Single-incision laparoscopy is accepted as a safe alternative to multiple port laparoscopy for elective cholecystectomy; however, there are limited data on its use in patients with acute cholecystitis. The present multi-center study evaluated the outcomes of emergency single-incision surgeries for acute cholecystitis in hospitals in Belgium, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago over a 5-year period. Standardized definitions of uncomplicated and complicated acute cholecystitis were used and the data were compared using SPSS software. The results revealed that over the 5-year period, 108 patients with a mean age of 48±15 years and a mean body mass index of 27±4.2 kg/m2 underwent emergency single-incision cholecystectomies. The surgeries were successful in 92.1% of cases without supplemental trocars being used. The overall morbidity rates (9.3%) were also comparable to the historic controls with multiple port cholecystectomy. As was expected, the complicated cholecystitis group required a significantly longer operating time (86.11±30.16 vs. 66.79±16.8; P<0.00194), as well as supplemental trocars (7.9%) vs. 0; P=0.0413). On the whole, the present study demonstrates that emergency single-incision cholecystectomy is a technically feasible and safe procedure for patients with acute cholecystitis. These findings advocate a low threshold to place additional ports to assist with dissection and exposure.


Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is the most valuable spice in the world that widely used for food industries and pharmaceutical preparations. In this study, we examined and evaluated variation of stigma composition of saffron due to harvest at different hours of day in Gonabad climatic conditions. The flowers of saffron were collected at different times (06:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 6:00 h of after flower emergence day) and their stigmas were separated from flowers. After drying in shade, stigma composition analyzed using a GC-MS system. The main identified compounds were safranal, picrocrocine, crocin, cic-crocin and crocetin. Other components included 1,8- cineol, α-pinen, oleoanolic acid, kaempferol, 3-gentiobiosyl-kaempferol, cineole, and echinocystic acid. Our results revealed that different harvesting times significantly influenced the compounds percentage of saffron. The high content of crocin and picrocrocin resulted in harvest at last harvest time (6:00 h of after flower emergence day). Although, safranal content decreased due to delay of harvest and highest value was obtained from first harvest time (06:00 h).


We present SHRED, a method for 3D SHape REgion Decomposition. SHRED takes a 3D point cloud as input and uses learned local operations to produce a segmentation that approximates fine-grained part instances. We endow SHRED with three decomposition operations: splitting regions, fixing the boundaries between regions, and merging regions together. Modules are trained independently and locally, allowing SHRED to generate high-quality segmentations for categories not seen during training. We train and evaluate SHRED with fine-grained segmentations from PartNet; using its merge-threshold hyperparameter, we show that SHRED produces segmentations that better respect ground-truth annotations compared with baseline methods, at any desired decomposition granularity. Finally, we demonstrate that SHRED is useful for downstream applications, out-performing all baselines on zero-shot fine-grained part instance segmentation and few-shot finegrained semantic segmentation when combined with methods that learn to label shape regions.


Using an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technique, some schemes have been proposed that may find application in emergency cooling of the nuclear reactor core during loss of coolant accidents (LOCA). By application of a dc, pulsed, or ac electric field of appropriate strength, it has been found that the following can be achieved: 1) the change of the flow regime of two-phase flow in a horizontal cylindrical annulus, 2) enhancement of heat transfer in a cylindrical annulus, and 3) change of flooding condition in a vertical two-phase system. The primary results of the findings have been presented and are discussed with relevant parameters encountered in the problem.


Studies have shown that learning is situated, where learning in one context does not easily transfer to a new context. So, does learning from a simulation game situation transfer to other contexts or do simulation game participants simply become better game players? To explore these questions, we asked 275 university students on a final examination to apply knowledge gained during the play of an operations management simulation, called The Fresh Connection, to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts. In the learning transfer literature, this would be classified as near low-road transfer. We hypothesized that if the context of the exam questions were both familiar (improving student comprehension of the question) and offered simulation related cues (stimulating recall of simulation learning), performance on those questions would be enhanced. We also anticipated that some learning would transfer to unfamiliar contexts. Unfortunately, our data did not unambiguously support these hypotheses. The current literature suggests that two confounding factors may have affected our experimental study: student engagement level and metacognition responses. Future research that controls for these two new variables may offer stronger support.


In recent years, research on the security of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted a close attention from industry, government, and the scientific community. Smart vehicular networks, as a type of industrial IoT, inevitably exchange large amounts of security and privacy-sensitive data, which make them attractive targets for attackers. For protecting network security and privacy, we have proposed an extensible and effective anonymous batch authentication scheme. In contrast to traditional pseudonym authentication schemes, the same system private key need not to be preloaded in our scheme, effectively avoiding a system failure when destroying a vehicle. Besides, the certificate revocation list (CRL) size is merely related to the number of vehicles that have been revoked, regardless of the number of pseudonym certificates for revoked vehicles. Moreover, this scheme maintains the effectiveness of the traditional scheme, effectively reduces the scale of the CRL, and employs an identity revocation scheme that supports rapid distribution. The scheme supports conditional privacy protection, namely, only the trusted authority (TA) can uniquely trace and revoke vehicles. For illegal vehicles, the TA releases the two hashed seeds to facilitate traceability by all entities in its domain. Furthermore, security analysis indicates that our solution is secure under the random oracle model and fulfills a series of security requirements of vehicular networks. Compared to existing authentication schemes, performance evaluations show that the scheme offers relatively good performance in terms of time consumption.


This paper presents some results concerning rovers localization, achieved within the framework of the Italian Regional project MACP4Log [1]. This project investigates the coordination of a team of rovers that delivers assistance services in the context of logistic spaces. The issue of single rover localization is a service prerequisite which is faced by different approaches. First a WiFi-based localization technique is examined: it involves building a radio map of the Received Signal Strength (RSS) in the considered environment and, afterwards, setting the problem of localization as an optimization problem: given a RSS, the function is reversed to get the estimated position of the rover. Finally the proposed WiFi technique is integrated with a particle filter algorithm following both a "loose" and a "tight" coupling approaches, integrating radio information at two different levels. Experimental results in monodimensional and bidimensional environments validate these approaches and allow a comparative analysis among them.


Purpose of reviewBasaloid squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma and was first described as a distinct entity in 1986. Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma seems to have a poorer survival rate than classical squamous cell carcinoma. On the basis of a critical literature survey, we attempt to evaluate if basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is really more aggressive and presents a poorer outcome than squamous cell carcinoma. Recent findingsAll papers are retrospective, and most include small numbers of cases, which are further diminished when subdivided according to specific sites. Only in three studies was basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region compared with matched squamous cell carcinoma controls. These studies did not show a uniform tendency regarding the aggressiveness and outcome of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, several recent papers confirmed the presumed greater aggressiveness and worse outcome, and other recent papers questioned these characteristics. SummaryThe presented literature survey does not permit conclusions regarding the aggressiveness and outcome of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma compared with squamous cell carcinoma. Greater numbers of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma should be studied and compared with site-matched, stage-matched, and age-matched controls of conventional squamous cell carcinoma.


This guide features practical exercises to help students apply the principles presented in the "Coaches Guide". The "Coaches Guide" helps prospective coaches understand the key concepts of sport psychology and develop the psychological skills they need to be effective coaches. Numerous examples, checklists, and self-evaluation forms show how to teach such important skills as imagery, psychic energy management, stress management, attentional skills, self-confidence, and goal setting.


A simple strategy involving thermal decomposition of the methanesulfonyl radical into the methyl radical and the subsequent transfer of an iodine atom or phenyl telluride group was used to develop a tin-free radical acylation reaction (see scheme; V-40=1,1'-azobis(cyclohexane-1-carbonitrile). The key was finding reaction conditions under which the I or PhTe transfer is faster than the direct addition of the alkyl radical to the methanesulfonyl oxime ether.


After nearly 40 years of treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or best supportive care, the treatment of this disease has evolved rapidly in the last decade. Treatment options now include several new cytotoxic and biologic agents. Combination regimens, such as folinic acid, 5-FU plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), and folinic acid, 5-FU plus irinotecan (FOLFIRI), have significantly improved clinical efficacy as related to response rates and overall survival. The optimum integration of chemotherapy regimens with biological agents targeting critical signaling pathways, such as, bevacizumab (monoclonal antibody targeting VEGF-A), cetuximab and panitumumab (monoclonal antibodies targeting the EGF receptor) are still under evaluation. With the availability of several treatment options, however, comes the issue of optimal duration of chemotherapy in order to achieve the dual goals of clinical efficacy and quality of life, and the issue of cost–effectiveness of treatment, particularly with the newer targeted therapies. One method of achieving this may be to accommodate planned treatment holidays so patients can recover from the physical and psychological side effects of their chemotherapy as long as clinical efficacy is not compromised. In this review, we discuss the evidence for the use of intermittent chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.


The present paper is an overview of studies examining the way family influences the development of delinquency in adolescents. The review focused on published papers dealing with the association of adolescent delinquency and their families. The association between family practices and juvenile delinquency, with potent predictive value is established and bidirectional effects exist. However the influence from parents to adolescents is stronger. In addition indirect evidence, from early intervention studies, supports the causal role of family variables in the development of juvenile delinquency. Effective family functioning, in spite of several social adversities, exerts a buffering influence on children, thus protecting them from delinquent behavioural manifestations. Finally, the assumption that genetic influences are responsible for both poor child-rearing practices by the parents and juvenile delinquency is not well supported by the literature, suggesting that effective parenting exerts an independent influence in the socioemotional functioning of children and adolescents. The evidence suggests that effective child rearing practices is a necessary though not sufficient factor for the psychosocial development of children and adolescents. Educational programmes, of a preventive nature, could be promising in reducing levels of delinquency. The important role of family functioning in protecting children and adolescents from antisocial behaviours is evident from many studies internationally. The protective role of parenting is generally supported. The role of a supportive family environment could be suggested as a protective factor for juvenile delinquency.


The origin of the 6.67 hr period X-ray source, 1E161348-5055, in the young supernova remnant RCW 103 is puzzling. We propose that it may be the descendant of a Thorne–Żytkow Object (TŻO). A TŻO may at its formation have a rapidly spinning neutron star as a core and a slowly rotating envelope. We found that the core could be braked quickly to an extremely long spin period by the coupling between its magnetic field and the envelope, and that the envelope could be disrupted by some powerful bursts or exhausted via stellar wind. If the envelope is disrupted after the core has spun down, the core will become an extremely long-period compact object, with a slow proper motion speed, surrounded by a supernova-remnant-like shell. These features all agree with the observations of 1E161348-5055. TŻOs are expected to have produced extraordinarily high abundances of lithium and rapid proton process elements that would remain in the remnants and could be used to test this scenario.


The anatomy of the cranial sutures and fontanelles in the developing fetus is difficult to evaluate using conventional two‐dimensional ultrasonography (2DUS). Three‐dimensional sonographic imaging (3DUS) was performed on eight normal volunteer pregnant patients after informed consent with conventional 2DUS equipment that had been adapted to obtain 3DUS images. 3DUS images of the cranium were evaluated for the presence of specific cranial sutures and fontanelles. Cranial sutures and fontanelles were identified with 3DUS in all fetuses scanned. The sutures most commonly identified included coronal, lambdoidal, and squamosal. The fontanelles most often identified included anterior, posterior, mastoid, and sphenoid. 3DUS offers the capability of identifying cranial sutures and fontanelles more clearly because volume rendered images show the cranial surface in its entirely rather than as a cross‐sectional slice, offering the potential to identify pathologic cranial lesions currently not seen with 2DUS.


The subject of the authors' investigation in this paper concerns how an in-air sonar sensor using correlation techniques can distinguish its own emissions from the emissions of other sonar sensors. Because of the limitations in the time-bandwidth products of transmit signals that can be used with narrowband sonar sensors, coded excitation ranging systems based on the classical theory of pseudorandom or random signals cannot achieve in practice high degrees of rejection between the different emissions. The method the authors present in this paper allows for designing pairs of coded transmit signals with high degrees of rejection, while the high accuracy and good spatial resolution of correlator-based range measurements are retained. The experimental verification of the method is carried out using high-frequency piezoelectric sensors.


Today, globalisation has become one of the main trends of manufacturing business that has led to a world-wide decentralisation of resources amongst not only individual departments within one company but also business partners. However, despite the development and improvement in the last few decades, difficulties in information exchange and sharing still exist in heterogeneous applications environments. This article is divided into two parts. In the first part, related research work and integrating solutions are reviewed and discussed. The second part introduces a collaborative environment called distributed interoperable manufacturing platform, which is based on a module-based, service-oriented architecture (SOA). In the platform, the STEP-NC data model is used to facilitate data-exchange among heterogeneous CAD/CAM/CNC systems.


Networks such as ethnic credit associations, close-knit residential neighborhoods, "old boy' networks, and ethnically linked businesses play an important role in economic life but have been little studied by economists. These networks are often supported by cultural distinctions between insiders and outsiders and engage in exclusionary practices which we call parochialism. We provide an exonomic analysis of parochial networks in which the losses incurred by not trading with outsiders are offset by an enhanced ability to enforce informal contracts by fostering trust among insiders. We first model one-shot social interactions among self-regarding agents, demonstrating that trust (i.e., cooperating without using information about one's trading partner) is a best response in a mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium if the quality of information about one's partner is sufficiently high. We show that since larger networks have lower quality information about specific individuals and greater trading opportunities, there may be an optimal (payoff-maximizing) network size. We then model the growth and decline of networks, as well as their equilibrium size and number. We show that in the absence of parochialism, networks may not exist, and the appropriate level of parochialism may implement an optimal network size. Finally, we explore the welfare implications and reasons for the evolutionary success of exclusion on parochial and other grounds.


This paper shows that the liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI) tends to make the effect of labour costs on domestic investment and labour demand more negative. Using data from Germany, it then provides evidence that is consistent with this view. First, high unit labour costs increase FDI outflows and lower FDI inflows. Second, the effect of unit labour costs on domestic manufacturing investment was more negative in the high-FDI 1980s than in the low-FDI 1970s, and this change was concentrated in high-FDI industries. The implied effect on long-run labour demand is substantial.


Professor Waltz in this rather rambling book has set himself two objectives. The first is to show that democratic societies in general do not suffer by comparison with totalitarian or authoritarian ones in their capacity to frame and follow consistent foreign policies. The second objective which takes up nearly all the space is to show that, contrary to the opimon of many American political writers, the British system of responsible cabinet Government is in this respect inferior to the American presidential system. Mr. Waltz's method is first to describe the two systems from the structural point of view dealing with formal institutions as well as with parties, and then to go on to examine specific instances of policies in each of the countries. While there is a good deal of quite interesting discussion on a number of topics, the final outcome is rather disappointing. The instances that Mr. Waltz chooses are not very well selected. One is British military policy where a great many considerations other than those of foreign policy enter in; the other British example is policy towards the European Communities which is treated in isufficient depth. On the American side, Mr. Waltz discusses foreign aid which is perhaps a good case study, but one that would need more detailed treatment if one were to bring out to the full the role of institutions. He also has a chapter on crises which is largely devoted to disproving the idea that public opimon in the United States places major restraints upon the limited and rational pursuit of national aims. But the difficulty about the comparison is that Mr. Waltz is clearly much better versed in the affairs of his own country than in the affairs of Britain. Someone who writes about "Sir" Harold Macmillan, A. V Alexander of Hillsborough" and "Lord William Strang" is obviously not on very intimate terms with British politics. This is not to show that he does not make out a case for the presidential system and for the utility within it of a strong congress. It is rather that the case does not depend upon the failings in the British handling of policy, many of which can more easily be assigned to non-institutional causes.


The main purpose of this dissertation was to explore what the situation in the field of human resources is like, how much importance is given to employees in their workplace, their well-being and personal development and what kind of role has the potential to be taken over by a social pedagogue.

The theoretical part of the dissertation discusses the significance of work for individuals in modern times, the history of human resource management, the problems faced by employers and employees in their workplace today, and on the other hand, what human resource management actually is, how it deals with human resources, what successful operation of the organization depends on and also what kind of characteristics must a manager have, in order to successfully lead their employees. At the end of theoretical part I focused on social pedagogy and presented the classical fields of its activity. I also presented the profile of social pedagogue as one suitable for working in the field of human resources.

The empirical part of the dissertation focuses on the research of how much and in what form are the social pedagogues faced with the tasks of staffing, if they feel adequately equipped with the knowledge that they have acquired in college, and whether the social pedagogy in relation to their experience in practice, has the potential for expansion in the human resource area and on what kind of positions.


Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) has proven to be a useful decomposition for multivariate data. Specifically, NMF appears to have advantages over other clustering methods, such as hierarchical clustering, for identification of distinct molecular patterns in gene expression profiles. The NMF algorithm, however, is deterministic. In particular, it does not take into account the noisy nature of the measured genomic signals. In this paper, we extend the NMF algorithm to the probabilistic case, where the data is viewed as a stochastic process. We show that the probabilistic NMF can be viewed as a weighted regularized matrix factorization problem, and derive the corresponding update rules. Our simulation results show that the probabilistic non-negative matrix factorization (PNMF) algorithm is more accurate and more robust than its deterministic homologue in clustering cancer subtypes in a leukemia microarray dataset.


The internal jet structure in dijet production in deep-inelastic scattering is measured with the H1 detector at HERA. Jets with transverse energies ET;Breit > 5 GeV are selected in the Breit frame employing k? and cone jet algorithms in the kinematic region of squared momentum transfers of 10 < Q 2. 120 GeV 2 and x-Bjorken values of 2 10 ?4. xBj. 8 10 ?3. Jet shapes and subjet multiplicities are measured as functions of a resolution parameter. The corrected data are well described by QCD models. It is observed that jets are more collimated with increasing transverse jet energies and decreasing pseudo-rapidities, i.e. towards the photon direction. Comparisons with OPAL data show that jet shapes of jets measured in collisions are very similar to those measured in ep collisions.


Provision of an alternative instructional platform has encouraged students' involvement in online social collaborative learning that could potentially enhance problem-solving (PS) skill. There are many types of scaffoldings proposed by researchers to inculcate this skill; however, concern arises as a result of an ill-defined problem. Besides being complex than a well-defined problem, its uniqueness originates from the integration of domains in a problem and multiple solutions that can be generated out of it. This study aims to identify the dominant type of scaffold used to guide ill-defined PS, to determine the common platform used and the education level where ill-defined PS is mostly studied. The search and review of relevant articles were done through online databases, journals and Google Scholar search engine using keywords of scaffolding problem solving, ill-structured problem, scaffolding ill-defined problem and support in PS. The findings revealed that metacognitive scaffolding (MS) is dominant in supporting ill-structured PS. MS assists in realigning the thinking of an individual to ensure proactive measures taken in the process of PS. Nevertheless, majority of the previous studies of MS were carried out in higher institutions instead of schools and within formal platform e.g., Learning Management System (LMS). Thus it is hoped that this review will give insights for educators to inculcate MS and improve PS skill in schools and through the use of new platform of social media.


The increasing detection of colorectal adenomas and early adenocarcinomas (ADCs) in the context of nationwide screening programs has led to a significant increase in the incidence of inconclusive diagnoses in which histopathologic analysis of endoscopic biopsies does not allow pathologists to provide a reliable diagnosis of stromal invasion. The objective of this study was to analyze the discriminative capacity of the immunohistochemical expression of fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) in distinguishing colorectal adenomas with low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and high-grade dysplasia (HGD) from invasive intestinal-type ADCs. The study analyzed the first endoscopic biopsies from a series of patients classified as inconclusive or conclusive for stromal invasion based on the pathologic report. In total, 30 ADCs, 52 HGDs, and 15 LGDs were included in the study. FAP expression was detected in 23/30 ADCs and was negative in all adenomas with either LGD or HGD features (100% specificity and 76.7% sensitivity, area under the curve=0.883, CI=0.79-0.98). Considering these findings, we conclude that FAP is a potentially useful tool for helping pathologists identify invasive lesions in colorectal endoscopic biopsies, avoiding unnecessary biopsy repetitions.


The medical records of four horses whose intestines had been perforated by metallic wires were reviewed. Three of the horses developed acute colic, and the other progressively lost weight and became inappetent and pyrexic. Metallic wires were detected either by exploratory laparotomy or postmortem examination. In three of the horses there were adhesions containing an encapsulated metallic wire in the small intestine, and in the other the wire was contained within an abscess with multiple adhesions involving the liver, spleen and mesentery.


Dr. Bowen, I have been informed, has been put to great expense, although he gained a verdict; and, I fear, as his opponent is only a journeyman cabinetmaker, it is scarcely likely he will even get the taxed costs. It is, therefore, to be hopecl that the profession will not let Dr. Bowen be the loser. Dr. Scholfield, of 14, Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, has been appointed to receive subscriptions on Dr. Bowen's behalf. I am, etc., M.D.


The emergence of IP telephony as a lower-priced alternative to traditional phone services has raised questions of what users want and what vendors have to offer. In this article we investigate the views of both users and vendors on critical issues for IP telephony diffusion based on diffusion of innovation theory. We draw our conclusions from the study of a dynamic IP-telephony market where we interviewed IP telephony providers and surveyed residential users. Our results indicate that vendors' main concern is users' lack of technical skills, while users are comfortable with technical complexity, and are interested in price reductions.


HIPERLAN (High Performance Radio Local Area Networks) is an emerging European standard for wireless local area networks with an in air data rate of 23.5 Mbits/sec. This paper details the design manufacture and measured performance of two application specific GaAs MMICs which form the majority of the 5.2 GHz RF front end. One MMIC is a power amplifier with level control and the other is an up/down-converter with on chip VCO. These are the first GaAs MMICs designed specifically for the HIPERLAN standard.


Abstract The principal focus of this paper is to present a critical review of current approaches to modelling the inter-related hydrodynamic, physical and chemical processes involved in the flocculation of water using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The flows inside both laboratory and full scale mechanically-mixed flocculators are complex and pose significant challenges to modellers. There exists a body of published work which considers the bulk flow patterns, primarily at laboratory scale. However, there is little reported multiphase modelling at either scale. Two-equation turbulence modelling has been found to produce variable results in comparison with experimental data, due to the anisotropic nature of the swirling flow. However, the computational expense of combining the sliding mesh treatment for a rotating mesh with the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) in a full scale unit is great, even when using a high performance computing facility. Future work should focus more on the multiphase modelling aspects. Whilst opportunities exist for particle tracking using a Lagrangian model, few workers have attempted this. The fractal nature of flocs poses limitations on the accuracy of the results generated and, in particular, the impacts of density and porosity on drag force and settlement characteristics require additional work. There is significant scope for the use of coupled population balance models and CFD to develop water treatment flocculation models. Results from related work in the wastewater flocculation field are encouraging.


Probability distributions are key components of many learning from demonstration (LfD) approaches, with the spaces chosen to represent tasks playing a central role. Although the robot configuration is defined by its joint angles, end-effector poses are often best explained within several task spaces. In many approaches, distributions within relevant task spaces are learned independently and only combined at the control level. This simplification implies several problems that are addressed in this work. We show that the fusion of models in different task spaces can be expressed as products of experts (PoE), where the probabilities of the models are multiplied and renormalized so that it becomes a proper distribution of joint angles. Multiple experiments are presented to show that learning the different models jointly in the PoE framework significantly improves the quality of the final model. The proposed approach particularly stands out when the robot has to learn hierarchical objectives that arise when a task requires the prioritization of several sub-tasks (e.g. in a humanoid robot, keeping balance has a higher priority than reaching for an object). Since training the model jointly usually relies on contrastive divergence, which requires costly approximations that can affect performance, we propose an alternative strategy using variational inference and mixture model approximations. In particular, we show that the proposed approach can be extended to PoE with a nullspace structure (PoENS), where the model is able to recover secondary tasks that are masked by the resolution of tasks of higher-importance.


As the center of gravity in scholarly communication shifts from journal papers to research datasets, academic libraries are being challenged to respond to emerging practices in cyberscholarship and research policy with expanded and specialized support services. Recent surveys of library support services for research in the new landscape of data science have been conducted in the US and to a limited extent in the UK and internationally. The present study broke new ground in its scale and scope, by comprehensively surveying academic libraries in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK, to identify current and planned service provision, constraints on service development, and workforce education and training needs. Significantly, taking account of the particular national policy contexts for the research libraries participating in the survey, the investigation included not only data management, but also bibliometric support services, anticipating future demand for libraries to lake the lead on the design, development and delivery of integrated services supporting the full scholarly knowledge cycle, including provision of dataset publishing and datametric support for academic faculty, research staff, graduate students and university administration. Our poster will provide an overview of key findings from the survey, comment on the stakeholder relationships and partnerships identified in the study, and highlight the implications for policy and practice in both research library services and data science education, concluding with an outline of the new research and development agenda emerging around libraries, librarians and datametrics.


2 series of models demonstrate the geometrical shape of the human trochlea tali. We have changed step by step the shape of the 2 flanking articular facets of the trochlea, the course of the edges of the trochlea, and the length of their radii, and so we have found a model responding to the biomechanic conditions of the trochlea tali. The convex surface of this model (corresponding to the superior articular surface, i.e. the facies superior trochleae tali) is a torse, the medial flanking facet (corresponding to the medial articular facet of the trochlea, i.e. the facies malleolaris medialis) is a flat cone, the lateral flanking facet (corresponding to the lateral articular facet of the trochlea, i.e. the facies malleolaris lateralis) is a screwed (helicoidal) face. The resulting model shows the 2 completely different phases of motion in the ankle joint: During dorsiflexion (motion setting out from the neutral position towards the final position of dorsiflexion), the internal malleolus leads the talus, whereas the external malleolus is pushed outwards by the screwed lateral articular facet of the trocheal. The trochlea is moved like a hinge. In the final position of dorsiflexion, the malleoli tightly embrace the 2 flanking facets of the trochlea, whilst an obvious cleft appears dorsally and medially between the superior articular surface of the trochlea and the tibial roof (i.e. the facies articularis inferior tibiae). During plantarflexion (motion setting out from the neutral position towards the final position of plantarflexion), the external malleolus leads the talus, whereas the medial articular facet of the trochlea withdraws from the internal malleolus. The trochlea is moved like a screw. In the final position of plantarflexion, the superior articular surface of the trochlea closely contacts the tibial roof, whilst an obvious cleft appears between the medial articular facet of the trochlea and the internal malleolus.


ABSTRACT Self-neglect, in which an individual does not attend to their hygiene, health or home surroundings, is one of the most challenging aspects of adult social care practice. In England, its inclusion within the remit of adult safeguarding, as a result of changes in adult social care law introduced under the Care Act 2014, has thrown into relief the ethical dilemmas arising from tensions between respect for autonomy on the one hand and the exercise of a protective duty of care on the other hand. This paper draws on serious case reviews and safeguarding adult reviews in self-neglect cases, along with findings from adult safeguarding research, to propose that an appropriate balance between these two moral imperatives is not always achieved in self-neglect practice. It considers why autonomy appears to be privileged over other considerations, illustrating the complex interplay between law and ethics that gives autonomy pre-eminence. It then considers how a more nuanced, situated and relational approach to autonomy can enable practitioners to move away from dichotomous interpretations of the moral imperatives present in self-neglect work, and can support more nuanced understandings of the ethics of professional decision-making. Finally, it considers the personal and organisational implications of this enhanced ethical literacy.


Reaction of granodiorite from the Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Site with distilled water at 300/sup 0/C and 345 bars total pressure for 8 months has produced many morphological and chemical effects. Eight polished rock disks were mounted on a tantalum pedestal inside a 500-ml autoclave. The autoclave is part of a circulation system designed for operation to 400/sup 0/C and 345 bars. Solution samples were taken at 32, 56, 176, 368, 752, 1544, 3104, and 5816 h. Rock disks were removed also at the latter four times. The reactivity of phases was shown to be quartz>>microcline>plagioclase>mafics, opaques, and trace phases. Quartz was removed congruently. The albite component of the plagioclase was dissolved essentially congruently changing plagioclase from oligoclase (fresh) to bytownite (8 mo.). Microcline showed congruent dissolution. Other phases were inert. Secondary mineralization included phillipsite, thomsonite, and vermiculite.


An automatic marine seismic monitoring and recording instrument of recoverable design is discussed. The instrument is capable of measuring three components of earth motion and water pressure waves and is intended for use on the ocean bottom at depths to 10,000 feet. Most previous seismic data has been recorded at land-based stations and the collection of ocean-floor seismic information will materially add to the knowledge of origin and propagation phenomena. Data are recorded on magnetic tape in digital form. Seismic motion is recorded in the 1-10 cps band with a sensitivity below 0.1 millimicron of earth movement. Pressure information is recorded over the same bandwidth with comparable sensitivity. Up to eight hours of data can be recorded on a programmed cycle during each implanting of the instrument. Initial sea tests of the instrument indicate that the unit functioned as desired. Several events recorded during the test period appeared to give valid seismic information. One of these events is described. Simultaneous recording of pressure and velocity is expected to enhance detection capability. It is planned in a future program to collect additional seismic information in much deeper waters and at sites chosen for maximum quality data return. The data will represent the first extensive effort to collect and analyze three-component seismic (plus pressure) information at great ocean depths.


Envoplakin, a member of the plakin family of proteins, is a component of desmosomes and the epidermal cornified envelope. To understand how envoplakin expression is regulated, we have analyzed the structure of the mouse envoplakin gene and characterized the promoters of both the human and mouse genes. The mouse gene consists of 22 exons and maps to chromosome 11E1, syntenic to the location of the human gene on 17q25. The exon-intron structure of the mouse envoplakin gene is common to all members of the plakin family: the N-terminal protein domain is encoded by 21 small exons, and the central rod domain and the C-terminal globular domain are coded by a single large exon. The C terminus shows the highest sequence conservation between mouse and human envoplakins and between envoplakin and the other family members. The N terminus is also conserved, with sequence homology extending to Drosophila Kakapo. A region between nucleotides −101 and 288 was necessary for promoter activity in transiently transfected primary keratinocytes. This region is highly conserved between the human and mouse genes and contains at least two different positively acting elements identified by site-directed mutagenesis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Mutation of a GC box binding Sp1 and Sp3 proteins or a combined E box and Krüppel-like element interacting with unidentified nuclear proteins virtually abolished promoter activity. 600 base pairs of the mouse upstream sequence was sufficient to drive expression of a β-galactosidase reporter gene in the suprabasal layers of epidermis, esophagus, and forestomach of transgenic mice. Thus, we have identified a regulatory region in the envoplakin gene that can account for the expression pattern of the endogenous protein in stratified squamous epithelia.


From January through December 1990, a prospective study comparing the accuracy of diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL), abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scanning, and abdominal ultrasonographic (US) scanning was carried out. Patients with stable vital signs following their initial resuscitation coupled with equivocal physical examination findings received both CT and US scanning. A DPL was then done. If any of these three examinations produced positive findings, a laparotomy was done and the surgical findings were compared with the results of the diagnostic studies. Fifty-five patients were studied (44 men, 11 women), with a mean age of 43 years and a mean ISS of 18.5 +/- 10.5. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 100%, 84.2%, and 94.5% for DPL, 97.2%, 94.7%, and 96.4% for CT scanning, and 91.7%, 94.7%, and 92.7% for US scanning. Problems do exist in identifying isolated small intestinal perforations with ultrasonography. Since more and more trauma centers are using ultrasonography in the emergency department as a screening method in the management of patients with blunt abdominal trauma, it is important to avoid overestimating its capability. Frequent re-evaluation of the patient's condition, repeat ultrasonographic scans, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, and CT scanning are complementary and important in the diagnosis of blunt abdominal trauma.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a substantial cause of mortality and morbidity in the Western world. It is a massive burden on health care systems, and its prevalence is expected to double over the next 20 years. Trials evaluating antiarrhythmic drugs or catheter ablation have focused on recurrence of arrhythmia, perhaps neglecting outcomes relevant to patients, such as symptoms, need for antiarrhythmic drugs, need for hospitalization, and rates of stroke and death. An association has been demonstrated between sinus rhythm and survival in several studies, and there is evidence emerging that successful catheter ablation may reduce rates of stroke and death. Similarly, dronedarone has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and death in patients with paroxysmal AF or persistent AF of recent onset, although it may cause adverse events in permanent AF. New antiarrhythmic drugs are a welcome addition to the armamentarium, since there are limitations to current antiarrhythmic drugs. In particular, sotalol, flecainide, and propafenone cannot be used safely in those with structural heart disease, and amiodarone has important adverse reactions that limit long-term use. Indeed, the use of conventional antiarrhythmic drugs may negate any survival benefit derived from maintaining sinus rhythm. Although dronedarone appears promising with respect to hard endpoints such as stroke and death in certain patients, it may not be safe for those with heart failure or those with permanent AF. Furthermore, the trials suggesting that dronedarone may impact on these endpoints were compared with placebo rather than with an active comparator group. Further "head-to-head" comparisons between dronedarone and other antiarrhythmic drugs are needed to determine whether this property is unique to dronedarone alone.


In this study, the influences of the grain sizes on the magnesium alloy are investigated to evaluate the friction and wear properties under a dry condition by using a pin-on-disk test machine. Four kinds of ZK60 magnesium alloys with different grain sizes from 6mm to 100mm were used as test specimens and SUJ2 was used for counter materials. It was shown that the wear rate on the small grain size's specimen was increased by the larger plastic deformation near to the worn surface. And, it was also made clear that the coefficient of friction increased due to the influence of adhesive wear in the case of small grain sizes. On the other hand, in the case of large grain size's specimen, the wear-resistance properties increased as compared with the small grain size's specimen because the wear type was an abrasive wear without a plastic deformation. It is appeared that the average coefficient of friction on ZK60 magnesium alloy was about 0.3 in this test condition.


Recent studies have revealed that areas with sediments pre‐dating the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are more common in southern Scandinavia than previously thought. To describe and date these sediments, four deep core drillings were made in the province of Småland and one in the province of Skåne, southern Sweden, and an existing sediment core drilled in the 1960s from western Skåne was re‐examined and re‐dated, all resulting in a total of 22 AMS 14C ages and 19 OSL ages. With some variation, the Småland cores revealed a stratigraphy consisting of two tills separated by proglacial glacifluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments, dated to between 46 and 25 ka BP (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 to 2). We suggest that these sediments were deposited during the ice retreat of the MIS 3 Ristinge glaciation over southern Scandinavia and the subsequent re‐advance over the area in late MIS 3 and the transition to MIS 2, when the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet advanced towards its LGM marginal positions. This contrasts with the glacial history of southernmost Skåne, where an additional MIS 3 glacial advance through the Baltic Basin is suggested by the occurrence of a till named Allarp Till. New ages from sediments under‐ and overlying this till suggest that it was deposited by the same Baltic ice advance that deposited the Klintholm till in Denmark (Klintholm Advance, c. 34–30 ka).


Human users can obtain information about the physical properties of an object through direct manipulation with one or two hands. Object manipulation of virtual objects using force feedback haptic interfaces is very challenging due to current technological constrains that often affect the information obtained by the user. Here, we describe the Master Finger 2 (MF2), a force feedback device which allows manipulation of one or more objects with one or two hands. We use experimental data to evaluate the performance of MF2 based on its capability to simulate effectively the weight of virtual objects. The results and implications for system design are discussed.


Motivated by recent Pierre Auger result on the correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the nearby active galactic nuclei, we explore possible ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) source distributions and their effects on GZK horizons. Effects on GZK horizons by local over-density of UHECR sources are examined carefully with constraints on the degree of local over-density inferred from the measured UHECR spectrum. We include the energy calibration effect on the Pierre Auger data in our studies. We propose possible local over-densities of UHECR sources which are testable in the future cosmic ray astronomy.


This study examines the relation between essay length and holistic scores assigned to Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) essays by e-rater®, the automated essay scoring system developed by ETS. Results show that an early version of the system, e-rater99, accounted for little variance in human reader scores beyond that which could be predicted by essay length. A later version of the system, e-rater01, performs significantly better than its predecessor and is less dependent on length due to its greater reliance on measures of topical content and of complexity and diversity of vocabulary. Essay length was also examined as a possible explanation for differences in scores among examinees with native languages of Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese. Human readers and e-rater01 show the same pattern of differences for these groups, even when effects of length are controlled.


This paper studies the effective lightning protection for workers in opened sites and mobilized in construction works focusing dangerous potentials developed when the lightning current is conducted to the grounding system throw natural or designed down-conductors. This issue has increased its importance due to the need of special lightning protection systems enabling the continuity of work in opened sites or in structures under construction even in alert of atmospheric discharge occurrence.


Russia in the late nineteenth century may have been an autocracy, but it was far from silent. In the 1860s, new venues for public speech sprang up: local and municipal assemblies, the courtroom, and universities and learned societies. Theatre became more lively and vernacular, while the Orthodox Church exhorted its priests to become better preachers. Although the tsarist government attempted to restrain Russia's emerging orators, the empire was entering an era of vigorous modern politics. All the while, the spoken word was amplified by the written: the new institutions of the 1860s brought with them the adoption of stenography. Russian political culture reached a new peak of intensity with the 1905 revolution and the creation of a parliament, the State Duma, whose debates were printed in the major newspapers. Sometimes considered a failure as a legislative body, the Duma was a formidable school of modern political rhetoric. It was followed by the cacophonous freedom of 1917, when Aleksandr Kerensky, dubbed Russia's 'persuader-in-chief', emerged as Russia's leading orator only to see his charisma wane. The Bolsheviks could boast charismatic orators of their own, but after the October Revolution they also turned public speaking into a core ritual of Soviet 'democracy'. The Party's own gatherings remained vigorous (if also sometimes vicious) throughout the 1920s; and here again, the stenographer was in attendance to disseminate proceedings to a public of newspaper readers or Party functionaries.


The intensive care unit (ICU) work environment is demanding and challenging. Doctors, nurses, and technicians all form part of a multidisciplinary team that strives to improve outcomes in sick patients, many of whom are likely to die. However, in this quest for good outcomes for patients, we often overlook the impact of intensive care on health care workers (HCWs). In the ICU, there are often moments of intense accomplishment and reward, but there are also many moments of emotional turmoil, frustration, and defeat. Doctors and nurses are faced with the burden of making difficult decisions, breaking bad news, and bearing the emotional impact of dying patients and their families. These factors undoubtedly contribute to stress and burnout amongst HCWs in the ICU.

Stress is a feeling of strain and pressure, whereas burnout is a multidimensional syndrome comprising emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (establishment of detached, distant, and cynical relationships with patients and colleagues), and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment.[1] Chronic stress can lead to burnout, whereas burnout can also be due to other causes such as lack of job support and appreciation.[2] Burnout can have several negative consequences both for the 'burned-out' HCWs and for their patients, as well as team morale and the overall work environment. Consequences for patients include reduced patient satisfaction and suboptimal patient care, including greater probability of infection. Among HCWs, depression, poor health, increased medical errors, decreased cognitive function, absenteeism, decreased professionalism, and substance abuse have been reported.[3,4,5,6,7,8] Therefore, it is vital to acknowledge that working in the ICU can lead to HCW burnout. Having acknowledged that burnout exists, it is important to understand the magnitude of the problem and risk factors to devise effective methods to prevent and treat burnout. Although there is data on burnout amongst HCWs of ICUs from various countries, there are no such reports from Indian ICUs, nor are there reports in the Indian critical care literature. From this point of view, the article by Guntupalli et al.,[9] in this issue of the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine (IJCCM) is an eye-opener. The authors investigated the incidence of burnout amongst nurses and respiratory therapists in a single US hospital, using the well-validated Maslach Burnout Inventory. They found that 54% of 213 subjects scored "Moderate to High" on the emotional exhaustion scale, 40% scored "Moderate to High" on the depersonalization scale, whereas 40.6% scored "Low" on the personal accomplishment scale. The authors could not identify the factors that may be independently associated with burnout, though surprisingly they did find that night shifts were associated with less burnout and that working overtime hours was not associated with burnout.

It might be tempting to dismiss the results of this study as being of little relevance to Indian ICUs. Indeed, there may be significant differences in nursing education, training, working conditions, and remuneration of nurses in Indian ICUs compared with those in the West. Many ICUs in India face shortages of nurses, resulting in frequent overtime duties. In addition, there are different cultural and societal perceptions about nurses, as well domestic and family-related pressures. Respiratory therapists are not common in Indian ICUs. There is no information on burnout among doctors working in the ICUs that were studied, which would have been of great interest to the readers of the IJCCM. Some studies have shown that ICU nurses suffer from relatively more stress and burnout compared with ICU physicians,[10] whereas others have shown the contrary,[11,12] perhaps reflecting differences in work intensity and job staffing.

High levels of stress and burnout are well-known among doctors and nurses in western countries. Publication of this study brings the problem of burnout straight to the desk of the Indian critical care specialist. It reminds us that it is essential that we perform these studies in our setting. The problem of burnout is universal, but given the socioeconomic and cultural differences and the individual and organizational factors that may be associated in India, it may well be different from those reported from other countries. Empirical data on risk factors in Indian ICUs can then help devise interventions to alleviate the problem. Interventions include organizational changes to affect individual solutions.[13] Individual-level methods include physician well-being programs, improvement of communications about end-of-life care, management of conflicts, and workshops on various stress management techniques.[14,15,16] Changes in the pattern of intensivist staffing may help.[17] Two-week rotations have been shown to reduce burnout compared with four-week rotations for general medicine attendings.[18]

As critical care continues to progress in India, it becomes even more important to look after the health and welfare of doctors and nurses working in our ICUs. Gathering data using validated instruments to determine the incidence and risk factors for burnout will be an important first step.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Design and synthesis of membrane type matrix metalloproteinase (MT-MMP) targeted anti-tumor agents

Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs) are highly active in tumors, but absent or inactive in normal tissues. MT-MMPs are known to be elevated in the majority of human tumors and to be central to tumor invasion and angiogenesis. Our objective has been to design inactive prodrugs that are converted to a potent drug by selected MMPs within the tumor microenvironment.

We report the design and synthesis of a series of peptide-based conjugates of azademethylcolchicine (a potent colchicine analogue) designed to be selectively cleaved by MT-MMPs in the tumor microenvironment. Azademethylcolchicine was attached to the peptide C-terminus, while the N-terminus is protected from non-specific cleavage by exopeptidases through a masking group. A series of N-terminal masking groups, including unnatural amino acids, substituted aromatic groups, alkyl spacers and more complex endcaps was employed. Insights have been gained into the MT-MMP peptide recognition sequence and the relative importance of individual amino acids with regards MMP-selectivity. The P2' position in particular has been extensively studied through substitution by both natural amino acid and unnatural amino acids.

We have investigated the efficiency of hydrolytic cleavage of these conjugates to release the active agent in both tumor and normal tissues. Results indicate significant effects of P2' amino acid substitution upon stability and conversely activation in tumor and normal tissues (liver, kidney, lung, plasma), with half-lives of hydrolysis ranging from 2-60 min in tumor and 3-300 min in normal tissues.

In conclusion, a series of peptide-based prodrug conjugates of azademethylcolchicine was synthesized. Hydrolytic activation of these prodrugs in tumor tissue was rapid compared to liver and other normal tissues. From this screen, ICT-2588, which includes tyrosine at the P2' position, emerged as the agent with a hydrolytic cleavage rate most suited for further evaluation as a tumour activated peptide-based conjugate.

Citation Format: Robert A. Falconer, Ahmed M. Youssef, Javier Gimenez Warren, Goreti R. Morais, Andrew Mitchell, Steve D. Shnyder, Jason H. Gill, Laurence H. Patterson, Paul M. Loadman. Design and synthesis of membrane type matrix metalloproteinase (MT-MMP) targeted anti-tumor agents. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5669. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5669


Scattering Bars (SB) OPC, together with optimized illumination, is no doubt one of the critical enablers for low k1lithography manufacturing. (1) The manufacturing implementation of SB so far has been mainly based on rule-based approach. While thiis has been working well, a more effective model-based approach is much more desired lithographically for manufacturing at 65nm and 45nm nodes. This is necessary to ensure sufficient process margin using hyper NA for patterning random IC design. In our model-based SB (M-SB) OPC implementation, we have based on the patented IML. Technology from ASML MaskTools.(2,3) In this report, we use both dark field contact hole and clear field poly gate mask to demonstrate this implementation methodology. It is also quite applicable for dark field trench masks, such as local interconnect mask with damascene metal. For our full-chip implementation flow, the first step is to determine the critical design area and then to proceed with NA and illumination optimization. We show that, using LithoCruiser, we are able to select the best NA in combination with optimum illumination via a Diffraction Optical Element (DOE). The decision to use a custom DOE or one from the available DOE library from ASML can be made based on predicted process performance and cost effectiveness. With optimized illumination, it is now possible for MaskWeaver to construct an interference map for the full-chip mask pattern. Utilizing the interference map, M-SB OPC is generated. Next, model OPC can be applied with the presence of M-SB for the entire chip. It is important to note here, that from our experience, the model OPC must be calibrated with the presence of SB in order to achieve the desired accuracy. We report the full-chip processing benchmark using MaskWeaver to apply both M-SB and model OPC. For actual patterning performance, we have verified the full chip OPC treatment using SLiC, a DFM tool from Cadence. This implementation methodology can be applied to binary chrome mask, attenuated PSM, and CPL.


Conditions for global asymptotic stability (GAS) of a nonlinear relaxation process realized by a recurrent neural network (RNN) are provided. Existence, convergence, and robustness of such a process are analyzed. This is undertaken based upon the contraction mapping theorem (CMT) and the corresponding fixed point iteration (FPI). Upper bounds for such a process are shown to be the conditions of convergence for a commonly analyzed RNN with a linear state dependence.


Quality control of service is the most important part in health service, so that the measurement of patient satisfaction level is absolute in effort to improve health service quality. Through these measurements, it can be known to what extent the dimensions of health services quality that have been held to meet patient expectations. This research aims to find out the result of community satisfaction index as an evaluation of health service quality in Brondong Primary Health Care of Lamongan Regency, using 9 elements taken from Permenpan Number 16 year 2014. The data were taken by observation with cross sectional study design using questionnaires analyzed descriptively. Samples were taken using Slovin formula, so that the respondent obtained 394. The measurement result shows that in general the quality of Brondong Primary Health Care of Lamongan Regency service is included in good category with CSI value of 3, 050. However, when each element be viewed, there are still three elements with the lowest of community satisfaction index value indicating that there are still people who feel less satisfied with the service in Brondong Primary Health Care of Lamongan Regency. The three elements that have the lowest of community satisfaction index value are the element of service time, the service announcement, and the handling of complaints, suggestions, and inputs of the community. Therefore, this research suggests in Brondong Primary Health Care of Lamongan Regency needs to improve the quality, especially on the three elements with the lowest of community satisfaction index value.


Poland's syndrome is a rare congenital disorder consisting of unilateral agenesis or hypotrophy of pectoralis major muscle associated with thoracic and/or variable ipsilateral upper limb anomalies. The estimated incidence is 1 to 3 in 100.000 newborns, tending to affect more male patients, with a ratio of 3:1, and in 75% of the cases the anomalies are present on the right side. The disease is defined as a "non-specific developmental field defect". The current hypothesis is that it occurs around the 6th week of fetal development and is caused by a diminished or disrupted blood flow of the subclavian artery proximal to the origin of the thoracic artery but distal to the origin of vertebral artery. We present the case of a term (39 weeks) newborn Romanian female, after a caesarian section performed in "St. Pantelimon" Emergency Hospital from Bucharest, with unilateral breast and chest wall asymmetry along with upper limb abnormalities, located on the left side. The newborn had normal respiratory and cardiovascular parameters, but clinical examination revealed left-right asymmetry, with congenital absence of the left pectoralis major muscle and agenesis of the left breast with associated athelia. Another abnormality was found in the left upper limb as the patient was born with partial cutaneous syndactyly involving the third and the fourth fingers of the left hand. Chest radiograph showed the absence of the anterior costal arches from T3 to T10 vertebrae. Although recent genetic studies sustain the theory that there are several genes involved in different inheritance patterns, in our case the Poland syndrome occurred as a sporadic event as there was no evidence of congenital malformations in the patient's family. A particularity of this case is that the newborn is a female and all the developmental anomalies were located on the left side of the body, which represent 25% of the overall cases. Therefore, the rarity of this case increases significantly. The risk factors remain unknown for this case, as there was no additional risk of Poland syndrome caused by smoking. We have to take into consideration that the patient is a newborn and that clinical manifestations may appear later in time, along with hematologic complications, so a close follow-up of the case is necessary. The proper time for surgical reconstruction has to be carefully and multidisciplinary selected in order to achieve the best result.


HMGCoA-inhibitors (statins) lower plasma cholesterol through interference with the rate-limiting enzyme in the endogenous synthesis process. Since their introduction in the early 90's, the clinical attitude towards cardiovascular (cv) risk reduction has evolved from the attention to single risk factors to a more comprehensive global risk evaluation, and thus the indications of statins have broadened from the secondary prevention in hypercholesterolemic patients to include primary prevention in mildly and moderately hypercholesterolemic, or even normocholesterolemic patients, provided their global cv risk is considered high (typically, an estimated major cv event probability greater than 20%). Italian drug utilization data show that a small proportion of patients who could benefit from statins do actually receive them, contributing to the persistence of the clinical and economical burden of cv disease, the leading cause of mortality; since statins have proved effective, and cost-effective, in cv prevention, a more widespread use appears desirable, but requires high investments in pharmaceutical costs. This article defines a clinical profile of lovastatin, a statin with a solid efficacy and safety record only recently introduced into the Italian market despite it has been the first to become clinically available abroad. Among available statin formulations appropriate for target cholesterol reductions up to 30%, which apply to a significant proportion of statin therapy candidates, lovastatin 20 mg is marketed at the lowest price. Although the individual response to the different statins is highly unpredictable, determining a mandatory empirical molecule- and dose-finding strategy on the single patient, from the societal point of view the choice to start with lower cost molecules, among options that on average are equally-effective, may limit initial drug investment and dampen the impact of resource waste secondary to treatment interruptions and switches.


This paper proposes a cloud application framework, which integrates both the development and production environment seamlessly. The framework consists of the client-side integrated development environment (IDE), and the server-side service portfolio and cloud controller. The IDE has requirement definition, architecture design and application prototyping tools, and it can simulate execution of large-scale applications in developers' PCs. The service portfolio incorporates data from these tools and enables automatic data sharing between them, thereby avoiding setback and redundancy. To accommodate the applications on the cloud, the cloud controller utilizes the resource structures designed in the IDE and generates virtual machines (VMs) from templates, in which a verified OS and middleware for large-scale data processing are packaged. The behavior of VMs and applications will be automatically monitored and catalogued as a guideline for the next project. With these comprehensive approaches, the system integration methods can be streamlined and the acceleration of development can be easily demonstrated.


Nig. J. Anim. Prod. 2017, 44(4): 241 247 Nigerian Society for Animal Production Nigerian Journal of Animal Production Blood profile and organ weights of broilers fed variously processed Mucuna seed meal were investigated. A total of 120 day old broiler chickens were used. There were 4 treatments each replicated into 3 with 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). Four treatment diets were formulated. Diet 1 served as control containing raw Mucuna, while diets 2, 3, and 4 had boiled Mucuna, Mucuna boiled with ankanwu and boiled Mucuna mix with enzyme, respectively added to them. The birds were allowed 7 days to get stabilized before being randomly assigned to the experimental diets that lasted for 49 days. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the organ weights except for intestine, spleen and lungs. The value of the intestine ranged from 4.30% (D4) to 5.20% (D2). D4 was significantly ((P<0.05) lower than D2 but compared favourably with D1 (4.51) and D3 (4.62). Significant ((P<0.05) differences existed only in haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The MCHC values ranged from 30.67 in D4 to 34.69% in D2. The value for D4 was significantly (P<0.05) lower than those of D1, D2, and D3 which was not significantly (P>0.05) different. The Hb and MCHC were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the processing of MSS. Total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, globulin and alkaline phosphatase were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the processing method employed in conclusion it is observed that 5% inclusion of Mucuna either raw or processed to broiler chicken diets does, does not have any deleterious effect on them health wise since blood and organs characteristics are used to measure the health status of animal. Mucuna ,


Background. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults with highly heterogeneous clinical course of the disease. Currently available prognostic factors are not fully efficient in predicting the course of CLL. New molecular mutations such as NOTCH1 and MYD88 could partly explain the CLL heterogeneity and help in identifying clinically relevant groups of patients. Material and methods. NOTCH1 c.7544_7545delCT (n = 200) in PEST domain (exon 34) and MYD88 L265P (n = 60) mutations was investigated by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). Expression of MYD88 in CLL was assessed in peripheral blood (PB) (n = 60) and bone marrow (BM) (n = 92) of CLL patients and 25 healthy volunteers (HVs) using qRT-PCR. Results. NOTCH1 mutation occurred in 18/200 (9.0%) CLL patients. Patients harboring NOTCH1 mutations prevalently belonged to aggressive cases, i.e. cases with an unmutated IGVH gene status, expression of CD38 and ZAP-70. MYD88 mutation occurred in 2/60 (3.3%) CLL patients. MYD88 mutations were strikingly enriched among patients expressing mutated IGVH genes. Our study demonstrated significantly higher PB MYD88 expression than in HVs and relevantly higher PB MYD88 expression in comparison with BM (respectively p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0015). There was no correlation between MYD88 expression in PB and BM and expression of ZAP-70, CD38 and IGVH mutational status. Conclusions. NOTCH1 mutations are more frequently detected in cases with unfavorable biological markers and seem to be independent predictive markers for worse outcome in CLL patients. Further collaborative studies in CLL are obligate to study the prognostic and predictive relevance of MYD88 mutations and expression.


Major storage reserves of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seeds are triacylglycerols (seed oils) and proteins. Seed oil content is severely reduced for the regulatory mutant wrinkled1 (wri1-1; At3g54320) and for a double mutant in two isoforms of plastidic pyruvate kinase (pkpβ1pkpα; At5g52920 and At3g22960). Both already biochemically well-characterized mutants were now studied by 13C metabolic flux analysis of cultured developing embryos based on comparison with their respective genetic wild-type backgrounds. For both mutations, in seeds as well as in cultured embryos, the oil fraction was strongly reduced while the fractions of proteins and free metabolites increased. Flux analysis in cultured embryos revealed changes in nutrient uptakes and fluxes into biomass as well as an increase in tricarboxylic acid cycle activity for both mutations. While in both wild types plastidic pyruvate kinase (PKp) provides most of the pyruvate for plastidic fatty acid synthesis, the flux through PKp is reduced in pkpβ1pkpα by 43% of the wild-type value. In wri1-1, PKp flux is even more reduced (by 82%), although the genes PKpβ1 and PKpα are still expressed. Along a common paradigm of metabolic control theory, it is hypothesized that a large reduction in PKp enzyme activity in pkpβ1pkpα has less effect on PKp flux than multiple smaller reductions in glycolytic enzymes in wri1-1. In addition, only in the wri1-1 mutant is the large reduction in PKp flux compensated in part by an increased import of cytosolic pyruvate and by plastidic malic enzyme. No such limited compensatory bypass could be observed in pkpβ1pkpα.


Purpose: To investigate the perioperative complications and their effect on the clinical outcomes after a lumbar total disc replacement (TDR). Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients (18 men and 25 women) who had undergone a lumbar TDR from May 2002 and May 2004 were reviewed. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine if age, gender, previous discectomy, multilevel, learning curve of operator, or the difference between preoperative and postoperative disc height were associated with the development of intraoperative or postoperative complications. The patients rated their low back pain on a visual analogue scale and completed an Oswestry disability index (ODI) at the preoperative and postoperative follow-up. Results: There were 4 cases of intraoperative complications (2 major vein injuries and 2 peritoneal rupture) and 8 cases of postoperative complications (6 radicular pains, 1 subsidence of implant, and 1 dissociation of endplate and polyethylene core). There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications according to age, gender, prior surgery, multilevel, learning curve, or disc height difference (p>0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences in the VAS and ODI between the complication and non-complication groups. Conclusion: The authors experienced a relatively high rate of complications (11/43 patients) following TDR and statistical analysis did not reveal any associated risk factors.


Compression precracking (CPC) has seen renewed interest as a possible alternative procedure for generating fatigue crack growth threshold data with minimal load history effects, but recent testing confirms results from the literature that compression precracking does induce load history effects through residual stresses that influence subsequent fatigue crack growth test data. Using the CPC method, specimens are precracked with both maximum and minimum compressive loads. Compressive yielding occurs at the crack-starter notch, resulting in a local tensile residual stress field through which the fatigue crack must propagate. Although the tensile residual stress field contributes to the driving force for precracking, it also introduces the possibility of history effects that may affect subsequent fatigue crack growth. The tensile residual stress field elevates the local driving force at the crack tip, promoting higher crack growth rates than would be expected from the applied loading. This paper presents three-dimensional finite element results and experimental data for compact tension specimens that characterize the load history effects induced by compression precracking. The analysis results indicate that for low tensile loading levels near the threshold region, the residual stresses cause the calculated crack tip driving force to increase from the applied driving force by 25% or more. In addition, significant crack growth of about two times the estimated plastic zone size is needed to grow away from the residual stress field and reduce the calculated crack tip driving force to within 5% of the applied driving force. Experimental results show that growth of about two to three times the estimated plastic zone size is necessary to establish steady growth rates under constant ΔK loading for the materials and loading levels evaluated. Constant ΔK testing following compression precracking will demonstrate when residual stress effects are no longer significant and will ensure consistent growth rates.


An analysis expression for the stationary probability distribution of asymmetric superconducting quantum interference device with two Josephson junctions (dc SQUID) driven by thermal noise is derived from two-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation, where the potential condition is satisfied. Two of the three asymmetric parameters, inductance asymmetric parameter η and critical current asymmetric parameter α, can be changed in this condition, but resistance asymmetric parameter ρ cannot be changed. The "ripple" phenomenon of circulating current can disappear with the change of coefficient α. The effects of asymmetric parameters on current-voltage relationship and transfer function of dc SQUID system are also represented.


A review and meta-analysis was performed of seventy-five articles concerned with innovation characteristics and their relationship to innovation adoption and implementation. One part of the analysis consisted of constructing a methodological profile of the existing studies, and contrasting this with a hypothetical optimal approach. A second part of the study employed meta-analytic statistical techniques to assess the generality and consistency of existing empirical findings. Three innovation characteristics (compatibility, relative advantage, and complexity) had the most consistent significant relationship to innovation adoption. Suggestions for future research in the area were made.


Background Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the most widely used parameter to evaluate the cardiac function in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the association between LVEF and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the association of LVEF with CIN and long-term mortality following coronary angiography (CAG) or intervention in patients with HF. Methods We analyzed 1,647 patients with HF (New York Heart Association [NYHA] or Killip class >1) undergoing CAG or intervention, including 207 (12.57%) patients with reduced LVEF (HFrEF), 238 (14.45%) with mid-range LVEF (HFmrEF) and 1,202 (72.98%) with preserved LVEF (HFpEF). CIN was defined as an absolute increase of ≥0.5 mg/dL or a relative increase of ≥25% from baseline serum creatinine within 48–72 h after contrast medium exposure. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify the association between LVEF, CIN and long-term mortality, respectively. Results Overall, 225 patients (13.7%) developed CIN. Individuals with lower LVEF were more likely to develop CIN (HFrEF, HFmrEF and HFpEF: 18.4%, 21.8% and 11.2%, respectively; P<0.001), but without a significant trend after adjusting for the confounding factors (HFrEF vs HFpEF: odds ratio [OR] =1.01; HFmrEF vs HFpEF: OR =1.31; all P>0.05). However, advanced HF (NYHA class >2 or Killip class >1) was an independent predictor of CIN (adjusted OR =1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–2.22; P=0.019). During the mean follow-up of 2.3 years, reduced LVEF (HFrEF group) was significantly associated with increased mortality (HFrEF vs HFpEF: adjusted hazard ratio =2.88, 95% CI, 1.77–4.69; P<0.001). Conclusion In patients with HF undergoing CAG or intervention, not worsened LVEF but advanced HF was associated with an increased risk of CIN. In addition, reduced LVEF was an independent predictor of long-term mortality following cardiac catheterization.


Aiming at the deficiencies of high complexity,low precision and slow convergence in the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) conventional blind channel estimation method,a semi-blind channel estimation algorithm based on expectation maximization(EM) was researched.The simulation results show that the EM based semi-blind channel estimation algorithm can overcome these deficiencies of the conventional blind channel estimation method and yield a 2 dB SNR improvement compared to the conventional channel estimation algorithms based on pilot assisted.


While sentiment analysis in English has achieved significant progress, it remains a challenging task in Arabic given the rich morphology of the language. It becomes more challenging when applied to Twitter data that comes with additional sources of noise including dialects, misspellings, grammatical mistakes, code switching and the use of non-textual objects to express sentiments. This paper describes the "OMAM" systems that we developed as part of SemEval-2017 task 4. We evaluate English state-of-the-art methods on Arabic tweets for subtask A. As for the remaining subtasks, we introduce a topic-based approach that accounts for topic specificities by predicting topics or domains of upcoming tweets, and then using this information to predict their sentiment. Results indicate that applying the English state-of-the-art method to Arabic has achieved solid results without significant enhancements. Furthermore, the topic-based method ranked 1st in subtasks C and E, and 2nd in subtask D.


Abstract Perlite from the Greek islands of Milos, Kimolos and Kos is compositionally a calc-alkaline rhyolite that consists principally of glass (>85%) with minor amounts of phenocrysts. Different textural types can be recognized with varying degrees of vesicularity, including a classical perlite with spheroidal fractures of 'onion-skin' type. A wide variety of samples were expanded in a laboratory furnace and the bulk density and other properties relevant to the uses of the expanded material were determined. Only a small amount of non-expanded material remained after heating. The bulk density of the expanded perlite covers a broad range, from 25 to 230 kg/m3, and is partly dependent on the size of the feed. The compaction resistance is variable, but high oil absorption (400-2200 ml/100 g) and specific surface area (6-13 m2/g) are obtained. These properties appear to be independent of the bulk density. It appears that the expansion characteristics are more dependent on furnace conditions than on any minor variations between the perlite types. Once expanded, the product lends itself to most perlite applications. The coarser expanded material from Milos is best suited for concrete, plaster and horticulture. The lowest-density expanded perlite from all three islands is suitable for loose-fill insulation applications and the finer fractions are appropriate for cryogenic, filter-aid and filler purposes. Kimolos expanded perlite is probably best suited for the animal feed and thermal insulation markets.


cDNA probes specific for the alpha, beta and gamma subunits of human C8 were used to establish that genes encoding alpha and beta are physically linked and in a 5' alpha-beta 3' orientation on chromosome 1. The gene encoding the gamma subunit was mapped to chromosome 9q. These results explain the close genetic linkage between alpha-gamma and beta on chromosome 1 and indicate that alpha-gamma polymorphisms detected in earlier genetic studies are determined solely by alpha. Results summarized in this report were presented at the VIth Complement Genetics Workshop and Conference (Mainz, FRG, 1989).


The potential vorticity based control variable transformation for variational data assimilation, proposed in Cullen (2003), is a promising alternative to the currently more common vorticity based transformation. It leads to a better decorrelation of the control variables, but it involves solving a highly ill‐conditioned elliptic partial differential equation (PDE), with a constraint. This PDE has so far been impossible to solve to any reasonable accuracy for realistic grid resolutions in finite difference formulations. Following on from the work in Buckeridge and Scheichl (2010) we propose a numerical method for it based on a Krylov subspace method with a multigrid preconditioner. The problem of interest includes a constraint in the form of two‐dimensional elliptic solves embedded within the main three‐dimensional problem. Thus the discretised problem cannot be formulated as a simple linear equation system with a sparse system matrix (as usual in elliptic PDEs). Therefore, in order to precondition the system we apply the multigrid method in Buckeridge and Scheichl (2010) to a simplified form of the three‐dimensional operator (without the embedded two‐dimensional problems) leading to an asymptotically optimal convergence of the preconditioned Krylov subspace method. The solvers used at the Met Office typically take over 100 iterations to converge to a residual tolerance of 0.1 and fail to converge to a tolerance of 10−2. The method proposed in this paper, in contrast, can converge to a tolerance of 10−2 within 15 iterations on all typical grid resolutions used at the Met Office, and is convergent to a tolerance of 10−6. In addition, the method demonstrates almost optimal parallel scalability. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society and British Crown Copyright, the Met Office


Evidence from three randomized controlled trials suggests that treatment of acute humeral shaft fractures with intramedullary nailing (IMN) compared with dynamic compression plating leads to comparable results with respect to rates of nounion, infection, and iatrogenic nerve injury. There appeared to be an increase in risk of reoperation with IMN, which was signifi cant when data were pooled across studies. There was confl icting evidence in regard to the mean time to union. Additional methodologically rigorous randomized controlled trials with larger populations are necessary to establish the long term safety and effi cacy of these two operative treatments and to evaluate the superiority of one treatment over another. One researcher [Bhandari] estimates that such a trial would require between 1150 and 2180 patients to have suffi cient power to demonstrate a 25% relative risk reduction for reoperation [see appendix].


This article discusses the leading cases that have addressed medical monitoring claims. It addresses the reasons why legislatures are better equipped than courts to respond to the serious difficulties that medical monitoring cases present, and suggests that medical monitoring is a remedy best left to legislatures to review and resolve. For over 200 years, a fundamental principle of tort law has been that a plaintiff has no recovery without proof of a physical injury. This bright-line "physical injury" rule has been the best filter the courts have developed to prevent a flood of claims, provide faster access to courts, and ensure that defendants are held liable only for genuine harm. Medical monitoring cases challenge this rule. Plaintiffs in these cases have no present physical injury. Instead, they seek recovery for the future cost of periodic medical examinations to detect the possible onset of disease. Medical monitoring claims implicate a number of practical and public policy concerns. For example, they can allow for unfettered recoveries, lead to an avalanche of claims, and create substantial administrative problems. While many of the courts that have allowed these claims were cognizant of some of these issues and tried to limit the cause of action, the decision of whether medical monitoring claims should be allowed is better left to the legislature. Legislatures are better equipped to reach fully informed public policy decisions about the need for widespread changes in the law. They are in the best position to consider whether a medical monitoring remedy is needed, and, if so, how to resolve its inherent complexities. Tackling the challenges inherent in allowing awards for medical monitoring is a role for the legislatures, rather than the courts.


Grain size and weight are crucial components of barley yield and quality and are the target characteristics of domestication and modern breeding. Despite this, little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms of grain size and weight in barley. Here, we evaluated nine traits determining grain size and weight, including thousand grain weight (Tgw), grain length (Gl), grain width (Gw), grain length-width ratio (Lwr), grain area (Ga), grain perimeter (Gp), grain diameter (Gd), grain roundness (Gr), and factor form density (Ffd), in a double haploid (DH) population for three consecutive years. Using five mapping methods, we successfully identified 60 reliable QTLs and 27 hotspot regions that distributed on all chromosomes except 6H which controls the nine traits of grain size and weight. Moreover, we also identified 164 barley orthologs of 112 grain size/weight genes from rice, maize, wheat and 38 barley genes that affect grain yield. A total of 45 barley genes or orthologs were identified as potential candidate genes for barley grain size and weight, including 12, 20, 9, and 4 genes or orthologs for barley, rice, maize, and wheat, respectively. Importantly, 20 of them were located in the 14 QTL hotspot regions on chromosome 1H, 2H, 3H, 5H, and 7H, which controls barley grain size and weight. These results indicated that grain size/weight genes of other cereal species might have the same or similar functions in barley. Our findings provide new insights into the understanding of the genetic basis of grain size and weight in barley, and new information to facilitate high-yield breeding in barley. The function of these potential candidate genes identified in this study are worth exploring and studying in detail.


The effectiveness of microwave-assisted preparation of N-alkylisatin--thiocarbohydrazones, where alkyl group is methyl and ethyl, was evaluated. The corresponding N-alkylisatin--thiocarbohydrazones were predominantly obtained by TCH and N-alkyl substituted isatin in molar ratio 3:1. Reactions of carbonyl-amine condensation were performed in water acidified to pH 1.5 as a solvent system. Reaction mixtures were exposed to microwave irradiation under 300W and pressure 200 psi, for a specified incubation period of 5-15 min. The yield of products obtained by microwave assisted reaction was similar to that had been obtained using conventional reflux method (about 70% to 80%), with reduction of time. The structures of synthesized N-alkylisatins and corresponding N-alkylisatin--thiocarbohydrazones were established on the basis of recorded spectral data from IR, GC-MS, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR. Keywords— Microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS), N-alkylisatin, N-alkylisatin--thiocarbohydrazone.


An innovative scheme of lightning pulse source for the FDTD is developed to simulate a segment of lightning and its electromagnetic field in near field region. A filament of current is set up using FDTD to imitate a segment of lightning channel. The filamentary current is extended into the PML, reaching the metal boundary outside the PML, which forms a loop. This method avoids the charge effect at the top and end of the filamentary current. It is found that this method could simulate the lightning electromagnetic field accurately, compared with the analytic function of classical lightning electromagnetic field in free space. And then the lightning pulse field engendered by this method is used to analyse the interaction with a carbon fibre cabin in airplane and its inner electric field.


Abstract Little research has been done to explore the financial implications of bereavement, or how experience of economic change affects grief. This article discusses key findings from a study conducted in the UK of the financial implications of the death of a partner. Many participants experienced considerable change in their financial situation following the death of their partner, and many perceived themselves to be worse off. Dealing with financial issues occupied a considerable amount of time and could take an immense emotional toll, adding to the distress of the bereavement. An important conclusion is that practical and emotional responses to economic changes following a death are closely intertwined, and that palliative care and bereavement services are well-placed to understand and address this, and offer appropriate help and support.


Corneal stromal fibroblasts play an important role in wound healing. Proteins from all three cytoskeletal classes (microfilament, microtubule, and intermediate filament) are involved in the control of various cellular events, such as motility, cell adhesion, shape changes, intracellular transport, and mitosis. By epifluorescent light microscopy, we studied the intracellular distributions of actin (microfilament), tubulin (microtubule), and vimentin (intermediate filament), as well as vinculin (a junctional protein connecting microfilaments to the cell membrane), in cultured corneal fibroblasts. Mutual positional relationships between actin and the other cytoskeletal proteins were investigated by double-labeling. Particular attention was paid to the leading edge of spreading or migrating fibroblasts and to their cell-to-cell contacts.


Geodiversity is an important characteristic of Earth surface. Geodiversity is meaning the diversification of Earth surface in the scope of geology, terrain relief, soils, climate, surface and underground water, taking into consideration modifying anthropogenic activity (Kostrzewski 1986, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2001). The program of geodiversity protection and preservation include the assessment of studied spatial unit (geoecosystem) actual geodiversity state, on the base of detailed knowledge of geographical environment and the stage of its evolution. In terrain relief geodiversity, young and old – restited forms, very often exhumed, are taken into consideration, that are giving the relief of studied area special meaning and appearance. Thematic maps (e.g. of terrain relief geodiversity, soils, surface water and complex maps e.g. landscape) are the cartographic presentation of geodiversity. Geodiversity studies should be included in geomorphological research priorities, that is very important from substantive and practical point of view.


Sinapis alba L. is a major specialty crop grown as a condiment in western Canada, but little is known about its genetic diversity. The objective of this study was to assess the level and pattern of genetic diversity in a collection of 127 S. alba accessions held at Plant Gene Resources of Canada using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Five AFLP primer pairs were applied, and 134 polymorphic bands were scored for each accession. These scored bands had frequencies of occurrence ranging from 0.02 to 0.99 with an average of 0.69. More AFLP variation was found within single (79.1%) than between (20.9%) S. alba accessions. A small degree of AFLP difference (1.7%) was observed among the accessions of various regions, while relatively large variation (9.2%) existed among the accessions of various countries. A large AFLP difference (15.6%) also existed between the yellow- and brown-seeded accessions, but only 6.2% difference was observed between the cultivar and landrace accessions. Two distinct groups of S. alba germplasm were identified on the basis of the seed colour (yellow or brown), although a few mixtures also existed. No apparent 'duplicated' accessions were observed. The most diverse accessions were from Italy, Spain, France and Greece. Among the most genetically distinct accessions were SA97 from Portugal, SA89 and SA88 from France, SA83 from Russia and SA57 from Italy. These findings are significant not only for managing S. alba germplasm, but also for identifying diverse germplasm that can be used by plant breeders to improve S. alba seed yield and quality parameters.


Purpose of reviewThe majority of cardiac arrest patients die after successful resuscitation. Despite disappointing survival rates, cardiac arrest research mainly focuses on new therapies applied during cardiac arrest in the out-of-hospital setting, but only little attention is given to therapies mitigating the so-called postresuscitation syndrome. Optimized postresuscitation hospital care might have the potential to substantially improve survival rate in patients after cardiac arrest. Recent findingsThe article will review some aspects of optimized postresuscitation care with the main emphasis on temperature control. Various aspects of ventilation strategies, metabolic control, haemodynamic stabilization, and reperfusion therapies will be summarized. SummaryTherapeutic mild hypothermia (32–34°C) is currently the most advanced medical concept to prevent or mitigate the postresuscitation syndrome. Large prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate normoventilation with blood gases within physiologic range, moderately elevated blood glucose levels, a mean arterial pressure above 80 mmHg, and early reperfusion therapy in all cardiac arrest patients.


In recent years, with the rapid development of China's economy, the coastal environment is facing large pressure. However, the coastal environment pollution has not attracted much attention as air pollution and land water pollution. Based on the data on economic development and marine ecosystem environmental pollution which collected from the National Bureau of Statistics and China's coastal marine environmental monitoring, the paper analyzes the overall coastal ecosystem environment pollution in China as well as the four sea areas the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and South China Sea. The paper finds that the coastal marine environment pollution differ in different sea areas, taking the seawater quality, over-standard pollutants, water quality of rivers entering seas and coastal marine environmental disasters, such as red tide as index. Couple of policy suggestions provided based on research findings.