©FSRH J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2010: 36(2) Introduction The illness and early death of the reality television star, Jade Goody, 12 months ago propelled the issue of cervical cancer into the headlines. One significant result of this media attention was an expansion in the demand for and uptake of cervical cytology screening. The large increase in the number of cytology tests requested had a significant impact on colposcopy and pathology workloads. The effect will continue to be felt for many months, since each newly screened cohort results in more women attending for colposcopy and an increase in appointments for conservative evaluation of low-grade disease, treatment and follow-up. The media attention and the resulting impact on cytology and colposcopy services also provoked interest in examining how the UK screening programme can optimise cost-effective health gain. This article considers the national screening programme and the possible impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and HPV testing on screening and the potential long-term effects of the current changes to cervical cancer prevention.


The antiarrhythmic properties of the dibenzazepine derivative bonnecor and derivatives of mesidides of alpha-azacycloalkanocarboxylic acids were studied in various experimental arrhythmia models. The comparative study revealed different antiarrhythmic effects in different arrhythmia models. Bonnecor was found to have a higher antiarrhythmic activity in most arrhythmic models. Tertiary salts were demonstrated to be more potent than quaternary ones.


The performance of the fingerprint identification process highly depends on its extractor of fingerprint features. So, to reduce the dimensionality of the fingerprint image and improve the identification rate, a fingerprint features extraction method based on Curvelet transform is proposed and presented in this paper. Thus, our paper focuses on presenting of our Curvelet-based fingerprint features extraction method. This method consists of two steps: decompose the fingerprint into set of sub-bands by the Curvelet transform and automatic extraction of the most discriminative statistical features of these sub-bands. An extensive experimental evaluation shows that the proposed method is effective and encouraging.


Supporting high throughput is an important challenge in multihop mesh networks. Popular wireless LAN standards, such as IEEE 802.11, provision for multiple channels. In this article, we consider the use of multiple wireless channels to improve network throughput. Commercially available wireless network interfaces can typically operate over only one channel at a time. Due to cost and complexity constraints, the total number of interfaces at each host is expected to be smaller than the total channels available in the network. Under this scenario, several challenges need to be addressed before all the available channels can be fully utilized. In this article, we highlight the main challenges, and present two link-layer protocols for utilizing multiple channels. We also present a new abstraction layer that simplifies the implementation of new multichannel protocols in existing operating systems. This article demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing multiple channels, even if each host has fewer interfaces than the number of available channels


Aim: The study was conducted to understand how key determinants of the Patient Financial Eligibility Tool (PFET), a previously validated tool for assessing patients' ability to contribute to their medication costs, vary across countries. Materials & methods: A clustering analysis was conducted on economic data from 1404 patients from Thailand (n = 947), the UAE (n = 347) and Mexico (n = 110). Results: The analysis identified seven patient clusters, including globally wealthy or poor patients (14%/48%) and those with only selectively increased PFET economic indicators (38%), and revealed country-specific differences in the correlation between PFET metrics and patients' overall economic status. Conclusion: The PFET is a versatile tool that can be adapted to each country's economic context to assess patients' ability to contribute to their medication costs.


Ebinyo refers to the practice of removing primary canine tooth follicles in infants without anesthetic by African traditional healers or elders using unsterilized instruments. This report describes a case of ebinyo or infant oral mutilation (IOM) and associated sequelae in a child adopted from a remote African tribe. The intraoral examination revealed that the patient was missing his primary maxillary and mandibular canines. The maxillary anterior periapical radiograph displayed a dysmorphic ectopic unerupted maxillary right primary canine positioned mesial to the maxillary right primary first molar. Periapical films taken confirmed partial or complete absence of the patient's primary mandibular left (73) and mandibular right (83) canines, and a bitewing and periapical film confirmed the absence of the patient's primary maxillary left (63) canine. The permanent canines will be monitored for possible hypoplasia secondary to trauma to the tooth buds during extirpation of the primary canines. Research presented in this report reveals that there are serious health implications involved with the practice of ebinyo.


In this paper an Adaptive Decision based Robust Statistics Estimation Filter to remove high density impulse noise is presented. The proposed algorithm detects the corrupted pixel at the initial stage and replaces them with an estimated image data using the proposed robust estimation algorithm. The new robust statistics based filter shows significantly better image quality than Standard Median Filter, Weighted Median Filter, Recursive Weighted Median Filter, Adaptive Median Filter, Decision Based Algorithm and the recently proposed Robust Estimation Algorithm. The proposed method removes the noise efficiently even at noise level as high as 90% and preserves the edges. The proposed filter has better image quality then existing Non-linear filters.


E-learning is the use of information and communications technologies to support teaching and learning. This study sought to determine students' attitudes toward e-learning as it is used at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Garrison's (2000) Community of Inquiry model was used to evaluate how students viewed teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence impacting on their satisfaction and learning outcomes. This research used a mixed-methods approach and used factor analysis, structured equation modelling and thematic content analysis. The findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables in three hypotheses relating to satisfaction and two hypotheses relating to learning.


Menara Suara Merdeka Building was built by Suara Merdeka Group through its subsidiary PT. Merdeka Sandi Surya which has 17 floors and worth of 150 billion rupiahs. Menara Suara Merdeka (MSM) was built in Jalan Pandanaran no. 30 Semarang consists of two parts, the main (main building) and the parking (parking building) are quite spacious with the concept of green building. The building occupies an area of 3100 m2 with a capacity of 250 units of parking for cars and 350 motorcycles, including the parking area in the basement and semi-basement.  Menara Suara Merdeka Building design based on the "SNI gempa 2002" (SNI 03-1726-2002). With the revision of "SNI gempa 2002" to "SNI gempa 2010" (RSNI3 03-1726-201x), the structure of the building was evaluated using the software SAP2000 v.10 by modeling the structure using standard seismic load of 2010 (RSNI3 03-1726-201x) and compare it with the 2002 earthquake loads (SNI 03-1726-2002).  The results for spectrum response acceleration of the 2010 earthquake is 1.23 times greater than the 2002 earthquake, is enlarged due to Earthquake of 2010 and 2002 for Shear Story of 54.325%, 56.354% of Displacement and Story Drift of 56.342%. Based on SNI earthquake 2010 (RSNI3 03-1726-201x),the structure system of building is include to sway special (SRPMK). By using SRPMK, it was found that the beam and column reinforcement in accordance with the project design.


The discharge of mercury amalgamation and cyanidation tailings of small-scale gold mining in West Lombok, to agricultural lands caused Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contamination. Phytostabilization may be a feasible approach for the management of contaminated sites. The objective of this study was to search for tree species that are potential for phytostabilization of soils contaminated by small-scale gold mine tailings in West Lombok, Indonesia. Results of this study showed that there were at least 28 tree species found in areas contaminated by gold cyanidatation tailing. Based on cyanide concentration, Hg concentration, and energy of above-ground parts of the identified plants, Duabanga moluccana (DM), Erythrina orientalis (DM)., and Paraserianthes falcataria (PF) were selected to study their phytostabilization potential. Results of plant growth experiment showed that the tolerance of the three species to heavy metals was in the order of Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The highest concentration of Cd (0.9 mg/kg) was found in the roots of DM. The highest concentration of Cu (37,7 mg/kg) was found in roots of EO. Roots of PF contained the highest concentrations of Pb (37.7 mg/kg) and Zn (546 mg/kg). The three plant species had metal shoot / metal root ratios of more than one. This indicates that Duabanga moluccana, Paraserianthes falcataria, and Erythrina orientalis are suitable for phytostabilization of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn in gold cyanidation tailing contaminated soils of West Lombok, Indonesia.


water. The concentrations of total dissolved As (As III + As V ) in pore waters from the Hidaka Trough and the continental slope off Shikoku increase with core depth. The average concentrations in the top 2 cm layer are several times higher than those in the overlying bottom water. Consequently, dissolved As diffuses upward across the sedimentwater interface due to the concentration gradient. In contrast, in the Nankai Trough and Shikoku Basin, the concentrations of total dissolved As in the pore waters of the surface sediments are rather low relative to those in the bottom sea water. This fact suggests that the diffusion of dissolved As takes place in the opposite direction, viz., into the pore water. The total sedimentary As mean concentrations in the top 2 cm layer of each core from the Oyashio transect decrease with the depth of water at the sampling site (i.e., with distance from the coast). On the other hand, the concentration in the Kuroshio transect increases with the water depth, the maximum appearing in the middle of the continental slope, as with reducible Mn. Consequently, we infer that the behavior of As is influenced by the organic carbon content reaching the seafloor in the eutrophic Oyashio transect. In particular As in surfacial sediments is transported out of the continental margin toward the ocean floor through the near-benthic boundary layer with Mn and Fe oxides in the oligotrophic Kuroshio transect. In the Kuroshio transect, the behavior of As is influenced by the fate of both Fe and Mn oxides in sediments. Recycling and remobilization of As in the seafloor of the continental slope, trough, and abyssal basin are controlled by the flux and decomposition of organic matter. The formation and dissolution of metal oxides also play an important role in determining the behavior of As.


Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 is a hereditary syndrome, with an autosomal dominant transmission, characterized by hyperplasia/ tumours in endocrine organs
(parathyroids, pituitary, gastro-intestinal system). The gene involved is MEN1 gene on chromosome 11q13 which encodes menin, an oncosuppressive nuclear protein
according to Knudson "two hit" hypothesis. Expression of menin and its inactivation in the thyroid gland have long been debated.


This essay documents the author's work with Kazakhstani English-language students to devise and stage a play based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The cross-cultural nature of the project involved them all in a process of renegotiating their identities as they constructed something like a micro-culture in their dramatic classroom world. The essay examines the ways the author's approach challenged the Soviet educational legacy of teaching about authors as icons by giving students texts and encouraging them to use the texts to understand themselves and to reflect on their culture. But the author's role as teacher also underwent change. Accustomed to student-centered American classrooms, she could never assume the autocratic authority of Kazakhstani teachers. Teaching students to write, to act, and to direct, she had to relinquish authority to become a working member of the group. As students learned to play new roles as writers, stage managers, directors, designers, and actors, the author found herself writing about their revelations, struggles, desires, and dreams. In short, she became an ethnographer. Ethnography not only helped her cope with difficult moments of dissonance and confusion, but heightened her awareness of the inherent drama of both classroom teaching and the cross-cultural encounter.


This article examines the difficulties associated with reintroducing Islamic law (fiqh) into the legal system and regulations of a pluralistic contemporary society. The function of Islamic law in the context of contemporary society is examined, including its historical impact on Islamic civilization and the significance of Islamic legal legislation in Islamic modernism. The current reality is Islamic law's struggle with modern nation-states, especially in terms of its transformation and incorporation into the national legal system. The article also discusses Ibn al-Muqaffa's proposal for the first Islamic legal code, which sought to establish universally applicable legal provisions. The purpose of this article is to cast a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities of reintroducing Islamic law into the regulatory framework of contemporary society. To better comprehend the implications and potential outcomes of such integration, there is a need for more scholarly work and research. In conclusion, the incorporation of Islamic law into contemporary legal systems is an ongoing and significant topic of discussion in a pluralistic modern society. While there have been attempts in the past to codify Islamic law within state regulations, there are still numerous obstacles to overcome before it can be successfully reintroduced into contemporary legal frameworks. Progress can be made towards the incorporation of Islamic law into the regulatory framework of contemporary society through sustained scholarly work, research, and consideration of ethical and social implications.


The acrosome reaction of mammalian spermatozoa has been shown to be dependent upon an influx of Ca2+ following capacitation. Recently it was shown that calmodulin which activates various enzymatic activities in a calcium-dependent manner is contained in the acrosomal portion of sperm obtained from diverse species including human. Therefore calmodulin appears to be the primary target for Ca2+-dependent regulatory process involved in the acrosome reaction. This report examines the effects of calmodulin and it's antagonist, W-7, on the acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa and the fertilization with zona free hamster eggs. The results are as follows: 1) In the experiment on fertilization in mBWW medium with 30nM of calmodulin, there was no significant difference between the calmodulin and the control. (2) In fertilization in mBWW medium with 2.5 to 25 microM of W-7, there were no significant changes in the fertilization rate, but there was a significant decrease in the fertilization rate when the concentration of W-7 was elevated up to 50 microM. (3) When fertilization in mBWW was performed using spermatozoa pretreated with W-7, the fertilization rates were more markedly and promptly elevated with insemination times than the control. (4) When the eggs and spermatozoa were pretreated with W-7 before insemination and then placed in mBWW medium, the fertilization rate was markedly decreased. (5) Triple stain method and transmission electron microscopy showed that a large proportion of spermatozoa had undergone the acrosome reaction in mBWW medium containing W-7 with normal manner. From the results given above, it appears that calmodulin plays an important role in the acrosome reaction and fertilization in human spermatozoa.


Recently STK11,the causative gene of Peutz‐Jeghers syndrome (PJS) was identified on chromosome 19p13.3. PJS is often accompanied by several malignancies, including breast tumor, adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix, and ovarian tumor. To investigate the involvement of STK11 gene in the development of ovarian carcinomas, we analyzed 30 ovarian carcinomas for loss of hetero‐zygosity (LOH) and STK11 gene mutations. We found one missense mutation (codon 281, Pro to Leu) with heterozygous and somatic status. This mutation occurred at codon 281, which lies within the mutational hot spot (codon 279‐281) of STK11 gene previously reported in PJS. We also detected LOH in 2 (11%) of 19 informative ovarian carcinomas. Our results suggest that mutations of the STK11 gene may play a limited role in the development of ovarian carcinomas.


OBJECTIVES
Leaflet thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and valve-in-valve (ViV) procedures has been increasingly recognized. However, the factors affecting the post-TAVR/ViV thrombosis are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the geometric confinement of transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) on blood residence time (BRT) on the TAV leaflets and in turn on the post-TAVR valve thrombosis.

METHODS
Two computational models, representing a surgical bioprosthesis and a TAV, were developed to study the effect of the geometric confinement on BRT on the leaflets in ViV setting/TAVR Intra-annular positioning. 3D flow fields were obtained via a one-way fluid-solid interaction modelling approach validated by experimental testing. BRT was compared between the two models by quantification and statistical analysis of the residence time of randomly distributed particles in close proximity of the leaflets.

RESULTS
Significantly longer BRT on the leaflets was observed in the TAV compared to the surgical valve during different stages of the cardiac cycle. During forward flow, the mean value of BRT was found to be 39% higher in the TAV compared to the surgical bioprosthesis ( P <  0.0001). During diastole, specifically from end-systole to mid-diastole and from mid-diastole to the beginning of systole, the amount by which the mean BRT was higher for TAV compared to the surgical valve was 150% and 40%, respectively ( P <  0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS
The geometric confinement of TAV by the failed bioprosthesis or the calcified native valve increases the BRT on the TAV leaflets. This may act as a permissive factor in valve thrombosis.


A decrease of the absorbance at 578 nm of a cell wall suspension of mid log phase E. coli occurs when the suspension is incubated with trypsin. The reaction is so rapid that 55% of the total decrease is obtained within the first 2 min [ratio of enzyme to total cell wall protein = 1: 50 (w/w), room temperature]. The rate of the reaction is specific for trypsin when compared with other proteases, different lipases, lysozyme and other glycosidases. A peptide bond especially sensitive to trypsin could be localized within the complex cell wall by the demonstration that the decrease of the absorbance is paralleled by the splitting of the protein from the murein.

This protein could be shown to be a lipoprotein with a part of the lipid probably covalently bound to the protein. It is called murein-lipoprotein. The link between the lipoprotein and the murein is -lysine. After trypsin digestion lysine is the only additional amino acid remaining at the murein. The ratio of the amount of lysine to the known constituents of the murein demonsstrates that on the average one lipoprotein molecule is covalently bound to every tenth repeating unit of the murein (N-acetylglucosamine–N-acetylmuramic acid–l-alanine-d-glutamic acid–meso-diaminopimelic acid–d-alanine). After 3 min incubation with trypsin, the isolated lipoprotein molecules have a lysine to arginine ratio of 4:4 as compared with 5:4 in the native molecule. The lipoprotein has an unusual amino acid comosition since it contains about 65% polar amino acids and no glycine, cysteine, proline, phenylalanine, and histidine could be found. On a weight basis the lipoprotein accounts for more than 40% of the rigid layer. Since the murein is held together exclusively by covalent bonds one can get a fairly accurate idea of the distribution of the lipoprotein molecules in the cell wall. About 105 lipoprotein molecules per cell should be distributed 103 A apart along the glycosidic chains of the murein.

The lipoprotein has an important function in stabilizing the total structure of the cell wall. It seems that cleavage of only one peptide bond adjacent to the lysine link between the lipoprotein and the murein causes the rapid decrease of the absorbance and as shown by electron microscopic exmination of ultrathin sections of trypsin treated cell walls, two separated membrane structures appear which otherwise are closely adjacent to one another.


Background

Methamphetamine (METH), a potent addictive psychostimulant, is highly prevalent in HIV-infected individuals. Clinically, METH use is implicated in alteration of immune system and increase of HIV spread/replication. Therefore, it is of importance to examine whether METH has direct effect on HIV infection of monocytes, the major target and reservoir cells for the virus.
Result

METH-treated monocytes were more susceptible to HIV infection as evidenced by increased levels of viral p24 protein and expression of viral GAG gene. Mechanistically, METH treatment of monocytes inhibited the expression of the antiviral IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs: OAS2, GBP5, ISG56, Viperin and ISG15) and the HIV restriction microRNAs. In addition, METH treatment of monocytes significantly decreased STAT1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels.
Conclusions

These findings suggest a previously unrecognized mechanism for HIV persistent infection in the primary target and reservoir cells.


The rapidity in the rise of social media is changing how organizations operate and handle their communication. Several organizations are in search of ways to seize advantage in this emerging era marked by greater real time, interactivity and transparency. The new media, of which Facebook is part, is growing so fast that it makes it imperative for employees to embrace the medium in the workplace. Facebook's widespread among workers has given an interest in how Facebook usage is related to the output of workers. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of Facebook usage on the productivity of employees of University of Cape Coast. A questionnaire purposely designed for the study was used to gather the data from a sample of 100 respondents purposively selected from the staff of the University of Cape Coast, after a pilot study. The time spent and the number of times people visit Facebook has both positive and negative effects on the output of workers. It also emerged that Facebook has become an important part of people's lives. The study showed that the use of Facebook during productive hours has a significant influence on staff productivity. Facebooking by employees affect their skills/ability, knowledge/qualification, and productivity/outcomes.

 Key words: Facebook, University of Cape Coast, facebooking


The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through content analyses of articles in The New York Times and the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, how these papers have reported on the legal aspects of drone strikes in international conflicts. Drones have been deployed in US military operations at least since the October 2001 air strikes in Afghanistan. Using critical discourse analysis and framing theory, selected texts were examined in which the two newspapers reported on the topic of drone strikes. Drawing on a report of an April 2010 hearing in the US House of Representatives, this paper discusses the legality of deploying drones in international conflicts. The author concludes that in their reportage on US drone strikes the newspapers failed as watchdogs for the relevant legal issues.


As a young feminist poet and novelist in Catalonia, Ana María Moix participated in a radical social and intellectual circle called the gauche divine, whose members were known for intellectual and artistic innovation, unconventional sex and gender roles, and a mixture of political liberalism and indifference. The gauche divine was active during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period that corresponds to the end of the Franco Dictatorship and to an extremely fruitful period for Moix. An examination of the creation and reception of Moix's early novels in the context of the gauche divine proves essential to understanding her work for several reasons: gender, particularly when coupled with age, prejudiced Moix's readership—especially within the gauche divine; in her book 24 horas con la gauche divine (2001), Moix defined the circle, but the gauche divine has defined Moix and her readership as well; the circle served as a source of intellectual support and inspiration; an aesthetic of freedom that reflects Barcelona's unique historical context becomes apparent; and Moix was an aesthetic and thematic innovator within the circle and in Peninsular literature in general, particularly with respect to avoidance of the social and political referent in her second novel.


The Measurement theory defines a measurement as a mapping from a set of empirical property manifestations to a set of abstract property values called symbols. The ordinal metrical scales were introduced within the context of Psychophysics as a way to solve the problem of multidimensional scaling. Usually the distances used to define such scales are based on the hypothesis that symbols are vectors of numbers and that each component is expressed on an interval scale or a ratio scale. In a recent paper was introduced a distance-based scale that represents manifestations from an empirical world with fuzzy subsets of lexical terms. This approach supposes only the existence of a fuzzy nominal scale and allows a choice into a wider set of distances to build the ordinal metrical scales. This paper focuses on the knowledge source used to choose a scale definition and takes metrical scales built on fuzzy nominal scale as example. Then it opens a discussion on the reality of some distances in the empirical world.


Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the quality of evidence supporting primary care–relevant Choosing WiselyTM recommendations using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT). Methods: All Choosing Wisely "top 5" lists published by American medical specialty societies through June 2014 were reviewed for relevance to primary care. Both authors independently applied SORT to generate an evidence letter grade for each of the included recommendations, relying on citations supplied by the nominating organizations. Results: Of 310 recommendations, 224 were identified as being relevant to primary care. We rated 43 (19%) as SORT level of evidence A, 57 (25%) as B, and 124 (55%) as C. Conclusion: We found that a majority of primary care–relevant Choosing Wisely recommendations are based on expert consensus or disease-oriented evidence. Further research is warranted to strengthen the evidence base supporting these recommendations in order to improve their acceptance and implementation into primary care.


Based on a very successful one-semester course taught at Harvard, this text teaches students in the life sciences how to use differential equations to help their research. It needs only a semester's background in calculus. Ideas from linear algebra and partial differential equations that are most useful to the life sciences are introduced as needed, and in the context of life science applications, are drawn from real, published papers. It also teaches students how to recognize when differential equations can help focus research. A course taught with this book can replace the standard course in multivariable calculus that is more usually suited to engineers and physicists.


In this study, formulation of a recently proposed time-weighted residual method has been developed for the vibration analysis of Timoshenko beams under moving loads. Employing pre-integration relations as well as equilibrium equations, is the main idea of this method. In the first step of the proposed method, the time interval is subdivided into a number of sub-intervals and then the acceleration field in each time step is defined as the combination of an unknown function and a series of exponential basis functions with constant coefficients. Finally, the solution of the problem is computed by the time-weighted residual method along with exact satisfaction of the initial and the boundary conditions at the two ends of the beam. Storing the information of solution at each time step on the exponential coefficients, is the most important advantage of this method, so that the solution is progressed in time without the need to discretize beams and only by using an appropriate recursive relation to update the exponential coefficients. In order to investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method, the results of solving three sample problems of constant and accelerated moving load on the beams with different boundary conditions, are compared with the results of finite element method. This comparison illustrates the speed and accuracy of the proposed method in estimating the internal shear forces and bending moments rather than those obtained by the finite element method.


In this paper the influence of rate of breaking up of train sets on conditions of uncoupling the train cuts and the number of cars, which need repeated marshalling due to their non-separation on hump switches, is investigated. A computation procedure for the processing capacity of marshalling hump yards is improved.


Abstract
While organization theories acknowledge the influence of specific assets on dependence and increasingly represent the latter as a structure of mutual dependence (dependence of A on B and dependence of B on A), there is, to the best of our knowledge, no empirical test concerning the impact of specific assets on a structure of dependence. Our chapter aims to fill this gap. It is all the more original in that it considers a case study where dependence changes sides according to the characteristics of the transaction. We examine the dependence between Chilean exporters and European importers when trading fresh produce. Such dependence originates with the need for just-in-time coordination and compliance with a compelling demand in a context of high price uncertainty.

Using a unique dataset from international trade in fresh produce between Chile and the rest of the world, we justify the use of a concentration sales ratio as a proxy for dependence and test the influence of a variety of specific assets on the side of dependence by using both categorical and dimensional approaches. Original findings show that certain transaction attributes have a strong influence on the side of dependence. In particular, the higher the frequency and the level of specific assets such as volume, niche varieties, and joint sales with other products, in the transaction, the greater the likelihood of a higher ratio of dependence for the importer rather than the exporter. Conversely, in the event of low levels of specific assets and less frequent operations, dependence tends to be greater on the side of the exporter.


Effective use of traffic marking can lead to driver`s safer driving by speed management and visibility enhancement. One of the critical factors in designing traffic marking is how to incorporate human factor issues into the design process. This study presented a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of Hi-pass marking on Korean freeways based on kansei engineering. Hi-pass marking scenarios made by a virtual reality tool were used to evaluate the user`s perceptions. Various combination of chevron angles and peripheral transverse(PT) bars were used for the evaluation. The results show that the most effective scenario is a combination of 60 degree chevron angle and an askew parallelogramshaped PT bar shaped. It is expected that the proposed method and outcome will be useful for making safer driving maneuvers.


Angles: Permafrost has become the most important feature in civil engineering in all the arctic regions. The construction of a new structure, such and road or and airfield, changes the thermal regime of the ground leading to a faster degradation of the frost table. The heat caused by the new structure speeds the thawing process of permafrost giving place to differential settlements on the surface and longitudinal cracks along the edges of roads and highways.

One of the techniques to mitigate those effects is the use of reflective surfaces. It has been probed that a lighter color reflects more sunlight avoiding the rise of temperatures that makes permafrost to thaw prematurely.

The purpose of this Thesis has been carrying out Ground Penetrating Radar investigations in different test areas of Kangerlussuaq airport in order to evaluate the changes that the frost table is experiencing underneath a white painted surface and black asphalt.

The results obtained have shown that if the paint is maintained in good conditions the thickness of the active layer is considerably reduced under zones with reflective surfaces. Furthermore, the data obtained from the fieldwork has been compared with a thermal model which predicts the depth of the frost table from a deemed period of time. Both analyses have led to similar results, fact that should promote the development of light-colored asphalt materials. Future studies should focus in the improvement of the hitches that those kind of paints present, like the low skid resistance and their high maintenance cost.


Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high in sub-Saharan Africa and affects the productive workforce. CKD has been associated with psychological problems such as anxiety and depression; however, there is little published information on the burden of psychological problems among the CKD population in African countries. Our study assessed psychological changes in two groups of patients, one group with end-stage renal disease receiving chronic haemodialysis, and a second with CKD not on dialysis. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving patients on chronic haemodialysis and patients with CKD stages 3–5 (the "CKD" patients) was conducted at the Renal Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. One hundred and sixty-eight participants (82 CKD and 86 haemodialysis patients) were recruited. Demographic, clinical and laboratory information was captured, the Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Test (RQCST) was used to assess cognitive function and the Brief Symptoms Inventory-18 (BSI-18) was used to screen for anxiety, somatization and depression. Results: CKD patients were older than those on haemodialysis, with mean ages of 53.3 and 46.6 years, respectively. Two-thirds (113/167) were male. The median glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of the CKD patients was 21 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (interquartile range 9–34). Most of the haemodialysis patients (78.6%) were receiving two sessions of haemodialysis per week and their mean kT/V was 1.16 ± 0.23. The RQCST global scores in the two groups of patients were similar, with almost 90% of haemodialysis patients and 85% of CKD patients obtaining scores above 50. Haemodialysis patients had better scores for immediate recall memory. The haemodialysis patients also had higher BSI-18 global scores than the CKD patients (mean of 0.83 vs 0.70, p = 0.033). Mean anxiety and somatization scores were also higher in the haemodialysis patients. Conclusions: Haemodialysis patients demonstrated higher anxiety and somatization scores than the CKD patients. Clinical psychological support should therefore be included in the treatment of our patients, and especially for those on chronic haemodialysis.


Phage therapy may represent a viable alternative to antibiotics to inactivate fish pathogenic bacteria. Its use, however, requires the awareness of novel kinetics phenomena not applied to conventional drug treatments. The main objective of this work was to isolate bacteriophages with potential to inactivate fish pathogenic bacteria, without major effects on the structure of natural bacterial communities of aquaculture waters. The survival was determined in marine water, through quantification by the soft agar overlay technique. The host specificity was evaluated by cross infection. The ecological impact of phage addition on the structure of the bacterial community was evaluated by DGGE of PCR amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. The survival period varied between 12 and 91 days, with a higher viability for Aeromonas salmonicida phages. The phages of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and of A. salmonicida infected bacteria of different families with a high efficacy of plating. The specific phages of pathogenic bacteria had no detectable impact on the structure of the bacterial community. In conclusion, V. parahaemolyticus and A. salmonicida phages show good survival time in marine water, have only a moderated impact on the overall bacterial community structure and the desired specificity for host pathogenic bacteria, being potential candidates for therapy of fish infectious diseases in marine aquaculture systems.


The bark of five healthy and six declining silver firs (Abies alba Mill.) was artficially wounded in July 1991. Structural changes were observed 6, 9, 16,23, and 40 days later. After 6-9 days, there was necrosis and deposition of polyphenols in the exposed tissues. Hypertrophy of the axial and ray parenchyma, and hyperplasia of the rays resulted in the formation of a parenchymatic zone below the necrotic tissues. The outermost cells of this zone just below the necrotic tissues exhibited thickening of walls and lignification in the corners of individual cells. Except in two apparently healthy trees and one strongly declining test tree, intracellular suberin was detectable in some lignified cells by day 16. By then polyphenols were visible in the axial parenchyma cells underneath the parenchymatic zone. Between 23 and 40 days after wounding, progressive suberisation resulted in the formation of a 'ligno-suberised zone', which fused with the phellem of the pre-existing periderm. By day 23, initiation of a new phellogen internal to the 'Iigno-suberised zone' was observed. By the end of the experiment, the necrophylactic periderm did not fuse with the pre-existing periderm. The cells with brown deposits underlying the parenchymatic zone were not noticed on day 40. Suberisation coincided with the imperviousness detected in all trees by day 23. The bark response to mechanical wounding was essentially the same in healthy and declining trees.


Abstract The Illinois River historically provided high-quality habitat for a variety of migratory birds but sedimentation, management for commercial navigation, and increasing hydrologic variability have contributed to reductions in aquatic vegetation and naturally occurring foods for waterfowl. Cover of aquatic vegetation within the Illinois River Valley (IRV) declined during the 1950s, and it has not recovered in its historical range. The Dresden and Starved Rock reaches of the Illinois River, unlike other reaches in the IRV, still retain aquatic macrophytes in the main channel and connected backwater wetlands. To determine energetic carrying capacity of seeds and tubers for waterfowl in the upper Illinois River, we collected benthic core samples from random locations throughout the Dresden and Starved Rock reaches in falls 2013–2014. All sampling locations (i.e., main channel and connected backwater wetlands) had low mean density of seeds and tubers (<175 kg/ha) and duck energy days (DED; <1200 DED/ha) relative to other managed wetlands and backwater wetlands in the region. Greatest seed density occurred in the Dresden reach in 2014 (109.0 ± 85.7 kg/ha; n = 30) and 2013 (44.4 ± 10.7 kg/ha; n = 28), followed by the Starved Rock reach in 2014 (13.7 ± 35.7 kg/ha; n = 30). Within the Dresden reach, seed and tuber densities in the Des Plaines River were similar (95.8 ± 64.2 kg/ha; n = 40) to those in the Kankakee River (37.7 ± 14.0; n = 18), despite commercial barge traffic and channel maintenance in the former. However, seed and tuber densities from throughout the upper Illinois River were likely near or below levels required for ducks to forage profitably and value as foraging habitat for dabbling ducks seeking seeds and tubers may be limited. Conservation planners should prioritize restoration and enhancement of disconnected waterfowl management areas with water management capabilities to maximize growth of aquatic vegetation for quality waterfowl habitat in the Illinois River and other Midwestern river systems.


Exploration of the transient Universe is an exciting and fas t-emerging area within radio astronomy. Known transient phenomena range in time scales from subnanoseconds to years or longer, thus spanning a huge range in time domain and hinting a rich diversity in their underlying physical processes . Transient phenomena are likely locations of explosive or dynamic events and they o ffer tremendous potential to uncover new physics and astrophysics. A number of upcomin g next-generation radio facilities and recent advances in computing and instrum entation have provided a much needed impetus for this field which has remained a relati v y uncharted territory for the past several decades. In this paper we focus mainly on the class of phenomena that occur on very short time scales (i.e. from ∼ illiseconds to∼nanoseconds), known asfast transients , the detections of which involve considerable signal processing and data management challenges, given the high time and frequency resolutions required in their explorations, the role of propagat ion effects to be considered and a multitude of deleterious e ff cts due to radio frequency interference. We will describe the techniques, strategies and challenges involv ed in their detections and review the world-wide efforts currently under way, both through scientific discoveri es enabled by the ongoing large-scale surveys at Parkes and Are cibo, as well as technical developments involving the exploratory use of multi-eleme nt array instruments such as VLBA and GMRT. Such developments will undoubtedly provid e valuable inputs as next-generation arrays such as LOFAR and ASKAP are designed a d commissioned. With their wider fields of view and higher sensitivities, the se instruments, and eventually the SKA, hold great potential to revolutionise this rel atively nascent field, thereby opening up exciting new science avenues in astrophysics.


Burns cause high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Improper initial treatment or delayed initial treatment can have adverse consequences for further wound healing. Goal. To study the effect of biodegradable polymer films «biodep-nano» on the healing of burns of the skin and prevention of complications. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of our developed biodegradable polymer film «biodep-nano», which is additionally saturated with hydrated fullerene C60 on the healing of severe suppurative burns in animal experiments and the effectiveness of this film in the prevention of secondary infection in patients with mild burns. Material and methods. Simulation of skin burns was performed on 50 adult white Wistar rats weighing an average of 300.0 g, St.Aureus was injected under the scab, after 3 days the scab was removed surgically and the wound was cleaned with a biodep-nano film, the material was replaced every 2 days. with planimetric, microbiological and pathomorphological examination on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st day. In the conditions of the burn department of Ivano-Frankivsk OKL, the biodegradable polymer film "biodep nano" introduced into production was used to prevent secondary infection of burn wounds. Results. When using the film developed by us, the area decreased by 21.6 % on the 3rd day, by 44.5 % on the 7th day, by 67.8 % on the 14th day. By 21 days there was a complete closure of the wound defect. The results of the microbiological study indicate that the level of contamination of burn wounds after application of the studied film of zinc nanooxide decreased during treatment and on the 3rd day to (4.3±3.3)*105 CFU/ml, which is the level of bacteria that is not pathogenic. After the 14th day, the pathogen was not sown and the wounds healed well. The obtained data showed that in group I where the film was used, the secondary infection was 11 % lower, which in turn showed a shorter wound healing time, which was 2 days less than in group II. Conclusions. The biodegradable material developed by us reliably protects burn wounds from accidental infection, is safetyless, elastic, and in experimental research demonstrated high medical properties in relation to the purulent burn wounds of IIIb century.


In this paper, we use a general equilibrium simulation model to assess the potential impacts on homelessness of various housing-market policy interventions. We calibrate the model to the four largest metropolitan areas in California. We explore the welfare consequences and the effects on homelessness of three housing-market policy interventions: extending housing vouchers to all low-income households, subsidizing all landlords, and subsidizing those landlords who supply low-income housing. Our results suggest that a very large fraction of homelessness can be eliminated through increased reliance upon well-known housing subsidy policies.  2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved. JEL classification: H2; H3; R2


This paper proposes a new method for model-based tracking of a human body in 3D motion from multiple views. The tracking is performed by estimating the pose increment of the body parts from multiple image sequences after establishing of fitting an articulated model to the human body at the initial frame. The pose increment can be obtained from solving a system of linear equations. This calculation does not depend on the number of view points. Experiments verify that the proposed method can avoid occlusion and visual degenerate from a particular view point, and track a human body in complicated motion.


Detailed numerical studies through unsteady simulations with detailed hydrogen chemistry have been reported for premixed H2–air flames in straight microtubes to understand the role of flame-wall coupling and its effect on flame dynamics for a range of wall heat transfer conditions. Depending on the wall heat transfer conditions, and tube diameters, varying flame shapes were observed. These flame modes are represented with flame shape angles and corresponding flame shape is correlated to wall heat transfer conditions. It has been observed that an increase in wall heat transfer coefficient, h, though it increases the heat loss from a propagating flame, does not necessarily lead to a monotonic decrease in flame propagation speed. A transition regime, where the propagating flame changes its shape, has been identified. The variation of mass flux in the vicinity of the propagating flame has been used to gain a better understanding of flow-redirection and its impact on flame shape and flame propagation speed for premixed H2–air mixtures.


Based on the assumption of the local spherical symmetric ionosphere, we propose two inversion methods with which ionospheric density profiles are extracted from the dual frequencies and single frequency radio occultation data respectively. The estimation errors of the dual-frequency method come from errors of the carrier phase measurements, while the errors of the single frequency method mainly are determined by the precision of the pseudo-range measurements. Since the pseudo-range measurements tend to be about 100 times noisier than those of the carrier phase, the retrieval precision with the dual-frequency method may be generally higher than that with the single frequency. However, slightly different paths of carrier L1 and L2 will bring errors to estimations of the dual-frequency method. The radio occultation simulation data with a 3 dimensional ray-tracing program are used to evaluate these inversion methods. Results show that the inversion profiles agree very well with the given model ionosphere, which indicates reliabilities and accuracies of both methods. Then, two inversion methods are applied to the processing of GPS/MET ionospheric occultation data. The inversion results show reasonable ionospheric profiles. Inversion profiles with the single-frequency method are consistent with those of the dual-frequency method, which provide the theoretical inversion base for ionosphere radio occultation observations with a single frequency GPS receiver onboard LEO.


In this article we want to make evident that Brauer groups of local and global fields play an important role in public key cryptopgraphy. In the first section we show that all ideal class groups resp. divisor class groups attached to curves over finite fields Fq taken into consideration for DL-systems can be mapped to such Brauer groups via the Tate-Lichtenbaum pairing. It is well known that this pairing applied to elements of order n can can be computed with complexity polynomial in | Fq(μn) | where μn is the group of roots of unity of order n. The image under this map leads to cyclic algebras over local fields with residue field Fq(μn). In the next section we study such algebras and explain the connection with discrete logarithms in finite fields as well as with elements in the Brauer group over global fields. This leads to a possibility to apply index-calculus methods described in the third section. As result we get subexponential algorithms for the computation of discrete logarithms in finite fields as well as for the computation of the Euler totient function. For the convenience of the reader we list the needed definitions and results about Galois cohomology groups in an appendix. ∗This article is based on a lecture given at the conference WartaCrypt 2004. The author would like to thank the organizers of the conference for generous support, an interesting program and last but not least for a very inspiring and pleasant atmosphere, and T. Lange for fruitful discussions on questions related to this work.


We investigate in this paper the instructional design rationale of open pedagogical scenarios. We use the Domain-Specific Modeling (DSM) approach for proposing Domain-Specific Educational Modeling Languages (DSEML) and dedicated editors to teachers/designers in order to allow them to work at a high-level of abstraction. Thanks to EMF tools we have realized a first implementation of our proposal about learning sessions of Hop3x. The Hop3x's DSEML is described by a metamodel and accordingly a first version of specific editor has been generated.


As a result of the enforced control of emission, many devices, including the diesel particulate filter, have been installed in diesel cars to reduce the emission of particulate matters. In this study, a car fire case has been investigated and analyzed. A car fire broke out after the vehicle traveled a distance of 1.4 km from a car service center. The car was provided with DPF cleaning when the DPF warning light came on. After being dismantled in the engine room, the car's engine and gearbox were investigated. The findings showed that the rear part of the DPF metal case was melted and punctured, while the honeycomb filter of the DPF was damaged. The car fire was caused by an overheated DPF associated with inaccurate maintenance practice. Therefore, the responsibility of the fire rested on the car service center that performed the DPF cleaning.


Equations that describe the photobleaching of photochromic layers illuminated by Gaussian laser beams are given. The photochromic samples are made of thionine, triethanolamine, and polyvinyl alcohol and follow simple kinetics law. Spatial absorbance and time-dependent power transmittance are well described by the developed equations. The model is used to calculate the Gaussian dimension of helium-neon laser beams from kinetics data.


Amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) sealed with sutures has been routinely used to treat ocular surface defects (OSD). However, the sutures used to secure the graft on the cornea cause additional injury, infection, and scarring. A new light‐activated technique, called photochemical tissue bonding (PTB), has been developed for securing amniotic membrane (AM) over the corneal surface. The purpose of this study was to compare PTB versus traditional sutures in AMT for repair of OSD.


Previous papers studying the effect of surgeon experience on patient outcomes after colorectal surgery are hampered by study design, variable measurements of outcome, and have shown conflicting results. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is a validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program used to measure the quality of surgical care. Here, we sought to determine the association between colorectal surgeon experience and short-term patient outcomes using a colorectal surgery-specific National Surgical Quality Improvement Program methodology. We prospectively followed 300 patients operated on by eight colorectal surgeons. The median age was 46 years, male:female ratio was 163:137, and median body mass index was 23. Surgeons were divided into two groups: those with less (Group A) than or greater (Group B) than 5 years experience. Procedures were categorized into 137 (46%) major and 163 (54%) minor cases. Group A surgeons operated on 95 (32%) patients and Group B surgeons operated on 205 (68%) patients. Postoperatively, 101 (31%) patients had complications (Group A = 29; Group B = 72). Four (1%) patients had reoperations (Group A = 0; Group B = 4) and 24 (8%) were readmitted (Group A = 5; Group B = 19) within 30 days of surgery. This prospective study revealed no significant difference in short-term outcomes between colorectal surgeons with less than versus more than 5 years experience.


UNLABELLED
BACGROUND/AIM. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are structural or functional abnormalities of the heart present at birth even if they are detected much later. Their importance lies in the fact that, depending on the severity, they change the quality of life, and may be life threating. In addition, we should not ignore the high costs of treating people with congenital heart disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of congenital heart disease in relation to the severity in the world based on the available literature.

METHODS
All the available literature on the incidence of CHD cases regarding the severity of CHD published from 1955 to 2012 was analyzed. The researcher was able to read the titles and abstracts of 128 papers on the subject. Due to methodological inconsistency, 117 of the papers were rejected. Based on the criteria of reliability, availability and comparability, our analysis included 11 studies testing CHD incidence regarding the severity of the defect conducted all over the world. The Yates' χ2-test was used to compare the observed incidences.

RESULTS
The frequency of severe congenital heart defects, ranged from 0.414 to 2.3/1,000 live births, the incidence of moderate congenital heart defects from 0.43 to 2.6/1,000 live births while in the group of minor congenital heart defects the incidence ranged from 0.99 to 10.3/1000 live births. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of mild, moderate and severe CHDs.

CONCLUSION
The results obtained studying of the available data suggest that no statistically significant difference in the incidence of mild, moderate and severe congenital heart defects. A universal methodological approach to the incidence of CHD is essential.


Leukemia is the most common malignancy of childhood. Chloromas are a rare presentation of an underlying leukemia. Here, we discuss a rare case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) presenting with swelling over right eye. The patient was evaluated radiologically for the extension of disease and treatment planning. ALL was diagnosed with complete blood count and bone marrow examination. The orbital swelling was the initial presentation which led to further diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in our case. Chloroma is usually a common clinical presentation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), however, it may rarely be found in a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) such as ours.


The electrical response of a retinal photoreceptor to illumination involves the closure of ion-selective channels in the cell's plasma membrane. Analysis of the response kinetics suggests the involvement of a chain of linked reactions and recent biochemical experiments have indicated the probable molecular nature of these reactions. Hence the process of transduction in this sensory receptor is now quite well understood.


Endothelin 1 (ET–1) is a powerful constrictor of the afferent glomerular artery, implicated in the occurrence of both functional and acute renal failure. Besides being produced by the endothelium, ET–1 is also secreted by proximal tubular cells, suggesting that it may act as an endoluminal messenger. The present study is intended to verify whether ET–1 may play a role in the tubuloglomerular feedback system. The experiments were performed in rat superficial glomeruli. In 25 nephrons we measured by the total collection technique the single–nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR; nl/min) and reabsorption rates before (control) and during microinjection (MIJ) of ET–1 10–7 M into the first proximal convolution or Bowman's space. The SNGFR rose from 27±3 to 61±11 nl/min (p<0.01), the percent proximal reabsorption rose from 43 to 74%, and the absolute reabsorption rose from 13±2 to 46±11 nl/min (p<0.01). In additional 23 nephrons the collections were performed at the earliest distal convolution accessible on the renal surface, while MIJ was performed in the last proximal convolution of the same nephrons. The SNGFR rose during MIJ from 22±3 to 40±6 nl/min (p<0.01), the percent reabsorption rose from 61 to 66% (p>0.77), and the absolute reabsorption rose from 12±2 to 26±4 nl/min, (p<0.003). Exposure of the macula densa to intraluminally injected ET–1 causes an abrupt increase in SNGFR of the experimental nephron, in the absence of changes in systemic and renal hemodynamics. During proximal MIJ, ET–1 may have reached the macula densa during the time preceding the beginning of collection and interruption of the delivery of fluid to the distal nephron. ET–1 directly stimulates fractional and absolute volume reabsorption along the proximal tubule. Proximal secretion and/or filtration of ET–1 could represent a physiological mechanism to activate the tubuloglomerular feedback, eliciting a response opposite to that triggered by systemic and intrarenal infusion.


Coniferous fast growing species, mainly Pinus pinaster and P. radiata, account for 36 per cent of the fallings in Spain. Though the important of this data, that is more relevant if we look into the expansion posibilities, key technical aspects of the production of nursery plants for reforestation and of the reforestation itself, still show gaps of knowledge and execution that infuence survival and stability of plantations. Therefore, productivity and wood quality are influenced, too. Works initiated
within Centro de Mejora y Desarrollo Agroambiental of Tragsa (CEMDA), in cooperation with another public and private institutions in Galicia, are presented in this paper. All of them look forward to improving nursery technics and reforestation processes of P. pinaster.


Violence is a common clinical problem that must be quickly assessed to be properly managed. The examiner should keep at a safe distance from the patient and conduct the interview in a firm but nonthreatening manner. Verbal intervention, pharmacotherapy, and occasionally, physical restraints are indicated as a first-line approach while treatment of the underlying medical or psychiatric abnormality is initiated. Once the violent patient is under control, management includes thorough diagnostic assessment, pharmacotherapy, careful psychotherapy, and mobilization of community resources.


The legal regimes of online intermediaries' liability and data protection have been conceived on parallel tracks. Whereas the Data Protection Directive could not exclude from its scope of application the e-Commerce Directive due to chronological reasons, the latter expressly clarified that its scope does not include data protection matters. The rise of the algorithmic society has blurred this traditional gap. From a merely passive role, new online intermediaries such as search engines and social networks have acquired an increasingly active role in managing online contents. At the same time, their role in deciding how to process personal data has transformed these actors from data processors to controllers. This evolving framework has led to the convergence of the parallel tracks which have started to overlap. In particular, the ECJ decision in Google Spain and the Italian Google Vivi Down saga have shown the intersections between the two regimes. The adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has contributed to reducing the gap between the regimes of data protection and ISP liability. The GDPR has clarified that the application of the new Regulation should not affect the rules provided for by the e-Commerce Directive, in particular, those regarding ISP's liability. The result could be a potential overlap of two layers which, until the adoption of the GDPR, were conceived from two different perspectives.


Beta thalassemia is one of the most prevalent genetic disorders in Iran. Nowadays the
premarital screening program for beta thalassemia has brought the highest concern and attention in our country to
prevent any child birth affected by the major thalassemia.Thalassemia major leads to serious medical, social, and
economic problems for patients and their families, and patient's care represents a considerable financial burden for the
public health budget. The aim of this study was to evaluate the premarital screening program for beta thalassemia in
Eghbal Health Center of Urmia during 2014.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study 2341 volunteers (2167 men and 174 women) participated for
routine premarital screening in Eghbal Health Center of Urmia. All men's volunteers and those men's wives with low
blood indices [MCH (mean cell hemoglobin) %3.5], were
included. Hematologic parameters were measured by automated cell counter Sysmex KX-21N. Data were analyzed
using one-way ANOVA and post Hoc Tukey test.
Results: From 2341 subjects, 174 men had MCV<80 fl or MCH<27 pg, so the hematologic indices of their spouses
(174 females) were also assessed. 58 women had MCV<80 fl or MCH<27 pg. Among these 58 couples (116 subjects),
98 persons (84 women and 14 men) with iron deficiency anemia, 9 participants (7 women and 2 men) with beta
thalassemia and 9 participants (2 women and 7 men) with alpha thalassemia were diagnosed. The frequency of alpha
thalassemia and beta thalassemia carriers among men referred to Eghbal Health Center of Urmia was 0.32% and
0.09%, respectively. In beta thalassemia group, HbA2 level showed a significant increase in comparison with
thalassemia major and iron deficiency anemia groups (p=0.001). MCH and MCV levels in beta thalassemia patients
were significantly lower than in two other groups (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Our findings showed that in 2014, the frequency of thalassemia carriers among men referred to the
Eghbal Health Center of Urmia is low. However, implementation of thalassemia screening program in the city can
effectively prevent the birth of children with thalassemia and prevent unwanted medical costs


This paper describes the measurements and alignment techniques that were used at Television Station WPTZ (Philadelpha) to successfully broadcast a certified NTSC color signal. Certification data were taken using a standard color-bar chart, the phase and amplitude of the color subcarrier being measured with a vectorimeter having a polar display. Additional equipment employed consisted of a wide-band oscilloscope, ten-step staircase generator, frequency burst generator, transmission-line monitor, and a special stabilizing amplifier modified for color operation.


In this paper, we design and implement a variety of parallel algorithms for both sweep spin selection and random spin selection. We analyze our parallel algorithms on LogP, a portable and general parallel machine model. We then obtain rigorous theoretical runtime results on LogP for all the parallel algorithms. Moreover, a guiding equation is derived for choosing data layouts (blocked vs. stripped) for sweep spin selection. In regards to random spin selection, we are able to develop parallel algorithms with efficient communication schemes. We introduce two novel schemes, namely the FML scheme and the ?-scheme. We analyze randomness of our schemes using statistical methods and provided comparisons between the different schemes.


Swine Dysentery (SD) is a severe mucohaemorhagic enteric disease of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which has a large impact on pig production and causes important losses due to mortality and sub-optimal performance. Although B. hyodysenteriae has been traditionally considered a pathogen mainly transmitted by direct contact, through the introduction of subclinically infected animals into a previously uninfected herd, recent findings position B. hyodysenteriae as a potential threat for indirect transmission between farms. This article summarizes the knowledge available on the etiological agent of SD and its virulence traits, and reviews the determinants of SD transmission. The between-herds and within-herd transmission routes are addressed. The factors affecting disease transmission are thoroughly discussed, i.e., environmental survival of the pathogen, husbandry factors (production system, production stage, farm management), role of vectors, diet influence and interaction of the microorganism with gut microbiota. Finally, prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to fight against the disease are briefly described.


The effect of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, varying in lipophilicity and receptor selectivity, were studied on tremor elicited by L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP) in rats pretreated with a peripherally acting decarboxylase inhibitor and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, or by the directly acting 5-HT agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT). Plasma levels of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists were determined simultaneously. The non-selective lipophilic adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol was found to dose-dependently reduce tremor intensity, whereas the non-selective hydrophilic adrenoceptor antagonist sotalol had no effect, indicating a central site of action. Furthermore, beta 1-selective blockade with the adrenoceptor antagonist metoprolol had no effect on tremor intensity, whereas the beta 2-selective antagonist ICI 118,551 dose-dependently suppressed tremor intensity, suggesting that the beta-adrenoceptor subtype involved is of the beta 2-type. These results suggest that blockade of centrally located beta 2-adrenoceptors are able to attenuate the tremor response following 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor activation.


We consider the problem of learning the dynamics of a linear system when one has access to data generated by an auxiliary system that shares similar (but not identical) dynamics, in addition to data from the true system. We use a weighted least squares approach, and provide a finite sample error bound of the learned model as a function of the number of samples and various system parameters from the two systems as well as the weight assigned to the auxiliary data. We show that the auxiliary data can help to reduce the intrinsic system identification error due to noise, at the price of adding a portion of error that is due to the differences between the two system models. We further provide a data-dependent bound that is computable when some prior knowledge about the systems is available. This bound can also be used to determine the weight that should be assigned to the auxiliary data during the model training stage.


Abstract : The Breast Health Intervention Evaluation (BRIE) Study evaluated the relative effectiveness of three different approaches to breast health messages--a fear appeal, a positive affect appeal, and an affectivity neutral, cognitive appeal. The three interventions were structured as three 10-12 minute videotaped presentations targeting 450 African American women residing in three rural communities in Georgia (150/community). Each site received all three intervention approaches which were randomly assigned within the site sample. The intervention was contextualized within a 60-minute breast health workshop. Workshops were coordinated and conducted by a Community Lay Health Worker at each site. Pre-/post-intervention KAP surveys were administered. Participants were provided with breast self-examination information and breast screening referral information. A telephone follow-up was conducted. We provided referral services to ACR-approved sites for study participants. The BRIE Study was conceptualized as a collaborative research venture between Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and Georgia State University (GSU). The collaboration of a minority medical school and a large research university created unique strengths that do not currently exist elsewhere in Georgia. In addition to fiscal management and general oversight, MSM provided key input into the initial qualitative work (focus groups), the development of the survey instrumentation, and the pre-testing of both the surveys and the videotaped interventions. GSU provided analysis of the qualitative data, creation, development and production of the videotaped interventions, the development and implementation of the follow-up protocol, and the final data analysis.


Abstract Seasonal and interannual variability in the western equatorial Pacific is described on the basis of an analysis of data from the Ocean Topography Experimental Satellite Mission (TOPEX/Poseidon) satellite altimeter and from tide gauges. Highest rms variability is found in the countercurrent trough (5°–7°N) and just east of the Solomon Islands at 8°S. Annual phase is symmetric about the equator within the Tropics. An empirical orthogonal function analysis found two dominant modes of variability. The primary mode is characterized by a spatial pattern similar in appearance to the combined intertropical and South Pacific convergence zones, while the second mode is centered over the equator west of the date line. Both modes vary in unison with the Southern Oscillation index over much of the interval, but a difference developed during the 1997 El Nino. This coincided with the slackening, locally, of the trade winds.


This paper collects earthquake damage data and research on tunnel in recent years(Wenchuan earthquake,Ms 8.0;Yushu earthquake, Ms 7.1, Chi-Chi Earthquake,Ms 7.6 and so on). Damage patterns and characteristics of mountain tunnels in severe earthquake region are classified: Slope failure near tunnel portal; Spalling and collapse of tunnel portal and end wall; Lining collapse; Longitudinal and transverse cracks of lining; Slant and transverse fracture of lining; Sheared off lining in fault region; Steel frame damage of primary support; pavement or bottom cracks. The damage mechanisms are analyzed and some proposals are put forward for tunnel rehabilitation and new tunnel construction: It is suggested that in strong earthquake areas, a comprehensive aseismic design should be conducted considering tunnel portal structure and slope. Line selection should avoid or reduce passing through active faults and avoid placing tunnels too close to slope faces when planning future tunnels. The paper provides a reference for seismic design and construction procedures of tunnel.


Let $F(s)=\sum\limits_{n=1}^{\infty}a_n\exp\{s\lambda_n\}$ and $F_j(s)=\sum\limits_{n=1}^{\infty}a_{n,j}\exp\{s\lambda_n\},$ $j=\overline{1,p},$ be Dirichlet series with exponents $0\le\lambda_n\uparrow+\infty,$ $n\to\infty,$ and the abscissas of absolutely convergence equal to $0$. The function $F$ is called Hadamard composition of the genus $m\ge 1$ of the functions $F_j$ if $a_n=P(a_{n,1},\dots ,a_{n,p})$, where $$P(x_1,\dots ,x_p)=\sum\limits_{k_1+\dots+k_p=m}c_{k_1\dots\, k_p}x_1^{k_1}\cdots x_p^{k_p}$$ is a homogeneous polynomial of degree $m$. In terms of generalized orders and convergence classes the connection between the growth of the functions $F_j$ and the growth of the Hadamard composition $F$ of the genus $m\ge 1$ of $F_j$ is investigated. The pseudostarlikeness and pseudoconvexity of the Hadamard composition of the genus $m\ge 1$ are studied.


Two envelope fee bidding is a mechanism used by construction clients to allocate commissionsto willing consultants such as architects, engineers and surveyors. In two envelopefee bidding the client scores the competing consultants' fees and technical proposals.The fee and technical proposal scores are weighted and aggregated and the consultantobtaining the highest aggregated score normally wins the commission. The consultant'sobjective in bidding, therefore, is to obtain the highest aggregated score possible since thismaximizes the chance of winning the commission. Given that fee and technical proposalscores are to some extent correlated, consultants can submit any one from a number ofdifferent fee—technical proposal combinations, ranging from a low fee—low scored technicalproposal combination to a high fee—high scored technical proposal combination.Only one possible combination will result in the highest aggregated score. Drew et al(2002b) offered consultants a model to determine this optimum fee-technical proposalcombination for any given commission. This paper tests the proposed model using datacollected from a leading Hong Kong consultant. The analysis, based on 51 bidding attempts,indicates that had the consultant adopted the proposed optimization model, theoverall average improvement on the consultant's original total scores was 7.07%. The optimumstrategy was to aim for an absolute low fee—low scored technical proposal on 20occasions, absolute high scored technical proposal—high fee on 21 occasions and somewherebetween these two extremes on the remaining 10 occasions. The extent to whichfees scores and technical scores vary relative to each other has an important influence onthe optimum fee—technical proposal combination. However, the client's change from a70/30 to a 50/50 predetermined weighting appears to have little effect on the consultant'soptimum bidding strategy.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to evaluate activin A and NGAL levels as potential early markers of perinatal hypoxia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We prospectively studied 58 full-term newborns: 24 with perinatal hypoxia (study group) and 34 healthy controls. Umbilical cord blood samples were obtained from all subjects immediately after delivery for the measurement of activin A and NGAL levels. Both biomarkers were correlated with biochemical indicators od hypoxia and neonatal complications.

RESULTS
Activin A levels were significantly higher in hypoxic as compared to non-hypoxic newborns (0.51 vs. 0.22pg/mL; p<0.01). NGAL levels were also higher in asphyxiated babies as compared to controls (99.1 vs. 22.3ng/mL; p<0.001). A correlation between NGAL and activin A levels was detected (R=0.54; p<0.01). NGAL concentration was also correlated with Apgar score at 5 min. and pH value, HCO3, based deficit and lactate levels. ROC curve analysis demonstrated the cutoff value of >33.9ng/ml for NGAL in prediction of perinatal asphyxia in neonates, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity 78.3%, whereas the cutoff value for activin A was 0.208ng/ml had, with a sensitivity of 93.1% and only 26.7% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS
Asphyxiated neonates demonstrate elevated NGAL and activin A levels as compared to controls. The correlation of NGAL with clinical and biochemical signs of neonatal hypoxia, as well as higher sensitivity and specificity for NGAL measurements, have led us to believe that NGAL could be a better marker of perinatal hypoxia than activin A.


Nepeta is one of the largest genera of Lamiaceae, which is widely distributed in Iran. Several species of the genus are traditionally used as culinary, industrial, and medicinal plants. In the present study, we examined fourteen qualitative and quantitative pollen morphological characters of twenty-four populations of eighteen Nepeta using light and scanning electron microscope. The pollen grains are radially symmetric, isopolar, and hexacolpate in all species. We have found that the quantitative features vary among the studied taxa. According to PCA analysis, the colpus length and width are the most variable traits. Polar view shapes in all the studied taxa are circular, while the equatorial view is prolate-spheroidal, subprolate, perprolate, and prolate. We determined microreticulate and bireticulate exine sculpturing, and the bireticulate type was dominant. We revealed that polar and equatorial axes length of pollen grains varied between populations of the same species, and they, therefore, should be ignored in taxonomical identification of species. The polar view was similar in all the studied pollen grains and could not be considered as a diagnostic trait. The equatorial shape was stable between populations of the same species, and this was taxonomically important, while we registered some infraspecific variations in exine sculpture. Our cluster of taxa based on the pollen morphology is not in concordance with the traditional sectional classification of the genus.


The instrumental use of social networks has become a central tenet of international health policy and advocacy since the Millennium project. In asking, 'How to facilitate social contagion?', Karl Blanchet of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine therefore reflects not only on the recent success, but also hints to growing challenges; the tactics of partnerships, alliances and platforms no longer seem to be delivering at the same rate and maybe reversing. A better understanding of how social networks work may therefore be needed to strengthen a tactical instrument that has been used to remarkable recent effect. But in focusing on the unbounded rhetoric and narrative options of Global Health, the danger will surely be on missing the fundamental factors constraining network growth. Future growth will depend on understanding these constraints, and Global Health may do well to think of social networks not only instrumentally, but also analytically in terms of the strategic contexts and environments in which such instruments are deployed.


The establishment of permanent, national consultative bodies for Indigenous Peoples is rare, but insight can be gained from comparative experiences such as the Sámi Parliament of Finland, previous advisory bodies for Aboriginal People in Australia, and more recently progress by the Khoisan in South Africa. Advisory bodies for Indigenous Peoples at the national level are often the victim of competing expectations. Governments tend to approach advisory bodies as fora for consultation on terms that are, in essence, dictated by government with the outcome being little more than non-binding recommendations, whilst Indigenous Peoples seek a form of co-government arrangement whereby there is some legal or policy requirement for their advice to be actively sought and sincerely considered, even if such advice is not legally binding. Four questions are the subject of this article: (1) how should an advisory body be composed; (2) what should be the policy or functional areas on which consultation must take place; (3) what is meant by an obligation to consult or to negotiate; and (4) can laws or policies be judicially challenged if there was a failure to consult, or if there is a failure to give effect to the advice received from the advisory body? The conclusion is reached that the enforceability of good faith negotiation or consultation obligations is principally found in the conduct and goodwill of governments, rather than by way of judicial review and oversight. Courts are unlikely to evaluate the substance of negotiations whereby the merit or reasonableness of proposals and counter-proposals become a matter for judicial consideration. Courts have, however, shown a greater willingness to consider procedural aspects of consultation such as the actions, behaviour, and conduct of the parties during the course of consultation, but with acknowledgment that at law good faith consultation does not necessarily imply a veto; it does not legally mandate an agreement; and it does not preclude a party standing firm in its position. It is noted that even in those cases where courts have enforced consultation obligations, actual consultation is usually directed at local projects that involve access to traditional lands, and not to general consultative rights or duties at a national level about national socio-economic policies.


Stage three of the introduction programme for the Euro began on January 1, 1999. This in many ways signalled the true beginning of the currency as thereafter the Euro was allowed for trade in foreign exchange markets and also in the issuance of new public debt. However it is already clear that this new currency will become a serious competitor of the Dollar in international usage. To illustrate, forecasts under a number of economic headings suggest that the Euro will be a closer competitor to the Dollar than having the Deutsche Mark as a vehicle currency (Portes and Rey, 1998; and McCauley, 1997). For example, in terms of all foreign exchange transactions, the Euro will be represented 50 to 60% (Dollar - 92%) of the time and the Euro will account for 25% (Dollar - 59%) of world trade invoices (McCauley, 1997). Other forecasts are even more optimistic suggesting equal status for these two currencies (Portes and Rey, 1998). Thus, the Euro is a very important currency for the fundamental welfare of the global economy and any concern over its stability is paramount. The backdrop for this analysis is that participating national currencies of the Euro were previously part of the Exchange Rate Mechanism that unfortunately suffered considerably from currency traders' speculative attack on a number of occasions. These attacks reached their zenith during the 1992/1993 crises leading to a radical revamping of the currency system. Generally, exchange rate fluctuations are measured unconditionally through an average standard deviation value, or conditionally using a GARCH related specification. However, the objective of this paper is to provide a plethora of information on the specific issue of whether speculative activity would unhinge participating governments' confidence in the currency. To achieve this, the paper concentrates on possible large scale exchange rate movements by applying a methodology specifically set-up to provide accurate measures of values located at the tail of the distribution, namely Extreme Value Theory. The findings are mainly encouraging. In many ways, the Euro shows similar characteristics to exchange rate series in general. For instance, the unconditional distribution of the Euro conclusively rejects the assumption of normality as well as having a unit root property and exhibiting volatility clustering. In terms of its stability, this paper finds there is no reason for concern regarding speculative pressure on the Euro. In fact, for a spectrum of probability and quantile measures, it consistently shows less volatility than the Yen. Moreover, the Euro follows a similar risk pattern to the Deutsche Mark, the currency that it is essentially replacing.


A study was made of the types of anesthesia chosen by the anesthesiologists in 100 cases of penetrating wounds of the heart. The most urgent problems were hypotension due to loss of blood, cardiac tamponade due to hemopericardium, and hypoxia due to pneumothorax or hemothorax. In 47 cases no preoperative medicaments were given; nearly all the other patients received atropine or scopolamine. Cyclopropane, with or without other anesthetics, was used in 74 cases because of the quick, quiet induction it afforded. Intubation of the trachea was done as soon as possible, to assist respiration, and then thoracotomy in order to relieve cardiac tamponade or to stop hemorrhage. Four patients who were moribund when admitted to the hospital received only oxygen, and there were eight other deaths. The average length of hospitalization for this group of patients was 14 days.


In recent years, wake steering has been established as a promising method to increase the energy yield of a wind farm. Current practice in estimating the benefit of wake steering on the annual energy production (AEP) consists of evaluating the wind farm with simplified surrogate models, casting a large uncertainty on the estimated benefit. This paper presents a framework for determining the benefit of wake steering on the AEP, incorporating simulation results from a surrogate model and large eddy simulations in order to reduce the uncertainty. Furthermore, a time-varying wind direction is considered for a better representation of the ambient conditions at the real wind farm site. Gaussian process regression is used to combine the two data sets into a single improved model of the energy gain. This model estimates a 0.60% gain in AEP for the considered wind farm, which is a 76% increase compared to the estimate of the surrogate model.


Brian J. Ford, The Leeuwenhoek legacy. London: Farrand Press, 1991. Pp. 185, £25.00. ISBN 1-85083-016-9 Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1632- 1723, F.R.S. 1680) was a Delft cloth worker who, quite possibly inspired by Robert Hooke's Micrographia (1665), began to develop his own single-lens microscopes in the early 1670s. By 1674 he was corresponding with Henry Oldenburg, Secretary of the Royal Society, and sending him specimens of histological material such as slices of cork, which he had cut with a razor and examined with his own microscopes. These specimens, along with others sent in 1686 and 1687, survived, seemingly unopened, in the archives of the Society until 1981, when the Society's Archivist, Leslie Townsend, drew the letters to the attention of Brian J. Ford, who as a skilled microscopist examined the specimens and found them 'in excellent condition, comparable to the best hand-cut sections that would be prepared today'.


The clinical presentation to follow includes observations which have accumulated in my pediatric practice during the last eighteen months. The instances cited include many perplexing situations of a type one encounters in dealing with the problems of infancy and childhood. The rather heterogeneous group of cases portray such symptoms as hypertonia, restlessness, excessive crying, retraction of the head, irregular respirations, bronchiospasm, pyloric spasm, enterospasm, convulsions and cyanotic spells occurring during infancy and often ascribed to status thymicolymphaticus or vagotonia. The cases illustrate that this syndrome may be manifested in the runabout period by continued hypertonia, sleeplessness, extreme restlessness, both mental and physical, and occasionally convulsions, occurring spontaneously or accompanying an acute illness, and in the older child by hypertonicity, together with other symptoms of increased neuromuscular irritability, emotional instability, incorrigibility and the syndrome of chorea. The frequency of emotional imbalance, excessive apprehensiveness, sleeplessness and tremor in the mothers of such


Identification of potential interactions in exposures either to simultaneous or sequential combinations of carcinogenic chemicals and chemicals that modify carcinogenesis poses considerable difficulties in human health risk assessments. Studies of experimental carcinogenesis over the past four decades have revealed that many pharmacologically active agents possess tumorigenesis-promoting properties. The effort to identify the possible chemical structural basis of interactions of binary combinations of carcinogenic chemicals and chemical agents that modify carcinogenesis led to the identification of a class of structurally diverse and pharmacologically active tumorigenesis promoters that are known as pharmaceuticals. The chemical class-class interactions of carcinogens and pharmaceutical agents with reported tumorigenesis-promoting properties and the possible biochemical mechanism(s) that underlie such interactions are discussed.


Purpose – The aim of the article is to indicate the role and importance of acceleration platforms in stimulating the development of the start-up market in Poland, on the example of the Smart-Lab incubation and acceleration platform, as a part of the "e-Pionier" project implemented from EU funds under the "Polska Cyfrowa" Program. Research method – The research methods are: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, desk research, case study. Results – Five MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) were obtained, constituting an original, innovative Smart-Lab Project solution in response to particular socio-economic problems reported by local government units.Originality / value / implications / recommendations – The article highlights the issues of the start-up market and the role of acceleration platforms in stimulating the development of this market, as part of the perceived need for a wider analysis of this kind of research problem.


This paper focuses on cooling fan control by using a magnetic clutch type for the improvement of fuel economy on a heavy city bus. In general, Heavy duty vehicles use viscous clutch type cooling fan which has some disadvantages, such as slow response, wide temperature variation of engine coolant water. But a magnetic clutch type cooling fan can be controlled electronically so the engine coolant temperature can be precisely controllable and this effects could be used to reduce fuel consumption. A control system for applying the magnetic clutch type cooling fan was developed in this study and applied to the real field test and chassis dynamometer test. The result showed well controlled coolant temperature and enhancement of fuel economy.


The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an explosion of research using real-time establishment-level data. One key challenge when working with this data is how to take into account the effects of business openings and closings. In this paper, we address this challenge by matching small business establishment records from Homebase with information on business activity from Google, Facebook, and Safegraph to distinguish business closings and openings from other sample exits and entry. We show that this distinction is critical to benchmark the data to pre-pandemic administrative records and estimate the effects of the pandemic on small business activity. We find four key results: (1) employment of small businesses in four of the hardest hit service sectors contracted more severely in the beginning of the pandemic than employment of larger businesses, but small businesses also rebounded more strongly and have on average recovered a higher share of job losses than larger businesses; (2) closings account for 70% of the initial decline in small business employment, but two thirds of closed businesses have reopened and the annual rate of closings is just slightly higher than prior to the pandemic; (3) new openings of small businesses constitute an important driver of the recovery but the annual rate of new openings is only about half the rate one year earlier (4) small business employment was affected less negatively in counties with early access to loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and in counties where Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) was more generous relative to pre-pandemic earnings of likely recipients, with business closings accounting for a large part of these two effects. The results dispel the popular notion that small businesses continue to suffer more from the pandemic than larger businesses. At the same time, our analysis suggests that PPP and FPUC helped to significantly mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic for small businesses by, respectively, alleviating financial constraints and stimulating demand for local services.


Under internal or external insults such as aging and oxidative stresses, cells are induced into a senescent state and stop cellular division permanently. As senescent cells (SnCs) accumulate, the regeneration capacity of biological tissue would be compromised, which has been found to be associated with a plethora of age-related disorders. Therefore, isolating SnCs becomes necessary. To address the lack of effective surface markers for SnCs isolation, a label-free microfluidic device was proposed in this paper, in which a spiral microchannel was deployed to isolate SnCs based on their size differences. We adopted a well-received cellular senescence model by exerting excessive oxidative stress to murine mesenchymal stem cells. This model was then validated through a series of SnCs characterizations including size measurement, p16INK4a expression level, senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, and doubling time. The senescence chip demonstrated an efficiency of 75% and viability over 85% at a flow rate of 5 ml/min. The average cell size from the inner outlet was 5 μm larger than that from the outer outlet. The isolated cells had a sixfold higher p16INK4a expression level. Overall, the chip had an area under curve of 0.719 in the receiver operating characteristic analysis, showing decent performance in sorting SnCs. By having the ability to perform size-based sorting at a high flow rate, such a microfluidic device can provide high-throughput and label-free isolation of SnCs. To further improve the isolation performance, the device can be modified to introduce additional physical biomarkers of SnCs such as stiffness. This device poses a good potential in purification for cytotherapy or estimation of biological age.


Backgrounds : Antimicrobial resistance is the major cause for treatment failure in Helicobacter pylori(HP) infection. In the majority of countries, including Slovenia, the eradication rate of primary therapy is below 80 %. So far we have not have any data about HP infection treatment in Carinthian region. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical documentation of all patients treated in our institution for HP infection in 2011 and 2012. Treatment outcome was determined by urea breath test. Basic demographic data of patients, endoscopic findings and histologic diagnosis were analysed together with the treatment regimen chosen and the eradication rates achieved. Secondary resistance rates for anti- microbials were calculated in patients that had culture and sensitivity tests performed because of treatment failure. Results : Total of 324 patients were included in the analysis (60.2 % female and 39.8 % male, mean age 52.1 years): 111 patients in the year 2011 (52.3 % female and 47.7 % male, mean age 53.0 years) and 213 (64.3 % female and 35.7 % male, mean age 54.1 years); 90.0 % (n = 285) of patients had endoscopic findings of chronic active gastritis, 3.1 % (n = 10) of patients had peptic ulcer disease; 27.8 % (n = 90) of patients had pre-cancerous lesions of gastric mucosa (atrophy or intestinal metaplasia) present on histology. Seven-day triple therapy with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), amoxicillin and clarithromycin (PAC) was prescribed in 87.7 % (n = 284) of patients as the first line treatment option, 11.7 % (n = 38) of patient received 7-day triple therapy with PPI, amoxicillin and metronidazole (PAM) and 0.6 % (n = 2) of patients received 7-day triple therapy with PPI, clarithromycin and metronidazole (PCM). The eradication rate with the firstline therapy was 70.7 % intention to treat (ITT) analysis and 70.9 % per protocol (PP) analysis. Cumulative eradication rate for up to four lines of therapy was 89.9 % ITT analysis and 99.7 % PP analysis. Culture and sensitivity tests were performed in 16.4 % (n = 53) of patients. Secondary resistance rates for clarithromycin, metronidazole, levofloxacin, amoxicillin and tetracycline in patients after treatment failure were 84.6 %, 70.0 %, 7.7 %, 2.5 % and 0.0 %, respectively. Conclusions : The analysis of HP treatment in the Carinthian region in the period between 2011 and 2012 is presented. The success rate of the first-line therapy is at a critically low level. Cumulative eradication rate in the ITT analysis has dropped below 90 %. However, it is still high in the PP analysis, but on the account of longer treatment and higher costs. An optimization of the initial treatment strategies for the HP eradication is needed. Systematic surveillance of antimicrobial resistance of HP in our region as well as in other regions of Slovenia is mandatory.