The rheological parameters of a clay suspension can be used to evaluate particle-particle interactions. Although there have been many studies of the rheological behavior of suspensions of reference clays, only few studies were performed with suspensions of mixed clays, and the rheological properties of these suspensions are not yet fully understood. The length-to-width ratio of some soil clays was evaluated by Egashira and Matsumoto (1981) based on viscosity measurements of very dilute suspensions of these clays. The influence of montmorillonite additions on the rheological behavior of kaolinite suspensions was determined by Keren (1989, 1991). The particle arrangement in three soil-clay suspensions was studied by Zhao et al. (1991) based on rheological measurements. The effects of mineralogical composition and particle size on the rheological behavior of concentrated suspensions of lateritic soil clays were investigated by Cerpa et al. (1999).

The rheological properties of suspensions of reference palygorskite clays were investigated in a previous study (Neaman and Singer, 2000). To determine if the rheology of palygorskite suspension is affected by the addition of montmorillonite, we investigated the rheological properties of palygorskite-montmorillonite suspensions.

Three palygorskite samples were used for this study: clays from Mt. Flinders (Queensland, Australia), Mt. Grainger (South Australia), and Yucatan (Sacalum, Mexico). Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy-1, Crook Country, USA) was used for preparation of palygorskite-montmorillonite mixtures.

The clays were ultrasonically dispersed in water and the <2-μm size fraction was separated by sedimentation under gravity. The clays were then lightly treated by 0.1 N HCl (sample:solution ratio of 1:10) for the removal of carbonates. The samples were rapidly heated in the acid to boiling and the pH values of the suspensions were immediately adjusted to pH 7 by addition of 0.1 N NaOH. The sample from Mt. Grainger contains considerable amounts of free iron oxides which were extracted by …


A parameter to quantify macroscale (i.e., systemwide) asymmetry of tropical cyclones (TC) in infrared satellite images, galaxy asymmetry (GASYM), which is adopted from astronomy, is described. In addition, an alternative approach to identify TC cloud clusters that is based on a density-based spatial clustering algorithm, cluster identification (CI), is presented in this study. Although a commonly used approach in TC study, the predefined radius of calculation (ROC), can be used to identify the TC region in the calculation of GASYM, this approach is not optimal because the size of the TC cloud cluster is often unknown in the calculation. The area specified by the ROC often includes pixels that do not belong to the TC cloud cluster and excludes pixels that belong to the TC cloud cluster. The CI approach addresses this issue by identifying TC cloud clusters of any size with any shape, because it depends solely on the threshold brightness temperature that corresponds to the upper bound of the brightness temperature of the specific cloud types. This study shows that the CI approach can be integrated into the GASYM calculation as an objective measure of TC symmetry. Although GASYM-CI and intensity are correlated, the relationship between GASYM-CI and intensity depends on the size of the TC cloud cluster. Comparison between GASYM and an existing objective method to quantify symmetry of TCs, the deviation angle variance technique, is also presented.


Over 80% of global grain production relies on green water, water from precipitation that is stored in unsaturated soil and supports plant growth. Blue water, precipitation that turns into surface water and groundwater, is also a vital surface water resource, and it can be directly utilized. The Tanghe River Basin is a typical temperate continental monsoon watershed in Northern China where residents and crops rely on blue and green water resources. In this study, the spatiotemporal distributions of water resources in the Tanghe River Basin were simulated using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model for the period between 1970 and 2015. The results demonstrate that the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and coefficient of determination were both higher than 0.64 during the calibration and validation periods at all hydrological stations, indicating high simulation accuracy. The average annual water resources of the Tanghe River Basin are 759.37 mm. Green and blue water account for 68% and 32% of the total water resources, respectively. The study period was divided into the reference period (1970–1976) and the variation period (1977–2015), to explore the impact of climate change on the green and blue water resources of the Tanghe River Basin water resources. Compared with the reference period, the average green and blue water resources in the variation period decreased by 78.48 and 35.94 mm/year, and their rate changes were −13.45% and −13.17%, respectively. The water resource relative change rates were high in the south and low in the north, and they were predominantly affected by precipitation. This study improves our understanding of the hydrological processes as well as the availability of blue and green water in the study region, and can prove beneficial in promoting the sustainable development of small basins and the integrated watershed management in areas with similar climatic conditions.


Switchable-hydrophilicity solvents (SHSs) are solvents that in one state forms a biphasic mixture with water but can be reversibly switched to another state that is miscible with water. In theory, this switch can be triggered in a number of ways, however we focus on dissolved CO2 as the switchable trigger. The most practical use of an SHS is for extraction of a water-immiscible liquid product from a solvent in which it is dissolved (as demonstrated by the extraction of bitumen from the oil sands, bio-oil from algae, etc). This technology provides a more environmentally-friendly means of extraction over current popular processes such as distillation. Since their discovery in 2010, more than 25 nitrogen-based SHSs have been reported in the literature. The SHS behaviour seems to be strongly correlated with hydrophilicity and basicity, not surprisingly. Indeed, amine solvents which demonstrate SHS behaviour are contained within a specific hydrophilicity and basicity range. This range can be predicted based on fundamental acid-dissociation and partitioning equations which, once developed, reveal other tuneable parameters. These parameters are intrinsic (molecular weight and density) as well as extrinsic (CO2 pressure and water:SHS volume ratio). The extrinsic parameters enable the switchable range to expand enabling less basic and more hydrophobic solvents to act as SHSs. This is of interest since one of the goals of SHS technology is to replace volatile, smog-forming and bio-accumulating solvents i with environmentally benign ones. Having a greater range to choose SHSs from increases the chances of finding more environmentally benign solvents. The other goal of SHS technology is to be as effective, if not more, than conventional solvents for extractions. Equipped with a mathematical description of the SHS process, it is a simple matter of optimizing the resulting equations in terms of the extrinsic parameters. Increasing the pressure of CO2 as well as the water:SHS volume ratio increases the amount of SHS that is extracted from the liquid product. This is true for the two-liquid system (composed of water and SHS) as well as the three-liquid system (composed of water, SHS, and a water-immisible organic liquid), though their mathematical descriptions are different.


Cloacae of 15 Plethodon cinereus and 14 P. dorsalis females from seasonal samples were studied anatomically by light microscopy. The cloaca is linned with epidermis except for the anterior portion of the cloacal tube. The spermatheca is the only type of gland in the female cloaca. In both species, the common duct of the spermatheca passes proximally into the anterior dorsal roof of the cloacal tube at the cephalic end of a middorsal cloacal papilla which extends posteriorly into the cloacal chamber. The distal portions of the spermatheca are expanded, lateral to the midline, and oriented transversely. In P. cinereus the distal portions of the spermatheca consists of up to six relatively long tubular branches. The distal portion of the spermatheca of P. dorsalis is a large tubule which may have up to four short irregular outpocketings. Interspecific variation also occurs in the shape of the cloaca. In P. dorsalis there is a dorsoventrally flattened recess of the cloacal chamber which extends anteriorly dorsal to the cloacal papilla to dorsal of the spermatheca. No such extensive recess occurs in P. cinereus. Sexual dimorphism includes not only the numbers and types of cloacal glands but also the shape of the cloacal cavity and the anatomy of its linings. * * *


The temporal-reasoning task focuses on intelligent analysis of time-oriented data, while the temporalmaintenance task focuses on effective storage, query, and retrieval of these data. Both are highly relevant for biomedical applications such as monitoring, therapy, quality assessment, and visualization and exploration of time-oriented data, which cannot be expected to resolve each time both tasks, or to understand the internal details of specialized modules that perform them. Thus, it is imperative to supply a system, known as a temporal mediator, which integrates these tasks. One potential problem in existing temporal-mediation approaches is lack of sufficient responsiveness when querying the database for complex abstract concepts that are derived from the raw data, especially regarding a large patient group. We propose a new integration approach: The active time-oriented database. This approach is a temporal extension of the active-database concept, a merger of temporal reasoning and temporal maintenance within a persistent database framework. The approach preserves the efficiency of databases in handling data storage and retrieval while enabling specification and performance of complex temporal reasoning using an incremental-computation approach. The new approach provides persistence and truth-maintenance of the resultant abstractions. We implemented the active timeoriented database approach within the Momentum system. Initial experiments with the Momentum system are encouraging, and an evaluation is underway to assess its validity.


For the first time, the Biofeedback magazine is dedicating a special issue to a living pioneer in the field of biofeedback and psychophysiology. Maurice Barry Sterman is currently facing significant health challenges, yet as of this writing he is still with us, continuing to contribute to neurofeedback and neuroscience.


The detection of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) depends on the viability of the ear's conduction apparatus. However, tympanic membrane perforations and other conductive disorders have not been fully investigated with regard to the examination of DPOAEs. Using the guinea pig model, we made perforations of different sizes and loci on the tympanic membrane and collected DPOAE data for frequencies between 2,193 and 5,508 Hz for each condition. We found that small perforations, up to 25% of the area of the tympanic membrane, still allow us to detect emissions at the specified frequencies. However, perforations of 50% and larger, as well as those accompanied by traumatic perilymph fistulas and ossicular disarticulations, severely interfered with the detection of DPOAEs. We discuss the clinical relevance of these findings with respect to the potential uses of DPOAEs.


The objective of this investigation was to make two surveys relating to environmental control in the Azle Elementary School, Azle, Texas. The first survey was designed to furnish a list of favorable and unfavorable factors in classroom environment as they existed in the Azle Elementary School at the close of the school session of 1946-1947, and the second survey , conducted in the same school approximately a year later, was for the purpose of ascertaining what improvements had been made in the interim in order to increase the educative values in the classroom environment of this school.


This article assesses the employment and school enrolment gaps between disabled and nondisabled persons using the last Cape Verdean census. The unexplained part of these gaps accounts for most of them, whatever the age group considered. Furthermore, differences in age structures between disabled and nondisabled persons have almost no effect on these gaps. Taking into account potential misclassification errors in the disability variable seems to change only marginally these results. These findings thus suggest that there is scope for programs to better target and promote employment and education of the disabled in Cape Verde.


PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to compare rates of pharmacotherapy coverage in patients with ocular hypertension (OH) and patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

METHODS
Retrospective cohort study analysis of a nationally representative, multimanaged health plan database (PharMetrics; 1998-2005) which included 4818 medicated OH patients and 52,985 medicated POAG patients with at least 1 year of continuous enrollment and at least one prescription for IOP-lowering medication during the first year of follow-up. Patients selected for the current study were nested within the cohort of OH patients (n = 36,767) and POAG patients (n =72,412) previously reported. Of the previously reported OH cohort, only 13.1% of patients filled at least one prescription, as compared to 73.2% of the previously reported POAG cohort. Medication coverage was defined as the percent of days during which a patient was in possession of IOP-lowering therapy over the first year of follow-up (medication coverage = number of covered days/365). Compliant patients were defined as those with >or= 75th percentile medication coverage.

RESULTS
POAG patients had slightly longer mean length of enrollment in the database (2.5 years, SD = 1.2) than did OH patients (2.4 years, SD = 1.1; P < 0.0001). The mean medication coverage was 50% for the POAG cohort (SD = 0.26) and 40% for the OH cohort (SD = 0.25; P < 0.0001). In multivariate models controlling for key covariates of interest, POAG patients were 1.9 (95% CI: 1.7 to 2.0) times more likely to be compliant with their pharmacotherapy than OH patients.

CONCLUSION
In general, pharmacotherapy coverage was poor. Patients with POAG, a more severe condition, were significantly more covered with pharmacotherapies than patients with OH. It is important to implement strategies to help improve patient coverage prior to occurrence of more severe disease.


Enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) is an abnormal connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the skin; by some estimates, it represents 88.2% of all fistulae. It can either develop spontaneously due to underlying malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease, radiation exposure, or, more commonly, as a complication of gastrointestinal surgery. A 75-year-old woman was treated for a small bowel enterocutaneous fistula that developed after laparoscopic cholecystectomy using a HANAROSTENT self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) to cover the fistula. Seven months later, the patient was discharged. For the following 2 years, the patient refused the reconstructive surgery until stent obstruction occurred. After optimizing the patient's nutritional status, laparotomy and small bowel resection were performed successfully. The use of SEMS in fistulas of the lower gastrointestinal tract is a heavily debated and fairly under-researched topic, especially in the context of enterocutaneous fistulas. No international guidelines officially recommend using SEMS in the small bowel ECF.


A dual model with a nonlinear proton Regge trajectory in the missing mass (M2X) channel is constructed. A background based on a direct-channel exotic trajectory, developed and applied earlier for the inclusive electron-proton cross section description in the nucleon resonance region, is used. The parameters of the model are determined from the extrapolations to earlier experiments. Predictions for the low-mass (2 < M2X < 8 GeV2) diffraction dissociation cross sections at the LHC energies are given.


We propose a solution to the recent $W$ mass measurement by embedding the Standard Model within $E_6$ models. The presence of a new $U(1)$ group shifts the $W$ boson mass at the tree level and introduces a new gauge boson $Z^{\prime}$ which has been searched for at collider experiments. In this article, we identity the parameter space that explains the new $W$ mass measurement and is consistent with current experimental $Z^{\prime}$ searches. As $U(1)$ extensions can be accommodated in supersymmetric models, we also consider the supersymmetric scenario of $E_6$ models, and show that a 125 GeV Higgs may be easily achieved in such settings.


Interoperability between conditional access (CA) systems and set-top boxes (STB)-CA-STB interoperability-has been an issue from the very beginning of receiver development for digital pay-TV. Interoperability ensures that any service can be received on any (interoperable) STB. The common interface solutions SimulCrypt and MultiCrypt are now standardized. However, these solutions have a number of disadvantages, including the need for service providers to agree on using each other's system, increased bandwidth usage, inflexibility, cost, and limited functionality. This paper describes another solution for CA-STB interoperability, based on downloading interoperable software into the STB. It provides full CA-STB interoperability. Furthermore, it can be introduced relatively easily into future STBs and will require only minimal changes in current CA systems.


Background Intravenous drug use (IVDU) is a predisposition for the development of infective endocarditis (IE). The incidence amongst people who inject drugs (PWID) is estimated to be 50–100 times greater than the general population. For this reason, PWID with symptoms of infection or bacteraemia are frequently referred to the IE team for assessment. We have previously reported on our experience of managing PWID with IE over more than a decade. Here we present the characteristics, final diagnoses and outcomes in all PWID admitted to hospital with other infections in whom IE was suspected. Methods Patients aged 18 or over who had taken drugs intravenously within 90 days and referred to the IE team between 01/01/2006 and 31/12/2016 were eligible. Inclusion was dependent on the modified Duke criteria, we required patients to be either Duke criteria negative, or Duke possible and not treated for IE. PWID referred to the IE team who were either Duke definite or Duke possible and treated for IE acted as a comparison group. Patient demographics, microbiology, final diagnoses, survival and causes of death were recorded. Results There were 112 episodes of other infections in 107 PWID during the study period. 69 (65%) patients were male, and the mean age was 36 ± 8.4 years. During the same period, we assessed and treated 105 episodes of confirmed IE in 92 PWID. There were positive blood cultures in 71 episodes, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus (39), coagulase negative Staphylococcus (3), beta-haemolytic Streptococcus (16), oral Streptococcus (7), Streptococcus angionosis (4), Enterococcus spp. (2), Pseudomonad (1) and other (7). In 10 episodes there was combined infection with two or more microorganisms, and in 41 episodes blood cultures were negative. Where IE was excluded, the final diagnosis was usually an infected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (41) or skin and soft tissue infection (26). Other infections included osteomyelitis (9), septic arthritis (6), septic pulmonary emboli/lung abscess (5), central line infection (4), pneumonia (4), urinary tract infection (2), pericarditis (2) and in one episode there was a cerebral abscess. Survival following hospitalisation with an episode of infection was 91%, 86.4%, 83.5% and 70% at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years respectively. In univariate analysis, survival was significantly higher in PWID with other infections compared to those treated for IE during the same period (p=0.0002) (figure 1). During a median follow-up of 4.8 years there were a total of 26 deaths, with suicide or drug overdose being the cause of death in 9 cases. Abstract 130 Figure 1 Conclusion In approximately half of PWID referred to the IE team the final diagnosis was non-cardiac infection. In those with other infections the alternative diagnosis was usually an infected DVT or skin/soft tissue infection. Survival was favourable in those with other infections compared to those treated for IE. The implication of this finding is that cardiac infection has a negative impact on survival in PWID beyond infection elsewhere. It seems likely that damaged native heart valves, or indwelling prosthetic material poses additional risk of re-infection in the context of ongoing drug use. The continuing high mortality rate in both groups suggests that improving the support offered to PWID might affect outcomes in the longer term. Conflict of Interest None


The remote monitoring of animal behaviour using telemetry and bio-logging has become popular due to technological advances, falling costs of devices and the need to understand behaviour without causing disturbance to subjects. Over the past three decades thousands of animals have had their movements tracked by these devices; however, attaching devices to streamlined bodies raises concerns about energetic costs and effects on vital rates and the reliability of the data collected (eg survival probability). We encourage researchers to discuss concerns, quantify the possible effects that devices and attachment methods have on subjects and present this work for peer review.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this dose range study is to expand on the relationship between age and weight-based doses of enoxaparin and resulting levels of anti-factor Xa (anti-Xa) in pediatric patients. The primary outcome of this study is to determine the average dose of enoxaparin required to produce a therapeutic effect. Secondary outcomes include the number of enoxaparin dose changes required to achieve a therapeutic level of anti-Xa in each age group, the success rates of achieving and maintaining therapeutic anti-Xa levels, and the effect of serum antithrombin concentrations on anti-Xa levels. The study will also determine whether different dispensed concentrations of enoxaparin play a role in achieving therapeutic levels of anti-Xa.

METHODS
Single center, retrospective chart review. Patients were excluded from the study if they were older than 18 years of age, were receiving enoxaparin for prophylactic purposes, had a creatinine clearance < 30 ml/min/1.73m(2), and if no anti-factor Xa levels were drawn.

RESULTS
Average enoxaparin doses required for therapeutic levels of anti-factor Xa were 1.8 mg/kg for patients <1 month, 1.64 mg/kg (1 month to 1 year), 1.45 mg/kg (1 to 6 years), and 1.05 mg/kg (>6 years of age). An average of 3.24 dose changes was required for neonates to achieve therapeutic levels anti-factor Xa. The success rates for achieving and maintaining therapeutic levels were both 41%. Patients with low serum antithrombin levels were more likely to have low anti-Xa levels than those with normal or high values, 52% vs 40% vs 18%, respectively. Patients receiving diluted concentrations, 10 or 20 mg/mL, experienced lower anti-Xa levels than patients who received the standard manufactured concentration of 100 mg/mL, 61% vs 33%.

CONCLUSION
Based on this dose-range study, enoxaparin should be initiated at larger doses than recommended by the current guidelines to promptly achieve therapeutic anti-Xa levels. Doses should be divided into three age groups instead of two as currently suggested in the guidelines. To increase the likelihood of achieving therapeutic levels, the commercially available enoxaparin product should not be diluted if possible.


A new strategy for the synthesis of sequence-regulated vinyl polymers based on a combination of iterative atom transfer radical additions (ATRAs) of vinyl monomers and acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization was developed. A molecularly defined vinyl monomer sequence at the single monomer unit level was constructed in telechelic diene sequence-regulated oligomers by iterative metal-catalyzed ATRAs of vinyl monomers to dichloride followed by allylation of both carbon–chloride terminals. ADMET polymerization of the obtained telechelic diene oligomer with a symmetrical monomer sequence resulted in polymers with an embedded vinyl monomer sequence that was repeatedly connected by an olefin formed by olefin metathesis polymerization. The subsequent hydrogenation of the main-chain olefins led to polymers that mimicked sequence-regulated vinyl polymer structures consisting of saturated C–C main chains. In particular, this study enabled the synthesis of sequence-regulated vinyl polymer mimics that have perfect and periodic styrene–acrylate–styrene–ethylene–methylene sequences, no statistical distributions of the comonomer compositions and sequences in polymer chains, relatively high molecular weights, and only carbon–carbon single bonds in the main chain. The thermal properties of the sequence-regulated vinyl polymer mimics were evaluated and compared with those of hypothetical random copolymers of styrene, acrylate, and ethylene units with the same comonomer contents.


Polyphenols are a large group of structurally diverse natural products, including flavonoids. One of the most bioactive compounds of this class is the flavonol quercetin, a recognized antioxidant. Despite several studies were carried out aiming to develop nanoformulations with secondary metabolites, to our knowledge, quercetin was not used as raw material for nanodispersion production without coating polymers. This type of nanosize formulation is often prepared using organic solvents and quercetin nanodispersions were prepared by emulsification evaporation technique, using 1(6).2(2) experimental factorial design, ("surfactant type" evaluated at 6 levels, "surfactant amount" and "stirring speed" evaluated at 2 levels). Variance analysis, after one day of nanodispersions preparation, revealed that only the surfactant type was statistically significant on particle size, while none of factors presented statistically significant effect on polydispersity index. Variance analysis after seven days of nanodispersions preparation revealed that either surfactant type and surfactant amount presented significant effect on particle size, while only surfactant type influenced polydispersity index. Some nanodispersions presented small diameter and narrow size distribution, suggesting potential stability of these systems. Special attention was given to nanodispersion prepared with 3 % (w/w) of polyethylene glycol 400 monooleate (expressed as function of surfactant concentration at aqueous phase). It presented mean droplet size of 129.4 ± 0.5 nm and polydispersity index of 0.173 ± 0.018, after 7 days of preparation. Low polydispersity index indicates a high homogeneity concerning particle size distribution and suggests stability of the system. Moreover, absence of coating polymers and utilization of a low energy method would be an advantage in terms of reducing costs for industrial application, without any nanosize impairment.


In this paper, from the viewpoint of lubricant spreading, we investigate the effect of lube textures which mean a nonuniform distribution of bonding strength between lubricant molecules and the disk surface. Lube textures were formed by irradiating ultraviolet rays through a stripe-patterned mask onto a magnetic disk surface which was partially coated with one-monolayer film of perfluoropolyether. Surface characteristics of the lube textures were evaluated by surface energies ascertained from contact angle measurements. Spreading of the lubricant film was measured by scanning microellipsometry on the striped lube textures in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the stripes. The thickness-dependent diffusion coefficients extracted from the spreading profiles show that lubricant spreading in the regime of film thickness less than 0.2 nm is faster along the stripes, indicating the possibility of controlling the behavior of a lubricant film with lube textures.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


From 170 pregnant women, cervico‐vaginal secretion, serum and amnion fluid were collected to determine concentrations of herpes simplex virus (HSV) IgA in different risk groups. We found a higher concentration of HSV IgA in cervicovaginal secretions in women with positive cultures, compared with women with negative cultures. Women with a prior history of genital HSV infections also had higher levels of HSV‐IgA in cervico‐vaginal secretions, compared with those with no HSV history, but the differences were not statistically significant. The concentrations of HSV IgA in cervico‐vaginal secretions were not correlated to any other risk group defined in the study. An asymptomatic mother with no previous history of genital HSV infection, but belonging to the risk groups gave birth to an infant who developed neonatal herpes on the 4th day of life. Women at risk for viral shedding during gestation and at the time of delivery cannot be identified solely on the basis of grouping into risk groups and/or on concentration of HSV IgA in cervico‐vaginal secretion.


We investigate the possibility that both dark matter and the long-standing discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon may be explained within the MSSM. In light of the stringent bounds from direct detection, we argue that the most promising viable scenarios have bino-like dark matter produced via either bino-wino or bino-slepton co-annihilation. We find that the combination of next-generation direct detection experiments and the LHC will be able to probe much of the interesting parameter space, however a future high-energy collider is needed to comprehensively explore this scenario.


Researchers and practitioners frequently spend more time fine-tuning algorithms than designing and implementing them. This is particularly true when developing heuristics and metaheuristics, where the right choice of values for search parameters has a considerable effect on the performance of the procedure. When testing metaheuristics, performance typically is measured considering both the quality of the solutions obtained and the time needed to find them. In this paper, we describe the development of CALIBRA, a procedure that attempts to find the best values for up to five search parameters associated with a procedure under study. Because CALIBRA uses Taguchis fractional factorial experimental designs coupled with a local search procedure, the best values found are not guaranteed to be optimal. We test CALIBRA on six existing heuristic-based procedures. These experiments show that CALIBRA is able to find parameter values that either match or improve the performance of the procedures resulting from using the parameter values suggested by their developers. The latest version of CALIBRA can be downloaded for free from the website that appears in the online supplement of this paper at http://or.pubs.informs.org/Pages.collect.html.


Exogenous proteins have been introduced into naive and nerve growth factor (NGF)-primed pheochromocytoma cells by pressure microinjection. Microinjection of cells did affect NGF-induced neurite outgrowth by these cells over periods of up to 3 days. Injected NGF failed to elicit neurite outgrowth or regeneration in the absence of extracellular NGF and failed to enhance it in its presence. Injected anti-NGF IgG failed to inhibit neurite outgrowth or regeneration induced by extracellular NGF. Similar results were obtained for both nuclear and cytoplasmic injections.


Abstract Linear Elamite writing was used in southern Iran in the late 3rd/early 2nd millennium BCE (ca. 2300–1880 BCE). First discovered during the French excavations at Susa from 1903 onwards, it has so far resisted decipherment. The publication of eight inscribed silver beakers in 2018 provided the materials and the starting point for a new attempt; its results are presented in this paper. A full description and analysis of Linear Elamite of writing, employed for recording the Elamite language, is given here for the first time, together with a discussion of Elamite phonology and the biscriptualism that characterizes this language in its earliest documented phase.


Though writing plays an important role in academic, social, and economic success, typical writing instruction generally does not reflect evidence-based practices (EBPs). One potential reason for this is limited signposting of EBPs in standards. We analyzed the content of writing standards from a representative sample of states and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and language to determine to what degree EBPs were signposted, variability of this signposting, and the overlap of practices signposted in states' standards and the CCSS. We found a few practices signposted fairly consistently (e.g., isolated components of writing process instruction) and others rarely so (e.g., use of text models), as well as great variability across standards, with some covering almost half of the EBPs and others far fewer. Only a few states' writing standards overlapped considerably with the CCSS. We discuss the implications of these findings for teacher professional development and for evaluating standards.


This technical report contains eight final project reports contributed by ten participants in "Hot Topics in Database Systems," a CMU advanced graduate course offered by Professor Anastassia Ailamaki in Fall 2002. The course covers advanced research issues in modern database system design through paper presentations and discussion. In Fall 2002, topics included query optimization, data stream and adaptive query processing, continuous queries, self-tuning database systems, interaction between the database software and the underlying hardware, distributed and peer-to-peer DBMS, and XML applications. The participating students studied and evaluated the cutting-edge research papers from each topic, and addressed the related issues in in-class discussions. Inspired by the course material, the students proposed and carried out a total of eight projects. The projects included innovative research and implementation and the students worked in teams of two or by themselves. The project reports were carefully evaluated by the students using a conference program committee-style blind-review process. The resulting camera-ready papers are available in this technical report. Several of these reports (as noted in their first page) have resulted in conference submissions. The projects were presented using posters and demos during a half-day HotDB workshop that was held at Carnegie Mellon on December 10, 2002.


Objective: We investigated whether the C9orf72 expansion mutation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is associated with unique demographic and clinical features. Methods: Between 2001 and 2015, approximately half of all patients attending the Emory ALS Clinic agreed to donate DNA for research. This research cohort of 781 patients was screened for the C9orf72 expansion, and demographic and clinical data were compared between those with and without the C9orf72 mutation. For mutation carriers without a family history of ALS, we sought further family history of dementia and other non-ALS neurodegenerative diseases in first-degree relatives. Results: The C9orf72 expansion was identified in 61 patients (7.8%). Compared to those without the expansion mutation, these patients did not differ in race, age, or site of onset. As expected, C9orf72 patients were more likely to have a family history of ALS (59% vs 7.9%) and to present with comorbid frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (14.8% vs 1.7%). Survival was shorter in patients with the expansion (log-rank χ2[1] = 45.323, p < 0.001). Further investigation in 28 patients initially categorized as having no known family history of ALS identified a family history of dementia in 16 cases; 6 of these had characteristics suggestive of FTD. Conclusions: Comparing the C9orf72 ALS population to the general ALS population, there were no differences in race, age at onset, or proportion of patients with bulbar onset disease. Differences identified in patients with the C9orf72 mutation included shortened survival and an equal proportion of men and women. In addition, we found that assessing family history for dementia may identify other family members likely to be carrying the C9orf72 expansion, reduce the number of sporadic cases, and thus increase our understanding of disease penetrance.


Abstract.  Apoptosis and proliferation are intimately coupled. Some cell cycle regulators can influence both cell division and programmed cell death. The linkage of cell cycle and apoptosis has been recognized for c‐Myc, p53, pRb, Ras, PKA, PKC, Bcl‐2, NF‐κB, CDK, cyclins and CKI. This review summarizes the different functions of the proteins presently known to control both apoptosis and cell cycle progression. These proteins can influence apoptosis or proliferation but different variables, including cell type, cellular environment and genetic background, make it difficult to predict the outcome of cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest or cell death. These important decisions of cell proliferation or cell death are likely to be controlled by more than one signal and are necessary to ensure a proper cellular response.


The memorial commemorates the thirteen innocent victims who lost their lives in the terrorist bombing at Tavistock Square on the 7 July 2005.

The memorial avoids any representation of the act and references it in the tersest, objective terms. It has a sculptural form and is cast from six tonnes of 'pig iron'; a material normally associated with manhole covers or drainage grilles. Its placement and inscription reference the location of the incident.

From within garden, the plaque forms an interruption in the order of the landscape, and frames a view to the exact location of the incident in the road. From the pavement, a passer-by may notice the plaque taking the place of a missing kerbstone, causing them to read the inscription.

The style of lettering designed differs from that usually used on memorials: it is a sanskrit – an everyday kind of letter – one which has a long history, but which develops in its modern formative period (19C) in England, and in particular in London.

The layout too, departs from the norm, taking its cue from the verticality of the railings and leading the eye from the quiet of the garden to the street beyond and the site of the bombing itself.


We report a case of a 55-year-old female who presented with pain, redness, and profound visual loss in her right eye 2 weeks after cataract surgery. An ophthalmic examination showed light perception vision, corneal edema with severe anterior chamber reaction and hypopyon, exudative membranes on the anterior lens surface, and dense vitreous exudates. Under the impression of acute postoperative exogenous endophthalmitis, immediate pars plana vitrectomy with culture of vitreous aspirate and intravitreal antibiotic injections were performed. Bacterial growth was observed on culture plates and broths which were identified as Aeromonas salmonicida by VITEK 2 compact system. So far, no report has been published regarding endophthalmitis due to A. salmonicida. Here, we present the first report of A. salmonicida isolated from the ocular specimen.


The creation of most models used in computer animation and computer games requires the assignment of texture coordinates, texture painting, and texture editing. We present a novel approach for texture placement and editing based on direct manipulation of textures on the surface. Compared to conventional tools for surface texturing, our system combines UV-coordinate specification and texture editing into one seamless process, reducing the need for careful initial design of parameterization and providing a natural interface for working with textures directly on 3D surfaces.A combination of efficient techniques for interactive constrained parameterization and advanced input devices makes it possible to realize a set of natural interaction paradigms. The texture is regarded as a piece of stretchable material, which the user can position and deform on the surface, selecting arbitrary sets of constraints and mapping texture points to the surface; in addition, the multi-touch input makes it possible to specify natural handles for texture manipulation using point constraints associated with different fingers. Pressure can be used as a direct interface for texture combination operations. The 3D position of the object and its texture can be manipulated simultaneously using two-hand input.


Although infections with fungi, such as Rhizopus species,usually occur in diabetics or immunocompromised patients, they can also rarely affect immunocompetent individuals. We present a case of disseminated infection with multiple cold abscesses in a 13-year, otherwise healthy girl caused by Rhizopus arrhizus.


This study investigated the anatomical properties and absorbance characteristics of NIR spectra of four Shorea species from Indonesia. Macroscopic section revealed that Balau has similarity with Heavy Red Meranti, whereas White Meranti was almost identical with Light Red Meranti. All of the woods have diffuse porous and axial resin canals in tangential lines at the microscopic level. Original NIR spectra of Shorea species showed different absorbance characteristic. Wood density was assumed to be one of the factors that affected to the absorbances. Principal component analysis (PCA) of second derivative NIR spectra at the wavenumber 8,000-4,000 cm-1 (full) and 6,200-5,600 cm-1 (specific) showed different orientation among the Principal Component (PC) number. PC1, which contained highest spectral variation, had two closed clusters (1) Balau and Heavy Red Meranti and (2) White and Light Red Meranti at full spectral range. In contrast, the results at specific range were (1) Balau and White Meranti and (2) Heavy and Light Red Meranti. Hierarchical clustering dendrogram using PCA data from two spectral regions resulted in two types of clustering, the 8,000-4,000 cm-1 was somehow related to 'density', while the 6,200-5,600 cm-1 was grouped in 'color' information from visual inspection.  From both spectral regions, k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) classification models revealed 100% accuracy in identification four Shorea species using NIR spectra.


Background: Pediatrics pose a unique set of risks of medication errors, predominantly because of the need to make dosage calculations, which are individually based on the patient's weight, age or body surface area (BSA), and their condition. This increases the likelihood of errors, particularly dosing errors. In particular; preventing dosing errors is an important part of ensuring safe and quality patient care in the pediatric population. To evaluate appropriateness and accuracy of the prescribed drug dose using BSA as a parameter in pediatric patients. Methods: The present study was cross sectional, observational, and prospective one, conducted on an outpatient basis in pediatric patients. A total of 500 prescriptions were randomly collected and used to analyze prescribed dose. Calculation of standard dose according to BSA of individual of each drug was done by using formula: Individual dose = BSA (m 2 )/1.7 × average adult dose and compared with the prescribed dose of that particular drug. The BSA of an individual can be calculated from Dubois Raymond's formula. Results: The 500 prescriptions included in the study were for a total of 1216 drugs; out of which 362 (29.76%) drugs were in under dose, 245 (20.15%) drugs were in appropriate dose and 609 (50.08%) drugs were in overdose compared to their standard doses according to BSA. Conclusion: In this study, around 80% of prescribed drugs were either under dose or overdose which highlights the continuing crisis of dose calculation error among prescriptions of


Abstract Objectives This study aimed to assess longitudinal relationships between social environment indicators (social connectedness, social engagement, social contribution) and mental health indicators (depression and anxiety) among community-dwelling adults age 55 years and older. Methods Data were drawn from 3-waves of the national longitudinal survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) (N = 2,020; age range = 55-94 years). We developed multilevel growth models to ascertain the relationships of interest, controlling for sociodemographic and physical health factors. Results Over the 20-year period of study, lower levels of emotional social support, social integration and social contribution significantly predicted depression and anxiety, whereas social network and social engagement were not significant predictors of these mental health outcomes in older adults. The models also indicated a moderation effect of the number of chronic conditions on the slopes of depression and anxiety. Discussion Considering our findings, interventions to enhance social contribution and social connectedness could be effective to help older adults maintain positive mental health, as well as programs that facilitate older adults' connections with their families, communities and health care providers. These interventions must also account for multiple chronic conditions since functional limitations drive declining integration in the community and participation in social activities.


Surfactant protein A (SP-A), a lung anti-infective protein, is a lectin with affinity for sugars found on fungal and micrococcal surfaces such as mannose. We synthesized a mannosylated poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) copolymer and used it to produce nanoparticles with a polyester (PLGA/PLA) core and a PEG shell decorated with mannose residues, designed to be strongly associated with SP-A for an increased uptake by alveolar macrophages. Nanoparticles made of the copolymers were obtained by nanoprecipitation and displayed a size of around 140 nm. The presence of mannose on the surface was demonstrated by zeta potential changes according to pH and by a strong aggregation in the presence of concanavalin A. Mannosylated nanoparticles bound to SP-A as demonstrated by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The association with SP-A increased nanoparticle uptake by THP-1 macrophages in vitro. In vivo experiments demonstrated that after intratracheal administration of nanoparticles with or without SP-A, SP-A-coated mannosylated nanoparticles were internalized by alveolar macrophages in greater proportion than SP-A-coated nonmannosylated nanoparticles. The data demonstrate for the first time that the pool of nanoparticles available to lung cells can be changed after surface modification, using a biomimetic approach.


BACKGROUND: Earlier studies suggest that the quality of handling occupational health and safety (OHS) activities differs between companies of different sizes. Company size is a proxy variable for other variables affecting OHS performance. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate if there is an association between company size and perceptions of work environment prioritizations. METHODS: Data from 106 small- and medium-sized Swedish manufacturing companies was collected. One manager and one safety delegate at each company rated different aspects of their companies' work environment prioritizations with a 43-item questionnaire. Ratings were aggregated to a summary statistic for each company before analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences in perceptions of priority were found to be associated with company sizes. This is in contrast to earlier studies of objective differences. The respondents in small companies, however, showed significantly greater consensus in their ratings. CONCLUSIONS: Company size does not appear to be associated with perceptions of work environment prioritizations. Company size is an important proxy variable to study in order to understand what factors enable and obstruct safe and healthy workplaces. The work presented here should be viewed as an initial exploration to serve as direction for future academic work.


Objectives. To trace the historical development of the Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre since its inception in 1993 in the context of plans to make it the nucleus of a system of community birthing centres throughout Nunavut. Study design. This is an analytical historical study using a combination of oral history interviews, government documents and existing literature. Methods. Oral history interviews with current and former employees of the Birthing Centre, founding organizers and women who gave birth there were combined with a review of the literature using MEDLINE, Anthropology PLUS, CINAHL and Historical Abstracts, as well as a search of the records of the Nunavut Government and the debates of the Nunavut Legislature and its predecessor, the NWT Legislature. Results. The Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre has been successful, but only marginally so. The majority of births for residents of this region still occur in southern hospitals, either in Churchill or Winnipeg. Although the long-term plan for the Centre is to train and employ Inuit midwives, thus far only two maternity care workers are employed at the Centre. All the midwives are from southern Canada and rotate through the Centre and the community on fixed terms. The Centre has been very successful at gaining and retaining support at the political level, with a strong official commitment to it from the Nunavut Legislature, and active support from the medical communities in the Kivalliq and in Manitoba through the Northern Health Unit at the University of Manitoba. Community support within Rankin Inlet is less apparent and has been halting. Plans to extend the model of the Centre to other communities are long-standing, but have been slow to come to fruition. Discussion. The Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre has remained an important, but peripheral, institution in Rankin Inlet. It is in many ways a southern institution located in the Arctic; for this reason, and due to the social networks present in Rankin Inlet itself, it has suffered from a lack of enthusiastic support from the community. However, the staff at the Birthing Centre are aware of its shortcomings and explicitly support more community-centred approaches in other communities. Conclusions. The staff and clients of the Rankin Inlet Birthing Centre have broadly recognized the challenges it faces. Future expansion is likely to adapt to local traditions and requirements, leading to new birthing centres that will be integrated into their communities.


Objective In an earlier report, we suggested that a polymorphism located in the 3′ untranslated region of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene (AT1R+1166 A/C) might interact with the angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism to increase the risk of myocardial infarction. Since the AT1R+1166 A/C polymorphism does not appear to be functional, we postulated that it might be in linkage disequilibrium with an unidentified functional variant which would affect the regulation of the gene in response to angiotensin II. The present study was conducted to identify new polymorphisms of the AT1R gene that might be responsible for this interaction. Methods The first four exons, which are untranslated, and 2.2 kb in the 5′ flanking region of the AT1R gene were explored by polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism. Seven polymorphisms were detected in the 5′ region at positions −1424, −810, −713, −521, −214, −213 and −153 upstream from the start of transcription. The genotypes of the −810, −713, −214, −213 and −153 polymorphisms were completely concordant. One substitution was detected at the 55th nucleotide of exon 4. These polymorphisms, together with the +1166 A/C polymorphism and a previously described T/C substitution at the 573th nucleotide of exon 5, were genotyped in the Etude Cas-Témoin de I'Infarctus du Myocarde (ECTIM) study, a multicentre study comparing 651 patients who had survived a myocardial infarction and 728 controls from Belfast (United Kingdom) and Lille, Strasbourg and Toulouse (France). Results The newly identified polymorphisms were not in linkage disequilibrium with the +1166 A/C polymorphism and therefore could not explain the interaction observed with ACE I/D. None of the polymorphisms was associated with blood pressure levels in control subjects. In the four populations, the A allele of the −810 polymorphism was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (population-adjusted odds ratio of 0.80, confidence interval 0.65–0.97, P < 0.05). Conclusions None of the newly identified polymorphisms could account for the previously described interaction between the AT1R+1166 A/C and the ACE I/D polymorphisms affecting the risk of myocardial infarction. However, the present study suggests that AT1R-810 T/A, or other polymorphisms which are in complete association with it, might be associated with the risk of myocardial infarction. Further studies are required to confirm this finding and to identify the functional variants.


BACKGROUND
Epicardial fat has been associated to the presence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the association of lipomatous infiltration of the atrial septum and fat infiltration of the right ventricle remains uncertain. None of these parameters has been thoroughly studied in Hispanic patients.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between epicardial fat, lipomatous infiltration of the atrial septum and fat infiltration of the right ventricle with the presence of CAD.

METHODS
Two hundred and fifty Hispanic patients (86 women and 164 men, mean age 61.5 ± 8 vs 62 ± 10 respectively), undergoing their first invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were studied. The day after the ICA, parameters of cardiac fat deposition were evaluated using 2D-echocardiography. Clinical (age, sex, personal antecedents of smoking habit, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, as well as clinical presentation of CAD) and anthropometric (waist circumference and body mass index [BMI]) variables were also collected.

RESULTS
Epicardial fat (OR 1.27 p = 0.009), as well as fat infiltration of the right ventricle (OR 2.94 p = 0.027), had a significant and independent association with the presence, but not the extent (p = 0.516) and clinical presentation (p = 0.153) of CAD. The extent of epicardial fat deposition showed a proportional and significant association (p = 0.001) with the presence of CAD.

CONCLUSION
Epicardial fat and fat infiltration of the right ventricle were both significant and independent factors associated to the presence of CAD, which was proportionally increased according to the extent of cardiac fat deposition.


The majority of current systems for end-to-end dialog generation focus on response quality without an explicit control over the affective content of the responses. In this paper, we present an affect-driven dialog system, which generates emotional responses in a controlled manner using a continuous representation of emotions. The system achieves this by modeling emotions at a word and sequence level using: (1) a vector representation of the desired emotion, (2) an affect regularizer, which penalizes neutral words, and (3) an affect sampling method, which forces the neural network to generate diverse words that are emotionally relevant. During inference, we use a re-ranking procedure that aims to extract the most emotionally relevant responses using a human-in-the-loop optimization process. We study the performance of our system in terms of both quantitative (BLEU score and response diversity), and qualitative (emotional appropriateness) measures.


This report highlights the research performed in 2003 in the Physics Division of Argonne National Laboratory. The Division's programs include operation of ATLAS as a national user facility, nuclear structure and reaction research, nuclear theory, medium energy nuclear research and accelerator research and development.


A comparison of the altitude tolerance of restrained and nonrestrained adult male (225–300 gm) and adult female (150–225 gm) Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to an altitude of 33,500 ft. at various rates of ascent with various prealtitude exposure treatments was made. Animals restrained immediately before altitude exposure with rapid ascent (2000 ft/min) to altitude die significantly sooner than do nonrestrained control animals. Slow stepwise ascent to altitude (2 ½ –4 hr. to reach terminal altitude) increased the altitude tolerance of both the restrained and nonrestrained animals but much more for the restrained animals. When body temperatures were dropped to 25℃ before altitude exposure there were no deaths (up to 6 hr.) in either the restrained or nonrestrained animals. A lesser body temperature fall provided less protection. It appears that restraint may affect altitude tolerance in the rat by hastening the body temperature fall ordinarily associated with altitude exposure and by increasing the oxygen requirements as a result of the struggling to escape restraint. Since the former increases altitude tolerance and the latter reduces it, restraint may significantly increase or significantly decrease altitude tolerance, depending on the experimental procedure.

Submitted on March 4, 1959


The selenium contents in human gallbladder bile were analyzed. Thirty-seven subjects were studied; 22 patients with cholelithiasis in Niigata Prefecture and 15 patients (13 with cholelithiasis and 2 with gallbladder polypus) in Kochi Prefecture. Five ml of bile was withdrawn with a syringe from the gallbladder during the operation and stored at -20 degrees C until analysis. For the analysis by gas chromatograph with an electron-capture detector, 0.2 ml of sample was used. The mean selenium contents in bile were 269 +/- 39.0 (mean +/- S.D.) ng/ml for the subjects in Niigata and 285 +/- 84.4 ng/ml in Kochi; without significant difference. Of 37 samples analyzed, the mean content was 276 +/- 61.0 ng/ml.


The study of migrations and mobility has historically been severely limited by the absence of reliable data or the temporal sparsity of available data. Using geospatial digital trace data, the study of population movements can be much more precisely and dynamically measured. Our research seeks to develop a near real-time (one-day lag) Twitter census that gives a more temporally granular picture of local and non-local population at the county level. Internal validation reveals over 80% accuracy when compared with users' self-reported home location. External validation results suggest these stocks correlate with available statistics of residents/non-residents at the county level and can accurately reflect regular (seasonal tourism) and non-regular events such as the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017. The findings demonstrate that Twitter holds the potential to introduce the dynamic component often lacking in population estimates. This study could potentially benefit various fields such as demography, tourism, emergency management, and public health and create new opportunities for large-scale mobility analyses.


The explosive demand for bandwidth for data networking applications continues to drive photonics technology to ever–increasing capacity and flexibility at the optical physical layer. This is achieved with new optical components for routers, crossconnects, and add–drop multiplexers. We can expect continued capacity (per fibre) increases from the current Tb s-1 level to some 100 Tb s-1 before fundamental limits inhibit progress.


Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck, is closely associated with the presence of oral microbes. However, the microbiomes of different oral niches in OSCC patients and their association with OSCC have not been adequately characterized. In this study, 305 samples were collected from 65 OSCC patients, including tumor tissue, adjacent normal tissue (paracancerous tissue), cancer surface tissue, anatomically matched contralateral normal mucosa, saliva, and tongue coat. 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequencing was used to compare the microbial composition, distribution, and co-occurrence network of different oral niches. The association between the microbiome and the clinical features of OSCC was also characterized. The oral microbiome of OSCC patients showed a regular ecological distribution. Tumor and paracancerous tissues were more microbially diverse than other oral niches. Cancer surface, contralateral normal mucosa, saliva, and tongue coat showed similar microbial compositions, especially the contralateral normal mucosa and saliva. Periodontitis-associated bacteria of the genera Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Campylobacter, and Aggregatibacter, and anaerobic bacteria were enriched in tumor samples. The microbiome was highly correlated with tumor clinicopathological features, with several genera (Lautropia, Asteroleplasma, Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, Pyramidobacter, Roseburia, and Propionibacterium) demonstrating a relatively high diagnostic power for OSCC metastasis, potentially providing an indicator for the development of OSCC.


This article discusses the evolution of composite resins as a posterior restoration and describes recent advances in both unfilled and filled resin materials. The future of today's composite material as an amalgam alternative is also described.


Background: Health professionals have undergone very high levels of workload and pressure since the COVID-19 epidemic. Purpose: This study aims to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 on health professionals at the Mohammed VI University Hospital. From May 31 to June 22, 2020. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out among professionals of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech using a questionnaire measuring the psychological impacts; the event impact scale - revised (IES-R), An exploratory and bivariate factor analysis was carried out to exploit the results. Results; 117 people answered the questionnaire, 66.67% were women, the average age was 30 years with extremes ranging from 25 to 60 years, 46.15% were doctors, 46.15% were nurses, 25.65% of participants lived alone, while 74.35% with families, after the start of the epidemic, 51 people lived in one of the hotels dedicated to housing and confinement. 28.2% or 33 people had declared transport problems. Of the participants in the study, 53.84% presented with insomnia, 12.82% (15) described aggression, and somatization was presented by 9 people (7.69%), nightmares by 9 others (7.69%) and intense fear by 3 people. 7.7% or 9 people who have already consulted the psychiatric listening cell during this period. The IES-R score is calculated at 41.94 or in favor of a post-traumatic stress disorder prevalent in this sample, with a score of avoidance at 12.76, intrusion of memories at 18.58 and hyperactivity at 10.58. Conclusion: unwanted psychological impacts are prevalent among our healthcare professionals.


Thompson is the largest community in northern Manitoba which was built originally to service the mining industry. This community has faced challenges in providing effective customer service and sufficient goods to meet local demands. Like many other resource based communities in northern Canada, the human resource base includes transitory workers, a large First Nations and Metis population and in recent years an increasing immigrant and temporary foreign worker population. As a service centre for northern Manitoba, it is critical to maintain a robust retail and service sector which meets the purchasing needs of the community. This research explores some of the nuances of purchasing patterns through primary and retail service sector gaps, experience of residents with customer service, and the role of various cultural groups and variations in purchasing experiences. Our findings indicate that there were low levels of customer satisfaction and there was a need for cross cultural customer service. Respondents also indicated that the limited availability of products and services in the community resulted in retail leakage. While the economic livelihood of this community is not solely tied to resource extractive industries such as mining, the link is significant enough to merit significant vision by local leadership to ensure that the economy is diverse and responsive to the economic, social and cultural climate of the region.


Abstract This study investigates the universality of transformational leadership with respect to employee perceptions and three outcomes: job satisfaction, self-rated health, and well-being. We do so among employees of different national and cultural backgrounds, yet within a shared national and sectorial setting. Our study has a repeated measures design based on survey data from 2,947 employees (2,836 natives Danes and 111 immigrants) in the Danish elder care sector. While we find no difference between native Danes and immigrants in their perception of transformational leadership, we find that transformational leadership is not a universal predictor of outcomes. Although transformational leadership predicts change in none of the outcomes for immigrants, it does predict change in job satisfaction and well-being for native Danes. Based on our findings, we suggest applying a combination of universalistic and contingency paradigms when leading composite employee groups.


The average binding energy of the dineutron virtual state was derived from the correlative spectrum of two protons in 2H(d, 2p) 2n reaction, and from the p-p coincidence measurement the value is estimated to be about 210keV.


To investigate the effect of lidamycin (LDM) on human gastric carcinoma BGC823 cells and xenograft growth in nude mice, MTT (methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium) assay was used to determine the inhibition of BGC823 cell proliferation by LDM. Induction of apoptosis was studied by flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. The expression of VEGF was detected by Western blotting analysis. Athymic nude mice were used to determine in vivo antitumor activity. Proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction were studied in lidamycin-treated cells. The expression of VEGF in BGC823 cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner. LDM at 0.02 mg x kg(-1) and 0.04 mg x kg(-1) suppressed the growth of BGC823 xenografts in nude mice by 57% and 72%, respectively. LDM potently induces apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma BGC823 cells and inhibits xenograft growth.


Pharmacokinetics on plasma and blood cells concentration, tissue distribution and excretion of amrubicin hydrochloride (SM-5887), a novel antitumor agent, were investigated after a single intravenous administration of 14C-labeled SM-5887 at the doses of 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg to rats. 1. The radioactivity levels in plasma and blood cells at these doses decreased multi-exponentially, and the levels of radioactivity in blood cells were 1/2 ?? 1/3 of those present in plasma. The time course profiles were almost parallel among these doses (0.1 ?? 10 mg/kg), and the linear relationship in the area under the concentration time-curve and administered doses was observed. 2. Plasma and blood cell concentrations of the unchanged SM-5887 at these doses decreased more rapid ly than those of total radioactivity, and the levels in blood cells were about a half of those in plasma. The ƒ¿, ƒÀ and ƒÁ-phase half-lives of SM-5887 concentration in plasma were 1.8 min, 29 min and 1.9 hr, respectively. 3. The concentrations of amrubicinol (SM-5887-13-OH), the major bioactive metabolite, in plasma and blood cells increased rapidly, and then decreased slowly. In blood cells, the level of SM-5887-13-OH was three times as high as that in plasma. Other aglycone metabolites without the sugar moiety were also detect ed in plasma and blood cells. 4. The radioactivity level was relatively high in such tissues as bone marrow, intestinal wall, skin, adrenal, spleen, lung, Harderian gland, submaxillary gland, kidney and liver at 1 ?? 4 hr after administration. Then the radioactivity disappeared gradually from most tissues in a similar profile as that in plasma, except a few tissues such as testis, submaxillary gland, thymus and hair. 5. Within 168 hr after administration, 13% and 76% of the dosed radioactivity was excreted into urine and feces, respectively. Within 72 hr after administration, 58% of the dosed radioactivity was excreted into bile. After intraduodenal injection of the bile to the bile-duct cannulated rats, 31% of the injected radioactivi ty was reabsorbed. 6. Little difference in pharmacokinetic profile was observed between male and female rats. 7. In vitro protein binding of SM-5887 and SM-5887-13-OH in mammalian plasma and HSA were 92 ?? 97% and 78 ?? 93%, respectively. In vivo plasma protein binding of SM-5887 and SM-5887-13-OH after intravenous administration of SM-5887 to rats were 93 ?? 96% and 82 ?? 89%, respectively.


Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used to gather information using wireless communication, but due to the confined power of sensor nodes, it is a predominant task to make WSN energy-efficient. Generally, a sensor node finds routes towards the base station (BS) to transmit the data. The sensor node transmits information at once or via neighbor nodes in a multi-hop manner. The nodes close to the BS transmit more data than other nodes. The nodes close to the BS tend to deplete their power quicker than different nodes in the network. This issue is known as the hotspot problem, leading to network separation and reducing the lifetime of the sensor network. The mobile sink as a better strategy to dispose of the hotspot problem in the course of information transmission, but the most critical challenges are finding sojourn points and path planning. This paper makes use of a cluster head (CH) as a sojourn point and multi-criteria decision strategy for path planning by the mobile sink at some stage in information collection. This paper contributes a fuzzy-based clustering algorithm that uses fuzzy logic to decide on cluster heads (CHs). The TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) approach used to figure out the mobile sink's route. Based on this route, the mobile sink will move to collect data from every CH in the network. This scheme receives an order of CHs to visit and collect the data with the mobile sink. The simulation outcomes exhibit that this strategy performs better than the other protocols, which uses multi-hop information transmission for extending the lifetime of wireless sensor networks and one parameter for route planning.


In this paper, we present some analytical and numerical results concerning the zero-span testing method, frequently used for quality control of cellulose fiber for papermaking. Of particular interest is the relationship between an apparent modulus obtained from the zero-span testing method and the elastic properties of the fibers. The apparent elasticity modulus is estimated using two energy theorems in elasto-statics in which the role of span length is explored. Analytical results, derived under the assumption that slippage between specimen and clamps does not occur, clearly show that the apparent modulus strongly depends on the span length. This is verified by the numerical results obtained using the finite element method. In addition to the above analysis, the effect of slippage is investigated, also by utilizing the finite element method, and it is found that for a specific case, the contribution from slippage to the total displacement depends strongly on the length of the span. Tensile tests at nominal zero span were conducted in an effort to further validate the analysis with relevant experimental data and it was concluded that there is qualitative agreement between the experimental results and the result of the analysis.


This thesis recommends the use of horizontal-flow roughing filters to treat spring water of variable annual quality in MaeLa Temporary Shelter, Thailand. The public drinking water system for 45,000 refugees is overseen by Aide Medicale Internacionale, with which this project was conducted. Half the drinking water for the camp is provided by thirteen springs. The volume and turbidity of these springs varies annually, correlating with the rainy and dry seasons. Treating the varying turbidity and volume at these sources so that the water can be effectively disinfected is the treatment goal. Available materials and operation and maintenance capabilities are also design parameters. Horizontal-flow roughing filtration was determined to fit these parameters and a design with two equivalent filters operating in parallel is recommended. One important feature of the filters is baffles that dictate the flow path of water through the filter. A second feature is an outflow at the top of the filter that will maintain a constant water volume in the filter. The feasibility of the design is based on flow tests and turbidity measurements taken on site as well as weekly flow rates and turbidities for 2007 provided by AMI. The requirements for mechanical regeneration of the filter are also determined. Thesis Supervisor: Peter Shanahan Title: Senior Lecturer of Civil and Environmental Engineering


Observations of the high-redshift Universe using the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen and complimentary emission lines from the first galaxies promise to open a new door for our understanding of the epoch of reionization. We present predictions for the [C II] 158-micron line and H I 21 cm emission from redshifts z=6--9 using high-dynamic-range cosmological simulations combined with semi-analytical models. We find that the CONCERTO experiment should be able to detect the large scale power spectrum of [C II] emission to redshifts of up to z=8 (signal-to-noise ratio ~ 1 at k = 0.1 h/cMpc with 1500 hr of integration). A Stage II experiment similar to CCAT-p should be able to detect [C II] from even higher redshifts to high significance for similar integration times (signal-to-noise ratio of ~50 at k = 0.2 h/cMpc at z=6--9). We study the possibility of combining such future [C II] measurements with 21 cm measurements using LOFAR and SKA to measure the [C II]-21cm cross power spectra, and find that a Stage II experiment should be able to measure the cross-power spectrum for k < 1 h/cMpc to signal-to-noise ratio of better than 10. We discuss the capability of such measurements to constrain astrophysical parameters relevant to reionization and show that a measurement of the [C II]-21cm cross power spectrum helps break the degeneracy between the mass and brightness of ionizing sources.


The article deals with an analysis of educational aspects of the Ukrainian national context of Ukrainization of the 1920s from the perspective of studying the historiography of the issue. The author focuses on historiographical sources and scientific statements of historical, historico-pedagogical and cultural studies of the prerequisites, content, features and civilizational dimension of the educational aspect of Ukrainization as a broad policy in relation to the institutionalization and development of education, Ukrainian by nature and content. The article draws attention to coverage by historians of reforming problems of school education of that time, their analysis of ways for providing schools with required Ukrainian literature. It is pointed out that historians put an emphasis on the fact that despite its ideological foundations (efforts to implant Bolshevik power) the results of Ukrainization were related to building up the nation and state. It is stated that the current historiographical process looking into the educational dimension of Ukrainization is represented by a wide spectrum of scientific works which range of subject interests allows to highlight Ukrainization of educational space of that time as a holistic and system process which content was underpinned by objective conditions and was well thought-out and logical. The article outlines some prospects of examining the educational dimension of Ukrainization and draws attention to the value of its implementation experience in the context of the development of the modern education system of Ukraine.


Cannabis is the most widely cultivated, trafficked and abused illicit drug ("WHO | Cannabis," n.d.; "World Drug Report 2020," n.d.). In 2018, an estimated 192 million people aged 15-64 years used cannabis for nonmedical purposes globally (Degenhardt et al., 2013). The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 estimated that, across the globe, there were more than 22·1 million people with cannabis dependence (Degenhardt et al., 2018). Moreover, the same study calculated that cannabis dependence could be accounted for 646 thousand Disability Adjusted Life Years, globally. Importantly, cannabis dependence mostly affects young adults (20-24 years), and thus has significant negative impact on the growth and productivity of not only these individuals but also to the societies and nations (Degenhardt et al., 2013). In addition to the dependence syndrome, cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychosis, cognitive dysfunction, academic problems, and road side accidents (Volkow et al., 2014). A review showed a fairly consistent associations between cannabis use and both lower educational attainment and increased reported use of other illicit drugs (Macleod et al., 2004). In the United States, Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is an escalating problem in young adults by legalization (Cerdá et al., 2020) where National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported increased prevalence from 5.1% in 2015 to 5.9% in 2018 in 18-25 year olds ("2019 NSDUH Detailed Tables | CBHSQ Data," n.d.). The psychoactive effects are due to type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1), the cannabinoid binding protein, that are highly expressed in the cerebellar cortex (Marcaggi, 2015). CB1 is primarily found in the molecular layer at the most abundant synapse type in the cerebellum (Marcaggi, 2015) that can shape the spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cell (Brown et al., 2019). Moreover, granule cell to Purkinje cell synaptic transmission can trigger endocannabinoid release (Alger and Kim, 2011), which may be important for information processing by cerebellar molecular layer interneurons (Dorgans et al., 2019). This suggests that endocannabinoids could be essential to neurocognitive aspects of cerebellar function (Di Marzo et al., 2015),(Marcaggi, 2015),(Alger and Kim, 2011). Accumulating evidence also suggests cerebellar modulation of the reward circuitry and social behaviour, via direct cerebellar innervation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) including dopamine cell bodies (A1) in the VTA (Carta et al., 2019). The VTA-dopamine (DA) signalling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) (Lohani et al., 2019) play a key role in motivatedbehaviours and cognition. Cerebellar neuropathological changes can result in aberrant dopaminergic activity in the NAc and mPFC (ROGERS et al., 2011),(Lohani et al., 2019). Therefore, there is a critical need to determine how cerebellum modulate limbic VTA-DA signalling. Cerebellar Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) is postulated to be most relevant in CUD since endocannabinoids are essential to cerebellar function that includes reward-related behaviours, information processing, and cognitive control. (Di Marzo et al., 2015),(Marcaggi, 2015),(Alger and Kim, 2011). Furthermore, cerebellar NIBS can facilitate training of cognitive control in CUD during a during visual cue reactivity paradigm using a mobile virtual reality (VR) interface that can also allow remote delivery of cerebellar NIBS in conjunction with VR-based cognitive training for home-based intervention. Specifically, transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) can be translatable to low-cost (<$150) mobile devices that can be used in a low resource home-based setting (Carvalho et al., 2018).


An electric power outage, which has many social and most importantly economical outcomes, is an undesired and unpleasant event that leads to inevitable damages to the society. Regardless of its psychological effects, preventing power outages presents a vital importance due to its severe effects on economy. Therefore, since it has so many motivating factors, studying and estimating the outage costs have been an attractive and popular field of study for the recent years. The electric supply utilities want to know the customer interruption costs for planning and investment purposes. Official departments want to know it for legislation and applying fine reasons. And of course, the customers desire to find out their true interruption costs to see their real losses to implement precautions in order to prevent such damages. These facts clearly show the meaning and the importance of evaluating power outage costs. This work is an attempt to estimate these costs on an objective manner by taking Finland's industry and service sectors as proper case studies.


In electron micrographs, many secretory and synaptic vesicles are found 'docked' at the target membrane, but it is unclear why and how. It is generally assumed that docking is a necessary first step in the secretory pathway before vesicles can acquire fusion competence (through 'priming'), but recent studies challenge this. New biophysical methods have become available to detect how vesicles are tethered at the target membrane, and genetic manipulations have implicated many genes in tethering, docking and priming. However, these studies have not yet led to consistent working models for these steps. In this study, we review recent attempts to characterize these early steps and the cellular factors to orchestrate them. We discuss whether assays for docking, tethering and priming report on the same phenomena and whether all vesicles necessarily follow the same linear docking–priming–fusion pathway. We conclude that most evidence to date is consistent with such a linear pathway assuming several refinements that imply that some vesicles can be nonfunctionally docked ('dead‐end' docking) or, conversely, that the linear pathway can be greatly accelerated (crash fusion).


SphK1 is known to play a role in tumor progression, resistance to radiochemotherapy, and migration patterns. As the overall survival rates of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) remain poor due to limitations in surgery and irradiation and chemotherapy resistance, SphK1 is an important enzyme to investigate. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the impact of SphK1 on irradiation efficacy of HNSCC in-vitro with emphasis on EGFR signaling. By immunhistochemical staining we found a positive correlation between EGFR and SphK1 expression in patient specimens. In colony formation assays irradiation sensitive cell lines showed a poor response to cetuximab, an EGFR inhibitor, and SKI-II, a SphK1 inhibitor, and vice versa. In irradiation sensitive cells an enhanced reduction of cell migration and survival was found upon simultaneous targeting of EGFR and SphK1. In the present study, we elucidated a linkage between the two signaling pathways with regard to the efficacy of cetuximab treatment and the impact on the migration behavior of tumor cells. We investigated the biological impact of inhibiting these pathways and examined the biochemical implications after different treatments. An understanding of the processes involved could help to improve the treatment of patients with HNSCC.


Neutrosophic Analysis is a generalization of Set Analysis, which in its turn is a generalization of Interval Analysis. Neutrosophic Precalculus is referred to indeterminate staticity, while Neutrosophic Calculus is the mathematics of indeterminate change. The Neutrosophic Precalculus and Neutrosophic Calculus can be developed in many ways, depending on the types of indeterminacy one has and on the methods used to deal with such indeterminacy. In this book, the author presents a few examples of indeterminacies and several methods to deal with these specific indeterminacies, but many other indeterminacies there exist in our everyday life, and they have to be studied and resolved using similar of different methods. Therefore, more research should to be done in the field of neutrosophics. The author introduces for the first time the notions of neutrosophic mereo-limit, neutrosophic mereo-continuity (in a different way from the classical semi-continuity), neutrosophic mereo-derivative and neutrosophic mereo-integral (both in different ways from the fractional calculus), besides the classical definitions of limit, continuity, derivative, and integral respectively. Future research may be done in the neutrosophic fractional calculus.


Submicron etched beam splitters are designed, fabricated and characterized in Al0.9Ga0.1As-GaAs waveguides. Beam splitter transmission and reflection characteristics show clear dependence on gap dimension and angle of incidence. It is possible to obtain 8 to 30% power transmission by adjusting the gap dimension and angle of incidence. The experimental results agree well with three-dimensional (3-D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. The effect of imperfections, mainly the slope of etched sidewalls and variations in etch depth are investigated using 3-D FDTD. Design guidelines for low loss etched beam splitters are also given.


Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare intravascular hemolytic anemia caused by an acquired mutation in the phosphatidylinositol-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-subunit-A (PIG-A) gene. This mutation leads to the deficiency of cellular anchors for complement inhibitor proteins cluster of differentiation (CD)55 and CD59, predisposing red blood cells to hemolysis by the complement system. We describe the case of a 28-year-old male who presented to the Medical A Ward, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan, in August 2017 for anemia workup and was later diagnosed as PNH. Current treatment guidelines recommend the use of eculizumab for treating PNH, but the cost and availability of this treatment is a major limiting factor in our resource-poor setting.


Coconut sugar is one commodity that has potential importance in the composition of the food in the community. Viewed in terms of quality, the quality of the products are still not equal among the producers. This causes the bargaining position of producers becomes weak and coconut sugar prices tend to be low. Seluma Regency especially Western Seluma District has fertile lowland areas and is one of the main producers of coconut sugar precisely in Purbosari village. This study aimed to determine the income level and income-raising efforts of coconut sugar producers in the Purbosari village, Western Seluma District, Seluma Regency. Location of the study was set intentionally (purposive). Data taken in this study were derived from the primary data (interviews) and secondary data (through literature). This study used survey method and the method of selecting the sample in this study was calculated using census. The data analysis used in this study were a quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative analysis was used to calculate the income of coconut sugar producers and qualitative analysis conducted through a descriptive approach. Based on the research discovered that the average income of coconut sugar producers was Rp715.569,60 per week / 40 trees. Common difficulties faced by coconut sugar producers were capital, production engineering, business management and marketing network. Seluma local governments can play a role in efforts to increase the income of coconut sugar producers by providing them with capital, appropriate technology, improved knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as business management assistance. Keywords: income, coconut sugar, producer.


Helicobacter pylori is a human gastric pathogen implicated as the major cause of peptic ulcer and second leading cause of gastric cancer (~70%) around the world. Conversely, an increased resistance to antibiotics and hindrances in the development of vaccines against H. pylori are observed. Pan-genome analyses of the global representative H. pylori isolates consisting of 39 complete genomes are presented in this paper. Phylogenetic analyses have revealed close relationships among geographically diverse strains of H. pylori. The conservation among these genomes was further analyzed by pan-genome approach; the predicted conserved gene families (1,193) constitute ~77% of the average H. pylori genome and 45% of the global gene repertoire of the species. Reverse vaccinology strategies have been adopted to identify and narrow down the potential core-immunogenic candidates. Total of 28 nonhost homolog proteins were characterized as universal therapeutic targets against H. pylori based on their functional annotation and protein-protein interaction. Finally, pathogenomics and genome plasticity analysis revealed 3 highly conserved and 2 highly variable putative pathogenicity islands in all of the H. pylori genomes been analyzed.


The purpose of the present study was to determine the antibacterial activities of honey, sandal oil and black pepper by taking a selected standard medicine. These products are used for the treatment of various diseases. The bacterial isolates obtained from clinical samples were Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. After identification and confirmation the pure culture of clinical bacterial isolates were used to test the sensitivity of bacterial isolates against sample products. Dimethyl sulfoxide and distilled water were used as solvent for sample products. Different types of honey, sandal oil and black pepper were tested against bacterial isolates. Results of all sample products showed zone of inhibition against all selected bacterial isolates. At the dilution of 25µl of stock solution in 75µl and at 50µl: 50µl concentration, the results were similar as obtained from honey and sandal oil. Dimethyl sulfoaxide DMSO and honey 1 showed inhibition zones against all except Staphylococcus aureus, whereas honey 2 was effective against all isolates. Sandal 1 oil showed inhibition zones against all isolates except E.coli whereas sandal 2 was effective against all. The results obtained from black pepper 1 and 2 did not gave effective results both at 50µ litre: 50µ litre and 25µ litre: 75µ litre concentration, both were found to be effective against Bacillus subtilus. Standard medicine showed inhibition zone against all selected bacterial isolates in each test.


BACKGROUND
Veno-arterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-AV ECMO) is a less commonly used configuration of ECMO. We sought to understand the indications, utilization patterns, and outcomes of V-AV ECMO by quantitatively pooling the existing evidence from the literature.

METHODS
Electronic search was performed to identify all relevant studies reporting V-AV ECMO usage. Five studies comprising 77 patients were selected and cohort-level data were extracted for further analysis.

RESULTS
Mean patient age was 61 (95% CI: 55.2, 66.5) years and 30% (23/77) were female. The majority of cases [91% (70/77)] were transitioned to V-AV ECMO from another pre-existing ECMO configuration: V-A ECMO in 55% (42/77) vs. V-V ECMO in 36% (28/77), p = 0.04. Only 9% (7/77) of cases were directly placed on V-AV ECMO. The mean duration of hospital stay was 42.3 (95% CI: 10.5, 74.2) days, while ICU mortality was 46% (29, 64). Transition to durable left ventricular assist device was performed in 3% (2/64) of patients, while 3% (2/64) underwent heart transplantation. V-AV ECMO was successfully weaned to explantation in 33% (21/64) of patients.

CONCLUSION
V-AV ECMO is a viable option for optimizing cardiopulmonary support in selected patients. Survival to weaning or bridging therapy appears comparable to more common ECMO configurations.


Urapidil, an antihypertensive agent with dual action (alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist and 5HT1A agonist) is well established in the treatment of arterial hypertension. The present brief review deals specifically with data obtained with urapidil in the treatment of elderly hypertensive patients. Some of these data, dealing with 245 patients aged > or = 65 years, have previously been published, but additional data from more than 5000 hypertensive patients in this age group on file will be reviewed as well. This unique and large data base clearly indicates that urapidil is an effective antihypertensive agent also when used in the treatment of elderly patients. Moreover, urapidil is well tolerated in this age group and has, in addition, a potentially favourable lipid profile. It may therefore be concluded that urapidil is well suited for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly.


In this issue of theArchives(page 548), Kragballe and Herlin describe a double-blind study that clearly demonstrates that benoxaprofen is efficacious in the therapy of psoriasis. This exciting observation may have a substantial impact on drug development for psoriasis and possibly other inflammatory proliferative skin diseases. My purpose is to present evidence that has caused me to conclude that the observations of Kragballe and Herlin are of unusual importance. This evidence will be understood best if it is presented in the context of current information on arachidonic acid (AA) transformations in the epidermis and in whole skin. AA TRANSFORMATIONS Arachidonic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid, is the precursor of prostaglandins (PGs), hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), thromboxanes (TXs), and leukotrienes (LTs). 1 The backbone of lecithin is glycerol with its three carbon atoms. Arachidonic acid is esterified to the middle (the so-called 2 position) of these three atoms in epidermal lecithin


Nanoindentation techniques, with high spatial resolution and force sensitivity, have recently been moved into the center of the spotlight for measuring the mechanical properties of biomaterials, especially bridging the scales from the molecular via the cellular and tissue all the way to the organ level, whereas characterizing soft biomaterials, especially down to biomolecules, is fraught with more pitfalls compared with the hard biomaterials. In this review we detail the constitutive behavior of soft biomaterials under nanoindentation (including AFM) and present the characteristics of experimental aspects in detail, such as the adaption of instrumentation and indentation response of soft biomaterials. We further show some applications, and discuss the challenges and perspectives related to nanoindentation of soft biomaterials, a technique that can pinpoint the mechanical properties of soft biomaterials for the scale-span is far-reaching for understanding biomechanics and mechanobiology.


This study was performed to determine the response of brain water and electrolytes to acute hypo-osmolality and hyperosmolality in animals with intact skulls and dura, in comparison with those subjected to extensive bilateral or unilateral craniectomy and opening of the dura. In rats, 4 to 5 weeks after extensive unilateral or bilateral craniectomy and opening of the dura, a 50-mOsm/kg decrease in plasma osmolality was produced by systemic administration of distilled water ("water intoxication"), or a 28-mOsm/kg increase in plasma osmolality was produced by systemic administration of either 1 M NaCl or 1 M mannitol in 0.34 M NaCl. Tissue water, Na. and K contents were determined after 120 minutes. Tissue water accumulation or water loss was proportional to the decrease or increase in plasma osmolality. The tissue water accumulation after "water intoxication," however, was less (40% of the predicted value) than that predicted for ideal osmotic behavior. The brain tissue was also found to shrink less than predicted on the basis of ideal osmotic behavior (40% of the predicted value after mannitol treatment, and 60% after NaCl administration). This nonideal osmotic response of the brain tissue is consistent with the finding in other studies and indicated a significant degree of volume regulation. Water and electrolyte changes did not differ between animals operated on and those not operated on, a fact which demonstrates that there are no effects of extensive skull and dura defects on tissue volume regulation under hypo- and hyperosmolar conditions encountered under clinical circumstances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Fixed and growth mindsets represent implicit theories about the nature of one's abilities or traits. The existing body of research on academic achievement and the effectiveness of mindset interventions for student learning largely relies on the premise that fixed and growth mindsets are mutually exclusive. This premise has led to the common practice in which measures of one mindset are reversed and then assumed to represent the other mindset. Focusing on K-12 and university students (N = 27328), we tested the validity of this practice via a comprehensive item-level meta-analysis of the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS). By means of meta-analytic structural equation modeling and network analysis, we examined (a) the ITIS item-item correlations and their heterogeneity across 32 primary studies; (b) the factor structure of the ITIS, including the distinction between fixed and growth mindset; and (c) moderator effects of sample, study, and measurement characteristics. We found positive item-item correlations within the sets of fixed and mindset items, with substantial between-study heterogeneity. The ITIS factor structure comprised two moderately correlated mindset factors (ρ = .63–.65), even after reversing one mindset scale. This structure was moderated by the educational level and origin of the student sample, the assessment mode, and scale modifications. Overall, we argue that fixed and growth mindsets are not mutually exclusive but correlated constructs. We discuss the implications for the assessment of implicit theories of intelligence in education.