The diagnoses of Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can frequently be present concomitantly. The rates of comorbidity of the both disorders with Axis I and Axis II diagnoses are high. Overlapping symptoms and the possibility of observing these two disorders concomitantly have recently arisen the question, whether these two conditions are precursors or precursor symptoms of each other. The possible relationship between them is increasingly drawing attention in all age groups. Comorbidity of BAD/ADHD affects the course of the disease negatively, shortens the periods of well-being, increases exposure to negative life events, and decreases quality of life. It also increases occurrence of anxiety disorder and alcoholism. Currently, studies aimed to understand the relation between these two diseases are inadequate. In this article, similaraties and differences of BAD and Adult ADHD are reviewed according to the findings in epidemiologic studies, familial studies and neuroimaging studies.


Given the competition, organizations are brought together with the need to adopt agile and efficient process management and decision making aggressive postures to improve performance and increase competitive advantages, which management tools are adopted to support managers in the decision process decision. In this context, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is seen as a tool for assessment of corporate performance that goes beyond the accounting and financial indicators and helps to improve the management and monitoring of the results of the organization as it focuses on strategic planning and performance. The present study aims to describe how environmental pressures technical and institutional character influenced the process of adopting the BSC in an organization of the electricity sector in southern Brazil. Methodologically this study is classified as descriptive, qualitative cross as to its temporal dimension, and its research strategy, the case study method. It was observed that the adoption of the BSC was in response to a troubled scenario in which the organization was inserted, which demonstrates the influence of the environment on the decisions of the organization alongside the fact that a 'management fad' has been observed in Brazil as the use of the BSC, explained by the fact that formal organizational structures develop before a highly institutionalized context.


The BRAFV600E mutation is frequently found in human cancers (∼ 8%), with the highest incidence in melanoma (60–70%). Small molecules targeting BRAFV600E or MEK have shown significant clinical activity in melanoma patients carrying the BRAFV600E mutation. However, rapid acquisition of drug resistance is an emerging problem that limits patient survival benefits from these agents. MEK inhibition abrogates the intrinsic negative feedback on both RAS/RAF/MEK and PI3K/AKT pathways leading to induction of MEK and AKT phosphorylation. Induction of MEK and AKT phosphorylation may confer resistance and limit the clinical activity of MEK inhibitors. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of crosstalk between the two pathways. In NIH3T3 cells, engineered expression of BRAFV600E activates the MEK/ERK pathway leading to a significant growth advantage compared to control cells both in vitro and in vivo. MEK inhibition in NIH3T3 control cells strongly induces AKT phosphorylation (Thr308 and Ser473) and downstream signalling, whereas in NIH3T3 cells expressing BRAFV600E the AKT phosphorylation is significantly reduced. Knockdown of BRAFV600E restores MEK inhibition-induced elevation of AKT phosphorylation (pAKT). In the melanoma cell line with wild-type BRAF, MEK inhibition also induces pAKT (Thr308 and Ser473), whereas in the melanoma cell lines harbouring BRAFV600E, MEK inhibition-induced pAKT is not seen. Knockdown of BRAFV600E in those melanoma cell lines significantly elevates basal pAKT levels. These results suggest that BRAFV600E negatively regulates AKT pathway activation. In BRAFV600E melanoma cell lines, knockdown of MEK1/2 or ERK1/2 and inhibition of BRAF by RAF inhibitor have minimal effects on pAKT, suggesting that BRAFV600E suppresses AKT activation independent of the MEK/ERK downstream signals and its kinase activity. Furthermore, the elevation of pAKT(Thr308 and Ser473) caused by BRAFV600E knockdown can be abolished by Rictor, but not Raptor, knockdown, suggesting that the pAKT induction is Rictor dependent. Lack of pAKT induction in cells carrying BRAFV600E is associated with co-purification of Rictor-mTOR and Raptor-mTOR complexes, which is rarely seen in cells with wild type BRAF. Taken together, our data demonstrate that in BRAFV600E melanoma cells, BRAFV600E negatively regulates AKT phosphorylation in a Rictor-dependent, MEK/ERK and kinase-independent manner, possibly via altering Rictor-mTOR complex formation. This study reveals a novel molecular mechanism of crosstalk between the RAF/MEK and the PI3K/AKT pathways, suggesting an underlying mechanism whereby a subset of BRAFV600E melanoma cells are exquisitely sensitive to MEK inhibition. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B130.


A mercury triple point apparatus has been developed which permits the observation of long freezes and melts with little intervention. We have developed a sealed glass cell containing 2,5 kg of mercury which was filled simply by pouring rather than by vaccum distillation. The cell is installed in a temperature-controlled bath of our own design. Melting plateaux of more than 24 hours duration are recorded with the bath setpoint approximately 3 °C higher than the mercury triple point temperature. Much longer plateaux are possible by setting the bath closer to the triple point temperature. The temperature of the triple point of mercury has been determined as 234,308 5 K on the IPTS-68 with a standard deviation of 0,1 mK based on measurements with five platinum resistance thermometers. The result is in excellent agreement with the values 234,308 3 K and 234,308 6 K as determined at the NIST (formerly the NBS, USA) by Furukawa and Bigge and at the NPL (UK) by Chattle and Butler, respectively. A platinum resistance thermometer tracks the hydrostatic gradient within the cell over a distance of 10 cm and is in agreement with the value of 7,1 mK per metre of liquid as given in the texts of the IPTS-68 and the ITS-90. The measurements yield a value of 234,315 9 K on the ITS-90 for the triple point of mercury cell investigated.


A method known in the general theory of nonlinear waves is extended to problems dealing with shock-loaded materials obeying elastic-plastic deformation kinetics. As a result a set of approximate independent nonlinear equations belonging to different families of longitudinal characteristics is obtained. It is shown that the interaction of these waves may be described implicitly by a heterogeneous shift of the phase variable in the solution constructed without regard for the interaction. The self-action structure of an incident wave reaching a free surface of a metal plate has been considered on the basis of the equations obtained. This effect is important for the correct interpretation of experimental data.


This paper presents the characteristics and trends of microplastic pollution in the estuarine ecosystem at Sungai Laloh, Pasir Putih. The sample collected were green mussels and sediment located at two different sampling point. A comparison of similar total weight was made for wild mussel and cultured mussel. The method involved the pre-treatment of green mussels and sediment sample, followed by digestion and analysis. In pre-treatment, the aquatic specimen and sediment undergo non-toxic density separation with the used of 1.2 kg/L sodium chloride (NaCl). The digestion was made by adding 35% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and incubated for 24 to 48 hours by using incubator shaker at of 50℃ and 80 rpm. Analysis was conducted by using stereomicroscope and Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR). In addition, SPSS statistical software was used to determine the significant difference between wild mussel and cultured mussel. Results show that microplastic fragment found abundant in mussel while microplastic fibers were found in sediment. The types of polymer microplastic found were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and nylon (all polyamides). In comparison based on percentage of abundance, cultured mussel was the most polluted with microplastic.


We consider misaligned accretion discs formed after tidal disruption events occurring when a star encounters a supermassive rotating black hole. We use the linear theory of warped accretion discs to find the disc shape when the stream produced by the disrupted star provides a source of mass and angular momentum that is misaligned with the black hole. The evolution of the surface density and aspect ratio is found from a one dimensional vertically averaged model.
We extend previous work which assumed a quasi-stationary disc to allow unrestricted dynamical propagation of disc tilt and twist through time dependent backgrounds. We consider a smaller value of the viscosity parameter, $\alpha =0.01,$ finding the dynamics varies significantly.
At early times the disc inclination is found to be nearly uniform at small radii where the aspect ratio is large. However, since torques arise from the Lense-Thirring effect and the stream there is non uniform precession. We propose a simple model for this requiring only the background surface density and aspect ratio.
At these times the $\alpha \sim 0.01$ disc exhibits a new feature. An inclined hot inner region joins an outer low inclination cool region via a thin transition front propagating outwards with a speed exceeding that of bending waves in the cool region. These waves accumulate where the propagation speeds match producing an inclination spike separating inner and outer discs. At late times a sequence of quasi-stationary configurations approximates disc shapes at small radii. We discuss observational implications of our results.


Mobile land slide detector based on sensor network for landslide detection. The whole system was validated by the issuance of a landslide warning in the month of July (last monsoon 3season), which facilitated pre-emptive action by the local government and community to prevent loss of human life. In this system rain sensor, soil moisture sensor, flex sensor, accelerometer sensor these sensors are used for detection of landslide.


Aim: To estimate the rate of C-section in patients undergoing TOLAC (trial of labour after cesarean section). Study design: Descriptive case series. Place and duration of study: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Ward, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad from 1st October 2020 to 1st April 2021. Methodology: One hundred and fifty-seven pregnant women with previous one caesarean section were included in the study. Basic demographics like age, gestational age, parity and weight were recorded. Results: The mean age was 28.09±5.37 years, mean gestational age was 37.79±2.36 weeks, mean weight 68.66±5.49 Kg, mean height 1.65±0.04 meters, mean BMI 25.11±2.77 Kg/m2 and mean estimated fetal weight was 2.95±0.55 kg. Caesarean section was observed in 84.1% patients. Conclusion: Unsuccessful TOLAC was higher in women admitted with history of previous caesarean section. Keywords: Caesarean section, Trial of labor after caesarean section, Unsuccessful


These proceedings are based on lectures given at the Helmholtz International Summer School Heavy Quark Physics at the Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Dubna, Russia, during August 2008. I review the current status of CP violation in B meson decays from the B factories. These results can be used, along with measurements of the sides of the Unitarity Triangle, to test the CKM mechanism. In addition I discuss experimental studies of B decays to final states with 'spin-one' particles.


Nowadays, the installation of pumps as turbines (PATs) in water supply systems (WSSs) is considered attractive because it is able to effectively combine the pressure regulation with the small-scale hydropower generation. One critical aspect concerns the behaviour of the PAT in the presence of solid particles in the flow which impinge against the inner surface of the device, producing a loss of material termed impact erosion. In this paper, the numerical assessment of PAT erosion is performed, by referring, as a case study, to an existing pressure control station in Southern Italy. The variable operative strategy (VOS) was applied to derive the frequency distribution of flow rates over the PAT operation, under the hypothesis of performing the hydraulic regulation of the hydropower plant. The commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Ansys Fluent was employed for simulating the liquid–solid flow inside the PAT and then coupled with an in-house code to estimate the erosion. The vulnerability of the PAT to wear was analysed by varying its flow rate, aiming at characterizing the decay of PAT components at a constant rotational speed. Finally, a detailed characterization of the PAT response to the particle impingement at its best efficiency point (BEP) was developed and discussed.


Abstract Reducing access to lethal means of self-harm is a cornerstone of suicide prevention, and temporary, voluntary gun storage outside the home is one recommended approach. With the goal of facilitating access to gun storage outside the home in Maryland, we developed an online map of gun shops and law enforcement agencies willing to offer temporary, voluntary gun storage on a case-by-case basis. This project was modelled off of prior work by the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition. As of July 2020, 32 gun shops and 3 law enforcement agencies agreed to be listed on our map. Others were hesitant to participate due to perceived legal and logistical barriers to temporary firearm storage. We demonstrate the feasibility of creating an online map that lists organisations offering temporary gun storage in Maryland. This brief report details our process, barriers encountered, and future considerations to improve access to offsite gun storage options.


The area of wireless networking is always shrouded by security loopholes where security in Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is still yet to be witnessed some full-fledge security incorporation. Majority of the corporate and institutional establishment uses WLAN as it is highly cost-effective and convenient to use. However, various sophisticated attacks like jamming attack, flooding attack, WPA-PSK Attack etc are still on the rise. With the availability of expensive network and security devices, such attacks are yet hard to be mitigated. The past decade has witnessed various formulations of security protocols which claims to address the breaches in IEEE 802.11 standards. This paper presents some of the effective security protocols right from evolution to existing scenario and discusses various pros-and-cons of security protocols in WLAN with respect to its countermeasure techniques on various attacks. The overall outcome of this review paper is that frequently used security protocols are not as robust and sufficient enough to mitigate the possible lethal threats in wireless LAN.


Understanding the catalytic mechanism of highly active two-dimensional electrocatalysts is crucial to their rational design. Herein, we reveal the element dependence of the reactivity of two-dimensional metal dichalcogenide sheets for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. We found that tin(IV) disulfide (SnS2) and molybdenum(IV) disulfide (MoS2) sheets exhibited Faradaic efficiencies of 63.3% and ∼0%, respectively, for formic acid. Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy and theoretical calculations were used to identify the catalytically active sites of SnS2 as terraces and edges. Owing to the effective utilization of the entire surface area, SnS2 can effectively accelerate catalytic reactions. This finding provides a direction for material research in two-dimensional electrocatalysts for energy-efficient chemical production from electrochemical CO2 reduction, as well as for other energy devices.


Smith (1998) examined the radiation from two simple filamentary current distributions: traveling-wave and uniform. The radiated or far-zone electric field was computed for an excitation that was a Gaussian pulse in time. Two interpretations for the origin of the radiation were presented, based on the far-field results. The present article continues this investigation; however, the emphasis is on an examination of the near field and the related transport of energy away from the current filament. We examine traveling-wave and standing-wave current distributions, because these distributions are frequently used to model practical antennas. Exact analytical expressions are presented for the electric and magnetic fields of the assumed, filamentary current distributions when the excitation is a general function of time. For the filamentary distributions, the current and charge are confined to a line (a line source). There is no radius associated with the filament. The expressions for the fields apply in both the near and far zones, and are used to determine the Poynting vector. For an excitation that is a Gaussian pulse in time, exact analytical expressions are obtained for the energy leaving the filament per unit time per unit length, the total energy leaving the filament per unit length, and the total energy radiated. Graphical results based on these expressions are used to study the energy transport from the filamentary current distributions. The results for the standing-wave current distribution are compared with those from an accurate analysis of a pulse-excited, cylindrical monopole antenna, performed using the FDTD method.


Our ageing population is the result of two demographic trends: decreasing fertility levels and higher life expectancy. As a corollary to these demographic trends, the working population is ageing and shrinking at the same time. This development will affect the performance of organizations in the next decades. As today"s economy and the performance of organizations is mainly based on knowledge, the ageing workforce will mainly affect the organizations ability to be knowledge productive. As current knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC) literature hardly addresses the issue of ageing, the aim of this paper is to explore this topic in order to formulate an agenda for further KM/IC research. Combining the temporary consequences of ageing (brain drain and talent gap) and the false assumptions about the capabilities of older workers (older workers contribute negatively to a firm"s performance), the current ageing of the working population reveals two main risks for organizations and management: underutilization of older employees, and loss of knowledge. Based on the exploration of these two risks in this paper, several issues are proposed for further research. These issues focus on the specific competences of the older knowledge worker, the implications for talent development programs, the benefits of inter-generational learning, and effectiveness of knowledge retention strategies. Today, the main fear is that large scale retirement will lead to a shortage of skills, talents, knowledge. Although acknowlegding the risks and threats of this brain drain, the current temporary ageing of our workforce might also contribute to a structural better valuation of the potential of the older knowledge worker and its specific contribution to the process of knowledge creation. In an ageing knowledge economy, increased understanding about the abilities and distinct qualities of older workers will provide opportunities for organizations to enhance knowledge productivity and thus gain competitiveness.


The objective of this endeavor is to investigate the influence of graphite particles addition to the Al/SiC composites manufactured by stir casting method. Al/SiC/Gr hybrid metal matrix composites are preferred replacement for single reinforced composites by virtue of strengthened mechanical and tribological properties. A layered SiC/Gr composite material is required in gas turbine combustor can. Al/SiC/Gr composites are required in bearings, and pistons due to selflubrication, low wear rate and less friction. The inclusion of both strong reinforcement like SiC and smooth reinforcement like graphite enhances hardness and wear resistance of aluminium composites. The reinforcement content of graphite was varied from 2.5 to 7.5 wt % in a step of 2.5 wt. The SiC was fixed at 5 wt. % for all the three specimens, and Al6061 was used as matrix base material. The microstructure and EDAX analyses were required for three samples of hybrid metal matrix composites. Vickers hardness and porosity decreases for Al/SiC/Gr hybrid composites when percentage of graphite content increases. A review of surface modification of Al/SiC/Gr was done to find the different materials used for coating hybrid composites.


Collaborative problem solving may be used by older couples to optimize cognitive functioning, with some suggestion that older couples exhibit greater collaborative expertise. The study explored age differences in 2 aspects of collaborative expertise: spouses' knowledge of their own and their spouse's cognitive abilities and the ability to fit task control to these cognitive abilities. The participants were 300 middle-aged and older couples who completed a hypothetical errand task. The interactions were coded for control asserted by husbands and wives. Fluid intelligence was assessed, and spouses rated their own and their spouse's cognitive abilities. The results revealed no age differences in couple expertise, either in the ability to predict their own and their spouse's cognitive abilities or in the ability to fit task control to abilities. However, gender differences were found. Women fit task control to their own and their spouse's cognitive abilities; men only fit task control to their spouse's cognitive abilities. For women only, the fit between control and abilities was associated with better performance. The results indicate no age differences in couple expertise but point to gender as a factor in optimal collaboration.


This paper explores the meaning of suffering from the spiritual perspective of Anthroposophy, which considers suffering as a powerful force in achieving the inner knowledge necessary for change and transformation. Representing the philosophy of recovery-oriented models, which emphasize healing through empowerment, self-help, and transformation, Anthroposophy can be used as an effective strategy in treating people whose suffering cannot be prevented. The relationships between suffering and inner knowledge, as well as different aspects of the meaning of suffering, are described. Finally, the relevance of this inquiry to occupational therapy philosophy and practice is discussed, and examples of clinical interventions are presented.


Fouling of marine organisms such as algae and barnacles on the boat hull is an enormous problem for the shipping industry. The negative consequences for the society are both economic and environmental. To prevent fouling in general, biocides are typically incorporated directly into the paint. Premature leakage of the biocides is a drawback which reduces the lifetime of the coating and pollutes the surrounding ecosystems. Microencapsulation is an efficient way of encapsulating active substances for controlling the release and thereby prolonging the antifouling properties of the coating. The microcapsules used in this work consist of an oil core and a hydrophobic polymer shell. The rate of release into the marine environment may be further tailored by modifying the microcapsules. Triggered release is achieved by rendering the microcapsule shell water sensitive. This may be accomplished by incorporating salt into the shell using imidazole coordination chemistry. On the other hand, extended release is achieved by improving the barrier properties of the microcapsule. This may be realized by providing the microcapsule with an additional shell, such as a highly charged polyelectrolyte multilayer or a lipid bilayer. The objective of this thesis is subsequently twofold: 1) To synthesize and characterize imidazole containing shell materials with a view to obtain triggered release. 2) To surface modify microcapsules with polyelectrolyte multilayers and lipid bilayers toward extended release. Imidazole containing polymers were synthesized using vinyl and maleimide radical polymerization, as well as grafting techniques comprising maleimide bond formation and epoxide ring opening. The imidazolecontaining polymeric materials, with and without the salts CuCl2 or ZnCl2, were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and vibrational spectroscopy. The coordination chemistry of the imidazole-metal ion complex was investigated using vibrational spectroscopy, EPR and ab initio calculations. The imidazole coordination to the transition metal ions Cu2+ and Zn2+ in polymeric materials generates cross-links. The interaction between the imidazole moiety and the transition metal ions is very strong and specific. As a consequence, the coordinating polymer is rendered insoluble in conventional solvents, excluding only strongly coordinating solvents. The specificity and strength of the imidazole-transition metal ion interaction may be used for a variety of applications. However, with respect to the microencapsulation route used in this project, the limited solubility of the coordinating polymer material is unfortunate. The use of strongly coordinating solvents during the microencapsulation results in aggregation and phase separation instead of microcapsule formation. iv Routes for synthesising highly charged microcapsules for further surface modification were investigated using three types of ionic dispersants; a weak polyacid, a small set of amphiphilic block copolymers and a hydrophobic anionic surfactant in combination with a polycation. The charged microcapsules were subsequently modified with polyelectrolyte multilayers using the Layer-by-Layer technique and with lipid bilayers using lipid vesicle spreading. The microcapsules and model systems thereof were characterized mainly using micro-electrophoresis, light microscopy, optical tensiometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The release behaviour in aqueous suspension of a hydrophobic model compound was investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The use of the ionic dispersants facilitated the formation of highly charged microcapsules and the subsequent polyelectrolyte multilayer assembly and lipid bilayer formation were also successful. In particular, the block copolymer based microcapsules displayed excellent properties with respect to high and stable surface charge, as well as long term colloidal stability through electrostatic and steric stabilization. The release of the hydrophobic model compound was considerably reduced after modification with polyelectrolyte multilayers. In addition, the type of dispersant had a significant impact on the release. The block copolymer based microcapsules with a higher charge density had a much lower release compared to the weak polyelectrolyte based microcapsules. The polyelectrolyte multilayer is an efficient barrier against hydrophobic molecules and the low permeability is clearly a result of the high charge density. The polyelectrolyte multilayer assembly is a versatile process and the permeability of the multilayer may therefore be tailored according to the need. As of yet, the effect of the lipid bilayers on the release has not been investigated but has a large potential since the permeability may be altered by the lipid composition. A microcapsule consisting of an oil core, a hydrophobic polymer shell, a polyelectrolyte multilayer and a lipid bilayer is a complex release system with large degrees of freedom for tailoring the release behaviour. Keywords; Microcapsule, imidazole, coordination chemistry, cross-linking, vibrational spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, polyelectrolyte multilayer, block copolymer, colloidal stability, controlled release


Purpose To examine profiles in patients with heart failure (HF) regarding their exercise motivation and self-efficacy. Patients & Methods The baseline data of patients with HF participating in the HF-Wii study were analysed. In total, 517 patients were divided into four groups based on their exercise motivation (exercise motivation index) and self-efficacy (exercise self-efficacy scale). To describe the differences in demographic and clinical variables between the groups, chi-square cross-tabulations and ANOVAs were conducted. Results The four groups were labelled as insecure avoiders (25%), laid-back strugglers (10%), conscientious self-doubters (42%) and determined achievers (22%). Patients' profiles differ according to their motivations and self-efficacy towards exercise. Most patients were conscientious self-doubters (high motivation and low self-efficacy), and these patients had more comorbidities and lower exercise capacity compared to the other groups, which could decrease their confidence in exercising. However, only half of the patients who were determined achievers (high motivation and high self-efficacy) reached the recommended amount of physical activity per week. This indicates that motivation and self-efficacy are crucial determinants, but more factors are important for becoming more physically active. Conclusion Understanding patients' motivations and self-efficacy are necessary in order to provide meaningful physical activity counselling and promotion.


Background There is indirect evidence that T cell responses can control the metastatic spread of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, an enrichment of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) has also been documented. Objective To evaluate whether CRC promotes Treg activity and how this influences anti-tumour immune responses and disease progression. Methods A longitudinal study of Treg activity on a cohort of patients was performed before and after tumour resection. Specific CD4+ T cell responses were also measured to the tumour associated antigens carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and 5T4. Results Tregs from 62 preoperative CRC patients expressed a highly significant increase in levels of Foxp3 compared to healthy age-matched controls (p=0.007), which returned to normal after surgery (p=0.0075). CD4+ T cell responses to one or both of the tumour associated antigens, CEA and 5T4, were observed in approximately two-thirds of patients and one third of these responses were suppressed by Tregs. Strikingly, in all patients with tumour recurrence at 12 months, significant preoperative suppression was observed of tumour-specific (p=0.003) but not control CD4+ T cell responses. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that the presence of CRC drives the activity of Tregs and accompanying suppression of CD4+ T cell responses to tumour-associated antigens. Suppression is associated with recurrence of tumour at 12 months, implying that Tregs contribute to disease progression. These findings offer a rationale for the manipulation of Tregs for therapeutic intervention.


Purpose: School closures in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a movement wave to hold classes online. Although, there had been some online classes for some courses, online teaching, and learning for students and school teachers have been an unprecedented experience; consequently, most teachers and students have a limited experience with it. This paper examines the Perception of Iranian Teachers on Distance Teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic Methodology: The research method was a descriptive survey. Data was collected through an online questionnaire with 5 questions, involving 214 participants from schools in Iran. Findings: The findings show it has been the first experience with online classes for most teachers and Creating content for online classes and low levels of teacher's pedagogical digital competence are of the most significant challenges for teachers. Conclusion: Along with these alternations, it has been felt the need for instructional strategies, technological readiness to implement online learning, and teacher training courses with regard to modern technologies, as well as changes in national curricula must be made to increase flexibility and technological readiness.


Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic multisystem disease commonly affecting the synovial joints. Involvement of middle ear ossicular chain in RA may lead to hearing loss. The effects of hearing loss are profound, with consequences in the social, functional, and psychological well-being of the persons affected. Both conductive and sensorineural types of hearing impairments have been found in these patients in various studies. This study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of hearing impairment in our patients. Methods: Pure tone and impedance audiograms were taken for 100 RA patients who came to the outpatient department. They were divided into three groups based on their disease activity (DAS28). The hearing thresholds were compared among these groups. Tympanographic features and acoustic reflexes were recorded. Disease duration was also taken into account for asessing the severity of hearing impairment. Results: Out of 100 patients, 52 patients had significant hearing impairment audiometrically, of which 44 had sensorineural, 1 conductive and 7 mixed impairments. No significant difference was found between the hearing thresholds and the disease activity but those with high disease activity had higher incidence of abnormal tympanograms (72.2%) and absence of acoustic reflex (55.5%). Prevalence of hearing impairment was found to be increased with increasing disease duration, with steep rise between 5 and 10 years of disease duration. Conclusions: Hearing impairment affects the quality of life adversely. Severity of hearing impairment is significantly associated with having a hearing-related handicap and with self-reported communication difficulties. Thus, hearing assessment if done routinely can improve the outcome in these patients.


The protein F-deficient cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were previously found to be more susceptible to osmotic shock than the sufficient cells (Gotoh et al., J. Bacteriol., in press). The protein F-deficient cells were observed by the thin-section method of electron microscopy to determine the effects of osmotic shock. The osmotic shock induced breakage of the protein F-deficient outer membrane, while it had no effect on the protein F-sufficient outer membrane. These results suggested that the cells lost their viability by the osmotic shock caused by fragility of the outer membrane.


Presents a sliding mode observer approach to fault detection and diagnosis for nonlinear systems with uncertainty having unknown bounds. The robustness properties of the observer ensure that no false alarms are registered due to uncertainties and disturbances in the system. The observer uses nonlinear gains that are smoothed versions of classical sliding mode gains and they are continuously updated to guarantee a globally stable observation error. A neural network is designed to capture the nonlinear characteristics of faults. Finally, simulation results have shown the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.


This thesis investigates how secondary school history teachers at the start of their teaching careers view the nature and purposes of their subject and how they think these views impact on their practice. Data were collected through in depth individual qualitative interviews with eleven teachers completing their initial training. These focused on: how these beginning teachers conceived of the nature of their discipline; the rationale they presented for the purposes of their subject in the school curriculum; the origins of their views on the nature and purposes of history; and how they are manifest in what and how they teach. In order to maintain coherence and to represent the richness and complexity of each teacher's own story these were written, analysed and presented as narrative accounts. A summary is given of each the accounts with three presented in full. The accounts show these beginning history teachers' views on the nature of history as reflecting the dominant discourse that characterises history as an academic subject, being
largely Constructionist and emphasising the objective analysis of historical evidence. The teachers' rationales for the purpose of history emphasised broader educational, social and moral purposes. More postmodern perspectives are apparent in the emphasis given to the
importance of historical interpretations. Family background, lived experiences, literature and the media are significant influences on the teachers' beliefs about the nature and purposes of history. These beliefs seem to impact on classroom practice and pupil learning in the subject. They influence teaching style, choice of learning activities and the areas of historical understanding emphasised, with, for example, views of the past as an uncontested body of knowledge leading to a pedagogy dominated by the transmission of substantive knowledge; and views which emphasise the more constructed nature of history leading to more pupil centred skills based approaches. Teachers' views on the nature and purpose of the subject are a significant influence on
their mediation of the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum for History has increasingly provided opportunities for interpretations more sympathetic to the postmodern orientation but research and inspection evidence suggest that these opportunities are often poorly realised in schools. One reason for this is proposed as history teachers' lack of engagement with postmodern perspectives on history. It is important for teachers to engage with such approaches as without further consideration of their implications history
teachers are unable to teach aspects of secondary History. Teachers also need to recognise and make explicit different orientations towards history in order to facilitate pupil learning, to engage pupils and to provide them with the skills necessary to be critical
consumers of the range of histories presented to them in society. The research has implications for history teaching, pupil learning and the initial training
and professional development of teachers. The case is made for further consideration being given to postmodern perspectives on the nature of history in initial and continuing teacher education in order to improve teaching and learning. The initial teacher education of history teachers needs to ensure that those on programmes have the syntactical knowledge necessary to develop effective teaching strategies and approaches, to enable pupil learning, and to develop their own subject knowledge and ability to reflect on their own practice and development. This research also emphasises the need for all those
involved in training to critically engage with subject orientations as where beginning teachers' beliefs conflict with the dominant discourse of history teaching this can lead to problematic experiences of teaching and of teacher training.


Electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) is a distinguished method to characterize Li-ion mobility in energy materials with extremely high spatial resolution. The exact origin of the cantilever deflection when the technique is applied on solid state electrolytes (SSEs) is currently discussed in the literature. Understanding local properties and influences on ion mobility in SSEs is of utmost importance to improve such materials for next generation batteries. Here, the exact signal formation process of ESM when applied on sodium super ionic conductor (NASICON)-type SSE containing Na- and Li-ions is investigated. Changes in the dielectric properties, which are linked to the local chemical composition, are found to be responsible for the observed contrast in the deflection of the cantilever instead of a physical volume change as a result of Vegard´s Law. The cantilever response is strongly reduced in areas of high sodium content which is attributed to a reduction of the tip-sample capacitance in comparison to areas with high lithium content. This is the first time a direct link between electrostatic forces in contact mode and local chemical information is demonstrated on SSEs. The results open up new possibilities in information gain since dielectric properties are sensitive to subtle changes in local chemical composition.


We introduce the optimizer CSOLNP, which is a C++ implementation of the R package RSOLNP (Ghalanos & Theussl, 2012, Rsolnp: General non-linear optimization using augmented Lagrange multiplier method. R package version, 1) alongside some improvements. CSOLNP solves non-linearly constrained optimization problems using a Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) algorithm. CSOLNP, NPSOL (a very popular implementation of SQP method in FORTRAN (Gill et al., 1986, User's guide for NPSOL (version 4.0): A Fortran package for nonlinear programming (No. SOL-86-2). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Systems Optimization Laboratory), and SLSQP (another SQP implementation available as part of the NLOPT collection (Johnson, 2014, The NLopt nonlinear-optimization package. Retrieved from http://ab-initio.mit.edu/nlopt)) are three optimizers available in OpenMx package. These optimizers are compared in terms of runtimes, final objective values, and memory consumption. A Monte Carlo analysis of the performance of the optimizers was performed on ordinal and continuous models with five variables and one or two factors. While the relative difference between the objective values is less than 0.5%, CSOLNP is in general faster than NPSOL and SLSQP for ordinal analysis. As for continuous data, none of the optimizers performs consistently faster than the others. In terms of memory usage, we used Valgrind's heap profiler tool, called Massif, on one-factor threshold models. CSOLNP and NPSOL consume the same amount of memory, while SLSQP uses 71 MB more memory than the other two optimizers.


Like a beacon guiding through the hazards of the nation's industrial development, the article by Morse et al elsewhere in this issue (p 739) indicates the benefits that can accrue when groups from government and industry use scientific methods to work on an environmental problem. It is indeed reassuring to know that not only can such cooperative efforts identify and quantitate a specific health problem, but that they may also lead to effective action diminishing the problem. Tons of lead, zinc, and cadmium discharged into the air from a smeltery near El Paso, Tex, and Juarez, Mexico, constituted the problem identified by El Paso health officials in December 1971. 1 In a major public health effort, workers from El Paso and from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) interviewed people in randomly selected households near the smeltery, took blood samples from their children, and obtained specimens of air, dust, and


Let X be a nonorientable Klein surface (KS in short), that is a compact nonorientable surface with a dianalytic structure defined on it. A Klein surface X is said to be q-hyperelliptic if and only if there exists an involution Φ on X (a dianalytic homeomorphism of order two) such that the quotient X/� Φ� has algebraic genus q. q-hyperelliptic nonorientable KSs without boundary (nonorientable Riemann surfaces) were characterized by means of non-Euclidean crystallographic groups. In this paper, using that characterization, we determine bounds for the order of the automorphism group of a nonorientable q-hyperelliptic Klein surface X such that X/� Φ� has no boundary and prove that the bounds are attained. Besides, we obtain the dimension of the Teichmuller space associated to this type of surfaces.


Experiments were performed to evaluate the role of the renal nerves in hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made hyperinsulinemic by insulin infusion via osmotic minipumps implanted subcutaneously (3.0 mU/kg per minute for 6 weeks). Rats with vehicle infusion served as controls. Bilateral renal denervation was performed either at the beginning of or 4 weeks after insulin infusion. The systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method twice a week. Food and water intake and urine flow were measured daily. The results showed that sustained insulin infusion significantly increased plasma insulin concentrations from 277.7+/-25.8 pmol/L to 609.9+/-22.2 and 696.7+/-23.0 pmol/L by the end of weeks 4 and 6, respectively (P<0.05). Systolic blood pressure was significantly increased from 135+/-3 to 157+/-3 and 159+/-2 mm Hg (P<0.05) at the corresponding time points. There was a significant increase in the plasma norepinephrine concentration after insulin infusion, whereas no significant changes in plasma triglyceride and glucose concentrations, water intake, urine flow, sodium excretion, sodium gain, and body weight gain were observed. Bilateral renal denervation depleted renal norepinephrine stores and prevented the development of hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension. After hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension had been fully established (from 134+/-2 to 157+/-2 mm Hg), bilateral renal denervation reversed the elevated systolic blood pressure to normotensive levels within 2 weeks. Transient denervated diuresis and natriuresis were observed. These results indicate that chronic hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension requires the presence of intact renal nerves in rats.


The mechanisms through which pristane or mineral oil can induce plasmacytomas in BALB/c or NZB mice are not fully understood, but involvement of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a growth factor for plasmacytomas and myelomas, has been strongly suggested. To clarify the role of IL-6 in plasmacytomagenesis, a human IL-6 cDNA was introduced into mouse germ lines under the transcriptional control of the murine major histocompatibility complex class I (H-2Ld) promoter. IL-6 transgenic mice of C57BL/6 origin developed a massive plasmacytosis but not plasmacytomas. However, introduction of BALB/c genetic background into IL-6 transgenic mice could generate monoclonal transplantable plasmacytomas with the chromosomal translocation t(12;15). These results provide firm evidence of the critical role of IL-6 in the plasmacytoma development.


The behaviour of a surface-micromachined electrostatic microrelay and the influence of the design parameters on the pull-in voltage and the contact force are analysed by means of finite-element method simulations. Three models have been used and compared - a fully three-dimensional coupled electromechanical numerical simulation using CoSolveEM, a two-dimensional coupled simulation, and a simplified semi-analytical model based on the parallel-plate capacitor approximation - and these have shown good conformity. As a new idea, an extension paddle attached to the contact bar is proposed and the positive influence on the pull-in voltage and the contact force is demonstrated.


After intravenous Candida albicans infection, rats received orinthyl amphotericin methyl ester, amphotericin B, or diluent intravenously. At doses of 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg, the drugs were equally effective in preventing deaths. However, at doses of 2.0 mg/kg, mortality after treatment with amphotericin B was greater than that after placebo, whereas orinthyl amphotericin methyl ester was fully protective.


In Malaysia, sweetpotato has a good potential to be an important crop but currently it is not fully utilized. The leafy tops are sold in the market as vegetable, but the varieties sold are varied especially in eating quality. The
objectives of this study were to evaluate the genetic diversity of leaf characters and yield components of selected twenty-two out of hundred fifty sweetpotato genotypes available in Malaysian Agriculture Research
Development Institute (MARDI)'s sweetpotato germplasm collected from throughout Malaysia and other countries, subsequently to identify potential genotypes grown across different types of agro-ecology for vegetable use. In
the first experiment, twenty sweetpotato genotypes were selected from MARDI's germplasm collection and another 2 genotypes obtained from wet market, Serdang, Selangor, and were evaluated in MARDI Research Station, Serdang. The genotypes were planted with three replications on three-bed
plots using randomized complete block design. The planting distance was 50 cm between bed and 25 cm within planting rows, and 20 of 30 cm shoot cuttings were used as planting materials. Results showed, morphological, yield and yield component traits were highly variable. Heritability estimates accounted for more than 80% in all traits except latex, hairiness, mature leaf size (cm) and leaf number per 10 cm shoot. In most traits a large portion of the phenotypic variance was accounted for by the genetic component. MIB12 recorded high total shoot yield (kg bed-1) followed by MIB05. Meanwhile, MIB17 had the largest leaf area (cm2), while MIB09 with the smallest. For the
overall consumer acceptability score in organoleptic test, MIB05 was chosen as highly preferred genotype followed by MIB14, MIB13 and MIB15.
In the second experiment, six selected genotypes from the first experiment namely, MIB05, MIB12, MIB13, MIB14, MIB15 and MIB20 were evaluated infour locations over two planting seasons. The six genotypes were selected based on shoot yield, low latex exudation, root yield and organoleptic
characters. The trials were conducted at four locations, namely Serdang, Selangor (mineral soils), Telong, Kelantan (bris soils), Kundang, Selangor (tin-tailing soils) and Pontian, Johor (peat soils) with four replications using
randomized complete block design in each agro-ecology. MIB05 had high total shoot yield in all agro-ecologies except in Pontian. Although MIB05 produced high shoot yield it had low or no root yields. The genotype stability
 analysis indicates that MIB15 was either stable or highly stable in all agroecologies in most characters using genotype-grouping techniques, nonparametric (S3i) and superiority measure (Pi) statistics. In this study, leaf area (cm2), petiole length (cm) and 30-shoots weight (kg) exhibited genotypic coeffient variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient variation (PCV) more than 20% and heritability more than 40% at all agro-ecologies suggesting
that these characters would be very useful as a base for selection in sweetpotato breeding programs. Finally this study suggests that MIB15 is highly recommended for leafy vegetable and root production across agroecologies.
Meanwhile MIB05 is recommended for shoot yield production
especially for planting on bris soils.


A fifty-nine year old gentleman underwent a right total hip replacement in another hospital for protrusio osteoarthritis of the right hip. Post-operatively he developed a large right-sided ilio-femoral deep venous thrombosis. A pelvic radiograph showed that the acetabular construct had migrated medially into the pelvis with a CT scan showing compression of the external iliac vessels by one of the acetabular screws. Revision surgery was carried out in collaboration with the vascular surgeons. This case report highlights the importance of pre-operative planning to avoid medial wall perforation in patients with protrusio osteoarthritis. It also illustrates an unusual complication of compression of the external iliac vessels causing massive ilio-femoral thrombosis. The management of this potentially limb threatening complication is described in this case report.


Methods are presented for an analysis of zones and sublattices of integral lattices, whose relevance is revealed by sharp peaks in the frequency distribution of hexagonal and tetragonal lattices, as a function of the axial ratio c/a. Starting from a few examples, zone symmetries, lattice-sublattice relations and integral scaling transformations are derived for hexagonal lattices with axial ratios radical3/2, radical3, radical2 and 1 (the isometric case) and for the related radical3 and radical2 tetragonal lattices. Sublattices and zones connected by linear rational transformations lead to rational equivalence classes of integral lattices. For properties like the axial ratio and the point-group symmetry (lattice holohedry), rational equivalence can be extended so that also metric tensors differing by an integral factor become equivalent. These two types of equivalence classes are determined for the lattices mentioned above.


We fabricated and tested two types of microstructures for the mechanical attachment of chips to soft surfaces. The microstructures are barbed spikes etched in silicon using DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching). The mechanical attachment of two types of barbed spike arrays was measured on nonbiological materials (Polyethylene foil, Aluminium foil and Parafilm/sup TM/) as well as on human skin. The maximum adhesion force was 1,36 N achieved by a 2/spl times/2 mm/sup 2/ chip containing 64 barbed spikes pressed in Polyethylene foil. Maximum adhesion in skin was 0,54 N. The shape of the two different barb types has significant influence on the detachment forces for nonbiological materials.


OBJECTIVE
To gain insight into patient awareness of symptoms associated with a TIA or stroke and the speed at which medical help is sought.

DESIGN
Observational study.

METHODS
The study was conducted with patients admitted to our Stroke Care Unit after having experienced a TIA or stroke. A questionnaire was used to collect information on external factors such as the initial reaction of the patient, the presence of a bystander and knowledge about stroke. This questionnaire consisted of 18 closed questions and 2 open questions.

RESULTS
We included 105 patients who had experienced a TIA or an ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Mean age was 71.6 years. Overall, 54% of these patients had undertaken no action within an hour of their first symptoms. The main reasons for this were a lack of insight into the symptoms associated with stroke or the expectation that the symptoms would disappear (73%). It appeared that 35% of these patients were not able to name one or more symptoms associated with a stroke.

CONCLUSION
Patient knowledge of stroke and the awareness of the importance of urgent medical help are insufficient. These are important factors causing delay in rapid treatment with thrombolytics. National research is needed to explore whether our results are comparable to those in other regions of the Netherlands.


Abstract The paper examines the meaning of ethnic memory as it finds expression in the life stories and identity formation of three young Swedish women of immigrant background. Their identity is formed within afield of tension between what is and what has been. Using the examples of different metaphors attached to the symbolic space of tradition, they seek to link time and space and thus fragments of migrants' splintered life. In relating the past to the present and its antagonisms to those of the present, all three girls demonstrate an ability to re‐interpret and to translate tradition into present experience. This, the author maintains, can be understood as a creative capacity out of which a new kind qf self‐orientation is born, and a new sense of home and belonging, come into being. In this way 'modern ethnic consciousness ' takes form as a reflexive linkages across space and time. A new order is created out of the disorder of dissolved continuity.


Background: One of the biggest challenges for policy makers in the health sector in both developed and developing countries is attracting health workers to rural areas. Globally, approximately one-half of the population lives in rural areas, but these areas are served by only 38 percent of the total nursing workforce and by less 25 percent of the total physician workforce. This lack of qualified health workers in rural areas is a significant barrier to service delivery, impeding access to health care services for a significant proportion of the population. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such shortages slow progress toward reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and challenge the aspirations of achieving health for all. Recent literature suggests that the intrinsic motivation of health professionals plays an important role in their decisions to work in rural areas of LMICs. Objective: The study aims to investigate the effects of intrinsic motivational factors on health professionals' choice of job positions. More specifically, it examines health professionals' preferences for work conditions in the 'difficult' regions of Senegal, linking choices to 'enjoyment' and positive 'self-norms' (e.g., altruism, professionalism) and how these factors influence health professionals' choice to stay in remote job posts. Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to assess the preferences of paramedics (nurses and midwifes) for working in "difficult" areas of Senegal. While DCEs have been applied to address issues associated with the recruitment and retention of health workers in LMICs, to our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the role of intrinsic motivations in professional decisions. 247 respondents were recruited via quota sampling and the DCE questionnaire was administered face-to-face by trained interviewers. Each respondent answered 16 pairwise tasks: Which job do you prefer (job A vs. job B). Attributes for the job options included: (1) period of rural job assignment; (2) provision of a rural job allowance; (3) availability of basic equipment in health facilities; (4) provision of accommodation; (5) provision of further training opportunities; (6) type of contract; and (7) provision of professional and managerial support. In addition to the choice tasks, the questionnaire included 13 attitudinal questions (4-points rating scale) to capture the motivation of paramedics when they selected a job post. Exploratory factorial analysis was used to divide eight questions into two types of intrinsic motivation, namely "enjoyment" and "self-norms". Using a hybrid choice multinomial logit model, we modelled the impact of these qualitative constructs related to intrinsic motivation on preferences for job-related features. Analysis was conducted at the aggregate level, then for nurses and midwifes separately. Results: Sample level results were in line with a priori assumptions. In general, paramedics (nurses and midwives) preferred a shorter stay in rural areas; they valued rural allowances, availability of adequate equipment, provision of accommodation, opportunities for training, and managerial support. Intrinsic motivation was a predictor of preferences. Those with stronger intrinsic motivation, both in terms of enjoyment and positive self-norms, were less concerned about the period of assignment to jobs in 'difficult' regions. In particular, those who enjoy rural life are willing to stay longer in posts in difficult regions. The result indicates that intrinsic motivation positively influences health professionals' decisions to stay in remote job posts. However, 'self-norms' and 'enjoyment' affect preferences differently. Those with more positive 'self-norms,' as expressed through altruism and professionalism, place less value on the provision of material incentives and a lower value on the provision of a rural allowance and accommodation. Those who 'enjoy' their assignment to a remote area more strongly value factors that make it easier for them to work at the post, including the availability of basic equipment in health facilities and the provision of opportunities to improve skills through training. Health workers who showed a high level of intrinsic motivation in terms of both positive 'self norms' and 'enjoyment' placed a higher value on the provision of a permanent contract than their counterparts with lower intrinsic motivation, which may indicate that security in employment is important for health professionals working in remote areas. Discussion: This study provides important insights that can feed into rural job retention policies in LMICs. Currently, many LMICs focus on providing economic incentives to improve the retention of rural health professionals. Less attention is given to improving aspects of the work environment that could enhance intrinsic satisfaction. Our results indicate that rural retention policy should enable the creation of a work environment that fosters and develops professionalism and appreciation of rural life and/or work in health professionals. Further investigation of the interaction between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives, and crowding out effects between the two, is required to help policy makers identify the best mix of rural retention reform options. In addition, factors that foster the appreciation of rural life and/ or work by health professionals should be investigated, including the effects of managerial support and improving physical work conditions, as suggested in our study.


The Asian Studies Parade reflects a lifetime of commitment to the field by Paul van der Velde, a leading Asian studies innovator, scholar, and publisher. The first chapters examine aspects of the Dutch colonial presence in Asia and its intellectual support system in the Netherlands. The author's engagement with historical biography emerges in studies of such contrasting figures as Japanese interpreter Imamura Gen'emon Eisei, pioneering anthropologist P.J. Veth, and anti-colonialist Jacob Haafner. Van der Velde then continues to describe the development of Asia-Europe links at the end of the 20th century and the emergence of the 'New Asia Scholar' in the 21st century. This unique work will interest anyone concerned with wider issues in Asian studies.


OBJECTIVE
Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) plays a critical role in B cell development and function. We recently described a selective BTK inhibitor, RN486, that blocks B cell receptor (BCR) and Fcγ receptor signaling and is efficacious in animal models of arthritis. The aim of this study was to examine the potential efficacy of BTK in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), using an NZB × NZW mouse model of spontaneous SLE.

METHODS
Mice received RN486 or its vehicle (administered in chow) at a final concentration of 30 mg/kg for 8 weeks, starting at 32 weeks of age.

RESULTS
The administration of RN486 completely stopped disease progression, as determined by histologic and functional analyses of glomerular nephritis. The efficacy was associated with striking inhibition of B cell activation, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in CD69 expression in response to BCR crosslinking. RN486 markedly reduced the secretion of IgG anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) secretion, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent and enzyme-linked immunospot assays. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated depletion of CD138(high) B220(low) plasma cells in the spleen. RN486 inhibited secretion of IgG anti-dsDNA but not IgM anti-dsDNA, suggesting that pharmacologic blockade of BTK resembles the reported transgenic expression of low levels of endogenous BTK in B cells. In addition, RN486 may also impact the effector function of autoantibodies, as evidenced by a significant reduction in immune complex-mediated activation of human monocytes in vitro and down-regulation of the expression of macrophage-related and interferon-inducible genes in both the kidneys and spleens of treated mice.

CONCLUSION
Collectively, our data suggest that BTK inhibitors may simultaneously target autoantibody-producing and effector cells in SLE, thus constituting a promising therapeutic alternative for this disease.


A widely used tool in law and development programmes is the supply of well-designed laws from the outside. This method of law development has now been embraced by international organizations as a way to improve the legal framework for global markets. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has endorsed attempts by various organizations to develop legal standards with special emphasis on corporate and financial institution laws. The common idea behind these attempts is that the supplied laws once incorporated into domestic legal systems will improve the existing legal framework, and thus further economic development. This paper takes issue with this concept of law development. It argues that for developing effective legal systems, the contents of the supplied laws is of only secondary importance to the process of law development and the compatibility of the new laws with pre-existing conditions, including existing legislation and legal institutions. Three factors account for this: (i) only a few rules are freestanding, i.e. can be fully understood and enforced without reference to other legal terms and concepts; (ii) law is a cognitive institution, and the application and enforcement of rules is determined by the perception of new rules by users and enforcers in the receiving country; and (iii) effective law enforcement is a function of the extent of voluntary compliance and available resources in a given country. A closer analysis of the rules whose standardization is currently proposed for building an international financial architecture shows that the implementation of these standards and their effectuation will require more efforts by the law receiving countries than underwriting them, if the goals of standardizing the law are to be achieved. The paper discusses the implications for countries wishing to attract foreign investments by adopting the new standards, and makes some proposals for creating more effective legal systems in the area of financial law.


Steroidogenesis in granulosa cells can be stimulated by gonadotropic hormones and substances elevating cAMP. This cAMP-dependent metabolic event can be enhanced by peptide growth factors such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and epidermal growth factor, but the mechanism of cooperation between these two different signaling pathways is not yet clear. We have tested whether enhancement of tyrosine phosphorylation by vanadate, which blocks tyrosine phosphatases, is able to mimic the effect of growth factors on cAMP-induced steroidogenesis and investigated the cellular components involved in such modulation. Ortho- and metavanadate at 0.1-1.0 mM, when added to primary granulosa cell cultures, stimulated by gonadotropic hormones or forskolin, enhanced progesterone production by 1.5- to 9.0-fold within 120 min. Pervanadate showed a similar effect on steroidogenesis at a concentration one order of magnitude lower than ortho- or meta-vanadate. Phenylarsine-oxide, another blocker of tyrosine phosphatase, stimulated forskolin-induced steroidogenesis by 2.5-fold at 30 microM. In contrast, okadaic acid and calyculin A, which block specifically serine and threonine phosphatase, had no effect on steroidogenesis, when used at concentrations of 1 microM and 10 nM, respectively. The stimulation by vanadate was associated with a pronounced change in cell shape and total collapse of the actin network, which retracts to form a few large actin aggregates of 1-7 microns in diameter in the perinuclear region as revealed by visualization of actin by rhodamine-phalloidin staining under the fluorescent microscope. Steroidogenesis is not affected in cells treated with vanadate alone; the effect of vanadate on the actin cytoskeleton is much less pronounced. Electron microscopy of ultra-thin sections showed massive breakdown of thin filament cables in cells stimulated with vanadate together with gonadotropic hormone or forskolin. Massive clustering of lipid droplets and mitochondria as well as sharp increase in the electron-density of mitochondrial matrix was also observed in the stimulated cells. The action of vanadate in cAMP-stimulated cells leads to massive tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins in the range of 22-200 kilodaltons. It is suggested that the cross-talk between the cAMP pathway and tyrosine phosphorylation, which leads to enhanced steroidogenesis may be mediated by phosphorylation of cytoskeleton or associated proteins. The marked changes in lipid droplet-mitochondria interaction suggests that this enhanced steroidogenesis is due in part to mobilization of cholesterol into mitochondria in cells costimulated with vanadate and gonadotropins.


Nystagmus is a common clinically-observed oculomotor abnormality involving both sensory and motor systems. Over the past several years, methods have been devised to aid in control and treatment of nystagmus, but none have had wide appeal. After-image training, which allows the patient to use visual feedback to monitor changes in eye position and velocity directly and thereby improve fixation ability, has met with moderate success. Orthoptic therapy has improved visual function in some cases. The technique of instructing patients to "hold the eye steady" rather than to "fixate accurately" while looking at a target has resulted in reduced nystagmus in some patients. Abadi et al. [1980] reported reduction of nystagmus and improvement of contrast sensitivity in three patients after 6 months of home auditory oculomotor biofeedback training. In the present paper, I will review the results of some of our group investigations, as well as individual case studies.


The term Clifford group was introduced in 1998 by D. Gottesmann in his investigation of quantum error-correcting codes. The simplest Clifford group in multiqubit quantum computation is generated by a restricted set of unitary Clifford gates - the Hadamard, π/4-phase and controlled-X gates. Because of this restriction the Clifford model of quantum computation can be efficiently simulated on a classical computer (the Gottesmann-Knill theorem). However, this fact does not diminish the importance of the Clifford model, since it may serve as a suitable starting point for a full-fledged quantum computation. In the general case of a single or composite quantum system with finite-dimensional Hilbert space the finite Weyl-Heisenberg group of unitary operators defines the quantum kinematics and the states of the quantum register. Then the corresponding Clifford group is defined as the group of unitary operators leaving the Weyl-Heisenberg group invariant. The aim of this contribution is to show that our comprehensive results on symmetries of the Pauli gradings of quantum operator algebras - covering any single as well as composite finite quantum systems - directly correspond to Clifford groups defined as quotients with respect to U(1).


The iSchool movement is not merely a reaction of the information science community to the criticism that there is a mismatch between LIS education and needs of the information job market but also represents the growing recognition that there is a need to elevate the status of the discipline in the higher education system to a level on par with other professions/disciplines. This paper attempts to construct the domain of interest to the iSchools by profiling the ongoing and recent research in the iSchools. The profiling is carried out by examining the publications emanating from six iSchools. The findings suggest that there is as yet no clear construct of what constitutes the domain of interest of iSchools. The research profiles of these iSchools also appear to differ significantly. The study also suggests the emergence of certain new information specialities.


No masks were worn in one operating theatre for 6 months. There was no increase in the incidence of wound infection.


In Reply. —As noted in our article, 1 my colleagues and I agree with Dr Sampson that triplicate prescription blanks for benzodiazepines create important practical impediments to appropriate prescribing. Control mechanisms always have positive and negative aspects. Perhaps the self-regulation imposed by the multicopy prescription programs will lead to more thoughtful prescribing and better patient outcomes. The programs may also lead to the prescribing of less effective, more toxic, but uncontrolled alternatives, as our study indicated. Even worse, regulations may lead to failure to prescribe indicated therapy. I do not believe that a complete assessment of the benefit-to-detriment relationship of the triplicate prescription program for benzodiazepines has yet been carried out. Several states have instituted programs in which pharmacists computerize information on the patient receiving and the physician prescribing certain medications. While perhaps avoiding some of the practical problems noted by Sampson, such a system still intrudes on the patient-physician


The body wall of A. lactifloreus has the following structure from the outside inwards. (i) A basement membrane of five to six layers immediately underlying the epithelium. Each layer consists of right-hand and left-hand geodesic fibres making a lattice, whose constituent parallelograms have a side length of from 5 to 6µ. The fibres are attached to one another where they cross; so there can be no slipping relative to one another. (ii) A layer of circular muscle-fibres running round the animal containing two systems of argyrophil fibres--one of fibres at intervals of 10µ. running parallel to the muscle-fibres and the other of fibres running radially through the layer from the basement membrane to the myoseptum. (iii) A myoseptum which is identical in structure with a single layer of the basement membrane (iv) A layer of longitudinal muscle, whose fibres are arranged in layers on each side of a series of longitudinal radial membranes. Membranes identical in structure with the basement membrane invest the nerve cords, the gut, the gonads, and the proboscis. The interrelations of argyrophil and muscle-fibres in the muscle layers is described and their functioning discussed. The system of inextensible geodesic fibres is analysed from a functional standpoint. The maximum volume enclosed by a cylindrical element (cross-section circular), of such a length that the geodesic makes one complete turn round it, varies with the value of the angle θ between the fibres and the longitudinal axis. When θ is 0° the volume is zero; it increases to a maximum when θ is 54° 449 and decreases again to zero when θ is 90°. The length of the element under these conditions varies from zero when θ is 90° to a maximum (the length of one turn of the geodesic) when θ is 0°. The body-volume of the worm is constant. Thus it has a maximum and minimum length when its cross-section is circular, and at any length between these values its cross-section becomes more or less elliptical. It is maximally elliptical when θ is 54° 449, i.e. when the volume the system could contain, at circular cross-section, is maximal. From measurements of the ratio of major to minor axes of this maximally elliptical cross-section, the maximum and minimum lengths of the worm relative to the relaxed length and values of θ at maximum and minimum length are calculated. The worm is actually unable to contract till its cross-section is circular; but measurements of its cross-sectional shape at the minimum length it can attain, permit calculation of the theoretical length and value of θ for this cross-sectional shape. Calculated values of length and the angle 6 agree well with the directly observed values.


The development of energy internet facilitates the precious intelligent control of EV smart charging network, and therefore bringing economic benefits to the power grid and the customers. The strategies for integrating network of charging service into the energy internet and the construction strategy of EV smart charging network are proposed. The technologies and hardware is presented to form the construction principles in typical charging scenarios. And then the business model is established on the condition of technology development and existing hardware platform, aiming to improve promote the smart energy utilization and the application of energy internet.


Abstract:  The AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Direct PCR Amplification Kit is a new short tandem repeat multiplex assay optimized to allow the direct amplification of single‐source blood and buccal samples on FTA® card without the need for sample purification and quantification. This multiplex assay has been validated according to the FBI/National Standards and SWGDAM guidelines. Validation results revealed that slight variations in primer concentration, master mix component concentration, and thermal cycling parameters did not affect the performance of the chemistry. The assay's sensitivity was demonstrated by amplifying known amounts of white blood cells spotted onto FTA® cards, and the assay's specificity was verified by establishing minimal cross‐reactivity with nonhuman DNA. No effect on the age of the sample stored on the FTA® substrate was observed and full concordance was established in the population study. These findings of the validation study support the use of the Identifiler® Direct Kit for forensic standards and database samples genotyping.


Chemotherapy deals with various types of therapeutic techniques such as antimicrobial chemotherapies, gynecological cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, tumorigenesis, chemo resistance, radiotherapy, electro chemotherapy used to treat several dreadful diseases. Imatinib and Nilotinib resistant gene identified in the chronic myeloid leukemia patient. Authors H Cheng et al. found a new mutation N796S in the BCR (exon 10) domain with T315I and F359V mutations, it was evaluated by the next generation exon sequencing technique. The change imposed by mutations was evaluated by measurement of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular responses. Many studies exerted to explore the function of this new mutation N796S, is unknown and hence study suggests further to be explored in TKIs resistance [1].


Electrical treeing is regarded as the major factor that results in electrical damage of polymer insulation and thus shortens the lifetime and compromises the reliability of electrical power systems and power electronics. In bulk thermoset polymers, which are widely used as electrical insulation, self-healing of the electrical damage caused by treeing has rarely been reported. In this work, self-healing of electrical damage in a thermoset polymer, i.e., epoxy, is achieved through an anionic polymerization-based microcapsule approach. The epoxy matrix is modified with 2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole that initiates anionic polymerization of the healing agents and thereby repairs the electrical tree channels. The anionic polymerization is designed to be favoured in a moderate temperature range that matches with the working condition of many polymer insulation materials in electrical power systems, eliminating the need of additional stimuli that are usually required to trigger the healing reaction. It is substantialized that the electrical tree channels in the self-healing epoxy are re-built once they encounter and rupture the microcapsules, and the dielectric properties are completely recovered. This design of a self-healing material offers new possibilities for smart dielectrics that are needed in future electrical power systems and power electronics with a longer service lifetime and improved reliability.


Electron-accepting solution-processable conjugated polymers consisting of perylene diimide moieties alternating with dithienothiophene, oligo(dithienothiophene), or N-dodecyl dithienopyrrole units have been synthesized. All these polymers possess excellent thermal stability with decomposition temperatures over 400 °C. The glass-transition temperatures vary from 155 to 263 °C. These polymers show broad absorption extending from 250 to 900 nm with electrochemical and optical bandgaps as low as 1.4 eV; the maximum absorbance increases and the bandgap decreases with increasing the conjugation length of oligo(dithienothiophene), while the bandgap can also be decreased by the replacement of dithienothiophene by dithienopyrrole. The electrochemical onset reduction potentials range from −0.8 to −1.0 V vs. ferrocenium/ferrocene, suggesting that the electron affinities are essentially unaffected by the specific choice of donor moiety, while the onset oxidation potentials (+0.6 to +1.0 V) are a little more sensitive to the choice of donor. The mono dithienothiophene and the dithienopyrrole polymers were found to exhibit electron mobilities as high as 1.3 × 10−2 and 1.2 × 10−3 cm2V−1s−1, respectively, in top-contact organic field-effect transistors. Power conversion efficiencies in the range 0.77–1.1% were obtained under simulated AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2 irradiation for all-polymer solar cells using the dithienothiophene-based polymers as acceptors in a 1 : 1 ratio with a polythiophene derivative as a donor. The device performance varies with the conjugation length of oligo(dithienothiophene) in the polymer acceptors, and for the best-performing material it can be further optimized to give a power conversion efficiency of 1.5% by increasing the donor/acceptor weight ratio to 3 : 1.


Subpial haemorrhage is a rare cause of seizures in term neonates. A 3-day-old male infant, born at term with no history of perinatal hypoxia, presented with seizures and unremarkable physical examination in the interictal state. Imaging demonstrated left temporal subpial haemorrhage with the classic 'yin-yang sign' on MRI. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with factor XIII deficiency. Follow-up at 6 months and 12 months revealed encephalomalacia in the previous haemorrhagic areas with normal developmental milestones.


A novel temperature gradient laboratory-scale corrosion test method was used to study PbCl2 migration, interactions with SiO2, NaCl, Na2SO4, KCl, K2SO4, or NaCl–KCl (50:50 wt %) and corrosion of carbon steel in waste-fired boilers. Two different steel temperatures (200 and 400 °C) were tested. The temperature in the furnace above the deposits was 700–800 °C. Exposure times of 4 and 24 h were used. The deposit cross sections were analyzed using SEM/EDXA. The results show that PbCl2 vaporized and condensed in the adjacent deposits. PbCl2 did not interact with SiO2 but caused severe corrosion. Deposits containing Na2SO4, K2SO4, and/or KCl reacted with the PbCl2, forming various new compounds (Na3Pb2(SO4)3Cl, K3Pb2(SO4)3Cl, and/or K2PbCl4). In addition, melt formation was observed with all alkali salt deposits. Visibly more Pb was found in deposits where reactions between PbCl2 and alkali salts were possible, i.e., Pb was observed to be bound to the reaction products. No measurable corrosion was observed with steel temperature at 200 °C, while steel temperature of 400 °C resulted in catastrophic corrosion. PbCl2 in contact with the steel surface lead to faster corrosion than K2PbCl4.


The continuous solutions for BVP of third order nonlinear differential equations appears in [1] mathematical model of the melt spinning process. The existence theorem is proved for such BVP. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


The research and theory described here evolved from fine-grained descriptions of early word learning based on videotapes of infants and their families in the US and Mexico. This naturalistic approach led to theorizing about the perceptual processes underlying the caregiver's role in assisting infants' early word learning. Caregivers educate infants' attention by synchronizing the saying of a word with a dynamic gesture, a show, in which they display the object/referent to the infant. By making this perceptual information prominent, infants can detect an amodal invariant across gesture and speech. Doing so brackets the word and object within the auditory and visual flow of events and constitutes the basis for perceiving them as belonging together. Stemming from the earlier naturalistic work, we designed eye-tracking experiments to test three hypotheses: 1) infants will attend more to an object when the referring word is said if the speaker uses a dynamic, synchronized show gesture, rather than a static or asynchronous gesture; 2) a show gesture will be most effective in drawing attention away from the mouth to the object when the referring word is spoken; and 3) the use of a show gesture will lead to enhanced word learning. These experiments confirmed our hypotheses, establishing that infants detected referent-word relations best when the speaker used a show gesture. These results support the SEED Framework of early language development which delineates how the situated, culturally embodied, emergent, and distributed character of caregiver-infant interaction nurtures communicative behavior. The ability to communicate germinates and takes root during social interaction, as the dynamically-coupled perceiving-and-acting of infants and caregivers forms a continuous loop, each of them unceasingly affecting the other. These findings have implications for the design of cognitive systems in autonomous robots, especially "tutor spotting" and detecting "acoustic packages."


Objectives The volumetric evaluation and correlations of the right ventricle (RV) with real time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) in a large cohort of patients have not been previously described. Methods This retrospective study comprised a review of 806 consecutive RT3DE examinations with quantitative evaluation of both the left and right ventricle. Examinations were excluded from analysis if there was disese or surgery that would directly affect the size of the RV (eg, intracardiac shunt, significant tricuspid or pulmonic regurgitation, etc) as well as poor ultrasound image quality, leaving a total of 701 studied for analysis. RV volumetric quantification was performed for all data using dedicated software. Results Linear regression analysis showed that left ventricular stroke volume index (LVSVI) significantly correlated with RV end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI)(r=0.78, p<0.0001). Overall, 4% (28 of 701) of the patients had RVEDVI lower than 50 ml/m2, 12% (84 of 701) of the patients had RVEDVI greater than 100 ml/m2, and the rest of the patients were within 50 to 100 ml/m2. Intraobserver and interobserver variability study demonstrated RV volumetric parameters were highly reproducible. Conclusions RT3DE is an accurate and robust technique for quantifying RV volume. In patients without known primary RV pathology, RV volume strongly correlated with left ventricular stroke volume.


Anatomical and electrophysiological studies have revealed a widespread innervation of the brain by arginine vasopressin (AVP)-containing fibers. There is evidence that these central AVP pathways may be activated simultaneously with endocrine pathways. Stimulation of hypothalamic nuclei that contain AVP cell bodies causes changes in electrical activity of neurons in areas receiving AVP projections; in these same regions, release of immunoreactive AVP can be detected in response to appropriate stimuli or hypothalamic stimulation. These parts of the brain have also been shown to contain AVP receptors, and application of AVP to cells in these areas alters spontaneous activity or modifies the responses to other transmitters. AVP appears to act as a neurotransmitter involved in the central control of the cardiovascular, renal, and thermoregulatory systems. AVP may act centrally to coordinate autonomic and endocrine responses to homeostatic perturbations.


Based on the multi-linear variable separation approach, a class of exact, doubly periodic wave solutions for the (3+1)-dimensional Jimbo–Miwa equation is analytically obtained by choosing the Jacobi elliptic functions and their combinations. Limit cases are considered and some new solitary structures (new dromions) are derived. The interaction properties of periodic waves are numerically studied and found to be inelastic. Under long wave limit, two sets of new solution structures (dromions) are given. The interaction properties of these solutions reveal that some of them are completely elastic and some are inelastic.


Serotonin is a potent pulmonary vasoconstrictor actively accumulated by mammalian platelets and avian thrombocytes and released into the plasma during platelet or thrombocyte aggregation. Serotonin has been implicated in the mechanisms responsible for pulmonary hypertension in several human and animal studies. However, the role of serotonin in pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites) in broilers previously had not been evaluated. In the present study we evaluated the pulmonary hemodynamic responses of broilers to intravenous infusions of serotonin dissolved in 2.5% (wt/vol) mannitol solution (carrier vehicle). Carrier vehicle infusion alone had no influence on any of the hemodynamic variables. Serotonin infusion triggered rapid increases in pulmonary arterial pressure to approximately 50% above pre-infusion baseline values, accompanied by decreases in mean systemic arterial pressure and cardiac output. The peak pulmonary arterial pressure response occurred within approximately 70 s after the start of serotonin infusion and remained elevated above baseline values over the course of a 10-min infusion period. Pulmonary arterial pressure and cardiac output returned to pre-infusion baseline values upon cessation of serotonin infusion, whereas mean systemic arterial pressure returned toward pre-infusion base-line values. Pulmonary hypertensive responses were associated with increased pulmonary vascular resistance (pulmonary vasoconstriction). The peak pulmonary arterial pressure attainable was inadequate to propel the normal cardiac output through the elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. Consequently, the impeded venous return to the left ventricle caused dependent reductions in stroke volume, cardiac output, and mean systemic arterial pressure. Reductions in cardiac output were associated with reductions in stroke volume but not heart rate. Any factor that reduces the pulmonary vascular capacity or increases the pulmonary vascular resistance theoretically can increase the incidence of PHS. The present study provides direct evidence that serotonin can trigger pulmonary vasoconstriction and pulmonary hypertension in broilers.


OBJECTIVE
The authors examined the risk that family disruption and low socioeconomic status in early childhood confer on the onset of major depression in adulthood.

METHOD
Participants were 1,104 offspring of mothers enrolled during pregnancy in the Providence, R.I., site of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project. Measures of childhood family disruption and socioeconomic status were obtained before birth and at age 7. Structured diagnostic interviews were used to assess respondents' lifetime history of major depressive episode between the ages of 18 and 39. Survival analysis was used to identify childhood risks for depression onset.

RESULTS
Parental divorce in early childhood was associated with a higher lifetime risk of depression among subjects whose mothers did not remarry as well as among subjects whose mothers remarried. These effects were more pronounced when accompanied by high levels of parental conflict. Independent of the respondents' adult socioeconomic status, low socioeconomic status in childhood predicted an elevated risk of depression.

CONCLUSIONS
Family disruption and low socioeconomic status in early childhood increase the long-term risk for major depression. Reducing childhood disadvantages may be one avenue for prevention of depression. Identification of modifiable pathways linking aspects of the early childhood environment to adult mental health is needed to mitigate the long-term consequences of childhood disadvantage.


OBJECTIVE
This review focuses on the role of CT and MRI in the diagnosis, follow-up, and surgical planning of aortic aneurysms and acute aortic syndromes, including aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating aortic ulcer. It also provides a systematic approach to the definition, causes, natural history, and imaging principles of these diseases.

CONCLUSION
An understanding of the pathophysiology, natural history, and imaging features is the key to successful diagnosis and appropriate management of patients with these aortic diseases.


Thirty-nine displaced fractures of the lateral humeral condyle in children were followed for an average of 5 (2-5) years. The results were evaluated from functional and cosmetic aspects. Patients treated within 2 weeks by open reduction and internal fixation did well. Those operated on after 6 weeks did not do better than nonoperated on cases. Complications included cubitus varus and valgus deformities, osteonecrosis, nonunion and malunion, and loss of motion. We recommend that patients presenting late be left alone and any sequelae evaluated at a late stage.


This paper presents new econometric evidence concerning the variation of fresh apple prices in the US market as a function of fluctuations in supplies from seven major US and non-US supply areas. The Rotterdam inverse demand system recently developed by Barten and Bettendorf is used in the analysis. The results show that the impact on prices stemming from a change in overall quanitities of fresh apples varies widely across supply regions. The price of Washington apples would suffer a market drop with a rise in total quantity. The analysis also suggests taht Chile's entrance into the US apple market has had a negligible impact on prices.


Whether a giant left atrium in mitral valve disease itself prolongs postoperative respiratory care or does not is an important problem. We investigated it in 39 patients who underwent MVR without plication of the left atrium. A giant left atrium (GLA) was defined when CT-LA volume exceeded 300 ml by rapid sequential CT or left atrial diameter exceeded 60 mm by echocardiography. According to this criteria, the 39 patients were divided into two groups: 18 patients of GLA group and 21 of non-GLA group. Eight GLA (44%) and 11 non-GLA patients (52%) needed postoperative respiratory care with intratracheal intubation for more than 24 hours. Four GLA (22%) and 2 non-GLA patients (9.5%) needed reintubation. There was no significant difference between the two groups concerning the duration of postoperative respiratory care and the frequency of reintubation. The reintubated patients had three prominent preoperative clinical profiles, such as poor general condition, poor cardiac function and poor respiratory function. Consequently, it is concluded that in mitral valve disease with a GLA the prolongation of postoperative respiratory care is largely due to poor cardiac and respiratory function rather than to the compression to the bronchus by a GLA.


Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are now a well-established tool for solving computational imaging problems. Modern CNN-based algorithms obtain state-of-the-art performance in diverse image restoration problems. Furthermore, it has been recently shown that, despite being highly overparameterized, networks trained with a single corrupted image can still perform as well as fully trained networks, a phenomenon encapsulated in the deep image prior. We introduce a novel interpretation of denoising networks with no clean training data in the context of the neural tangent kernel (NTK), elucidating the strong links with well-known non-local filtering techniques, such as non-local means or BM3D. The filtering function associated with a given network architecture can be obtained in closed form without need to train the network, being fully characterized by the random initialization of the network weights. While the NTK theory accurately predicts the filter associated with networks trained using standard gradient descent, our analysis shows that it falls short to explain the behaviour of networks trained using the popular Adam optimizer. The latter achieves a larger change of weights in hidden layers, adapting the non-local filtering function during training. We evaluate our findings via extensive image denoising experiments.


The increase in disasters in recent decades has impacted on humanity through large loss of life and negative long-term economic and environmental consequences. Disasters cannot always be prevented but their impacts can be mitigated through adapted disaster management strategies, including improving community resilience. The aim of this thesis is to develop a framework of community resilience to disaster in Saudi Arabia (CRDSA). Saudi Arabia has experienced a number of disasters between 2005 and 2014; two were of a biological nature H1N1 and MERS-CoV while the rest were caused by flooding. The study uses a mixed-method approach and paradigm of pragmatism, and is structured into three stages. First, based on the literature review, a survey questionnaire is used to examine the public perception of risk of disaster. The second stage is divided into two steps: 1) the Delphi consultation is employed to refine a set of initial criteria, organised into dimensions, derived from a review of the literature, and to explore additional criteria to inform the development of CRDSA. The Delphi technique combines a quantitative calculation to justify each dimension and associated criteria with qualitative views of experts to reach consensus around the proposed CRDSA. Data collection involved three-round questionnaire before achieving experts' consensus; 2) AHP is used to achieve the objectives of: a) local priority weights from pair-wise comparative methods of judgment and b) determining the importance of the dimensions of the framework. The third stage focuses on the validation of the CRDSA through a real mass gathering event. The approach involves a field study investigation, including interviews and observations during the 2013 Hajj to 1) determine community resilience level at the Hajj, 2) inform prevention strategies against the risk of a MERS-CoV epidemic; and 3) validate the CRDSA in a real situation. The study finds that the proposed CRDSA framework can be used as an assessment tool to build community resilience to disasters in permanent and transient communities.