On 22 February 2011 an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale occurred in Christchurch City resulting in widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Christchurch City Council (CCC) has an extensive potable water supply network including bulk storage and service reservoirs which provide water to approximately 320,000 residents. Inspections undertaken, following the 22 February earthquake, on 43 concrete reservoirs located on the Port Hills and Cashmere Hills areas noted varying extents of damage from nil through to major. Damaged roof to wall connections were observed in many reservoirs with damage to walls, base-slabs and internal columns limited to a few reservoirs only. Of the 43 reservoirs, complete functional failure occurred in only one, with reduced function and operation at other sites resulting from excessive leakage, necessity for emergency repairs, or associated pipe work damage. Those reservoirs currently out of operation for reinstatement, including Christchurch's largest, account for approximately 40% of the network's storage capacity.
Overall, given the magnitude of earthquake accelerations that occurred on 22 February 2011, the reservoirs are considered to have performed remarkably well. Those in the Port Hills area nearest the earthquake epicentre, have expectedly, incurred the most damage.
Reinstatement works, varying from minor crack injection and patch repair through to reconstruction and retrofit, have been developed appropriate to the extent of damage. CCC has prioritised reservoir repair to maximise available water supply for the 2011-2012 summer demand and this has required, in some instances, staging and deferring of reinstatement works.
A summary of structural and functional performance, results of physical investigations and detailed seismic assessments, and common damage areas observed are presented in this paper along with the reinstatement options developed.


The present study was carried out at the Experimental Farm of College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, Hamirpur (HP) during November, 2020 to March, 2021. Experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications at spacing of 60×10 cm in a plot size of 1.8×1.0 m accommodating 30 plants in each plot. The experiment comprised of seventeen treatment combinations of organic manures and biofertilizers.The results revealed that treatment combination of Rhizobium+PSB+FYM was best for most of the characters like days to marketable maturity (95.00 days), plant height (77.66 cm), number of root nodules plant-1 (27.66), number of primary branches plant-1 (13.40), number of pods plant-1 (23.13), pod length (8.43 cm), pod weight (7.78 g), number of seeds pod-1 (8.13), pod yield plant-1 (97.06 g), pod yield plot-1 (2.90 kg), harvest duration (27.66 days), shelling percentage (50.16%) and protein content (11.62%) followed by RDF and combination of Rhizobium+PSB+Vermicompost. The highest gross income (` 2,57,760 ha-1), net income (` 1,76,720 ha-1) and benefit: cost ratio (2.18) were recorded by the treatment combination of Rhizobium+PSB+FYM. Hence, biofertilizers viz., Rhizobium and PSB when applied along with FYM in pea cultivation, they enhance the growth, yield and quality of the produce.


With the changing lifestyle, high-calorie diet and lack of exercise makes the number of metabolic syndrome patients gradually increased. Depression is linked to metabolic syndrome and its components, including dyslipidemia, and central obesity. Metabolic syndrome would be a significant predictor of depression. In this study, we evaluated whether fenofibrate(FF) or statin, could improve depression-like behavior in metabolic syndrome mice. The metabolic syndrome mice were induced by high-fat-diet. The depression-like behaviors in metabolic syndrome mice were analyzed by tail suspension test, open field test and sucrose preference test. After 4-week treatment of fenofibrtae and Statin, the depression-like behavior in mice were analyzed and then sacrificed. The expressions of inflammatory cytokines in the brain of mice were detected by RT-PCR. The activation of macrophage and microglia were analyzed using IHC stain. The results showed that body weight, TG, TC in serum and adipose tissue weight of mice were increased after high-fat-diet fed. That confirmed metabolic syndrome was induced successfully in the mice. In behavior analysis, fenofibrate decreased immobility times of tail suspension, increased number of line crossing of open field test, and increase sucrose intake of sucrose preference test indicating that fenofibrate may improve depression-like behavior. The data showed that fenofibrate could improve depression level in metabolic syndrome mice.


In organic farming a dilemma is posed by the heavy reliance on nutrients from conventional livestock farming. For Danish organic plant producers the influx of conventional nutrients accounts for up to 70% of their nutrients. Facing this problem, Danish organic farmers' organizations have decided to phase out their use of conventional manure before 2021. This, however, raises a number of questions about consumers' acceptance of the alternative technologies that have been proposed to close the nutrient gap. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Danish organic consumers, this paper first discusses what, from a consumers perspective, characterizes the technologies consumers associate with organic production. This part of the analysis shows that by and large consumers regard organic technologies as the opposite of conventional farming. Second, consumers' perceptions of solutions suggested to close the nutrient gap by recycling sewage sludge, and in particular the criteria applied when these technologies are assessed, are analysed. This part of the analysis shows how organic consumers base their assessment of alternative strategies and technologies primarily on concerns about environmental risks (pollution) and consequences for human health. Broader ideas about ecosystems and the recycling of nutrients between the agricultural sector and the urban population are notably absent. On the basis of these findings the paper concludes by discussing the relationship between the consumers' values that guide what is perceived as an acceptable organic technology and the ideological principles behind organic production systems as they are formulated by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).


SpectralonTM is a well known diffuse reflectance standard. Although ageing effects of Spectralon under high-level VUV and air UV irradiation have been reported, Spectralon is assumed to be stable under the normal radiation conditions used for calibration in standard facilities. In this paper, ageing effects of Spectralon under low-level irradiation and in the dark are presented. It has been found that ageing is mainly affected by four parameters: wavelength of radiation, irradiance level, radiant exposure (dose) and storage time of the samples. Therefore, the use of SpectralonTM as a transfer standard in international comparisons and maintenance of reference values is discussed.


There is a surprising lack of clarity about the exact quantity that a lithographic source map should specify. Under the plausible interpretation that input source maps should tabulate radiance, one will find with standard imaging codes that simulated wafer plane source intensities appear to violate the brightness theorem. The apparent deviation (a cosine factor in the illumination pupil) represents one of many obliquity/inclination factors involved in propagation through the imaging system whose interpretation in the literature is often somewhat obscure, but which have become numerically significant in today's hyper-NA OPC applications. We show that the seeming brightness distortion in the illumination pupil arises because the customary direction-cosine gridding of this aperture yields non-uniform solid-angle subtense in the source pixels. Once the appropriate solid angle factor is included, each entry in the source map becomes proportional to the total |E|^2 that the associated pixel produces on the mask. This quantitative definition of lithographic source distributions is consistent with the plane-wave spectrum approach adopted by litho simulators, in that these simulators essentially propagate |E|^2 along the interfering diffraction orders from the mask input to the resist film. It can be shown using either the rigorous Franz formulation of vector diffraction theory, or an angular spectrum approach, that such an |E|^2 plane-wave weighting will provide the standard inclination factor if the source elements are incoherent and the mask model is accurate. This inclination factor is usually derived from a classical Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integral, and we show that the nominally discrepant inclination factors used by the various diffraction integrals of this class can all be made to yield the same result as the Franz formula when rigorous mask simulation is employed, and further that these cosine factors have a simple geometrical interpretation. On this basis one can then obtain for the lens as a whole the standard mask-to-wafer obliquity factor used by litho simulators. This obliquity factor is shown to express the brightness invariance theorem, making the simulator's output consistent with the brightness theorem if the source map tabulates the product of radiance and pixel solid angle, as our source definition specifies. We show by experiment that dose-to-clear data can be modeled more accurately when the correct obliquity factor is used.


We have cloned and expressed calmodulin (CaM) from Trypanosoma cruzi, for the first time, to obtain large amounts of protein. CaM is a very well conserved protein throughout evolution, sharing 100% amino acid sequence identity between different vertebrates and 99% between trypanosomatids. However, there is 89% amino acid sequence identity between T. cruzi and vertebrate CaMs. The results demonstrate significant differences between calmodulin from T. cruzi and mammals. First, a polyclonal antibody developed in an egg-yolk system to the T. cruzi CaM recognizes the autologous CaM but not the CaM from rat. Second, it undergoes a larger increase in the a-helix content upon binding with Ca, when compared to CaM from vertebrates. Finally, two classic CaM antagonists, calmidazolium and trifluoperazine, capable of inhibiting the action of CaM in mammals when assayed on the plasma membrane Ca pump, showed a significant loss of activity when assayed upon stimulation with the T. cruzi CaM. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


The purpose of this communication is to provide an overview of modern cardiac valvular devices for replacement and reconstruction used worldwide, as well as innovative technologies and devices poised to improve clinical performance.


We discuss the relation between the gravitational and electromagnetic fields as governed by the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. It is emphasized that the tendency of the gravitational field to induce electromagnetic effects increases as the size of the system decreases. This is because the charge-to-mass ratio $Q/M$ is typically larger in smaller systems. For most astrophysical systems, $Q/M$ is $\ll 1$ while for a Millikan oil drop, $Q/M \sim 10^6$. Going all the way down to elementary particles, the value for the electron is $Q/M \sim 10^{21}$. For subatomic systems there is an additional phenomenon which comes into play. In fact, according to general relativity, the gravitational field tends to become dominated by the spin at distances of the order of the Compton wavelength.The relevant quantity which governs this behavior is the ratio $S/M^2$ where $S$ is the (spin) angular momentum. For an electron, $S/M^2 \sim 10^{44}$.As a consequence, the gravitational field becomes dominated by gravitomagnetic effects in the subatomic domain.This fact has important consequences for the electromagnetic fields of spinning charged particles.To analyze this situation we use the asymptotic structure in the form of the multipole fields.%Such an approach avoids the pitfalls should one try to use a near-field approach using some kind of semi-classical formulation of the Einstein-Maxwell equations for example. To obtain more exact results however, one must take quantum effects into account including radiative contributions. Although such effects are not considered in this work, the order of magnitude of the considered effects are not expected to change drastically when going to a quantum mechanical treatment. The most relevant solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations in this context is the Kerr-Newman metric. It is the preferred solution which is in accord with all the four known multipole moments of the electron to an accuracy of one part in a thousand. Our main result is that general relativity predicts corrections to the Coulomb field for charged spinning sources. Experimentally verifiable consequences include a predicted electric quadrupole moment for the electron, possible quasi-bound states in positron-heavy ion scattering with sizes corresponding to observed anomalous peaks, as well as small corrections to energy levels in microscopic bound systems such as the hydrogen atom


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to incorporate mobile payment (MP) self-efficacy, new technology anxiety, and MP privacy concerns into the basic TAM to explore MP adoption, particularly tap-and-go payment, among US consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through an online survey conducted among students at a Midwestern University in the USA. A total of 254 participants provided 240 useable responses.

Findings

MP self-efficacy significantly impacts perceived ease of use (PEOUMP) and perceived usefulness of MP (PUMP). These in turn impact MP attitude, which affects intention to use MP. Privacy concerns also impact attitude towards MP and MP use intention. New technology anxiety impacts PEOUMP, but not PUMP.

Research limitations/implications

The study uses a convenience sample of young US consumers, which could limit the generalisability of the results. The study is also limited to tap-and-go payment.

Practical implications

US retailers have information on some of the factors that encourage MP adoption. Retailers need to address self-efficacy concerns, MP privacy concerns, and consumers' perceptions of usefulness of the technology.

Originality/value

There has been little research on factors impacting tap-and-go payment adoption in the USA. The study highlights the roles of self-efficacy and privacy concerns. It focusses on tap-and-go payment, since this technology can enhance consumers' retail experience.


The foraging of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in Alpine rivers is a relatively recent phenomenon. Wintering populations in Slovenia increased in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the increase affected the upper sections of rivers where the habitats of Grayling Thymallus thymallus and trout Salmo and Oncorhynchus spp. are located. The upper section of the Soča River system is known as one of the biogeographic hotspots for (sub)alpine rivers, where several endemic or rare fish species are found. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diet of the Cormorants in this area and to compare it to some other threats to the fish fauna of the river. A total of 75 Cormorant stomachs were examined. Of these, 68 (90.7%) contained fish or recognisable fish remains. The birds' diet consisted of eight species of fish: Marble Trout, Rainbow Trout, Common Nase, Vairone, Common Chub, Italian Chub, Italian Barbel and Bullhead. The increase in numbers and the diet of Cormorants in the river basin of Soča is discussed in the context of the increase of other threats to this ecosystem, such as fish stocking, gravel extraction and tourism, especially angling and water sports. A more comprehensive environmental assessment of all these factors is needed, as their increase runs parallel with the arrival of the Cormorants in the upper section of the river. There is therefore reason to believe that Cormorants are only a small part of a larger problem in the conservation of the river ecosystem.


BACKGROUND
Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is one of the most common forms of antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis in children. Cyclophospamide and glucocorticoid-based treatment protocols are still considered gold standard in managing this multi-system disorder. But treatment-related toxicity is a major cause of chronic morbidity and early mortality in MPA. Hence, the search for an effective and safe alternative immunosuppressant is essential.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis of baseline clinico-pathological presentation and treatment-outcome was performed among 11 paediatric MPA patients. All of whom were treated with a pre-specified cyclophosphamide free, rituximab- and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)-based management protocol as per centre practice.

RESULTS
We describe the clinical course of 11 children with MPA over a median follow-up period of 20.9 months. Both patient survival and renal survival at 1 year follow-up were 100%. In spite of the varying degree of renal involvement at presentation, kidney function was recovered in all patients with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 79.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2). At last follow-up, 91% (10/11) of patients were in complete remission and one (9%) child continued partial remission state. There was no treatment failure. In total, 73% (8/11) of patients were off steroids at last follow-up and 82% (9/11) of patients never relapsed during follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS
Efficacy and medium-term safety of rituximab- and MMF-based protocol in managing children with MPA was evident in this study.


This guide will help you locate and navigate resources related to consumer health and general health information. This page is intended especially for members of the public who are not affiliated with the University of Toronto. Starting points for women's health issues


Empirical methods for connecting galaxies to their dark matter halos have become essential for interpreting measurements of the spatial statistics of galaxies. In this work, we present a novel approach for parameterizing the degree of concentration dependence in the abundance matching method. This new parameterization provides a smooth interpolation between two commonly used matching proxies: the peak halo mass and the peak halo maximal circular velocity. This parameterization controls the amount of dependence of galaxy luminosity on halo concentration at a fixed halo mass. Effectively this interpolation scheme enables abundance matching models to have adjustable assembly bias in the resulting galaxy catalogs. With the new DarkSky Simulation, whose larger volume provides lower sample variance, we further show that low-redshift two-point clustering and satellite fraction measurements from SDSS can already provide a joint constraint on this concentration dependence and the scatter within the abundance matching framework.


In Japan, gastric Helicobacter pylori infection prevalence has markedly decreased with socioeconomic development. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of oral H. pylori in Japanese adults in 2020 by sex, age, sampling site, and medical history. Unstimulated saliva, supragingival biofilm, and tongue coating were obtained from 88 subjects–with no complaints of upper digestive symptoms–attending a dentist's office for dental check-up or disorders. Supragingival biofilm was collected from the upper incisors, lower incisors, upper right molars and lower left molars to analyze the characteristic distribution. Oral H. pylori was detected using nested polymerase chain reaction. Oral H. pylori prevalence did not statistically differ by sex or age. Supragingival biofilm (30.7%) was the most common oral H. pylori niche; it was also detected in 4.5% of saliva and 2.3% of tongue samples. The lower incisor was the most common site among the supragingival biofilm samples, followed by the upper incisors, lower left molars, and upper right molars. Oral H. pylori DNA was frequently detected in patients with a history of gastric H. pylori infection. Oral H. pylori has a characteristic distribution independent of sex and age, suggesting that it is part of the normal microflora in the adult oral cavity.


Written exclusively with computer science students in mind,# Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science provides a comprehensive treatment of standard course topics for the introductory discrete mathematics course with a strong emphasis on the relationship between the concepts and their application to computer science. The book has been crafted to enhance teaching and learning ease and includes a wide selection of exercises,#detailed exploration problems, examples and problems inspired by wide-ranging applications of computer science and handy quick reference guides for key technical topics throughout. Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science# provides a lucidly written introduction to discrete mathematics with abundant support for learning, including over 450 examples, thorough chapter summaries, simple quizzes, and approximately 1600 homework exercises of widely varying difficulty.


Originally, the problem was addressed in the context of multirate signal processing, and methods based on polyphase filter banks have been proposed in the past. The procedure proposed here is based on the recovery of missing samples from an oversampled version of a bandlimited signal. Simulation results show that the power of the error in the recovery is on the order of 30 dB below the signal power. It has been shown that the proposed method, for certain decimation ratios, involves only matrix multiplications, as opposed to the design and implementation of broadband Hilbert transformers as required by the polyphase filter bank approaches. An overlap procedure is also suggested to handle the online recovery of long data sequences.<<ETX>>


Reconstruction of a continuous surface of two-dimensional manifold from its raw, discrete point cloud observation is a long-standing problem. The problem is technically ill-posed, and becomes more difficult considering that various sensing imperfections would appear in the point clouds obtained by practical depth scanning. In literature, a rich set of methods has been proposed, and reviews of existing methods are also provided. However, existing reviews are short of thorough investigations on a common benchmark. The present paper aims to review and benchmark existing methods in the new era of deep learning surface reconstruction. To this end, we contribute a large-scale benchmarking dataset consisting of both synthetic and real-scanned data; the benchmark includes object- and scene-level surfaces and takes into account various sensing imperfections that are commonly encountered in practical depth scanning. We conduct thorough empirical studies by comparing existing methods on the constructed benchmark, and pay special attention on robustness of existing methods against various scanning imperfections; we also study how different methods generalize in terms of reconstructing complex surface shapes. Our studies help identify the best conditions under which different methods work, and suggest some empirical findings. For example, while deep learning methods are increasingly popular, our systematic studies suggest that, surprisingly, a few classical methods perform even better in terms of both robustness and generalization; our studies also suggest that the practical challenges of misalignment of point sets from multi-view scanning, missing of surface points, and point outliers remain unsolved by all the existing surface reconstruction methods. We expect that the benchmark and our studies would be valuable both for practitioners and as a guidance for new innovations in future research.


Modern philology studies language at the junction of different directions, e.g. hermeneutics and cultural studies, cognitive linguistics and literary criticism, linguaculturology and textology, etc. As a rule, combined methods provide the most interesting results. The article describes the images of the sky / heaven in the Russian poetry of the late XX century, the period of Russian history known as "the dashing nineties". Contemporary poets seemed to have a very peculiar perception of that period. Their vision of traditional mythological and cultural symbols differed from commonly accepted interpretations. They described Russia as a dead woman or as a man at a crossroads, while the sky was a lost paradise that retained the peace and tranquility that are not to be found on the earth any more. The gap between heaven and earth is shown by the chaos of birdcalls, machinery noise, and nuclear clouds. Heaven and earth are connected by the World Tree, which unites the macroand microcosm. Man seeks balance and harmony but cannot find them. In the 1990's, mankind was repeating the stage it had passed in the early XX century, when cherry orchards gave place to railways, and the old world order was coming to an end. In such periods, people do not look at the sky for solace; they mind their own step and see heaven reflected in the rails. The poetry of the 1990's is filled with deep symbolism. The present analysis revealed several image clusters of the sky: mythological, religious, culturological, philosophical (eschatological), scientific and technological, and folklore. These clusters are interconnected and complement each other.


The theory of perturbation is used to describe electron rate coefficients in gases under non-uniform field and electron-density conditions when the deviation from spatial uniformity is small. It is shown that the space-dependent rate coefficients can be represented as a sum of the local values and the product of new rate coefficients dependent on the local field and the gradients of the field and of the electron density. By solving the Boltzmann equation in a two-term approximation, the new rate coefficients are calculated for , , and Ar. The results of our calculations are compared with experimental data on the relative excitation rates in a steady-state Townsend discharge in a mixture and with results of previous Monte Carlo simulations of the electron swarm behaviour in non-uniform fields.


Maternal mortality ratio averages 230 per 100,000 live births in developing countries. Obstructed labour, which is a major cause results from prolonged, neglected labour. The partograph as recommended by the World Health Organization is a graphical tool used to monitor the progress of the first stage of labour, thereby preventing prolonged labour. The partograph has been in use in Ghana since 1989. The study was conducted to ascertain the proportion and correct use of the partograph in monitoring labours in 4 hospitals in a metropolitan area of Ghana. Partograph use for labour monitoring averaged 54% in this study. Midwives formed 90% of birth attendants. For the progress of labour, parameters were monitored to standard in 55-60% of cases. Parameters pertaining to fetal well being were correctly monitored in 30-50%. Maternal well being was monitored to standard in 40% of cases. Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes did not differ whether parameters were recorded to standard or not. We conclude from our study that almost half of labour cases were not monitored with the partograph. In those that were monitored with the partograph monitoring to standard was done in 40-60%. Birth attendants either lack the skill in charting the partograph to standard protocols or do not appreciate the use of the partograph in monitoring the progress of labour. In resourcelimited centres in the developing world the use of the partograph to monitor the progress of labour cannot be overemphasized. Skilled attendants at deliveries must therefore be given regular updates on the proper use of the partograph during labours.


In this Letter, a record modulation bandwidth of 1.31 GHz was achieved by a 10 µm c-plane green micro light emitting diode (micro-LED) at a current density of 41.4 kA/cm2. Furthermore, by designing a series-biased 20 µm micro-LED with higher light output power, combined with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation scheme, a maximum data rate of 5.789 Gbps was achieved at a free-space transmission distance of 0.5 m. This work demonstrates the prospect of c-plane polar green micro-LED in ultrahigh-speed visible light communication, which is expected to realize a high-performance wireless system in the future.


Being a new Internet application, social-based P2P network, which merges P2P file sharing technology and social network, is drawn more and more attention. However, it also brings in new challenges when facing the problems of trust management and personal privacy protection. In this paper, we aim at social-based P2P, and design a set of trust management mechanisms with peer uncertain risk evaluation and personal privacy preserving, which is able to encourage peers cooperation and defend Bad-Mouth attack from malicious peers. Another advantage of our solution is that it is very flexible for users to define fine-grit access control policy.


The ET 6-6 presents a procedure for the assessment of a developmental status in children from 6 months to 6 years of age that uses experimentally based test tasks for a great variety of developmental skills. The results are shown in a multidimensional and age-specific profile. The instrument has been standardized by testing 950 children.


Background Diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and guidelines recommend that people with diabetes ought to have their blood lipid levels monitored and, if necessary, controlled to ensure that they are at a safe level to prevent avoidable morbidity and mortality resulting from CVD. Guidelines are not necessarily followed and the differences in treatment which this leads to could give rise to health inequalities according to socio-economic status, sex, or other patient characteristics. This study investigated the association between patient characteristics and statin prescribing in people who were eligible to receive a statin for primary prevention of CVD according to the contemporary Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network guidelines (SIGN 55). Methods Data from the Scottish Care Information – Diabetes Collaboration dataset for the period 2000–2007 were used. This dataset contains socio-demographic and prescribing data for 203,528 people, which is almost every person with diagnosed diabetes in Scotland. The analyses were based on people over 40 years of age, with complete data, with no history of CVD, and with total serum cholesterol exceeding 5mmol/l. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for ever having a record of a statin prescription by age, sex, socio-economic status (defined using quintiles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, SIMD, where Q1 reflects the most deprived and Q5 the most affluent), smoking habits, body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, and type of diabetes. Results Of 83,666 people identified as eligible for statin treatment as defined by SIGN 55 guidelines, 29% had no record of a statin prescription. In both men and women, the OR for having a statin prescribed when compared to Q1 from multi-variate models were ORmen 0.93 ORwomen 0.91 for Q2, ORmen 0.77 ORwomen 0.77 for Q3, and ORmen 0.71 ORwomen 0.71 for Q4. Current and former smokers, overweight and obese people, and people with high blood pressure or treated hypertension had greater odds of statin prescription, whereas underweight people and women with type one diabetes had reduced odds of being prescribed a statin than each comparison group. Conclusion Almost one third of people with diagnosed diabetes have no record of having ever received a statin prescription as recommended by SIGN 55. The odds of having a record of treatment were higher among more deprived people even after adjusting for potential confounding factors.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
The definitive effects of post-operative chemotherapy for prolonging survival in patients with non-curative gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer have not been established.

METHODOLOGY
Eighty-three patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent non-curative gastrectomy were divided into 49 patients with post-operative chemotherapy (chemotherapy group) and 34 patients without post-operative chemotherapy (control group). Chemotherapy regimens were as follows: oral 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone (n = 22), intravenous mitomycin (MMC) plus 5-FU (n = 20), intravenous methotrexate (MTX) plus 5-FU (n = 3), intravenous cisplatin plus 5-FU (n = 2), and hepatic arterial infusion of 5-FU plus oral 5-FU (n = 2). No prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy was given.

RESULTS
Although the age in the control group (mean: 71.9 years) was significantly older than in the chemotherapy group (mean: 66.1 years), there were no significant differences in the other clinical and pathological background data between the two groups. The 1-year survival rate in the chemotherapy group (71.4%) was significantly higher than in the control group (50.0%). However, the 3-year and 5-year survival rates did not significantly differ in the chemotherapy group versus the control group, 30.6% vs. 32.4% and 24.5% vs. 32.4%, respectively. Although a significant difference did not exist between the two groups, median survival after operation in the chemotherapy group (20.5 months) was longer than that in the control group (16.2 months). Furthermore, median survival of patients with peritoneal dissemination in the chemotherapy group (16.4 months) was significantly longer than that in the control group (7.7 months).

CONCLUSIONS
Post-operative chemotherapy may contribute to prolonged survival in patients with non-curable advanced gastric cancer, even when patients had peritoneal dissemination. However, the long-term survival rate was not improved by post-operative chemotherapy. More aggressive chemotherapy may be needed to improve the long-term prognosis for such patients.


The invention discloses an information interaction method of a storage chip of a printing device and the printing device. A plurality of change messages are arranged on the storage chip of an ink box. In the method, after one change message is read by the printing device in the printing process, the corresponding current change message is stored and read in the storage chip;, and until the corresponding current change message represents that the ink box is unusable, another change message of the storage chip is read, and the corresponding current change message is stored and read in the storage chip till all change messages arranged on the storage chip are read completely. The invention enables the ink box with the storage chip to be reused, reduces the cost of the printing device used by users, and is beneficial to environmental protection.


In this paper, and for the purpose of optimizing the performance of WiMAX mesh networks using multiple channels, we search the minimum number of channels that maximizes the throughput capacity. WiMAX operates in the licensed bands, so it is important to use only the sufficent number of the scarce wireless channels. Moreover, it helps to decide whether or not to use frequency spatial reuse (FSR) that incurs additional control information, which is relatively large as an accurate knowledge of the interference state at each SS must be accumulated at a central entity that sets the schedule (which is the BS in our case). Numerical simulations show that in most of the cases, with 3 or 4 channels, the maximum throughput capacity can be obtained for single interface WiMAX mesh networks, and no gains are obtained if more channels are used.


Author(s): Vickery, Christopher R. | Advisor(s): Burkart, Michael D; Noel, Joseph P | Abstract: Carrier proteins (CPs) are essential proteins for many biosynthetic pathways responsible for coordinating the biosynthesis of natural products. However, the CP must be posttranslationally modified by a 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) prior to participation in biosynthesis. This essential covalent modification uniquely positions the PPTase as a potential drug target for pathogenic bacteria upon structural understanding of the PPTase. Our lab has solved two PPTase crystal structures from Mycobacterium species, providing important structural information regarding these drug targets for the development of anti-mycobacterial therapeutics. Our lab has also explored the poorly understood eukaryotic PPTases and CPs, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism. Since CP-dependent natural product biosynthesis in plants is organelle specific, the PPTase must access all organelles in order to activate biosynthesis. Since processivity of these interacting proteins still remains unclear, our lab has developed chemical biological tools to elucidate the nature of these interactions. We have also applied chemical biological and chemical genetics tools to study non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) by focusing on BpsA, an NRPS from Streptomyces lavendulae. This model synthase will not only provide a basis for chemical genetic characterization of NRPSs, but will pave the way for elucidating NRPS protein-protein interactions.Our research has also investigated CP-independent pathways. Previously, the Noel lab has made great strides in studying type III polyketide synthases (T3PKS), which produce a wide variety of plant metabolites from CoA thioester precursors. We investigated the effects of mutations in 2-pyrone synthase, a T3PKS that makes triacetic acid lactone (TAL) from acetyl CoA and malonyl CoA. Mutants were assayed in vitro for stability and activity, and for their in vivo TAL production when heterologously expressed in yeast. This study has uncovered exploitable enzymatic and organismal properties to increase heterologous production of valuable chemical products.Additionally, we investigated aromatic prenyltransferases (aPTases), which add prenyl groups onto aromatic molecules, and their activity against a variety of aromatic natural products in order to discover the underlying enzyme properties that control substrate specificity. Knowledge of these properties will enable fine-tuning of aPTase activity to specifically modify molecules with prenyl groups for high-level production of natural prenylated molecules and new, unexplored analogs. This body of work contributes valuable knowledge to the field of natural product biosynthesis, with the duel aims of discovering and characterizing potential therapeutic targets in bacteria and modifying natural product pathways to produce valuable molecules through enzyme engineering.


For the original article see ibid., vol.38, no.11, p.1623-30 (1990). The commenter states that the above-named work by M.L. Lumori et al. is not new, and he goes on to cite previous works in this field. The authors reply that they did not claim that their application of Gaussian beams was pioneering and they explain the goals of their work. >


The aim of our research study was to investigate how humour can be used when teaching international students and what effects this may have on the learning process. The main research question of the study was: What does a teacher at a Swedish university need to consider when using humour in teaching multi-cultural groups? In addition, we wanted to investigate how the following factors impact the use of humour in teaching: (a) the background of international students, (b) the teaching setting, and (c) the humour type used. The aspects under study and their relationship to the learning process are shown in Figure 1. The research question has been empirically investigated through semi-structured interviews [Robson 2002] with seven people with experience of both teaching and studying in multi-cultural contexts at university level. We have drawn five main conclusions from the interviews, namely (1) use of humour in teaching can have a beneficial effect, (2) humour should be used with care, (3) humour may lead to loss of respect and credibility for teacher and/or subject, (4) students might use unsuitable humour in the classroom, and (5) teachers have individual styles of humour. The rest of this paper is organized as follows. In Section 2 related work is described. The research method is outlined in Section 3 and the results from the interviews are presented in Section 4. Finally, the results are discussed and this paper concluded in Section 5.


Abstract In Neural Machine Translation, it is typically assumed that the sentence with the highest estimated probability should also be the translation with the highest quality as measured by humans. In this work, we question this assumption and show that model estimates and translation quality only vaguely correlate. We apply Minimum Bayes Risk (MBR) decoding on unbiased samples to optimize diverse automated metrics of translation quality as an alternative inference strategy to beam search. Instead of targeting the hypotheses with the highest model probability, MBR decoding extracts the hypotheses with the highest estimated quality. Our experiments show that the combination of a neural translation model with a neural reference-based metric, Bleurt, results in significant improvement in human evaluations. This improvement is obtained with translations different from classical beam-search output: These translations have much lower model likelihood and are less favored by surface metrics like Bleu.


The central theme of the 2008 Radical Statistics conference, held in sunny Leith on Saturday March 1st, was examining 'A Decade of Devolution' and offering critical comment on how it 'measured up'. What had devolution promised and what had it actually delivered, in Scotland and elsewhere? In total eight papers were delivered by speakers from a range of institutions and organisations and, in different ways, they all covered aspects of the 'new politics' of governance in what used to be called the 'United Kingdom'. In many ways the papers, in addition to covering their specific topics such as child wellbeing, the costs of care, national identities or migration patterns, were also asking some fundamental questions that are important to all social researchers: examining the way we ask the questions we construct for surveys or interviews; the way we try and visually and textually present the data we capture and, perhaps most importantly, what we read from the data and how we can then use this empirical material to challenge day-to-day inequalities and social exclusion.


Leptospirosis is a disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of genus Leptospira. It is considered the most common zoonosis in the world. Acute pancreatitis is a rare complication of leptospirosis (25%). We present the case of a 34-year-old male patient with severe leptospirosis complicated with acute renal failure. After 9 days from the onset of the disease, the patient developed acute necrotizing pancreatitis, infected from the very beginning, associated with multiple organ failure, septic shock and severe anemia. The diagnosis was clinically and biologically stated and confirmed by CT-scan. The patient underwent surgery for infected necrotizing acute pancreatitis of the head and neck of the pancreas, with left retroperitoneal expansion down to the left iliac fossa. We performed a necrosectomy with the evacuation of the tisular debris, multiple drainage of the peritoneal cavity, followed by an open abdomen with synthetic mesh. The postoperative evolution was difficult but constantly progressive. Two reinterventions were necessary. The patient left the hospital in good condition after 75 days postoperatively.


An amidine-based polymer was prepared by combination of RAFT polymerization and "click" reaction, and the polymer undergoes a hydrophobic-hydrophilic transition upon the stimulus of CO(2).


Assessing the social and economic benefits of investing in adult literacy and numeracy and the costs of poor adult literacy and numeracy, is largely uncharted territory in Australia. Some interest was evident in the late 1980s leading up to International Literacy Year, 1990 (for example, Miltenyi 1989, Singh 1989, Hartley 1989); however, there has been little work done in the area since then, with the exception of recent studies concerned with financial literacy costs and benefits (Commonwealth Bank Foundation 2005). Assessing the benefits (returns) of workplace training in general has received some attention (for example Moy and McDonald 2000), although the role of literacy and numeracy is often implied rather than explored in any detail. In contrast, there is a considerable body of relevant research emanating from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and some European countries. The release of data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) in the 1990s contributed to some of this research, as did policy developments for example, in the United Kingdom. The much greater use of IALS data in some other countries compared with Australia, seems to be related to a combination of factors in the overall policy and research environment for adult literacy and numeracy in each country.


Every technology and activity has safety rules, which are usually formulated explicitly, taught to those operating in the system and imposed on them. Safety rules also determine liability after accidents. Yet there is very little systematic scientific or management literature on how to devise and manage safety rules. This paper uses a simple framework to draw together what is known of good and bad practice in this area, particularly in deciding what rules should be explicitly formulated and imposed. It draws on the literature on violations, on rule learning and on organizational control. The paper concludes with a case study of safety rules in the railways, derived from a larger European study of safety rule management for railway operations. It shows that the nature of the system dynamics and the current communications within railway operations result in a largely open loop operation of the system. This makes it vulnerable to any form of deviation from strictly defined operations. Safety rules are part of the apparatus to render the behaviour of the various people in the system sufficiently predictable that this openloop operation can succeed in a large proportion of situations. However this requires that adherence to rules is very strict and has great problems coping with any deviations, even those required to respond to situations which cannot be dealt with following the existing rules. This requirement conflicts with much of the available literature on organisational control and high reliability organisations. However, the more interactive derivation of rules specific to the range of system conditions requires a far greater communication between system operators than the railway system currently requires. The room for manoeuvre in optimising safety rule use in railways is therefore currently limited.


Tzeng, C-H., Chen, C-S., Tang, P-C., and Chiu, T-S. 2009. Microsatellite and mitochondrial haplotype differentiation in blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) from the western North Pacific. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 000–000. Blue (Scomber australasicus) and chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) occur sympatrically in the western North Pacific. Blue mackerel were previously classified as a subspecies of S. japonicus based on morphological similarities. The practical management unit for blue mackerel is contentious owing to incomplete resolution by biological analyses. We used rapidly evolving microsatellites and slowchanging mitochondrial cytochrome b (mtCyt-b) markers to examine the phylogeographic relationships of the two species across four major hydrographic regions of the western North Pacific. Genetic variability was high in each hydrographic region and in the putative species unit, and Hardy– Weinberg equilibrium tests confirmed that blue and chub mackerel are separate genetic components. Population genetic and multiple-dimensional scaling analyses of the genotypes indicated clear genetic differences, and phylogenetic analyses of the mtCyt-b haplotypes showed a level of genetic divergence (FST ¼ 0.038, p , 0.001) consistent with separation of the two species. Based on the coalescence theory, the difference in mtCyt-b genes was small, indicating incipient speciation between blue and chub mackerel, with a diversification time of 1.9 million years ago (mya) during the Pleistocene when the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS) were separated physically. Significant differences between populations of blue mackerel in the ECS and SCS were also found. Our findings confirm that blue mackerel is a valid biological species and that its populations in the ECS and SCS should be considered separate fishery stocks and conservation units for management.


Recent theoretical investigations have pointed out that the cores of the Ly α lines of H i and He ii should show measurable scattering polarization signals when observing the solar disk, and that the magnetic sensitivity, through the Hanle e ff ect, of such linear polarization signals is suitable for exploring the magnetism of the solar transition region. Such investigations were carried out in the limit of complete frequency redistribution (CRD) and neglecting quantum interference between the two upper J -levels of each line. Here we relax both approximations and show that the joint action of partial frequency redistribution (PRD) and J -state interference produces much more complex fractional linear polarization ( Q / I ) profiles, with large amplitudes in their wings. Such wing polarization signals turn out to be very sensitive to the temperature structure of the atmospheric model, so that they can be exploited for constraining the thermal properties of the solar chromosphere. Finally, we show that the approximation of CRD without J -state interference is however suitable for estimating the amplitude of the linear polarization signals in the core of the lines, where the Hanle e ff ect operates.


Abstract. The contribution of new particle formation (NPF) to cloud condensation
nuclei (CCN) number concentration ( NCCN ) varies largely under different
environments and depends on several key factors such as formation rate ( J ),
growth rate (GR), distribution of preexisting particles, and properties of
new particles during NPF events. This study investigates the contribution of
NPF to the NCCN and its controlling factors based on measurements
conducted at the Heshan supersite, in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of
China during fall 2019. The size-resolved cloud condensation nuclei
activity and size-resolved particle hygroscopicity were measured by a cloud
condensation nuclei counter (CCNc) and a hygroscopic tandem differential
mobility analyzer (HTDMA), respectively, along with a scanning mobility
particle sizer (SMPS) and a diethylene glycol scanning mobility particle
sizer (DEG-SMPS) for particle number size distribution (PNSD). A typical NPF
event on 29 October was chosen to investigate the contribution of the
NPF to NCCN under several supersaturation (SS) ratios. Two particle
properties (hygroscopicity and surface tension) affect CCN activation with
the latter being more important in terms of the CCN concentration
( NCCN ). A lower value of surface tension (i.e., 0.06 N m −1 ) than the
pure-water assumption (0.073 N m −1 ) could increase the NCCN at
SS   =   1.0 % by about 20 % during the nonevent period and by about 40 % during the event. In addition, an earlier peak time corresponding to a lower
critical diameter ( D50 ) was also observed. The results show that high
formation rate, growth rate, and low background particle concentration lead
to high number concentrations of newly formed particles. The high growth
rate was found to have the most significant impact on the NCCN , which
can be attributed to the fact that a higher growth rate can grow particles
to the CCN size in a shorter time before they are scavenged by preexisting
particles. Two other NPF events (an event on 18 October in this
campaign and an event on 12 December 2014 in Panyu) were chosen to
perform sensitivity tests under different scenarios (growth rate, formation
rate, and background particle concentration). The calculated NCCN at
SS  =  1.0 % on 12 December 2014 was significantly lower than that
from the other two events. The event on 12 December was re-simulated
using the growth rate taken from the event on 18 October which
resulted in similar CCN concentrations between the two events (12 December and 18 October), implying that the growth rate is the major
impact factor for CCN activation. Our results highlight the importance of
growth rate and surface tension when evaluating the contribution of NPF to
the NCCN .


Dramatic improvements to computational, robotic, and biological tools have enabled genetic engineers to conduct increasingly sophisticated experiments. Further development of biological tools offers a route to bypass complex or expensive mechanical operations, thereby reducing the time and cost of highly parallelized experiments. Here, we engineer a system based on bacteriophage P1 to transfer DNA from one E. coli cell to another, bypassing the need for intermediate DNA isolation (e.g., minipreps). To initiate plasmid transfer, we refactored a native phage element into a DNA module capable of heterologously inducing phage lysis. After incorporating known cis-acting elements, we identified a novel cis-acting element that further improves transduction efficiency, exemplifying the ability of synthetic systems to offer insight into native ones. The system transfers DNAs up to 25 kilobases, the maximum assayed size, and operates well at microliter volumes, enabling manipulation of most routinely used DNAs. The system's large DNA capacity and physical coupling of phage particles to phagemid DNA suggest applicability to biosynthetic pathway evolution, functional proteomics, and ultimately, diverse molecular biology operations including DNA fabrication.


We have shown that stromal O-sulfated heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (O-S-GAGs) regulate primitive human hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) growth and differentiation by colocalizing heparin-binding cytokines and matrix proteins with HPC in stem cell "niches" in the marrow microenvironment. We now show that long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-IC) are maintained for 5 weeks in the absence of stroma when O-S-GAGs are added to IL-3 and either MIP-1alpha or PF4 (LTC-IC maintenance without GAGs, 32 +/- 2%; with GAGs, 95 +/- 7%; P <.001). When cultured with 5 additional cytokines, O-S-GAGs, IL-3, and MIP-1alpha, LTC-IC expanded 2- to 4-fold at 2 weeks, and 92 +/- 8% LTC-IC were maintained at 5 weeks. Similar results were seen when PF4 replaced MIP-1alpha. Although O-S-GAG omission did not affect 2-week expansion, only 20% LTC-IC were maintained for 5 weeks. When O-S-heparin was replaced by completely desulfated-, N-sulfated (O-desulfated), or unmodified heparins, LTC-IC maintenance at week 5 was not better than with cytokines alone. Unmodified- and O-S-heparin, but not desulfated- or N-sulfated heparin, bound to MIP-1alpha, IL-3, PF4, VEGF, thrombospondin, and fibronectin. However, the affinity of heparin for thrombospondin and PF4, and the association and dissociation rates of heparin for PF4, were higher than those of O-S-heparin. We conclude that (i) although cytokines may suffice to induce early expansion, adult human LTC-IC maintenance for longer than 1 month requires O-S-GAGs, and (ii) HPC support may depend not only on the ability of GAGs to bind proteins, but also on optimal affinity and kinetics of interactions that affect presentation of proteins in a biologically active manner to progenitors. (Blood. 2000;95:147-155)


Though graph grammars have been widely investigated for 40 years, few learning results exist for them. The main reasons come from complexity issues that are inherent when graphs, and a fortiori graph grammars, are considered. The picture is however different if one considers drawings of graphs, rather than the graphs themselves. E.g., it has recently been proved that the isomorphism and pattern searching problems could be solved in polynomial time for plane graphs, that is, planar embedding of planar graphs. In this paper, we introduce the Plane Graph Grammars (PGG) and detail how they differ to usual graph grammar formalisms while at the same time they share important properties with string context-free grammars. In particular, the parsing of a graph with a given PGG is polynomial for languages with appropriate restrictions. We demonstrate that PGG are well-shaped for learning: we show how recent results on string grammars can be extended to PGG by providing a learning algorithm that identifies in the limit the class of substitutable plane graph languages. Our algorithm runs in polynomial time assuming the same restriction used for polynomial parsing, and the amount of data needed for convergence is comparable to the one required in the case of strings.


Due to the lack of deployment of a network-layer multicast service, many overlay multicast protocols have been designed and deployed across the Internet to support content distribution. To our knowledge, however, none have provided a rigorous analysis of the problem or the effectiveness of their proposed solutions. Here, we set aside the engineering challenges of protocol design to focus on the fundamental graph problem. We begin by formulating the Overlay Network Content Distribution (OCD) problem and show that variants that attempt to optimize for either speed or bandwidth utilization are NP-complete. Using both a time-indexed Integer Program and a branch-and-bound search strategy, we calculate optimal solutions for small graphs. While solutions to OCD provide performance bounds, realistic deployment scenarios will not have global network information. Hence, we introduce an on-line variant, the Local-knowledge Overlay Content Distribution (LOCD) problem and show that no constantcompetitive approximation exists. Instead, we present several heuristics that perform well in realistic topologies. We conclude with an evaluation of our global and local heuristics and enumerate a number of open problems.


Abstract Stream fish assemblages were sampled by multiple-pass electrofishing and supplementary seine netting in 31 sites in the Johnstone River, north Queensland and 28 sites in the Mary River, southeastern Queensland to determine the sampling effort required to adequately describe the assemblages in terms of fish abundances, species composition and assemblage structure. A significantly greater proportion of the total number of fishes present at each site was collected by the first electrofishing pass in the Mary River (46%) than in the Johnstone River (37%) and this difference was suggested to be due to higher water conductivity in the former river. The mean proportion of the total species richness detected by the first pass was also significantly higher in the Mary River than in the Johnstone River (89% and 82%, respectively). Multivariate comparisons offish assemblage structure revealed that data collected by the first electrofishing pass poorly estimated the actual assemblage structure within a site and that up to three passes were required for estimates of assemblage structure to stabilize. This effect was evident for comparisons based on both absolute abundance and relative abundance data and was particularly marked for comparisons based on presence/absence data. This latter result suggests that, even though most species were detected on the first pass, the addition of rare species by subsequent passes had an important effect on the resultant description of assemblage structure. Supplementary seine netting had a greater effect on the determination of assemblage structure in the Mary River than in the Johnstone River. The results are discussed with reference to sampling design in studies of stream fish assemblages and a sampling protocol is recommended that enables the accurate determination of abundance, richness and assemblage structure in small- to medium-sized streams.


Online buying and shopping is a rising concept in the area of E-Commerce and is absolutely departing to be the future of Online shopping in Indian market. Majority of the firms are operating their online websites to promote and sell their products as well as services through online medium/website. In present scenario online shopping is very much used by Indians, its development is enormous in Indian online market. India is a large customer market place but still lacking as compared to global market. The future of development of online shopping has forwarded the plan of performing a study on online shopping market in India. This research work presents Qualitative and Quantitative research for Indian online market to study the impact and role of Demographic factors of customers in online shopping. The parameters, which we are considering like satisfaction of customers in online shopping market, future purchasing behavior, frequency of transactions in online shopping, total numbers of items bought, and total spending in online shopping. These data for the analysis was collected through Questionnaires on a sample of 125 respondents from Lucknow City. The results of this research indicates that online shopping market in India is affected by several Demographic factors such as marital status, age, family size, gender and income of the respondents. The results and analysis of this research may be further extended by the researchers for forwarding the future studies in this area.


For many years dielectric loss measurement has been a well known technique for condition assessment of all types of MV cable insulation like XLPE, EPR and PILC. Different measurement methods have been established in frequency domain, frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS), Time Domain and even combined ones. This paper presents measurements of the dielectric loss spectrum of artificial models as well as MV PILC and EPR cables by using the Hamon Transformation. The results are compared to classical tanδ measurements, using a sinusoidal VLF source. The portable prototype is composed of a sensor unit and a cosine rectangular-alike VLF voltage source, to determine the loss spectrum at different voltage levels. Hereby the Hamon Transformation takes advantage of giving a loss spectrum in the range of 0.02Hz – 1Hz using an excitation voltage with a frequency of 0.1Hz. More information about the test object can be gathered in the same measurement duration applied by a classical system. A loss spectrum distributes higher support for interpretation and evaluation of an aging condition of the test object in comparison to a single tanδ value determined at 0.1Hz.The measurement duration is reduced multiple times compared to classical measurement systems. This fact makes it highly interesting for field application.


Abstract Engineering geological thematic maps for the prediction of settlement in Quaternary near surface sediments, resulting from hydrological changes, were compiled to be used in the regional groundwater planning for the Provinces of Gelderland and Friesland in the Netherlands. An existing computer program "ZETTING" used for settlement calculations for civil engineering purposes, was adapted for the processing of large data sets. The compilation of the settlement maps using Geographical Information Systems in the Geological Survey of The Netherlands and in the Departments of Water and Environment of the two provinces is described. For the map for the Province of Gelderland digitized type-profile map information and geotechnical properties of sub-regions were combined with hydrological data to calculate settlement and hydrodynamic period. A translation was made of borehole data into geotechnical properties, and hydrological data joined to the resulting data set for the calculation of the settlement map for the Province of Friesland. For both provinces a set of grid maps were compiled. Aspects of the computer aided compilation of the maps, such as data handling, choice of grid and grid transfers, computer calculations and map accuracy are discussed.


A perfect absorber (PA) is seen as equivalent to an ideal antenna (IA), except that it absorbs the power from any angle of incidence. Similarly to the IA, the absorbed power is maximal for all substances supported by the same physical structure. When defining the PA in this way, care should be taken to avoid the superdirective zone. This is done by using the constraint Q = 1 for the quality factor around the absorber. Possible applications for numerical simulations are outlined.


ABSTRACT Background and objectives: Extreme cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress have been associated with traumatic life experiences. Previous studies have focused on the occurrence or frequency of abuse rather than type of abuse. We examined how occurrence, frequency, and the type of abuse history are related to cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to acute psychological stress. Design: The study consisted of between group and continuous analyses to examine the association between occurrence, type, and frequency of abuse with cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress. Methods: Data from 64 participants were collected. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were measured at baseline and during a standard mental arithmetic stress task. Results: Individuals who experienced abuse showed diminished CVR to acute psychological stress; this was driven specifically by the history of sexual abuse. Frequency of abuse did not relate to stress reactions. Conclusions: These findings accord with previous work suggesting a relationship between traumatic life experience and hypoarousal in physiological reactivity and extend previous findings by suggesting the relationship may be driven by sexual abuse.


This study evaluated different cooking processes (roasted, cooked and fried) on total mercury (Hg) content in fish species most consumed by Manaus residents and surrounding communities, Amazon region. The results obtained for total Hg in natura and after the three types of preparation (roasted, cooked and fried) for 12 fish species showed a significant Hg concentration variation. In the present study the cooked and frying processes resulted in higher Hg losses for Pacu, Pescada, Jaraqui, Curimata, Surubin and Aruana fish species, most of them presenting detritivorous and carnivorous feeding habits. The higher Hg losses in the roasting process occurred for Sardinha, Aracu, Tucunare, Pirapitinga, Branquinha and Tambaqui fish species, most of them being omnivorous and herbivorous fish species. Some micronutrients (Ca, Fe, K, Na, Se and Zn) in fish species in natura were also determined in order to perform a nutritional evaluation regarding these micronutrients.


We propose a new characterization of three-directional box-splines, which are well adapted for interpolation and approximation on hexagonal lattices. Inspired by a construction already applied with success for exponential splines and hex-splines, we characterize a box-spline as a convolution of a generating function, which is a Green function of the spline's associated differential operator, and a discrete filter that plays the role of a localization operator. This process leads to an elegant analytical expression of three-directional box-splines. It also brings along a particularly efficient implementation


Objective. To investigate the potential of using a single quadrupole magnet with a high magnetic field gradient to create planar minibeams suitable for clinical applications of proton minibeam radiation therapy. Approach. We performed Monte Carlo simulations involving single quadrupole Halbach cylinders in a passively scattered nozzle in clinical use for proton therapy. Pencil beams produced by the nozzle of 10–15 mm initial diameters and particle range of ∼10–20 cm in water were focused by magnets with field gradients of 225–350 T m−1 and cylinder lengths of 80–110 mm to produce very narrow elongated (planar) beamlets. The corresponding dose distributions were scored in a water phantom. Composite minibeam dose distributions composed from three beamlets were created by laterally shifting copies of the single beamlet distribution to either side of a central beamlet. Modulated beamlets (with 18–30 mm nominal central SOBP) and corresponding composite dose distributions were created in a similar manner. Collimated minibeams were also compared with beams focused using one magnet/particle range combination. Main results. The focusing magnets produced planar beamlets with minimum lateral FWHM of ∼1.1–1.6 mm. Dose distributions composed from three unmodulated beamlets showed a high degree of proximal spatial fractionation and a homogeneous target dose. Maximal peak-to-valley dose ratios (PVDR) for the unmodulated beams ranged from 32 to 324, and composite modulated beam showed maximal PVDR ranging from 32 to 102 and SOBPs with good target dose coverage. Significance. Advantages of the high-gradient magnets include the ability to focus beams with phase space parameters that reflect beams in operation today, and post-waist particle divergence allowing larger beamlet separations and thus larger PVDR. Our results suggest that high gradient quadrupole magnets could be useful to focus beams of moderate emittance in clinical proton therapy.


A new selection method is developed for group contribution combined with molecular design for an extractant in liquid–liquid extraction. Based on the definition of extractant selectivity, the UNIversal Functional Activity Coefficient-group contribution method was first used for model building to preselect functional groups. Then, the molecular structures of extraction solvents were designed and determined according to the basic principle of group combination. Finally, the selectivity and distribution coefficients of candidate designed molecules were calculated to screen out the ideal extractant. For verification, it was applied to simulate potential extraction solvents for three typical biphasic systems and calculate related phase equilibrium data for all the components. Calculated results and experimental verification for the screened extraction agent proved that it was a good computational strategy for practical application in classical water–organic solvent equilibrium systems together with liquid–liquid separation compared with conventional ways.


Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of conbercept for patients with chronic central serous (CSC). Methods: A retrospective clinical study. This study included twenty-seven patients (32 eyes) who were diagnosed with chronic CSC in our hospital from November 2015 to March 2018. All the patients received intravitreal conbercept with one intravitreal injection and pro re nata (PRN). Follow-up observations occurred at 1 week and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after initial injection. Observed indicators included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) and presence of subretinal fluid (SRF). Results: During the 6-month follow-up, the mean number of injections required and performed was 1.50±0.67. The BCVA at the first visit, 1-week, 1-, 2-, 3- and 6-month follow-ups after the first injection was 0.44±0.26, 0.39±0.29, 0.38±0.29, 0.33±0.29, 0.31±0.30, and 0.31±0.29, respectively. The difference between the BCVA at each follow-up and the first visit was statistically significant (F=9.717, P<0.05). CMT at the first visit, 1-week, 1-, 2-, 3- and 6- month after first injection was 323.25±158.49μm, 263.78±122.52μm, 222.34±92.46μm, 195.63±69.18μm, 189.25±68.71μm, and 200.47±86.30μm, respectively. The difference between the CMT at each follow-up and the first visit was also statistically significant (F=17.072, P<0.05). Full resolution of fluid was achieved in 7 (21.9%) eyes at 1 month, 14 (43.8%) eyes at 2 months, 19 (59.4%) eyes at 3 months and 23 (71.9%) eyes at 6 months after the initial treatment of anti-VEGF injection. No severe adverse event was noted relevant to the therapy. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of conbercept can effectively reduce the CMT and improve the BCVA in chronic CSC in a short term of 6 months.


Clustering and NeuroFuzzy techniques are proposed for short-term-load forecasting. Assessments of the proposed models for different training periods along with and without the proposed weights are carried out. Preliminary results are encouraging and suggest that these models are capable of achieving a high degree of accuracy. Introduction of weights is shown to improve prediction performance, making it possible to shorten the necessary training data from that corresponding to10 weeks down to that corresponding to 3 weeks only.


This chapter presents and explains the most used methodologies for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty in metrology with practical examples. The main topics are basic concepts and importance, existing documentation, the harmonized methodology of the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, types of uncertainty, modeling of measurement systems, use of alternative methods (including the GUM supplement 1 Monte Carlo numerical method), evaluation of uncertainty for calibration curves, correlated uncertainties, uncertainties arising from the calibration of instruments, and the main proposals for the new revised GUM. The chapter also discusses the GUM as a tool for the technical management of measurement processes.


Joint hypermobility is associated with motor developmental delay in infancy. To assess this finding in school-aged children, 320 first- and second-grade elementary school children and 110 children attending a special education program were assessed. Joint hypermobility was found in 40 (12.4%) and seven (6.4%) of the children attending the regular and special education classes, respectively. No difference in the neurologic status or verbal and eye-hand coordination task performance was found between the children of the study group and their age- and sex-matched controls. It appears that joint hypermobility and neurodevelopmental dysfunctions are not causally related and have a different maturational course. (J Child Neurol 1994;9:417-419).


Background Recent publications have made it very clear that pre-registration training is not adequately preparing nurses for end of life care (The Democratic Society, 2015; National Council for Palliative Care, 2016). Although the proposed NMC curriculum changes (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2017) address this for future student nurses, many nurses are already in practice without preparation, and will not benefit from curriculum change. Currently, few nurses outside of palliative care settings have access to any end of life care education (Cavaye & Watts, 2014). Aim To identify the attributes a prepared nurse will possess, and the antecedents of becoming prepared, with intent to inform education strategies. Method A concept analysis using Walker and Avant's (Walker & Avant, 2013) model was conducted to ensure rigour, and standardise the findings. Several clinical databases were searched to find appropriate literature to inform the concept analysis. Results Attributes of a prepared nurse can be divided into two core areas; being educationally ready and having a willing attitude. The seven individual key attributes are: Able to assess the dying patient and plan care Has advanced ability to communicate with empathy Able to identify and manage physical symptoms Able to recognise and deal with dying and death Understands the holistic elements of dying Understands and is comfortable to deal with the effects of loss and bereavement on patients, families and self Is self–aware and self–competent. Antecedents are: education, having a willing attitude towards the dying, exposure to death and dying, experience of care of the dying, and seeing a dead body. Empirical referents need to measure self-competence, knowledge and attitudes. Conclusion This concept analysis will demonstrate that future education needs to be focused on those nurses who are already qualified, but lack previous end of life education. All nurses, both pre-registration and post-registration, also need to have opportunities to care for the dying, and perform care after death, in a safe environment where exposure to death can be supported.


Now organizations are more concerned about the appropriate IT governance. The growing dependency on IT due to the increasing volume of business process automation further challenges the role of Information System Auditor. IT Governance Institute has developed COBIT1 as a model for this purpose [1][2]. The model proposed in this research quantifies the COBIT by developing matrices for all four domains of COBIT; hence it provides a quantitative approach for better implementation of corporate IT governance through effective audit and control.


The first four larval stages of the pandalid shrimp Chlorotocus crassicornis (A. Costa, 1871) are described and illustrated from laboratory-reared material obtained from ovigerous females collected in the southwestern Spain and south Taiwan. The second to fourth larval stages of this species are reported for the first time to science. Detailed examination of the first larval stages reveals that previous description misidentified some key larval characters which have prevented its identification in plankton samples. It is found that the zoeal morphology of Chlorotocus is not very different from other pandalid larvae, and in fact closely resembles Plesionika and Heterocarpus.


Late autumn rains in central South Africa have had a significant effect on the mobility, hoof health and occurrence of mastitis on dairy farms where extensive farming is practised. The normal winter rainfall in the Western Cape and parts of the Southern Cape is also a seasonal problem for especially pasture based herds in these regions.


Agents such as prostaglandins E1 and I2 which elevate cAMP levels in platelets also increase cAMP phosphodiesterase activity. Since much of the cAMP phosphodiesterase activity in human platelets is due to the cGMP-inhibited isozyme (Macphee, C. H., Harrison, S. A., and Beavo, J. A. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 6600-6663), we examined the regulation of this isozyme by prostaglandins E1 and I2 in intact platelets. Because this isozyme is a minor component of platelet protein, normally requiring several thousand-fold purification to achieve homogeneity, a specific monoclonal antibody (CGI-5) was utilized to identify and isolate the cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase activity. Treatment of intact platelets with the prostaglandins promoted an increase in the phosphorylation state of the cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase and a corresponding increase in phosphodiesterase activity. The effect on activity and phosphorylation of the cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase was observed within 2 min after intact platelets were exposed to the prostaglandins. The half-maximal effective dose for prostaglandin I2 (10 nM) was approximately 10-fold lower than that for prostaglandin E1. The phosphorylated, cGMP-inhibited isozyme migrated as a 110-kDa peptide following sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Direct in vitro phosphorylation of the platelet cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase caused a similar increase in phosphodiesterase activity. Treatment with PKI peptide, a specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, blocked the phosphorylation and the effect on activity. Taken together, the data strongly suggest that the effects of prostaglandins E1 and I2 on platelet phosphodiesterase activity are mediated by a direct cAMP-dependent protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of the cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase isozyme.


INTRODUCTION
Motion sickness is a recurrent problem in pilot schools. Many techniques to overcome motion sickness are used worldwide, mostly including sedative medication and psychotherapy. Motion sickness does not correlate with future pilot skills: it should not be a criterion for selection of candidates. The problem must be controlled from the onset in an objective way. In the Swiss Air Force selection program, time compression does not allow any delay between the selection flights, nor can drugs be used.

METHODS
We created an after-flight motion sickness checklist. We present a descriptive statistic for motion sickness assessed with our checklist in 2 consecutive years of pilot selection and our recommendations for a management policy without drug use and without interference with the selection schedule.

RESULTS
Due to the small number of observations, no statistically significant correlations could be verified. Nevertheless, we had no drop out from selection due to motion sickness.

DISCUSSION
The use of the after-flight motion sickness checklist seems to be effective. Further studies with a greater number of observations are required.


With the continuous development of information technology in colleges and universities, the emergence of MOOC has changed the teaching methods of teachers and the way students learn. This provides a new development opportunity for blended learning. The MOOC-based blended learning mode is constructed. The learning mode relies on the MOOC platform to mix online learning and classroom learning, including pre-analysis, learning activity design, and learning evaluation design. Through two years of teaching practice, good results have been achieved in the teaching of Visual Basic Programming course.


Scaling up electric vehicles (EVs) provides an avenue to mitigate both carbon emissions and air pollution from road transport. The benefits of EV adoption for climate, air quality, and health have been widely documented. Yet, evidence on the distribution of these impacts has not been systematically reviewed, despite its central importance to ensure a just and equitable transition. Here, we perform a systematic review of recent EV studies that have examined the spatial distribution of the emissions, air pollution, and health impacts, as an important aspect of the equity implications. Using the Context-Interventions-Mechanisms-Outcome framework with a two-step search strategy, we narrowed down to 47 papers that met our inclusion criteria for detailed review and synthesis. We identified two key factors that have been found to influence spatial distributions. First, the cross-sectoral linkages may result in unintended impacts elsewhere. For instance, the generation of electricity to charge EVs, and the production of batteries and other materials to manufacture EVs could increase the emissions and pollution in locations other than where EVs are adopted. Second, since air pollution and health are local issues, additional location-specific factors may play a role in determining the spatial distribution, such as the wind transport of pollution, and the size and vulnerability of the exposed populations. Based on our synthesis of existing evidence, we highlight two important areas for further research: (1) fine-scale pollution and health impact assessment to better characterize exposure and health disparities across regions and population groups; and (2) a systematic representation of the EV value chain that captures the linkages between the transport, power and manufacturing sectors as well as the regionally-varying activities and impacts.


The current work numerically evaluates the efficacy of a coflowing nozzle for cold spray applications with the aim to mitigate nozzle clogging by reducing the length of its divergent section. The high-pressure nitrogen flow through convergentdivergent axis-symmetric nozzles was simulated and the particle acceleration is modelled using a 2-way Lagrangian technique which is validated using experimental results. An annular co-flow nozzle with a circular central nozzle has been modelled for nitrogen gas. Reduction of nozzle divergent length from 189 mm to 99 mm showed an approximate 2.2% drop in particle velocity at high pressure operation while no variation at lower pressure operation was observed. Co-flow was introduced to the reduced nozzle length to compensate for particle velocity loss at higher operating conditions and it was found that co-flow facilitates momentum preservation for primary flow resulting in increased particle speed for a longer axial distance after the nozzle exit. The reduced divergent section nozzle, when combined with co-flow, is comparable to the original length nozzle.


In two studies we analyzed the predictors of participation in an Italian Lulu mobilization, rooted in the Susa Valley, a North‐Western Italian valley where a high speed railway (HSR) should be sited. Based on the data of qualitative Study 1, performed interviewing 12 anti‐HSR militants and 12 non anti‐HSR militants, we hypothesized that Klandermans' (1997) model on participation (centered on group identification, sense of injustice, and collective efficacy) is suitable to predict the Lulu mobilization we studied, and that three contextual variables (community involvement, the perception of the existence of a vast majority in the community favoring the mobilization, and place attachment) may be added to Klandermans' to predict such a mobilization. We formally tested such hypotheses in quantitative Study 2 (representative sample of the people living in the Susa Valley, N = 250). Results supported the role of Klandermans' (1997) variables and confirmed the influence exerted by our contextual variables, thus suggesting that an integration of the two models would be fruitful in the analysis of Lulu mobilizations. Limits and future developments of this research are discussed.


ABSTRACT This study draws on theories of collective action and organizational ecology to investigate a particular type of voluntary association: mixed-mode groups. Mixed-mode groups are created and organized online to meet physically in geographically defined ways. An online survey was conducted with 171 randomly sampled groups on Meetup.com—a website that facilitates the creation and coordination of mixed-mode groups. Analysis shows that even when a mixed-mode group implements strategies focused on internal group processes, it benefits from tapping into its external networks to obtain resources for group operation. Also, the differential impacts of internal and external strategies indicate that in the case of environment-prone mixed-mode groups, implementation of internal strategies alone, with or without solicited external networking resources, is helpful for generating positive group outcomes. Together, these results establish that boundary spanning represents not only a type of strategic action to obtain resources and produce positive outcomes but also an inherent and defining mechanism of contemporary voluntary groups for engaging in collective action.


: Destinations: Autism is very deeply rooted neurodevelopmental illness. The points of our currents survey were to examine whether offspring having chemical imbalances have a higher occurrence of caries, more periodontal difficulties, or extra cure is needed than the offspring of the reference set of non-artists cases, in addition to offer information on the patterns to allow correlation also future organization dental administrations to mentally unbalanced offspring. Material and methods: Our current research was conducted at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore from October 2018 to September 2019. 68 cases having chemical imbalance have reached maturity. 6-16 year old (45 boys and 16 girls) who travel to Lahore and Islamabad centres chosen for investigation. The reference group, composed of 61 non-medically introverted cases, selected family members or companions of medically introverted patients who are trying to coordinate their age, gender, and the financial situation. Every case underwent a total oral and periodontal evaluation, investigation of the occurrence and harshness of caries. The various conditions assessed were dental plaque, gum disease, reconstruction efforts and cure desires. Chi-square and the Fisher Precision Test of immensity were used to analyze the gatherings. Results: The set of mentally unbalanced people had a male-female relationship. ratio of 3.9:1. In contrast to the controls, youths with chemical imbalances were essentially of rotten, missing otherwise filled teeth than modest cases who basically wanted extra therapeutic dental cure. The Therapeutic List (TL) and the Met Needs Index (MNI) for medically introverted offspring stood 0.03 and 0.4, individually. Most medically introverted young people have poor oral cleanliness 62.3% (36/61) or reasonable 38.9% (25/63) contrasting and sound control subjects. Similarly, 98.1 per cent (60/64) of mentally unbalanced youth suffered from gum disease. Conclusion: Children with chemical imbalance showed greater ubiquity of cavities, poor oral cleanliness also, the largely neglected dental treatment requirements that the solid, non-mentally unbalanced reference group. Thus, an oral wellness programme that emphasizes anticipation should be considered as a specific programme. importance for young people and those with chemical imbalances.


Background: Anxiety and stress among nursing students are challenge for academic education and a need exists to explore the factors that contribute to such phenomena among Arab culture. Objective: To assess the anxiety and stress levels among junior nursing students at College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Bahrain (UoB) during their initial clinical exposure. Material and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was employed to gather data on perceived stress (5 points likert scale), perceived anxiety (4 points likert scale) and socio-demographic characteristics from 93 second year nursing students at CHS (a response rate of 77.5%). The total scores for each item were summed and average scores were calculated accordingly. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken in order to identify significant factors that influence anxiety and /or stress levels among students. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: About four-fifth of the respondents were female students. Most students had normal levels of anxiety while two-third reported moderate stress level. Female gender was the only significant factor that is related to stress in univariate as well as multivariate analyses. Conclusion: Nursing students at CHS had moderate stress level which would have a negative effect on the quality of their education and clinical practice. Further studies are needed to explore effective strategies to deal with anxiety and stress among junior and senior students.


The application of the specular reflection of neutrons to the study of surface and interfaces is described. The theoretical and experimental background to the technique is presented. A range of recent experimental results in surface chemistry, solid films and surface magnetism is discussed. In surface chemistry the results include adsorption of surfactants at the air-solution interface, insoluble monolayers and polymers at the air-liquid interface, soap films and adsorption at the liquid-solid and liquid-liquid interfaces. In solid films results on Langmuir-Blodgett films, hard carbon films, polymer films and some semiconductor layers are discussed. In surface magnetism experimental data which illustrate the nature of magnetism in magnetic multilayers and ferromagnetic films, and which describe flux penetration in superconductors, are presented.


Activity times structure the thermal environments experienced by organisms. In mammals, species shift from being nocturnal to diurnal and vice versa, but the thermal consequences of variable activity patterns remain largely unexplored. Here we used theoretical thermoregulatory polygons bounded by estimates of basal metabolic rates (BMR), maximum metabolic rates (MMR), and thermal conductance (C) in small mammals to explore the metabolic consequences of exposure to global-scale daytime and nighttime temperatures. Model predictions indicated higher metabolic scope for activity for nocturnal species at low latitudes and that reduced minimum C and larger body size increased the geographic range in which nocturnality was advantageous. Consistent with predictions, within rodents nocturnal species have low C. However, nocturnal mammals tend to be smaller than diurnal species, likely reflecting the importance of additional factors driving body size. Projections of warming impacts on small mammals suggest that diurnal species could lose habitable space globally. Conversely, warming could lift cool temperature constraints on nocturnal species and increase habitable space, suggesting that a shift toward nocturnal niches might be favored in a warming world. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of energetic considerations for endotherms in managing global change impacts on nocturnal and diurnal species.


are devoted to the coronary circulation and ischaemic heart disease, the author's own interests being represented here by numerous microangiographs. For more senior pathologists and clinicians the main value of such an atlas is likely to be for the illustrations of conditions they rarely see in the flesh and for teaching. This volume fulfils its planned purpose as a visual aid in cardiac pathology admirably and by present standards it is not expensive. For anyone who has to teach on this subject it is a strongly recommended supplement to their reference books and at this price it should also appeal to any pathologist with an interest in colour photography.


TECHNICAL sophistication and diversification have made the year since the 1969 progress report 1 one of significant growth in the application of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to otorhinolaryngologic research. A rare research opportunity now exists for the otologic investigator as structures of the inner ear are ideally suited for scanning electron microscopic study due to their diverse surface morphology and topography. Advances in Preparative Technique General .—Application of more sophisticated techniques for the removal of intracellular water with spatial preservation of cell membranes has led to advancements in this research area. Extensive comparative studies of air drying, drying from solvent in vacuo, low-temperature evaporation of nonfrozen solvent, and rapid freezing followed by controlled freeze drying of guinea pig tongue 2-4 have been performed and comparisons of air drying and freeze drying of guinea pig organ of Corti 4,5 have been made. These comparative studies provide a baseline for the


Metformin, which is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, has shown anti-tumor effects in numerous experimental, epidemiologic, observational, and clinical studies. Here, we report a new metformin derivative, metformin-butyrate (MFB). Compared to metformin-HCl, it more potently activates AMPK, inhibits mTOR, and impairs cell cycle progression at S and G2/M phases. Moreover, MFB inhibits the mammosphere formation of breast cancer cells and shows cytotoxic effects against CD44+CD24−/low populations in vitro and in vivo, indicating that it might have preferential effects on the cancer stem cell population. MFB showed synergistic cytotoxicity with docetaxel and cisplatin, and MFB pretreatment of breast cancer cells prior to their injection into the mammary fat pads of mice significantly decreased the obtained xenograft tumor volumes, compared with untreated or metformin-pretreated cells. Overall, MFB showed greater anti-neoplastic activity and greater efficacies in targeting the G2/M phase and breast cancer stem cell population, compared to metformin-HCl. This suggests that MFB may be a promising therapeutic agent against aggressive and resistant breast cancers.


The present paper examines the founding moment of women's studies in India, namely, the 1970s. It investigates the unique impulses that made women's studies possible, which predated the official recognition of women's studies as field of study within the university system. Institutions such as the Indian Council of Social Science Research as well as the women's movement were critical players in this complex process. The paper goes on to discuss a major lacuna in women's studies, namely, its pedagogical dimension. Indeed, the absence of information or discussion of feminist pedagogic strategies within higher education could be one of the chief hurdles currently impeding a critical assessment of the undoubtedly significant role that women's studies has played.