OBJECTIVE
The objective of this article is to summarize the physical principles, technology features, and first clinical applications of optical imaging techniques to the breast.

CONCLUSION
Light-breast tissue interaction is expressed as absorption and scattering coefficients, allowing image reconstruction based on endogenous or exogenous contrast. Diffuse optical spectroscopy and imaging, fluorescence molecular tomography, photoacoustic imaging, and multiparametric infrared imaging show potential for clinical application, especially for lesion characterization, estimation of cancer probability, and monitoring the effect of neoadjuvant therapy.


Summary
The influence of temperature (25, 30, 35 and 40 °C) and storage time (up to 62 or 104 days) on colour; hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) content; and diastase index (ID) of citrus, rosemary, eucalyptus, polyfloral and honeydew honey was evaluated. Decreases in luminosity, whiteness index, hue and chroma with the increase in temperature and storage time were observed to different extents depending on the botanical origin of the honey. At all temperatures, the highest values of chromatic parameters throughout the whole period of storage corresponded to citrus honey. Honeydew honey showed the lowest values and the fewest colour differences. Principal component analysis explained 89% of the variations. PC1 (73%) separated honey types at lower temperatures in terms of colour parameters. PC2 (16%) described variations in HMF and ID in relation to storage conditions. Honey type had a much greater influence on HMF, ID and colour than storage conditions. The evaluated postharvest treatments did not alter the characteristic colour of each type of honey as long as the commercial requirements for freshness parameters were met.


Diamond films are very desirable for application to SAW devices because of their high acoustic wave velocity, which allows the extending of the frequency limit of operation at a given interdigital transducer line-width resolution. Use of high-quality AlN as the piezoelectric layer in conjunction with diamond is also desirable because of its high SAW velocity - the highest among all piezoelectric materials - together with its excellent electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The problems arising in the growth of AlN films on diamond have prevented, until now, the use of this combination of materials. In this paper we present recent results on the growth of highly oriented, low-stressed AlN films on diamond. SAW propagation on AlN/diamond has been theoretically investigated together with electromechanical coupling for both the Rayleigh and the Sezawa modes. The theoretical calculations show that high SAW velocities are achievable with good coupling efficiencies. Under proper conditions very large piezoelectric couplings are predicted k/sup 2/ = 2.2 and 4% for the Rayleigh and the Sezawa wave, respectively comparable to those observed in strongly piezoelectric single crystals such as LiNbO/sub 3/, but with SAW velocities approximately two-fold higher. Experiments performed on AIN/diamond/Si SAW test devices have shown good agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions and demonstrate the feasibility of SAW devices based on this technology.


Five studies (N = 5,150) relying on an exhaustive procedure addressed whether volunteer bias (VB) exists in friendship research among emerging adults (EAs). Consistently, the studies showed that women are more willing than men to participate in research on same-sex best friendship (SSBF). Studies 2 through 5 showed that friendship duration is not related to volunteering. Studies 3 and 4 showed that the friendships of volunteers were higher in positive friendship experiences compared to nonvolunteers. Finally, Study 5 showed that a significant portion of nonvolunteers ended up participating in research on SSBF. VB in research on friendship is an artifact that presents a concern for the generalizability and validity of findings relative to the friendship experiences of EAs. Recruitment strategies that could alleviate this problem are discussed.


Because of the changing competitive environment, quality might have lost some of its luster and emphasis in business. The research question we aim to address in this paper is: Does quality still pay in the new competitive environment? Using replication research, we re-examine the impact of an effective total quality management (TQM) program on a firm's operating performance in the new competitive environment. We use publicly available data for award-winning firms and adopt several control-firm-selection approaches in our event study. Based on data from more than 500 firms, we find that over a 10-year period—6 years before to 3 years after winning their first quality award—firms in our sample perform significantly better than control groups in various operating performance measures. Not only do award-winning firms have better results after receiving awards, they also have superior performance records before the award. Our results suggest that quality is still critical to achieving long-term competitive advantages, and firms who continuously improve their quality continue to reap rewards by way of sales and financial performances exceeding those of their competitors.


The effects of feeding diets containing astaxanthin with different Z-isomer ratios to laying hens on egg qualities, such as astaxanthin concentration in egg yolk and yolk color, were investigated. As the astaxanthin source, a natural microorganism Paracoccus carotinifaciens was used. Astaxanthin with different Z-isomer ratios was prepared by thermal treatment with different conditions and then added to the basal diet at a final astaxanthin concentration of 8 mg/kg. We found that, as the Z-isomer ratios of astaxanthin in the diet increased, the astaxanthin concentration in egg yolk and the yolk color fan score also increased significantly. Importantly, feeding a 50.6% Z-isomer ratio diet increased astaxanthin concentration in egg yolk by approximately fivefold and the color fan score by approximately 2 compared to that in hens fed an all-E-isomer-rich diet. Moreover, we showed that feeding Z-isomer-rich astaxanthin to laying hens increased plasma astaxanthin concentration by more than five times in comparison to that in hens fed an all-E-isomer-rich diet. These results indicate that Z-isomers of astaxanthin have higher bioavailability than that of the all-E-isomer and thus they exhibit greater egg yolk-accumulation efficiency.


The New South Wales (NSW) Soil Knowledge Network (SKN) is a group of retired soil specialist volunteers, who strive to promote the importance of soils through knowledge and expertise. The Soil Knowledge Network is unique and represents a new direction in knowledge sharing using the passion of recently retired soil scientists to support new and early career soil scientists. The terms 'legacy science' and 'sharing legacy knowledge' are used here to describe SKN activities. This paper reflects on the progress of the SKN and assesses its positive impact on raising the awareness and understanding of soils using qualitative examples from workshops, a survey of soil team coaches at the 2018 National soil judging competition, and metrics from social media and online resources. SKN successes and learning experiences are discussed along with notions of trust, credibility and the importance of people in delivering positive outcomes.


Variations of stresses in cross-sections of a launching girder and a span at all stages of its longitudinal shifting are investigated in the paper.


The land use changes cannot be avoided in the development process. There are many conflict of interest between the utilization and the spatial planning document (called as RTRW) on it. This condition occurred in Bogor City. This study aims to determine the magnitude, distribution, and pattern of spatial changes, as well as its suitability to the RTRW. By using descriptive quantitative research methods, it is concluded that the rapid development that occurs in the city of Bogor does not have major implications for the mismatch level between land use and the RTRW of Bogor City. By using the descriptive quantitative research method, it is concluded that the rapid development that occurs in the Bogor City does not have major implications for the mismatch level between the land use utilization and the RTRW of Bogor City. This is indicated from: (1) the high rate of conversion on agricultural land to non-agricultural; (2) 43.57% of the Bogor City area is experienced changes in land use utilization; (3) the value on rate of change is 645,395 ha / year; (4) the growth pattern is concentric and along the way; and (5) 62.76% of the area shows compliance with the RTRW


Objective: To analyze the death attributable to smoking and impact of life expectancy in China in 2013. Methods: According to the characteristics of different diseases, we calculated the population attributable fractions of different diseases, death and impact of life expectancy which caused by smoking, using direct method (current smoking rate as exposure levels) and indirect method (smoking impact ratio as exposure levels), based on data from both programs of death surveillance and Chinese chronic disease risk factor surveillance of 2013. Results: In 2013, smoking caused around 1.59 million deaths which accounted for 17.38% of all deaths in China. Constituent ratio of death caused by smoking in males (23.66%) was much higher than that in females (8.30%). However, in urban areas (17.24%), it was slightly lower than that in rural areas (17.51%). Constituent ratio of death caused by smoking in the eastern regions appeared the lowest (16.81%), with western regions the highest (17.91%). In 2013, lung cancer, COPD and ischemia heart disease were the top three diseases causing deaths that related to smoking, but the top three population attributable fractions were lung cancer, COPD and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China. In 2013, smoking caused a reduction of 2.04 years of life expectancy loss in China, with males in the western regions the highest (3.05 years). Conclusion: Smoking is still an important public health problem in China. Tobacco-control-targeted programs in the heavily involved areas could reduce the number of deaths from related diseases that caused by smoking.


Abstract The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a variety of legal mechanisms for people to plan for periods of incapacity for decisions relating to personal care, medical treatment, and financial matters. Little research has however been done to determine the degree to which these are actually implemented, and the approach to such advance planning by service users and professionals. This paper looks at the use of advance planning by people with bipolar disorder, using qualitative and quantitative surveys both of people with bipolar disorder and psychiatrists. The study finds that the mechanisms are under-used in this group, despite official policy in support of them, largely because of a lack of knowledge about them among service users, and there is considerable confusion among service users and professionals alike as to how the mechanisms operate. Recording is at best inconsistent, raising questions as to whether the mechanisms will be followed.


A precise knowledge of the crystalline structure of a surface is one of the most important aspects required to understand its properties [1]. SXRD is one of the most powerful techniques sensitive to long-range order. A generalized use of SXRD as a standard technique has been hindered by several difficulties, one of them being the fact that if the surface structure is complex, with several different adsorption sites and a large unit cell, the process of fitting an SXRD dataset can be long and tedious. In this contribution we introduce the use of genetic algorithms [2] for the analysis of SXRD data, taking into account its specificities, and compare their features with other methods commonly used, like simulated annealing or Levenberg–Marquardt algorithms. We also present the analysis of the surface structure of Sn/Cu(100)-(3√2×√2)R45◦ using these methods. This structure has been analyzed in detail using dynamic LEED, so that the results of the use of a genetic algorithm can be compared easily to previous structural data. We find a good agreement between dynamic LEED results, and sometimes an almost exact coincidence, with most of the distances obtained in this work from SXRD and using the differential evolution algorithm for the optimization of the fit.


This study is to find out vitalization plan of rural village festival through field survey and in-depth interview. Festival vitalization plans were suggested for each of four steps. The results are as follows: (1) preparing stage : disambiguation of supporting festival, adjustment of selecting times & improvement of selecting index in supporting festival, support of planning & managing ability, and systematization of festival consulting team. (2) planning stage : supporting differentiated festival program development, and public relations of rural village festival. (3) operating stage : flexible utilization of supporting budget and systematization of festival supporters operation. (4) ending stage : holding a workshop to share successful festival cases.


Albumin and alpha-fetoprotein are evolutionarily related genes that show differential and complex patterns of regulation during development. We investigated the role of the sequences flanking the transcription initiation site of the rat alpha-fetoprotein gene in transient transfection assays of hepatic and nonhepatic cell lines. Chimeric flanking regions and deletion analysis have defined the following three functionally different regions: a cell type-specific enhancer(s), encompassing 3 kilobases, located between -7 kilobase pairs and -4 kilobase pairs; a cell type-specific promoter, inactive in the absence of an enhancer and comprising at most the 180 base pairs upstream from the site of transcription initiation; and a 550-base-pair region, located between the promoter and the enhancer (at -3.5 kilobases), down-regulates transcription initiation in a cell type-specific manner and is also capable of repressing heterologous promoters. The implications of these findings with respect to the complex pattern of AFP regulation are discussed.


Rapid access to low-cost local arenas to resolve conflicts among appropriators is one of the principles that characterise robust common-pool resource (CPR) institutions. In spite of this insight, we have little knowledge about how such institutions solved collective-action problems in early modern Scandinavia, when CPRs were an important part of production. Arenas to resolve conflicts among appropriators range from informal meetings among users to formal court cases. This paper focuses on local courts, rather than laws and by-laws, within the Scandinavian legal origin and how these courts developed as arenas for CPR conflict resolution. Court rulings from Leksand Parish in central Sweden were the backbone for this study. The results indicate that access to a low-cost arena was more important to the peasants than rapid access to the courts. Successful conflict resolution could take years to accomplish and it was more important for the court to embed their decisions in people's minds than to come to a quick resolution. Further, I demonstrate that the court laid the foundation for disputing parties to solve conflicts among themselves. Lay judges – peasants from the region – came to play an important role in conflict resolution. Thus, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the court played a central role in maintaining agricultural CPRs.


The G (VP7) and P (VP4) serotype distribution of Brazilian porcine rotaviruses was determined usingreverse transcription-PCR genotyping methods. Common porcine G types G3, G4, and G5 were detected incombination with P types [6] and [7]. The detection of nonporcine G types and unusual G-P combinations andthe characterization of an atypical virus indicated that interspecies transmission may contribute to the geneticdiversity of porcine rotaviruses.


RATIONALE: Postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (PHT) such as observed with mitral valve insufficiency (MVI) is associated with lung function impairment. We assessed airway resistance (Raw) and total respiratory elastance (Ers) before and after surgical repair of MVI in children to verify whether vascular engorgement is responsible for the increase in airway tone and stiffness of the respiratory tissues.

METHODS: The input impedance of the respiratory system during spontaneous breathing was measured in 16 children, aged 12.3±2.5 years (mean±SD), with congenital or post rheumatic mitral valve insufficiency preoperatively, and within 5 days and 3 weeks after mitral valve repair surgery. Raw was estimated by calculating the average resistance values between 4 and 26 Hz, while Ers was assessed from the respiratory reactance data by model fitting.

RESULTS: Raw decreased significantly 5 days after the surgery (5.5±1.6 to 4.3±1.0 cmH2O.s/l, p<0.001). It remained lowered 3 weeks later in 8 children (4.5±1.4 cmH2O.s/l, p=0.003). Conversely, Ers exhibited no significant changes postoperatively (70±10, 58±6 and 77±9 cmH2O/l, before and 5 and 21 days after the surgery, respectively, p=0.4)

CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing vascular engorgement after surgical reparation of MVI in children results in a fast and sustained improvement in airway function. The lack of concomitant beneficial changes in the Ers suggests that mechanical interdependence between the airways and pulmonary vasculature is responsible for this finding.

Supported by SNSF grant 3200B0-118231.


Various blood flow disturbances in intraabdominal digestive organs were studied clinically and experimentally from a viewpoint of vascular surgery. Acute gastric mucosal lesion may occur due to ischemia and reperfusion injury of the gastric mucosa. Bleeding from stomach ulcer may be rarely caused by consumption coagulopathy along with aortic aneurysm. Heparin therapy was successful to interrupt it. Gastrectomy is not indicated for such condition but aneurysm should be repaired. Portal vein reconstruction for the radical resection of hepatic, biliary and pancreatic cancers should be carefully made, because early or late stenosis occurs frequently, and they may connect to early or late morbidities or mortalities. On the other hand, resection and replacement of the suprarenal vena cava invaded by the retroperitoneal malignant tumor may be safely carried out. For the acute mesenteric arterial occlusion, early diagnosis and arterial reconstruction are essential to save catastrophe. Positive Doppler sound on the vasa recta seems to be the most reliable parameter for assessing bowel viability. Approach from the proximal large arteries is recommended for uncontrollable intraperitoneal bleeding.


CONTEXT
The current survey study investigated the recurrence rate of hyperprolactinemia after cabergoline (CAB)-induced pregnancy and after lactation as well as safety of CAB exposure during early gestation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
From 1997-2008, 143 pregnancies were recorded in 91 patients with hyperprolactinemia (age 30.4 ± 4.7 yr, 76 microadenomas, 10 macroadenomas, and five nontumoral hyperprolactinemia). CAB therapy was discontinued within wk 6 of gestation in all. Pregnancies were monitored until delivery or termination, during and after lactation, twice yearly up to 60 months. The incidence of abortions, premature delivery, and fetal malformations was also analyzed.

RESULTS
Pregnancies resulted in 13 (9.1%) spontaneous abortions and 126 (88.1%) live births. No neonatal malformations and/or abnormalities were recorded. In 29 of 91 patients (three with macroadenomas), treatment with CAB had to be restarted within 6 months after lactation because of hyperprolactinemia recurrence, whereas in 68% of cases, no additional therapy was required up to 60 months. No tumor mass enlargement was observed. All patients but three were breastfeeding, 35 (38.5%) for less than 2 months and 56 (61.5%) for 2-6 months. Three months after cessation of lactation and 60 months after pregnancy, no difference in prolactin levels was found between patients nursing for less than 2 months and 2-6 months.

CONCLUSIONS
Fetal exposure to CAB at conception does not induce any increased risk of miscarriage or malformations. Pregnancy is associated with normalization of prolactin levels in 68% of patients. Breastfeeding does not increase the recurrence rate of hyperprolactinemia.


This document includes the first English translation of Georg Trakl's recently discovered poem "Hölderlin," along with two commentaries on it. Moore's commentary highlights the significance of this poem for continental philosophy (especially Heidegger and Derrida) by focusing on the German word for madness, Wahnsinn, which Trakl (mis)spells with three n's. Moore argues that this word resists the sense of gentle gathering that Heidegger locates in Trakl's poetry and therefore in Hölderlin and his madness. Trakl is, rather, a precursor to Paul Celan. Moore's commentary concludes with a new translation of Celan's own poetic response to Hölderlin, titled "Tübingen, Jänner." Weichselbaum's commentary discusses the background for the genesis and discovery of Trakl's "Hölderlin." Weichselbaum compares this poem with other moments in which Trakl alludes to Hölderlin.


We propose some properties of fuzzy p-value and fuzzy significance level to the test statistics for the fuzzy hypotheses testing. Appling the principle of agreement index, we suggest two method for fuzzy hypothesis testing by fuzzy rejection region and fuzzy p-value with fuzzy hypothesis H f,0


Public health is the societal approach to protecting and promoting health. Public health ethics can be defined as the identification, analysis, and resolution of ethical problems arising in public health practice and research. The emerging interest in ethical issues in public health research and practice reflects both the important societal role of public health and the growing public interest in the scientific integrity of health information and the equitable distribution of health care resources. This article provides an overview of ethical issues in public health research for young researchers and readers who do not necessarily have an in-depth knowledge of public health ethics. A framework of ethics analysis geared specifically for public health is needed to provide practical guidance for public health professionals and researchers in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Medical Research Council is playing a role in setting a standard in the field of biomedical research including public health concerning its strategy and ethical issues and by helping different health institutes to build up a research environment. Though public policy is based on many factors in addition to public health goals and ethical reasoning, it should not lead to the politically preferable option for a given time. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v1i3.9630 Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(3): 15-21


ABSTRACT Purpose: To assess whether or not the numbers of goblet cells were different across regions of a conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) specimen. Methods: CIC specimens were obtained from the exposed nasal bulbar conjunctiva from 22 healthy young Caucasian adults, stained with Giemsa and evaluated at a final magnification of 200× (medium power fields). Up to 14 different non-overlapping microscope fields, depending on whether or not a field was without goblet cells, were randomly selected. Results: A microscope field could contain between 0 and 145 goblet cells. If only fields that included goblet cells were analyzed, the mean goblet cell counts (22 specimens, 10 fields/specimen) ranged from 37.8 to 44.8/field (equivalent to 259–313 goblet cells/mm2). When 3, 5 or 10 fields were used to calculate average goblet cell counts for each specimen, the standard deviation values were between 15.8/field and 21.7/field, with the lower values obtained if 10 fields were used. The resultant averaged inter-sample variability, as the coefficient of variation (COV), ranged from 40.0% to 57.5%, while the averaged intra-sample variability in counts ranged from 52.1% to 73.9%. If fields without goblet cells were also used, the resultant mean goblet cell count (from 10 fields/specimen) was statistically lower at 33.1/field (232 goblet cells/mm2). Conclusions: These analyses confirm various subjective comments made by early CIC investigators; the distribution of goblet cells across a CIC filter may be highly variable.


Schools often aim at creating opportunities for good life and at promoting a good society. Liberal theorization on schooling is premised on a functioning liberal democracy with a capitalist economy. However, postcolonial societies are characterized by poverty and inequality, cultural diversity, and an ongoing project of state and nation building. This challenges some of the foundational assumptions of liberal conceptions of schooling aimed at promoting good life and good society in postcolonial societies. Realization of good life through schools is shaped both by shaping of 'consciousness, identities, and desires' [Bernstein (2000, Pedagogy, symbolic control, and identity: Theory, research, critique, Lanhan, MD: Rowman & Littlefield)] and through imparting knowledge and skills that help realize these desires in particular contexts. These schooling practices have different influences on opportunities for good life in short, medium, and long terms in these societies. A conceptual model of schooling that addresses these complexities is key to understanding the processes that influence the opportunities for a pursuit of good life through schooling in postcolonial societies. Such a model could draw upon the existing theories of liberal schooling but would have to adapt them to respond to the contexts of postcolonial societies.


Nowadays, we are witnessing an increasing adoption of Deep Learning (DL) based software systems in many industries. Designing a DL program requires constructing a deep neural network (DNN) and then training it on a dataset. This process requires that developers make multiple architectural (e.g., type, size, number, and order of layers) and configuration (e.g., optimizer, regularization methods, and activation functions) choices that affect the quality of the DL models, and consequently software quality. An under-specified or poorly-designed DL model may train successfully but is likely to perform poorly when deployed in production. Design smells in DL programs are poor design and-or configuration decisions taken during the development of DL components, that are likely to have a negative impact on the performance (i.e., prediction accuracy) and then quality of DL based software systems. In this paper, we present a catalogue of 8 design smells for a popular DL architecture, namely deep Feedforward Neural Networks which is widely employed in industrial applications. The design smells were identified through a review of the existing literature on DL design and a manual inspection of 659 DL programs with performance issues and design inefficiencies. The smells are specified by describing their context, consequences, and recommended refactorings. To provide empirical evidence on the relevance and perceived impact of the proposed design smells, we conducted a survey with 81 DL developers. In general, the developers perceived the proposed design smells as reflective of design or implementation problems, with agreement levels varying between 47% and 68%.


An important historical monument of Cyprus is an aqueduct that was built in 1747 to provide water to the city of Larnaca and to its port. Because of its importance to the cultural heritage of Cyprus, the aqueduct has been selected as one of the case-study monuments in the project Wide-Range Non-Intrusive devices toward Conservation of Historical Monuments in the Mediterranean Area (WIND-CHIME). Detailed drawings of the aqueduct obtained from the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus have been used for the development of a computational model. The model was fine-tuned through the measurement of the dynamic characteristics of the aqueduct using forced and ambient vibrations. It should be noted that measurement of the dynamic characteristics of the structure were performed twice in a period of three years (June of 2004 and May of 2007). Significant differences were noted and they are attributed to soil structure interaction effects due to seasonal variations of the water-level in a nearby salt-lake. The system identification results for both cases are presented here. This monument was used to test the effectiveness of shape memory alloy (SMA) pre-stressed devices, which were developed during the course of the project, in protecting it without spoiling its monumental value.


Since the launch of the maiden altimetry satellites, altimetric data has enormously been used to better understand worldwide oceanic system and how it evolves at different temporal and spatial scales. The purpose of this study is to determine the mean dynamic topography (MDT) of the Peninsular Malaysian Seas covering the Malacca Strait and South China Sea using multi-missions satellite altimetry. The radar altimeter database system (RADS) was used to capture and process ENVISAT, CRYOSAT-2, SARAL, JASON-1 & JASON-2 satellite altimeter (SALT) data of five years spanning between 2011-2015. In the RADS processing, the 2016 upgraded geophysical and environmental corrections suitable for the Malaysian Seas were applied. The time series of monthly multi-mission SALT data showed estimated sea level trend of 3.6 mm/year, 1.0 mm/year, 2.4 mm/year, 12 mm/year and 2.4 mm/year at Cendering, Gelang, Port Kelang, Keling and Kukup respectively. The correlation analysis for the selected tide gauge stations produced satisfying results of R2 with 0.968, 0.856, 0.911 and 0.89 for Geting, Cendering, Gelang and Sedili respectively. The ITG-Grace2010s geoid model was used to compute the MDT and plotted to a grid of 0.25° for the Malacca Strait and South China Sea of Peninsular Malaysia with Geting, Johor Bahru, Port Kelang, Keling and Sedili tide gauge stations having values determined by interpolation to be 1.2633m, 2.9109m, 1.1863m, 1.1406m and 1.8818m respectively. From the SALT computed MDT with respect to Port Kelang, the north-south sea slope ranges between -0.64 to 0.29 m/50km and between -0.01 to 0.52 m/50km along the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia respectively. The computed SALT and Tidal MDTs were compared, resulting in centimeter differences at the selected tide gauge benchmarks, except at Johor Bahru having a difference of ~ 1.49m. The plotted grid of the derived MDT showed that the separation of the MSS and the ITGGrace2010s geoid is smoother at the Malacca Straits, while the magnitude is larger and more undulated at the South China Sea. The determined MDT showed the huge potential SALT has in helping to fully map, study and understand the marine topography and environment.


The PspA protein domain is found in all domains of life, highlighting its central role in Psp networks. To date, all insights into the core functions of Psp responses derive mainly from protein network blueprints representing only three bacterial phyla. ABSTRACT Maintaining cell envelope integrity is of vital importance for all microorganisms. Not surprisingly, evolution has shaped conserved protein protection networks that connect stress perception, transmembrane signal transduction, and mediation of cellular responses upon cell envelope stress. The phage shock protein (Psp) stress response is one such conserved protection network. Most knowledge about the Psp response derives from studies in the Gram-negative model bacterium Escherichia coli, where the Psp system consists of several well-defined protein components. Homologous systems were identified in representatives of the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. However, the Psp system distribution in the microbial world remains largely unknown. By carrying out a large-scale, unbiased comparative genomics analysis, we found components of the Psp system in many bacterial and archaeal phyla and describe that the predicted Psp systems deviate dramatically from the known prototypes. The core proteins PspA and PspC have been integrated into various (often phylum-specifically) conserved protein networks during evolution. Based on protein domain-based and gene neighborhood analyses of pspA and pspC homologs, we built a natural classification system for Psp networks in bacteria and archaea. We validate our approach by performing a comprehensive in vivo protein interaction study of Psp domains identified in the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis and found a strong interconnected protein network. Our study highlights the diversity of Psp domain organizations and potentially diverse functions across the plethora of the microbial landscape, thus laying the ground for studies beyond known Psp functions in underrepresented organisms. IMPORTANCE The PspA protein domain is found in all domains of life, highlighting its central role in Psp networks. To date, all insights into the core functions of Psp responses derive mainly from protein network blueprints representing only three bacterial phyla. Despite large overlaps in function and regulation, the evolutionary diversity of Psp networks remains largely elusive. Here, we present an unbiased protein domain- and genomic context-centered approach that describes and classifies Psp systems. Our results suggest so-far-unknown Psp-associated roles with other protein networks giving rise to new functions. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach by dissecting the Psp protein network present in Bacillus subtilis and demonstrate Psp domains working in concert with other cell envelope stress response systems. We find that the Psp-like protein universe reflects a surprising diversity within the bacterial and archaeal microbial world.


In this study we evaluated the prevalence of pathogens detected via quantitative PCR (qPCR) in milk from apparently healthy cows to identify the most common etiological agents present in Italian dairy farms. Milk samples were collected using a sterile protocol at quarter-level (3239 samples, 822 cows) and a conventional protocol at udder level as composite milk from the functional quarters of each cow (5464 samples, 5464 cows). The qPCR commercial kit detected Mycoplasma bovis, Mycoplasma spp., Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Prototheca spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterococcus spp. and Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis as well as DNA from the penicillin resistance β-lactamase gene from staphylococci. The prevalence of specific DNA was calculated based on its presence or absence in the samples, factoring in both the sampling protocols and herds. Regardless of the sampling protocol used, the most frequently detected pathogens were CNS (26.6% in sterile and 13.9% in conventional protocol) and Streptococcus uberis (9.6% and 16.5%, respectively). These results underscore the necessity for pathogen-specific interventions at the farm level to enhance the udder health of dairy cows via management recommendations.


Background: Mlati Subdistrict Sleman District was declared as a malaria endemic area in 2003, there was an increase in the number of cases to 310. Among these cases, 33.9% turned out to be of falciparum malaria type. Medical treatment has been administered to all cases; however, records indicated that 40.95% of the cases have exhibited signs of treatment failures as indicated by parasitaemia since the seventh to 28'h day of the treatment. Based on such evidences and to prevent future relapse, a study need to be performed to learn the factors which contribute to the failures in the treatment of falciparum malaria cases. Methods: Case-control design was employed in this investigation to research subjects which consists of all falciparum malaria cases who did not show any complications and who still underwent anti-malarial drug treatment, who have shown positive results in blood-slide tests during data collection in the period of November 2002 to April 2003. Control subjects consists of falciparum malaria cases without any signs of complications who have been completely cured at the same time (86 cases). The control-group was selected by matching their ages, sexes, residences, and also using a simple random sampling procedure. Factors investigated included: compliance to medication, means of taking medication, dosage accuracy, buying anti-malarial drug in stores or shops, previous history of anti-malarial medication and those who travel or stay in resistant areas. Data were collected through interviews and record tracking. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: Bivariate analyses concluded that those considered as the risk factors which contribute to failures of the treatment of falciparum malaria without complications were compliance to medication (OR: 10.9), means of taking medication (OR: 3.1), length of medication (OR: 4.5), dosage accuracy (OR: 5.8). Multivariate analyses concluded that compliance to medication (OR: 13.6) and previous history of anti-malaria medication (OR: 5.6) have contributed to the failures of treatment of falciparum malaria without complications. Recommendations: The knowledge on influencing factors and risk factors which contributed to failures of medical treatment can be considered by health institutions administering treatment of falciparum malaria with no complications to the designated procedures more intensively, to prevent an increase of medical failures. Improvement of the skill of health personnel who administer medical treatment in the provision of EIC to cases and their family members. There is a need to launch a more comprehensive study involving larger sample size and other variables or factors which were not covered in this investigation. Keywords: risk factors, treatment failures, falciparum malaria


Background: Primary neoplasms arising in both adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla are rare tumors. Adrenal cortical tumours may be functional or non-functional. They may be found incidentally at the time of autopsy. In many cases adrenal lesions are identified during a radiologic investigation conducted for indications other than an evaluation for adrenal disease. Adrenocortical tumours can be categorized into adenomas and carcinomas, but the distinction becomes difficult in many cases. Several parameters have been applied to establish malignancy in these tumours. Histopathology is still the gold standard in diagnosis of adrenal tumours. This is a retrospective study and was to study the incidence of tumours of adrenal cortex and to assess the role of histopathological criteria and utility of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis. Methods: Adrenal cortical tumors reported from August, 2008 to August, 2015 in the Department of Pathology, Guntur Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India are taken for the study. Clinical data including age, sex and symptoms at presentation, are retrieved from the archives. The resected specimens received from Government General Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India are routinely processed and multiple sections stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin are examined. Modified Weiss criteria are applied for all adrenal cortical tumors in the study. Immunohistochemistry is done in relevant cases for confirmation of diagnosis. Results: The observations in the study including clinical presentation, gross and histological features are tabulated. Conclusions: The study highlights the crucial role of histopathological parameters, especially Weiss criteria in identifying malignancy in tumours of adrenal cortex and importance of immunohistochemistry in differential diagnosis.


The presence of multiple websites offering similar services has changed the user outlook. The user now prefers to visit those sites, which are easy to use. Many different methods have been proposed to measure usability of a website. The quantitative methods focus on the performance measurement of the website whereas the qualitative methods estimate the user's opinion of a website. However none of these specify measurement of the human emotions; the emotional experiences of the user during the website visit. This emotional aspect plays a strong guiding force in the way a user uses the website. In this paper we propose a distinct measure, which combines the qualitative, quantitative factors referred in the literature with rarely mentioned factors such as trust and feature state. The measure thus obtained determines the usability of a website from the user view point .It can be employed to compare usability of different websites


Morgellons disease is a mysterious skin disorder that was first described over 300 years ago. The disease is characterized by fiber-like strands extruding from the skin in association with dermatologic and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms. Although Morgellons disease has been confused with delusional parasitosis, the occurrence of the disease in children, the lack of pre-existing psychopathology in most patients and the presence of subcutaneous fibers on skin biopsy indicate that the disease has a somatic origin. The association with Lyme disease and the apparent response to antibiotic therapy supports the concept that Morgellons disease may be triggered by an infectious process. Recent studies suggest that infection with Agrobacterium may play a role in the disease. Further clinical and molecular research is needed to unlock the mystery of Morgellons disease.


The study conceptualizes theoretical issues in relation to different motives of firms to manage published earning figures and therefore it empirically tests whether Sri Lankan companies manage or smooth their income figures shown in published accounts when periodic performances are unsatisfactory and below expectations. The sample comprises top 20 companies in terms of market capitalisation and other 30 companies randomly which represented all the business sectors as per CSE classification, except Oil Palm and Investment Trust sectors.Time horizon is six years from 2003/2004 to 2008/2009. The main methodology of data analysis is quantitative whereby three expectancy models namely random walk, random walk with drift (ex-ante) and random walk with drift (ex-post) and other two tests namely Profitability ratio and Smoothing test were carried out. Data required for the study was extracted from published financial statements. The results of the study reveal that most of the quoted companies do apply income management practices when preparing and presenting financial statement.However, smoothing test does not find any evidence to support that companies follow income smoothing practices to show fairly a stable and flattering income over time. The outcome of the research paves the way for future research in connection with behavioral issues and motives of management behind income  management  practices  and  why not smoothing. Key Words: Earnings Management, Income Smoothing, Financial Statements For full paper: email@example.com


This qualitative research was developed at Concordia, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, with 10 police officers. It aimed to analyze the conception of violence against women from their perspective. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview and analyzed with the Collective Subject Speech technique – DSC. The speeches expressed the reasons of violence, the participants' conception of it and why women do not denounce the aggressor. The alcohol, the male chauvinist culture and the non-execution of female obligations were pointed out as reasons to violence. Data analysis revealed that women do not denounce mainly because of financial dependence, fear of suffering more violence, for being ashamed and for hope in the partners' change of attitude. Family and violence still remain considered as private issues.


Cardinality estimation and tag authentication are two major issues in large-scale Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. While there exist both per-tag and probabilistic approaches for the cardinality estimation, the RFID-oriented authentication protocols are mainly per-tag based: the reader authenticates one tag at each time. For a batch of tags, current RFID systems have to identify them and then authenticate each tag sequentially, incurring large volume of authentication data and huge communication cost. We study the RFID batch authentication issue and propose the first probabilistic approach, termed as Single Echo based Batch Authentication (SEBA), to meet the requirement of prompt and reliable batch authentications in large scale RFID applications, e.g., the anti-counterfeiting solution. Without the need of identifying tags, SEBA provides a provable probabilistic guarantee that the percentage of potential counterfeit products is under the user-defined threshold. The experimental result demonstrates the effectiveness of SEBA in fast batch authentications and significant improvement compared to existing approaches.


As the diameter of an undirected double-loop network represents its maximum transmission delay of information, the average diameter of an undirected double-loop network represents its average transmission delay of information. However, up to now the diameter has been received much more emphasis than the average diameter. A method to calculate the diameter as well as the average diameter is proposed. It is found out that, (a) for some fixed there may exist several tight-optimal undirected double-loop networks, but their average diameters may not reach the same minimum value, (b) for some fixed N the average diameters of their tight-optimal undirected double-loop networks are not smaller than those of their 1-tight even 2-tight optimal undirected double-loop networks. These findings tell us that an undirected double-loop network may have an optimal diameter but has not an optimal average diameter, so not only the diameter but also the average diameter should be taken into account in designing an optimal double-loop network. An undirected double-loop network with an optimal diameter and an optimal average diameter is defined as a dual-optimal double-loop network.


Aptameric graphene-based field effect transistors (A-GFETs) always employ linkers, which could immobilize on graphene through π-π stacking between contained pyrenyl groups and graphene, to anchor aptamers. Aptamer density is closely associated with the A-GFET sensitivity and determined by the linker density. Using known linker immobilization methods, the linker density is random, uncontrollable and limited. In this work, we propose a novel linker immobilization method which can be used to effectively modulate the linker density using an electric field and further bridge the relationship between the linker density and the A-GFET sensitivity. Here, polar molecule 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (PASE) is used as a linker representative. In the electric field, PASE is arranged regularly with the electron-rich pyrenyl group forced towards graphene in the solution due to electrostatic repulsion, thereby making it possible to modulate the quantity of PASE molecules that could interact with graphene by tuning the electric field application and then realizing the regulation of the A-GFET sensitivity. Experimental results indicate that the limits of detection (LODs) of A-GFETs for detecting interleukin-6 (IL-6) and insulin can be significantly improved to be 618 fM and 766 fM respectively with applying electric field at -0.3V for 3h during PASE immobilization.


Reading competes with an increasing number of leisure activities like video games. Consequently, written language skills are receding. Thus, motivating people to read is a problem that seems well-suited to gamification (i.e., the use of game design to motivate people to read). To investigate ways in which to gamify reading, we conducted a survey pilot study about how adding game mechanics to reading would encourage people to read more. We investigated the social nature of people talking about reading and the process of recommending books. We interviewed a gender-balanced group of participants to obtain more information about their reading habits for leisure, work, or academia. Our results indicate that people are reading for self-improvement purposes and not primarily for social reasons.


Isostructurality between certain pairs of complexes A series of new half-sandwich Ru(II) complex salts of the general formula [(η6-arene)RuX(L)]PF6 (where arene = p-cymene, X = Br and L = N-tert-butyl-N-(pyridyl methylene) amine (1), N-isopropyl-2-pyridine carbaldimine (2), (2,5-dimethyl-phenyl)-pyridin-2-yl methylene amine (3), (3,5-dimethyl-phenyl)-pyridin-2-yl methylene (4) and arene = C6H6, X = I, L = (4-bromo-phenyl)-pyridin-2-yl methylene (5) have been synthesized by reacting the ruthenium arene precursors [(η6-arene)Ru(μ-X)X]2 with N,N-bidentate ligands in a 1:2 ratio. Full characterization of the complexes was accomplished using 1H and 13C NMR, elemental analyses, UV-Vis, IR and X-ray structures of all the complexes 1 - 5. The crystal structures reveal that the ruthenium centers in 1 - 5 are coordinated to the N,N-bidentate ligand in a bidentate manner, to the respective halide and to the arene ring. The whole arrangement is referred to as the three-legged piano stool, in which the N,N-bidentate ligand and the halide (Br or I) serve as the base, while the arene ring serves as the apex of the stool. A comparison to related structures from the CSD reveal isostructurality amongst certain pairs of complexes.


Basic tendencies in the emergency surgical measures in case of acute diseases of the abdominal cavity organs within 2019-2021 are discussed in the study. The purpose of the study is establishment of main risk factors of pre-hospital mortality development due to complications of acute surgical diseases of the abdominal organs (ASDAO), effectiveness of primary prevention improvement, its diagnosis and management using innovative technologies. Methods of the study. A comparative analysis of the indicators covering 4 city health care centers where more than 90% of emergency surgeries are performed in case of acute diseases of the abdominal cavity organs of adult population in case of some disease entities combined by the general concept "acute abdomen". Main risk factors of acute surgical pathologies of the abdominal cavity organs development are low responsibility of people for preservation of their health, nonobservance of dietary pattern, eating of badly digestible food, alcoholic beverages, hypodynamia, absence of regular medical check-up of the patients with chronic pathologies of digestive tract, planned hospital admission and surgical treatment of the patients with ASDAO. The use of audio and video technologies during the medical examination of the abdominal patients has increased for 2019-2022 from 65.43% to 81.31%, a number of patients subject to qualitative planned screening examinations has increased by15.21%, timeliness of medical-preventive activities has been increased by 11.16%, level of planned laboratory-instrumental examination techniques has been grown by 17.72% resulting in increase of share of the patients (11.16%) who were surgically treated on time. Improvement of quality of the periodic health examination of the patients with chronic pathologies of the abdominal cavity organs promoted reduction in the burden of acute appendicitis by 1.19% 0 , acute pancreatitis by 0.79% 0 , acute cholecystitis by 0.67% 0 , gastroduodenal ulcer by 0.48% 0 .


It follows from generalities of quadratic forms that the spinor class of the integral trace of a number field determines the signature and the discriminant of the field. In this paper we define a family of number fields, that contains among others all odd degree Galois tame number fields, for which the converse is true. In other words, for a number field K in such family we prove that the spinor class of the integral trace carries no more information about K than the discriminant and the signature do.


The optimal treatments for relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) remain equivocal. We conducted a phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a sequential treatment consisting of induction and consolidation with arsenic trioxide (ATO), peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvest after high-dose cytarabine chemotherapy, and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Between 2005 and 2009, 35 patients (26 with hematologic and 9 with molecular relapse) were enrolled. Induction therapy resulted in complete remission in 81% of those with hematologic relapse, and most patients became negative for PML-RARα after the first ATO consolidation course, but 4 remained positive. Administration of the second ATO consolidation course further decreased the transcript levels in 3 patients. In total, 25 patients proceeded to PBSC harvest, all of whom successfully achieved the target CD34+ cell doses, and 23 underwent autologous HCT with PML-RARα-negative PBSC graft. Posttransplant relapse occurred in 3 patients, and there was no transplant-related mortality. With a median follow-up of 4.9 years, the 5-year event-free and overall survival rates were 65% and 77%, respectively. These findings demonstrate the outstanding efficacy and feasibility of the sequential treatment featuring ATO and autologous HCT for relapsed APL. This study was registered at http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ as #C000000302.


The literature on the clinical interview and clinical judgement has generally tended to ignore relevant research in social psychology. It is argued that the basic psychological processes involved in clinical judgement can be compared with those involved in everyday social judgement. This review summarises evidence on the sophistication and complexity of clinical judgement and on the likely impact on it of a number of factors: the judge's personality, the stimulus background, institutional norms, objectives in the interview, and the interaction process as influenced by situational factors. It is suggested that a model of clinical judgement is required that can encompass, interpret and find value in the artifacts of the clinician's situation.


Cancers are genetic diseases, driven by somatic mutations that perturb cellular signaling systems. In this study, we aim to reveal the signal transduction pathways that are perturbed by mutations in ovarian cancer. Our approach searches for genetic mutations that lead to a common cellular response, e.g., differential expression of a set of functional related genes. To this end, we first developed a knowledge mining approach to identify functional expression modules; we then developed a graph-based data mining approach to identify mutations that are highly related to the functional modules, as a means to re-constitute signal pathways. Our results indicate that unification of knowledge mining with data mining significantly enhance identification of potential signaling pathways in ovarian cancers.


The Hip resurfacing prosthesis is subjected to different stresses resulting from the different positions of the human walk, thereby generating dynamic stresses that vary with time, leading the implant material to fatigue failure. It is important to study the fatigue behavior of the prosthesis material and to ensure its long lifetime. We proposed a new composite material named CF/PA12 composed of carbon fibers with a polyamide 12 resin, whose biocompatibility had been demonstrated in laboratories. In this study, we investigated the static and dynamic behavior at different Gait cycle positions of a Hip resurfacing prosthesis entirely made of new CF/PA12 composite. A fatigue behavior will be deducted by a Finite Element Analysis using the commercial SolidWorks software compatible with the Abaqus finite element code. Static and dynamic analysis were conducted considering normal walking and climbing stairs loading at different Gait cycle percentages of 2, 13, 19, 50 and 63%. The results obtained showed that Hip resurfacing prosthesis fully made of new CF/PA12 composite was very far from fatigue and therefore from failure.


Abstract The article covers journalism-related crimes as a relatively distinct category of offences. The importance and purpose of isolating the concept of journalistic criminality under conditions of globalization in the modern theory of legal thought, the rapid development of the information society, and the embodied increase of the role of information and knowledge in human life are emphasized. Attention is paid to the factors affecting the dynamics and development of crimes in the area of professional activities of journalists, which primarily includes the environment of hybrid war. The destructive impact of the social consequences of journalistic crimes on society is evident in the case of Ukraine, which has suffered in the past and to this day experiences the latest information manifestations of hybrid war. The proposition to criminalize the intentional spreading of false information in the media by journalists is discussed. The reasons, basis and conditions for such criminalization are analysed. The existence of criminalization grounds for such an offence is substantiated in the article. However, conclusions are drawn on the inappropriateness of such criminalization due to its non-correspondence with certain conditions associated with difficulties in adjudication and with the problem of proving this type of behaviour. Other means of counteracting the deliberate dissemination of false information are considered.


Social and environmental reporting (SER) in the public sector has been widelydiscussed in the last years (Gray et al., 1996; Mathews, 1997; Parker 2005; Guthrieand Abeysekera, 2006; Guarini, 2002; Hinna 2004; Marcuccio and Steccolini,2005). However, despite the interest in this area of research, there are still a numberof calls to deepen the study of SER in the public sector (Lewis, 2008; Grubnikand Ball, 2007). In Italy, the literature shows the risk of adopting SER as a managementfashion, more than a conscious process of organizational change (Marcuccioand Steccolini, 2005). This paper investigates about the reasons for theadoption and eventual abandonment of SER by local government in Italy.


Purpose: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interleukin 28B (IL28B) locus have recently been shown to be associated with antiviral treatment efficacy for chronic hepatitis C (CH-C). However, such an association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Here, we investigated the association between the IL28B genotype and the biology and clinical outcome of HCC patients receiving curative treatment. Experimental Design: Genotyping of 183 HCC patients with CH-C who were treated with hepatic resection or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was carried out, and the results were analyzed to determine the association between the IL28B genotype (rs8099917) and clinical outcome. Gene expression profiles of 20 HCC patients and another series of 91 CH-C patients were analyzed using microarray analysis and gene set enrichment analysis. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were also performed. Results: The TT, TG and GG proportions of the rs8099917 genotype were 67.8% (124/183), 30.6% (56/183) and 1.6% (3/183), respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis demonstrated that the IL28B TT genotype was significantly associated with HCC recurrence (p = 0.007; hazard ratio, 2.674; 95% CI, 1.16-2.63). Microarray analysis showed high expression levels of interferon-stimulated genes in background liver samples and immune-related genes in tumor tissues of the IL28B TG/GG genotype. Histological findings showed that more lymphocytes infiltrated into tumor tissues in the TG/GG genotype. Conclusions: The IL28B genotype is associated with HCC recurrence, gene expression and histological findings in patients with CH-C. Research. on November 1, 2017. © 2013 American Association for Cancer clincancerres.aacrjournals.org Downloaded from Author manuscripts have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but have not yet been edited. Author Manuscript Published OnlineFirst on February 20, 2013; DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-12-1641


The morphology of the adrenal gland and relationships between noradrenalin (NA) and adrenalin (A) cells were studied in selected species of the genus Podarcis. As in other previously-studied genera, the morphology of the adrenal gland is not homogeneous, and the species examined can be divided into two groups according to the relationship between chromaffin and steroidogenic tissue. Podarcis taurica and P. hispanica, in which the two tissues are strongly separated, belong to one group. P. wagleriana, P. muralis, P. sicula, P. pelofionnesiaca and P. melisellensis belong to a second group in which dorsal chromaffin ribbons send digitations between the steroidogenic cords. The NA/A cell ratio is higher in species of the first group than in those of the second.


Background and Objectives: Owing to the high prevalence of osteoporosis and falls, elderly people are at risk of developing hip fractures. The objective of the current study is to assess the quality-of-life (QOL) of elderly (>60 years) with untreated hip fractures in a rural developmental block in Southern India. Methodology: Twenty-one elderly with an untreated fracture neck of femur were identified with the help of community level health workers. EuroQol (EQ-5D) was administered to assess the QOL before and after the event. QOL was also assessed among a comparison group, matched for age and sex among neighborhood people. Wilcoxon signed rank test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare EQ-5D mean scores with before the event scores and the comparison group scores respectively. Results: Of people with hip fracture, 57.1% (12/21), 76.2% (16/21), 81% (17/21), 52.6% (11/21) and 85.7% (18/21) reported severe problems with mobility, pain, usual activity, self-care and anxiety respectively. The EQ-5D mean score among the elderly with fracture neck of the femur was 0.08 (SD 0.27). It was low when compared with the same subjects before the occurrence of the event (Z −4.05, P < 0.001) and as compared with the comparison group (Z −5.77 P < 0.001). Conclusion: The QOL scores assessed using EQ-5D index scores was poor among people with untreated fracture neck of the femur as compared with the comparison group and also as compared to their status before the occurrence of the event. A vast majority of study participants reported severe problems with mobility, pain, usual activity and self-care and anxiety domains of EQ-5D questionnaire.


In the study, the bioactive, physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of koruk juice and dried koruk pomace were investigated. The total phenolic contents of koruk juice and pomace were determined as 1119.670 and 1182.170 mg GAE/L, respectively. Higher DPPH radical scavenging activity found in koruk pomace, which was consistent with total phenolic contents. Organic acid, total sugar and ascorbic acid contents of koruk juice (3.44%, 4.737 g/L and 2.559 mg/100 mL) were higher than koruk pomace (0.19%, 0.866 g/L and 0.242 mg/100 mL). The counts of Total Psychrophilic Aerobic Bacteria and mold-yeast in pomace were determined as 0.694 and 1.016 log CFU/g, respectively, while no growth was observed in koruk juice. Koruk juice and pomace indicated antimicrobial effect on all test microorganisms in the range of 31.3-500.0 µg/mL (Minimum Inhibition Concentration). The most sensitive bacteria to koruk juice were Bacillus cereus, while Pediococcus acidilactici was the most sensitive one to koruk pomace. Koruk juice also showed bactericidal effect on all test cultures at concentration ranging between 250.0 and 500.0 µg/mL (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration), koruk pomace was not showed bactericidal effect on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, E. coli and B. cereus. This study demonstrated that the koruk products could be used in food applications as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial substance.


Nearly 63 percent of the nation's high-level nuclear waste has accumulated at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State. This accumulation is due to defense materials production activities in the various processing facilities over the past 45 yr. The Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) is being developed to process the high-level waste fraction of the Hanford Site tank wastes into canisters of vitrified (borosilicate) glass. Storage of the filled canister will be provided for eventual shipment to a federal geologic repository. The Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford), a prime operating contractor for the DOE, has the lead responsibility for the successful completion and operation of the HWVP. Fluor Daniel, Inc. is the architect engineer with responsibility for facility and equipment specification and design. The general construction contractor is United Engineers and Constructors-Catalytic, Inc., which has the responsibility for all facility construction and equipment procurement. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the DOE, is responsible for glass development technology. 2 refs., 3 figs.


ABSTRACT In neoliberalising universities, collegial and collective practices such as reading groups are often positioned by students, staff and managers as less important than meeting individual KPIs (such as producing research publications, seeking research grants, or meeting the increasing demands of producing quality teaching outcomes.) However, reading groups can be vital for cultivating caring collectives and spaces of collegiality. In this paper we use assemblage thinking to explore 25 years of a Geography reading group at the University of Newcastle. The paper addresses two questions: what does reading together do and make possible; and how might we think about the labours of reading together as a way of building caring collectives. The paper draws on reflections from 24 past and present members of reading group to explore how these kinds of academic practices nourish our working lives.


Stable Wave Detector (SWD) is a new multiscale landmark detector in the intensity image. The target landmarks are blobs which correspond to local maxima/minima of intensity (positive and negative peaks). SWD belongs to a group of interestpoint-like operators aiming at detecting repeatedly distinguished entities without considering their semantics. SWD is practically motivated by a 3D natural scene reconstruction task from a videosequence captured by a low cost stereo camera rig. Precision, robustness and speed are main issues. The detector is based on the phase of the first harmonic wave in the moving window. The localization is a result of an integral transformation rather than a derivative. Thus, the blob detector is inherently robust to noise and blur in the image. The SWD provides subpixel localization of blobs together with the estimate of its precision, the measure of the strength/significance and the estimate of the size/scale for each blob. Detected blobs are further hierarchically decomposed according to scale. Blobs at each hierarchy level have some minimal distance given by the period of the detector. Both grouping of landmarks and their minimal mutual distance can facilitate matching of corresponding scene points.


Successful parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism has traditionally consisted of bilateral neck exploration with identification of all parathyroid glands and excision of grossly abnormal glands. Recently it has been reported that preoperative localization combined with intraoperative monitoring of parathyroid hormone enables performing directed unilateral cervical explorations while maintaining similar cure rates. This new surgical approach, feasible under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, decreases operative time, improves cosmetic results and may reduce morbidity. We report preliminary results of our experience in implementing this method.


A case of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) with pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum was presented. A 52-year-old male was admitted with the complaint of cough, fever and dyspnea. Chest roentgenogram revealed bilateral reticulonodular shadow and right pneumothorax. Radiological, laboratory and clinical findings were consistent with the diagnosis of acute exacerbation of IIP. Repeated chest CTs showed diffuse interstitial opacities and the presence of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. Furthermore, honeycombing and bullous change progressed markedly for two months. The mechanisms of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum were speculated to be due to the rupture of those cystic lesions which had grown rapidly on follow-up CTs. It was suggested that the formation of honeycombing occurred within a few months and the increasing of honeycombing might be accompanied by so-called acute exacerbation of IIP. We propose that follow-up CTs were useful for the chronological study for interstitial lesions of IIP.


The holonomy of the ambient metrics of Nurowski's conformal structures associated to generic real-analytic 2-plane fields on 5-manifolds is investigated. It is shown that the holonomy is always contained in the split real form G_2 of the exceptional Lie group, and is equal to G_2 for an open dense set of 2-plane fields given by explicit conditions. In particular, this gives an infinite-dimensional family of metrics of holonomy equal to split G_2. These results generalize work of Leistner-Nurowski. The inclusion of the holonomy in G_2 is established by proving an ambient extension theorem for parallel tractors for conformal structures in general signature and dimension, which is expected to be of independent interest. Parallel extension beyond the critical order in even dimensions is considered in certain cases.


an Integrated Perspective on Social Movements and Revolution." in Comparative Politics: Rationality, Culture, and Structure. Mark I. Lichbach and Alan S. Zuckerman, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pierson, Paul. 2004. Politics in Time. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Rigby, Steve H. 1995. "Historical Causation: Is One Thing More Important Than Another?" History 80:259 (June), 227-42.


Peripheral neuropathies, as the result of nerve damage, are characterized by pain, numbness, and tingling in the extremities and slow nerve conduction. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a major dose-limiting side effect of many other commonly used chemotherapeutic agents, including platinum drugs, taxanes, epothilones and vinca alkaloids, but also newer agents such as bortezomib.
Bortezomib (VELCADE) is a boronic acid dipeptide, which causes a selective blockade of proteasome activity. Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy is an important clinical complication, often difficult to manage or reverse, whose treatment usually involves dose reduction, interruption, or cessation of therapy. Though many animal models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy have been designed, knowledge concerning the mechanisms that may underlie neurochemical changes accompanying the onset of bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy is still poor. In this study, to analyze the possible neurochemical changes occurring in primary sensory neurons, the effects of a single-dose intravenous administration and a well-established "chronic" schedule (three times/week for 8 weeks) in a rat model of bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy have been examined.
The transient.receptor.potential.vanilloid.type.1 (TRPV1) channel and sensory neuropeptides calcitonin.gene-related.peptide (CGRP) and substance.P (SP) were studied in L4-L5 dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), spinal cord and sciatic nerve using western blot (WB), immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Behavioral measures, performed at the end of the chronic bortezomib-treatment, confirmed a reduction of the mechanical nociceptive threshold, whereas no difference occurred in the thermal withdrawal latency. In the DRGs, TRPV1-, CGRP- and SP-immunoreactive neurons were mostly small- and medium-sized and the proportion of TRPV1- and CGRP-labeled neurons increased after treatment. A bortezomib-induced increase in density of TRPV1- and CGRP-immunoreactive innervation in the dorsal horn was also observed. WB analysis showed a relative increase of TRPV1 in DRG and spinal cord after both acute and chronic bortezomib-administration. Comparative RT-PCR revealed a decrease of TRPV1 and CGRP mRNA relative levels after chronic treatment. The characterization of this animal model of peripheral neuropathy suggests that the neurochemical changes occurring in populations of DRG neurons that are likely involved in pain transmission appear to be an important component of the sensory neuropathy induced by the bortezomib-treatment and may represent the outcome of the molecular machine activated by the drug during the onset and persistence of bortezomib-induced neuropathic pain.


Modern Enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges in every aspect of their businesses: from marketing research, invention of products, prototyping, production, sales to billing. Innovation is the key to enhancing enterprise performances and knowledge is the main driving force in creating innovation. The identification and effective management of valuable knowledge, however, remains an illusive topic. Knowledge management (KM) techniques, such as enterprise process modelling, have long been recognised for their value and practiced as part of normal business. There are plentiful of KM techniques. However, what is still lacking is a holistic KM approach that enables one to fully connect KM efforts with existing business knowledge and practices already in IT systems, such as organisational memories. To address this problem, we present an integrated three-dimensional KM approach that supports innovative semantics technologies. Its automated formal methods allow us to tap into modern business practices and capitalise on existing knowledge. It closes the knowledge management cycle with user feedback loops. Since we are making use of reliable existing knowledge and methods, new knowledge can be extracted with less effort comparing with another method where new information has to be created from scratch.


U.S. Nonproliferation Strategy for the Changing Middle East, available for download above, is a 154-page book which provides rigorous analysis and specific recommendations for how to improve U.S. efforts to stop the proliferation (spread) of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical and biological) in the Middle East (defined to include North Africa). Published on January 14, 2013, the book was co-authored -- in their personal capacities -- by David Albright, President of the Institute for Science and International Security; Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Orde Kittrie, Professor of Law at Arizona State University; Leonard Spector, Deputy Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; and Michael Yaffe, Professor at the National Defense University. The book received coverage from over one hundred media outlets worldwide including outlets in the following 30 countries: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Many of the book's recommendations called for specific changes to U.S. and international law. Several of the recommended changes to U.S. law have already been adopted into Congressional legislation. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), in her Congressional Record statement introducing S. 1021, the "Next Generation Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 2013," graciously offered "special thanks to the Co-Chairs of the Project on U.S. Middle East Nonproliferation Strategy, including David Albright, Mark Dubowitz, Orde Kittrie, Leonard Spector and Michael Yaffe, whose report, 'U.S. Nonproliferation Strategy for the Changing Middle East,' served as the inspiration for this legislation." Senator Shaheen's bill was signed into law on December 26, 2013 as Section 1304 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. In addition, several of the book's recommendations on sanctions were adopted in the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013, which unanimously passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on May 22, 2013. The book contains rigorous analysis and dozens of specific recommendations arranged in chapters focused on: 1) preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, 2) stopping potential proliferation by countries (other than Iran) in the changing Middle East, 3) preventing potential proliferation by Middle Eastern terrorists, 4) improving cooperative nonproliferation programs applicable to the Middle East, and 5) enhancing U.S. collaboration with Europe to prevent proliferation in the Middle East. The non-partisan Project on U.S. Middle East Nonproliferation Strategy, which issued the book, is co-chaired by the book's co-authors -- Albright, Dubowitz, Kittrie, Spector, and Yaffe. The Project convened five not-for-attribution roundtables in 2012 at which leading experts from the U.S. government, think tanks, and academia discussed how to more effectively address Middle East nonproliferation challenges and opportunities in light of regional developments including Iran's advancing nuclear program, the turmoil in Syria (with its massive chemical arsenal), the replacement of an Egyptian government which had rejected a nuclear option, and the rise of inexperienced and Islamist parties in Egypt and elsewhere. Many of the book's recommendations were drawn from or inspired by the roundtable discussions. However, they are attributable only to the Project co-chairs, in their personal capacities.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral maturation in preterm infants predominantly occurs postnatally, necessitating the development of objective bedside markers to monitor this process. This study aimed to develop a straightforward objective Ultrasound Score of Brain Development to assess cortical development in preterm infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 344 serial ultrasound examinations from 94 preterm infants born at ≤ 32 weeks of gestation were analyzed to identify brain structures suitable for a scoring system. RESULTS: Among 11 candidate structures, 3 cerebral landmarks were selected due to their correlation with gestational age: the interopercular opening (P < .001), the height of the insular cortex (P < .001), and the depth of the cingulate sulcus (P < .001). These structures can be easily visualized in a single midcoronal view in the plane through the third ventricle and the foramina of Monro. A score point from 0 to 2 was assigned to each measurement, culminating in a total score ranging from 0 to 6. The Ultrasound Score of Brain Development correlated significantly with gestational age (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed Ultrasound Score of Brain Development has the potential for application as an objective indicator of brain maturation in correlation with gestational age, circumventing the need to rely on individual growth trajectories and percentiles for each specific structure.


Empowerment and participation are promoted as critical factors in meaningful development processes; however, action-oriented researchers face challenges in fostering genuine empowerment and meaningful participation within traditional funding cycles and research timelines. This case study illustrates a participatory methodology employed by researchers in partnership with one Honduran non-governmental organization (NGO) to conduct 'practical' participatory evaluation with rural Honduran youth. Through collaborative autoethnography, two components of this methodology are identified and described. The first component – 'foundational elements'- includes the NGO's culture of transformative participation and the organization's attention to synergies in the insider/outsider identities of research partners. The second component includes the ability of the research team to leverage this foundation for the participatory evaluation with rural youth. Importantly, this ability was grounded in and shaped by long-term, trust-based relationships between research partners. These relationships were the catalyst for success in this participatory initiative, connecting the 'foundational elements' identified to the collaborative outcomes experienced. Overall, this case study contributes to current and ongoing scholarly discussions on how to facilitate meaningful participation and capability expansion in research and evaluation contexts.


This article analyzed the weight of land in the economic performance of the primary livestock production sector, using the policy analysis matrix (PAM). The financial cost of the assets immobilized with the land factor was considered through its opportunity cost (OC). The study considered four alternatives to measure the OC: (a) a unique value given by a low-risk interest rate; (b) differential value, using rent value for the land exploited in such regime and a low-risk interest rate for the land owned by the producer; (c) differential value, using the same average value of rent for the land exploited in the scheme and zero-rate for the rest of the land; (d) unique zero-rate value for the whole land. The results suggest that, in general, Uruguayan livestock producers do not consider a OC for the land when assessing the profitability of their activity. For them, the land is a long-term safe investment, devoid of risk. In order to capture the true rationality of the livestock producer it would be advisable to consider the OC only when the producer actually leases the land and pays a rent. In principle, for owned land, it would be better considering a zero rate OC.


The present study reports a facile synthetic route for thin film formation of a self-standing 1-D structured array of cobalt hexacyanoferrate crystals using an aqueous solution based ion exchange transformation approach. For this, the cobalt hydroxycarbonate 1-D structured array film was used as a sacrificial precursor template for the ion exchange reaction in aqueous K3[Fe(CN)6] solution. By controlling the reaction, 1-D structured array film, or particulate structured film of the cobalt hexacyanoferrate crystals could be obtained, which thus offered possibilities on morphology-dependent property engineering. The films before and after the ion exchange reaction were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Further, electrochemical study of the films was performed using voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The study reveals the morphology-dependent electrocatalytic property of the cobalt hexacyanoferrate crystal film on water-oxidation. The 1-D structured array film of the cobalt hexacyanoferrate crystals has demonstrated superior electrocatalytic performance on water-oxidation from alkaline and neutral electrolytes, which is competitive to the catalytic performance demonstrated by many outstanding water-oxidation catalysts.


We have developed a new strategy with a very tight control for the expression of cloned genes. The system employed here is the T7 promoter-based expression system in which transcription activator protein C of bacteriophage Mu (Mu C) has been cloned to serve as a repressor in the regulatory circuit. The system also includes pLysE, which encodes T7 lysozyme, an inhibitor of T7 RNA polymerase. This ensures tight regulation of cloned genes in the uninduced state. Upon induction, the expressed Mu C protein binds to its cognate site thereby repressing lys transcription driven by the tet promoter. In order to evaluate the tight control achieved in the system, and to check leaky expression, if any, we have cloned the gene for the SmaI restriction endonuclease without its cognate methylase. For this purpose, a dicistronic unit was constructed by cloning the smaIR gene downstream of the Mu C gene. SmaI expression was observed only in the induced cell extracts, demonstrating a tight control. The system could be used to express the genes of other cloned restriction enzymes and has the potential for general applications.


Abstract:Few contemporary artists channel the utopian impulses of the nonhuman turn with more creative energy than Neko Case. In her work, the untraceable movements of poisonous gases, the uncanny desires of tornadoes, and the recalcitrant withdrawal of subatomic particles envision an array of transits, elusions, and exit strategies so often denied to the subjects whose bodies, trajectories, and affective lives are policed by the regulatory cultural and institutional forces endemic to heteronormative biocapitalism, particularly poor and marginalized women. Drawing on recent scholarship in feminist new materialism as well as its critics, this essay considers the implications of these imaginings. On the one hand, the modes of agency that Case's songs invoke frequently entail a circumvention or suppression of specific political interests, making them susceptible to antifeminist and settler-colonialist appropriations; on the other hand, her work potentially offers a vision of the political that refuses to take human action as the inevitable starting point for its theories of power and domination, an increasingly urgent task in an age of ecological catastrophe, when the lives of earth's most vulnerable gendered and racialized subjects are irreducibly enmeshed in precarious planetary networks of biodependencies that include the actions of microbes, tornadoes, and atoms alike. In Case's most original compositions, a reductionist materialism attendant to the agency of the nonhuman complements rather than forecloses an older materialist tradition insistent on antagonism between conflicting interest groups as the motor engine of history and the social.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of resveratrol on serum and liver lipids in C57BL/6J mice.

METHODS
30 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the following three groups: control group given a normal diet, high-fat diet group and resveratrol group (22.5 mg/kg BW) were given high fat diet. the resveratrol were dissolved in 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and were given to the Resveratrol group by intragastric administration. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the levels of TG and TC in liver, and the pathological changes of liver were measured after the treatment lasted for 8 weeks.

RESULTS
The serum TC, LDL-C, HDL-C levels of high-fat diet and resveratrol groups were higher than those of control group (P < 0.05), and the serum TC and LDL-C levels of high-fat diet were also higher than those of resveratrol group (P < 0. 05). But the serum TG levels of high-fat diet and resveratrol groups were lower than those of control group (P < 0.05). The TC content of liver in high-fat diet group were higher than those of control and resveratrol groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The TC content in C57BL/6J mice can be decreased by resveratrol (22.5 mg/kg BW).


OBJECTIVE: To survey and objectively evaluate the present situation and trend of the usages of the prescription drugs and over the counter( OTC) drugs. METHODS: To make a survey of the usage for above - mentioned drugs in 51 hospitals of 4 provinces in southwest China during the period 1999- 2000 concerning the sum of money for drugs, main kinds of drugs etc. . RESULTS: The sum of money for the prescription drugs and OTC drugs increased 55% and 33% in 2000 compared with those in 1999, respectively.The sums of money for OTC drugs accounted for 2.18% and 2.56% of those of the prescription drugs in 2000 and in 1999,respectively.CONCLUSION:The sums of money for the prescription drugs and OTC drugs increased rapidly ,but total sale of OTC drugs was very low compared with that of the prescription drugs.


In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of a refined one-dimensional (1D) optical proximity correction (OPC) method incorporated into a hierarchical mask data processing system. The correction accuracy was examined using experimental and lithography simulation by application to test patterns of a 1 Gbit dynamic random access memory (DRAM) metal layer. In the case of the 0.16 µm rule, the standard deviation of the refined 1D OPC was reduced to 9 nm, which is 70% of the standard deviation of 13 nm of the conventional 1D OPC method. The proposed OPC system, using an engineering workstation, succeeded in correcting the metal layer in a miniature model of a 1 Gbit DRAM within 2-4 days. Well-designed hierarchical management in the mask data processing system suppressed mask data volume expansion to within 4% compared to the data volume without OPC. These results suggest that the refined 1D OPC method is useful for the correction of 1 Gbit and future DRAM devices.


Scientific researchers utilize randomized experiments to draw casual statements. Most early studies as well as current work on experiments with sequential intervention decisions has been focusing on estimating the causal effects among sequential treatments, ignoring the non-compliance issues that experimental units might not be compliant with the treatment assignments that they were originally allocated. A series of methodologies have been developed to address the non-compliance issues in randomized experiments with time-fixed treatment. However, to our best knowledge, there is little literature studies on the non-compliance issues in sequential experiments settings. In this paper, we go beyond the traditional methods using per-protocol, as-treated, or intention-to-treat analysis and propose a latent mixture Bayesian framework to estimate the sample-average treatment effect in sequential experiment having non-compliance concerns.


This book contains the proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2015) which was organized and sponsored by the Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication (INSTICC). This conference was held in Cooperation with ACM SIGITE - ACM Special Interest Group for Information Technology Education, ATIEF - Association des Technologies de l'Information pour l'Education et la Formation, ACM SIGMIS - ACM Special Interest Group on Management Information Systems, SPEE - Portuguese Society for Engineering Education, ECBE - European Council for Business Education, IELA - International E-Learning Association and ASEE - American Society for Engineering Education. The conference was also technically co-sponsored by IGIP - International Society for Engineering Education.

CSEDU has become an annual meeting place for presenting and discussing learning paradigms, best practices and case studies that concern innovative computer-supported learning strategies, institutional policies on technology-enhanced learning including learning from distance, supported by technology. The Web is currently a preferred medium for distance learning and the learning practice in this context is usually referred to as e-learning or technology-enhanced learning.

CSEDU 2015 provided an overview of the state of the art in technology-enhanced learning and outlined upcoming trends and promoting discussions about the educational potential of new learning technologies in the academic and corporate world.

This conference brought together researchers and practitioners interested in methodologies and applications related to the education field. It had five main topic areas, covering different aspects of Computer Supported Education, including "Information Technologies Supporting Learning", "Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment", "Social Context and Learning Environments", "Domain Applications and Case Studies" and "Ubiquitous Learning". We believe these proceedings demonstrate new and innovative solutions, and highlight technical problems in each field that are challenging and worthwhile.

CSEDU 2015 received 196 paper submissions from 48 countries in all continents, of which 20% were accepted as full papers. The high quality of the papers received imposed difficult choices in the review process. To evaluate each submission, a double blind paper review was performed by the Program Committee, whose members are highly qualified independent researchers in the CSEDU 2015 topic areas.

The high quality of the CSEDU 2015 programme was enhanced by four keynote lectures, delivered by experts in their fields, including (alphabetically): Edmundo Tovar (Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain), Glenn Wintrich (Dell, United States), Neil Morris (University of Leeds, United Kingdom) and Rob Koper (Open University of the Netherlands, Netherlands).

The meeting was also complemented with a Doctoral Consortium on "Computer Supported Education" chaired by Carlos Vaz de Carvalho, ISEP, Portugal.

All presented papers will be submitted for indexation by Thomson Reuters Conference Proceedings Citation Index (ISI), INSPEC, DBLP, EI (Elsevier Index) and Scopus, as well as being made available at the SCITEPRESS Digital Library. Furthermore, a short list of presented papers will be selected and their authors will be invited to submit an extended version of their papers to be included in a forthcoming book of CSEDU Selected Papers to be published in CCIS Series by Springer Verlag during 2015.

The best contributions to the conference and the best student submissions were distinguished with awards based on the best combined marks of paper reviewing, as assessed by the Program Committee, and the quality of the presentation, as assessed by session chairs at the conference venue.

The conference was complemented with a special session, focusing on Digital Games named Special Session on How Can Digital Games Help Older Adults? - AGEWELL 2015, chaired by David Kaufman, Simon Fraser University, Canada.

Building an interesting and successful program for the conference required the dedicated effort of many people. We would like to express our thanks, first of all, to all authors including those whose papers were not included in the program. We would also like to express our gratitude to all members of the Program Committee and auxiliary reviewers, who helped us with their expertise and valuable time. Furthermore, we thank the invited speakers for their invaluable contribution and for taking the time to synthesize and prepare their talks.

Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the professional support of the INSTICC team for all organizational processes.


Background: Rumination is defined as the regurgitation, chewing and re-swallowing of partially digested food. It is estimated that it occurs in about 10% of individuals with developmental disabilities.Method: An AB design was employed to assess the effectiveness of an intervention designed to reduce the number of occurrences where rumination followed eating in two settings, one of which acted as a control settingMaterials: Materials included a digital wristwatch, pen and paper based food diary and a child sized manual toothbrush and mint flavoured children's toothpaste.Results: Baseline measures showed that the percentage of sessions where rumination occurred was similar in both the snack and lunch settings. The intervention which was implemented in the snack setting only resulted in a decrease in the number of times rumination occurred after school snack time. There was no significant decrease in rumination following lunch which remained under baseline conditions.Conclusions: The data add to the PBS literature on non-aversive interventions for rumination and suggest a healthy, age appropriate and functional means of decreasing the behaviour in a young child with Autism Spectrum Disorder


Zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) nanoparticles are used in the production of transparent sunscreens and cosmetics, which are released into surface waters and municipal wastewater effluent. The purpose of this study was to examine the toxicity of nano-ZnO in the presence of municipal effluents to freshwater mussels Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed for 21 days at 15 o C to nano-ZnO and ZnCl2 in the presence of 10 % dilution of primary-treated municipal effluent. After the exposure period and 24-h depuration step, mussels were analyzed for total Zn in gills and digestive gland, free Zn, metallothioneins (MT), oxidative stress (glutathione S-transferase and LPO), endoplasmic reticulum stress (heat shock proteins and protein ubiquitination) and genotoxicity. The data revealed that although total Zn loadings did not change with these treatments, Zn levels in digestive gland were elevated in mussels exposed to nano-ZnO but not with ZnCl2 in the presence of municipal effluent. Free Zn levels in the gills were elevated in mussels exposed to the municipal effluent, but decreased in mussels exposed to nano-ZnO. MT in digestive gland showed a similar pattern and was negatively associated with free and total Zn. GST activity was significantly reduced by both nano-ZnO and municipal effluent and was negatively correlated with MT levels, suggesting the involvement of MT in the sequestration of reactive oxygen species. Discriminant function analysis showed that the municipal effluent related effects differed from the unexposed mussels and nano-ZnO exposed mussels in terms of the following responses: free Zn in gills and digestive gland and GST activity. Nano-ZnO related effects also involved GST activity, MT and protein ubiquitination, which suggests a combination of oxidative stress and reticulum endoplasmic stress. In respect with oxidative stress, the oxidative properties of nano-ZnO and ZnCl2 are dampened in the presence of the municipal effluent.