In order to create strong composite materials, a good dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs) in a matrix material must be obtained. We proposed a simple method of growing the desirable carbon nanomaterial directly on the surface of matrix particles. CNTs and CNFs were synthesised on the surface of model object, silica fume particles impregnated by iron salt, and directly on pristine cement particles, naturally containing iron oxide. Acetylene was successfully utilised as a carbon source in the temperature range from 550 to 750°C. 5-10 walled CNTs with diameters of 10-15nm at 600°C and 12-20nm at 750°C were synthesised on silica particles. In case of cement particles, mainly CNFs with a diameter of around 30nm were grown. It was shown that high temperatures caused chemical and physical transformation of cement particles.


Adaptive management of river systems assumes uncertainty and makes provision for system variability. Inherent within this management approach is that perceived limits of 'acceptable' system variability are regarded not only as testable hypotheses, but also as playing a central role in maintaining biodiversity. While the Kruger National Park currently functions as a flagship conservation area in South Africa, projected increases in air temperatures as a consequence of global climate change present challenges in conserving this biodiversity inside the established land boundaries. Within the rivers of the Kruger National Park, a management goal of maintaining biodiversity requires a clearer understanding of system variability. One component of this is water temperature, an important water quality parameter defining the distribution patterns of aquatic organisms. In this study, Chiloglanis anoterus Crass (1960) (Pisces: Mochokidae) was selected as a biological indicator of changes in annual water temperatures within the Sabie River in the southern Kruger National Park. Relative abundances of C. anoterus were determined using standard electro-fishing surveys. The presence or absence of C. anoterus was linked to cumulative annual heat units using a logistic regression model, and a critical annual cumulative water temperature threshold estimated. A correlative relationship between this temperature threshold and a biological index using a C. anoterus condition factor provides river ecologists with a tool to assess ecologically significant warming trends in Sabie River water temperatures. A similar approach could be applied with relative ease to other Southern African river systems. Further testing of this hypothesis is suggested, as part of the adaptive management cycle.


The Merox process was widely applied in the fine chemical industry to convert mercaptans into disulfides by oxidation with oxygen, including dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). In this paper, a new activated carbon (AC)-supported sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (AC-CoPcS) catalyst was prepared through the chemical linkage of ethylenediamine between them. UV−VIS, FT-IR, BET, and XPS were used to characterize the structure of the new catalyst. Then AC-CoPcS was applied to catalyze sodium methylmercaptide (SMM) oxidation for the preparation of DMDS. The effect of process parameters, such as reaction time, catalyst dosage, reaction temperature, and oxygen pressure on SMM conversion per pass (CPPSMM), yield (YieldDMDS), and purity of the DMDS (PurityDMDS) product were investigated to evaluate the catalytic performance of AC-CoPcS. The new supported catalyst exhibits better catalytic performance than the commercial one and can be properly reused four times to obtain CPPSMM and YieldDMDS higher than 90% and 70%. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the CPPSMM and YieldDMDS could reach as high as 98.7% and 86.8%, respectively, and the purity of the DMDS product is as high as 99.8%. This new supported catalyst exhibits good industrial application prospects.


Recognizing carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in an asymptomatic patient preoperatively is difficult. We report a 63-year-old female who had diabetes mellitus and hypertension suffered from a fatal ischemic stroke secondary to a total occlusion of the left carotid artery after a lumbar spine surgery in the prone position. Intraoperative induced hypotension and neck rotation in this patient should be considered as contributory factors. According to previous studies extensively screening out CAS is not recommended. Using electroencephalography (EEG) or somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) to monitor brain function and carefully positioning of the neck are recommended in these patients who are at risk of stroke while receiving induced hypotension during lumbar spine surgery in the prone position.


It has been shown that circular RNAs, a class of non-coding RNA molecules, play an important role in the regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis. In the present study, we sought to investigate the function of circular RNA HIPK3 (circHIPK3) in diabetes-associated metabolic disorders, including hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Results show that oleate stimulated circHIPK3 increase, and that circHIPK3 enhanced the stimulatory effect of oleate on adipose deposition, triglyceride (TG) content, and cellular glucose content in HepG2 cells. MiR-192-5p was the potential target of circHIPK3, since circHIPK3 significantly decreased miR-192-5p mRNA level, whereas anti-circHIPK3 significantly increased miR-192-5p mRNA level. Further study shows that transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) was a downstream regulator of miR-192-5p, since miR-192-5p significantly decreased FOXO1 expression, whereas circHIPK3 significantly increased FOXO1 expression. Notably, the inhibitory effect of miR-192-5p was significantly reversed by circHIPK3. In vivo study shows that anti-miR-192-5p significantly increased blood glucose content, which was significantly inhibited by FOXO1 shRNA. MiR-192-5p significantly decreased adipose deposition and TG content in HepG2 cells, which was significantly reversed by the co-treatment with circHIPK3. Forskolin/dexamethasone (FSK/DEX) significantly increased cellular glucose, mRNA level of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase), and this stimulatory effect of FSK/DEX was significantly inhibited by miR-192-5p. In the presence of circHIPK3, however, the inhibitory effect of miR-192-5p was totally lost. In summary, the present study demonstrated that circHIPK3 contributes to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by sponging miR-192-5p and up-regulating FOXO1.


Starting with a critique of the epistemological and ontological bases of neo-institutionalism, in this article we defend the potential for the application of post-structuralist perspectives, particularly that presented by Michel Foucault, and the pragmatic perspective, represented here by the works of William James and Richard Rorty, to the institutional approach. We contend that this theoretical approach, which incorporates a dimension traditionally overlooked in institutional analyses, especially in the field of organizations, namely power, has the advantage of contributing to an enhanced comprehension of the dynamics of institutionalization. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to start from the standpoint of overcoming the objectivity-subjectivity dichotomy, so often found in institutional studies. Lastly, we re-assess institutionalization processes using the new reference standard, highlighting why certain practices become institutionalized. By contending that institutionalization processes take place within discursive fields, our proposition is that these are abetting the productivity of the power relationships, which are present in these fields. Practices that are institutionalized are practices that work, in other words, they are practices, which are both necessary and useful to the exercise of power.


Background and purpose Historically, overall outcomes for patients with high-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have been poor. Generally, between physicians, either reluctance to treat, or selectivity in treating such patients has been the paradigm. Recent studies have shown that early and aggressive care leads to significant improvement in survival rates and favorable outcomes of grade V SAH patients. With advancements in both neurocritical care and end-of-life care, non-treatment or selective treatment of grade V SAH patients is rarely justified. Current paradigm shifts towards early and aggressive care in such cases may lead to improved outcomes for many more patients. Materials and methods We performed a detailed review of the current literature regarding neurointensive management strategies in high-grade SAH, discussing multiple aspects. We discussed the neurointensive care management protocols for grade V SAH patients. Results Acutely, intracranial pressure control is of utmost importance with external ventricular drain placement, sedation, optimization of cerebral perfusion pressure, osmotherapy and hyperventilation, as well as cardiopulmonary support through management of hypotension and hypertension. Conclusions Advancements of care in SAH patients make it unethical to deny treatment to poor Hunt and Hess grade patients. Early and aggressive treatment results in a significant improvement in survival rate and favorable outcome in such patients.


Over the last 20 years qualitative research methods have increased in popularity in the field of nursing research, yet critical issues of validity and reliability are often overlooked in published research reports. Thus, the aim of this paper is to describe the steps which the author followed to address issues of rigour in one qualitative research study. The study was conducted to explore the health visitor's role in identifying and working with vulnerable families in the community in relation to child protection. This paper will focus on how issues of validity and reliability were addressed in terms of qualitative interview data.


Epitaxially oriented silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were grown on (111) Si substrates by the vapor–liquid–solid technique in an atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) system using Au as the catalyst and SiCl_4 as the source gas. The dependencies of SiNW growth rate on the growth temperature and SiCl_4 partial pressure (P_SiCl4) were investigated, and the experimental results were compared with calculated supersaturation curves for Si obtained from a gas phase equilibrium model of the SiCl_4–H_2 system. The SiNW growth rate was found to be weakly dependent on temperature but strongly dependent on the P_SiCl4, exhibiting a maximum value qualitatively similar to that predicted from the equilibrium model. The results indicate that SiNW growth from SiCl_4 is limited by gas phase chemistry and transport of reactant species to the growth surface under APCVD conditions. The experimental results are discussed within the context of a gas phase mass transport model that takes into account changes in equilibrium partial pressure due to curvature-related Gibbs–Thomson effects.


I study a credit market with adverse selection as a signalling game. I show that in the least-costly separating equilibrium, entrepreneurs of high-quality projects may over-or under-invest compared to the social optimum to signal their type. I then examine a simple budget-balanced tax-subsidy scheme applied by the government. At a first sight, the tax-subsidy scheme seems to benefit entrepreneurs of low-quality projects and harm entrepreneurs of high-quality projects because the former are cross-subsidised by the latter. Nonetheless, this result does not necessarily hold if entrepreneurs can pledge the subsidy as collateral. In that case, taxes can improve social welfare by either decreasing or increasing aggregate investment depending on whether entrepreneurs of high-quality projects over-or under-invest in equilibrium.


More then 300 students write their theses each year at the department. In order to support self‐driven student work and reduce the burden on supervisors for basic feedback, a system called SciPro has been developed. Important consideration in developing this system has been to take actions to reduce plagiarism. This is accomplished in several ways. Both prevention and detection has been utilised; prevention by peer‐review and transparency in the process by online recurrent thesis manuscript hand‐ins, and detection by automatic originality check of the final manuscript enabled by integration between SciPro and Turnitin. Explicit rules and regulations as well as recurrent education about anti‐plagiarism targeting both students and supervisors are also important parts of the prevention strategy. Future development includes introducing recurrent controls of submitted manuscripts and comparisons of consistency in style of writing at individual level. Another planned action to prevent plagiarism is to check for copied images found online using an image pattern recognition program.


Abstract The international community looks towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to address global problems such as environmental degradation, poverty and ill-health. This article focuses on the integration of ESD into science lessons. It reports Junior Secondary School (JSS) science Teachers' perceptions of the ESD concept; its integration into their teaching and what they perceive to be the role of traditional, cultural practices in promoting ESD through science teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen JSS teachers from a variety of school contexts. The data were analysed using Grounded Theory methods. The findings reflected that the teachers were not familiar with the ESD concept. However, they claimed to be unknowingly practicing its integration in some of their teaching. The environmental aspect of ESD was perceived as most suitable for integration into science teaching. Specific cultural activities related to the science curriculum and ESD were seen as an avenue for encompassing the social aspect too.


A case of right-sided abdominal lump in a 15-year male was presented. Radiological investigations revealed a solid rounded lesion affecting the upper pole of the right kidney with peripheral rim calcification. After radical nephrectomy, histopathological examination uncovered renal cell carcinoma (clear cell variety) with well capsulated rim calcification. There was no tumour extension/involvement of renal vein and ureter. Postoperative period was uneventful.


The relative importance of GABAergic and glutamatergic afferents in mediating the effects of mu- and kappa-opioids on serotonin (5-HT) efflux in vivo has not been firmly established. Thus, we used microdialysis in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of freely behaving rats to study the effect of GABA and glutamate receptor antagonists on opioid-induced changes in 5-HT efflux. Infusing the mu-opioid agonist DAMGO (300 microM) increased extracellular 5-HT in the DRN by approximately 70%. During infusion of the GABA(A) receptor blocker bicuculline (100 microM), extracellular 5-HT increased by approximately 250%, and subsequent infusion of DAMGO decreased 5-HT to approximately 70% above the pre-bicuculline baseline. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that mu-opioids disinhibit 5-HT neurons, an effect attenuated by direct inhibition of 5-HT efflux or inhibition of excitatory influences on 5-HT efflux. To further test this hypothesis, glutamate receptor blockers, AP-5 (1 mM) and DNQX (300 microM), were co-infused with DAMGO. The glutamate receptor antagonists prevented decreases in 5-HT elicited by DAMGO in the presence of bicuculline. This indicates that DAMGO inhibits glutamatergic afferents, which partly offsets the disinhibitory influence of mu-opioids on 5-HT efflux. In contrast, the kappa-opioid agonist, U-50,488 (300 microM), decreased 5-HT by approximately 30% in the DRN. Glutamate and GABA receptor antagonists did not block this effect. In conclusion, mu-opioids inhibit GABAergic and glutamatergic afferents, thereby indirectly affecting 5-HT efflux in the DRN. In contrast, kappa-opioids inhibit 5-HT efflux independent of effects on glutamatergic and GABAergic afferents.


Abstract The southern African species of Chamaecrista were all treated under Cassia in Gordon-Gray's treatment for the Flora of Southern Africa. However, given the subsequent generic recircumscriptions in the subtribe Cassiinae, and the expanded collections of these taxa, there is a need to revisit the taxonomy of the group. The present study aimed to conduct a detailed taxonomic revision of the species of Chamaecrista indigenous to the flora of southern Africa region. Extensive fieldwork was carried out to study the taxa in their natural environment and morphological characters were additionally studied using herbarium material. The revision presented here includes comprehensive descriptions, a key to the species, nomenclature, typifications, diagnostic characters with illustrations, and geographical distribution maps of all recognised taxa. Eleven species of Chamaecrista are recognised for the flora of southern Africa, two of which are described as new, i.e. Chamaecrista grandiglandulata and C. gordon-grayei. In addition, one new subspecies is described, namely C. gordon-grayei subsp. longipedicellata, while Chamaecrista comosa var. capriconia is raised to the rank of subspecies, viz. Chamaecrista comosa subsp. capriconia. The typifications published here include lectotypes designated for Chamaecrista plumosa and C. stricta, neotypes designated for C. capensis var. flavescens, C. comosa, and C. plumosa var. diffusa, and an isolectotype designated for C. stricta.


ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequence of Alicycliphilus sp. B1, isolated from activated sludge in a wastewater treatment plant of an electronic component factory as an N-acylhomoserine lactone-producing strain. The draft genome is 7,465,959 bp in length, with 59 large contigs. About 7,391 protein-coding genes, 82 tRNAs, and 13 rRNAs are predicted from this assembly.


[1] Open-sea convection occurring in the northwestern Mediterranean basin (NWMED) is at the origin of the formation of Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW), one of the main Mediterranean water masses. During winter 2004–2005, a spectacular convection event occurred, observed by several experimental oceanographers. It was associated with an exceptionally large convection area and unusually warm and salty WMDW. Explanations were proposed tentatively, relating the unusual characteristics of this event to the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) or to the atmospheric conditions during winter 2004–2005 in the NWMED. They could, however, not be supported until now. Here we used numerical modeling to understand what drove this convection event. The control simulation performed for the period 1961–2006 reproduces correctly the long-term evolution of the Mediterranean Sea circulation, the EMT, and the NWMED convection event of 2004–2005. Sensitivity simulations are then performed to assess the respective contributions of atmospheric and oceanic conditions to this event. The weakness of the winter buoyancy loss since 1988 in the NWMED prevented strong convection to occur during the 1990s, enabling heat and salt contents to increase in this region. This resulted in the change of WMDW characteristics observed in 2005. The strong buoyancy loss of winter 2004–2005 was responsible for the intensity of the convection observed this winter in terms of depth and volume of newly formed WMDW. The EMT did not fundamentally modify the convection process but potentially doubled this volume by inducing a deepening of the heat and salt maximum that weakened the preconvection stratification.


Herein, we developed ruthenium(II)-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation and hydroarylation of maleimides with phthalazinones. The product selectivity is controlled by the additives, and the hydroarylated product was obtained in water, which is an important highlight of this study. Control experiments were conducted to elucidate a plausible mechanism. These experiments suggest the occurrence of an oxidative dehydrogenation pathway over E2-type elimination - the key step in producing Heck-type products.


IceCube has discovered a flux of astrophysical neutrinos, and more recently has used muonneutrino datasets to present evidence for one source; a flaring blazar known as TXS 0506+056. However, the sources responsible for the majority of the astrophysical neutrino flux remain elusive. Opening up new channels for detection can improve sensitivity and increase the discovery potential. In this work we present a new neutrino dataset relying heavily on DeepNeural-Networks (DNN) to select cascade events produced from neutral-current interactions of all flavors and charged-current interactions with flavors other than muon-neutrino. The speed of DNN processing makes it possible to select events in near realtime with a single GPU. Cascade events have reduced angular resolution when compared to muon-neutrino events, however the resulting dataset has a lower energy threshold in the southern sky and a lower background rate. These benefits lead to an factor of 2-3 improvement in sensitivity to sources in the Southern Sky when compared to muon-neutrino datasets. This dataset is particularly promising for identifying transient neutrino sources in the Southern Sky and neutrino production from the galactic plane.


The Archean Hutti-Maski greenstone belt (HMGB) and the south Kolar greenstone belt (SKGB) are the two richest gold provinces in India. Here, we present results of texturally constrained U-Th-Pbtotal/CHIME dating of monazites and PT pseudosection analyses to understand the geochronological and metamorphic evolution of the two greenstone terrains. The ages of felsic volcanism are constrained at ca. 2669 ± 22 Ma in the HMGB and 2661 ± 32 Ma in the SKGB. The HMGB rocks underwent midamphibolite facies metamorphism at ca. 2564 ± 12 Ma. The inferred PT path indicates a contemporaneous PT increase of up to ∼6 kbar and ∼620°C followed by postpeak near-isothermal decompression for the HMGB rocks. The SKGB rocks underwent a lower amphibolite facies metamorphism at ca. 2546 ± 12 Ma and are characterized by a synchronous PT increase of up to ∼4.6 kbar and ∼600°C, followed by decompressional cooling. These results indicate a mixed arc/plume setting for the evolution of both the greenstone belts, as suggested by several earlier works. The HMGB rocks record a pervasive postpeak metamorphic K-rich fluid alteration event at ca. 2414 ± 18 Ma that is discernible by monazite growth proximal to K-feldspar veins and garnet breakdown domains. Similar, although less prevalent, monazite age record of ca. 2414 ± 26 Ma from the SKGB rocks is manifested by postmetamorphic shear-induced hydrothermal activity. Considering the worldwide scenario, the HMGB and SKGB are ∼100 Ma younger and witnessed a higher grade of metamorphism than the greenstone belts in the Abitibi province and the Yilgarn Craton.


Dr. Germano has put together a snapshot of the techniques available in the fast-moving field of image-guided neurosurgery. This volume is aimed at the practicing neu-rosurgeon, focusing on the nuts and bolts of image-guided surgery and, for the most part, foregoing theory and mathematical equations. Written with clear explanations of technical terms, the book is well within the grasp of a practicing neurosurgeon or neurosurgical resident with no prior experience with image-guided surgery.

Image-guided surgery is seductive. On a glossy screen, the surgeon is shown a high-quality rendition of the brain or the spine, and as he or she moves an instrument, the position of the instrument is clearly noted on the screen. The problem is that the virtual image on the screen may have nothing to do with reality. This volume will afford the reader the practical knowledge he or she needs to confront the problems associated with image-guided surgery.

This book is divided into three sections: Principles and Technology, Cranial Applications, and Spine Applications. Following a chapter on historical perspective is a chapter entitled "Source of Error in Image Registration for Cranial Image-Guided Neurosurgery." It cuts to the heart of the problem, outlining sources of distortion during image acquisition, image registration, and intraoperative brain deformation. I think that this chapter is worth the price of the book. The authors of this chapter lay out in very simple terms the major sources of error in registering the virtual image on the screen with reality. I hoped that the subsequent chapters would address the source and avoidance of errors in a similar fashion, but, unfortunately, that is not always the case. The remaining chapters in the section Principles and Technology are descriptions of various systems and components used for image-guided surgery. Some of these chapters are simply step-by-step directions for the use of a particular system. In other chapters the authors offer pertinent advice that will help the reader optimize the efficacy of a particular system.

The section Cranial Applications consists of seven chapters addressing various aspects of image-guided cranial surgery. This section includes solid chapters on image-guided brain biopsy, cerebrovascular applications of image-guided surgery, image-guided brain tumor resection, and image-guided epilepsy surgery. Two chapters, "Intraoperative Image Update by Interface with Ultrasound" and "Intraoperative Image Update by Magnetic Resonance Imaging," are insightful reviews of these two new directions in image-guided surgery. The chapter entitled "New Directions in Atlas-Assisted Stereotactic Functional Neurosurgery" is an outstanding review of the stereotactic atlases available to the practicing functional neurosurgeon. Included in this chapter are descriptions of three-dimensional atlases and a probabilistic functional atlas that incorporates high-quality brain mapping data from multiple patients.

The section Spinal Applications covers the use of intraoperative imaging for cervical instrumentation, thoracic instrumentation, and lumbar instrumentation as well as instrumentation for scoliosis. An additional chapter discusses virtual fluoroscopy, a technique that has become very popular with spine surgeons because it moves the cumbersome fluoroscopic unit out of the operating field, limits the radiation exposure of the surgeon, and obviates the need for a special preoperative study.

All surgeons performing image-guided surgery should have access to this volume. While a few of the chapters are mundane, many of the chapters are the best reviews available in the field. The chapters are concise and clearly written, affording a quick review of the topic.


The sources of resolution loss are presented for an ionography chamber operated at low gas pressure (1-2*105 Pa). The alignment tolerances imposed by the spherical geometry have been calculated and are shown to be easily attainable. Monte Carlo simulations, calculating the blurring effect of photoelectron ranges, have been carried out for several diagnostic X-ray spectra and with Freon 13B1 as the chamber gas. The resulting line spread functions have been Fourier transformed to give the modulation transfer function. It is seen that for all of the X-ray beam qualities presented in this paper, the limiting resolution is in excess of 2 cycles/mm. Finally, the effect of ante-charge collection upon the resolution is discussed and a technique is proposed whereby this effect may be reduced.


In PNAS, Shevlin et al. (1) find that participants decide faster and more accurately when choosing between highvalue as compared to low-value options. According to the authors, these results suggest that high-value options are easier to discriminate, and "cast doubt on the notion that increasing value reduces discriminability" predicted by principles like diminishing value sensitivity (2) and divisive normalization (3). This article is an important empirical contribution, demonstrating conditions under which increasing value leads to faster and more accurate choices. Previous studies reported only faster decisions for high-value equivalent options, and less accurate decisions for high-value unequal options (4–10). However, we believe that the results of Shevlin et al. (1) cannot rule out representational distortions, such as concave utility functions or divisive normalization. Value representations that feed into the decision process are thought to be shaped by hard-wired properties of the neural code. Saturating neural responses, divisive normalization, or noisier neural responses for larger inputs could all, independently, lead to faster and less accurate responses. Unlike value representations, decision computations are amenable to cognitive control and top-down adjustments as a function of external (e.g., the reward statistics of the environment) or internal (e.g., motivation levels) factors. Importantly, top-down adjustments could temper or even reverse the influence of value representations on choice. For instance, although representations become less easily discriminated for high-value options, more cognitive resources may be invested in high-stakes decisions. Thus, choosing which luxury car to buy may involve a faster and more accurate deliberation process than choosing which affordable car to buy. We believe that the experiments presented by Shevlin et al. (1) involved manipulations that could trigger top-down adjustments of decision computations. In these experiments, choices were always made between two low-, medium-, or high-value options, implicitly enabling the classification of each choice trial as belonging to one of these categories. Additionally, most blocks ("cued value") exclusively involved decisions of one value type (low, medium, or high, with the type announced by a cue at the beginning of each block), with a minority of blocks ("mixed") fusing choice trials of all value types. Although the authors base their conclusions on the "mixed" blocks data, carryover effects from the "cued" blocks could be in play, driving the reported results. For example, participants might have paid more attention to the task in "high" blocks, also trying to behave consistently in (the easily identified) "high" trials in mixed blocks. Similarly, because participants responded more slowly in "high" cued blocks, high-value options might be more familiar and easier to discriminate in "mixed" blocks. These and other hypotheses yet to be proffered cannot be ruled out. A study in which participants are not encouraged to adopt different strategies in trials of different total value could be more diagnostic of the representational distortions that affect value-based decisions. Overall, a result in which large rewards increase engagement and thus discriminability (1) is not incompatible with diminishing value sensitivity at a low level due to concave utility or divisive normalization.


Sixty-nine specimens representing 49 late Miocene (10-15 m.y. ago) basaltic lava flows and 4 associated gabbroic intrusive plugs were studied in an attempt to estimate the paleointensity of the earth's magnetic field in south-central British Columbia. The paleointensity determination was based on the comparison of the decay of natural remanent magnetism intensity with that of an artificial thermoremanent magnetism (H = 0.35 Oe) in progressiveIy higher alternating demagnetizing fields (peak: 800 Oe). Only 22 of the 69 specimens were considered to yield reliable paleointensity determinations which give an estimated average equatorial intensity for the late Miocene earth's field of 0.18 Oe _+ 0.11. This result agrees reasonably well with those from contemporaneous rocks from North America, Japan, and Iceland. Several low determinations with consistent, normal, or reversed remanence directions suggest that the intensity of the non-dipole components of the late Miocene earth's field must have been very small in the sampled area.


Since emergence of molecular biology, one has improved knowledge about intracellular networks controlling cell behavior. In parallel, advances in mathematic and computer science allow one to simulate such complex phenomena. Moreover, most methods need a global resolution of the system which makes it difficult to be created and modified. We proposed, in this study, a distributed approach by multiagent system (MAS), to simulate the MAPK pathway. Our results show that such simulation is possible and allows "in virtuo" experimentation, i.e. model perturbation during its execution.


The high commercial demand on production of genetically valuable female cattle was emphasized after use of sex-sorted semen in commercial in vitro embryo production (IVEP) programs and a reduction of interest in the use of embryo biopsy followed by PCR. Brazil is a leader in IVEP of bovine embryos, and frozen-thawed, sex-sorted samples become a new option for embryo sexing. There are only a few reports in the literature using this new technique for IVEP. Most reports have involved the use of frozen-thawed then sorted for use with AI in Europe. In the present study, frozen semen from three Nelore bulls was used and the blastocyst production rate was evaluated at Day 7 of IVP and compared to previous data from the same bulls and a batch of non-sorted semen. Cumulus oocyte complexes obtained from high genetic merit donors by ovum pickup were matured (TCM-199, supplemented with FCS, LH, FSH, estradiol, pyruvate, and antibiotics) for 24 h and fertilized (Fert-TALP supplemented with BSA, phenylalanine, and heparin) for 18-22 h (Day 0) in vitro. Frozen semen straws were thawed at 35°C for 30 s in a water bath and then selected by centrifugation at 800 g on discontinuous Percoll™ gradients (45 :90%). Samples of frozen-thawed sex-sorted semen were processed from straws from bulls that in some cases may already be dead. Frequently, 3 to 5 straws were thawed, flow-sorted, and then centrifuged to provide sufficient sperm to fertilize 100 oocytes. On Day 1, presumptive zygotes were transferred to culture media (SOFaa supplemented with BSA and FCS) and on Day 7 blastocyst production rate was evaluated. The present results were commercially satisfactory because the frozen-thawed sex-sorted semen from all three bulls performed comparably and, in one case, better than non-sorted semen from the same bulls. Therefore, its use is extremely attractive in commercial bovine IVEP systems and is a more efficient system than embryo sexing. Table 1.Embryo production rates at 7 days post insemination


Serverless computing has emerged as a new cloud computing execution model that liberates users and application developers from explicitly managing 'physical' resources, leaving such a resource management burden to service providers. In this article, we study the problem of resource allocation for multi-tenant serverless computing platforms explicitly taking into account workload fluctuations including sudden surges. In particular, we investigate different root causes of performance degradation in these platforms where tenants (their applications) have different workload characteristics. To this end, we develop a fine-grained CPU cap control solution as a resource manager that dynamically adjusts CPU usage limit (or CPU cap) concerning applications with same/similar performance requirements, i.e., application groups. The adjustment of CPU caps applies primarily to co-located worker processes of serverless computing platforms to minimize resource contention, which is the major source of performance degradation. The actual adjustment decisions are made based on performance metrics (e.g., throttled time and queue length) using a group-aware scheduling algorithm. The extensive experimental results performed in our local cluster confirm that the proposed resource manager can effectively eliminate the burden of explicit reservation of computing capacity, even when fluctuations and sudden surges in the incoming workload exist. We measure the robustness of the proposed resource manager by comparing it with several heuristics which extensively used in practice, including the enhanced version of round robin and the least length queue scheduling policies, under various workload intensities driven by real-world scenarios. Notably, our resource manager outperforms other heuristics by decreasing skewness and average response time up to 44 and 94 percent, respectively, while it does not over-use the CPU resources.


This paper deals with experimental results obtained for a wideband indoor radio channel by transmitting a 900 MHz vertically polarized signal modulated by a train of 2 ns pulses. The receiver is equipped with a two branch diversity system (cross-polarized antenna), which makes possible the application of polarization diversity in order to reduce the deep fades that affect the signal envelope. The observed wideband impulse response has delay spreads extending over a range up to 30 ns and a maximum rms value of about 12 ns. Time delay spread was found independent of the relative antenna polarization of the transmitter and receiver. The powers in the orthogonal polarizations have been shown to be uncorrelated to each other. This suggests the use of polarization diversity to combat Rayleigh fading.


Background Although significant associations of childhood adversities with adult mental disorders are widely documented, most studies focus on single childhood adversities predicting single disorders. Aims To examine joint associations of 12 childhood adversities with first onset of 20 DSM–IV disorders in World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys in 21 countries. Method Nationally or regionally representative surveys of 51 945 adults assessed childhood adversities and lifetime DSM–IV disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Results Childhood adversities were highly prevalent and interrelated. Childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning (e.g. parental mental illness, child abuse, neglect) were the strongest predictors of disorders. Co-occurring childhood adversities associated with maladaptive family functioning had significant subadditive predictive associations and little specificity across disorders. Childhood adversities account for 29.8% of all disorders across countries. Conclusions Childhood adversities have strong associations with all classes of disorders at all life-course stages in all groups of WMH countries. Long-term associations imply the existence of as-yet undetermined mediators.


The concentrations of two heavy metals (Cu and Pb) were determined in three brands of Ghanaian wines by flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS) after digesting the wine samples with 0.1M HNO3. The copper concentration in the three different brands of wine was in the range of 0.4-1.2 mg/L. The toxic lead metal was found to be below the detection (BDL) of 0.1 mg/L. The levels of Cu concentrations were found to be comparable to the permissible limit set by OIV, French and American Wines. The copper and lead identification sources were due to natural sources and anthropogenic sources during vinification processes such as the equipment used.


We describe the design and implementation of a single-chip microprocessor based on LTS Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) technology. Two such chips are to be used in a dual-processor module, being developed by a SUNY-TRW collaboration as a spin-off of the HTMT project. Each FLUX chip represents a simple 16-bit 2-way long-instruction-word (LIW) microprocessor with a pipelined instruction memory of 30-bit instructions, decode and issue units, 8 integer ALUs interlaced with 8 registers, and input/output ports through which two FLUX chips can communicate with each other at a 7-GHz communication rate over a multi-layer MCM. The FLUX instruction set consists of /spl sim/25 instructions. High performance is reached with a scalable design featuring (1) a very high clock rate, (2) localized, regular and ultrapipelined processing in registers with very short wires, (3) instruction-level parallelism utilization with bit-level resolution of data hazards. A 16-bit implementation of FLUX processor consists of /spl sim/90,000 Josephson junctions on a /spl sim/10 mm/spl times/15 mm chip area. Our estimates show that the processor will be able to operate at clock frequencies up to 20 GHz when implemented using TRW's 4 kA/cm/sup 2/, 1.75-/spl mu/m Nb-trilayer technology.


Using an in vitro autoradiographic technique the binding of [3H]prazosin to brain, spinal cord, heart and vascular tissue was studied. Histologically prepared tissue sections were incubated in 5 nM [3H]prazosin or 5 nM [3H]prazosin in the presence of 100 microM unlabelled prazosin base in order to establish sites exhibiting specific prazosin binding. Dense prazosin binding sites were found in all arterial tissue examined except mesenteric artery. Dense prazosin binding was also found in cardiac tissue. Prazosin binding to veins was present sometimes but often absent. Prazosin does not readily pass the blood brain barrier and in this in vitro study the only area, within the central nervous system, showing specific prazosin binding sites was the olfactory bulb. The selective binding of prazosin, an alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, to arterial and cardiac tissue would suggest that the antihypertension induced by prazosin is mediated by a peripheral action.


The results of a 1985 national mail survey of pharmaceutical services in short-term hospitals are reported and compared with similar surveys conducted in 1975, 1978, and 1982. A sample of 809 hospitals was selected randomly from among the estimated 5480 U.S. short-term hospitals that employ a pharmacist on at least a part-time basis. The survey had an 84.6% response. Fewer than 10% of respondents did not have and were not planning for unit dose systems. The percentage of hospitals with complete or partial pharmacy-based i.v. admixture services increased since 1982 from 67.4% to 80.6%. More than half the respondents said floor-stock i.v. solutions were distributed by a department other than pharmacy. Only about half the respondents had both unit dose drug distribution and i.v. admixture services. Prime vendors were used by 87% of small hospitals, 75% of medium hospitals, and 51% of large hospitals. The percentage of pharmacies involved in patient monitoring increased from 27% in 1982 to 44% in 1985. The survey also collected data on other clinical services, computerization, inventory turnover, use of prime vendors, and selection of therapeutic alternates. Drug distribution services are improving, but the distribution of injectable drugs often is not under pharmacy control. Only 10% of respondents had comprehensive pharmaceutical services, defined as complete unit dose drug distribution and i.v. admixture services plus three or more clinical services.


This paper reports about the research work currently going on at DEIS, University of Bologna, on the use of computer vision for extraction of information from urban traffic images. Two algorithms are described: the first, named "virtual inductive loop" (VIL), computes image differences on small windows of the traffic scene between an updated background and the actual window and is specific for vehicle counting and detection. The second algorithm, based on the block matching algorithm (BMA), is particularly suitable for vehicle motion detection and tracking. It consists of a BMA implementation (improved with respect to the standard version) followed by a regularisation step based on a custom median filter, of a labelling algorithm and of a tracking step. Finally, we present our future plan for the research developments concerning these topics.


Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is neuroprotective in the ischemic hippocampus if the neurotrophin is injected directly into the brain. However, the efficacy of BDNF via peripheral (i.v.) administration is limited by the lack of transport of the neurotrophin through the brain capillary wall, which makes up the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. The present studies describe a molecular reformulation of BDNF that incorporates polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties at surface carboxyl residues, to optimize plasma pharmacokinetics, and links pegylated BDNF to the OX26 mAb, which undergoes receptor-mediated transport through the BBB via the brain capillary endothelial transferrin receptor. The BDNF-PEG 2000-biotin conjugated to OX26/streptavidin was administered i.v. daily to rats for 1 week after a 12-min period of transient forebrain ischemia. The neuronal density in the CA1 sector of the hippocampus was decreased 68 +/- 10% at 1 week after the ischemia. There was no neuroprotective effect of the unconjugated BDNF or unconjugated OX26 mAb. However, the hippocampal CA1 neuronal density was normalized by i.v. administration of the BDNF-PEG 2000-biotin conjugated to OX26/streptavidin. These studies demonstrate that peripherally administered BDNF may have neuroprotective effects in brain, if the neurotrophin is reformulated to (i) optimize plasma pharmacokinetics with carboxyl-directed pegylation, and (ii) enable transport through the BBB by coupling to brain transport vectors.


Atypical lymphadenopathies fail to achieve the morphologic criteria of a malignant neoplasm, but exceed the usual concepts of follicular, lymphoid, or sinus histiocytic hyperplasias. Rich cellular proliferations usually composed of prominent histiocytes, or immunoblasts, or both with or without a vascular scaffolding obscure the nodal architecture. Toxoplasmosis, infectious mononucleosis, zoster, and vaccination-induced lymphadenopathies are caused by infectious agents, dermatopathic lymphadenitis is associated with cutaneous disease, anticonvulsant pseudolymphoma occurs in individuals hypersensitive to anticonvulsants (usually phenytoin), and Chediak-Higashi syndrome is an inherited abnormality of lysosomal microtubule function; the causes of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, giant lymph node hyperplasia, angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy, mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, and this histiocytoses remain unknown. The clinical course of these abnormalities varies from self-limited acute diseases (viral lymphadenopathies, toxoplasmosis, dermatopathic lymphadenitis, and usually anticonvulsive lymphadenopathy) to protracted, but benign abnormalities (sinus histiocytes with massive lymphadenopathy, giant lymph node hyperplasia, and multifocal eosinophilic granuloma). The diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome necessitates a guarded prognosis, for death or the advent of a malignant lymphoma may interrupt their clinical course. Acute disseminated histiocytosis, even though the proliferated cell lacks the cytologic criteria of malignancy, should be regarded and treated as a malignant neoplasm.


Wave energy harvesting is one of the most promising applications for Dielectric Elastomer Generators. A simple and interesting concept of a Wave Energy Converter based on Dielectric Elastomers is the Polymeric Oscillating Water Column (Poly-OWC). In this paper, preliminary experimental results on the assessment of a small-scale Poly-OWC prototype are presented. The scale of the considered prototype is 1:50. Tests are conducted in a wave-flume by considering sea state conditions with different wave amplitudes and frequencies. The obtained experimental results confirm the viability of the Poly-OWC device.


Social wasps in the family Vespidae are thought to have originated in the southeast Asian tropics (Richards, 1971; Spradbery, 1973a; but see Carpenter, 1982). Members of the subfamily Vespinae presumably evolved monogyny and an annual colony cycle as adaptations to cold winters in north temperate regions. Exceptions to this characteristic social organization and colony ontogeny in vespines have become increasingly apparent (Ross & Matthews, 1982). In climatically favorable areas of their natural range (Tissot & Robinson, 1954; Duncan, 1939; Vuillaume et al., 1969; Akre et al., 1980), and in areas newly colonized (Spradbery, 1973b; Perrott, 1975; Thomas, 1960) several species of Vespula (subgenus Paravespula) facultatively form polygynous, perennial colonies. This capacity demonstrates great plasticity in the behavioral ecology of Paravespula species, and is intriguing in light of its implications for theories concerning the evolution of eusociality in the Vespidae. We here report the discovery of a polygynous, perennial nest of Vespula maculifrons (Buysson) from the southeastern U.S. With this discovery, all non-parasitic Nearctic representatives of the subgenus Paravespula have been shown to exhibit this atypical colony ontogeny.


The 5'-untranslated region of the long-lived Escherichia coli ompA transcript functions as an mRNA stabilizer capable of prolonging the lifetime in E. coli of a number of heterologous messages to which it is fused. To elucidate the structural basis of differential mRNA stability in bacteria, the domains of the ompA 5'-untranslated region that allow it to protect mRNA from degradation have been identified by mutational analysis. The presence of a stem-loop no more than 2-4 nucleotides from the extreme 5' terminus of this RNA segment is crucial to its stabilizing influence, whereas the sequence of the stem-loop is relatively unimportant. The potential to form a hairpin very close to the 5' end is a feature common to a number of stable prokaryotic messages. Moreover, the lifetime of a normally labile message (bla mRNA) can be prolonged in E. coli by adding a simple hairpin structure at its 5' terminus. Accelerated degradation of ompA mRNA in the absence of a 5'-terminal stem-loop appears to start downstream of the 5' end. We propose that E. coli messages beginning with a single-stranded RNA segment of significant length are preferentially targeted by a degradative ribonuclease that interacts with the mRNA 5' terminus before cleaving internally at one or more distal sites.


This paper presents methods for initial investigation of occupational cancer clusters using limited data. Phase 1 of the methods developed uses basic data from the cluster of cases, but with cohort data limited to the size of the workforce at the plant. Phase 2 of the methods requires knowledge of the number of workers entering and leaving the workforce in each year. In the absence of data concerning age, the spreadsheet programs explore a variety of worker age distributions in synthetic cohort analyses. The methods were used to assess a cluster of six cases of leukemia with an average duration of work of 11 years in a tire manufacturing plant. It was concluded that the relative risk for the age range 30-50 was at least 7, providing further evidence for the association of leukemia with work in tire manufacture. The use of spreadsheet programs can provide a valuable first step assessment of apparent workplace cancer clusters.


BBr3-chiral phosphoric acid complexes are highly effective and practical Lewis acid-assisted Brønsted acid (LBA) catalysts for promoting the enantioselective Diels-Alder (DA) reaction of α-substituted acroleins and α-CF3 acrylate. In particular, the DA reaction of α-substituted acroleins with 1,2-dihydropyridines gave the corresponding optically active isoquinuclidines with high enantioselectivities. Moreover, transformations to the key intermediates of indole alkaloids, catharanthine and allocatharanthine, are demonstrated.


This research study explores the history of meditation, and the evolution and use of mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions to address certain physical, emotional and mental health conditions. It also reviews scholarly literatures regarding the use of mindfulness meditation as a rehabilitation intervention in various correctional settings. More specifically, this research studies the overall impact and practical implications of using mindfulness meditation as an intervention to address stress and anxiety among inmates in the New York Monroe County Sheriff's, Monroe Correctional Facility (MCF). The results from this study revealed that inmates who practiced mindfulness meditation at MCF showed a substantial reduction in their levels of stress and anxiety.


Weight of all births and infant mortality SIR-In response to the paper by Saugstad on weight of all births and infant mortality (September 1981, p 185), we would like to share our experience in India concerning the influence of birth weight and gestation on mortality. Perinatal, neonatal, and infant mortality was studied in an urban cohort in Delhi in a population of 100 000.1 Birth weight and gestation were important factors which influenced the outcome, except in babies with a birth weight of less than 1500 g in whom outcome was poor irrespective of the period of gestation. Perinatal, neonatal, and infant mortality was 703-70, 461-54, and 615-38, respectively, in birthweight group 1001-1500 g and fell to 3*89, 4.88, and 21-62 in the weight group 2501-3000 g. Above 3000 g the figures were 4-08, 5-47, and 17-89 (table 1). When gestation was considered along with birth weight, there were remarkable differences within the same birthweight group (table 2). The overall perinatal mortality rate was 38-8, neonatal mortality rate 21-18, and infant mortality rate 46-5. Similar influence of birth weight was observed in a hospital study of 27 000 consecutive births,2 even though the overall perinatal death rate was much higher (75 6). The perinatal death rate was 901-03 in the weight group 1001-1500 g and fell to 16-71 in the weight group 3001-3500 g, after which it again


This study applies the relational turbulence model to identify characteristics of romantic relationships that predict perceptions of relationship talk across cultures. Relational uncertainty and interference from partners were examined as predictors of perceived partner responsiveness and relationship talk in South Korean and American romantic relationships. We surveyed 294 individuals from South Korea (N = 138) and the United States (N = 156) about their romantic relationship. The results of a structural equation model (SEM) indicated that (a) relational uncertainty was negatively associated with perceived partner responsiveness and enacted relationship talk, and positively associated with the threat of relationship talk; (b) interference from partners was positively associated with the perceived threat of relationship talk and enacted relationship talk; and (c) perceived partner responsiveness was negatively associated with the perceived threat of relationship talk and positively associated with the enactment of relationship talk. Cultural differences emerged in paths linking relational uncertainty with the perceived threat of relationship talk and partner interference with enacted relationship talk. The results are discussed in terms of implications for extending the relational turbulence model and for understanding the dynamics of romantic relationships across cultures.


Perovskites BaTi 1- z Fe z O 3+ δ with doping level from 0.005 to 0.02 have been synthesized with sol-gol method. The X-ray diffraction shows that the doped perovskites retain the original tetragonal structure. Defferential thermal analysis demonstrates that both the transformation temperature of ferroelectric to paraelectric and the latent heat of the transformation decrease with increasing doping level. Bilayer composites BaTi 1- z Fe z O 3+ δ -Tb 1- x Dy x Fe 2- y bilayer composites havebeen fabricated after the piezoelectrics being poled and their magnetoelectric effect has been investigated using a bias magnetic field and an ac magnetic field of 100Hz. The experimental result shows that the transverse magnetoelectric voltage coefficient of the bilayer composites can reach a maximum at doping level of 1.5%. The value of the maximum is 1788mV/A under a bias magnetic field of 60kA/m at room temperature. The analysis of magnetoelectric spectroscopy also shows a higher resonance peak and a higher resonance frequency for the sample containing BaTi 0.985 Fe 0.015 O 3+ δ , suggesting a higher piezoelectric coefficient in the doped BaTiO 3 and some difference in interfacial coupling coefficients in the bilayer composites containing the doped samples, respectively.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of Emotional Intelligence on Individual Ethics, Perceptions of Other's Ethics and Ethics Perception in Facilitating Success. Methodology: Constitute the sample 404 exporting companies and/or with interest in exporting of AICEP database—Portugal Agency for Investment and External Commerce. The methodological procedures adopted in the research, consisted of a quantitative approach using fundamentally multiple regression analysis and hierarchical regression too. Data collection was performed by administering a questionnaire. Findings: Emotional Intelligence predicted perceptions of the role of Ethics in Success. The role of Emotional Intelligence was attested asapredictor in Individual Ethics, and the predictor role of these two in Perceptions of Other's Ethics. Emotional Intelligence was significantly correlated with Self-Esteem, Social Desirability, Individual Ethics and Perceptions of Other's Ethics.


INTRODUCTION: Approximately 25,000 deliveries in the US last year were home births, and the risk of transport to a hospital during attempted home birth has been reported as 25–37%. We examined whether maternal and neonatal outcomes are affected by cervical dilation at time of transfer or by number of prenatal visits (PNV) with an obstetrician. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study over years 2012–2014 of women with singleton gestations at term who attempted a home birth and were transferred during labor to our university hospital. Multiple gestations and fetal anomalies were excluded. Number of PNV (<12 versus ≥12 visits as recommended by ACOG), cervical dilation at time of transfer, and several maternal and neonatal outcomes were extracted from an existing perinatal database. RESULTS: All women had attended at least 1 PNV. The overall cesarean rate for planned home births was 34.3%, and 10% of women transferred their care at 10 cm. Among women who were 0–5 cm, 6–9 cm, versus 10 cm at transfer, no significant difference in mode of delivery was found. No differences in maternal outcomes (blood transfusion, postpartum infection, hospital stay, readmission, and others) were observed comparing groups by cervical dilation at presentation or by number of PNV. Similarly, neonatal outcomes of Apgars, pH, resuscitation, and disposition did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSION: Cervical dilation and number of PNV did not affect maternal or neonatal outcomes. Further research is needed to guide prenatal and intra-partum care to improve outcomes for women transferring care to the hospital from an attempted home birth.


Tag switching and MPLS MultiProtocol Label Switching combine IP routing exibility with the e ciency of cell switching techniques to address the need of scalable infrastructures of a wider range of ser vices and of the support of advanced applications We present the model and the con guration of several tag switching networks in the local and wide area In par ticular we focus on the design of a scalable IP archi tecture and its application in a wide area testbed based on tag switching a MPLS implementation by CISCO The protocol and the network performance have been analysed in terms of functionality software stability round trip time route recovery time and throughput Results show that tag switching is a promising and vi able technique for the implementation of scalable and integrated networks


Background: The foot and ankle are often reported as the most common sites of injury in professional ballet dancers; however, epidemiological research focusing on foot and ankle injuries in isolation and investigating specific diagnoses is limited. Purpose: To investigate the incidence rate, severity, burden, and mechanisms of foot and ankle injuries that (1) required visiting a medical team (medical attention foot and ankle injuries; MA-FAIs) and (2) prevented a dancer from fully participating in all dance-related activities for at least 24 hours after the injury (time-loss foot and ankle injuries; TL-FAIs) in 2 professional ballet companies. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: Foot and ankle injury data across 3 seasons (2016-2017 to 2018-2019) were extracted from the medical databases of 2 professional ballet companies. Injury-incidence rate (per dancer-season), severity, and burden were calculated and reported with reference to the mechanism of injury. Results: A total of 588 MA-FAIs and 255 TL-FAIs were observed across 455 dancer-seasons. The incidence rates of MA-FAIs and TL-FAIs were significantly higher in women (1.20 MA-FAIs and 0.55 TL-FAIs per dancer-season) than in men (0.83 MA-FAIs and 0.35 TL-FAIs per dancer-season) (MA-FAIs, P = .002; TL-FAIs, P = .008). The highest incidence rates for any specific injury pathology were ankle impingement syndrome and synovitis for MA-FAIs (women 0.27 and men 0.25 MA-FAIs per dancer-season) and ankle sprain for TL-FAIs (women 0.15 and men 0.08 TL-FAIs per dancer-season). Pointe work and jumping actions in women and jumping actions in men were the most common mechanisms of injury. The primary mechanism of injury of ankle sprains was jumping activities, but the primary mechanisms of ankle synovitis and impingement in women were related to dancing en pointe. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of further investigation of injury prevention strategies targeting pointe work and jumping actions in ballet dancers. Further research for injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies targeting posterior ankle impingement syndromes and ankle sprains are warranted.


Students at the University of Lowell provide forecasts for the community in several forms. In addition to a recorded telephone forecast that has been in operation for several years, forecasts are aired on a commercial radio station and a public-access cable television station. These new media forecasts are a result of special cooperative agreements with the stations involved that provide improved educational experiences for the students.


Maintenance of the cellular homeostasis is firmly linked with protein synthesis. Therefore, it is tightly controlled at multiple levels. An advancement in quantitative techniques, mainly over the last decade, shed new light on the regulation of protein production, which pointed the ribosome as a new player. Ribosomes are macromolecular machines that synthesize polypeptide chains using mRNA as a template. The enormous complexity of ribosomes provides many possibilities of changes in their composition and consecutively in their target specificity. However, it is not clear how this specialization is enforced by the cell and which stimuli provoke that diversity. This review presents an overview of currently available knowledge about ribosome heterogeneity, focusing on changes in protein composition, and their role in the control of translation specificity. Importantly, besides the potential advantage of ribosome-mediated regulation of protein synthesis, its failure can play a crucial role in disease development.


Zirconium oxide ceramic was proposed for different biomedical applications. It is used in orthopedic as hip and knee prostheses and in dentistry due to the good mechanical, biological high corrosion and wear resistance properties, addition to the aesthetic property owing to tooth like color. Zirconia stabilized with Y2O3 has the best properties for these applications. The present work aims to study the effect of (5 and 10)Wt.% hydroxyapatite (HA) as additives to 3 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) nano powder matrix. The green body samples were shaped by powder technology using cold pressing then sintering at (1300 and 1400)oC. The 3YSZ/ HA nanocomposites samples were characterized by XRD to investigate phase stability with varying percent's of HA and different sintering temperatures, the mechanical properties (maximum bending strength and hardness) were investigated as a function of the HA content, the changes of the thermal expansion coefficient for composite samples were investigated using Dilatometer. The experimental results proved that additions of (5 and 10)Wt.% HA to 3YSZ matrix reduce both hardness and max. bending strength, while increasing sintering temperature from 1300oC to 1400oC leading to an increase in the hardness and bending strength for all composite samples. The results of thermal expansion test showed a reduction in the thermal expansion coefficient with presence of HA%, however the coefficient of 3YSZ/ 10%HA is closer to 3YSZ from 3YSZ/ 5%HA. EDS analysis shows improvement in the bioactivity of inert 3YSZ with HA% additions represented by increasing Ca and P ions on the composite samples after immersing in SBF for 6 days.


This paper presents a new approach of recognizing a 3D object using a single camera, based on the extended convex hull of its silhouette. It aims at minimizing the DB size and simplifying the processes for matching and feature extraction. For this purpose, two concepts are introduced: extended convex hull and measurable region. Extended convex hull consists of convex curved edges as well as convex polygons. Measurable region is the cluster of the viewing vectors of a camera represented as the points on the orientation sphere from which a specific set of surfaces can be measured. A measurable region is represented by the extended convex hull of the silhouette which can be obtained by viewing the object from the center of the measurable region. Each silhouette is represented by a relation graph where a node describes an edge using its type, length, reality, and components. Experimental results are included to show that the proposed algorithm works efficiently even when the objects are overlapped and partially occluded. The time complexity for searching the object model in the database is O(N) where N is the number of silhouette models.


Abstract : The oceanographic buoy described is for ship use. It allows a single ship to make synoptic studies of a limited body of water using a number of buoys. The purpose was to create an economic, simple, dependable sea unit, which allows for accidental losses, matched to a more sophisticated data processing system that represents a durable investment. The sea unit is of small size, light weight in air and water, and easy to launch and retrieve. The low drag of buoys and cable permits their use in areas of strong currents. The sensing capabilities of the first-generation system are temperature, current speed and direction, and depth. The data storage capacity is of 16,000 cycles or about 400,000 individual data. Recording is intermittent, with maximum sampling rate of 30 seconds. The system is engineered for one month operation, which is considered a reasonable cruising time for a ship in a limited area of the ocean.


Tuning tensor program generation involves searching for various possible program transformation combinations for a given program on target hardware to optimize the tensor program execution. It is already a complex process because of the massive search space, and exponential combinations of transformations make auto-tuning tensor program generation more challenging, especially when we have a heterogeneous target. In this research, we attempt to address these problems by learning the joint neural network and hardware features and transferring them to the new target hardware. We extensively study the existing state-of-the-art dataset, TenSet, perform comparative analysis on the test split strategies and propose methodologies to prune the dataset. We adopt an attention-inspired approach for tuning the tensor programs enabling them to embed neural network and hardware-specific features. Our approach could prune the dataset up to 45% of the baseline without compromising the Pairwise Comparison Accuracy (PCA). Further, the proposed methodology can achieve on-par or improved mean inference time with 25%-40% of the baseline tuning time across different networks and target hardware.


Previous studies on the use of social media to facilitate participation in protest have examined established democracies or authoritarian regimes. Participation via social media in nascent democracies has been less well documented, e.g. in those countries that democratized between the 1970s and the 1990s, including those that recently returned to democracy from military dictatorship such as Nigeria. This study has been conducted to fill this gap. This study examines the impact of mobile social networking applications (SNA) in the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protest to further understand the use of mobile SNA for digital activism. A face-to-face, paper-based, purposive quantitative survey of student protestors was conducted. Survey results indicate that mobile SNA (WhatsApp, 2go, Eskimi, Facebook, Badoo and YouTube) were mostly used by student protesters to plan, coordinate and document their participation in the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protest. Of the seven platforms analysed, Facebook was the most used for protest purposes while Eskimi increased the likelihood that a student attended the first day of the protest. This article argues that mobile SNA brought about interaction, socialization, collective and connective engagement that was needed to spur such socio-political movement.


International outbreaks of listerial infections have become more frequent in recent years. Listeria monocytogenes, which usually contaminates food, can cause potentially fatal infections. Listerial cerebritis is a rare disease that is encountered mostly in immunocompromised or elderly patients. However, listerial brainstem encephalitis (mesenrhombencephalitis or rhombencephalitis) is found in persons who were formerly in good health, and recognizing this disease, particularly at its early stages, is challenging. Listerial brainstem encephalitis has high mortality, and serious sequelae are frequently reported in survivors. Early recognition and correct diagnosis, as well as the timely use of appropriate antibiotics, can reduce the severity of listerial infections. The trigeminal nerve is proposed as a pathway through which L. monocytogenes reaches the brainstem after entering damaged oropharyngeal mucosa or periodontal tissues. This review introduces the clinical manifestations, pathology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, diagnosis, and treatment of listerial brainstem encephalitis. Moreover, it proposes that L. monocytogenes may also invade the brainstem along the vagus nerve after it infects enteric neurons in the walls of the gastrointestinal tract.


In his travelogue of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial, What Ben Beverly Saw at the Great Exposition, James L. Dale described an exhibit that impressed him with both wonder and horror: a set of photographs documenting the outcomes of surgical operations that suggested procedures "of the most fearful character, which would seem impossible to perform, and the poor patient survive." What Dale described was the US Army Medical pavilion, where the displays were designed to convince domestic and international visitors of the professionalism and innovation of American medicine and in particular to highlight the contributions of military medicine. The medical building included a full-size model of an army field hospital and multiple exhibits constituting a representative sampling of collections from the US Army Medical Museum: photographic portraits of famous surgeons; enlarged microphotographs of blood, bone, and tissue samples; images of Civil War wounds and their treatments; artifacts and supplies for surgical procedures; and a painting, Thomas Eakins's The Gross Clinic. Together, this collection of artifacts presented viewers with a narrative of the current American medical field, with special focus on the Civil War as a catalyst for new medical discoveries. While Eakins's painting became the most famous image from the pavilion, it was not part of the original display, which was explicitly designed to demonstrate how surgeons and medical researchers used healing knowledge to transcend the devastation of the Civil War. This essay examines the exhibit's roots in wartime medicine and research and studies how Dr. Joseph Janvier Woodward planned and developed the exhibit to communicate with the public about current medical and surgical practice.


The effects of broad spectrum and selective insecticides on rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) were compared in apple orchards and wheat fields from Hungary. The most common species in orchards were: Omalium caesum, Dexiogyia corticina, Mocyta orbata, Coprochara bipustulata, Sphenoma abdominale, Drusilla canaliculata, Styloxys insecatus, Palporus nitidulus, Heterothops dissimilis, Mocyta fungi, Pella limbata, Pycnota vicina and Hemitropia sordida.The number of species was high in control plots without any insecticide application and less in integrated pest management plots, where selective insecticides were used. In the wheat fields a total of 798 individuals belonging to 20 species were collected. The most widely occurring species were: Staphylinus caesareus, Tachyporus hypnorum, Philonthus cognatus, Aloconota gregaria, Tachyporus chrysomelinus and T. obtusus. Although species from Tachyporus spp. were dominant in cumulative samples, the activity density decreased considerably for the second half of the vegetation period. The fields' structure and the treatments have a significant role in forming the dominance of species. Also the dynamics of each species is highly influenced by the disturbances. These could be explained with different microclimatic and humidity tolerance of the species. The greater mobility of staphylinids may enable them to avoid pesticide treatments in individual fields. These factors (natural weed cower, the presence of the hedgerows and the flying ability of the species) can interact and offer optimal possibilities for predation in agricultural fields.


Issues of distribution of kinetic energy of traumatizing object in direct contact interaction with head during impact are discussed from position of biomechanics. It was stated that kinetic energy is directed at deformation of head tissues and object as well as at head displacement after impact and overcoming neck tissue resistance. Experimental studies confirmed theoretical principles. Results obtained can be used in expert practice and in scientific research.


This paper describes the integration and test challenges of verifying and validating the avionics hardware and flight software which have been experienced in meeting the New Millennium Program Deep Space One (DS1) project's faster, better, cheaper requirements. This paper gives a high level overview of the development and application of the two flight system testbeds (DSI Hotbench), the testbed activities supported the DSI Spacecraft Assembly, Test and Launch Operations (ATLO), and the testing performed to prepare for and support post-launch mission operations. In the "Faster, Better, Cheaper" environment of the New Millennium Program, DSI Integration and Test (I&T) has defined new methods and decision criteria to meet our requirements and goals while assessing and minimizing the risk in the paths we have taken. Our successes and failures are largely yet to be seen as we approach our July 1 launch date. This paper describes the challenges that have been faced and some that have been overcome during the DSI I&T phase. It presents the risks that have been accepted in our attempts to test completely the DSI Avionics system in preparation for launch and mission operations.


the designation of cultural landscape includes a possible interpretation of modification/transformation of that natural structure by human action, as a conscious and evocative consequence of its different realms – intellectual, technical, spiritual, sentimental, affective, and emotional. Centring architecture on the organisation and disposition of the space and territory, it should be kept in mind that carrying out of these architectonic objects and structures constitutes an artificial imposition that also changes, adding to the nature of the territory – natural landscape – the cultural dimension that provides the grounds for the architect's gesture as intervening party.


AIMS To calculate the diameter of halos perceived by patients with multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) and to stimulate halos in patients with refractive multifocal IOLs in a clinical experiment. METHODS Calculations were done to show the diameter of halos in the case of the bifocal intraocular lens. 24 patients with a refractive multifocal IOLs and five patients with a monofocal IOL were asked about their subjective observation of halos and were included in a clinical experiment using a computer program (Glare & Halo, FW Fitzke and C Lohmann, Tomey AG) which simulates a light source of 0.15 square degrees (sq deg) in order to stimulate and measure halos. Halo testing took place monoculary, under mesopic conditions through the distance and the near focus of the multifocal lens and through the focus of the monofocal lens. RESULTS The halo diameter depends on the pupil diameter, the refractive power of the cornea, and distance focus of the multifocal IOL as well as the additional lens power for the near focus. 23 out of 24 patients with a refractive multifocal IOL described halos at night when looking at a bright light source. Only one patient was disturbed by the appearance of halos. Under test conditions, halos were detected in all patients with a refractive multifocal IOL. The halo area testing through the distance focus was 1.05 sq deg ± 0.41, through the near focus 1.07 sq deg ± 0.49 and in the monofocal lens 0.26 sq deg ± 0.13. CONCLUSIONS Under high contrast conditions halos can be stimulated in all patients with multifocal intraocular lenses. The halo size using the distance or the near focus is identical.


In many countries, discourse on "brain gender" has gained much attention in the popular media. Such discourse often exaggerates and over-interprets scientific knowledge. To find a way to cope with the negative social influence of such discourse, I will explore the background of its popularity. A crucial component of this discourse is that it contains factors irrelevant to science. Thus, a perspective other than a scientific one is needed. Here, I will examine such discourse from the viewpoint of narrative approaches. They can reveal the equivocal character of the discourse on "brain gender." I will also deal with some unique situations in Japan, including the problem of the medicalization of transgender.


Gold-catalyzed stereoselective synthesis of spirocyclopropyl oxindoles from diazooxindoles and 1,2,4-substituted dienes is described. The aim of this work is to report a novel rearrangement of these spirocyclopropyl oxindoles with a gold catalyst to yield 3-(cyclopenta-1,3-dien-1-ylmethyl)oxindoles. Our experimental data exclude a reversible process in the gold-catalyzed cyclopropanation. With DFT calculations, we postulate a rearrangement mechanism involving the formation of complex pairs of gold enolates and 1-methylen-2,3,4-cyclopentadienyl cations, leading to a 1,5-enolate shift.


The subject who understood. The Swedish Reformation discourse and the early modern process of integration The thesis concerns why it in the discourse of the Reformation was so important to repeat statements about the need for Christendom to go back to its true heritage and that the sermon should be understood by everyone, and the statements consequences for the possibility of formulating order, community and separation of social and political units through the creation of subjects. The thesis contributes to the discussion on how the Reformation cooperated with the early modern process of integration (state building, social discipline as well as the idea of the failure of the Reformation to implement its ideas). The study investigates Sweden 1522–1544. Through the five concepts truth, understanding, heart, soul and Christian I analyse the discourse of the Reformation. The reformers claimed that they found and reawakened the Biblical truth and that the truth was apparent to everyone. At the same time, they also claimed the need for correct interpretation of the Bible. This paradox shows that it was unthinkable in discourse of the Reformation that the way humans could be blessed may not be an eternal truth. The one and only truth and the possibility for humans to receive this were the central statements of the discourse of the Reformation, and these statements could be seen as a way of making it impossible to recognize the ambiguity in the conditions for salvation. The theological concepts of the Reformation connected with political/social concepts and I investigate how the discourse of the Reformation influenced the creation of order, community and separation in the household and the realm. The main argument is that, seen as a discourse, the Reformation produced a typical way of talking and combining concepts that itself had an integrating effect on society. Through placing every subject in the discourse, it was only possible for subjects to exist in the discourse and therefore they became related to each other. The way of talking about understanding, the heart and the soul made it possible to recognize someone who did not understood in the right way. The parishioner or subject who did not understood as well as the parishioner or subject who made every possible effort to understand were both products of the discourse, and in this way the Reformation succeeded in establishing knowledge and understanding as focal points from where it was meaningful to judge people and make statements about how they were. At the end, the subject who understood was the main product of the discourse of the Reformation and through this subject it was possible to make statements about the will, the thoughts and the demands of the King´s subjects. (Less)


The operating principle in conventional optoelectronic devices is based on steady-state photocurrent. In these devices, photogenerated carriers have to travel long distances across the devices. Various dissipation mechanisms such as traps, scattering and recombination dissipate these carriers during transport, and decrease device response speed as well as optoelectronic conversion efficiency, especially in organic devices (Forrest & Thompson, 2007; Pandey et al., 2008; Saragi et al., 2007; Spanggaard & Krebs, 2004; Xue, 2010). Such organic devices have received considerable attention due to their potential for of large-area fabrication, combined with flexibility, low cost (Blanchet et al., 2003), and so on. Efforts to substitute inorganic materials by organic ones in optoelectronics have encountered a serious obstacle, i.e., poor carrier mobility that prevents photogenerated carriers from travelling a long distance across the devices. Typically, exciton diffusion length in organic materials is approximately 10-20 nm (Gunes et al., 2007). Internal quantum efficiency decreases with the increase in film thickness (Slooff et al., 2007) since recombination will occur prior to exciton dissociation if photogenerated excitons are unable to reach the region near the electrodes. Therefore, though a thicker film can result in an enhanced light harvesting, collecting carriers using electrodes becomes difficult. In addition, the poor mobility of organic materials always triggers the formation of space charges in thin film devices, and the space charges additionally limit the photocurrent (Mihailetchi et al., 2005). In this chapter, we introduce an anomalous transient photocurrent into optoelectronics based on Maxwell's theory on total current, which consists of conduction and displacement current. In contrast to organic optoelectronic devices based on conduction photocurrent, which sufferrs from poor carrier mobility, the anomalous photocurrent can contribute to optoelectronic conversion and "pass" through an insulator. Though such anomalous photocurrent, or photoinduced displacement current, has received previous attention (Andriesh et al., 1983; Chakraborty & Mallik, 2009; Iwamoto, 1996; Kumar et al., 1987; Sugimura et al., 1989; Tahira & Kao, 1985), its mechanism and characteristics are still largely unresolved. We systematically explained this phenomenon based on our theoretic analyses and experiments on an organic radical 4'4-bis(1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolyl) (BDTDA) (Bryan et al., 1996) thin film device. A double-layer model was introduced, and a new type of device with structure of metal/blocking layer/semiconductor layer/metal was developed to reproduce the anomalous photocurrent (Hu et al., 2010b). The photocurrent transient is observed to


Photoelectron imaging spectra of three alkenoxide radical anions (3-buten-1-oxide, 3-buten-2-oxide, and 2-propenoxide) are presented and analyzed with supporting results of density functional theory calculations. In all spectra, intense detachment features are observed at approximately 2 eV electron binding energy, which is similar to the electron affinities of saturated neutral alkoxy radicals [Ramond et al., J. Chem. Phys. 112, 1158 (2000)]. Photoelectron angular distributions suggest the presence of several overlapping transitions which are assigned to the X̃ and à states of multiple energetically competitive conformers. The term energy of the à state of the 2-propenoxy radical, 0.17 eV, is higher than that of 3-buten-2-oxy (0.13 eV) and 3-buten-1-oxy (0.05 eV) radicals. Comparing the butenoxy radicals, we infer that stronger interactions between the non-bonding O 2p orbitals and the π bond increase the splitting between the ground and the first excited state in the 3-buten-2-oxy radical relative to the 3-buten-1-oxy radical.


This paper is devoted to a new topology of a single-phase interleaved quasi-z-source inverter with active power decoupling circuit. The inverter comprises two classical completely interleaved quasi-z-source inverters to gain the benefits of passive component reduction and power quality improvement. The modulation technique applied allows maximum boost control for better utilization of the dc-link. At the same time, the input power ripple was significantly reduced. Due to the applied approach, total requirements for capacitive energy storage were decreased by 37 times as compared to the simple boost and maximum boost control without active power decoupling. As a result, the quasi-z-source stage capacitance was reduced while the output power quality was kept high. The proposed topology is ideally suitable for standalone and grid-connected single-phase photovoltaic applications.


Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) is now recognized as a biologically active component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Ang-(1-7) appears to play a central role in the RAS because it exerts a vast array of actions, many of them opposite to those attributed to the main effector peptide of the RAS, Ang II. The discovery of the Ang-converting enzyme (ACE) homolog ACE2 brought to light an important metabolic pathway responsible for Ang-(1-7) synthesis. This enzyme can form Ang-(1-7) from Ang II or less efficiently through hydrolysis of Ang I to Ang-(1-9) with subsequent Ang-(1-7) formation by ACE. In addition, it is now well established that the G protein-coupled receptor Mas is a functional binding site for Ang-(1-7). Thus, the axis formed by ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas appears to represent an endogenous counterregulatory pathway within the RAS, the actions of which are in opposition to the vasoconstrictor/proliferative arm of the RAS consisting of ACE, Ang II, and AT(1) receptor. In this brief review, we will discuss recent findings related to the biological role of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas arm in the cardiovascular and renal systems, as well as in metabolism. In addition, we will highlight the potential interactions of Ang-(1-7) and Mas with AT(1) and AT(2) receptors.


Tubo-ovarian abscess in the third trimester of pregnancy is extremely rare. In this report, an unusual case with asymptomatic tubo-ovarian abscess, diagnosed incidentally during Cesarean section performed for an obstetric indication, is presented. Unlike other reported cases, no signs or symptoms attributable to pelvic abscess throughout the pregnancy were observed in our patient. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a case in the literature.


We show that the technique of integration within an ordered product of operators can be extended to Hilbert transform. In so doing we derive normally ordered expansion of Coulomb potential-type operators directly by using the mathematical Hilbert transform formula.


Climate change is nowadays one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity. Therefore, each company, considering its good reputation, devotes a lot of attention to introducing pro-ecological solutions. This is done both at the level of processes carried out in the company and at the staff level. Regardless of the industry, there is an improvement in the awareness not only of employers but also employees in the matter of jointly caring for the environment in which they live. A number of new technological solutions are being introduced and employees are trained to stimulate and develop pro-environmental behaviour. In addition, reports are prepared containing information on the current situation in the company regarding the implementation of ecological solutions. Hence, the environmental policy of companies, regardless of the company's industry, plays an extremely important role in improving the state of the environment. The article presents examples of solutions used by one of the leading logistics operators with a range not only local or European but also global.


Assessing Glycaemic Control in Cystic FibrosisJennifer Helm, University of Manchester, Doctor of Medicine (MD) thesis submission, June 2011Four studies investigating the assessment of glycaemic control in cystic fibrosis are presented within this thesis.The first was a validation study of continual glucose monitoring (CGM) in cystic fibrosis (CF). 50 stable adults with CF underwent home CGM for 3 days, during which time they attended the CF centre for OGTT. Gold standard fasting (0 hour) plasma glucose and 2 hour plasma glucose values during OGTT were compared with concurrent CGM sensor glucose values using a ?limits of agreement? analysis. CGM was found to be valid in adults with CF, with its accuracy being consistent with that published in non-CF populations.The next investigation compared OGTT with CGM with several objectives: to determine whether OGTT is a relevant and adequate measure of glycaemia in CF, find out whether CGM could offer a superior alternative to OGTT and explore whether OGTT and CGM results are associated with prior change in lung function and weight in adults with CF. Data from the first study was used to show that the OGTT can only identify abnormal glycaemic control in CF at a late stage, and that CGM is a more relevant reflection of everyday glycaemia in CF. No correlation was found between prior change in lung function and nutritional status in CF and glycaemia measured by OGTT or CGM. The subsequent study investigated whether CGM could identify early abnormal glycaemic control in CF. This involved ten non-CF healthy controls undergoing the same study protocol as the 50 stable adults with CF, to determine ?normal? glycaemic control parameters. Of 25 CF patients with normal glucose tolerance by OGTT, 19 (76%) had significantly higher mean and/or variability of CGM levels than healthy controls. This lead to changes in their management, including 2 subjects being commenced on insulin therapy.The final investigation was a questionnaire study, asking the 50 CF patients to provide information on their experience of undergoing CGM. 58% of patients responded, with replies indicating that they found CGM broadly acceptable, interfering little in their lives and that their experiences were generally positive. This insight into patients? experiences of CGM can be used to guide future clinical and research roles for this tool.These studies have provided novel data regarding the assessment of glycaemic in CF. Information captured by CGM has greater relevance to CF patients? daily lives than OGTT. CGM can identify early problems with glycaemic control leading to changes in management that may not be detected by conventional measures. CGM offers potential in further clinical application and research to improve the lives and outcomes for adults with CF.


The radial migration is an important process in the development of the cerebral cortex. Earlier studies have reported that classical neurotransmitters such as L-dopamine and L-adrenaline regulate the proliferation of neural progenitor cells. We examined whether L-dopamine and L-adrenaline regulate cell migration, using embryonic neural progenitor cells from mouse embryonic telencephalon in vitro. In this study, we showed that dopamine D1 agonist induces cell migration of embryonic neural progenitor cells. In addition, we have demonstrated that L-adrenaline induces cell migration of embryonic neural progenitor cells, mediated through the activation of &agr;-1 adrenergic receptors. Our results suggest that &agr;-1 adrenergic receptor and dopamine D1 receptor stimulations in neural progenitor cells are the important process for embryonic brain development, respectively.


To explore the potential of whole-plant quinoa (WPQ) as a high-protein source for livestock feed, this study evaluated the effects of additives on the fermentation quality and bacterial community of high-moisture WPQ silage. High-moisture WPQ was ensiled either untreated (control) or treated with cellulase (E), molasses (M), LAB inoculant (L), a combination of cellulase and LAB inoculant (EL), and a combination of molasses and LAB inoculant (ML). The fermentation quality and bacterial community after 60 days of ensiling were analyzed. Naturally fermented WPQ exhibited acetic acid-type fermentation dominated by enterobacteria, with low lactic acid content (21.1 g/kg DM), and high pH value (6.43) and NH3-N production (182 g/kg TN). Adding molasses alone or combined with LAB inoculant shifted the fermentation patterns toward increased intensity of lactic acid fermentation, lowering the pH value (<4.60), NH3-N content (<130 g/kg TN) and total abundance of enterobacteria (<19%), and increasing the lactic acid content (>61.5 g/kg DM), lactic/acetic acid ratio (>1.42) and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (>70.5%). The results suggested that the lack of fermentable sugar could be the main factor of restricting extensive lactic acid fermentation in WPQ silage. Supplementing fermentable sugar or co-ensiling with materials with high WSC content and low moisture content could be beneficial strategies for producing high-quality WPQ silage.


A Monte Carlo model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of different biosecurity strategies for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) on cow-calf farms. Where possible, risk distributions were defined in the course of a critical literature review covering all publications since 1990 relevant to BVDV on cow-calf farms. The prevalence of persistent infections (PIs) in adult cows was unknown, so a survey of viremia in 2,990 adult cows for sale in the Midwest during 2006 was performed; prevalence was calculated to be 0.07%. In order to validate a newly developed RT-nPCR for pooled serum used for the survey, sensitivity was determined based on 100 known viremic serum samples; sensitivity was 95%, with no detectable effect of strain type. A Monte Carlo model was developed to calculate the risk of introducing BVDV to a cow-calf herd and number of PIs introduced in one year, based on herd imports and biosecurity strategies. The results of that model were integrated with a stochastic SIR model for the spread and impact of BVDV through a cow-calf herd over 10 years, based on herd size and control strategies. The resulting model was integrated with a stochastic model for the cost of both the biosecurity and control measures used and the financial impact of BVDV infection on the herd over 10 years. The lowest risk option of 14 biosecurity strategies were calculated for 400-, 100-, and 50-head herds with 8 different import profiles, and management factors that increase financial risk due to BVDV were determined.


Treatment of inflammatory pathology of the nasal cavity at the present stage requires a doctor to clearly understand the physiological mechanisms that implement the main functions of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and upper respiratory tract. One of the most important processes that ensure the normal functioning of the respiratory tract is mucociliary clearance. Violations of its work leads to stagnation of mucus and the development of inflammation not only in the nasal cavity, but also in the lower respiratory tract and middle ear cavities. The authors of the article consider the main etiological factors and mechanisms of the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases of the nasal cavity, discuss approaches to the treatment of these conditions. The authors conclude that in conditions of acute and chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa, accompanied by the secretion of thick viscous mucus, the most effective topical use of the combined preparation, which includes acetylcysteine, tuaminoheptane and sodium hyaluronate. This combination has both mucolytic, vasoconstrictive and protective effects, which increases the effectiveness of the drug and the adherence of patients to therapy.