Al Baraka Oilfield Services SAOC has supported Oman's leading oil and gas exploration and production company in the Sultanate, in servicing wells in the Oman Block 6 concession area using Conventional Workover Rigs since 2013. Workover includes primarily changing completions and casings, fishing, cementing, abandonment, milling, perforations, changing pumps/motors, upsizing wellhead, and other integrity operations. The challenge given by the Client to the Contractor was to safely and successfully commission the first two new electric-powered 550 HP Hoists.
 A Super Local Community Contractor (SLCC) has become the first oil and gas company in Oman to introduce ground-breaking electric-powered Workover Rigs. It is proud to declare itself as the first company in Oman to work intensively and proactively to design these modularized electric-powered workover units, able to optimize the move time between the wells, thereby creating faster turnarounds and reducing costs. This allowed the Client to bring early oil to the tanks, minimizing deferment, achieving ample savings in operations, and accelerating cash flow.
 Conventional workover rigs are primarily hydraulic, not electric. Compared with the Conventional units, the new Electrical hoists are equipped with the latest technology and ergonomics that ensure safe operations and faster movement between locations which reflects in the increased number of wells attended so far in 2022. Other advantages are viz. modular, less space occupation; improved control features, ability to control both torques and speed very accurately; fully automated pipe-handling systems; less maintenance expenditure and lower capital/operating investment The Electrical units are designed to enhance safety and overall performance efficiency defined by the specific application, the location of the well, and the type of work to be performed. These rigs have a more efficient power source, as electric motors convert more of the energy input into mechanical power compared to diesel engines. This is also reflected in the reduction in Non-Productive Time. Two critical features were the basis of the design of the Workover Unit, i.e. potential to take lead in energy efficiency/decarbonization and minimizing "lifting and drops" hazards by introducing automated handling mechanisms and reducing manual/human intervention.
 In phase II, these units will be hooked up to the Overhead Electricity Transmission Grid instead of running from diesel generators. Oman's power grid is fed by electricity produced from clean natural gas-fired turbines which emit less pollution; therefore there will be an overall saving in energy consumption and reducing pollution from burning fossil fuels, with the aspiration to reduce global carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2050, as part of the decarbonization roadmap laid down by the Ministry of Energy & Minerals in Oman, in line with the Paris Agreement's objectives of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
 The electric-powered WO rig concept has been so successful that the Client has incorporated these types of rigs in future new contracts as against conventional hydraulic rigs – the client has changed the contract specification in line with these Hoists. Other service providers are planning to switch to Electric WO rigs as a new trend in Oman as these units have enhanced technical features.


Moneva, P., Tsaneva, M., Yanchev, I., Metodiev, N. & Gudev, D. (2021). Dynamics of leukocytes and cytokines after shearing in pregnant ewes with low and high hematocrit levels. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 27 (6), 1203–1211 The object of the present study was to investigate leukocyte subsets distribution and the dynamics of some pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in response to shearing in sheep having different hematocrit values. Thirty Ile De France ewes were selected from an experimental herd according to their hematocrit levels and were allocated into 3 groups as follows: low hematocrit (LHct) group (hematocrit range 19.7-27.9%), high hematocrit (HHct) group (hematocrit range 32.0-36.9%) and mean hematocrit (MHct) group (hematocrit range 28.3-29.8%). The traits investigated were leukocyte subsets (basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, large immature cells,) and cytokines (IL-2, Il-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN-γ, TNF-α). The experiment was conducted at the end of the first month after artificial insemination. Daily minimum and maximum ambient temperatures during the whole experimental period were 13.4 and 24.2 ̊C, respectively. Blood samples were taken by jugular venipuncture before shearing, immediately after shearing, at 3 h and 48 h after shearing. Shearing elicited significant increase in neutrophil numbers in all the 3 groups at 3h after shearing followed by a return to normal levels at 48 h after shearing. Lymphocyte numbers were not influenced by shearing. There were hematocrit associated changes in basophil, eosinophil and monocyte numbers suggesting different trafficking patterns of these leukocyte subsets. Large immature cells increased significantly in all experimental animals at 3 h after shearing. Three ewes in LHct group had 3-8 fold higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 compared to the other animals in the same group suggesting pregnancy associated transition towards Th2-type cytokines. Investigated pro-inflammatory Th17 (IL-17A) and Th1 cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α) as well as anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were not influenced by shearing. The results are interpreted to suggest that shearing of pregnant ewes at ambient temperature below the lower critical temperature prevents cytokines increase.


To find out natural antimicrobial agents as alternative in therapeutics and to preserve food, the methanol extract of Solanum palinacanthum aerial parts was submitted to purification steps guided by antibacterial and antifungal assays. As a consequence, the flavonoid rutin and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were isolated by column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, and identified by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the quinic acid derivative against Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Aspergillus ochraceus were 250, 1000, 1000 and > 568 microg/mL, respectively. Against the same microorganisms, MIC for rutin were 1000, > 1000, > 1000 and 35 microg/mL, respectively. Rutin was very promising for A. ochraceus control, since its MIC against such fungus was close to the one observed for benzalkonium chloride, which is used as a fungicide in Brazil.


ABSTRACT Percentile is an important risk measure quantifying the stochastic system random behaviours. This paper studies a pooled percentile estimator, which is the sample percentile of detailed simulation outputs after directly pooling independent sample paths together. We derive the asymptotic representation of the pooled percentile estimator and further prove its normality. By comparing with the classical percentile estimator used in stochastic simulation, both theoretical and empirical studies demonstrate the advantages of the proposal under the context of parallel simulation.


The experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency performance of the combine implement which manufactured and assembled locally and studying it's effect on some soil physical properties and total costs in one of the Agricultural College University of Baghdad Experimental Fields in loamy soil, 2017. Brazilian Massy Ferguson Tractor (MF-650) was used with the combine implement as a machinery unit. Three machinery unit speeds included 3.15, 4.60 and 6.10 km/h and seedling treatments included manufactured combine implement, seedling and fertilizer implement and manual seedling were used in this experiment. Soil bulk density, soil moisture content, amount of added water and total costs were measured. Nested design under randomized complete block design with three replications was used in this experiment. Least significant differences (LSD = 0.05) level under 0.05 probability was used to compare treatment means.
The results can be summarized as following:
1. Incrased machinery unit speeds from 3.15 to 4.60 km.h-1 led to significant increase in soil bulk density from 1.30 to 1.36 Mg.mˉ³and significant increase in soil moisture content from 0.18 to 0.20 %.
2. Manufactured combine implement treatment was superior in getting less soil bulk density stood 1.22 Mg.mˉ³ higher soil moisture content stood 0.22%.and less amount of added water during the season stood 1103.43 mm. and less costs stood 796370 Iraqi Dinars.
3. The interaction between 3.15 km.h-1machinery speed and manufactured combine implement got less soil bulk density stood 1.19 Mg.mˉ³, while the interference between 6.1 km.h-1 machinery unit speed and manufactured equipment was superior in obtaining a higher moisture content stood 0.229%.
4. Using the locally manufacturing modified combine implement for primary and secondary tillage, shallow furrow opener, seedling and fertilization in one time was successfully done in this study with high performance efficiency.


Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport caused by alteration of the adenosine triphosphatase 7B gene. It is rare to diagnose WD below the age of three years. Molecular genetic testing is one of the most important diagnostic methods and may confirm the diagnosis in equivocal cases. We report a case of a 9-mo old boy with WD who presented as chronic hepatitis. Genetic analysis showed compound heterozygotes of p.G1186S and c.4006delA.


Session of Monday, December 29 The Society was called to order by President Twenhofel for its twenty-second annual meeting at 2 :05 p.m. The report of the Council was the first business in order. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL To the Paleontological Society, in twenty-second annual meeting assembled: The business of the Society which was carried on during the past year is covered by the reports of the Secretary and the Treasurer and those of the Service Committee and the Committee on Journal. The Secretary's and the Treasurer's reports are presented herewith. Secretary 's Report To the Council of the Paleontological Society: I have the honor to present the following report for the year ending December 28, 1930: Meetings. —The Proceedings of the twenty-first annual meeting of the Society, held at Washington, December 26–28, 1929, have been published, in volume 41, number 1, pages 181–227, of the Bulletin of the Geological . . .


The split pickup split delivery crude oil tanker routing and scheduling problem is a difficult combinatorial optimization problem, both theoretically and practically. However, because of the large expenses in crude oil shipping it is attractive to make use of optimization that exploits as many degrees of freedom as possible to save transportation cost. We propose a nested column generation algorithm for this particular split pickup split delivery problem which bears several complexities such as a heterogeneous fleet, multiple commodities, many‐to‐many relations for pickup and delivery of each commodity, sequence dependent vehicle capacities, and cargo quantity dependent pickup and delivery times. Our approach builds on a branch‐and‐price algorithm in which the column generation subproblems are solved by branch‐and‐price themselves. We describe our implementation in the branch‐cut‐and‐price framework SCIP and give computational results for realistic test instances. The high quality schedules we obtain for these instances improve on those in previous studies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012


Technologies which efficiently dissect gene function and validate therapeutic targets are of great value in the post-sequencing era of the human genome project. The antisense oligonucleotide approach can directly use genomic sequence information, in a relatively time and cost effective manner, to define a gene's function and/or validate it as a potential therapeutic target. Antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors of gene expression may be applied to cellular assays (in vitro) or animal models of disease (in vivo). Information generated by this approach may then direct or supplement traditional drug discovery programs, or support development of the antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor, used to validate the target, as a drug.


AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have shown outstanding improvements in performance and reliability, becoming the leading option for power applications in the 1-40 GHz range. However, the presence of traps and defects in the hetero-structure are strongly correlated to the tolerance of the fabrication process. New powerful models designed to overcome limitations associated with the Process Variability (PV) may be part of the exploitation outcome. This work describes a methodology useful to characterize the effects of PV on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs performance, by deriving Process Compact Model (PCM) from systematic TCAD simulations. The device under examination is an Al0.26Ga0.74N/GaN HEMT and the selected critical process parameters are: molar fraction of the first AlGaN layer, AlGaN layer thickness, source-gate and drain-gate distance, field plate extension, gate height and width, recessed effect under the gate contact.


Abstract : Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition programs are becoming more joint, and joint acquisition programs are critical to mission success. In the current DoD acquisition and requirements structure, joint programs are usually assigned to one of the Component Acquisition Executives (CAEs). This causes or exacerbates some of the shortfalls of the existing joint acquisition process. This article investigates the benefits and difficulties of one specific organizational change: creating a Joint Acquisition Executive (JAE), managing joint programs only and reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, as a peer to current CAEs.


Cybernetic Transportation System (CTS) is a new branch of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which is a solution to the urban transportation problem. The coordination of intelligent vehicles is critical for the operation of the Cybernetic Transportation System. We present a distributed coordination approach for the intelligent vehicles of the Cybernetic Transportation System, which is based on an agent-based framework. Each vehicle agent generates intention independently by considering its and other agents' shared status and intentions in the coordination. Typical coordination scenes, including platoon and overtaking, have been demonstrated in the two-lane, two-way traffic situation and the effectiveness of the proposed coordination approach has been validated.


The differentiation of naive CD4 T cells into Th2 cells requires the T cell receptor-mediated activation of the ERK MAPK cascade. Little is known, however, in regard to how the ERK MAPK cascade regulates Th2 cell differentiation. We herein identified Gfi1 (growth factor independent-1) as a downstream target of the ERK MAPK cascade for Th2 cell differentiation. In the absence of Gfi1, interleukin-5 production and the change of histone modification at the interleukin-5 gene locus were severely impaired. Furthermore, the interferon γ gene showed a striking activation in the Gfi1–/– Th2 cells. An enhanced ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent degradation of GATA3 protein was observed in Gfi1–/– Th2 cells, and the overexpression of GATA3 eliminated the defect of Th2 cell function in Gfi1-deficient Th2 cells. These data suggest that the T cell receptor-mediated induction of Gfi1 controls Th2 cell differentiation through the regulation of GATA3 protein stability.


Miss L H, aged 68 History: Onset of failing vision aged 12; difficulty distinguishing colours aged 15, progressing to almost total blindness aged 44. Hemangioma of left thumb, present since birth, operated on aged 9. At the time of menstruation it bled and she had right-sided headaches. Psoriasis for 40 years. Present illness: Three weeks before admission, headache over right eye for three days, followed by a focal epileptic fit affecting left arm. After the fit there was loss of sensation and weakness of left arm. On examination: Unable to distinguish light and dark; pupils unreactive; bilateral cataracts; fundi retinitis pigmentosa; gross nystagmus. Marked weakness of left arm and diminished tendon reflexes, with falling to left side in bed; depression of all modalities of sensation in left arm. Blood pressure 210/140. Psoriatic lesions on elbows and trunk. Investigations: Hb 14-2 g/100 ml, WBC 5,500, ESR 33 mm in 1 hour (Westergren). Blood urea, electrolytes, liver function tests, calcium and cortisol normal. Urinary HMMA normal. Midstream urine sterile, glucose present. Glucose tolerance test diabetic curve. X-ray skull and thumb, gamma brain scan normal. EEG, right-sided abnormality of uncertain etiology. CSF normal. Progress: The left-sided neurological deficit resolved over the course of two weeks. The diabetes is controlled with diet.


Abstract This paper will review the one-year project to conserve the Turkish collection at the Chester Beatty Library. The materials and techniques of conservation were adapted from historic examples of Islamic bookbindings, notably examples of Andalucian Islamic bindings. These were incorporated to facilitate the book conservators' ideals of reversibility and accessibility. The conservation methodologies used will be discussed, before an analysis of the binding structures is given. Many of the bindings within the collection have been produced in a significantly different way to the case-binding structure which is usually associated with Islamic bindings, thus providing an example of differing book traditions within the Islamic world. This structure may be specific to Turkey and the cultural and historical reasons for this will be considered. The one-year project to conserve the Turkish manuscript collection at the Chester Beatty Library will hopefully provide significant insight to the methods of book construction used in Turkey.


OBJECTIVES
Detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) plays an important role in the diagnosis of systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD). Our goal was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of three commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and one chemiluminescent assay for ANA detection, using the clinical diagnostic as the reference standard.

METHODS
We evaluated serum samples from 143 patients with an established diagnosis of SARD (group 1), 166 patients with infectious diseases and other rheumatic diseases for which the ANA test is not useful in diagnosis (group 2), and 89 outpatients with suspicion of SARD (group 3).

RESULTS
The sensitivity for ANA HEp-2, calculated in group 1, was 87.4% and varied between 62.9% and 90.0% for other tests. The specificity for ANA HEp-2, calculated in group 2, was 72.3% and varied between 45.2% and 90.4% for other tests. In group 3, the negative predictive value for ANA Hep-2 was 92.5% and varied between 89.3% and 100% for other tests.

CONCLUSIONS
Some ELISA kits have comparable or superior diagnostic sensitivity to ANA HEp-2 and could be used as an alternative method for ANA screening, therefore allowing the immediate report of the results with fewer false negatives than ANA HEp-2. Owing to the lower specificity, ELISA-positive samples should be submitted to ANA HEp-2 for confirmation of results.


Background: A high proportion of unwanted or unplanned pregnancies may be alcohol-exposed due to contraception failure or non-use. Nevertheless, data on contraception and alcohol use in the context of the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies are sparse. Objectives: To describe contraception use and alcohol consumption in sexually active non-pregnant women and investigate the factors associated with less effective contraception methods. Study Design: A cross-sectional national survey of women aged 18–35 years. Methods: Data from non-pregnant women who were sexually active (n = 517) were analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographics, consumption, and contraception measures. Logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with less effective contraception among drinkers. Results: The majority of participants were younger (46%), of NZ European ethnicity (78%), not in a permanent relationship (54%), with some or completed tertiary education (79%), employed (81%) and not users of the community services card (82%). Twenty-five percent of women were smokers, 94% consumed alcohol, and 72% binged at least 'monthly or less'. Most women used the pill (56%), and 20% of drinking women were using a contraception method with a 10% or more annual failure rate after 1 year of use. Women who binged 'weekly or more often' had similar odds of using less effective contraception as women who 'never' binged (p > 0.05). Younger Māori or Pacific women (odds ratio = 5.99; 95% confidence interval of odds 1.15–31.2; p = 0.033) and women who had no tertiary education (odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval of odds 0.00–3.06; p = 0.052) had higher odds of using less effective contraception. Conclusion: With 20% of women at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy, public health measures to address alcohol consumption and the effective use of contraception are critical to reducing the risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies in NZ.


Evaluation of a painful total knee replacement has been limited to physical examination, aspiration, plain radiographs, and radionuclide studies. Visualization of the polyethylene tibial-bearing component without surgery has not been possible. Polyethylene wear is a well-recognized cause of total knee replacement failure. We have developed an ultrasound method to evaluate polyethylene insert shape and thickness with the ability to clearly demonstrate structural loss of plastic. Before clinical trials, a total knee replacement was cemented into a fresh cadaver knee. Ultrasound imaging of the polyethylene insert was performed in the longitudinal plane using a 10 MHz linear transducer. A characteristic bone/metal/polyethylene interface enabled recognition of the insert material from which its dimension was estimated. The entire perimeter of the liner, the metal tray, and the bone-metal interface was visualized. Five consecutive measurements at each location were performed on each of the 8-, 10-, and 12-mm polyethylene liners with the ultrasonographer blind to the insert thickness. Once removed, measurements were made directly on the liners adjacent to the marked points with an electronic caliper. Coefficient of variation (r2) ranged from 1.6% to 8.3% for the ultrasound measurements, and 0.26% to 1.5% for the caliper measurements. A plot of ultrasound versus caliper measurements allowed calculation of a linear equation, with r2 = 0.98, demonstrating high correlation between the two measurements. Our ultrasound measurements are accurate to 0.5 mm with a 95% confidence interval. Ultrasound is an accurate way to measure the dimensions of the polyethylene liner in total knee replacement arthroplasty. Early experiences with ultrasound evaluation prior to revision have been very encouraging for the evaluation of polyethylene wear, defects, and of prosthetic loosening.


Background: Inappropriate feeding practices including breast-feeding practice during the first year of life identified to be associated with 60% of child malnutrition and mortality. Lack of feeding skills is the major cause. World Health Organization (WHO) mentions that growth chart is a good educational tool for parents. It needs an innovation to introduce growth chart.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the effect of scores in measuring child growth status on feeding practices and calorie intake. The hypothesis of this study is that after intervention there would be a significant improvement of feeding practices which in turn will affect the calorie intake of children in the intervention group.

Materials and Methods: This study is to measure the impact of using score bubble growth chart on infant feeding practices and calorie intake. A total of 107 caregivers selected purposively from two different locations. Mothers in intervention group were trained to use score bubble growth chart while mothers in control group used the normal growth chart. Sixteen written questions were designed and tested to measure mothers' behavior in feeding their babies. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and chi-square test.

Result: Before intervention, there was no significant difference of infant feeding practices and types of food given (p > 0.05) and child calorie intake (p > 0.05) between intervention and control groups. However, after intervention, there was significant difference in exclusive breast-feeding proportion (58% vs 36%; p < 0.01), breastfed more than eight times/day (58% vs 32%; p < 0.01), breastfed more than 15 min/session (45% vs 29%; p < 0.01) and calorie intake (91.6% recommended dietary allowance [RDA] vs 76.5% RDA; p < 0.00 ) in intervention and control groups, respectively.

Conclusion: Using scores in growth monitoring program improved infant feeding practices and calorie intake.


The course of spermiogenesis in arenicola brasiliensis was observed with the electron microscope. The spermatogonia floating in the body cavity seem to proliferate and differentiate to mature spermatozoa in the coelomic fluid. More than a hundred spermatids are connected to one large central mass of cytoplasm and spermiogenesis proceeds synchronously in one cluster, which changes into a sperm‐disc during maturation. The pre‐acrosomal vesicle originates from the Golgi‐body and gradually changes into the acrosomal vesicle of peculiar structure like a cup upside down. In the process of differentiation of the acrosome, a part of the material in the acrosomal vesicle is transferred into the space between the vesicle and the nucleus. The posterior one‐third of the cylindrical nucleus is surrounded by four middle‐piece mitochondria. The flagellar axoneme originates from one of the centrioles, which is located near a posterior pit in the nucleus.


The power, authority, and empowerment attained with the aid of economic capitals not only aids in the transformation of gender roles, but social and cultural capital also facilitates various facets of life, including: the standard of education, the types of employment involvement, the level of awareness, the types of family living, and the modes of interaction. As a result, both benefits and drawbacks can be found in the daily lives of both migrants and non-migrants due to the growing trend of female labor migration. In a traditionally patriarchal nation like Nepal, the migration of women for labor raises moral concerns about their moral decency as they struggle to reintegrate into their families and communities. The gender shift in the slum community of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal, is the main emphasis of this paper's examination of the various features of remittances and ways through which they are transferred. Particular focus is placed on the conversion of economic capital into social and cultural capital as well as the function of proxy managers in managing household duties and remittances. Data from both secondary literature and original sources are used to support the arguments made here. The data came from 199 households of women migrants' families who had moved away at least three years prior to the survey, which was conducted between March and July 2022. The data collecting and analysis techniques used were both quantitative and qualitative. The numerous facets of remittances are examined in this paper. The findings explain the diverse forms of capital accumulation and how women gain more influence in various spheres of social life. The study also offers a more nuanced view of how women are becoming more involved in household decision-making as a result of economic empowerment and how to address forthcoming socio-cultural barriers that prevent their engagement in public sphere.


The nm23-H1 gene encoding the nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase A has been proposed as a tumor metastasis suppressor. Two important features emerge from published data: 1) an inverse correlation between the metastatic invasion and the level of NDP kinase/Nm23 was observed in melanomas, hepatocellular carcinomas and, in some studies, on breast carcinomas; 2) an overexpression of NDP kinase/Nm23 was observed in several solid tumors as compared to normal surrounding tissues, positively correlated with aggressiveness in the case of neuroblastomas. The level of NDP kinase/Nm23 in tumors appears to be altered in different ways, related or not to the metastatic potential, depending on the tissue of origin. Its evaluation as a prognostic or diagnostic marker of tumor invasion and aggressiveness deserves further study.


High-resolution stem diameter variations (SDV) are widely recognized as a useful drought stress indicator and have therefore been used in many irrigation scheduling studies. More recently, SDV have been used in combination with other plant measurements and biophysical modelling to study fundamental mechanisms underlying whole-plant functioning and growth. The present review aims to scrutinize the important insights emerging from these more recent SDV applications to identify trends in ongoing fundamental research. The main mechanism underlying SDV is variation in water content in stem tissues, originating from reversible shrinkage and swelling of dead and living tissues, and irreversible growth. The contribution of different stem tissues to the overall SDV signal is currently under debate and shows variation with species and plant age, but can be investigated by combining SDV with state-of-the-art technology like magnetic resonance imaging. Various physiological mechanisms, such as water and carbon transport, and mechanical properties influence the SDV pattern, making it an extensive source of information on dynamic plant behaviour. To unravel these dynamics and to extract information on plant physiology or plant biophysics from SDV, mechanistic modelling has proved to be valuable. Biophysical models integrate different mechanisms underlying SDV, and help us to explain the resulting SDV signal. Using an elementary modelling approach, we demonstrate the application of SDV as a tool to examine plant water relations, plant hydraulics, plant carbon relations, plant nutrition, freezing effects, plant phenology and dendroclimatology. In the ever-expanding SDV knowledge base we identified two principal research tracks. First, in detailed short-term experiments, SDV measurements are combined with other plant measurements and modelling to discover patterns in phloem turgor, phloem osmotic concentrations, root pressure and plant endogenous control. Second, long-term SDV time series covering many different species, regions and climates provide an expanding amount of phenotypic data of growth, phenology and survival in relation to microclimate, soil water availability, species or genotype, which can be coupled with genetic information to support ecological and breeding research under on-going global change. This under-exploited source of information has now encouraged research groups to set up coordinated initiatives to explore this data pool via global analysis techniques and data-mining.


Introduction Between 2003 - 2007 in St James' DTPA scans were used to predict prognosis in ILD (Wells et al. ERJ 1993; 6:797).Now MDT diagnosis predicts prognosis.We investigated whether DTPA scans might augment MDT diagnosis in predicting prognosis.

Method 47 cases underwent retrospective MDT discussion of clinical data and radiology contemporaneous with the DTPA.The MDT was blinded to the DTPA result and the subsequent clinical course.

Results 31/47 DTPAs were abnormal and associated with reduced survival (p=0.04).The MDT diagnosed 20/47 as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and 27/47 as non-IPF.18/20 IPF had an abnormal DTPA (2 with a normal DTPA both died).0/13 non-IPF with a normal DTPA died; 6/14 with an abnormal DTPA died. An abnormal DTPA scan was more likely in IPF (P=0.0028).In non-IPF, an abnormal scan predicted mortality in 2/8 with non-specific interstitial pneumonia, 2/7 with connective tissue disease, 2/3 with unclassified fibrosis.

Conclusion In MDT-diagnosed IPF a DTPA provides no additional prognostic data. In non-IPF, a normal DTPA predicts survival but an abnormal predicts mortality in some patients. DTPA scans may augment MDT discussion in non-IPF ILD.

Median survival (Kaplan-Meier): Non-IPF normal DTPA x months, non-IPF abnormal DTPA 108 months, IPF normal DTPA 27 months, IPF abnormal DTPA 30 months (Mantel-Cox p<0.0001).

![Figure][1] [1]: pending:yes


Terminology is the science concerned with the linguistic representation ofconcepts; it entails collecting, describing, processing, and presenting terms (Le. lexical items belonging to specialized subject fields) in one or more languages. Applied work in terminology is carried out in two modes: 1) punctual term research, concerned with a single concept-term unit; and 2) thematic term research, concerned with mapping out the conceptual structure of a specific subject field or subfield (as exhaustively as possible), and describing all the concept-term units that fall within it. For the purpose of this paper, we will focus on thematic term research as it has wider implications for classification and multidimensionality.


The development of a quality lifelong learning system (LLLS) provides the possibility of obtaining education of various forms (institutional, individual, dual), levels (pre-school, full secondary education, higher education, adult education, etc.), types (formal, non-formal, informal), from different providers and for the rest of human life. It is this system that will allow an individual not only to realize the potential and improve the quality of life, but also to balance the labor market, will promote socio-economic development of the community, region, country, etc. However, in order for this system to function effectively, it is necessary to introduce changes to the financial mechanism, which would involve the effective use of the available, and the attraction of additional financial resources. This article investigates the essence of the notion of efficiency and analyzes the basic methods for its measurement. Thus, the main goal of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the existing financial support of the lifelong learning system in regions of Ukraine through stochastic frontier analysis. Calculations are made using the computer programme FRONTIER 4.1. This will allow to develop the further action plan and formulate tasks for regional financial policy for the establishment of public-private partnership and the use of a wider range of tools for the financial support of the LLLS.


: Interaction of acceptors with oxygen (O2) anion-radicals appearing in the microsomal chain of electron transfers, was studied. It was found that nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) was reduced in liver microsomes both in the presence of O2 and through direct acceptance of electrons. The values of Km and Vmax for NBT and epinephrine interactions with microsomes were determined. The rate of O2 generation was calculated from the data obtained.


Pupils' and teachers' perspectives on race are changing, particularly in regions where white people have little first hand contact with ethnic minority people. Continuing the theme he first explored in his ground-breaking books "No Problem Here" and "Still No Problem Here" in the 1980s and 90s, Chris Gaine explores recent ideas and strategies that support those seeking positive change in schools and communities. The author revisits the old evidence of the misconceptions and prejudice that prevail in white areas and compares this with current views. He makes a convincing case for tackling the issues and devotes most of the book to moving things forward. His chapter on words, concepts and definitions is illuminating, and he rolls out past history to show why even though countering racism is never easy in white areas, it can - and has been - done. The remaining chapters are designed to support everyone working in education who is concerned to further racial justice and social cohesion through schools. They cover: suggestions for training; resources; and developing policies and strategies.


Summary The island of Sao Miguel in the Azores exhibits bimodal volcanism: eruptives from Agua de Pau volcano and the 'Waist' consist almost entirely of basalt or trachyte with rare intermediate products. Although some intermediate lavas are fractionates from basalt, the majority are mixed-magma hybrids anomalously enriched in europium, barium and potassium. These features clearly indicate that they have also accumulated alkali feldspar. The source of the alkali feldspar contaminant must be the least evolved trachyte in the Agua de Pau system, because barium, europium and strontium are rapidly depleted in liquids and crystals with differentiation to more evolved trachytes. Many less evolved trachytes are also accumulative in alkali feldspar, suggesting a genetic association with the hybrid lavas. Geochemical modelling indicates that the hybrid lavas are the result of contamination of basalt by accumulative trachyte containing up to 75% alkali feldspar. Field and petrological evidence points to the episodic injection and ponding of basalt beneath trachytic magma at Agua de Pau volcano. One trachytic lava, with alkali feldspar-contaminated basaltic inclusions, represents a sample of this interface. Density calculations indicate that highly accumulative trachyte can have a neutral or negative buoyancy with respect to basalt and could descend through the interface. Resorption of alkali feldspar will lower the bulk density of the contaminated basalt, with the effect of favouring even greater contamination by overlying accumulative trachyte. The most attractive mechanism for achieving the accumulative trachyte compositions is the slumping of side-wall cumulates and the formation of magmatic density currents which flowed along the compositional interface between trachyte and basalt. Flowage differentiation and crystal settling would result in local 'parcels' of denser highly accumulative trachytic magma. The process is illustrated with results from a simple laboratory experiment.


The indirect effect of rat skin ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on lipid peroxidation and enzymatic systems of the liver has been studied. The processes of lipid peroxidation have been intensified after 72 hours of UV-irradiation, which is evidently due both to the activation of enzymatic system of initiation and propagation of lipid peroxidation and to the parallel decrease of the activity of enzymatic system regulation of given process in liver.


River management is a rapidly evolving science and recent major floods have prompted a re-examination of traditional approaches such as channelization, levees, flood walls and dams. These flood control measures are capital intensive, require significant maintenance costs, only protect local regions, and often require a tradeoff with ecological resources. Further, recent analyses have shown that the intended benefits and hydraulic performances are not achieved. A new paradigm in river management is evolving, which requires a broad range of design objectives to be met that include reduction in flood risks, ecological enhancement, recreation and aesthetics, as well as complying with strict environmental protection legislation. These more complex projects require extensive data and simulation tools to assist decision makers and communities in selecting management strategies which offer the maximum benefits, whilst preserving and enhancing the ecological integrity of the river system. A framework for the systematic analysis of the river ecosystem is outlined and illustrated by examples from the Western U S A.


Digital technologies are unlocking unprecedented value for people and businesses. However, in today's connected world, personal data privacy has emerged as a key concern. This is particularly true of products and services powered by the Internet of Things (IoT), as it involves a continuous exchange of data—much of it, personal—among hundreds of devices and service providers. To secure citizens from privacy and data breaches, regulatory bodies the world over are tightening data protection norms. For example, the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, which takes effect on May 25, 2018, is expected to have far-reaching impact on businesses. This paper discusses the growing need for adopting a privacy-by-design approach to developing trustworthy and regulatory-compliant smart products and services. To harness IoT's true potential, businesses need to embed privacy as a requirement in the design of smart solutions and products rather than providing a privacy feature as add-on.


In this article, we consider a class of discrete choice models in which consumers care about a finite set of product characteristics. These models have been used extensively in the theoretical literature on product differentiation and the goal of this article is to translate them into a form that is useful for empirical work. Most recent econometric applications of discrete choice models implicitly let the dimension of the characteristic space increase with the number of products (they have "tastes for products"). The two models have different theoretical properties, and these, in turn, can have quite pronounced implications for both substitution patterns and for the welfare impacts of changes in the number and characteristics of the goods marketed. After developing those properties, we provide alternative algorithms for estimating the parameters of the pure characteristic model and compare their properties to those of the algorithm for estimating the model with tastes for products. We conclude with a series of Monte Carlo results. These are designed to illustrate: (i) the computational properties of the alternative algorithms for computing the pure characteristic model, and (ii) the differences in the implications of the pure characteristic model from the models with tastes for products. Copyright 2007 by the Economics Department Of The University Of Pennsylvania And Osaka University Institute Of Social And Economic Research Association.


The gene expression profile induced by the CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 5/RANTES in human monocytes was examined using the oligonucleotide array technology. Of 5600 transcripts examined, 42 were consistently induced by CCL5, and none were sup-pressed. Chemokine-inducible transcripts could be clustered in functional groups, including selected cytokines and receptors (e.g., IL-1 (cid:1) , CCL2/monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and the CCL5 receptor CCR1) and molecules involved in extracellular matrix recognition and digestion (e.g., CD44 splice transcripts, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor, matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-9 , and MMP-19). Transcript expression, confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis for selected genes, was associated with protein induction for some (e.g., CCL2), but not all (e.g., IL-1 (cid:1) ), transcripts examined. The chemokine-induced gene profile was distinct from that activated by LPS, a prototypic phagocyte activator. Although certain transcripts were stimulated by both agonists (e.g., IL-1 (cid:1) and CCL2), others were induced only by either LPS (e.g., TNF- (cid:2) and IL-6) or CCL5 (e.g., MMP-19) or were divergently regulated (e.g., CCR1). Thus, CCL5, a prototypic CC inflammatory chemokine, activates a restricted transcriptional program in monocytes distinct from


Abstract Equations are derived that relate the vertical hydrodynamic force on two- and three-dimensional structures that are floating in a fluid of infinite depth to the far-field dipole coefficient in the velocity potential. By an application of Green's theorem to the radiation or scattering potential and a suitable test potential, the heave added mass, the heave damping and the vertical exciting force are shown to be expressible in terms of the dipole coefficient in the relevant potential. The results add to the known reciprocity relations, which relate quantities such as the damping and the exciting force to the amplitude of the far-field radiated wave. The expressions are valid at all frequencies, and their high- and low-frequency asymptotics are investigated.


Based on the quality analysis of the medium carbon product whose grade was 81%—82%, the emphasis of the study was placed on the orthogonal experiments of roughing flotation reagent and single factors. such as abrasive grain, pulp concentration and the rotating speed of floatation machine. The result with improvement in the grade of concentrate to 95% through the routine floatation method was achieved.


To determine whether the increase in baroreflex sensitivity previously reported in lifetime captopril-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was due to an inhibition of brain angiotensin II mechanisms, we tested the effect of intracerebroventricular administration of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist on baroreflex control of heart rate in lifetime captopril-treated and untreated male and female SHR. Baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate was assessed by the slope of the relationship between changes in mean arterial pressure (delta MAP, mmHg) and changes in pulse interval (delta PI, ms). MAP was raised and lowered with infusions of phenylephrine and nitroprusside, respectively. Following basal assessment of baroreflex control of heart rate, rats received an intracerebroventricular injection (100 pmol) of Sar1Thr8 angiotensin II (sarthran) and reflex control of heart rate was reassessed. Adequacy of blockade was tested with central and peripheral administration of angiotensin II. Captopril-treated male (130 +/- 7 mmHg) and female (123 +/- 4 mmHg) rats had significantly lower MAP than untreated rats (174 +/- 4 and 173 +/- 8 mmHg, respectively) and enhanced bradycardia in response to increases in MAP. Intracerebroventricular administration of sarthran had no effect on basal blood pressure or heart rate but enhanced the bradycardia in response to increases in MAP in both untreated and captopril-treated rats. The increase in the slope of the line relating delta MAP to delta PT was greater for untreated than captopril-treated SHR (male untreated 2.7-fold versus captopril-treated 1.5-fold; female untreated 1.6-fold versus captopril-treated 1.5-fold).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Parenting interventions are recommended strategies for preventing emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Little is known, however, about the cultural fit of these interventions outside high-income English speaking countries. This is one of the first studies to explore parental perceptions of cultural fit of a well-known American parenting intervention, the Strengthening Families Program 10–14, in low-resource communities in Panama. A qualitative methodology was used with the aim of exploring parents' perception and recollection of the intervention. Thirty Panamanian parents of adolescents aged 10 to 14 years old who received the intervention between 2010 and 2011 were interviewed in 2012. We were not seeking to assess efficacy of the intervention, but to use the methodology to examine cultural fit. Parents' narratives were analyzed through thematic analysis. They talked about communication, resilience, community-specific concerns such as perceiving their world as dangerous, and concerns commonly experienced by most parents worldwide such as being worried for children's academic performance. Findings can be used to inform adaptations to the intervention if disseminated cross-culturally. This participant-driven approach offers a methodology that can be replicated in real-world service delivery settings to explore the cultural fit of interventions with ethnically diverse populations inside the United States or overseas.


This paper explores artificial intelligent training schemes based on multilayer perceptron, considering back propagation and genetic algorithm (GA). The hybrid scheme is compared with the traditional support vector machine approach in the literature to analyze both fault and normal scenarios of a centrifugal pump. A comparative analysis of the performance of the variables was carried out using both schemes. The study used features extracted for three decomposition levels based on wavelet packet transform. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the extracted features, two mother wavelets were investigated. The salient part of this work is the optimization of the hidden layers numbers using GA. Furthermore, this optimization process was extended to the multilayer perceptron neurons. The evaluation of the model system performance used for the study shows better response of the extracted features, and hidden layers variables including the selected neurons. Moreover, the applied training algorithm used in the work was able to enhance the classifications obtained considering the hybrid artificial intelligent scheme been proposed. This work has achieved a number of contributions like GA‐based selection of hidden layers and neuron, applied in neural network of centrifugal pump condition classification. Furthermore, a hybrid training method combining GA and back propagation (BP) algorithms has been applied for condition classification of a centrifugal pump. The obtained results have shown the good ability of the proposed methods and algorithms.


Two architectural elements from Akhenaten's early buildings at Karnak temple, a gateway and a set of pillars, are decorated with scenes of Nefertiti worshipping the Aten alone with only her daughters in attendance. Assumed to be examples of Nefertiti acting independently in the Aten cult, these monuments are sometimes hailed as precursors to the Sunshade of Re/sun temple structures so popular at Tell el-Amarna, most of which are associated with Akhenaten's female family members. In this article these monuments are studied in the context of scenes reconstructed from Kom el-Nana, a Sunshade of Re at Tell el-Amarna, and other examples of women shown as the sole ritualist before a deity. It is proposed that images of Nefertiti acting alone are an indication of her lower status in the early part of Akhenaten's reign, and that her status was elevated after the erection of the gateway and pillars. Nefertiti did not yet have enough status to act along side Akhenaten before year 6, and the gateway and pillars from...


OBJECTIVE
To test the reliability, validity, acceptability, and practicality of short message service (SMS) messaging for collection of research data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The studies were carried out in a cohort of recently delivered women in Tayside, Scotland, UK, who were asked about their current infant feeding method and future feeding plans. Reliability was assessed by comparison of their responses to two SMS messages sent 1 day apart. Validity was assessed by comparison of their responses to text questions and the same question administered by phone 1 day later, by comparison with the same data collected from other sources, and by correlation with other related measures. Acceptability was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative questions, and practicality by analysis of a researcher log.

RESULTS
Reliability of the factual SMS message gave perfect agreement. Reliabilities for the numerical question were reasonable, with κ between 0.76 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.96) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.00). Validity for data compared with that collected by phone within 24 h (κ =0.92 (95% CI 0.84 to 1.00)) and with health visitor data (κ =0.85 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.97)) was excellent. Correlation validity between the text responses and other related demographic and clinical measures was as expected. Participants found the method a convenient and acceptable way of providing data. For researchers, SMS text messaging provided an easy and functional method of gathering a large volume of data.

CONCLUSION
In this sample and for these questions, SMS was a reliable and valid method for capturing research data.


Enabling the execution of Java applications on personal embedded devices could bring great benefits to their users. For example, you could exchange your calendar application with your neighbor, or send your favorite telephone game to your friends without thinking if they have a compatible phone. Moreover, these devices will have to provide a reliable execution environment as soon as they will be implied in critical or distributed applications. Checkpoints capture/rollback recovery solves a part of this problem. This paper presents the integration of a checkpoint mechanism in our own embedded Java Virtual Machine named Scratchy. Our mechanism, is transparent for the user and has a low overhead on the applications. We propose one global and two incremental methods which are evaluated and compared each other. This mechanism can be used with the midlets which are the standard Java applications for cell phones and PDAs. We present two series of evaluations, the first is done with a benchmark and the second with real applications. We show that the incremental methods give shorter capture times than the global method, under certain conditions.


This book is a unique reference tool and will be essential reading for students of what the editors provocatively designate as the "Hispanic Baroque" for years to come. Designed to emphasize transatlantic links as well as local redefinitions in the religious histories and cultural practices of Spain and the Americas, the book is arranged thematically. Chronologically, it extends from the late fifteenth into the eighteenth century (p. 1). The book is organized into 43 categories, arranged alphabetically, from "Afterlife" to "Supernatural," with separate entries for each category devoted to Spain and Spanish America. The author of each entry is a distinguished researcher, which permits the reader to enjoy 86 distillations of state-of-the-art scholarship; these are followed by suggestions for further reading. The scholars are of several generations and work in several disciplines, ranging across the humanities and social sciences.


ABSTRACT Brain aging is a complex biological process often associated with a decline in cognitive functions and motility. Astaxanthin (AST) is a strong antioxidant capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier. The effect of AST on brain aging and its physiological and molecular mechanism are still unclear. The study aimed to investigate whether AST from AstaReal A1010 improved brain aging by inducing autophagy in SAMP10 mice. Different concentrations of AstaReal A1010 were intragastrically administered to 6-month-old SAMP10 mice for 3 months. The results demonstrated that AST delayed age-related cognitive decline, motor ability and neurodegeneration, upregulated the expression levels of autophagy-related genes beclin-1 and LC3 in the brain. It may induce autophagy by regulating IGF-1/Akt/mTOR and IGF-1/Akt/FoxO3a signaling. Treatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3MA) partly reversed the anti-aging effect of AST. In conclusion, our findings suggest that AST may induce autophagy by regulating IGF-1/Akt/mTOR and IGF-1/Akt/FoxO3a signaling, thereby delaying age-related neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in SAMP10 mice.


Pronounced adrenarche with precocious pubarche (PP) in girls has been associated with hyperinsulinism and subsequent functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH). Recently, pronounced adrenarche and insulin resistance have each been related to low birth weight. We have now tested the hypothesis that the frequent concurrence of PP with pronounced adrenarche, FOH, and hyperinsulinemia in girls may be secondary to separate relationships between these conditions and low birth weight. A total of 185 girls (aged 5-18 yr) without endocrinopathy or with PP and pronounced adrenarche with or without FOH were studied; mean serum insulin (MSI) concentrations were determined after a standardized oral glucose tolerance test. Birth weight SD scores [mean (SEM)] of control girls (0.38+/-0.08; n = 83) were higher (P < 0.0001) than those of PP girls (-0.81+/-0.13; n = 102). Among postmenarcheal PP girls, birth weight SD scores of girls without FOH (-0.25+/-0.19; n = 25) were higher (P < 0.0001) than those in girls with FOH (-1.51+/-0.28; n = 23). In pubertal girls (n = 145), MSI levels correlated negatively with birth weight SD scores (r = -0.48; P < 0.05), independently of PP. MSI levels in girls with birth weight below 1 SD (93+/-9 mU/L; n = 33) were higher (P < 0.0001) than those in girls with birth weight between -1 and +1 SD (52+/-2 mU/L; n = 94), whereas glycemia profiles were comparable. Integration of the aforementioned data suggests that there may be a sequence in the associations between reduced fetal growth and components of the postnatal endocrine system; minor fetal growth reduction appears to be associated with amplified adrenarche, whereas more pronounced prenatal growth restriction seem to precede FOH and hyperinsulinemia during adolescence. In conclusion, these findings corroborate the hypothesis that the frequent concurrence of PP (with pronounced adrenarche), FOH, and hyperinsulinemia in girls may result from a common early origin (low birth weight serving as a marker), rather than from a direct interrelationship later in life.


Software evolution is omnipresent and only with adequate flexibility it can be mastered in time and budget. Flexibility is supported by many architectural mechanisms, but more methodological support for a life-cycle-phases bridging approach of flexibility is still desirable. Therefore, in this paper we contribute a life-cycle-phases bridging approach for flexibility. Our approach supports architects during system design to achieve flexibility and during system evolution to exploit flexibility. We build on existing flexibility analysis techniques and extend them to give architects specific guidance and tool-support. For architecture design, we introduce an automated flexibility analysis with real-time feedback in architecture tools. For software evolution we provide a flexibility exploitation analysis which builds up on the results of the design time analysis and enables effective utilization of provided flexibility by deriving flexibility-aware work-plans. We demonstrate our approach by applying it to a checkin system, report first validation results from an empirical study and propose further validation activities.


High momentum hadron suppression is considered to be an excellent probe of jetmedium interactions in QCD matter created in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. We previously showed that our dynamical energy loss formalism can accurately explain suppression measurements at 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC and 2.76 TeV Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC. With the upcoming LHC measurements at notably higher collision energies, there is a question of what differences, with respect to the current (2.76 TeV) measurements, can be expected. In this paper we concentrate on heavy flavor suppression at the upcoming 5.1 TeV Pb+Pb collisions energy at the LHC. Naively, one would expect a notably (∼ 30%) larger suppression at 5.1 TeV collision energy, due to estimated (significant) energy loss increase when transitioning from 2.76 to 5.1 TeV. Surprisingly, more detailed calculations predict nearly the same suppression results at these two energies. We show that this unexpected result is due to an interplay of the following two effects, which essentially cancel each other: i) flattening of the initial distributions with increasing collision energies, and ii) significantly slower than naively expected increase in the energy loss. Therefore, the obtained nearly the same suppression provides a clear (qualitative and quantitative) test of our energy loss formalism.


Objective: To develop a strategy for recruiting African-American women into a research study for pregnant women. Methods: With few exceptions, NIH-funded investigators must include women and minorities in clinical research. The authors used the recommendations provided in the Outreach Notebook for the NIH Guidelines on Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research as a guide to help them reach out to African-American women in the community. Results and Conclusions: The outreach experience led to a conference for African-American women about mental health. On the basis of this experience, the authors formulated a five-pronged approach for recruitment of African-American women into their study. The NIH guidelines were useful for this purpose.


We report here the first observation of Zaprionus indianus Gupta in mainland France. Five specimens of both sexes were trapped in a liquid vinegar bait in Cap d'Antibes (French Riviera) and their taxonomic identification was then performed by morphologi-cal and molecular analysis. Z. indianus is recognized as a fig pest in the invaded American countries, and it could pose economic problems in this new location since figs are also grown in European Mediterranean areas. This Drosophilid species is on the EPPO pest quarantine list. Its spread and possible permanent establishment in South France should thus be monitored in the next years to assess possible agricultural damages.


Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder known to mankind. It is shrouded in mystery and associated with supernatural forces resulting in social stigma, systematic discrimination and psychological morbidity to the afflicted. The study was carried out in Suba and Meru central districts in Kenya. The Objective of this study is to determine the factors underlying stigmatization of People with Epilepsy (PWE) in Suba and Meru Central Districts and evaluate the social burden associated with epilepsy. A cross-sectional descriptive study involving the use of a 30-item structured questionnaire, Focus Groups Discussion and key informants. Two hundred and twenty-five (225) household heads, twelve focus group discussions and 30 key informants. A total of 225 households interviewed had male preponderance of 140 (62.2%) to 85 females (37.8%).  The level of education for Suba District respondents was higher as 54.3% had secondary and post secondary education compared to 35.2% for Meru Central  District. All respondents (100%) in both study cohorts were aware of epilepsy. Thirty four percent (34%) of Suba respondents had some knowledge about epilepsy compared to eleven percent (11%) in the Meru Central District cohort. Statistical relationship between negative attitude and fear of epilepsy overall was significant (c 2 = 43.69354, df=1, p<0.05). There was no statistical significance in relationship between level of education and fear of epilepsy (c 2 = 0.15773, df=2, p=0.092436). However there was statistical significance in relationship with knowledge on epilepsy and fear-for-epilepsy (c 2 = 7.41663, df=1, p=0.00646). Occupation of respondents did not influence fear for epilepsy except among Meru Central District female respondents (c 2 = 6.19763, df=2, p=0.04510).  as a conclusion we can say that in both communities epilepsy was considered a contagious and transferable disease and highly associated with witchcraft. Stigma and discrimination of PWE is amply evident. We recommend a comprehensive community sensitization programme to reverse the negative attitude, myths, beliefs and superstitions surrounding epilepsy.


Traffic routes through a street network contain patterns and are no random walks. Such patterns exist for instance along streets or between neighbouring street segments. The extraction of these patterns is a challenging task due to the enormous size of city street networks, the large number of required training data and the unknown distribution of the latter. We apply Bayesian Networks to model the correlations between the locations in space-time trajectories and address the following tasks. We introduce and examine a Bayesian Network Learning algorithm enabling us to handle the complexity and performance requirements of the spatial context. Furthermore, we apply our method to German cities, evaluate the accuracy and analyse the runtime behaviour for different parameter settings.


The HIV Hypermedia Medical Education Software was first released in late 1993 and distributed to medical schools, general practitioners and other health-care related individuals and institutions. Evaluation took place throughout the design and development process. There were four major forms of eliciting user feedback: informal discussions during development; informal discussions with users of the finished package; expert review of the completed package; and a voluntary questionnaire. Despite a poor response rate, the questionnaire revealed valuable information and indicated that most users would continue to reference the program. We incorporated this feedback into an updated version of the package, now ready for release. This paper is a review of our evaluation process with our further aim being to improve the evaluation methods themselves.


A survey of plasticizers in cap-sealing resins for bottled foods has been undertaken. During 1997–1999 di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was found in seven out of 21 samples on the Japanese domestic market and in 10 out of 61 imported samples as well as a further two samples which contained di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA). In the period 1993–1999, of the other plasticizers diacetyl lauroyl glycerol (DALG) was only detected in domestic samples whereas diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP) were only in imported samples. It was observed overall that DEHP and DEHA were restricted to use in cap-sealing resins for bottled foods. Whilst phthalates, DEHA or DALG were detected in samples in 1993 and 1995, the investigation in 1997–1999 showed fewer samples in which these plasticizers were found.


This guide focus on resources for the grip strength assignment. It also contains the purposes and parts of scholarly scientific articles. Sciencefitic articles use APA style ciation. This page covers APA citation.


The effects of varying laser pulse numbers on the fabricated of ZnONPs by pulsed laser ablation in deionized water of Zn-metal are investigated. The Nd: YAG laser at energy 600mJ prepared three samples by change the laser pulse number (100, 150, and 200). The results were collected and examined using an electron scanning microscope, XRD – diffraction, and transmission electron microscope. The result revealed the colloidal spherical shape and the homogeneous composition of the ZnO NPs. The nanoparticles resulted in different concentrations and sized distributions by changing the pulse number of a laser. The average particle size and the mass concentration of particle size increase with an increasing number of laser pulses by fixed the laser energy.


Underground coal gasification (UCG) opens up the prospect of accessing trillions of tonnes of otherwise unmineable coal. When combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS), UCG offers some attractive new low-carbon solutions on a vast scale. This paper has several aims: to review key developments in technologies for UCG, CCS and CO2 storage in coal seam voids; to quantify the scale of the opportunity that these technologies open up; to examine the scope for linking these developments to other more familiar plans for decarbonising the fossil fuel power generation industry and other carbon-intensive industries; to identify the main hurdles to be overcome in taking forward any large-scale UCG–CCS proposition; and to propose a basis on which UCG-CCS can sit at the heart of plans to decarbonise present day industry in a way that dove-tails with longer-term ambitions for an economy based on renewable energy.


We present local temperature measurements of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection with rotation about a vertical axis. The fluid, water with Prandtl number about 6, was confined in a cell with a square cross section of 7.3×7.3 cm(2) and a height of 9.4 cm. Temperature fluctuations and boundary-layer profiles were measured for Rayleigh numbers 1×10(7)<Ra<5×10(8) and Taylor numbers 0<Ta<5×10(9). We present statistics of the temperature field measured by a single thermistor located along the vertical centerline of the cell or by an array of thermistors distributed laterally from that centerline. The statistics include the mean temperature, standard deviation, skewness, and the probability distribution functions at various locations in the cell, especially near and inside the thermal boundary layer. The effects of rotation on these quantities are discussed including the presence of a rotation-dependent mean vertical temperature gradient, the negative skewness of temperature fluctuations in the boundary layer, and the horizontal homogenization of temperature.


The frequent failure of international peace missions and the 'crisis of the liberal peace' led to the promotion of a local or cultural turn in peace research and work that focuses on the role and meaning of culture, local actors and a mostly unspecified 'local' for peacebuilding processes. This pushes peace and conflict studies to engage with the subject area of anthropological research, which poses a challenge for disciplines such as political and legal sciences. In contrast to the critiques of the critique of the liberal peace, which seem to have led to a circular debate, this special section aims to take the debate to the next step. It does so through anthropologically informed methodological and conceptual advancements that the local turn is asking for and by providing a better understanding of how the local can become an important reference point in peace and conflict studies without essentialising it. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the contributions to this special section highlight the importance of ethnographic research and anthropological framing in analysing the ambivalence of the local in peacebuilding and the contributions anthropology can make to the interdisciplinary field of conflict and peace studies.


Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a novel cancer hallmark in which malignant cells develop matrix-associated 3D tubular networks with a lumen under hypoxia to supply nutrients needed for tumor growth. Recent studies showed that microRNAs (miRNAs) may have a role in VM regulation. In this study, we examined the relevance of hypoxia-regulated miRNAs (hypoxamiRs) in the early stages of VM formation. Data showed that after 48 h hypoxia and 12 h incubation on matrigel SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells undergo the formation of matrix-associated intercellular connections referred hereafter as 3D channels-like structures, which arose previous to the apparition of canonical tubular structures representative of VM. Comprehensive profiling of 754 mature miRNAs at the onset of hypoxia-induced 3D channels-like structures showed that 11 hypoxamiRs were modulated (FC>1.5; p < 0.05) in SKOV3 cells (9 downregulated and 2 upregulated). Bioinformatic analysis of the set of regulated miRNAs showed that they might impact cellular pathways related with tumorigenesis. Moreover, overall survival analysis in a cohort of ovarian cancer patients (n = 485) indicated that low miR-765, miR-193b, miR-148a and high miR-138 levels were associated with worst patients outcome. In particular, miR-765 was severely downregulated after hypoxia (FC < 32.02; p < 0.05), and predicted to target a number of protein-encoding genes involved in angiogenesis and VM. Functional assays showed that ectopic restoration of miR-765 in SKOV3 cells resulted in a significant inhibition of hypoxia-induced 3D channels-like formation that was associated with a reduced number of branch points and patterned tubular-like structures. Mechanistic studies confirmed that miR-765 decreased the levels of VEGFA, AKT1 and SRC-α transducers and exerted a negative regulation of VEGFA by specific binding to its 3'UTR. Finally, overall survival analysis of a cohort of ovarian cancer patients (n = 1435) indicates that high levels of VEGFA, AKT1 and SRC-α and low miR-765 expression were associated with worst patients outcome. In conclusion, here we reported a novel hypoxamiRs signature which constitutes a molecular guide for further clinical and functional studies on the early stages of VM. Our data also suggested that miR-765 coordinates the formation of 3D channels-like structures through modulation of VEGFA/AKT1/SRC-α axis in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells.


We carried out a randomized double-blind controlled secondary-prevention trial of oxprenolol over seven years. Forty milligrams of oxprenolol or placebo was given twice daily to 1103 men 35 to 65 years old who had an acute myocardial infarction between 1 and 90 months previously. Overall, there was no difference in mortality or cardiac events between the placebo and oxprenolol groups. The major influence on prognosis was the time at which treatment was started after infarction. In 417 patients in whom treatment was started within four months of infarction oxprenolol increased the six-year cumulative survival rate from 77 to 95 per cent (P less than 0.001). In 274 patients with treatment starting between 5 and 12 months of infarction the survival rate was similar in the two groups, but in 412 patients entered between 1 and 7 1/2 years after their first infarction oxprenolol reduced the six-year survival rate from 92 to 79 per cent (P = 0.002). The increased mortality in this latter group mainly occurred late after withdrawal from active treatment. The value of low-dose oxprenolol in secondary prevention appears to be confined to patients treated relatively soon after myocardial infarction.


Magnetite nanoparticles were obtained by liquid phase precipitation method in which the pH value of [FeCl2⋅4H2O], [FeCl3⋅6H2O] and [NaOH] solution were controlled. Then the magnetite nanoparticle were scattered in water solution and put in [Na2SiO3] and [HCl], the resultant of reaction SiO2 can be coated on magnetite nanoparticles surface. The morphology and magnetite properties of the coated nanoparticles were evaluated by XRD, TEM, FTIR and VSM. The SiO2 thin film with nanometer size was coated on surface of nanoparticle, so that the magnetic value is decreased with the coating thickness increasing.


On 15 October 2001, the Prime Minister announced that there would be an independent review of the competition provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and their administration. The Treasurer announced the terms of reference for the review and the membership of the review Committee on 9 May 2002. The Committee reported to the Government by the end of January 2003. The Committee's Report was released in April 2003. A Commonwealth Government Response has been released. The competition provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (the Act) have helped to shape economic activity in Australia since 1974. Competitive markets make an important contribution to increasing efficiency and productivity in the economy, thereby improving the welfare of Australians. This has been evident in the contribution that more competitive markets have made to the strong performance of the Australian economy over the past decade. The recent gains have been achieved following structural reform of the economy and have been accompanied by changes to the regulatory framework. These have included the extension of the competition provisions to apply to all business activity in Australia. Whilst the changing environment of Australian business has provided substantial opportunities for investment, it has also presented some challenges. Corporations must respond to developments in market conditions that may occur quickly and may be influenced by international, as well as domestic, competition. For some businesses, including those in industries that have experienced significant structural change, the new environment involves dealing in less regulated markets or with large businesses that have greater market power. In accordance with its terms of reference, the Committee has reviewed the competition and authorisation provisions of the Act to establish whether they meet the needs of business in the current environment or whether improvements might be made to ensure that they are effective. The Committee has also had regard to the way in which the competition provisions and related aspects of the Act have been administered. The Committee has drawn on a broad range of views expressed in submissions made to it, in discussions overseas and in consultations with a wide range of interested parties. Contributions were made by business, both big and small, and other parties, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), governments, consumer representatives, the professions and individuals. Paragraph 1(c) of the terms of reference required the Committee to consider whether the competition provisions promote competitive trading which benefits consumers in terms of service and price. The Committee's conclusions and recommendations are set out at the end of each chapter of the report. Overall, the Committee considers that the competition provisions have served Australians well. The Act has sustained a competitive environment which has benefited consumers in terms of service and price. In doing so, it has achieved an appropriate balance between the prohibition of anti-competitive conduct and the encouragement of competition. The regime established by the Act compares favourably with competition regimes in other countries, allowing for the differences in the various legal systems. At the same time, the Committee has recommended changes to the competition and authorisation provisions by way of improvement and some changes to administrative arrangements to meet concerns expressed to the Committee.


We present an analysis of experimental specific heat data measured in the vicinity of the spin-Peierls transition of a CuGeO3 single crystal. The aim of the investigation was to analyse the type of the transition, including the character of the fluctuations, and to give a proper determination of the critical temperature. We used and successively compared the Gaussian and critical fluctuations models to fit the experimental points detected in magnetic fields up to 21 T. Our results present new information about the influence of a magnetic field on fluctuations in the CuGeO3 compound. Within the framework of the Gaussian fluctuations model, there is no significant magnetic field dependence of the fluctuations. Using this model, the critical region is estimated to be as small as 10 mK in zero field, which excludes the possibility of observation of critical fluctuations in the present experiments. In spite of this, a critical fluctuations type of analysis can also be carried out, with a critical exponent value lying between the three-dimensional XY and the Heisenberg universality classes. We also note the absence of broadening of the fluctuations regime under magnetic field. Taking into account the scatter of the data, the two models are equally suitable in the fitting process.


The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pregnancy has recently attracted substantial interest from researchers in Australia. As a result, there has been advancement in our understanding of the nature and drivers of CAM use by Australian pregnant women, as well as a number of novel findings identified which provide a platform for future enquiry. This paper overviews a number of these recent Australian studies and highlights some important considerations and implications of the findings for practitioners, women and policymakers alike. The areas discussed include the impact of CAM use during pregnancy on adverse birth events at a population level, the impact of the model of maternity care upon CAM use during labour and birth, and the need for additional information regarding the safety and effectiveness of CAM use during pregnancy to better inform women's decision-making.


The theory of characteristic functions, developed by Sturrock for electron optics, is used to calculate the primary aberrations of rectilinear orthogonal systems of the most general kind. In the second part, the secondary aberrations of round systems are calculated with the aid of Sturrock's second-order perturbation characteristic functions. A proof of the equivalence of the aberration formulae obtained by Melkich, using the variation of parameters method, and those obtained below is offered in an appendix.


Abstract Both lake-calving Yakutat Glacier (337 km2), Alaska, USA, and its parent icefield (810 km2) are experiencing strong thinning, and under current climate conditions will eventually disappear. Comparison of digital elevation models shows that Yakutat Glacier thinned at area-averaged rates of 4.76 ± 0.06 m w.e.a−1 (2000–07) and 3.66 ± 0.03 m w.e.a−1 (2007–10). Simultaneously, adjacent Yakutat Icefield land-terminating glaciers thinned at lower but still substantial rates (3.79 and 2.94 m w.e.a−1 respectively for the same time periods), indicating lake-calving dynamics helps drive increased mass loss. Yakutat Glacier terminates into Harlequin Lake and for over a decade sustained a ∼3 km long floating tongue, which started to disintegrate into large tabular icebergs in 2010. Such floating tongues are rarely seen on temperate tidewater glaciers. We hypothesize that this difference is likely due to the lack of submarine melting in the case of lake-calving glaciers. Floating-tongue ice losses were evaluated in terms of overall mass balance and contribution to sea-level rise. The post-Little Ice Age collapse of Yakutat Icefield was driven in part by tidewater calving retreats of adjacent glaciers, the lake-calving retreat of Yakutat Glacier, a warming climate and by the positive feedback mechanisms through surface lowering.


Parallax error is a pitfall of pinhole scintigraphy that causes mislocalization of the findings. It is important to notice this error on pinhole thyroid and parathyroid scintigraphy and obtain additional images with a parallel-hole collimator to accurately determine the upper and lower margins of large goiters and nodules and the location of ectopic thyroid tissue and parathyroid adenomas. In this teaching case report, we revisit pinhole parallax error, present pinhole and SPECT/CT images of a patient with a large, hyperactive thyroid nodule, and review the literature and potential solutions to this important problem.


Sum mary Pur po se: To evaluate macular light sensitivity and fixation stability in subjects with clinically significant macular edema (CSME) related to diabetes mellitus. Ma te ri al and Met hod: Thirty eyes of 22 patients with CSME, as defined by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, and 32 eyes of 32 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Microperimetry was performed with the Micro Perimeter MP-1 in both groups. The mean retinal sensitivities at central 4°, at central 12° and at central 20° were measured. The mean extent of preferred retinal locus (PRL), fixation stability and fixation location were calculated using fixation test in MP-1 microperimeter. Statistical analysis was performed using student t-test and chisquare test. Re sults: The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was significantly lower in the CSME group than the control group (p<0.001). The mean retinal sensitivities at central 4°, 12° and 20° areas were significantly lower in the CSME group compared to the control group (p<0.001, for each central degrees). In subjects with CSME, fixation stability was detected as stable in 8 (26.7%) eyes, relatively unstable in 21 (70%) eyes and unstable in 1 (3.3%) eye. Significant decrease was found in fixation stability and fixation location scores in eyes with CSME compared to control subjects (p<0.001). The difference of mean extent in PRL between the groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). Dis cus si on: The macular light sensitivity and fixation stability are affected in patients with CSME. MP-1 micropeimetry might be helpful to evaluate the extent of PRL and useful for evaluation of severity and progression of diabetic macular edema. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2012; 42: 310-5)


The effects of the elements zinc, manganese, iron, copper, molybdenum, and vanadium, added in various salt forms, on mycelial weights and aflatoxin B1 accumulation in the mycelium of Aspergillus flavus were investigated in liquid shake cultures. Ammonium heptamolybdate, when added to a complete medium at concentrations of 50-100 mg/L, appreciably reduced aflatoxin B1 accumulation without affecting growth of the fungus. Sodium molybdate and sodium monovanadate also reduced aflatoxin B1 yields without affecting mycelial growth but to a lesser extent. The addition of zinc sulphate stimulated aflatoxin B1 production in all media used. The influence of the other trace elements on aflatoxin production depended on the level of trace elements present in the basal medium. In general, manganese chloride had a stimulatory effect, whereas copper sulphate depressed yields. Mycelial levels of aflatoxin had peaked and then declined before mycelial dry weights had reached maximum. High yields of aflatoxin B1 were obtained in media having a final pH as low as pH 2.8.


Abstract Murid rodents of the endemic genus Batomys are diverse and geographically widely distributed in the Philippines. Four species have been recognized: B. dentatus and B. granti on Luzon, B. salomonseni on several islands comprising the Mindanao faunal region, and B. russatus on Dinagat Island. A recent survey of small mammals in eastern Mindanao recorded the presence of Batomys on Mt. Hamiguitan, the only other documented occurrence of this genus on Mindanao Island outside of Mt. Kitanglad. Comparison of external morphology as well as cranial and dental features of the Hamiguitan Batomys with available specimens of congeners indicates that although it is closely allied to B. salomonseni, a number of distinct traits separate it from all its congeners, and we describe it as a new species, B. hamiguitan. This species corroborates the hypothesis that the island of Mindanao is comprised of multiple centers of endemism, of which the southeastern highland of Mt. Hamiguitan is one.


This paper is devoted to a state observation problem for stochastic transportation equations with three unknown parameters in terms of a global Carleman estimate for the stochastic transport equation. It is proved that the initial displacement, the terminal state and the random term in diffusion are uniquely determined by its value of the state on partial boundary.


Validation is the basis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image quantification applications. Based on the point target of the field site, the radiation characteristics of the backscattering coefficient image can be used to optimize the SAR imaging, and the product production system can be more closely targeted, to ensure the image product accuracy in the actual quantification application. In this study, the validation of the backscattering coefficient image was examined using calibrators, and the radiometric properties of the image were evaluated by extracting the radar cross-section of each point target. Bilinear interpolation and fast Fourier transform (FFT) interpolation methods were introduced for the local area interpolation of point targets, and the two methods were compared from the perspective of response function imaging and validation accuracy. The results show that the FFT interpolation method is more favorable for validating the backscattering coefficient.


AIM To study ultrastructural changes of hemolytic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli during interaction with metabolites of Lactobacillus fermentum. MATERIALS AND METHODS Strains of pathogenic hemolytic (Hly) and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (O157:H7) as well as symbiotic bacteriocinogenic strain Lactobacillus fermentum 97 were used. Inhibition of growth of viable cells was performed by delayed antagonism method. Using electron microscopy, assessment of ultrastructural changes of hemolytic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli under the influence of diffusing in MPC-agar metabolites of lactobacilli. RESULTS Changes pointing to profound destructive processes in bacterial cells were detected on ultrathin sections. Under the influence of diffusing metabolites of lactobacilli, the following changes were observed: destabilization of cell wall, expansion of periplasmatic space, and emergence of low electron density areas of cytoplasm in polar sections of cells with visualization of floccular material. Emergence of elongated paracrystallic packings and filamentous structures of different length, which deserve special study, was observed in cells of hemolytic E. coli. CONCLUSION Bacteriocin-like products of lactobacilli during interaction with pathogenic E. coli cause profound destructive changes in the latter which lead to destruction of target cells.


A reliable braking system is an important guarantee for safe operation of mine hoist. In order to make full use of the monitoring data in the operation process of mine hoist, identify the operation status of the hoist, and further carry out fault diagnosis on it, the deep learning method was introduced into the fault diagnosis of the hoist, and a fault diagnosis method of hoist braking system based on convolution neural network has been proposed. Firstly, the working principle and fault mechanism of disc brake and its hydraulic station in hoist braking system are analyzed, and the monitoring parameters of this study are determined; then, based on massive monitoring data, the convolutional neural networks (CNN) is established, the one-dimensional signal collected by the sensor is transformed into two-dimensional image for coding, the neural network is trained by gradient descent method, and the network structure parameters are modified according to the training results. Finally, the fault diagnosis model is compared and verified by using the sample set based on the traditional back propagation neural network (BP) and CNN. The results show that the accuracy of CNN is higher than that of BP, and the accuracy rate can reach 99.375% after reducing the involvement between samples. This method can make full use of the monitoring data for diagnosis, without subjective intervention of experts, and improve the accuracy of diagnosis.


We propose a unified framework to study liquidity provision by debt-issuing versus equity-issuing financial intermediaries. We show that both types of intermediaries provide liquidity by insuring against idiosyncratic liquidity risks as in Diamond and Dybvig (1983) but with distinct frictions. The fixed value of debt induces panic runs whereas the flexible payoff of equity renders investor redemptions more sensitive to news on fundamentals, i.e., a flow-to-fundamentals relationship. Both frictions constrain liquidity provision by generating premature liquidation of long-term investments. Informed by the theory, we develop the Liquidity Provision Index (LPI) as a unified measure of liquidity provision. We find that, at the end of 2017, the per dollar liquidity provision by bond mutual fund shares amounts to a quarter of that by uninsured bank deposits. The majority of the gap arises from the difference in contract forms instead of regulatory features such as deposit insurance. However, the gap has been narrowing between 2011 and 2017, which we show can be ascribed to post-crisis bank regulations and unconventional monetary policies that restricted bank holdings of illiquid assets. Further applying the LPI to money market funds (MMFs), we identify a 20% drop in liquidity provision due to the change from debt to equity funding around the 2016 MMF Reform.


In recent years, several institutions have alerted the effects of information disorders while struggling to handle the problem effectively. Our investigation triangulates between qualitative and quantitative approaches: on the one hand, focus groups adapted to the digital landscape (which many have hinted is an environment naturally favoring disinformation) were used; on the other, a quasi-experimental survey was conducted with 4,351 stratified respondents. The results provide evidence-based data that both confirm the widespread nature of vulnerability—more than half of the Spanish population presents a relevant degree of vulnerability toward disinformation—and spot specific groups that may require targeted actions to ease the effects of information disorders.


Systematic documentation is an important aspect in order to preserve information that would otherwise be lost over time. Documentation is needed in different disciplines, but is not so common in education and especially in software engineering's education. Education is a very diverse field. Situations (e.g. education procedures and their contents) which are meaningful to document must be detected first, which implies a need for a flexible documentation environment. One main problem is, we have different situations (which are worth to be documented) and we need a concept to document each situation in a flexible way. Usually documentation patterns (documentation templates) are used to document a specific situation or a group of specific situations, so the usage of one given pattern for many different situations could be problematic. That is why there is a need for another concept to document such situations. The paper presents a documentation approach which reverses the typical concept of documentation patterns. Usually patterns are given first for specific problems. This paper presents a flexible approach which let documentarists create their own pattern for their specific situations which may solve the named problem.


Prenatal ethanol exposure (PAE) induces behavioral maladptations in offspring, including a deficit in memory formation which is part of the umbrella sign of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown that iron depletion exacerbates cognitive problems in offspring exposed to ethanol in utero and that PAE promotes dysregulation in brain iron homeostasis. However, the mechanisms underlying brain iron dysregulation and neuronal activity defects in adolescent offspring of PAE are unclear and poorly understand. Here, we used a PAE rat model to analyze messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of iron homeostasis genes such as transferrin receptor (TfR), divalent metal transporter (DMT1), ferroportin (FPN1), and ferritin (FT) in brain areas associated with memory formation such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral tegmental area, and hippocampus. Interestingly, we found that 21 day old PAE rats have higher mRNA expression of DMT1 in the PFC, and TfR in the hippocampus, compared to control animals. In contrast FPN has lower mRNA expression in the PFC, and FT and FPN1 have lower expression in the hippocampus. In agreement with these results, we found a 1.5–2 fold increase of TfR and DMT1 protein levels both in the hippocampus and the PFC. Additionally, using an electrophysiological approach, we found that in hippocampal slices from PAE rats, iron treatment decreased long-term potentiation (LTP), but not AMPAR basal transmission (AMPAR fEPSP). In contrast, in control slices Fe-NTA did not affect LTP but decreased significantly the AMPAR fEPSP. Meanwhile, iron chelation with deferiprone decreased AMPAR transmission in PAE and control slices and decreased LTP only in controls slices. These results suggest that PAE affects iron homeostasis of specific brain areas—PFC and hippocampus—which could be involved in maladaptive cognition observed in this animal model.


Background: The reported incidence of AF after CABG surgery varies from 20 to 40%, with the arrhythmia usually occurring between second and fourth postoperative days. Postoperative AF after CABG was associated with greater in-hospital mortality and worse survival at long-term follow-up. Therefore, intensive attention has focused on the prevention of AF in high-risk patients. Many perioperative factors have been suggested to increase the incidence of postoperative AF after conventional CABG. In this study we are trying to examine some of these risk factors as predictors for Post-operative AF in our patients. In this study, our aim was to identify the perioperative predictors of AF in our patients who underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. Methods: Our Patients were divided into two groups; Group A included patients who did not develop PO AF (168 patients) and Group B patients who developed PO AF (84 patients). Perioperative Data, including gender, age, demographic variables and postoperative morbidity and mortality were extracted from the medical records. Results: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 252 consecutive adult patients underwent CABG, in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The mean age for patients with PO AF was 65 years (P = .0001). Eight-three patients (49.4%) were diabetics in group A and 56 patients (66.7%) in group B (P= .0001). Patients who developed POAF had a lower ejection fraction (44.8 ± 5.7%) (P= .0001), diastolic dysfunction (P= .0001), Larger Left atrial volume (P= .0001). Bleeding requiring re-opening for exploration and Postoperative shock were identified as significant predictors for POAF. Multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio, ±95% CI, P value) was performed to identify the effect of age, preoperative heart rate, ejection fraction, postoperative bleeding, Shock, ventilator time, Sensitivity was 89.5%, specificity was 94.6%, positive predictive value was 89.5%, and negative predictive value was 94.6%. Conclusion: In our study, advanced age, enlarged LA volume, low ejection fraction, combined surgeries and prolonged ventilation time were found to be predictors of atrial fibrillations after coronary artery bypass grafting.