Hypocalcemia is a frequent complication after thyroid and parathyroid surgery. This study aims to evaluate the incidence, pathophysiology, early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, clinical and biochemical predictive factors, treatment of hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia may be transient, that recovers within 6 months of surgery and permanent that persists more than 6 months after surgery. Postoperative hypocalcemia arises from hypoparathyroidism, hungry bone syndrome, hemodilution due to surgical stress and alkalosis which is caused by hyperventilation due to postoperative pain. The most common cause of postoperative hypocalcemia is hypoparathyroidism. Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by a parathyroid hormone (PTH) deficient leading to hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and hypercalciuria. Postoperative hypoparathroidism occurs usually due to inadvertent or unavoidable the parathyroid gland or damage to it/its blood supply. Hungry bone syndrome can occur after surgery for hyperparathyroidism and Graves disease. The clinical manifestations of postsurgical hypocalcemia depend on the degree of hypocalcemia and rapidity of hypocalcemia onset. The classic symptoms of hypocalcemia is associated with neuromuscular excitability. They vary from numbness and tingling in the fingertips, toes and circumoral region in mild hypocalcemia to paraesthesias of the upper and lower extremities in moderate hypocalcemia. In the most severe forms, tetanic muscle cramps can occur in the form of carpopedal spasm or diffuse tetany. Some cases can occur bronchospasm and laryngospasm. Neurological symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, delirium or seizure, and cardiac abnormalities such as prolonged QT interval on electrocardiogram, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure can also occur. In patients without overt signs, underlying neuromuscular excitability can become evident with provocation tests such as Chvostek's sign and Trousseau's sign. Diagnostic workup for hypocalcemia includes measuring serum intact PTH, phosphorus, albumin, magnesium, 25-OH Vit D, and calcium. Clinical predictive factors of hypocalcemia include female sex, inadvertent excision of the parathyroid gland, parathyroid autotransplantation, Graves' disease, surgery for recurrent goitre, reoperation for bleeding, and heavier thyroid specimens. Perioperative PTH and postoperative changes in calcium levels can be used as biochemical predictors of hypocalcemia. The management of hypocalcemia is best accomplished by identifying high-risk patients preoperatively, preserving function of parathyroid gland during surgery, identifying hypocalcemia via early predictors and implementing appropriate treatment if necessary. Moreover prevention or early identification and appropriate management of hypocalcemia prevents hypocalcemia-related complications and allows patients to be discharged from the hospital earlier. Treatment for hypocalcemia is based on combined theraphy with calcium and vitamin D analoques. Formal guidelines for the management of hypocalcemia are not available. However, there are some common procedures existing in clinical practice. According to the degree and speed onset of hypocalcemia and the severity symptoms, intravenous calcium may be needed until an oral regimen is established. The goal of theraphy is to control hypocalcemic symptoms and achieve and maintain a serum calcium level in the low normal range. The oral dose of calcium and vitamin D analogues should be individually tailored by checking serum calcium, phosphate, and PTH initially every week, and then every 2-3 weeks or monthly. Hypercalcemia must be avoided. New drugs such as recombinant human PTH currently in clinical trials offer promising treatment options.


There is increasing interest concerning the use of natural antioxidants as low toxic antileukemic compounds. Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI), is a novel herbal drug derived in Poland from the powdered roots of Scutellaria baicalensis, and the biological activities of its major components (baicalin and baicalein) were compared on the human leukemia cell line HL-60. On MTT assay, Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) showed an obvious cytotoxic effect on HL-60 cells, which was compared with those caused by cisplatin and doxorubicin under the same experimental conditions. A comparative assay of the antioxidative and prooxidative capacity of Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) was also undertaken using two different reactive species: superoxide (O2-) and a transition metal (Cu2+). Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) has low toxicity, acting as a modifier of HL-60 cells proliferation and as an antioxidant, which could act prooxidatively in the presence of transition metal ions. Taken together, it seems reasonable to suggest that Antoksyd S (C/E/XXI) as compared to baicalin and baicalein, or to the cytostatics cisplatin and doxorubicin, might be an especially good candidate for the future development of new therapeutic techniques, alone or in "combination treatment regimens", to enhance leukemia cell killing.


Abnormal respiratory chemosensitivity is implicated in recurrent apnea syndromes, with the peripheral chemoreceptors, the carotid bodies, playing a particularly important role. Previous work suggests that supraphysiological concentrations of the endocannabinoid endovanilloid and TASK channel blocker anandamide (ANA) excite carotid bodies, but the mechanism(s) and physiological significance are unknown. Given that carotid body output is temperature-sensitive, we hypothesized that ANA stimulates carotid body chemosensory afferents via temperature-sensitive vanilloid (TRPV1) receptors. To test this hypothesis, we used the dual-perfused in situ rat preparation to confirm that independent perfusion of carotid arteries with supraphysiological concentrations of ANA strongly excites carotid sinus nerve afferents and that this activity is sufficient to increase phrenic activity. Next, using ex vivo carotid body preparations, we demonstrate that these effects are mediated by TRPV1 receptors, not CB1 receptors or TASK channels: in CB1-null mouse preparations, ANA increased afferent activity across all levels of Po(2), whereas in TRPV1-null mouse preparations, the stimulatory effect of ANA was absent. In rat ex vivo preparations, ANA's stimulatory effects were mimicked by olvanil, a nonpungent TRPV1 agonist, and suppressed by the TRPV1 antagonist AMG-9810. The specific CB1 agonist oleamide had no effect. Physiological levels of ANA had no effect alone but increased sensitivity to mild hyperthermia. AMG-9810 blocked ANA's effect on the temperature response. Immunolabeling and RT-PCR demonstrated that TRPV1 receptors are not expressed in carotid body glomus cells but reside in petrosal sensory afferents. Together, these results suggest that ANA plays a physiological role in augmenting afferent responses to mild hyperthermia by activating TRPV1 receptors on petrosal afferents.


The main contribution of this paper is to show that the American Fama French factors, as proxy for the US stochastic discount factor, drive not only Emerging Markets (EM) contagion, but also the the co-movement increase of EM sovereign debt spreads and US corporate spreads. For the 1998-2006 period the American Fama French factors are signiïB01cant in order to explain EM sovereign debt spreads (EMBI ), an increase in the factors decrease EM spreads. What is more, using a panel error correction model, I disentangle the long and short-run relationship between the EM spreads and the American Fama French factors, controlling both for the US government rate and the US market volatility. The Fama French factors remain highly signiïB01cant. Moreover, I show that in order for EM contagion to exist, there must be an increase in volatility of the M KT , S M B and H M L factors. High volatility in American Fama French factors is a necessary but not suïB03cient condition for EM contagion to exist. I extend the analysis to EM stock markets and show that the Fama French factors remain signiïB01cant, which can also be associated to contagion in stock markets.


Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and the approach of generalized collective modes are applied for calculations of spectra of longitudinal and transverse collective excitations in molten LiBr. Dispersion and damping of low- and high-frequency branches of collective excitations as well as wave-number dependent relaxing modes were calculated. The main mode contributions to partial, total, and concentration dynamic structure factors were estimated in a wide region of wave numbers. A role of polarization effects is discussed from comparison of mode contributions to concentration dynamic structure factors calculated for molten LiBr from ab initio and classical rigid ion simulations.


Abstract:This article explores the differences between early Irish saints' cults, concentrating mainly but not exclusively on those associated with the Fothairt. It begins with a simple and local cult, that of Damnat of Tedavnet, and a complex and widespread cult, that of Brigit. It is argued that Brigit's cult had at least four constituencies: the Fothairt, Kildare, Leinster, and the weak throughout Ireland and even in Britain. Brigit's cult among the Fothairt is then contrasted with that of another Fothairt saint, Fintan of Clonenagh; and Fintan's cult, in turn, is contrasted with that of Rígnach. The Uí Ercáin, a branch of the Fothairt, illustrate how the political status of a cult's constituency may determine its character. Finally, the shift from an alliance between cults to competition is studied in the example of Cainnech and Columba.


Radiation temperature scales were realized with a precision infrared thermometer at IMGC, NPL and UME using fixed-point blackbodies at the freezing points of indium, tin, zinc, aluminium and silver. From the fixed-point calibration in each laboratory, continuous scales were obtained with a four-coefficient interpolation equation. The differences between the three scales were well within 0.1°C at all temperatures between the indium and silver points. Calibrations of the same thermometer performed at NPL and UME using a more traditional calibration scheme based on the comparison with contact thermometers showed differences of up to more than 0.4°C. This suggested that the fixed-point scheme, that has been used for the first time in an international comparison, should be more reliable for accurate calibrations of precision infrared thermometers.


In traditional multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system, cyclic delay can increase frequency selectivity of the channel seen by the receiver, which results in cyclic delay diversity (CDD) and achieves spatial diversity. Space frequency coded scheme is another effective method to improve bit error performance of the whole wireless system. While both cyclic delay diversity and space frequency coded technology is put into traditional MIMO-OFDM system, a new space-time-frequency MIMO-OFDM scheme with cyclic delay diversity is proposed in this paper. Spatial diversity is achieved by cyclic delay diversity and frequency diversity is exploited by space frequency coded method in our scheme. Tests show that the new scheme can achieve excellent diversity gains and bit error performance. The new scheme also has obvious advantages on its simple and flexible structure.


Early technical complications after pancreas transplantation are almost always unsalvageable. The two most common complications are vascular thrombosis and duodenal anastomotic leaks. We present a case of a duodenal stump leak that led to a large abscess and severe sepsis. The pancreas was salvaged by repairing the leak and creating a proximal diverting ileostomy. Several months later, the ileostomy was reversed. This was done by creating a defunctionalized Roux limb to exclude the pancreas. The patient healed well and continued to enjoy excellent glucose control.


Abstract How scientific are the polls reported in the media on the gun‐control issue? Without arguing for or against gun controls, this article examines the interviewing and sampling methods used by media polls and finds that some polls claiming impressive majorities in favor of severe gun controls may not be accurate.


As an integral part of the 4th industrial revolution, simulation enables engineers and artisans to evaluate the effectiveness of the product before developing the final one. In South Africa, simulation is promoted to support students to develop artefacts that resemble the actual technological solutions. This study used a qualitative research approach and a case study design to explore teachers' ability to use design process to promote contemporary psychomotor skills. Four teachers were purposively sampled considering their experiences. Data was collected through questionnaire and semi-structured interviews and analysed against Maria's Simulation Model and the design process to some extent. The study revealed that teachers were aware of the advantages simulations have in equipping learners with psychomotor skills, however, they did not have means to support students to enact their creative and critical thinking skills. The study recommends a strong pedagogical expertise in dealing with simulations and the design process. Teachers should be conversant with various simulation models and implement them accordingly because technological design process provides effective platform for simulation.


Primary strumal carcinoid tumor of the ovary (SCTO) is an extremely rare entity, though the survival rate is excellent if the disease is confined to one ovary. A case is presented here in which intraoperative squash smears in a 45‐year‐old woman with a left adnexal mass revealed dispersed or small clusters of neoplastic cells forming loosely cohesive gland‐like structures with abundant cytoplasm. The nuclear chromatin was finely granular with a "salt and pepper" appearance and occasional tiny nucleoli. The position of the nucleus presented a vaguely plasmacytoid appearance. Small fragments of thyroidal colloid‐like structures were also identified. A cytopathologic diagnosis of a SCTO was suggested. Further evaluation and immunohistochemical studies were conducted on formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded material. Cords or nests of uniform cells with abundant cytoplasm, and eccentric nuclei with coarse chromatin and occasional colloidal tissue were identified on H&E sections. The tumor cells showed diffuse and strong cytoplasmic staining for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, CD56, and vimentin but were negative for calretinin, α‐inhibin or CDX2. The proliferative index with MIB‐1 was around 3%. Thyroidal colloid‐like structures were immunoreactive for thyroglobulin and TTF‐1 stains. The diagnosis of primary SCTO was confirmed based on cytopathologic, histopathological, and immunohistochemical results, and the location of the tumor. Awareness of the cytopathological findings of SCTO can assist in diagnosing this rare entity correctly. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013;41:812–816. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most serious infection in Intensive Care Unit. Today, its diagnosis relies mainly on conventional microbiological reports that are provided to the clinicians 24-72h after the sampling. Because an earlier diagnosis may reduce patient mortality and abusive use of antibiotics, we optimized a molecular biology-based method to quantify the DNA of bacteria frequently involved in VAP, directly from EndoTracheal Aspirates (ETA), in less than 3h30. First, a Sample Processing Control is spiked into each 400 μL specimen. Second, the sample is submitted to a liquefaction process and an enzymatic lysis, and DNA is extracted using the easyMAG® system. Then, qPCR are run and DNA is quantified using standard curves. Dynamic ranges for quantification were between ∼10^3 and ∼10^7 CFU/mL, depending on the bacterial target. The method was tested using ETA collected daily from mechanically ventilated patients (see patients 1 and 2, Figure 1) and we could follow the colonization with S. aureus over time. Indeed, the same trends were observed between the semi-quantitative culture and the ETA method. Further assessment is now needed to evaluate the medical validity of this method for the early diagnosis of VAP, on larger populations.


Despite the widespread use of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications (CCMs), the effectiveness of most CCMs has not been proven in children. A meta-analysis summarizing trials using OTC CCMs for viral-induced cough found no evidence for or against the use of OTC medicines in both paediatric and adult populations when cough frequency and severity, as well as physician assessments, were compared. Furthermore, North American data suggest that OTC CCMs may be associated with medication errors and adverse events, resulting in visits to emergency departments and even leading to death. The present article provides information on current evidence for cough and cold therapies, including fluid intake, humidified air, antihistamines, echinacea, zinc, honey and vitamin C, for caregivers of children and youth.


This study investigates the reading habits of three Thai students between their early twenties to early thirties. Although the focus of interest is on their English reading, their reading habits in Thai and English, both fiction and non-fiction, are studied. None of the three subjects regularly reads fiction in Thai or English, and non-fiction books are read almost exclusively for the purpose of study. The research confirms the hypothesis that present reading habits are determined by positive or negative reading experiences in the past. Subjects who enjoyed positive experiences reading fiction or non-fiction in their early years have become regular readers of fiction or non-fiction; the subject who had negative early reading experiences is not a regular reader of any kind of books in either Thai or English. The study does suggest, however, that despite the strong effect of early reading experiences, positive reading experiences in the present can help adults become engaged readers. Key terms: Reading; Reading attitudes; Motivation; Reading motivation; Influences; Thai students; Reading culture; Reluctant reader; Engaged reader; Positive reading experiences; Habits; L2 reading.


Supermassive stars have been proposed as the progenitors of the massive ($\sim 10^{9}\,\rm{M}_{\odot}$) quasars observed at $z\sim7$. Prospects for directly detecting supermassive stars with next-generation facilities depend critically on their intrinsic lifetimes, as well as their formation rates. We use the 1D stellar evolution code Kepler to explore the theoretical limiting case of zero-metallicity, non-rotating stars, formed monolithically with initial masses between $10\,\rm{kM}_{\odot}$ and $190\,\rm{kM}_{\odot}$. We find that stars born with masses between $\sim60\,\rm{kM}_{\odot}$ and $\sim150\,\rm{kM}_{\odot}$ collapse at the end of the main sequence, burning stably for $\sim1.5\,\rm{Myr}$. More massive stars collapse directly through the general relativistic instability after only a thermal timescale of $\sim3\,\rm{kyr}$--$4\,\rm{kyr}$. The expected difficulty in producing such massive, thermally-relaxed objects, together with recent results for currently preferred rapidly-accreting formation models, suggests that such ``truly direct'' or ``dark'' collapses may not be typical for supermassive objects in the early Universe. We close by discussing the evolution of supermassive stars in the broader context of massive primordial stellar evolution and the possibility of supermassive stellar explosions.


With rapidly growing rates of prevalence, disability, and mortality, Parkinson's disease (PD) has become a global healthcare burden. Increasing elderly population increases the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases in China. Hence, PD poses a huge burden to Chinese economic and healthcare system. PD is a movement disorder that affects the motor and nonmotor functions. Dopamine agonists are used in the management of PD. Piribedil is an antiparkinsonian drug and piperazine derivative, which acts as D2/D3 receptor agonist. Piribedil is one of the non-ergot dopamine receptor (DR) agonists and has been used in China for many years as monotherapy or in combination with levodopa. In this paper, we present a review of clinical application of piribedil, management of adverse events, and drug interactions, and discuss the results of clinical trials of piribedil on motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.


Zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZFO NPs) are a promising magneto-crystalline platform for nanomedicine-based cancer theranostics. ZFO NPs synthesized using co-precipitation method are characterized using different techniques. UV-visible spectroscopy exhibits absorption peaks specific for ZFO. Raman spectroscopy identifies Raman active, infrared active, and silent vibrational modes while Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) spectra display IR active modes that confirm the presence of ZFO. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) exhibits the crystalline planes of single-phase ZFO with a face-centered cubic structure that coincides with the selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED). The average particle size according to high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) is 5.6 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) signals confirm the chemical states of Fe, Zn, and O. A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) displays the magnetic response of ZFO NPs, showing a magnetic moment of 45.5 emu/gm at 70 kOe. These ZFO NPs were then employed for comparative cytotoxicity evaluation using MTT, crystal violet, and LDH assays on breast adenocarcinoma epithelial cell (MCF-7), triple-negative breast cancer lines (MDA-MB 231), and human embryonic kidney cell lines (HEK-293). Flow cytometric analysis of all the three cell lines were performed in various concentrations of ZFO NPs for automated cell counting and sorting based on live cells, cells entering in early or late apoptotic phase, as well as in the necrotic phase. This analysis confirmed that ZFO NPs are more cytotoxic towards triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) as compared to breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and normal cell lines (HEK-293), thus corroborating that ZFO can be exploited for cancer therapeutics.


Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify latent profiles based on 3 dimensions of organizational commitment (OC) using 14 Korean samples.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used unpublished raw data. Allen and Meyer's (1996) measurement was used to maintain consistency and facilitate comparison across samples. To determine the number of latent profiles that exist in Korea based on employees' level of OC, a latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed.

Findings
The findings showed that there are two or three profiles (i.e. fully committed, weakly committed and/or moderately committed) across various types of organizations in Korea. These findings are similar to those based on LPA conducted in the West. The number of profiles is more limited in Korean samples than it is in Western samples. Like Western studies, this Korean-focused study identified fully committed, weakly committed and moderately committed profiles, but it did not show any other types of profiles found in the Western sample.

Originality/value
Based on these results, this study suggests academic and practical implications for researchers and practitioners.


The main aims of public health care are the prevention of cardiovascular disease and management of malignant disease. For the prevention of cardiovascular disease, risk factor control such as treatment of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and cessation of tobacco smoking are important. In Japan, financial support for extra health care checks aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular disease was started in April 2001. Carotid and cardiac ultrasonography were nominated as second-line examinations in patients with high blood pressure, high blood lipid levels, high blood sugar, and obesity. Carotid atherosclerosis is known to be a useful indicator of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. Noninvasive ultrasonic examination is a standard method for assessment of carotid artery disease. In this paper, I explain the present consensus for evaluating carotid atherosclerosis by ultrasonography in line with the Japanese guidelines. If a patient is found to have obvious carotid atherosclerosis, it is necessary to conduct more intensive control of the risk factors. More severe control is needed for reduction of blood pressure and cholesterol, recovery of insulin resistance, and so on.


The navigation satellite constellations in medium-Earth orbit exist in a background of third-body secular resonances stemming from the perturbing gravitational effects of the Moon and the Sun. The resulting chaotic motions, emanating from the overlapping of neighboring resonant harmonics, induce especially strong perturbations on the orbital eccentricity, which can be transported to large values, thereby increasing the collision risk to the constellations and possibly leading to a proliferation of space debris. We show here that this transport is of a diffusive nature and we present representative diffusion maps that are useful in obtaining a global comprehension of the dynamical structure of the navigation satellite orbits.


During the mid-1870s, fearing the legal innovations of a "civilized" state, geisha and their employers recast Tokugawa-era practices of civic engagement and educational attainment in the language of enlightenment. Proprietors built schools intended to transform geisha into productive and moral mothers, and geisha donated to local educational institutions and suggested that their own studies would lead to self-sufficiency and freedom. These efforts associated geisha with the values of productivity and enlightenment, although similar strategies proved less successful for prostitutes. However, by the 1880s, both geisha and prostitutes were increasingly denied access to education and excluded from ideals of enlightened femininity that were predicated on marriage. This article considers how a group of unlikely actors deployed the Tokugawa past to become civilized, and in the process promoted ideas about the purpose of women's education that would later be expressed by an icon of Meiji modernity: the "good wife, wise mother."


Dysregulated expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been demonstrated as being implicated in a variety of human diseases. In the study we aimed to determine lncRNA profile in CD8+ T cells response to active tuberculosis (TB). We examined the lncRNA expression by microarray in circulating CD8+ T cells isolated from patients with active TB and healthy controls. Change predictions to analysis was used to address functional roles of the deregulated mRNAs. Real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) was used to validate the microarray result. In total, 328 lncRNAs and 356 mRNAs were differentially expressed in TB CD8+ T cells. Upregulated mRNAs were mainly enriched in cAMP signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and TGF‐beta signaling pathway, while downregulated mRNAs were enriched in antigen processing and presentation and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity in TB CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, we found that heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) was decreased in active TB CD8+ T cells, while its nearby lincRNA XLOC_014219 was upregulated. Subsequent RT‐qPCR results confirmed the changes. This is the first research addressing lncRNA expression profiles in active TB CD8+ T cells. The aberrantly expressed lncRNAs observed in the study may provide clues to the dysfunction of CD8+ T cells and so to the pathophysiological properties of active TB. Further studies should focus on the function of lncRNAs involved in active TB. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4275–4284, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) has been constructed on major highways in several countries since the 1940's. A large majority of these pavements have carried very heavy truck traffic but required low maintenance. Some have experienced problems due to inadequate design, support, and construction. This paper focuses on factors that have the greatest effect on producing a long life CRCP under heavy traffic. These factors were identified through use of a new comprehensive mechanistic based design and analysis procedure (NCHRP 1-37A) and actual field performance of CRCP. Factors include slab thickness, concrete strength and modulus, concrete thermal coefficient of expansion, reinforcement content and depth, erosion of base course, built-in temperature gradient, concrete temperature during construction, placement of reinforcement, and contact friction between CRCP and base. Current information on CRCP design and performance is provided which is of interest to highway engineers and decision makers who are interested in improving their existing designs and/or considering CRCP for future projects. (Author)


"Gilles focuses the majority of the book on the relationship in the classroom between the individual teacher and the students. She gives teachers ammunition to overcome resistance to cooperative learning by presenting well-substantiated research on virtually every page of her book showing the benefits of having students study together." –Ted Wohlfarth, PSYCCRITIQUES "This text's greatest strengths are bringing together a range of powerful teaching strategies connected to students taking responsibility for their own learning and the learning of others. The focus on both teacher strategies to encourage effective group talk and student strategies to encourage effective discourse is helpful." —Nancy L. Markowitz, San Jose State University Although cooperative learning is widely endorsed as a pedagogical practice that promotes learning and socialization among students, teachers still struggle with how to introduce it into their classrooms. This text highlights the strategies teachers can use to challenge student thinking and scaffold their learning as well as the strategies students can be taught to promote discourse, problem—solving, and learning during cooperative learning. Key Features Presents cooperative learning in conjunction with national standards: The book situates cooperative learning within the context of No Child Left Behind and a climate of high stakes testing.; Links theory with practice: Numerous case studies and small group exercises highlight how teachers can assess both the process and outcomes of cooperative learning.; Emphasizes the key role teachers play in establishing cooperative learning: Guidelines are given on how teachers can establish cooperative learning in their classrooms to promote student engagement and learning across various levels and for students of diverse abilities.; Incorporates the latest research on cooperative learning: An overview is provided of the major research and theoretical perspectives that underpin the development of cooperative learning pedagogy. Intended Audience This is an excellent supplementary text for several undergraduate and graduate level K—12 teacher preparation and certification courses regularly offered in schools of education. It can also be used as one of several texts in courses on cooperative learning and as a supplement in K—12 teaching methods courses. Talk to the author!


Decolonisation has become an important agenda both within academic institutions as well as within wider society in recent years. Yet the term is infrequently sufficiently critiqued or deconstructed to identify precisely what 'the colonial' refers to in specific academic contexts and therefore what the process of decolonisation should entail. It remains a relatively over-simplified agenda that easily becomes strategic rather than transformative of knowledge institutions. The focus on restructuring identifiable components, such as reading lists, limits discussion and critique of what decolonisation as an inherently more complex set of challenges should involve. The teaching and research related to Area Studies makes for an interesting example of the unresolved challenges of 'decolonisation' in academia. This paper reflects upon the complex discontinuities in understandings of 'the Colonial' in the Indo-Myanmar borderlands, challenging us to reflect more fully on what 'decolonisation' should entail in relation to academic interactions with this space. Specifically, it considers that region of the trans-Patkai mountain range where its corridors today connect modern north east India with the northern tip of Sagaing Division and Kachin State in Myanmar. The paper distinguishes itself from that broad literature on decolonisation by considering the ways in which colonial knowledge making intersects with contemporary knowledge making about this region, and the legacies of those historical constructions in the present. The often-unconscious ways in which academics and 'experts' are culpable in sustaining colonial representations that embed this region's economic and political marginalisation, even when they assume that attention to a decentred 'local' voice is being magnified, means that there is also a need to think about the decolonisation of knowledge of this area more deeply. This article intends to contribute to that debate.


An optical approach to the problem of modelling and diagnostics of the structures of biofractal formations was considered in relation to human bone tissue. A model was proposed for the optical properties of this tissue, including three levels of fractal organisation: microcrystalline, macrocrystalline, and architectural. The studies were based on laser coherent polarimetry ensuring the retrieval of the fullest information about the optical and polarisation properties of bone tissue. A method was developed for contactless noninvasive diagnostics of the orientational and mineralogical structure of bone tissue considered as a biofractal.


Deep learning has made significant advances in creating efficient representations of time series data by automatically identifying complex patterns. However, these approaches lack interpretability, as the time series is transformed into a latent vector that is not easily interpretable. On the other hand, Symbolic Aggregate approximation (SAX) methods allow the creation of symbolic representations that can be interpreted but do not capture complex patterns effectively. In this work, we propose a set of requirements for a neural representation of univariate time series to be interpretable. We propose a new unsupervised neural architecture that meets these requirements. The proposed model produces consistent, discrete, interpretable, and visualizable representations. The model is learned independently of any downstream tasks in an unsupervised setting to ensure robustness. As a demonstration of the effectiveness of the proposed model, we propose experiments on classification tasks using UCR archive datasets. The obtained results are extensively compared to other interpretable models and state-of the-art neural representation learning models. The experiments show that the proposed model yields, on average better results than other interpretable approaches on multiple datasets. We also present qualitative experiments to asses the interpretability of the approach.


Objective: To determine the size of obesity differences associated with educational level in the adult population in Spain. Design: Three cross sectional studies representative of the adult population in Spain were carried out in 1987, 1995, and 1997. Setting: The general population in Spain. Participants: 11 461 men and 10 219 women aged 25 to 64 years. Main results: For both men and women the obesity prevalence was highest in those with elementary education. In 1987 the obesity prevalence proportion associated with less than third level education (PA) was 24.5% (95% CI 6.0 to 42.8) and 47.9% (15.7 to 71.8) in men and women, respectively. The PAs in 1995/97 were 19.8% (0.2 to 40.2) and 55.1% (21.3 to 72.8). Conclusions: In 1995/97 the burden of obesity associated with less than third level education was 20% in men and 55% in women aged 25 to 64 years. Between 1987 and 1997 the obesity prevalence proportion associated with less than third level education increased in women and decreased in men.


Mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of many dreadful human diseases.  Phytochemicals with mosquitocidal potential are now recognized as potent alternative insecticides to replace synthetic insecticides. To determine the larvicidal activities of leaf extracts of Gmelina asiatica in different solvents against mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus.  Larvicidal efficacy of the crude leaf extracts of G. asiatica with four different solvents such as petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and acetone were tested against the five day old mosquitoes (A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus). The larvae mortality and the larvicidal efficacy were determined against the mosquito species with different concentrations (ranging from10-100ppm) under laboratory conditions.  Among the tested solvents, maximum efficacy was observed in the chloroform extract of both types of mosquitoes.  The LC50, LC90 and LC95 values of G. asiatica against the larvae of A. aegypti were 47.32, 81.03 and 86.90 ppm (petroleum ether) 37.39, 64.29 and 69.02 ppm (chloroform) 38.15, 71.71 and 78.31 ppm (ethanol) 45.88, 79.66 and 86.43 ppm (acetone) exracts and the values of C. quinquefasciatus were 36.22, 71.93 and 78.69 ppm (petroleum ether) 19.51, 53.51 and 63.09 ppm (chloroform) 39.52, 77.48 and 84.45 ppm (ethanol) 50.98, 85.66 and 89.53 ppm (acetone) extracts respectively. No mortality was observed in controls.  These results suggested that G. asiatica leaf extract possess larvicidal potential to be used as an ecofriendly approach for the control of vectors A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus and the study provides the first report on the larvicidal activity of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes.


The proper targeting and fusion of transport vesicles with the correct membrane is a critical event in the determination of the identity of different compartments within the cell. Work over the last decade has made tremendous progress toward determining a general mechanism by which this occurs. The


We propose a method to visualize a large image database. The key novelty is that the visualization maintains the structure often seen in clustering based visualization schemes while allowing for overlap between two clusters. Clustering is based on user-defined descriptors such as color, texture, and EXIF settings. Associations between images and descriptors are also made explicit in the visualization. Visualization of a 16000 image database downloaded from Flickr is presented.


Snow melting is a complex process generally characterized by a moistening, ripening and run-off phase. Identifying the timing of these phases is crucial for river discharge, avalanches and snow contaminants monitoring. An alternative to the sporadic and punctual snow water equivalent (SWE) and liquid water content (LWC) measurements is represented by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). We analyze the correlation between the multi-temporal C-band SAR backscattering and the snow melting timing. The backscattering was compared with in situ observations and snow modelling simulations for two test sites in the Alpine region. SAR sensitivity to LWC variation and snow properties enables the identification of the snow melting phases. A strong decrease of the backscattering in correspondence of an increase of LWC, e.g. during the moistening phase, is observed. Furthermore, an increase of backscattering happens in correspondence of SWE decrease, e.g. during the run-off phase. We discuss the possible mechanisms which affect SAR backscattering, related both to LWC and snow structure variations. The presented investigation could have relevant application for monitoring and predicting the snowmelt progress over large regions.


I defend the view that charity in interpretation is both an epistemic and a moral virtue. In the first part, I examine Donald Davidson's version of his principle of charity and question his ascription of beliefs by raising a phenomenological objection: beliefs themselves, before being ascribed, need to be interpreted when interpreters and the subjects they try to understand do not share the same cultural and historical background. In the second section, I examine the notion of epistemic virtue as discussed in virtue epistemology and question whether an epistemic virtue can be completely separated from a moral virtue. In the third section, I show how Gregory the Great, Father of the Church and Pope in the 6th century, understands the virtue of charity in interpretation not as a motivation (in a causal process of interpretation, as in virtue epistemology) but as an attraction to the good (in a teleological process) so that the interpreter is not only a technician producing an interpretation (following a "principle" of charity, as in Davidson) but a moral agent acting in a community.


AIM: To test the precision and accuracy of conventional linear cephalometric measurements in 3D reconstructed images using a multislice CT. METHODS: The study population consisted of 10 dry skulls, previously selected, without distinction of ethnic group and sex, which were submitted to a multislice CT 16 slices using 0.5mm of slice thickness and 0.3mm of interval of reconstruction. Subsequently the data was sent to an independent workstation. Conventional craniofacial landmarks (n=13), usually applied to facial orthopedic and orthodontic treatment planning, were localized and linear measurements (n=15) were obtained by 2 radiologists, twice each, independently, in 3D-CT images. In total 600 measurements were made. The correspondent physical measurements were obtained by a third examiner using a digital caliper. Statistical evaluation of the measurements was carried out regarding to inter and intra-examiner, in 3D-CT, and between image and physical measurements from dry skulls, using analysis of variance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were no statistically significant differences between inter and intra-examiner measurements or between imaging and physical measurements. The results also showed an inter-examiner variability error of 2.05%, and an intra-examiner variability error of 2.11%. There were also no statistically significant differences between imaging and physical measurements with p>0.6 for all measurements. The mean difference was from 0.96% to 1.47% for all measurements. The validity of linear cephalometric measurements was established using 3D volume rendering from a multislice CT with high precision and accuracy.


RATIONALE
The basis for gender influences on allergen-specific IgEs is unclear.

OBJECTIVES
To perform regular and sex-stratified genomewide linkage analyses of IgE to each of three allergens (Ascaris lumbricoides, Blatella germanica [German cockroach]), and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [dust mite]) and to conduct an association study of a candidate gene in a linked genomic region.

METHODS
Genomewide linkage analyses of allergen-specific IgEs were conducted in 653 members of eight large families of Costa Rican children with asthma. An analysis of the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IgE measurements was conducted in 417 parent-child trios in Costa Rica. Significant results were replicated in 470 families of white children in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Among all subjects, there was suggestive evidence of linkage (LOD >/= 2.72) to IgE to Ascaris (on chromosome 7q) and IgE to dust mite (on chromosomes 7p and 12q). In a sex-stratified analysis, there was significant evidence of linkage to IgE to cockroach on chromosome 5q23 (peak LOD, 4.14 at 127 cM) in female subjects. TSLP is located within the 1.5 LOD-unit support interval for this linkage peak and has female-specific effects on lung disease in mice. In a sex-stratified analysis, the T allele of single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2289276 in TSLP was associated with reductions in IgE to cockroach (in Costa Rican girls) and total IgE (in girls in Costa Rica and in CAMP; P value for sex-by-genotype interaction, <0.01 in both studies).

CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with findings in murine models, a variant in TSLP may have female-specific effects on allergic phenotypes.


The aim of the paper is a semiotic analysis of the commercial All That We Share by TV 2 Denmark A/S within the contemporary theoretical framework of Barthes, Fiske, Hartley, Silverstone and Solar. The paper briefly outlines the theories these authors developed regarding myth as discourse, the mythical and bardic role of television, television as a transitional object that participates in the establishment of ontological security and myth as an expression of mythical consciousness that still coexists with other forms of consciousness. The text of All That We Share is viewed in relation to the goal of creating and achieving results, by analysing the affiliation of media and genre and by a semiotic analysis of its structural components, as well as the expressive means used. The paper attempts to prove that the text is a contemporary reality TV myth that uses digital distribution models and the moment of emergence of curatorial culture in which, apart from losing the clean boundaries between genres and the media, the viewers take on the role of distributors and co-creators of the narrative. The text does not only stay within the code of the television and the mythical code but it also presents these codes in their direct, simple and clear form. This form of storytelling, harmonised with the precise selection of the initial moment of text distribution that strongly contextualises it, contributes to the creation of its meaning, enhances its distribution and ensures the global success of the text.


Alternative translation initiation via internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) allows for sustained expression of specific proteins under conditions, such as stress, where global translation is inhibited. As cells in tumors are constantly facing stress conditions, e.g. hypoxia or nutrient deprivation, it is not surprising that mRNAs encoding for oncogenes appear to be enriched in IRESs. IRES-dependent translation in eukaryotes commonly involves certain RNA-binding proteins, the so-called IRES trans-acting factors (ITAFs), that can directly interact with the IRESs to facilitate translation initiation. Upstream of N-Ras (UNR) is such an ITAF that can regulate the IRES activity of several cellular and viral IRESs. It is known that its 59 untranslated region (59 UTR) also contains an IRES that is regulated by polypyrimidine-tract binding protein (PTB), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) C1/C2 and UNR itself. Prediction analyses indicated that hnRNPA1 might bind to the 59 UTR of UNR as well. hnRNPA1 was previously already shown to serve as an ITAF in the regulation of the IRES activities of numerous mRNAs including egr2 and sST2. The aims of this project were to determine the impact of hnRNPA1 on the IRES activity of UNR. To test, if hnRNPA1 interacts with the 59 UTR of UNR, as predicted, we employed RNA affinity chromatography. We found that hnRNPA1 indeed strongly bound to the UNR 59 UTR. To assess, if hnRNPA1 consequently affects UNR IRES activity, we overexpressed hnRNPA1. Overexpression of hnRNPA1 markedly increased UNR IRES activity. hnRNPA1 overexpression further induced total UNR protein expression, which indicates that elevated UNR IRES activity results in enhanced translation. With respect to the exact interaction sites, hnRNPA1 binding was predicted to occur at overlapping sites to the previously published PTB binding sites. Deletion of the hnRNPA1 binding sites not only decreased the UNR IRES activity, it further rendered it insensitive to elevated hnRNPA1 levels. Taken together, we found that the 59 UTR of UNR contains specific hnRNPA1 binding sites and that binding of hnRNPA1 at these sites enhances the UNR IRES activity. Our findings therefore add a new piece to the complex puzzle of UNR regulating ITAFs. Having established hnRNPA1 as a new regulator of UNR IRES activity, might further put hnRNPA1 forward as an interesting target to regulate UNR expression. Citation Format: Sebastian Lampe, Thilo Braus, Michael Kunze, Anica Scholz, Sofia Winslow, Bernhard Brune, Tobias Schmid. hnRNPA1 is a regulator of UNR IRES activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translational Control of Cancer: A New Frontier in Cancer Biology and Therapy; 2016 Oct 27-30; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B09.


Abstract In this article, we propose a new variable in the formation of individual attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed – the perceived magnitude of unemployment. Our choice is based on the argument that people's reactions are strongly influenced by subjective meanings ascribed to social realities. We apply a multilevel analysis approach and mainly use the European Social Survey (2008). Results show that the perceived magnitude of unemployment positively influences public attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed, when corrected for a series of relevant individual and national characteristics. Moreover, of all tested measures of actual unemployment rates, only the long-term unemployment rate has a significant effect on attitudes towards governmental responsibilities to the unemployed. Interestingly, this effect is negative, which raises questions about how the social realities of unemployment translate into perceptions of unemployment.


The protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have a unique requirement for being of low complexity and energy-efficient. Due to their possible deployment in remote locations for civil, educational, scientific and military purposes, security, which includes intrusion detection and intrusion prevention, is of utmost importance. In this paper, we propose a simple, low complexity and energy-aware protocol for intrusion detection in WSN. The protocol is self-learning and distributed in nature. The distributed nature avoids all other nodes being sacrificed when a single node is compromised. The protocol juxtaposes the concept of stochastic learning automata on packet sampling mechanism to achieve an energy aware intrusion detection system. We have rigorously evaluated the performance of our proposed solution by performing a variety of experiments and have found our solution approach to be promising.


An ageing population worldwide is and will increasingly overburden existing eye health services due to an associated increase in age-related ocular disease. This has necessitated the development of different eye care schemes to alleviate this problem, particularly in the area of glaucoma. These schemes utilise community optometrists, and hospital-based optometrists, orthoptists and ophthalmic nurses. The various schemes have aided in a range of ways, from reducing false-positive glaucoma referrals to hospital clinics, to diagnosing, monitoring and in some cases treating suitable glaucoma patients. The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) Glaucoma Monitoring Clinic (EGMON) which started in 2007 utilises a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmic consultants, optometrists, orthoptists and ophthalmic nurses. The EGMON Clinic was set up in response to increasing numbers attending the RVEEH glaucoma clinics, the largest tertiary glaucoma service in Victoria. This was affecting the availability of appointments for new and review patients. Orthoptists have the theoretical knowledge and the clinical background to play an important role in the provision of services to patients with glaucoma and other types of chronic eye disease. This study describes the establishment of the multidisciplinary EGMON Clinic at the RVEEH and the clinical protocols and processes used in the clinic. The outcomes and the results of the patient survey on the effectiveness of the clinic are also discussed.


We present a conceptually clear introduction to quantum theory at a level suitable for exceptional high-school students. It is entirely self-contained and no university-level background knowledge is required. The lectures were given over four days, four hours each day, as part of the International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP) at Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. On the first day the students were given all the relevant mathematical background from linear algebra and probability theory. On the second day, we used the acquired mathematical tools to define the full quantum theory in the case of a finite Hilbert space and discuss some consequences such as entanglement, Bell's theorem and the uncertainty principle. Finally, on days three and four we presented an overview of advanced topics related to infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, including canonical and path integral quantization, the quantum harmonic oscillator, quantum field theory, the Standard Model, and quantum gravity.


In order to assess the role of competence in the braiding process, a technique was devised to measure point instantaneous bed-shear stresses based on the principle of equating particle moments under controlled conditions. In particular, the effects of channel form and stage changes on bed-shear stress are examined. Measurements in nine different cross sections at two stage levels indicate a distinct contrast between parent channels and distributaries. High stresses were recorded in both at higher discharge, but on reduced stage, the stress in the parent channel decreased appreciably but remained moderately high in the distributaries. This spatial pattern of competence changes with stage was further demonstrated by the analysis of hydraulic exponents of discharge which implied a cross-over effect in sediment-transporting ability. Distributaries at high stage appear to become a sedimentary bottleneck relative to the parent channel, thus providing a mechanism for bar growth. Morphological developments demonstrated two superimposed forms of braiding, one consequent upon channel widening and loss of competence, and the other, inherent fluid instability of high-energy flow, producing channel wandering.


Purpose of review To review recent research in the area of high-density lipoprotein raising and coronary heart disease risk reduction. Recent findings A decreased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol is an important coronary heart disease risk factor and raising high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol has been associated with coronary heart disease risk reduction. A relative new strategy for raising high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, i.e. inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein, is markedly effective. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors prevent the transfer of cholesteryl ester from high-density lipoprotein to triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in exchange for triglyceride. One inhibitor, torcetrapib, binds to cholesteryl ester transfer protein on high-density lipoprotein, markedly raises high-density lipoprotein-cholesteryl ester and has no effect on fecal cholesterol excretion, but can raise blood pressure. A large clinical trial in coronary heart disease patients on atorvastatin was recently stopped prematurely because of excess mortality in those receiving torcetrapib vs. placebo and two other trials reported no benefit of torcetrapib on coronary atherosclerosis or carotid artery intimal medial thickness as compared with subjects on atorvastatin alone. Summary The adverse effects of torcetrapib may be compound-specific and, since the crystal structure of cholesteryl ester transfer protein is now known, it should be possible to develop more optimal cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors that do not form a nonproductive complex with cholesteryl ester transfer protein on the high-density lipoprotein particle, as has been reported for torcetrapib. The alternative for high-density lipoprotein raising is to develop more effective and better tolerated niacin preparations.


The mental side of the game has been one of the most elusive aspects of performance analysis in tennis. We present a framework for predicting seven emotional states relevant to sport ('anxiety', 'anger', 'annoyance', 'dejection', 'elation', 'focus', and 'fired up') from the observed facial expressions of players in match broadcasts. Our methodology applies pre-trained models to extract two feature sets: predicted emotions in the Facial Action Coding System and 17 facial action units. Multiple prediction approaches were trained and tested using these features and a labeled dataset of 1,700 facial images of professional male and female tennis players extracted from 505 match videos. We applied the prediction models to establish emotional profiles for the 'Big 4' (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic) at the 2017 Australian Open. Rafael Nadal exhibited the most 'anxiety' of the four players (32%, 95% CI 29 to 35%), while Roger Federer was the only player whose predominant state was 'neutral' (24%, 95% CI 21 to 27%). When the predicted emotions were associated with point outcomes, we found that all of the Big 4 except for Roger Federer showed significant emotional reactions to the outcomes of points. Further, several emotional sates of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were significantly predictive of their chances of winning the next point. Our framework for extracting emotional data from single-camera video in professional tennis shows the feasibility of bringing the quantitative study of the inner game into sports performance analysis.


The global market value of control agents used in crop protection and public health is approaching $$\$$$16 000 million annually, but less than 1% of this market is penetrated by biological control agents (BCAs). This paper examines the suitability of different types of BCA to research and commercialization, bearing in mind the sharply targeted approach employed by much of the industry. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed along with examples of failures and successes with BCAs. Commercialized products described range from specific chemical control agents which have no adverse effects on beneficial organisms to true BCAs such as pheromones, mass-produced bacteria, and predatory mites. From a commercial viewpoint, greatest potential resides with the utilization of bacteria and fungi, particularly for insect control, but registerability (particularly for genetically engineered agents) patentability, reliability and cost-effectiveness must be achieved. Industry believes that biotechnology will increase the usefulness of BCAs and is therefore encouraging cooperation with academic researchers and performing in-house research to advance the technology. Even so, BCAs will not replace chemicals in the foreseeable future, but will complement them and allow the development of improved integrated control measures.


Background The enhanced cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR) is involved in the sympathetic activation that contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of hypertension. Activation of AT1 receptors by angiotension (Ang) II in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) augments the enhanced CSAR and sympathetic outflow in hypertension. The present study is designed to determine whether Ang-(1-7) in PVN plays the similar roles as Ang II and the interaction between Ang-(1-7) and Ang II on CSAR in renovascular hypertension. Methodology/Principal Findings The two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) method was used to induce renovascular hypertension. The CSAR was evaluated by the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) responses to epicardial application of capsaicin in sinoaortic-denervated and cervical-vagotomized rats with urethane and α-chloralose anesthesia. Either Ang II or Ang-(1-7) in PVN caused greater increases in RSNA and MAP, and enhancement in CSAR in 2K1C rats than in sham-operated (Sham) rats. Mas receptor antagonist A-779 and AT1 receptor antagonist losartan induced opposite effects to Ang-(1-7) or Ang II respectively in 2K1C rats, but losartan had no effects in Sham rats. Losartan but not the A-779 abolished the effects of Ang II, while A-779 but not the losartan blocked the effects of Ang-(1-7). PVN pretreatment with Ang-(1-7) dose-dependently augmented the RSNA, MAP, and CSAR responses to the Ang II in 2K1C rats. Ang II level, AT1 receptor and Mas receptor protein expression in PVN increased in 2K1C rats compared with Sham rats but Ang-(1-7) level did not. Conclusions Ang-(1-7) in PVN is as effective as Ang II in enhancing the CSAR and increasing sympathetic outflow and both endogenous Ang-(1-7) and Ang II in PVN contribute to the enhanced CSAR and sympathetic outflow in renovascular hypertension. Ang-(1-7) in PVN potentiates the effects of Ang II in renovascular hypertension.


A procarcinogen found most notably in tobacco smoke is dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P), which can be further metabolized into its epoxide, diol, and carcinogenic diol-epoxide forms. DB[a,l]P metabolites are some of the most potent carcinogens of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) family of compounds due to a structural feature called the fjord region. The activated metabolites of DB[a,l]P bind mostly to deoxyadenosine in DNA to form stable adducts, which can potentially lead to DNA damage. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes mediate the attachment of a UDP-glucuronic acid to a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous substrates including several carcinogens, resulting in increases in water solubility and elimination of the carcinogen from the body. The focus of the current study was to examine the detoxification of the carcinogenic diol form (DB[a,l]P-trans-11,12-diol) by glucuronidation. In order to understand the metabolism of this potent PAH by human UGT enzymes, HEK293 cell lines over-expressing individual UGTs were screened for glucuronidation activity toward DB[a,l]P-11,12-diol. Glucuronide products were quantified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method. Six UGTs (UGTs 1A1, 1A7, 1A8, 1A9, 1A10 and UGT2B7) were found to be highly active. Three glucuronide conjugates were observed in activity assays with UGT1A1 and 1A10, while only two glucuronides were formed with UGTs 1A7, 1A8, 1A9, and 2B7. Enzyme kinetic analysis indicated that UGT1A9 is the most active isoform among all the UGTs, exhibiting the highest V max /K m for the two glucuronide products it formed. These results suggest that multiple UGTs are involved in stereospecific glucuronidation of DB[a,l]P metabolites in humans. In addition to the further characterization of (DB[a,l]P-trans-11,12-diol) glucuronide conjugates, studies examining the role of polymorphisms in active UGTs on cancer risk are currently on-going. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3456.


Bone is the most common metastatic site of prostate cancer, which affects approximately 70% of patients with advanced disease. Although patients with localized lesions can be cured by radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, more than 90% of cancer deaths are attributed to metastatic disease. Growth of the tumor cells in the bone is generally slow and they often become dormant until an appropriate microenvironment is established for their recurrence. However, how these metastatic tumor cells become dormant and how they recur at the target organs is virtually unknown. To address this critical question, we have studied an interaction of prostate cancer cells (PC3mm) and bone stromal cells (HS5).The conditioned medium of HS5 induced growth arrest and senescence to prostate cancer cells. Our results of Western blot, qRT-PCR and reporter assay showed that this effect was mediated by induction of p38 MAP kinase, the tumor metastasis suppressor gene, N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) and cell cycle inhibitors. We also found that this secretory factor is bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) and that BMP7 indeed induced NDRG1 and p21 through activation of p38. Importantly, BMP7 was able to induce senescence to PC3mm cell; however, the tumor cells regained their growth ability upon withdrawal of BMP7, suggesting that BMP7-induced senescence is reversible. Notably, our results of the existing database analysis indicate that the expression level of BMPR2, one of the BMP7 receptors, showed inverse correlation with bone metastasis and recurrence of prostate cancer. Furthermore, BMP7 significantly suppressed sphere forming ability of the cancer stem-like cells isolated from PC3mm and induced senescence followed by activation of NDRG1 and p21, and this effect was reversed by withdrawal of BMP7. To determine whether BMP7 secreted from bone stromal cells induces growth arrest of cancer stem-like cells in vivo, we co-injected the cancer stem-like cells with bone stromal cells which had either scrambled shRNA (control) or shRNA for BMP7 into the tibia of nude mice. We found that the control HS5 suppressed the growth of cancer stem-like cells, while HS5 with knocked-down BMP7 failed to inhibit cancer growth in the bone. In addition, the growth of cancer stem-like cells with knocked-down NDRG1 was significantly greater than that of control cancer stem-like cells even with HS5. Furthermore, direct injection of BMP7 after inoculation of cancer stem-like cells into mouse tibiae significantly suppressed the tumor growth. More importantly, we found that withdrawal of BMP7 treatment led the tumor to regrow in the bone, suggesting again that BMP7 plays a critical role in determining the fate of cancer stem-like cells for dormancy and recurrence in bone metastasis of prostate cancer. Our results revealed a novel mechanism of the BMP7-NDRG1axis which plays a critical role in the regulation of dormancy and recurrence of prostate tumor cells in bone metastasis.

Citation Format: Aya Kobayashi, Fei Xing, Hiroshi Okuda, Puspa R. Pandey, Sudha Pai, Misako Watabe, Kounosuke Watabe. Bone morphogenetic protein 7 regulates dormancy and recurrence of prostate cancer stem cell in bone. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr C92.


We present a theoretical study of electronic states and magnetization of two interacting electrons confined in coupled quantum dots (CQDs) presented in a magnetic field. We obtain the eigenenergies of the CQD by solving the relative two-dimensional (2D) Hamiltonian using the combined variational–exact diagonalization method. The dependence of magnetization on temperature, magnetic field strength, confining frequency and barrier height has been investigated. We have shown the singlet–triplet transitions in the ground state of the CQD spectra and the corresponding jumps in the magnetization curves. The comparisons show that our results are in very good agreement with the reported works.


A patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia, implanted with a dual‐chamber implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator programmed in DDD mode, showed an unexpected ventricular sensing dysfunction: despite a very long (320 ms) programmed atrioventricular (AV) interval, ventricular stimuli were delivered in the ST segment after each spontaneous conducted QRS complex. This suggested the presence of ventricular undersensing. When, however, the system was programmed in VVI mode, spontaneous QRS complexes were normally sensed, although electrogram (ECM) analysis revealed that ventricular sensing occurred 160 ms after the beginning of QRS complex. A new ventricular lead was then implanted in the outflow tract of the right ventricle, resulting in normal ventricular sensing function. At the time of intervention, the amplitude of the spontaneous ventricular signal recorded from the old ventricular lead was 2.8 mV. In this patient, no true undersensing occurred although ventricular stimuli were delivered 140 ms after the beginning of spontaneous QRS complexes when the system was in DDD mode: the cause of the apparent pacemaker malfunction was the extremely prolonged ventricular depolarization. Due to fibrofatty muscle replacement, the depolarization wavefront reached the ventricular muscle surrounding the pacemaker lead with such a delay that at the end of the programmed sensed AV interval (320 ms) the ventricular EGM had not yet attained the sensing threshold. This apparent undersensing should, thus, be defined as "late sensing."


A new type of electric hygrometer, the "carbon film element" is described. Its response to humidity changes is by electronic rather than electrolytic conduction. Main features of the new element are: high sensitivity to moisture changes, rapid response, absence of polarization effect, and a calibration independent of temperature between 0° and 40° C. Components of the carbon film, performance data, and manufacturing techniques are described.


A one Nigeria nation came to being in 1914. And when Nigeria is compared with most third world countries, Nigeria is more developed than then these other third world countries. Even though some modest achievement has been made, there are still some policy, human attitudinal contradictions and other challenges which have made Nigeria State unable to provide all that Nigerian citizens are expecting from the Government, to move it to the club of developed countries. As such some people argue that the colonial policy which resulted in amalgamation of kingdoms into Southern and Northern Protectorates and in particular the later amalgamation of Southern and Northern Protectorates into Nigeria was a mistake. Some groups from the South have argued that Nigeria was formed without the consent of the respective tribal groups and kingdoms that make up Nigeria and so it should split into their desired independent States. Another group appeared from North to reject the secular nature of the Nigerian nation and preferred that if Nigeria must remain one it should be an Islamic country governed not by the existing Constitution of Nigeria as amended but by Sharia law and would make that possible even through violent means. Though other reasons have also been advanced as the cause for instability of Nigeria like regional resource control and religion, this paper is of the view these other ones are tools for mobilization of mass support while that the crux of the matter is the dream to actualize individual political interest of elites. History has shown that because some persons have not succeeded to get elected or appointed into the next desired public office which they dream to hold, for them this can be possible through making Nigeria ungovernable or have it disintegrate that they would now get the opportunity to connect and control those in power or hold position of authority themselves to secure economic power more influence. This paper then sees nation-building as a continuous process and sustainable development for both the masses and elites can be achieved in Nigeria without violence and schism through the use of insurgent tactics. The paper is of the view that it is wrong for Nigerian problem is that of leadership alone but from both leaders and the rest of the Citizens of Nigeria irrespective of age, gender, region, tribe and religious inclination. This paper recommends that it is only when there is genuine worship of God as foundation of all cultures and there is a change from illegal acts by both leaders and the followers that sustainable development would be firmly rooted. Where this cannot be possible because there are no saints and there are no sinners, then the way out is for all groups and societies to increase their level of tolerance of the others weakness and or strengths for peaceful coexistence and co-activity to have one Nigeria without regrets. Key w ords: Amalgamation, Nation, Nation-Building, Nation Building Process, Nation–State


Despite the significant contribution of buyer-driven knowledge transfer activities (BDKTAs) to innovation and operational performance, studies that analyze social sustainability in manufacturing (suppliers) firms are still scarce. This paper examines the mediation relationship of knowledge acquisition and investment in environmental management between BDKTAs and social performance improvements (SPIs). The paper contributes to the understanding of buyer knowledge transfer activities, with a focus on the knowledge acquisition capabilities and investments in environmental management, and the effect on SPIs. The hypotheses were examined with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 239 firms. Buyer knowledge transfer activities are likely to increase the willingness of suppliers to make specific environmental investments into operations in waste reduction procedures, the recycling of materials, and pollution prevention training of employees. We proposed that buyer knowledge transfer activities are necessary to survive and grow and thus there is a need to acquire knowledge resources to achieve organizational sustainability. Buyer knowledge transfer activities are necessary to make investment decisions in environmental management programs. Firms that focus on buyer knowledge transfer activities and internal investments into environmental management can attain sustainability objectives.


Marriage migration from the global South to the global North is on the political and academic agenda. Significantly, a Western notion of love is used to determine a real marriage from sham marriage thereby connecting intimacy with citizenship. Based on 20 semi-structured interviews I analyze how Cameroonian-born women (bushfallers' wives) who have become British citizens through marriage to Cameroonian-born British men (bushfaller massa) express and perform love. It examines some of the assumptions and contradictions in governmental regulation of marriage migration. I argue that despite the controversial immigration control on marriage (bodies) within the context of binational marriage migration (nation border crossing), marriage migration is neither an entirely migration matter nor an entirely marriage one. Female bushfalling marriage from Cameroon to the UK is born from male bushfalling of the 1990s and social norms bound by love, care, kinship, obligations and expectations which greatly influence women's marriage migration choices and experiences. Examining women's love in marriage migration can therefore deepen our understanding of women's citizenship through marriage which bound them more tightly to their traditional roles in the family with a subordinate status.
My thesis seeks to contribute to critical feminist discourse and the marriage migration discourse in general by adding a South-South understanding of love and its link to care, identity, belonging and citizenship in female marriage migration. It offers new insights into a field which has long been dominated by marriage migration between white men from the global South and women from the global North.


A new operative technique is described in which the lacrimal sac is drained into the maxillary sinus. The advantages of the procedure, especially of avoiding a facial incision, are emphasized. Five patients suffering from long-standing epiphora underwent surgery. Two patients had chronic dacryocystitis. Two other patients presented with a mucocele of the lacrimal sac. In the fifth patient, there was obstruction in the nasolacrimal duct. Short term follow-up results suggest its usefulness as a first line of surgical treatment in cases of epiphora due to obstruction in the lacrimal sac or the naso-lacrimal duct.


Background: Previous studies have reached differing conclusions about the utility of anal cytology as a screening tool for anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN). There is a need also to establish whether HPV typing offers a useful adjunct to screening. Methods: We analysed data from 99 consecutive homosexual/bisexual male patients (89 HIV-1 positive) who underwent high resolution anoscopy. Follow up visits for these patients were also included, giving a total of 160 anoscopic procedures. Comparison was made between results of anal cytology using the sampling method of Palefsky, and histological findings of biopsies taken from abnormal areas seen on high resolution anoscopic examination of the anal canal. Swabs taken concurrently with the cytology were analysed for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and compared with the cytological and histological findings. Results: The sensitivity of the cytology was 83%, and the specificity 38% when compared with histology. At screening of 34 asymptomatic men, 83% had anal cytological dysplasia and 78% had AIN. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of hrHPV genotypes between different cytological or histological grades of abnormalities. Conclusion: Anal cytology by the Palefsky method is simple to undertake, has a sensitivity and specificity comparable with cervical cytology, and can therefore be used as the basis of a pilot screening project in centres with large cohorts of HIV positive homosexual men who have a high risk of developing anal carcinoma. HPV genotyping is not a useful adjunct to cytological screening.


The study introduced the possibility of a random variability of Ts and Te (simulated as impulse periods of the "sinus node" and the "ectopic" focus) and Tref (as the refractory period of the excitation medium) in the mathematical model of cardiac parasystole. The influence of the variability of these parameters on the modeled rhythm was estimated. We have found that the increase in the variability of up to 20% only makes the rhythm more disorderly, whereas the character of the rhythm is determined by changes in Tref value. We believe, that the Tref is reliably reflected in Poincare map as the duration of the shortest RR intervals registered in the monitoring ECG of patients with parasystole arrhythmias. This parameter also is therefore useful by the control of the efficiency of antiarrhythmic treatment. Ill. 5, bibl. 7 (in English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


Unfolded protein response (UPR) is the primary signaling network activated in response to the accumulation of unfolded and/or misfolded protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The expression of high levels of recombinant proteins in mammalian cell cultures has been linked to the increased UPR. However, the dynamics of different UPR‐mediated events and their impact on cell performance and recombinant protein secretion during production remain poorly defined. Here, we have created a non‐invasive UPR‐responsive, fluorescence‐based reporter system to detect and quantify specific UPR‐mediated transcriptional activation of different intracellular signaling pathways. We have generated stable antibody‐expressing CHO clones containing this UPR responsive system and established FACS‐based methods for real‐time, continuous monitoring of the endogenous UPR activation in live cultures. The results showed that the UPR activation is dynamically regulated during production culture. The clones differed in their UPR patterns; both the timing and the degree of UPR‐induced transcriptional activation were linked to cell performance, such as growth, and viability. In addition, the cell culture environment, such as media composition and osmolarity, significantly impacted endogenous UPR activation. Taken together, these data demonstrate a utility of this UPR monitoring system in recombinant protein production processes and the observations increase our understanding of the critical role of UPR in regulating diverse phenotypes of the cells including growth, survival and recombinant protein secretion under different culture environments and processing conditions. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 2184–2194. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


BACKGROUND Person-in-the-barrel syndrome is characterized by bilateral brachial diplegia, intact cranial nerves, and preserved lower-extremity strength. Most cases are due to bilateral supratentorial brain lesions at the border zone of the anterior and middle cerebral artery vascular territories. This condition has been observed with spinal pathology, primarily involving vascular dissection and thromboembolism. OBSERVATIONS The authors' case is the first in the literature to highlight person-in-the-barrel syndrome immediately following cervical spine surgery. Weakness of the deltoids, biceps, infraspinatus, and brachioradialis was observed bilaterally postoperatively. Electromyograph (EMG)-nerve conduction velocity (NCV) studies revealed a cervical radiculopathy involving C5 and C6 bilaterally with denervation of the deltoids, biceps, and brachioradialis. Within 8 months of cervical spine surgery, the patient regained improvement of the bilateral brachial diplegia. LESSONS EMG/NCV studies play a valuable role in detecting cervical radiculopathy after cervical spine surgery in patients with bilateral brachial diplegia. The authors postulate that this condition may have occurred following neck hyperextension during cervical cage placement, increasing the foraminal stenosis at C4–5 and C5–6 and worsening the C5 and C6 radiculopathy. Spinal surgeons should be cognizant of person-in-the-barrel syndrome that may ensue following cervical spine surgery and promptly identify and treat this condition to offer the best prognosis for a favorable patient outcome.


In joint product industries such as an oil refinery, there does not exist a unique way to fully allocate the refinery's CO2 emissions to its oil products. Under certain conditions, however, refinery linear programming (LP) models can provide a relevant and unique allocation procedure based on the marginal contribution of each oil product to the total CO2 emissions. In this particular case, the marginal CO2 allocations can be directly used for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) purposes. In this paper, we apply the marginal allocation methodology to the oil refinery LP model developed by the Institut francais du petrole (IFP) to evaluate and compare the CO2 emissions associated with different oil products. We also study the consequences of the degeneracy phenomenon on the obtained results. Finally, the limitations of this approach for short-run decisions are discussed.


Ever since the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was indefinitely extended in 1995, Canada has promoted the concept of "permanence with accountability." Canada led on an ambitious initiative to enhance accountability via a reform package to overcome the NPT's "institutional deficit." Launched prior to the failed 2005 Review Conference, the effort was sustained for a decade. The priority goals were to establish annual meetings of states parties; to create a standing body of past, present, and future chairs; and to provide for the convening of extraordinary meetings. These ideas attracted support, but also opposition, from quarters less interested in having more effective tools of accountability put into place. The history of this initiative sheds light on the dynamics of multilateral diplomacy in the nuclear realm and on weaknesses in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty process that continue to threaten the authority of the treaty.


At various levels of the evolution of societies, attempts are often made to apply one or all of Talcot Parsons Pattern Variables AGIL acronym (Adaptive, Goal Attainment, Integrative and Latency Sub System) approach in tackling the problems arising in their environment. For ECOWAS, established in 1975, as a regional socio-economic formation in the West Coast of Africa, attempts have been put up by The Authority to fulfill certain development aspirations. This, then, serves as the anchorage of this paper; in taking a close look at the role ECOWAS plays in transforming the subregion in the context of international development. The paper establishes that ECOWAS is fast moving towards realizing the dreams of its founding fathers within the frame of development. Development in this context is conceived in the commonplace social science parlance of orderly social change from pre-colonial primitive and primordial mode of production to attempts towards pulling resources for the greater good of the greatest number in the spirit of the utilitarian theorists. The Post-colonial state within the Sub-region is such that demands multi- disciplinary and multi-dimensional approach to the solution of the dynamics of underdevelopment besetting the region. And ECOWAS serves a useful springboard.


The effect of oral administration of 0.25 g/kg/day of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, 0.25 g/kg/day of Rhazya stricta leaves or mixture of the two plants at 0.25 g/kg/day of C. colocynthis fruits plus 0.25 g/kg/day of R. stricta leaves in Najdi sheep was examined. Oral administration of 0.25 g/kg/day of C. colocynthis fruits or 0.25 g/kg/day of R. stricta leaves for 42 days proved not fatal but that of the mixture of the two plants (0.25 g + 0.25 g/kg/day) proved fatal within 26 days with profuse diarrhea, dehydration, loss in condition, ataxia and recumbency, prior to death. These manifestations accompanied by enterohepatonephrotoxicity, gelatinization of the renal and epicardial fat and transudate in serous cavities were correlated with alterations in serum LDH and AST activities and concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, cholesterol and urea and hematology.


We introduce the eikonal approximation to study the effect of the large-scale motion of cosmic fluids on their small-scale evolution. This approach consists in collecting the impact of the long-wavelength displacement field into a single or finite number of random variables, whose statistical properties can be computed from the initial conditions. For a single dark matter fluid, we show that we can recover the nonlinear propagators of renormalized perturbation theory. These are obtained with no need to assume that the displacement field follows the linear theory. Then we extend the eikonal approximation to many fluids. In particular, we study the case of two non-relativistic components and we derive their resummed propagators in the presence of isodensity modes. Unlike the adiabatic case, where only the phase of small-scale modes is affected by the large-scale advection field, the isodensity modes change also the amplitude on small scales. We explicitly solve the case of cold dark matter-baryon mixing and find that the isodensity modes induce only very small corrections to the resummed propagators.


Universal Access belongs not only in the research laboratory, but also in an industrial
environment. Many countries have set out specific legal requirements for companies to meet
in terms of proportions of staff with disabilities and meeting those requirements is a new
experience for many employers. More enlightened companies wish to take their commitment
beyond meeting the letter of the law and to provide a genuinely inclusive work-place.
However, implementing such an approach is complex.
The principal aim of this paper is to describe the steps being taken by The Post Office (TPO),
with the assistance of the University of Cambridge, to offer a more inclusive work-place to
support a wider range of employee physical capabilities. Computer access, including
interface and input system design issues, features very prominently in research at Cambridge.
An approach taken to assess the potential for universal access within the TPO environment is
described and the relative merits of adaptive and proactive design methods discussed.
Although the case study presented is very specific and still in its preliminary stages, the
generic usability issues are applicable to a wider range of computer applications.


A syntactic pattern recognition system is evaluated for applications to radar signal identification. Three different level-crossing-based pattern representation algorithms are considered. The utility of the resulting symbolic pattern representations is assessed by evaluating the performance of a maximum-likelihood classifier when the observed symbol strings are used as inputs to the decision algorithm. A syntax analysis algorithm is derived from the likelihood function classifier. Performance results of simulated classification experiments for both maximum-likelihood and language-theoretic classifiers are presented. >


Background The goal of this study was to compare the clinical results of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (C-TACE) and doxorubicin-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (D-TACE) combined with endovascular stent implantation with an iodine-125 seed strand in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with main portal vein tumor thrombus (MPVTT).Methods This study was a prospective controlled study with follow-up dates spanning from Mar 2015 to Feb 2020. Patients with both HCC and MPVTT were randomly divided into two groups. Portal vein stents with iodine-125 seed strands were implanted first; then, C-TACE or D-TACE was administered to all patients. Objective response rates were assessed. The time to disease progression and survival rate were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 26 patients were enrolled, with 13 in each group. During follow-up, the portal stent patency times were 112.3±98.2 days in the C-TACE group and 101.7±90.4 days in the D-TACE group. The time to disease progression was 42 days in the C-TACE group and 120 days in the D-TACE group (p=0.03). The overall survival time from the first intervention procedure was 216 days in the C-TACE group and 239 days in the D-TACE group (p=0.047). The D-TACE group was superior to the C-TACE group in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times.Conclusion Endovascular implantation of a stent with an iodine-125 seed strand combined with TACE is safe and effective in HCC patients with MPVTT. Compared to C-TACE, D-TACE achieves more benefits regarding PFS and OS.Trial registration This study was a cohort study, no health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes. This study wasn't a clinical trial.


In order to elucidate the mechanisms of the action of gel-forming fibre in diabetes, we measured insulin, C-peptide and GIP responses to meals during treatment with guar gum and placebo in normal and non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDD) subjects. Dietary supplementation with guar gum caused a sustained reduction of the GIP response in normal and diabetic subjects (p less than 0.05), but did not influence insulin responses. On the other hand, guar gum increased the C-peptide response to meals in normal subjects (p less than 0.05) resulting in a 40% decrease of the insulin/C-peptide ratio (p less than 0.01). Assuming that the insulin/C-peptide ratio reflects the hepatic extraction of insulin, this would be compatible with increased hepatic removal of insulin. The change in insulin/C-peptide ratio was positively correlated with the change in GIP response after guar gum (r = 0.75; p less than 0.001) and this correlation was strengthened in normal subjects (r = 0.91; p less than 0.001). Our data thus suggest that guar gum stimulates rather than suppresses insulin secretion. The apparent insulinotropic action of GIP may partly be explained by a reduced hepatic extraction of insulin.


Women are part of society. If people ignore them this means ignoring the society. Self-actualization as a form of manifestation of the creative potential of women is something that every woman should have. Because nowadays women have higher education and have an extensive knowledge, they should have been able to apply what they have known into tangible forms. Women also have many useful skills. Therefore, there are no more reasons to restrict their activities. Restrictions on women's self-actualization is a form of castration for women's rights. For this, the opportunity and the support from their family, especially from their husband are indispensable.


This paper presents a fitting degree-based multi-fault location algorithm for complex large power grid utilizing wide-area information. Firstly, fault injection current of the equivalent fault points is used in the equivalent model. Then the correlation matrix is formed by the network topology and associated nodal injection current and a network is formed to determine the location of faults. When multiple faults occur, the addition of the current of each two fault lines is calculated and the real-time current is measured. Then by calculating the minimum of fitting degree between two current values, fault line and virtual fault location can be determined. The simulation results of 10-generator 39-bus system verify the validity and feasibility of this algorithm.


The classic 1957 black and white film 12 Angry Men is used as a primer for an organizational behavior course, a mechanism that sets the stage for and reinforces the unfolding of the course over the duration of the semester. This use of film as visual media is placed in the context of vicarious observational learning theory. Adopting the framework of whole person experiential learning, the paper illustrates the use of the cognitive dimension through the use of course concepts, the emotional dimension through the dramatic elements of the film, and then behavioral skill preparation as the group dynamics illustrated in the movie are dissected and put into the mode of potential application in any group or team setting. An example of a 14-item course handout that is utilized by students as they view the film is provided and discussed.


The microscopic sections of biopsy material derived from four patients diagnosed at having Hodgkin's disease (HD), including two necropsied cases, were all studied for the presence of acid-fast cell wall deficient (CWD) bacteria. Variably acid-fast and variably sized coccoid forms, suggestive of CWD bacteria, were observed in the pathologically altered tissue and also in some histologically "normal" microscopic sections. This findings of bacteria in vivo in HD may relate to the previously reported findings of cocci, non-acid-fast and acid-fast bacteria (especially Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in HD, and may also relate to the previously reported findings of similar microbes in certain neoplastic, lymphoproliferative, and collagen diseases.


Psychological stress has been found to be associated with a variety of ailments and health outcomes in adolescents. This study investigated the relationships between perceived stress, general self-efficacy and mental health status among Iranian male adolescents recruited from midtown high schools in Tehran who studied in 12th grade ( N = 148). Pupils completed three questionnaires for assessing perceived stress (PSS-14; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), general self-efficacy (GSE; Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) and psychological well-being (GHQ-28; Goldberg & Hillier, 1979). Statistical analysis revealed that greater stress was associated with lower general self-efficacy and lower mental health status. A significant inverse relationship between self-efficacy and general health was found among these students. Results are discussed in relation to their implications for effective mental health education (e.g., stress management training) for adolescents.


Cancer is becoming a leading cause of death in the last years. Although we have seen great advances, most human cancers remain incurable because many patients either do not respond or relapse to treatment. Several lines of research are disclosing new therapeutic targets which lead to new active drugs. However, there are still unsolved problems related to stabilization of the pharmaceutical ingredient in aqueous and biological media, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles and cellular uptake to name just a few. In this context, nanotechnology with the emerging tools of nanoengineering offers many possibilities to guide the design of new products with improved safety and efficacy. The presence of several reacting groups and the sensitivity of their properties to small changes in composition make nanocarriers tunable not only to modify their stability in a particular environment but also to respond to changes in biological situations in the right place and time frame. This review summarizes the main preparation methods and formulation strategies of nano and microcarriers designed for drug delivery applications for cancer treatment and will attempt to give a glimpse on how their structure, shape, physico-chemical properties and chemical composition may affect their overall stability and interactions with biological systems. We will also cover aspects of nanoengineering that are opening new opportunities for the development of more effective nanomedicines, emphasizing on the challenges that have to be kept in mind when dealing with biological activities of nanocarriers that depend not only on their chemical composition but also on those of the structures formed by them and by their interactions with biological systems. From this, a very important issue that emerges is that nanocarriers frequently display an intrinsic bioactivity (i.e.: immunomodulatory). Therefore, it should be stressed that nanocarriers cannot be considered as inert, biocompatible excipients. Furthermore, their biological activity will mostly depend on the physical and chemical properties of the structures of the nanoparticles that are presented to living systems. As an approach to the rational design of new pharmaceutical products, nanoengineering is providing new tools for the precise control of the properties of nanocarriers for cancer treatment.