDS related admissions were 6.1 [3.95, 8.67] and 5.3 [3.35, 8.23] per 1000 person-years respectively. The mean ± SD survival times among patients with AIDS and non-AIDS related illnesses were 32 ± 3.1 and 34 ± 3.3 days respectively (log rank p = 0.599). Being on non-invasive ventilation (AHR: 2.99, 95%CI; [1.24, 7.28]; p = 0.015) and having baseline body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 (AHR: 2.6, 95%CI; [1.03, 6.45]; p = 0.04) were independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion The study found high incidence of in-hospital mortality among admitted HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopian tertiary care hospitals. Being on non-invasive ventilation and body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 were found to be independent predictors of mortality.


A novel virus infecting elderberry was identified by high-throughput Illumina sequencing of double strand RNAs isolated form elderberry leaves. The complete genome sequence obtained (4512 nucleotides in length) shows an organization typical for aureusviruses, with five open reading frames (ORFs) and the typical ORF1-RT expression by the readthrough of an amber stop codon. The analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and coat protein (CP) sequences showed the highest identity (respectively 75.7% and 55%) with the corresponding amino acid sequences of Pothos latent virus. These two values, below the species demarcation criteria for the genus, indicate that the detected virus is a new member of genus Aureusvirus, family Tombusviridae, with the proposed name Elderberry aureusvirus 1 (ElAV1). A survey confirmed the wide distribution of ElAV1 in elderberry in the Czech Republic. Phylogenetic analyses of RdRp and CP sequences showed distinct microevolution of geographically separated isolates, with a tendency for isolates coming from close localities or from the same region to cluster together but heterogeneity of viral populations down to a local scale was also observed. The symptomatology of the new virus is not fully clear, but many infected trees were either asymptomatic or showed mild chlorotic mosaics. More severe symptoms, potentially impacting yields of flowers or berries, were observed in plants with mixed infections of ElAV1 and other elderberry viruses. Further efforts are now needed to determine ElAV1 prevalence outside the Czech Republic and to unravel its epidemiology.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Diffusion-weighted MR images have enabled measurement of directionality of diffusion (anisotropy) in white matter. To investigate differences in the anisotropy for various types of pathologic findings and the association between the anisotropy of tracts and neurologic dysfunction, we compared the anisotropy of the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the corona radiata between patients with stroke and those with tumors and between patients with and without hemiparesis.

METHODS
Thirty-three patients consisting of 11 with tumors and 22 with ischemic disease (16 acute infarction, four old infarction, and two transient ischemic attack) and nine control patients were studied with a 1.5-T MR imager. Diffusion-weighted images were obtained with diffusion gradients applied in three orthogonal directions. The diffusion anisotropy measurements were obtained from regions of interests defined within the internal capsule and the corona radiata.

RESULTS
The diffusion anisotropy was significantly reduced in all internal capsules and coronae radiata involved by infarcts, tumors, and peritumoral edema compared with that of the control patients (P <.0001). This reduction was most prominent in the tracts involved by tumors (P <.05). The anisotropy of the internal capsules and coronae radiata was significantly decreased in cases with moderate-to-severe hemiparesis as compared with those with no or mild hemiparesis (P <.0001). Diffusion anisotropy tended to be also reduced in normal-appearing internal capsules and coronae radiata that were remote from the involved segment of the corticospinal tract.

CONCLUSION
The degree of impaired diffusion anisotropy may vary in different pathologic conditions and correlate with neurologic dysfunction. The measurement of diffusion anisotropy may provide additional information relating to neurologic function and transneuronal effects.


Abstract While the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 and subsequent reauthorizations defined all minors under the age of 18 involved in commercial sex acts as victims, state and local systems continue to classify prostituted minors who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents as offenders. A review of the historical, neurological, and developmental vulnerabilities typical of child sex trafficking victims reveals serious doubts regarding their ability to control their choices or escape from a trafficker. The uniform shielding of all child victims of sex trafficking, whether international or domestic, from legal culpability for the criminal conduct of traffickers is recommended.


Many stimulated shale-gas wells experience surprisingly low fracturing-fluid recoveries. Fracture closure, gravity segregation, proppant distribution, and shut-in (soaking) time have been widely postulated to be the contributing factors. This study examines the effects of these factors on fracturing-fluid distribution and subsequent well performance using flow and geomechanical simulations. In the end, two real-field examples are used to validate the findings in this study.
 Geomechanical simulation is used to capture the complex post-closure fracture geometry caused by nonuniform proppant distribution. The geometry is then passed into a series of 3D numerical flow models that are constructed using petrophysical parameters, fluid properties, and operational constraints representative of the Horn River shale-gas reservoir. Within the flow simulation, the hydraulic fracture is represented explicitly in the computational domain by means of local-grid refinement, and the physical process of fracture closure during shut-in and production periods is modeled by adjusting the fracture volume and fracture conductivity dynamically. Non-Darcy behavior caused by high gas velocity in the fracture and matrix desorption are considered. The results of the geomechanical simulation confirm the formation of a residual opening above the proppant pack in a partially propped fracture. The residual opening offers a highly conductive flow path for the gas, which is much more mobile than the water-based fracturing fluid, and this difference in mobility further aggravates gravity segregation. Gravity segregation might lead to water accumulating near the bottom of a vertical planar fracture, but reduced fracture conductivity could limit the segregation and promote a more uniform fluid distribution. Water uptake into the matrix is influenced by forced and spontaneous imbibition caused by the large pressure differential across the matrix/fracture interface and matrix capillarity. Additional water is displaced into the matrix as pressure depletes and the fracture closes. Fracturing-fluid-penetration depth increases with shut-in time, resulting in an enhancement in the initial gas rate, but lower late-time production is also observed.
 Analysis of the residual opening of a partially propped fracture and its role in fracturing-fluid distribution in three dimensions is novel. Field examples suggest that considering the various physical mechanisms investigated in this study could improve the accuracy of the numerical model for history matching and the reliability of the ensuing production forecasting. The findings in this study might provide a better understanding of fracturing-fluid distribution, which is useful for optimizing production strategies and operations concerning hydraulically fractured shale-gas reservoirs.


Context. Mid- and far-infrared observations of the environment around embedded protostars reveal a plethora of high excitation molecular and atomic emission lines. Different mechanisms for the origin of these lines have been proposed, including shocks induced by protostellar jets and radiation or heating by the embedded protostar of its immediate surroundings.
 Aims: By studying of the most important molecular and atomic coolants, we aim at constraining the physical conditions around the embedded protostars SMM3 and SMM4 in the Serpens molecular cloud core and measuring the CO/H$_{2}$ ratio in warm gas.
 Methods: Spectro-imaging observations from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) and the Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) provide an almost complete wavelength coverage between 5 and 200 {$μ$}m. Within this range, emission from all major molecular (H$_{2}$, CO, H$_{2}$O and OH) and many atomic ([OI], [CII], [FeII], [SiII] and [SI]) coolants of excited gas are detected. Emission line maps reveal the morphology of the observed emission and indicate associations between the different species. The excitation conditions for molecular species are assessed through rotational diagrams. Emission lines from major coolants are compared to the results of steady-state C- and J-type shock models.
 Results: Line emission tends to peak at distances of ~{}10-20{Prime} from the protostellar sources with all but [CII] peaking at the positions of outflow shocks seen in near-IR and sub-millimeter interferometric observations. The [CII] emission pattern suggests that it is most likely excited from energetic UV radiation originating from the nearby flat-spectrum source SMM6. Excitation analysis indicates that H$_{2}$ and CO originate in gas at two distinct rotational temperatures of ~{}300 K and 1000 K, while the excitation temperature for H$_{2}$O and OH is ~{}100-200 K. The morphological and physical association between CO and H$_{2}$ suggests a common excitation mechanism, which allows direct comparisons between the two molecules. The CO/H$_{2}$ abundance ratio varies from ~{}10$^{-5}$ in the warmer gas up to ~{}10$^{-4}$ in the hotter regions. Shock models indicate that C-shocks can account for the observed line intensities if a beam filling factor and a temperature stratification in the shock front are considered. C-type shocks can best explain the emission from H$_{2}$O. The existence of J-shocks is suggested by the strong atomic/ionic (except for [CII]) emission and a number of line ratio diagnostics. Dissociative shocks can account for the CO and H$_{2}$ emission in a single excitation temperature structure.
 Conclusions: The bulk of cooling from molecular and atomic lines is associated with gas excited in outflow shocks. The strong association between H$_{2}$ and CO constrain their abundance ratio in warm gas. Both C- and J-type shocks can account for the observed molecular emission; however, J-shocks are strongly suggested by the atomic emission and provide simpler and more homogeneous solutions for CO and H$_{2}$. The variations in the CO/H$_{2}$ abundance ratio for gas at different temperatures can be interpreted by their reformation rates in dissociative J-type shocks, or the influence of both C and J shocks. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Appendices A-C are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org


Abstract The intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is generally linked with a reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but an elevated n6PUFA intake, without simultaneous n3PUFA supply, may elevate the risk. PUFAs are suspected as being easily oxidized and have a potential role in lipoprotein oxidation and inflammation. Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are resistant to oxidation. However, in a Western diet, their most important source is red meat, a food stuff rich in heme iron which can catalyze oxidative reactions. Therefore, different serum fatty acid (FA) proportions (free + esterified) were correlated with the status of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation in vivo (conjugated dienes = oxLDLlipids and antibody-based oxidized proteins = oxLDLprot) and inflammation (serum CRP) in 2196 Finnish subjects (age: 24–39 years) using CVD risk factor-adjusted linear regression models. High n6PUFA, PUFA/SFA and n6/n3 ratios, and low SFA and MUFA were all associated with reduced levels of oxLDLlipids, oxLDLprot, and CRP. These findings at the population level suggest that PUFAs are negatively and SFAs and MUFAs positively related with LDL oxidation and inflammation; these conclusions are in line with previous observations linking PUFAs, particularly n6PUFAs, with lower CVD risk, and SFAs with increased risk.


Umbilical cord occlusion (UCO), a known risk factor for perinatal brain damage, causes severe fetal asphyxia leading to oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and cell death. We have determined the effects of two 10-min UCO on the distribution of the lipid peroxidation marker 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and the activated form of the apoptosis marker caspase-3 in the brains of late-gestation fetal sheep. UCO caused asphyxia, hypertension, and bradycardia, but these parameters normalized 2 h after the occlusion. At postmortem, 48 h after the second UCO there were significantly higher numbers of 4-HNE–positive cells in all layers of the hippocampus and cerebellum, the parietal cortex, substantia nigra, caudate nucleus, putamen, and thalamus compared with control brains. 4-HNE immunoreactivity was also found in white matter tracts of the subcallosal bundle, external medullary lamina, reticular thalamic nucleus, and cerebellar fiber tracts only in UCO brains. Double-labeling identified these cells as predominantly neurons and astrocytes, with oligodendrocytes showing lower levels of 4-HNE immunoreactivity. After UCO, the number of caspase-3-immunoposotive cells was increased significantly in the hippocampal CA1, molecular layer and dentate gyrus, ventrolateral thalamic nucleus, substantia nigra, putamen, and cerebellar granular and molecular layers compared with controls. Double-labeling revealed caspase-3 immunoreactivity was mainly in neurons, and to lesser extent in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Pyknotic cell numbers were significantly increased in hippocampal CA1 and CA3, parietal cortex, caudate nucleus, putamen, and cerebellar Purkinje cells after UCO. These data indicate that brief asphyxia induces widespread lipid peroxidation involving all cell types of the fetal brain and apoptosis in both neurons and glia.


The present study considers a unionised duopoly with the two most popular labour market institutions, i.e. efficient bargaining (EB) and right to manage (RTM) unions and analyses product market stability under quantity competition. By focusing on the role played by labour market institutions on the market dynamics, we show that when the preference of unions towards wages is fairly low, (i) the stability region under RTM is higher than under EB, and (ii) a rise in the union power in the Nash bargaining monotonically increases (reduces) the parametric stability region under RTM (EB). In contrast, when the preference of unions towards wages becomes higher, an increase in the union's bargaining power acts: (1) as an economic stabiliser when the union power is still low; (2) as an economic de-stabiliser when the union power is already high. These results shed some light on the effects of how labour market structures affect out-of equilibrium behaviours in a duopoly in addition to the many established results on how they affect equilibrium behaviours in such a context, and thus also constitute policy warnings for the design of the labour market institutions as regards the important issue of economic stability.


O-2-18F-fluoroethyl-l-tyrosine ([18F]FET) has been widely used for glioblastomas (GBM) in clinical practice, although evaluation of its applicability in non-clinical research is still lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the value of [18F]FET for treatment evaluation and prognosis prediction of anti-angiogenic drug in an orthotopic mouse model of GBM. Human U87MG cells were implanted into nude mice and then bevacizumab, a representative anti-angiogenic drug, was administered. We monitored the effect of anti-angiogenic agents using multiple imaging modalities, including bioluminescence imaging (BLI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). Among these imaging methods analyzed, only [18F]FET uptake showed a statistically significant decrease in the treatment group compared to the control group (P=0.02 and P=0.03 at 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively). This indicates that [18F]FET PET is a sensitive method to monitor the response of GBM bearing mice to anti-angiogenic drug. Moreover, [18F]FET uptake was confirmed to be a significant parameter for predicting the prognosis of anti-angiogenic drug (P=0.041 and P=0.007, on Days 7 and 12, respectively, on Pearson's correlation; P=0.048 and P=0.030, on Days 7 and 12, respectively, on Cox regression analysis). However, results of BLI or MRI were not significantly associated with survival time. In conclusion, this study suggests that [18F]FET PET imaging is a pertinent imaging modality for sensitive monitoring and accurate prediction of treatment response to anti-angiogenic agents in an orthotopic model of GBM.


This paper explores the analysis of third and ninth harmonic injection to the modulation of a multilevel diode clamped converter (DCC) at a varying modulation index. The spectral distributions of the various multi-level waveforms obtained under normal modulation index of 0.8 and over modulation index of 1.15 were presented in this work. The contribution of this paper is rooted in the introduction of ninth harmonic component to higher-levels of diode clamped converters with reference to the existing third order harmonic injected modulation with detailed Simulink models of 3rd, 5th and 9th voltage levels. The analysis and results obtained from this work shows appreciable reduction in the magnitudes of harmonic distortion values thus ensuring optimum and efficient devices performance. Keywords: harmonic injected modulation, spectral analysis, pulse width modulation, diode clamped converter, modulation


Abstract In this project, the Faddeev-Watson-Lovelace (FWL) formalism is generalized to large scattering angles. The angular range includes 0-180 degrees. Using this method, the charge transfer differential cross-sections are calculated, in a second-order approximation, for collision of energetic positrons and electrons with neutral positronium atoms. In this approximation, the rearrangement amplitude contains two first-order and three second-order partial amplitudes. The first first-order term is the Born amplitude in a first-order approximation. The second one corresponds to capturing the transferred particle without perturbing the state of this particle. This term, in fact, describes a knock-on process. Since the masses of the particles and the absolute values of their charges are equal, one expects that the second-order terms be similar in magnitude. This aspect causes the instructive interference of the partial amplitudes in some angles and destructive interference in some others. However, it is predicted that these amplitudes have local maxima in direction of the recoiling of the projectile. In order to investigate this situation, the second-order partial amplitudes are calculated and their relations with the parity of the initial and final states of the scattering system are analyzed. In particular, the role of dynamical interference of these partial amplitudes in creation of the kinematical peak and the peak corresponding to the knock-on scattering in angular distribution of the differential cross sections is investigated.


In 2015, the Paris Agreement at COP21 on climate change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction formed major steps towards increasing resilience to climate-related extreme events. Long-term risk and response analyses in support of these agreements and the IPCC assessments tend to be dominated by the development and formal analysis of Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). While such analyses are an important mechanism to advance analytical knowledge about future risks, they constrain creative analysis and there is a complementary role for more qualitative foresight developed by diverse experts and stakeholders to explore future risks and opportunities. Such foresight can strengthen both climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in terms of science, policy and practice, and also link with other international mechanisms such as the Sustainable Development Goals and explore the implications of the global agreements for European, national and local action. In this context, this presentation will synthesize the results of a workshop on foresight in support of climate change adaptation and disaster risk management that was held in October 2016 in Vienna in the context of the PLACARD project (EU Coordination and Support Action in the Horizon2020 programme aiming at advancing collaboration between the two areas). The presentation will cover how current megatrends affect the risks of/vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events and enhance the capacity to reduce these risks in three areas: Living and working (urbanization, technological change, magnitude and distribution of economic growth); Health and wellbeing (demographics, changing disease burdens and risks of pandemics, environmental pollution, pressures on ecosystems, climate change) and Safety and security (global competition for resources, migration, nationalism/polarization). In addition, in foresight it is important to think beyond megatrends: which surprise events or development could occur that would break or add to the megatrends that are currently considered?


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of telmisartan on the expression of PPARγ in rat renal tissue of IgA nephropathy model and clarify the possible mechanism of telmisartan in tubulointerstitial injury.

METHODS
The experimental rat model with IgA nephropathy was induced by bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, IgA model group, rosiglitazone group, telmisartan group and losartan group. At pre-administration, Weeks 4, 8 and 10, the quantity of 24-hour proteinuria was measured. The morphologic changes of renal tissues were evaluated by electron microscope. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expressions of PPARγ, TGF-β1 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in different groups and RT-PCR to detect the expressions of PPARγ, TGF-β1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in different groups.

RESULTS
Compared with control group, 24-hour proteinuria(mg) increased markedly in IgA model group (14.14 ± 1.99 vs 1.59 ± 0.18), but rosiglitazone group (2.35 ± 0.33), telmisartan group (1.88 ± 0.09) and losartan group (2.82 ± 0.34) was much lower and telmisartan had the most significant effect (all P < 0.05). Compared with control group, there were varying degrees of mesangial proliferation and infiltration of inflammatory cell in IgA model group (3.10 ± 0.18). The tubulointerstitial injury was notably alleviated in rosiglitazone group (1.97 ± 0.23), telmisartan group (1.57 ± 0.14) and losartan group (2.15 ± 0.22) while telmisartan had the most significant effect (all P < 0.01). With immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), PPARγ, TGF-β1, α-SMA and MCP-1 had minimal expression on tubule and interstitium in normal group. But there was a high expression in model group. There was no difference between losartan and model groups. There was a lowered expression in rosiglitazone and telmisartan groups.

CONCLUSION
Possibly through two separate passway of stimulating PPARγ and preventing Angiotensin II receptor, telmisartan shows special protective function in tubulointerstitial injury.


Beta-I-MA and CEA concentration in gastric juice was studied in 74 patients with gastric pathology and healthy subjects. Elevated concentrations of beta-I-MA and CEA were found more often in the gastric juice of cancer patients and less often in that of patients without malignant pathology. No significant differences in the concentration of each antigen were found between the "cancer" and "polyp" groups. The combined use of the two test procedures was shown to sufficiently complement the CEA test. The difference in the probability of high concentrations of both antigens in gastric juice in cancer and low ones in other pathologies was highly significant (chi 2 = 15.3, p. 0.00015).


We developed an analysis pipeline that can extract microbial sequences from Spatial Transcriptomic (ST) data and assign taxonomic labels, generating a spatial microbial abundance matrix in addition to the default host expression matrix, enabling simultaneous analysis of host expression and microbial distribution. We called the pipeline Spatial Meta-transcriptome (SMT) and applied it on both human and murine intestinal sections and validated the spatial microbial abundance information with alternative assays. Biological insights were gained from this novel data that demonstrated host-microbe interaction at various spatial scales. Finally, we tested experimental modification that can increase microbial capture while preserving host spatial expression quality, and by use of positive controls, quantitatively demonstrated the capture efficiency and recall of our methods. This proof of concept work demonstrates the feasibility of Spatial Meta-transcriptomic analysis, and paves the way for further experimental optimization and application.


The sound that generates during the act of respiration can be picked up by a bioacoustic sensor, a specially designed microphone. The aim of the work was to describe a method for monitoring of respiration and where the start and stop of the respiration phases can be timed accurately. A method is presented where the time position of the different respiration phases can be determined by a time resolution of 51 ms. A microphone applied over the trachea and the features of the respiration sounds frequency content was used for the development of the method.


Edith Wharton's 1911 short story "Xingu," in which no male appears, illustrates Lacan's theory of the phallus as a linguistic function that can be possessed by either gender. Lacan argues that the phallus is the power to signify and is a reaction to a lack that represents the inability of language to reach the object it aims at. In "Xingu," wives in a reading club confronted by a noted author struggle to show their comprehension of an incomprehensible book. A woman who hasn't read the book saves the group and wins the competition by producing a term that no one understands, Xingu. This signifier without a signified operates as a phallus to take control because no one can admit that she does not know what it means. Wharton's satire implies that critical authority is a mask over a gap impelled by desire and caught in a web of power relations.


Since the collapse of the cold war's geopolitical order in the early 1990s and the related decline of communism or anti-communism as viable political ideologies, there have been several important changes in the political life of South Koreans. One notable change is found in the domain of ancestor worship. Many communities are now reshaping their ancestral rites into a more inclusive form, introducing demonstratively into them the memories of the dead who, previously labelled as supporters of communism, had been invisible in public memory. In places where people experienced the global cold war as a violent communal conflict, the above development involves difficult negotiations between the community's politically bifurcated ancestral heritages. This article examines a set of new ancestral shrines erected as part of this communal effort to repair the broken genealogical condition, and enters into critical dialogue with an influential idea in contemporary scholarship about social development beyond the cold war.


The division of the palæozoic series adopted by M. Dumont for the beautiful Geological Map of Belgium, which he has just completed by order of the Belgian Government, must necessarily produce a change in many of the views of English geologists; since he has now worked out, by the strict evidence of superposition, the order of the formations lying between the old unfossiliferous slates of the Ardennes and the Carboniferous series, while the unconnected position of those formations in England has prevented us from ascertaining their relative ages with certainty. Having had the advantage, in company with several of our colleagues, of discussing with M. Dumont the value of his divisions and of inspecting the fossils collected from them, I hasten to bring the matter to the notice of the Society, that the valuable results of M. Dumont's labours may be made known and applied here. The following extract from M. Dumont's "Tableau des Terrains de la Belgique" contains the description of the older stratified rocks, from the Coal-measures down to the unfossiliferous slates of the Ardennes:— In the above table there are two important alterations of the views published by M. Dumont in 1830 in the well-known Memoir on the Province of Liège, which have an important bearing on our English classification. In the memoir of 1830 the Système quartzo-schisteux inférieur, following next below the limestone since identified with that of the Eifel and of South Devonshire, was divided into an upper division of red sandstone with conglomerate, and


Aim : Plasmodium falciparum malaria is associated with mental disorders.  Asymptomatic malaria is a condition where there are no symptoms but there is parasitaemia if blood is tested. This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia among out-patients of a mentally-ill health institution in Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods : Thick blood films were made from blood specimens taken from 400 participants consisting of 300 mentally ill patients and 100 apparently healthy nonmentally ill subjects. Information on gender, age, marital status and occupation were obtained from the mentally ill patients. The thick blood films were used for malaria diagnosis, and the remaining blood samples were used for haemoglobin estimation using standard techniques. The data obtained from this study were analyzed using Chi square (X2) for comparing frequency data while the potential risk factors were calculated for using odd ratio. Results : Mental illness is significantly associated with asymptomatic malaria  (Psychiatric vs non-psychiatric: 20% vs 5%: OR=4.750 95% CI=1.850, 12.196; P=0.0002). Among the mentally ill, asymptomatic malaria was significantly associated with anaemia (OR=17.458 95% CI=8.711, 35.349; P 0.05). Conclusion : An overall prevalence of 20% of asymptomatic malaria was observed among the mentally ill and measures to eliminate asymptomatic malaria and associated complications among the mentally ill are advocated. Key words : Benin City, Malaria infection, Psychiatric patients


While official statistics has seen an increasing demand in recent years, limitations in such data may not be exactly obvious to data users. Methodological and other details are not widely disseminated by primary compiling agencies and other data providers. There is a pressing need to revive the erstwhile special publications compiled by certain organisations that mention the various details necessary to provide objectivity to any data. The importance of such publications cannot be emphasised enough at a time when new types of data are constantly being required to describe and understand emerging trends.


Meningococcal septicemia is a bloodstream infection caused by Neisseria meningitis. Clinical manifestations vary, from mild disease to severe meningococcaemia which may present first with high fever, severe myalgia, headache, skin and mucosal petechiae and can progress rapidly to septic shock with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).
Case presentation: A 17-year-old immunocompetent girl was admitted to the Infectious Disease ward, Mother Theresa University Hospital with a 3-4-days history of headache, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, cough, arthralgia. She had hypotension, tachypnea, tachycardia, pharyngeal erythema and generalized ecchymotic spots. She was transferred immediately to the Intensive Care Unit. Laboratory findings showed decrease of hemoglobin, platelet count, albumin; increase of AST, ALT, LDH, CPK. Neisseria meningitidis was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid. Latex agglutination test resulted positive for N. meningitidis Gr B. She was immediately treated with Ceftriaxone, hydrocortisone, i.v. fluids, albumin, dopamine/dobutamine, fresh frozen plasma, platelet mass, bicarbonate, cryoprecipitate. The meningococcal rash began to spread rapidly taking on the appearance of ecchymotic lesions. Her clinical condition worsened rapidly and was placed under mechanical ventilation and died within 31 hours of admission to the hospital as a result of septic shock.
Conclusions: Young patients presenting with fever, severe myalgia, headache, skin and mucosal petechiae must be tested for Neisseria meningitis. This infection is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis, immediate antimicrobial therapy and intensive care support as it may be deadly in a matter of hours. People including health workers who have been in prolonged and close contact with the patient should receive antibiotic prophylaxis.


Eggs of flies of the families Sepsidae, Drosophilidae, Sphaeroceridae, Muscidae, and Cordiluridae may have one or more tubular or flattened projections from the anterior part of the shell. These projections are called respiratory horns. The eggs are laid in decomposing vegetable or animal matter. The respiratory horns project above the surface of the material in which the egg is embedded. The surface of most of each horn consists of an open hydrophobe meshwork of chorionin that provides a large water/air interface when the egg is submerged. The layer of air held in the meshwork is retained even when subjected to a considerable pressure. This layer of air is thus a plastron. The plastron found most resistant to wetting by excess pressures was that of Drosophila funebris, which resists 1.3 atm. The plastron air is continuous with the layer of air held in the shell. When it rains, a layer of well-aerated water flows over the eggs, and the plastron of the respiratory horn serves to extract oxygen from that dissolved in the ambient water. The plastron of all species resists wetting by excess pressures considerably greater than those to which it is likely to be exposed in nature. To be an efficient respiratory structure the plastron must also resist wetting by surface-active substances, the concentrations of which are likely to be high in the environments in which the eggs are normally laid. Any change in the geometry or the nature of the surface of the plastron meshwork that increases its resistance to wetting by surface-active substances also increases its resistance to wetting by excess pressures, since wetting by excess pressures always occurs before there is a mechanical breakdown of the meshwork. Thus selection for greater resistance to wetting by surface-active substances results in an increase in resistance to wetting by excess pressures. These facts provide an explanation of the paradox that the plastron of some terrestrial eggs is more resistant to wetting by excess pressures than is the plastron of many wholly aquatic insects.


ABSTRACT In this dialogic article of interwoven stories, we employ a critical autoethnographic approach to explore moments of our lives as we worked through the official "research plan" at the heart of the supervision timeline. Lucinda's doctoral thesis in education, supervised by Jo, highlights the way curriculum emerges from the struggles of ideological becoming (Bakhtin, 1981) as she and a group of teachers develop curriculum and perform identity, both as co-researchers and as inescapably gendered subjects. Here, instead, we turn to how this might work in relation to the supervisory relationship, linking the personal and political to trouble the research plan developed in the first months of the PhD timeline. We write around a narrative from the original thesis, which troubled both of us, and rework our own stories of the supervised and the supervisor through the competing discourses of our work and lives.


Chromatin modifications function as critical regulators of gene expression and cellular identity, especially in the regulation and maintenance of the pluripotent state. However, many studies of chromatin modification in stem cells—and pluripotent stem cells in particular—are performed in mammalian stem cell culture, an in vitro condition mimicking a very transient state during mammalian development. Thus, new models for study of pluripotent stem cells in vivo could be helpful for understanding the roles of chromatin modification, for confirming prior in vitro studies, and for exploring evolution of the pluripotent state. The freshwater flatworm, Schmidtea mediterranea, is an excellent model for studying adult pluripotent stem cells, particularly in the context of robust, whole-body regeneration. To identify chromatin modifying and remodeling enzymes critical for planarian regeneration and stem cell maintenance, we took a candidate approach and screened planarian homologs of 26 genes known to regulate chromatin biology in other organisms. Through our study, we identified six genes with novel functions in planarian homeostasis, regeneration, and behavior. We also identified in our list five planarian homologs of the mammalian CREB-Binding Protein (CBP) family of histone acetyltransferases, representing an expansion of this family in planarians. We find that two planarian CBP family members are required for planarian survival, with knockdown of Smed-CBP2 and Smed-CBP3 causing distinct defects in stem cell maintenance or function. Loss of CBP2 causes a quick, dramatic loss of stem cells, while knockdown of CBP3 more narrowly affects stem cells, preferentially decreasing markers of neural progenitors. We propose that the division of labor among a diversified CBP family in planarians presents an opportunity to dissect specific functions of a broadly important histone acetyltransferase family in stem cell biology.


In 1994, broad monetary aggregates such as M2+ grew at an unusually slow rate, indicating a continuation of low inflation. Narrow money, M1, ballooned early in the year, partly for technical reasons. However, its overall deceleration for the year as a whole would be consistent with lower output growth in the first half of 1995 than was seen the year before. During the first half of 1994, there was a continued shift by investors from deposits into equity, bond and mortgage mutual funds. In the second half of the year, following a rise in interest rates and a fall in the yields posted by mutual funds, there was a movement back into M2+. In this annual review of the monetary aggregates, the author discusses the reasons for these shifts and their implications for M2+.


Although numerous in vitro experiments demonstrated a variable degree of urate bound to human serum albumin and other macromolecules of human plasma, only few data are available on in vivo bound urate. Extracorporal clearances of uric acid, urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus were performed at the beginning, the midtime and the end of 10 hours of hemodialysis. A continuous decrease of uric acid clearance was observed in ratio with the capacity of the artificial kidney used. In contrast to uric acid the clearances of urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus remained constant during the time of dialysis. From the fall of uric acid clearance, the authors conclude a partial binding of uric acid in human plasma.


OBJECTIVES
To study the validity of the most common systems for evaluating obstetric risk in a random representative sample of pregnant Andalusian women.

DESIGN
Crossover study of 1852 pregnancies of over 28 weeks and in which the women gave birth in the public hospitals of Andalusia (C.I. 95%, 7.5% accuracy). Information came from the maternity and neonatal clinical records and from a home visit after the birth. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of each cut suggested by the author in each system evaluated was calculated. Systems were compared with ROC curves.

PARTICIPANTS
Andalusian women who gave birth in public hospitals. Measurements and main results. Obstetric risk was evaluated with the Nesbitt and Aubry (ASMI), Hobel, Coopland and IROM indices, with the criteria used in Malaga West District, and Bull's proposals for English general practitioners. The validity of the predictions was studied for premature birth, low birth-weight, the CIR, hypoxia in the new-born, pathological birth and lengthy hospital stays of mother and child. The low predictive power of the indices studied was demonstrated. The best were the Hobel, Coopland and IROM indices. The indices had greater predictive power than the referral criteria: this, appreciating the different philosophies underlying the systems which, independently of their validity, determine the number of pregnant women at risk.

CONCLUSIONS
Since defining a pregnant woman as at risk is not innocuous, the research showed the importance of constructing systems, or at least validating existing ones, for the target community.


In order to cope with their growing traffic problems, cities throughout the world deploy Intelligent Transport System (ITS) applications in various fields of urban networks. The decision making process for the installation of ITS is a dialogue between the political instance of the municipalities and the planners. The strategic concept and the detailed planning are undertaken by transportation experts in the respective planning authorities and is based on a vast variety of measurements and evaluations (Reed et al., 1993). The decision for funding the systems however is taken on a political level and is based on the consideration of expected benefits, economic aspects but also public debates and controversies. It is obvious that this dialogue within an inhomogeneous group of stakeholders needs a common basis for the consideration of benefits of ITS as a counterpart to the often obvious costs. In order to deliver this common basis of discussion, a transparent methodology to calculate and present the benefits of ITS has to be elaborated. This methodology should support the decision making process in several aspects: ? to identify best practice applications already operational in similar cases in other cities; ? to decide on the installation of the system on a technical and a political level; * Technische Universitat Munchen † IUAV University of Venice ‡ Imperial College London § Technion, Israel Institute of Technology 2. to monitor the performance of the deployed application over a longer period of time; to weigh the investment and operational cost compared to the benefits of the system. Several solutions to this problem were proposed within the EU FP7 project CONDUITS (2009 - 2011). They included the elaboration of a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) targeting different categories of ITS and providing a single, measurable value for their benefit. The following paper gives an overview of the definition process for the KPI, explains their function and gives an example for the calculation of the KPI based on real-life data provided by the city of Rome.


Hysteresis-controlled devices are widely used in industrial applications. For example, cooling devices usually contain a two-point controller, resulting in a nonlinear hybrid system with two discrete states. Dynamic models of systems are essential for optimizing such industrial supply technology. However, conventional system identification approaches can hardly handle hysteresis-controlled devices. Thus, the new identification method Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics (SINDy) is extended to consider hybrid systems. SINDy composes models from basis functions out of a customized library in a data-driven manner. For modeling systems that behave dependent on their own past as in the case of natural hysteresis, Ferenc Preisach introduced the relay hysteron as an elementary mathematical description. In this new method (SINDyHybrid), tailored basis functions in form of relay hysterons are added to the library which is used by SINDy. Experiments with a hysteresis controlled water basin show that this approach correctly identifies state transitions of hybrid systems and also succeeds in modeling the dynamics of the discrete system states. A novel proximity hysteron achieves the robustness of this method. The impacts of the sampling rate and the signal noise ratio of the measurement data are examined accordingly.


The Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China ("PRC") was adopted in 1986, with subsequent regulations being promulgated in 1993 and 1994. All mineral resources belong to the State, pursuant to the Chinese Constitution. The State Council (the Executive Cabinet) exercises control over the mineral resources on behalf of the State. With recent changes in the principal mining laws and related laws and regulations, the government hopes to encourage foreign exploration and exploitation mineral projects, to meet its economic expansion needs and, thereby achieving national economic and social objectives. Recent mineral investment activities and production statistics indicate movement in that direction, with some disappointments. Foreign investment still lags, but government changes in mining regulations continue in an attempt to attract further investment, while at the same time protect State interests. New discoveries encourage continued interest in the vast, untapped resources of the country.


Random forest is an ensemble algorithm for machine learning. In decision trees, the splitting criteria is built on the prediction of the nodal points and formation of rules by Gini index and Information Gain. Gini index is a measure of inequality. Gini index does not take into consideration the structural changes in the dataset, and inaccurate data can distort the validity of the gini-coefficient. For data with the same feature but different outcomes, the gini-coefficient remained the same. The proposed method for attribute selection measure takes into consideration that there may be structural changes in the dataset overtime and it adapts to such expected changes and maintain the accuracy of the algorithm avoiding under-fitting and over-fitting. A dataset on myocardial infarctions was taken for the study and the results were promising.


(The case of Moscow) This article decomposes the perception of prices by Russian consumers. The data of in-depth interviews with economically active residents of Moscow demonstrates that the interpretation of price can be thematized according to four main areas: "not to be deceived," "it is not a poor person who checks prices, but a smart one," "people 'like me' buy at those prices," and "not every product can be bought without regard to the price." The study shows that Russian consumers are more and more artfully mastering the grammar of the market price. Prudence in relation to prices and expenses is obtaining its own place among the cultural values in Russia where the ability to prodigious waste as an indicator of social success had been prevailing.


Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal tract inflammatory state, which is affecting millions of individuals in the world. It can affect alimentary canals such as colon, rectum, ileum and other parts. In IBD, platelet parameters underwent several changes. Therefore, the aim of this review was determining the estimated pooled mean platelet volume and mean difference in inflammatory bowel disease to elucidate its potential diagnostic value. Methods Articles were extensively searched in bibliographic databases using Medical Subject Heading and entry phrases or terms. In addition, articles were directly searched in Google Scholar to account for the studies omission in searching bibliographic databases. Observational (cohort, cross-sectional and case-control) studies, published in English language and conducted on IBD were included. For studies meeting the eligibility criteria, the first author's name, publication year, population, study design, study area, sample size, mean platelet volume and standard deviation were extracted and entered in to Microsoft-excel. The analysis was done by Stata version 11. In order to estimate the pooled mean platelet volume and mean difference, random effect model was done. The heterogeneity was quantified using Higgin's I2 statistics. Publication bias was determined using Egger's test statistics and funnel plot. Sub-group analysis based on population carried to reduce heterogeneity. Results A total of 17 relevant articles with 2957 participants (1823 IBD cases and 1134 healthy controls) were included to this study. The pooled estimated MPV was 9.29fl; 95% CI: 9.01–9.57 and 9.50fl; 95% CI: 8.81–10.20 in IBD and control groups, respectively. The standardized pooled estimate of mean difference in mean platelet volume was -0.83fl; 95% CI: -1.15, -0.51; I2: 93.1%; P-value < 0.001. In subgroup analysis based on population, the highest estimated mean difference in MPV was observed among patients of CD; -2.30; 95% CI: -3.46, -1.14; I2: 97.8%; P-value < 0.001. Conclusion According to the current systematic review and meta-analysis, mean platelet volume was lower in IBD compared to control. The decreased mean platelet volume could be attributed to platelet consumption or sequestration associated with the progression of IBD. As a result, in IBD, mean platelet volume can provide diagnostic and prognostic information.


Inflammatory bowel disease is an immune disorder associated with chronic mucosal inflammation and severe ulceration in the gastrointestinal tract. Antibodies against proinflammatory cytokines, including TNFα, are currently used as promising therapeutic agents against the disease. Stabilization of the tran- script is a crucial post-transcriptional process in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. In the present study, we assessed the expression and histological distribution of the HuR protein, an im- portant transcript stabilizer, in tissues from experimental ani mals and patients with Crohn's disease. The total and cytosolic levels of the HuR protein were enhanced in the intestinal epithelia from dex- tran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated mice compared to those in con trol tissues from normal mice. Moreover, the expression of HuR was very high only in the mucos al and glandular epithelium, and the relative localization of the protein was sequestered in the lower parts of the villus during the DSS insult. The expression of HuR was significantly higher in mucosal lesions than in normal-looking areas. Consistent with the data from the animal model, the expression of HuR was confined to the mucosal and glandular epithelium. These results suggest that HuR may contribute to the post-tran- scriptional regulation of proinflammatory genes during early mucosal insults. More mechanistic inves- tigations are warranted to determine the potential use of HuR as a predictive biomarker or a promis- ing target against IBD.


This paper discusses some fundamental impediments to implementing the complex concept of sustainable development within the international legal framework in general, and the climate change regime in particular. It argues that sustainable development should primarily be seen as a normative concept, closely linked to an idea of environmental justice that incorporates the interests not only of present humans but also of future generations and the non-human environment. The paper explores the relationship between sustainability as a moral idea and sustainability as located in a legal context. It argues for the evolution of a coherent system of ethics and law of sustainability, with particular relevance to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. The importance of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research is emphasised. It is suggested that the fundamental challenges posed by a globally changing climate might function as an important impulse to "cross-faculty" research and innovative thinking. The results of such thinking might in turn inform international action in tackling climate change. Although the investigation cannot be exhaustive, this paper aims to serve as an impetus for multidisciplinary research and further discourse on the reconciliation of society and the environment, law and ethics.


Activated charcoal treated with nitric acid was used as a solid catalyst for synthesis of meso-arylporphyrins by condensation of pyrrole with convenient arylaldehydes in a solvent-free system. The reaction took place at 200°C and porphyrins were obtained in good yields. This environment-friendly method avoids the use of detrimental solvents and toxic catalysts.


In this paper, we elucidate the vibrational response of cylindrical nanorods to ultrafast laser-induced heating. A theoretical analysis of the expected behavior is first presented. This analysis predicts that both extensional and breathing vibrational modes of the rods should be excited by laser-induced heating. Analytical formulas are derived assuming that the heating/expansion process is instantaneous, and that the lengths of the rods are much greater than their radii. These results show that the breathing mode dominates the mechanical deformation of the rod. However, because the frequency of the extensional mode is much lower than that of the breathing mode, the extensional mode will dominate the response for a real experiment (a finite-time heating/expansion process). The results of this model are compared to data from transient absorption experiments performed on gold nanorods with average lengths between 30 and 110 nm. The transient absorption traces show pronounced modulations with periods between 40 and 120 ps, which are only observed when the probe laser is tuned to the longitudinal plasmon band. The measured periods are in good agreement with the expected values for the extensional modes of the rods. For rods wider than 20 nm, the breathing mode can also be observed and, again, the measured periods are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. The breathing mode is not observed for thinner rods (<20 nm width) because, in this case, the period is comparable to the time scale for lattice heating.


The problem of learning from examples in multilayer networks is studied within the framework of statistical mechanics. Using the replica formalism we calculate the average generalization error of a fully connected committee machine in the limit of a large number of hidden units. If the number of training examples is proportional to the number of inputs in the network, the generalization error as a function of the training set size approaches a finite value. If the number of training examples is proportional to the number of weights in the network we find first-order phase transitions with a discontinuous drop in the generalization error for both binary and continuous weights.


The pulmonary nodule CT reference phantom is widely used in the evaluation of nodules 2 cm or less in diameter. It is used to detect benign patterns of calcification that are not visible on thin-section CT scans. Since 1986, the reference nodules have been manufactured with a nominal composition of 185 H. The multicenter study published in 1986 used nodules with a nominal composition of 264 H, 100 H more than the threshold value reported by Siegelman et al. in 1980. In the multicenter study, one of 37 nodules diagnosed as benign with the phantom proved to be malignant. The purpose of this study was to determine the misdiagnosis rate with the 185-H phantom and to ascertain whether the malignant tumors predicted to be benign actually contained calcification. We retrospectively reviewed 296 cases in which examinations had been performed with the 185-H nodules since 1986. Eighty-five nodules were diagnosed as benign by comparison to the reference phantom. These 85 contained no visible calcification on thin-section CT scans. Ten of the 85 cases were shown to be malignant tumors. Eight were diagnosed as having a high probability of benignity. Two were diagnosed as having a moderate probability of benignity. Calcium was present in the tissue of all six nodules available for review. Fifty-nine of the 85 nodules were still clinically indeterminate at the time of this review. Even if all of the clinically indeterminate nodules are benign, the misdiagnosis rate would be significantly higher than in most previous studies. Although analysis by using the reference phantom with 185-H nodules may indicate a high probability of benignity, close radiologic follow-up is necessary.


Changes in the amino acid pool in the plasma of test subjects exposed to short-term head-down tilt combined with ultraviolet irradiation were investigated. Exposure to head-down tilt alone (Group 1 of 3 test subjects) and combined with ultraviolet irradiation (10 sessions) (Groups 2 and 3 of 3 test subjects each) acted as a stress-agent that diminished the amino acid pool. Exposure to 2-hour head-down tilt in combination with 20 UV-irradiations (Groups 2 and 3) increased the amino acid pool as a result of inhibition of anabolic and stimulation of catabolic processes. The amino acid pool did not return to normal within the recovery period allowed.


In order to avoid serious distortion and cracking that may occur with nitrided parts while quenching and tempering, a novel kind of air cooling bainite nitriding steel consisting of Cr, Mo, Mn and Si was developed. After normalized and high temperature tempered, the tested steel has satisfactory strength, toughness and microstructure as well as good nitriding properties.


Background: Multi-parameter gene expression assays (MPAs) are widely used to estimate individual patient residual risk and to guide chemotherapy use in hormone-sensitive HER2-negative node-negative early breast cancer. These uses of MPAs have not yet been prospectively validated. OPTIMA aims to validate the use of MPA testing to predict chemotherapy sensitivity in a largely node-positive breast cancer population. Methods: OPTIMA is a partially blinded multi-center, phase 3 randomized controlled trial with an adaptive two-stage design. The preliminary phase (OPTIMA prelim) evaluated the performance of MPAs to identify a suitable test(s) to be used in the main efficacy trial and assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a large UK trial. Eligible patients are men or women aged 40 years or older who have surgically resected early stage breast cancer, which is ER-positive and HER2-negative and who have either 1-9 involved axillary lymph nodes or tumors of at least 30mm diameter. Randomization is to standard management (chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy) or to MPA-directed treatment. Those with a tumor categorized as "high-risk" by the test will be assigned to standard management whilst those at "low-risk" will be treated with endocrine therapy alone. OPTIMA prelim used Oncotype DX as the primary discriminator; the main trial will use Prosigna (PAM50). The co-primary outcomes are (1) Invasive Disease Free Survival (IDFS) and (2) cost-effectiveness of test-directed therapy compared to standard practice. Secondary outcomes include IDFS in "low-risk" patients, distant disease free survival, breast cancer specific survival, overall survival and quality of life. An integrated qualitative recruitment study will identify and address challenges to recruitment and informed consent. Tumor blocks from all consenting participants will be banked allowing the performance of alternative MPA technologies to be evaluated. Recruitment of 4500 patients over 4 years will permit demonstration of 3% non-inferiority of test-directed treatment, with 5% significance and 85% power, assuming 3 years follow-up and a control arm 5-year IDFS of at least 85%. The addition of patients from OPTIMA prelim will allow non-inferiority to be assessed with 2.5% significance. Results: OPTIMA-prelim recruited 412 patients in 23 months from 35 sites. It confirmed the acceptability of randomization to patients with a 47% acceptance rate, and to clinicians and hence the feasibility of a large prospective trial of test-directed treatment running in 100-plus UK sites. It showed that investment into research on test-directed therapy, especially with Prosigna, should be of substantial value to the NHS. Conclusion: OPTIMA, as one of two large scale prospective trials validating the use of test-guided chemotherapy in node-positive hormone-sensitive early breast cancer will have a global impact on patient treatment. Recruitment into the main efficacy trial will commence in October 2015. Funding: Project funded by the UK NIHR HTA Programme (10/34/501). Views expressed are those of the authors and not those of the HTA Programme, NIHR, NHS or the DoH. Citation Format: Stein RC, Marshall A, Hall PS, Bartlett JMS, Rooshenas L, Campbell A, Cameron DA, Rea D, Macpherson I, Earl HM, Poole CJ, Francis A, Morgan A, Harmer V, Pinder SE, Stallard N, Donovan J, Hulme C, McCabe C, Hughes-Davies L, Makris A, Dunn JA. OPTIMA (optimal personalised treatment of early breast cancer usIng multi-parameter analysis), a prospective trial to validate the predictive utility and cost-effectiveness of gene expression test-directed chemotherapy decisions. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-02-12.


Proceeding rules in the larynx narrowing scars were presented. The clinical material consisted of patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis, oedema Reincke and early stages of laryngeal carcinoma who underwent laser microsurgery of the larynx. The attention was paid to prophylaxis relating to the surgical procedure and perioperative care. The possibility of the silastic sheet insertion into the glottis was introduced as a way of treatment in recurrent scars.


The authors review the principles and technologies of information retrieval systems implemented in Russia and abroad, with special attention to the function of e-library and interactive selective information dissemination. The main project aim is to build single comfortable information retrieval space integrating full-text abstracts, bibliographic resources legally acquired, structured and offered by SB RAS State Public Scientific and Technological Library.Based on the analysis of user search behavior of the Library's information retrieval system based on IRBIS WEB-module and of the functional distinctions between IRBIS64+ and IRBIS WEB-module, the authors review the demands to contemporary e-catalogs and e-libraries, parameters of new information retrieval system, and stages of its implementation. The new information retrieval system based on IRBIS64+ WEB-module will provide access to all resources comprising literature in-flow to the Library with significant search potential, and guarantee their comfortable use by various user groups. IRBIS64+ WEB-module in the Library's information retrieval system will provide searching in full-texts, and enable to make queries using Boolean logics, to setup distance between words, to rank search results, and to specify them with faceted navigation. The users will be also offered to use thematic search by navigators (GRNTI, thematic navigators of databases). The e-library is to provide open access to information resources of RAS SB SPSTL, eLIBRARY, and other open resources. The digital collections are to preserve printed original copies, which is important for old and rare publications.


In a 5-year study (1972-1977) of microbial agents isolated from both clinically normal and diseased marine mammals, it was shown that certain disease agents are widespread in a diversity of ocean populations and that some are also transmissible to a number of terrestrial mammal species. Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona has been isolated repeatedly from 2 species of pinnipeds (Zalophus californianus califonianus and Callorhinus ursinus). Some of the more important bacterial pathogens for land mammals that were isolated from wild marine mammals are Pseudomonas mallei, Clostridium chauvoei, C novyi, Neisseria mucosa var heidelbergensis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella spp, and Pasteurella multocida. Numerous serotypes of viruses classified as caliciviruses were isolated from a variety of marine mammals. Some of these are known to infect several land mammal species including swine horses, and primates. For this reason., precautions should be taken to ensure that disease agents shed by captive marine mammals are not transmitted to susceptible terrestrial mammals, including animal handlers and other human beings.


A new type of artificial molecule is proposed, which consists of coupled defect atoms in photonic crystals, named as photonic molecule. Within the major band gap, the photonic molecule confines the resonant modes that are closely analogous to the ground states of molecular orbitals. By employing the variational theory, the constraint determining the resonant coupling is formulated, that is consistent with the results of both the scattering method and the group analysis. In addition, a new type of photonic waveguide is proposed that manipulates the mechanism of photon hopping between photonic molecules and offers a new optical feature of twin waveguiding bandwidths.


Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a body composition assessment method. We aimed to determine its accuracy in the detection of sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), using skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the level of third lumbar vertebra (L3-SMI) obtained using multislice computed tomography as the reference method. Patients with LC were enrolled in the period October 2019–March 2022 and follow-ups were conducted until January 2023. Their BIA parameters were compared against L3-SMI, and BIA cut-off values were proposed using AUROC analysis. Patients underwent outcome analysis based on obtained clinical characteristics. A total of 106 patients were included. We found a fair correlation between BIA parameters with the L3-SMI. We determined cut-off values of ≤11.1 kg/m2 for BIA-SMI (Se 73%, Sp 66%, AUROC 0.737, p < 0.001) and ≤5.05° for phase angle (PA) (Se 79%, Sp 60%, AUROC 0.762, p < 0.001) in the detection of sarcopenia. The relative risk of death was 2.2 times higher in patients with skeletal muscle mass (SMM) ≤ 36.5 kg. SMM was significantly associated with outcome in Kaplan–Meier analysis. This non-invasive and simple method that showed fair performances and a very good outcome prediction could provide for the unmet need for fast and affordable detection of sarcopenia in patients with LC and should be further evaluated.


Perhaps the most outstanding feature in the development of medical practice during the last three decades is specialization. This is the logical outcome of the vast increase in our knowledge of disease and its treatment. Surgery emerged as a specialty after the epoch making discoveries of Pasteur and of Lister. Early in the aseptic era, the number of recognized surgical procedures was so limited that there was no thought of specialization. But as the number and variety of disease conditions found amenable to surgical treatment increased, and as the number of operations multiplied and the technic developed, there naturally emerged the specialization of the surgery of the eye, ear, nose and throat, of the genito-urinary organs, of the extremities, and of the central nervous system. The general surgeon, in greater or lesser measure, still lays claim to the whole field, but there has been a growing trend toward specialization in


The solvent extraction behavior of a series of metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Fe3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, In3+, La3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Dy3+, Er3+, Yb3+) from an aqueous chloride feed solution by the nonfluorinated fatty acid-based ionic liquid (IL) tetraoctylphosphonium oleate [P8888][oleate] has been investigated as a function of the pH. The possibility to extract metal chlorides from an aqueous stream via the anion or cation of the hydrophobic, low-viscous water-saturated [P8888][oleate] IL has been exploited. [P8888][oleate] can be considered as a bifunctional or binary IL. At high pH values (pH > 5), all metals are extracted via the oleate anion, whereas some transition metals are extracted at high HCl concentrations and thus low pH values as anionic chloro complexes in combination with [P8888] cations. A difference of one pH unit is observed between the extraction curves (%E as a function of the pH) of the transition metals and those of the rare earth metals. Rare earths are not extracted a...


While Davies's music has been examined from a number of different perspectives, Stow, his creative partner for two iconic musical theatre works, has remained a somewhat shadowy figure with regard to the composer. This is despite his position as a fine novelist and poet, one of the major figures in Australian literature of the twentieth century. Stow created the text for two pieces, Eight Songs for a Mad King in 1969 and Miss Donnithorne's Maggot in 1974. This article therefore focuses on aspects of Stow's life and work in the context of his partnership with Davies in order to give a better sense of the brief but significant relationship between musician and wordsmith.


Natural Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurs primarily through the oral/nasal mucosa. Recent evidence from murine (M)CMV infection suggested that MCMV is spread to salivary gland (SG) by dendritic cells after intranasal (i.n.) inoculation. In agreement with this, a recombinant MCMV, which cannot replicate in hematopoietic cells, could not spread to SG after i.n. infection. However, the mechanisms by which infected cells evade immune control while spreading the virus are unclear. In fact, previous work suggested that deleting all three genes blocking MHC-I antigen presentation results in only a subtle defect in total latent viral loads and SG replication in vivo. Surprisingly, we found that viral evasion of MHC-I antigen presentation was critical for MCMV to replicate persistently in nasal mucosa and spread to SG after i.n. inoculation, in contrast to intraperitoneal (i.p.) infection. Remarkably, depletion of CD4 T cells reversed this immune restriction on viral spreading, enabling even MCMV lacking all evasion genes to replicate in nasal mucosa and spread to SG after i.n. infection. This was not due to a direct anti-viral effect of CD4 T cells as delaying CD4 T cell depletion until day 7 post infection restored immune control of MCMV at later times. Instead, priming and expansion of functional CD8 T cells was impaired by lack of CD4 T cells after i.n. infection, in contrast to i.p. infection. Thus, intranasal inoculation revealed a critical role for CD4 T cell help in the promotion of protective CD8 T cell responses. Moreover, our data suggest since MCMV spreads only in infected hematopoietic cells after i.n. infection, viral evasion of MHC-I is necessary to protect CD8 T cells from killing infected cells carrying MCMV.


PurposeThe purpose of this master thesis is to investigate how the choice of assembly system design relates to lean production and in what way the system design affects the system flexibility when changes are made to the product mix or takt. The production system under study is the bus chassis assembly at Scania CV AB in Sodertalje and the specific unit of analysis is the preassembly of cooling packages. This assembly has proven to be interesting for this master thesis – partly since the product variety is high but also because the production is in a break point since older product families are about to be taken out of production at the same time as new models are on the way in. Furthermore, Scania has a well stated objective for its assembly operations which is to achieve a significantly higher productivity with the existing structures which makes the flexibility for future production increases important to have in mind. Worth pointing out is also that lean production has been a starting point in this master thesis since it is a universal language in many assembly industries. Different assembly systems have for this reason been classified based on the definitions of waste as described in the lean philosophies.Design/methodology/approach A number of methods have been used to in the best way be able to implement a comprehensive and valid study. These methods include both quantitative data collection through observations – which include video recordings, time studies and ergonomic studies – but also qualitative studies through numerous interviews and conversations with people who have knowledge of different areas that have proven to be interesting in this context. As complement, benchmarking of different areas within Scania has also been made – of both similar preassemblies and of different outstanding projects within the Chassis operations.Findings, Wastes will always exist within mixed assembly systems even if these can be largely reduced through a suitable selection of assembly system. If variations in time and assembly are not too large between different products, a single one-piece flow is always to prefer. The reason for this is that serial flows bring structure and synchronization possibilities at the same time as the division of the assembly process becomes visual and simplifies reduction of waste. In order to manage variations in the product range it is also possible, in different ways, to use additional aspects of system configuration to level the flow and separate non-value adding activities. Moreover, a serial flow is beneficial in aspects of flexibility since it is relatively easy to expand the flow with an additional position without large costs. Research limitations/implications, The delimitations of this master thesis have been made so that only methods which can be interesting for the specific unit of analysis has been considered and evaluated. This means that nothing but aspects which are related to manual assembly systems have been considered. Since a single preassembly has been studied it means that the results can be seen as a form of sub optimization since logistical concerns and aspects regarding to the overall assembly process have not been taken into consideration.Practical implications, As for the preassembly of bus coolers, a serial flow has partly proven to be possible. The assembly system must be adapted to three different product families and for the families which are at issue in the future a serial flow is the best alternative. However, the third product family which includes models which are going to be taken out of production differs so much in terms of time usage and assembly sequence that it needs to be handled separately from the other two families. Despite of this it has been proven that the number of assembly positions can be reduced from three to two when comparing the proposed serial flow with the currently used bench assembly.Originality/value, Mass customization is currently an up to date phenomenon which can be seen in both organizations and in scientific journals. This occurrence has lead to new demands on organizations when it comes to managing rapid adjustment in the production operations to deal with changed customer requirements and increased demand. This master thesis aims to consider both product variations and possibilities to create flexible assembly solutions and to connect these with the prerequisites of lean production. This is a trinity which has not been clarified in existing literature.


Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has been proven to accurately diagnose small-bowel inflammation and predict flares among patients with quiescent Crohn's disease (CD). However, data regarding its predictive role in this population over an extended follow-up are scarce. Objectives: To predict clinical exacerbation and to assess the yield of Lewis score in identifying CD patients with future clinical exacerbation during an extended follow-up (>24 months). Design: A post hoc analysis study. Methods: Adult patients with quiescent small-bowel CD who were followed with VCE, inflammatory biomarkers and magnetic resonance enterography in a prospective study (between 2013 and 2018). We extracted extended clinical data (up to April 2022). The primary composite outcome (i.e. clinical exacerbation) was defined as intestinal surgery, endoscopic dilation, CD-related admission, corticosteroid administration, or biological/immunomodulator treatment change during follow-up. Results: Of the 61 patients in the study [median age 29 (24–37) years, male 57.4%, biologic treatment 46.7%], 18 patients met the primary outcome during an extended follow-up [median 58.0 (34.5–93.0) months]. On univariable analysis, complicated [hazard ratio (HR) 7.348, p = 0.002] and stricturing disease phenotype (HR 5.305, p = 0.001) were associated with higher risk for clinical exacerbation during follow-up. A baseline VCE middle small-bowel segment Lewis score (midLS) ⩾ 135 identified patients with future exacerbation [AUC (area under the curve) 0.767, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.633–0.902, p = 0.001, HR 6.317, 93% negative predictive value], whereas the AUC of the conventional Lewis score was 0.734 (95% CI: 0.589–0.879, p = 0.004). Sensitivity analysis restricted to patients with either complicated (n = 34) or stricturing (n = 26) disease phenotype revealed that midLS still predicted clinical exacerbation during follow-up (AUC 0.747/0.753, respectively), in these patients. Conclusion: MidLS predicts treatment failure in quiescent CD patients (median follow-up of 5 years) independently of disease phenotype.


Using Southern blot analysis it is demonstrated that S-100 alpha and beta genes were found as single copies in the rat genome. S-100 alpha mRNA was not found at all in rat brain during the developmental period, but it was slightly detectable in muscle and kidney. S-100 beta mRNA was detected in rat brain, and its mRNA level increased during the developmental period. The different localizations of the subunits may be due to the specific expression of each gene in various tissues.


This paper investigates effectiveness of distributed radio access network (RAN) selection schemes to optimize radio resource usage, for the realistic heterogeneous wireless networks, in which the distribution of the base stations are non-uniform and the non-cognitive legacy terminals also connect to the same RANs. Our proposed algorithm is based on mutually-connected and higher-order neural networks, which can directly optimize any objective functions of entire heterogeneous wireless networks, by completely distributed procedure. Our simulation results show that the proposed scheme is effective even for non-uniform heterogeneous wireless network environments, especially for higher-order and complex optimization problems. Such improvements in the proposed method also can be seen also for the cases that the legacy non-cognitive terminals co-exist in the same heterogeneous wireless networks.


There has recently been a call for more pedagogic comparative research to counter the dominance of structural and policy led studies. At the same time there is also a necessity to provide alternative comparative research to that concerned with global standardising performance and performativity strategies. The research, on which this paper is based, fulfils both these aims by investigating creative teaching and learning in nine European countries at classroom level using ethnographic methods in a small number of sites for each partner. The research partners share a common discourse of pedagogy that we are calling creative teaching and learning, a common humanitarian discourse and the ethnographic methodology for the research was a strong framework to counter differing cultural approaches to research. The article analytically characterises some significant strategies used by teachers, the creative learning experienced and the meaning that the experiences had for the students involved. We conclude that this research has laid the basis for a common discourse for further research in a comparative approach that will investigate commonalities to build an understanding of international creative pedagogy and investigate differences to enhance the conceptualisation of it.


At St. Göran's Children's Hospital (a tertiary center), we perform electron microscopy of feces in most cases of nosocomial gastroenteritis. From September 1987 through April 1992 we identified 32 episodes of calicivirus infection, 25 of which were nosocomial and, except for one outbreak, sporadic. Systematic study of the nosocomial outbreak of calcivirus gastroenteritis from November 1991 to January 1992, revealed calcivirus in the stools of 8 of 23 children with diarrhea and 0 of 10 without diarrhea. In 3 of 7 sampled after cessation of diarrhea, calicivirus excretion continued for 3 to 6 days. We found no calicivirus in 42 staff members or 9 members of infected patients' families. Nosocomial transmission of calicivirus can occur among infants.


Hurricane Georges crossed the island of Puerto Rico on 21-22 September 1998. Maricao State Forest, a montane reserve in southwestern Puerto Rico, was struck by Georges after being spared by hurri- canes since 1932. I documented the changes in relative abundance of Maricao resident bird species caused by the impact of the hurricane by comparing baseline mist netting capture rates with data 33 days after the hurricane, and point counts records with data up to 22 months after Georges. Total capture rates increased after the storm (26.8 individuals/net hr pre-hurricane vs. 57.9 individuals/net hr post-hurricane). Capture rates classified according to foraging guilds did not differ, but showed significant increases according to foraging level (canopy vs. understory). Increases in capture rates were related to the displacement of birds into lower forest strata after canopy loss. While most species recorded in point counts declined after Georges (16/21), only the relative abundance of six species differed significantly among years. Just one species (Elfin Woods Warbler, Dendroica angelae) recovered by the end of the study. Two species were not observed after the hurricane, including one of the five most abundant (Ruddy Quail-Dove, Geotrygon montana) and a new species was observed in the study area after the hurricane (White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica). Only the population of the Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) remained unchanged throughout the study. Results demonstrated that even common species in montane habitats can be highly susceptible to hurricanes, and thus, long-term monitoring of avian communities at different elevations is needed to understand the effects.


Although risk factors for cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been identified, the role of HCV‐genotype 3 remains controversial, and limited data are available in drug users. The aim of the study was to assess risk factors for severe liver disease (cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma) in HCV‐infected drug users between 2001 and 2007 in France. Patients who reported drug use and who had been referred for HCV infection to hepatology centers from a national surveillance system were identified. The severity of liver disease was assessed clinically and histologically (Metavir score). Factors associated with severe liver disease were analyzed after estimating missing values by multiple imputation (MI). Of the 4,065 drug users naive to anti‐HCV treatment who were referred to the 26 participating centers, 8.0% had severe liver disease, 25.7% were infected with HCV‐genotype 3. Factors associated independently with an increased risk of severe liver disease were HCV‐genotype 3 (adjusted odds ratio, multiple imputation (aORMI) = 1.6, [95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 1.2–2.1]), HIV infection (aORMI = 1.8, [1.2–2.8]), male sex (aORMI = 2.0, [1.4–2.8]), age over 40 years (aORMI = 2.1, [1.6–2.9]), history of excessive alcohol consumption (aORMI = 2.8, [2.1–3.7]), and duration of infection ≥18 years (aORMI = 2.9, [2.0–4.3]). This analysis shows that HCV‐genotype 3 is associated with severe liver disease in drug users, independently of age, sex, duration of infection, alcohol consumption, and co‐infection with HIV. These results are in favor of earlier treatment for drug users infected with HCV‐ genotype 3 and confirm the need for concomitant care for excessive alcohol consumption. J. Med. Virol. 82:1647–1654, 2010. 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper presents a review of the recent economics literature in the area of illicit drug use. Particular attention is paid to the economics of addiction and the rational addiction model, the welfare economics framework for analysing the social costs of drug use, and the attempts that have been made by economists to evaluate recent or proposed policy interventions. A dominant theme in this review is the problem of poor data availability. This is particularly true when it comes to implementing the Rational Addiction model, but it is also apparent in the literature on estimating the costs of illicit drug use to society as a whole. One of the main conclusions of this review is that until recently public policy has not been particularly influenced by research carried out by economists. It is not clear whether this is because economists have had to grapple with inadequate data, and hence their conclusions are couched in uncertainty, or whether it is because drugs researchers have assumed a very limited role for economists in their analysis. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2004.


Ampiang is an authentic Bangka Belitung food made from tapioca, fish, water, salt and flavorings. Then in a round and thin shape with a diameter of 70 mm. You can find Ampiang bus at a warung or supermarket in Bangka Belitung. The objective of the Community Partnership Program (PKM) for the ampiang-making community groups is to improve the quality and production capacity of ampiang for partners. A survey has been conducted on ampiang making partners in Sinar Baru Sungailiat Village under the name "Ampiang Ikan Ciu Yu Erin". The problem that occurs to these partners is that the production equipment for the ampiang oil dryer at the partner is still manual, namely coating old paper or newspapers in the hope of reducing oil. So that ampiang does not last long and quickly causes mold and unpleasant odors. The method used is to make an Ampiang dryer with a capacity of 15 kg/process, which has a portable form so that it is easy to move around and conducts brief training on how to use and maintain an oil dryer. It is portable so it is easy to move around. As a result, Partners can increase the production of ampiang and this machine is able to produce ampiang which is more durable, more than 5 months. Based on the test results with a capacity of 15 kg Ampiang, 1000 rpm rotation, processing time of 5 minutes produces an average of 14.45 kg of dry Ampiang and 0.52 oil that has been separated. This means that every 1 kg of ampiang produces 0.036 kg of oil. This oil is what makes ampiang not durable and causes an unpleasant odor. This is also evidenced by the evaluation of ampiang's resistance for 5 months that has not shown any fungus attached to the ampiang.


Objective  To compare the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG‐IUS) (Mirena®; Schering Co., Turku, Finland) and thermal balloon ablation (Thermachoice™; Gynecare Inc., Menlo Park, CA, USA) for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding.


Abstract:  Retinoids  and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid have shown anticancer properties, but the photocarcinogenic or photoprotective effect is unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether a topical formulation of valproic acid is photocarcinogenic or photoprotective in hairless female C3.Cg/TifBomTac immunocompetent mice exposed to simulated solar radiation (SSR) and whether valproic acid changes the effect of the retinoids: tazarotene and isotretinoin. The products were applied on the dorsal skin of 400 mice (five times weekly) followed by SSR (three times weekly) 3–4 h after the application. This was performed during 12 months or until death. Tumors appeared sooner in groups treated with tazarotene and isotretinoin compared with that of the group treated with valproic acid and the control group. The present study shows that valproic acid alone is not photocarcinogenic or photoprotective in hairless mice. When valproic acid is combined with tazarotene or isotretinoin, it does not change their photocarcinogenicity significantly.


Nowadays the safety level of Japanese railways is very high, as 0.6 accidents happen per 10 km train-run and nearly zero on-board passengers are killed in a normal year. It is the fruits of technologies for safety and the efforts of people involved in railways. But unfortunately we had not a few serious accidents in the past. In this paper the author reports the outline of accident occurrences, countermeasures against them and safety progress in last 50 years in Japan, and explains the reorganization of the accident investigation body to newly established JTSB.


Emission of greenhouse drain water is bringing unacceptable quantities of nitrate, phosphate and crop protection agents into the surface water and ground water. Growers are expected to accept zero emission of drain water easier if they have tools to reduce fluctuations in individual nutrient quantities in the drain water. STOWA (Stichting Toegepast Onderzoek Waterbeheer) financed additional measurements by Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture in a running project. The measurements were aimed to control (unsafe) fluctuations of nutrient supply compared to uptake. In cucumber cultivation extra measurements were used to calculate the plant uptake per element in mmol/ m2/D and to relate this uptake per element to the radiation sum. The new information led to better decisions on adaptation of the nutrient supply schedule than when decisions were based on just concentration. De fluctuations between supply and uptake of nutrients expressed as mmol/m2/D (load) were smaller when using the new information. During the cultivation no nutrient solution was emitted.


One of the areas of international criminal law that has experienced a deeper evolution in the last decade is that of the applicable modes of liability other than superior responsibility. This evolution has been, to an important extent, the result of moving away from cases where the accused is a physical or low-level perpetrator, such as the Tadic case in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ("ICTY") or the Akayesu case in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ("ICTR"). In this context, the Stakic Trial Judgement constituted a landmark decision insofar as it resorted for the first time in the jurisprudence of the ICTY to the notion of control of the crime. It did so with the aim to overcome some of the shortcomings of the traditional notion of joint criminal enterprise in cases against high ranking politicians and military leaders. Hence, the judgement of the Appeals Chamber in the Stakic case was very much expected insofar as it was supposed to deal with the issue of whether the notion of control of the crime is part of the applicable law before the ICTY.


Intractable epistaxis developed in a 13-year-old girl after she fell down a flight of stairs sustaining facial fractures and fracture of the skull base. Epistaxis was found to emanate from a right ascending pharyngeal artery, which the authors promptly and successfully embolized using polyvinyl alcohol particles and microfibrillar collagen.


Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP) comprise many variants obtained by adding to the original problem constraints representing diverse system characteristics. Different variants are widely studied in the literature; however, the impact that these constraints have on the structure of the search space associated with the problem is unknown, and so is their influence on the performance of search algorithms used to solve it. This article explores how assignation constraints (such as a limited vehicle capacity) impact VRP by disturbing the network structure defined by the solution space and the local operators in use. This research focuses on Fitness Landscape Analysis for the multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (m-TSP) and Capacitated VRP (CVRP). We propose a new Fitness Landscape Analysis measure that provides valuable information to characterize the fitness landscape's structure under specific scenarios and obtain several relationships between the fitness landscape's structure and the algorithmic performance.


The question about weekend waiting times will be discussed in the next edition. However, there are some things that will not wait, complaints for example should be dealt with promptly. The full replies are listed on the internet pages for this month. In summary Dr York felt that the accident and emergency (A&E) staff acted appropriately (see internet pages for answer from the consultant and from the chief executive).

You have to ensure the advertisements for the next set of junior doctors (SHOs) are ready as this will not wait. The draft person specification for the SHO and the advertisement are in the internet pages.Emerg Med J 2001;18:222–224

We have asked to meet the chief executive

The first article introduced the concepts of the series, gave some baseline information and set initial problems to be answered. However, the series will also call "time outs" from day to day management to discuss important points of management theory or to take a longer term strategic view. This will be done under the headings of strategy, people management, specialist topics, A&E topics and, perhaps most importantly, attitudes .

From the start of your management life it is important to develop a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. This will enable you to take control of your own (and departments) destiny. We will therefore begin by looking at Strategy, this is the process by which we define our objectives, examine the department's current strengths and weaknesses and state where we want to be in five years time.

In the first article we defined management as the organisation and motivation of groups to achieve planned objectives. In A&E …


We propose a timed reachability analysis method in order to generate system states of two classes of EFSM-based communication protocols; one class C1 consists of events such that the lower and upper bounds are all the same and the other class C2 consists of events such that they may be different. The proposed method enumerates only sequences of system states that are obtained through parallel execution of all possible events. Then, in order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method, we develop a verification tool based on the proposed method, and then apply the tool to a broadcasting protocol. The experimental results show that the total number of states generated by the proposed method is much less than that by the previous method.