Aleksei Kudrin - Candidate of Sciences in Economics, Professor, Department of Theory and Methodology for Teaching Arts and Humanities, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. Petersburg State University. Address: 58-60 Galernaya str., St. Petersburg, 190000, Russian Federation. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com liberal arts and sciences model is characterized by a number of specific features: Individual educational path, interactive teaching technologies, development of common cultural competencies (formation of basic learning and research skills, the distribution requirement), developing professional competencies and selecting the training profile, Interdisciplinary curriculum and individualized possibilities for accomplishing it. Fif teen years of experience in the development of liberal education within Russian higher education give grounds to conclude that this educational model helps assure a high quality of training that meets the top international standards. Many higher education institutions contact Faculty of Liberal Arts Sciences at St. Petersburg State University asking for advisory and methodological assistance in transferring these technologies. In this connection Faculty of Liberal Arts Sciences have developed, approved and launched the implementation of a supplementary educational program of advanced training for the teaching staff at higher education institutions, aimed at helping teachers learn to use liberal education techniques.DOI:10.17323/1814-9545-2015-4-62-71


Atypical B cells (atBCs) are a distinct B-cell population and represent approximately 5% of B cells in peripheral blood (PB) of healthy adult individuals. However, in adults these cells are expanded in conditions of chronic infections, inflammation, primary immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and aging. Their immunophenotype is characterized by the lack of CD21 expression and the hallmark human memory B-cell marker CD27. In this study, we investigated the immunophenotype of atBCs in different pediatric pathological conditions and correlated their expansion with the children's clinical diagnosis. We were able to retrospectively evaluate 1,571 consecutive PB samples, corresponding to 1,180 pediatric patients, by using a 9-color flow-cytometric panel. The results, compared with a pediatric healthy cohort, confirmed an expansion of atBCs in patient samples with percentages greater than 5% of total B cells. Four subpopulations with different expressions of IgM and IgD were discriminated: IgM+IgD+, IgM+-only, IgD+-only, and IgM–IgD–. IgG+ atBCs were predominant in the IgM– IgD– subpopulation. Moreover, the study highlighted some features of atBCs, such as a low CD38 expression, a heterogeneity of CD24, a high expression of CD19 and a large cell size. We also demonstrated that an increase of atBCs in a pediatric cohort is correlated with immunodeficiencies, autoimmune, inflammatory, and hematological disorders, consistent with previous studies mainly performed in adults. Furthermore, our flow cytometric clustering analysis corroborated the recent hypothesis of an alternative B origin for atBCs.


Abstract : Military assistance to Bosnian forces was part of a complex plan to resolve what one former Secretary of State called the problem from hell. When Yugoslavia began to disintegrate in the early 1990s following the Soviet Union s demise, it released a mix of nationalist and ethnic movements that led to civil war. Ill-disciplined combinations of regular and irregular forces struggled to control territory and protect civilians, sometimes herding them toward ethnically homogenous enclaves in a process widely referred to as ethnic cleansing. The intentional displacement of civilian populations, often encouraged by atrocities including mass murder and rape, was a tragic and complex foreign policy problem that defied simple and easy solutions. The program to train and equip the Bosnian Federation Army after the signing of the Dayton peace agreement in 1995 was a key element of the U.S. strategy to bring a stable peace to Bosnia. Highly controversial at the time but obscure today, this program was implemented by a small interagency task force widely referred to as the Train and Equip Program. The small task force achieved all of its operational goals. It forged a rough military parity between previously warring parties, rid Bosnia of foreign extremists, and strengthened Bosnian Federation institutions and their pro-Western orientation. The program was simultaneously criticized for being too small and too much, which underscores how contentious it was and the inherent difficulties in assessing any military balance. The fact that the weight of the criticism shifted from the first half of 1996 when the program was more often criticized as anemic to the spring of 1997 when it was commonly criticized as being too robust underscored how fast the program made progress once it got going.


Ahstract- The lumbar puncture is an important procedure used in different specialties in medicine, such as neurology and anesthesiology. This procedure is considered complex, and the medical students believe they have not enough experience and confidence to perform it. That is the reason why some researchers are interested in proposing to create solutions to provide a better training of this procedure. This review aims to present a comparison between 10 virtual lumbar puncture simulators developed since 2000, where nine of them use a haptic device to represent a realistic procedure. In addition, the physical and virtual components are discussed, including the haptic device, the haptic algorithm, the virtual environment and the evaluations of the simulators. The contribution of this review is to recognize the limitations and strengths to identify some optimal requirements for the design, development, or selection of the software/hardware for the next generation of virtual lumbar puncture simulators.


Background: The treatment of a meniscus-deficient knee is challenging, especially when patients are young and active and are not favorable candidates for prosthetic joint replacement. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that osteochondral autologous transplant (OAT) alone can be considered a salvage treatment for patients with cartilage damage of the lateral compartment of the knee, even with lateral meniscal deficiency, if the knee alignment is close to neutral. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Patients with lateral meniscal deficiency, whose femorotibial angle was 170° to 180° and who underwent OAT on the lateral compartment of the knee without concomitant realignment osteotomy, were retrospectively included in this study. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score for knee osteoarthritis (JOA knee score) were recorded. The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) cartilage repair assessment was used to evaluate the repaired cartilage at second-look arthroscopy. Results: The study included 10 patients (mean ± SD age, 31.7 ± 19.7 years; 3 men and 7 women) who had ICRS grade 4 cartilage lesions (mean size, 3.5 ± 1.7 cm2); the mean follow-up was 73.8 ± 42.5 months. From preoperative assessment to final follow-up, the mean IKDC subjective score improved significantly from 53.5 ± 10.0 to 85.4 ± 10.1, and the mean JOA knee score improved significantly from 81.0 ± 8.4 to 95.6 ± 5.3 (P = .004 for both). One patient with a femorotibial angle of 170° underwent revision distal femoral osteotomy owing to prolonged symptoms and progression of the valgus deformity, and 2 other patients with femorotibial angles of 170° and 171° also exhibited progression of valgus malalignment or low clinical scores postoperatively. Patients with a favorable femorotibial angle (174°-178°) exhibited relieved symptoms and preservation of femorotibial angle alignment within 1° of change at follow-up. At second-look arthroscopy (n = 8 patients), 6 patients had an ICRS score of nearly normal or normal. Conclusion: In the study patients, for which a meniscal allograft was unavailable, the OAT procedure was able to relieve the symptoms associated with cartilage lesions, even with lateral meniscal deficiency, when the femorotibial angle alignment was close to neutral.


Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the treatment of choice in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) throughout the last years. A significant number of studies have demonstrated a morbidity and mortality benefit over thrombolysis, which has been attributed to better coronary perfusion in patients undergoing primary PCI. Even though it usually achieves normal flow in the affected epicardial vessel, myocardial reperfusion is not fully restored in a significant percentage of patients. This is commonly the result of distal thrombus embolization with subsequent impairment of myocardial microcirculation. Recognition of this has led to the development of a number of devices with different mechanisms, including thrombus aspiration catheters, in order to reduce distal embolization and therefore improve myocardial perfusion. Recent studies indeed demonstrate that the use of such devices offer additional clinical advantage in patients undergoing primary PCI in comparison to the standard PCI, whether in other trials it could not be proved. This paper focuses on general mechanisms of thrombus formation and discusses favorable and unfavorable studies towards thrombus aspiration in STEMI and its main aspects and it comes up with specific subjects that could benefit or not from the procedure of thrombus aspiration.


The success of a contestant in the IOI certainly depends too much on the talent of the pupil, the qualification of her/his teachers and additional work with an individual coach. The suc- cess of a national team in the IOI however also substantially depends on the level of teaching of informatics at schools in the corresponding country. Strong basic education at regular schools could lead to programming competitions with more participants and allow the selecting of those pupils, who are able to storm the top ranked IOI positions. The goals and the content of the teaching in the Russian schools are defined by the State School Educational Standard (SSES). Taking it into account the teachers and the individual coaches should organize the preparation of students for both the National Olympiad in Informatics and the IOI. In the given article the influence of SSES on the Russian Olympiad in Informatics content is considered.


Business activity has contributed to biodiversity loss. The Circular Economy (CE) system is recommended as a way of recovery and to improve global resilience. Combining accounting and ecology, we examine the intersectionality between biodiversity and CE. Therefore, the research aims to investigate the companies' reporting practices on both CE system implemented, and the corrective actions taken to repair biodiversity. To achieve the research aim, we developed a new disclosure index that includes both biodiversity and CE measures. Data is collected from 28 companies operating in three different industries sectors (aerospace and defense, motor vehicle and parts, and transportation) for 4 years (2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018). Our results show, in general, the overall scoring of disclosures is low, with companies providing minimal and vague information and many companies scored ZERO in all of our disclosure items showing that companies have a lack of knowledge on the biodiversity and CE concept. However, there is an increase in the level of disclosures on both biodiversity and CE between 2012, 2014, and 2016 and there is a small decrease for the 2018. Furthermore, the Motor industry is providing more disclosure on both biodiversity and CE, followed by Aerospace & Defense and Transportation industry was the lowest in providing disclosure on both biodiversity and CE. Our study contributes to both biodiversity and CE literature as well as providing some insights on the inter-connection of both concepts which is crucial for the future sustainable development.


We report a case of a young woman with pyrexia and progressive lung disease who developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and required prolonged mechanical ventilator support. The patient had a markedly elevated serum ferritin concentration of 7880 mug/L, a specific finding for the adult onset Still's disease (AOSD). Treatment of the patient with supportive and immunosuppressive therapy, resulted in patient survival and cure. The early consideration of the diagnosis of AOSD in patients with fever of unknown origin and a compatible clinical course may modify its severe complications.


0 ver the years I am often approached by people who have non-breeding pairs of Blue-crowned Conures who ask me what I do to be so successful with mine. Hopefully some parts of this article will help others to have some measure of success trying to breed theirs. I was given the opportunity to purchase my first "pair" of Blue-crowned Conures approximately 13 years ago and I have had a love affair with them ever since. Since starting out with this "pair: of conures I have established two rules that I absolutely never deviate from. Rule# 1 Re-sex each and every bird unless you have written proof or have physically seen these birds with babies or you are purchasing them from someone you absolutely trust. (Even then you may want to re-sex them.) This actually is my golden rule. As happens frequently with new aviculturists starting, out the original pair turned out to be two egg-laying hens. (I would kill for that now') While at the vets having these two sexed, I managed to purchase a male that was tattooed under both wings. He was sold as a surgically sexed female. Luckily for me, he was a male. I took him home and set him up with one of the females. As I said before: "When in doubt - re-sex each and every bird." Rule# 2 Watch, observe, and learn all you can about each and every bird that you own. What subspecies are they' Are the same subspecies set up together? Is the pair truly compatible? Is one aggressive to the other? If there is aggression is it to the point of possibly killing its mate? If they haven't laid are they a young pair? Will they allow each other to eat - or does one devour all the food? Who incubates the eggs? Do they break the eggs? If they break them which bird does and why? Do they kill the babies? If so which bird and why? By watching, observing, learning and interfering only when necessary, one should have success with breeding Blue-crowned Conures. Let me take some of the observations one at a time. I have not had luck with domestically raised Blue-crowneds producing before the age of 3-3 1/2 years. I generally give them a nest box at approximately the age of 2 1/2 years so that they can get used to seeing it and possibly start working it or sleeping in it at night. This seems to work fine for them. I have a truly compatible pair that eat at the same time, sometimes even sharing the same piece of food, sharing the incubation of the eggs and taking turns feeding the young. Basically, they are doing everything together. This is the ideal pair and unfortunately not every pair falls into this category. If I observe one mate being overly aggressive to the other I split them up and re-pair them with others that they might be more compatible with. There is nothing worse than inspecting your aviary and finding a bird that is seriously wounded, maimed, or even dead, the result of mate aggression. By observing the pair I can tell the differ - ence between what is aggression and just beak playing. If a pair is compatible but seem to be breaking eggs or, worse yet, maiming or killing babies, try to observe them to see what the problems are. If something is as obvious as toenails being too long, catch the birds up and trim toenails. Are they not getting enough protein and/or calcium in their diet? Try boiling eggs and cooking chicken wings, then mash them up together and add this to their diet. Does the offender not really want to have young with that particular mate? Try re-pairing them. Is another pair bothering and threatening them by their proximity? Move the offending pair or provide a blind of sorts for separation. If a pair will not incubate their eggs for any reason, re-pair them. I, personally, do not incubate eggs. This is not to say this is not right, I just don't do it. I will not own a pair of birds that will not incubate or feed their young. Try observing and doing whatever is necessary to develop compatible pairs.


Plantar pressure measurements provide useful information to diagnose a diverse range of foot disorders; unfortunately, the commercially available measurement systems are undesirably sensitive to several disturbances, but this aspect is mostly neglected in the literature. This paper describes the results of an experimental campaign aiming at the identification of pressure measuring system metrological performances, at system modeling, and at the implementation of correction procedures. The sensor model was implemented using the results of static and dynamic tests performed on a pedar-X plantar pressure measurement system. The static calibration was performed by analyzing the effect of temperature, single sensor coverage area, local curvature, tangential forces, long-term stability (creep), and sensor crosstalk on the system performances. The dynamic calibration was performed on an electrodynamic shaker, identifying the single sensor frequency response function and the hysteresis under different average loads. The dynamic sensor model is based on the Kelvin-Voigt model, which is representative of the viscoelastic behavior of the material. The model allowed us to compensate both the creep (i.e., the behavior under static loads) and the nonunitary frequency response function. A deconvolution-based algorithm has been proposed to compensate the sensor crosstalk effects, although its implementation requires additional investigations. Experimental results of bobbing and gait tests showed that, with the adoption of the proposed compensation algorithms, the force and center of pressure errors could be reduced by more than 50% of their initial values.


We present an extended method of automatic behavioral model generation for nonlinear analog circuits. The focus is on a decrease of simulation time. A procedural model formulation approach is introduced, together with a new simplification method based on the recognition of physical transistor properties of the element models. The simplification process is performed with respect to simulation time, and a hierarchical modeling approach is proposed. The result of these extensions are models with an obvious speed-up in simulation time compared to the simulation of the original netlists.


Management of young permanent teeth with an open apex associated with apical periodontitis poses clinical challenges because of several reasons: difficult to achieve proper cleaning and disinfection of the overall dentinal wall, particularly at the diverged apex. In this case, specific approaches with minimal instrumentation and apical sealing through apexification by means of hard tissue barrier induction with calcium hydroxide or MTA and reinforcement of the thin dentinal walls. Even though, apexification with calcium hydroxide is a successful procedure but it is time-consuming and there is no root lengthening and it has been estimated that 30% of the teeth that have undergone calcium hydroxide apexification can fracture during or after endodontic treatment. In this study compared clinical and radiographic outcomes of endodontic treatment performed in immature non-vital permanent teeth, by apexification(calcium hydroxide or apical barrier with MTA ), versus revascularization.


A novel reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic(RP-HPLC) method has been developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of Sildenafil Citrate Dapoxetine Hydrochloride in pure and marketed formulations. Separation was carried out using column Hypersil BDS C18 (100mm x 4.6mm x 5μ particle size) in isocratic mode using mobile phase composition of 0.1% orthophosphoric acid: Acetonitrile in the ratio of 50:50 and PH adjusted to 5.0±0.1 with sodium hydroxide of the flow rate was 1.0 ml/min and the effluent was monitored at 287nm. The retenion time of Sildenafil Citrate was found to be 3.14 min and for DapoxetineHydrochrloride 4 min. The method was linear from the concentration of 12.5 -62.5 μg/ml and 7.5-37.5 μg/ml for the estimation of Sildenafil Citrate and Dapoxetine Hydrochloride. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 0.824μg/ml and 2.499μg/ml for Sildenafil Citrate and of Dapoxetine Hydrochloride were found to be 0.90 μg/ml and 2.739 μg/ml. They undergo degradation in acids, alkalies, thermal and peroxides. The method was validated according to the guidelines of international conference on harmonization (ICH) and was successfully applied in the estimation and commercial formulations.


This thesis aims at a spatial analysis of human activity within the landscape of Tyrrhenian southern Lazio between the late Roman and high medieval period (3rd to 14th century AD), using a multidisciplinary dataset. The research is a review study, based on data from primary and secondary sources that are (re)analysed in a regional geographic context. With these data as a background, the landscape is approached from two angles: ● The contemporary perspective. Using contemporary archaeological and historical data (3rd to 14th century), a diachronic mapping is made of human activity within the landscape. This mapping is based on finding contemporary sites of human activity and analysing these sites in a spatial context, in a GIS. ● The retrospective perspective. Using historical cartography, data from the historical topographical literature, ethnographic studies and toponymic research, a retrospective analysis is made of the medieval to sub-recent landscape (12th to 20th century), in order to increase our understanding of the longue duree functioning of the landscape. Within the main objective the study aims at two things: 1. To diachronically map activity within the landscape, such as settlement, production, trade, ownership, animosities, religion and infrastructure, and the actors involved. 2. To test the used method. It is tried to establish to what extent a multidisciplinary review study can provide new ideas about the chronology of the processes that took place, and on the social reality behind these processes. The thesis concludes with a set of recommendations, intended to facilitate future study.


Timely water availability and the use of traditional, less efficient irrigation methods are among the main constraints affecting the productivity of small-scale farming in many developing countries. Climate change, population growth, lack of skills and resources and less community resilience to respond are negatively affecting food security in many lower-income countries. Therefore, the use of small-scale efficient irrigation methods can be instrumental in improving local productivity and community resilience to climate change. Addressing these issues, this study is focused on developing a low-cost micro-irrigation technology and improving the skills of small landholder farming communities on the effective use of this system in the marginal lands of Indonesia. A series of capacity development activities were conducted during the project period, including focused group discussion (FGD), soil and water sampling, and design and construction of low-cost micro-irrigation systems. Moreover, following the principle of seeing is believing and learning by doing, a demonstration plot on the use of high-efficiency micro-irrigation was also established for on-hand training and troubleshooting. The result revealed a tremendous improvement in local awareness and adoption of the micro-irrigation system by the local community. Hence the capacity building strategy adopted emerged successful in achieving improved local awareness and adoption and thus can be recommended for future programs in other areas of developing countries.


This paper discusses the application of design-for-manufacture and design-forconstruction methodologies to the building industry through the use of electronic prototypes developed by using knowledge based engineering (KBE). A working group representing British Steel divisions and consulting engineers agreed key processes and rules affecting initial structural steelwork solutions. The pilot scheme now in progress will allow the structural designer to use concurrent engineering techniques to work with other members of the design team, to investigate the functionality of the design, agree design parameters across design disciplines and freeze the design at an earlier stage than was previously possible. The result should produce design solutions which are both functionally and financially viable.


We present the Berkeley Crossword Solver, a state-of-the-art approach for automatically solving crossword puzzles. Our system works by generating answer candidates for each crossword clue using neural question answering models and then combines loopy belief propagation with local search to find full puzzle solutions. Compared to existing approaches, our system improves exact puzzle accuracy from 57% to 82% on crosswords from The New York Times and obtains 99.9% letter accuracy on themeless puzzles. Our system also won first place at the top human crossword tournament, which marks the first time that a computer program has surpassed human performance at this event. To facilitate research on question answering and crossword solving, we analyze our system's remaining errors and release a dataset of over six million question-answer pairs.


Nuclei segmentation is a fundamental task in digital pathology analysis and can be automated by deep learning-based methods. However, the development of such an automated method requires a large amount of data with precisely annotated masks which is hard to obtain. Training with weakly labeled data is a popular solution for reducing the workload of annotation. In this paper, we propose a novel meta-learning-based nuclei segmentation method which follows the label correction paradigm to leverage data with noisy masks. Specifically, we design a fully conventional meta-model that can correct noisy masks using a small amount of clean meta-data. Then the corrected masks can be used to supervise the training of the segmentation model. Meanwhile, a bi-level optimization method is adopted to alternately update the parameters of the main segmentation model and the meta-model in an end-to-end way. Extensive experimental results on two nuclear segmentation datasets show that our method achieves the state-of-the-art result. It even achieves comparable performance with the model training on supervised data in some noisy settings.


The analysis of frequency selective surfaces (FSS) using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique is reviewed. Results are presented for FDTD predictions and measurements using a Gaussian beam measurement system for both tri-slot and ring FSS flat plate samples. Some practical considerations affecting radome applications are discussed, including Floquet modes, thick dielectric supports (single-sided vs. sandwiched), slot fillings and surface waves. Other computational methods are outlined and some conclusions drawn regarding optimal methods for FSS analysis.


Medical error and tort reform have increasingly taken center stage in the health care debate in our region and all over the world. Patients, policy makers and health care professionals grapple with the striking prevalence and consequences of medical error, may result in patient injury from the health care providers. Fears of malpractice liability, difficulties in communicating with patients and their families, inattention to their problems in details and giving inadequate time to them in listening and discussion, in addition to confusion about causation and responsibility, all have long impeded comprehensive and bold initiatives designed to change the patient, family and clinician experience with medical error. Offering an apology with complete patient respect and transparency with full disclosure of harmful medical errors to the patients and their families can do much to defuse the hurt and anger that can lead to further emotional and physical trauma. Health care professionals including doctors need to communicate with patients or their parties in their day to day activities. It should be an essential habit of doctors. In the present medical curriculum in medical education, emphasis was placed on learning communication skills by the undergraduate doctors.

 Key words: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), discourse completion test (DCT), patients,health care.


A portable remote-handling system (Monitor) has been developed for remote maintenance of the extremely radioactive main experimental beam line at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). The system has been in a constant state of development since 1976 and has served a vital role in the success of LAMPF's experimental program. The history of the development of the overall monitor system was presented in previous papers. This paper will specifically address the development of the control system and the factors, human and otherwise, that led to the present design. The control system layout started as two instrument racks. It has progressed to a sophisticated control room housed in a dedicated trailer. The control system development has kept pace with the overall system development to perform the sophisticated maintenance, repair, and replacement of the main experimental beam line at LAMPF.


Although systems development research is at the core of the Information Systems discipline, some scholars call attention to a teaching and research gap in this area of IS. In this study, we examine the state of systems development research in IS by analyzing the articles published in three leading journals between 2000 and 2004. We propose a classification framework based on the type of research paradigm (design vs. explanatory) and the nature of the IT-artifact (conceptualization vs. instantiation). Our results show that about 20% of the articles published in this five year period are focused on systems development. In two of the three journals, there are comparable proportions of studies in the design research and in the explanatory paradigm. However, in all three publications most of the articles are focused on conceptual IT-artifacts, as opposed to instantiations. These findings are important for system development researchers when they choose journals to which to send their papers.


This work carried out an integrative review of scientific articles indexed between 2007 and 2017 in different databases on treatment and reuse of effluents from the antibiotic industry. Thirty-one articles were found and only four addressed effluent reuse, and one used a full-scale treatment system. Most of these studies were conducted in Asia, with emphasis on China. In Brazil, which is one of the largest producers and consumers of drugs in the world, this type of research is still incipient. The most commonly found processes were oxidative advanced processes that showed greater efficiency in removing antibiotics, but may generate by-products, which might pose an even greater risk depending on the substance formed. Biological processes must first be acclimated to antibiotics in order not to be impacted, however, the release of these resistant microorganisms into the water bodies also presents an environmental risk. Biological integrated membrane systems were also very efficient, but attention should be given to the risk in the final destination of these membranes that were able to retain those compounds. Overall, further studies on this approach are needed to reduce the risks of developing multi-resistant microorganisms in the environment.


The characteristics of amorphous silicon hydrogen and deuterium thin-film transistors (a-Si:H/a-Si:D TFT) were studied. The deuterated and hydrogenated amorphous silicon channels were prepared by first annealing the as-deposited a-Si:H layer at 550/spl deg/C in N/sub 2/ environment to expel all the hydrogen atoms out of the films, then the D/sub 2/ or H/sub 2/ plasma were applied to treat the amorphous silicon layers. The field effect mobility of the conventional hydrogen TFT is usually smaller than 1 cm/sup 2//V-s. It was found that substitution of hydrogen with deuterium improved the field effect mobility of the TFT. The maximum field effect mobility of a-Si:D TFT obtained from the saturation region was 1.77 cm/sup 2//V-s.


The financial and capacity pressures facing healthcare systems call for new strategies to deliver high-quality, efficient services. 'Coproduction' is a concept gaining recognition as an approach to create patient partnerships that enable better functioning healthcare systems. Yet, this framing obscures coproduction's 'everyday and unavoidable' character, already part of healthcare service delivery. This paper aims to understand these everyday and unavoidable dimensions of coproduced healthcare services by drawing upon thematic and process analyses of a 15-month ethnography of 45 patients in three HIV clinics in New York. A 'health practices' approach guided exploring patients' activities, their effects on clinical processes, and the conditions surrounding their performances. By constructing a typology of activity types - Building, Accepting, and Objecting - and tracing patients' descriptions of activity performances, the paper shows how coproduction is forged by making and relying upon clinic-based relationships, and for patients also with a broader human community. These dynamics reveal how patients' bodily and temporal understandings are brought into and shape coproduced services. From these insights, we recommend that healthcare practitioners incorporate into their coproduction analytic methods and perspectives to engage patients as capable and aware individuals, who can support clinic efficiencies while producing new delivery possibilities.


Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in Egypt. It's now considered as one of the cash crop besides being a lovely summer fruit. It is important to report that El- Nubaria is one of the most important producing regions for such crop, but soil-borne diseases resulting from the frequent cultivation of watermelon in the same area is a limiting factor. However, the famous varieties which are grown in Egypt are "Aswan F1 and "Tawos F1". Most varieties deteriorated as a result of the infection by disease pathogens, where land use is very intensive and farming area is small. Again to the continuous cultivation of watermelon in the same area , the problems of soil-borne diseases have been introduced, especially fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum F. niveum), sudden wilt (Monosporascus cannonballus), and root-Knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.).Such problem is, extremely, apparent under Egyptian conditions, particularly in Nubaria region. Since, common pathogens control such as crop rotation and soil fumigation are not followed strictly, practically controlling these diseases especially in the view of the coming phase-out of methyl bromide.


This thesis addresses the ubiquity and necessity of embodied interaction to musical activity, using video analysis to observe communication in musical events. Through the specific study of classical North Indian instrumental duo performance, the thesis examines how processes of social interaction may inform human musical activity, using a combined methodology of ethnographic study and quantitative data analysis of original video-recordings. Proposing a pragmatic approach to the study of the meaningful nature of musical events, the thesis keeps sight of the generative context of the human body in social interaction, and offers a model of musical communication that privileges nonlinguistic, socially co-regulative elements in its account of human musical interaction. The socially meaningful nature of the behaviour-in-time of the musicians included in the study is investigated by means of a novel methodology. This combines the qualitative exploration of emic concepts related to the practice of North Indian classical music with an empirical analysis of video data, based on a cognitive ethological framework. The thesis draws on current notions of embodied cognition and contributes to the growing corpus of musicological literature emphasising the embodied and social nature of musical communication. The results of this exploratory study suggest that both social-interaction and music-structural factors contribute to the organisation of the musicians' communicative behaviours and that, to a certain extent, these organisational factors can be separated in analysis.


A control strategy based on artificial networks (ANN) has been proposed for a positioning system with a flexible transmission element, taking into account Coulomb friction for both motor and load, and using a variable learning rate for adaptation to parameter changes and to accelerate convergence. The control structure consists of an ANN that approximates the inverse of the model and of a reference model which defines the desired error dynamics. A fuzzy rule based supervisor for on-line adaptation of the reference model bandwidth parameter is used to accelerate the convergence rate of the controller and enhance the stability to the system. The fuzzy controller is implemented on a Virtex2 Pro 2VP30 field programmable gate array (FPGA) from Xilinx. A pipelined implementation is used to speed-up the process. Simulation results highlight the performance of the controller


When the Korean government announced the lowering of the school entrance age from 6 to 5 years in an effort to increase the fertility rate, one candidate for the Seoul mayor rode on the slogan, 'one dong, one public kindergarten'. This study attempted to show the introduction of a preschool class for six-year-olds being used as analternative to lowering school entrance age in Sweden. First, the current state of preschool class, the Early Childhood Education and Care, and the education system in Sweden were described. Next, the background for the introduction of the preschool classes was analyzed. Thirdly, the effects of preschool class were evaluated from the perspectives of 6 year-olds as well as the institutiona land social status of the ECEC. Results from this study imply not only that the lower school entrance age policy should be abolished but also preschool classes could be considered as an alternative.


It is known that the Standard Model does not describe all phenomena related to subatomic particles. This thesis presents feasibility studies of the measurement of eta meson decay using WASA-at-COSY detector which tests predictions of the Standard Model. The aim of this thesis is to estimate the time of measurement for which the current branching ratio limit of eta -> 4pi0 decay can be improved. In order to estimate the time of measurement Monte Carlo simulations were performed. Kinematics of the pp -> ppeta -> pp4pi0 -> pp8gamma reactions were simulated using PLUTO program. Next, by means of the GEANT3 program the response of the WASA-at-COSY detector was simulated for each particle. Received signals were analysed in RootSorter software package based on ROOT. Studies of the reaction with many gamma quanta in the exit channel required the investigation of WASA-at-COSY calorimeter functioning. Tests of a cluster building algorithm with emphasis on merging and splitting of detected signals were done. The obtained result shows that only about 3% of eta -> 4p0 decays can be properly reconstructed. The identification of the eta -> 4pi0 -> 8gamma decay was based on the invariant mass method for both pi0 and eta mesons. As a result, the resolution of the invariant mass determination of the eta meson was established to sigma = 31 MeV/c2. The acceptance of the WASA-at-COSY detector for pp -> ppeta -> pp4pi0 -> pp8gamma reaction was determined to Aeta=(Neta detected) / (Neta produced) = 1.5%. The time of measurement for obtaining a statistical precision equal to the current branching ratio limit for Tbeam = 1.3 GeV is about 13 hours. It was also established that the lower the excess energy in the eta production is the shorter the time of the measurement needed.


All Patrick O'Brian's strengths are on parade in this novel of action and intrigue, set partly in Malta, partly in the treacherous, pirate-infested waters of the Red Sea. While Captain Aubrey worries about repairs to his ship, Stephen Maturin assumes the center stage for the dockyards and salons of Malta are alive with Napoleon's agents, and the admiralty's intelligence network is compromised. Maturin's cunning is the sole bulwark against sabotage of Aubrey's daring mission.


The presence of war elephants in the Near East between the late third and early seventh centuries, and especially in Romano-Sasanian conflicts, is frequently reported in a wide variety of contemporary sources. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evidence for the military use of elephants over this period. This study gives particular attention to the literary concerns of individual authors, whether writing in Latin, Greek, Armenian, or Arabic, which might have influenced their inclusion of vivid depictions of war elephants. Informed by comparative evidence from Indian sources, this assessment also identifies a more diverse range of military applications and capabilities of elephants than in the 'classic' age of elephant warfare in the Hellenistic period.


We present the confirmation of a small, moderately irradiated (F = 155 ± 7 F⊕) Neptune with a substantial gas envelope in a P = 11.8728787 ± 0.0000085 day orbit about a quiet, Sun-like G0V star Kepler-1655. Based on our analysis of the Kepler light curve, we determined Kepler-1655b's radius to be 2.213 ± 0.082 R⊕. We acquired 95 high-resolution spectra with Telescopio Nazionale Galileo/HARPS-N, enabling us to characterize the host star and determine an accurate mass for Kepler-1655b of via Gaussian-process regression. Our mass determination excludes an Earth-like composition with 98% confidence. Kepler-1655b falls on the upper edge of the evaporation valley, in the relatively sparsely occupied transition region between rocky and gas-rich planets. It is therefore part of a population of planets that we should actively seek to characterize further.


Building normative databases for MR spectroscopy studies is much needed to further the use of MRS in large clinical studies. The effect of differences in MRS parameters is not well documented and there are no established data harmonization methods for MRS data. Therefore, the goal of this study is to identify the effects of variations such as dwell time, coil type, and software version and describe a method for harmonizing data in healthy controls that will ameliorate those effects.


Typical schedulers in multi-tenancy environments make use of reactive, feedback-oriented mechanisms based on performance counters to avoid resource contention but suffer from detection lag and loss of performance. In this paper, we address these limitations by exploring the utility of predictive analysis through dynamic forecasting of applications' resource-heavy regions during its execution. Our compiler framework classifies loops in programs and leverages traditional compiler analysis along with learning mechanisms to quantify their behaviour. Based on the predictability of their execution time, it then inserts different types of beacons at their entry/exit points. The information produced by beacons in multiple processes is aggregated and analyzed by the proactive scheduler to respond to the anticipated workload requirements. For throughput environments, we develop a framework that demonstrates high-quality predictions and improvements in throughput over CFS by 76.78% on an average and up to 3.2x on Amazon Graviton2 Machine on consolidated workloads across 45 benchmarks.


According to results of multiple studies depression and anxiety are found in more than 50% of patients with hypertension. Presence of affective disorders elevates risk of progression of hypertension. That is why complex therapy comprising antihypertensive drugs from various groups and antidepressants takes on higher and higher significance. Modern antidepressants produce no substantial cardiotoxic effects. Combination of an antihypertensive drug (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril or beta-adrenoblocker metoprolol) with an antidepressant affects favorably clinical course of hypertension, 24-hour blood pressure profile, characteristics of intracardiac hemodynamics, structural and geometric left ventricular parameters, allows to achieve sufficient antihypertensive effect with acceptable tolerability.


Further analysis and experimental evidence is given to show that charge transfer processes cannot account for the experimental findings that have been interpreted as demonstrating the existence of H/sup 2 -/ (R. Schnitzer and M. Anbar, J. Chem. Phys. 64, 4332 (1976)).(AIP)


A connection and a yearning towards a communal and primarily agrarian existence connects the Rastafari the world over. Many Rastafari yearn for a life in direct communication with the earth through agricultural labor in a space created for and by the community, a space "up in the hills" away from the pollutants of a contaminated, corrupting Babylonian society. This was no less the case amongst those in Saint Lucia with whom I conducted recent fieldwork. Different from previous conversations on this topic however, was a new context defined by a global pandemic and a subsequent widely mandated social withdrawal. This engendered a dual response of envisioning rural flight as now more urgent and, in some cases, as a necessary response to COVID-19.


Results of the analysis of factors influencing the probability of accidental groundwater inrush into mine workings of salt (potash, potassium and magnesium) mines are given in the article. The cases of the potash mine flooding that occurred in different countries with developed mining industry are given. It is shown that at the present technical and scientific level of solving this problem the unexpected groundwater inrush in potash mines usually results in the shutdown of the enterprise and negative ecological consequences. It is pointed out that the underground waters flow into the mines through water-conducting fractures of either natural or technogenic origin which location and influence on a mine was almost impossible to predict at the design stage under existing regulations. The concept of reducing the risks of potash mine flooding caused by underground waters in-rush is formulated. Administrative and technical measures which allow reducing the risks of potash mine flooding caused by groundwater inrush into the excavations are considered.


Abstract:  Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the most important factor limiting long‐term survival after lung transplantation, and has a substantial impact on patients' daily life in terms of disability and morbidity. Aim of our study was to examine the effects of BOS on health related quality of life (HRQL) in lung transplantation patients. Data on HRQL from 29 patients who developed BOS at least 18 months earlier were studied longitudinally. HRQL measures were: the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Self‐rating Depression Scale (ZUNG), and the Index of Well Being (IWB). Furthermore questions concerning activities of daily life and dyspnea were asked. The majority of the patients were male, and the most common diagnosis was emphysema. After the onset of BOS, significantly more restrictions were reported on the dimensions energy and mobility of the NHP. These restrictions appeared to increase over time. After the onset of BOS, STAI scores remained more or less stable and close to the value of the general population. ZUNG scores were significantly higher after the onset of BOS, and patients experienced a lower level of well being than the general population. The percentage of patients that reported to be able to perform activities of daily life without effort declined dramatically after the onset of BOS. Furthermore, the percentage of patients complaining of dyspnea increased after the onset of BOS. In conclusion, our study showed that HRQL was negatively affected by the onset of BOS. However, in spite of these less favorable long‐term results, even patients who develop BOS may at least temporarily benefit from a lung transplantation.


Neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3, NT-4/5) have several pharmacological effects on adult neurons, and it has been proposed that they may play a role in sustaining the reparative mechanisms following peripheral nerve injuries. In this study we evaluated the effect of recombinant human (rh) neurotrophins (rhNGF, gifted by Boehringer Mannheim, Germany; rhBDNF and rhNT-3 gifted by Amgen Co, USA) on cisplatin (CDDP)-induced neurotoxicity in HN SH-SY5Y neurotoxicity model. The cells were differentiated with RA 10 μM and exposed for 4 hours to 2.5 μg/ml CDDP with 50 ng/ml rhNGF, rhBDNF or rhNT-3. Then the cells were maintained in DMEM, 10 μM RA and 50 ng/ml rhNGF, rhBDNF or rhNT-3 and assessed for neurotoxicity 48, 72 and 96 hours after the first treatment with RA. Cells were considered "differentiated" when their neurite was longer than 50 μm. At each time point the neurite length was measured on at least 200 randomly selected cells/dish and the percentage of differentiated cells per culture was calculated. Exposure of RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells to CDDP 2.5 μg/ml induced a reduction of the neurite length and of the percentage of differentiated cells. The co-treatment of RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with CDDP and rhBDNF restored the neurite length and the percentage of differentiated cells to values similar to those of cells treated with RA 10 μM alone. On the contrary, exposure of RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to rhNT-3/CDDP combination did not significantly modify the neurite length nor the percentage of differentiated cells in comparison to the cells treated with CDDP alone. The effect of rhNGF was intermediate between that of rhBDNF and the absence of any protection observed with rhNT-3. Our results are in agreement with the observation that RA treatment induces the expression of functional trkB receptors in SH-SY5Y cells, which results in BDNF-mediated neuronal differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells and explains the BDNF neuroprotective effect observed, while trkA receptors are expressed at a lower level and trkC receptors are not expressed even after RA-induced differentiation.


BACKGROUND
The purposes of this study are to define the pattern of injuries sustained by dismounted troops exposed to improvised explosive devices blasts treated at a Role 3 combat support hospital and to assess injury patterns and mortality associated with the mechanism. Our hypothesis was that mortality is associated with pelvic fracture, massive transfusion, high Injury Severity Score (ISS), multiple limb amputations, and transfer from a Role 2 facility.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective study of 457 patients. Analysis performed on trauma registry data and systematic review of radiographs.

RESULTS
99.9% were men with a median age of 23 years and median ISS 10. 141 patients (30.9%) required massive blood transfusion. Limb amputations were frequently observed injuries, 109 of 172 amputees (63.4%) had a double amputation. 34 subjects (7.4%) had pelvic fractures; majority of pelvic fractures (88%) were unstable (Tile B or C). Risk factors associated with the overall mortality rate of 1.8% were an ISS greater than 15 (odds ratio: 11.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.38, 533; p = 0.009), need for massive transfusion (p < 0.0001), and the presence of a pelvic fracture (odds ratio: 7.63; 95% confidence interval: 1.13, 41.3; p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS
Dismounted improvised explosive devices blast injuries result in devastating multiple limb amputations and unstable pelvic fractures, which are associated with mortality after initial trauma resuscitation at a Role 3 hospital.


We have shown previously (Villalonga, P., López- Alcalá, C., Bosch, M., Chiloeches, A., Rocamora, N., Gil, J., Marais, R., Marshall, C. J., Bachs, O., and Agell, N. (2001) Mol. Cell. Biol. 21, 7345–7354) that calmodulin negatively regulates Ras activation in fibroblasts. Hence, anti-calmodulin drugs (such as W13, trifluoroperazine, or W7) are able to induce Ras/ERK pathway activation under low levels of growth factors. We show here that cell treatment with protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors abolishes W13-induced activation of Ras, Raf-1, and ERK. Consequently, PKC activity is essential for achieving the synergism between calmodulin inhibition and growth factors to activate Ras. Furthermore, whereas the activation of PKC by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) does not induce Ras activation in 3T3 cells, activation is observed if calmodulin is simultaneously inhibited. This indicates that calmodulin is preventing Ras activation by PKC. Treatment of cells with epidermal growth factor receptor or platelet-derived growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors does not abrogate the activation of Ras by calmodulin inhibition. This implies that epidermal growth factor receptor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase activities are dispensable for the activation of Ras by TPA plus W13, and, therefore, Ras activation is not a consequence of the transactivation of those receptors by the combination of the anti-calmodulin drug plus TPA. Furthermore, K-Ras, the isoform previously shown to bind to calmodulin, is the only one activated by TPA when calmodulin is inhibited. These data suggest that direct interaction between K-Ras and calmodulin may account for the inability of PKC to activate Ras in 3T3 fibroblasts.In vitro experiments showed that the phosphorylation of K-Ras by PKC was inhibited by calmodulin, suggesting that calmodulin-dependent modulation of K-Ras phosphorylation by PKC could be the mechanism underlying K-Ras activation in fibroblasts treated with TPA plus W13.


In order to guarantee the river ecological basic flow, nonlinear programming mathematical model has been established and used to the regulation of ecological basic flow of Sushui River. Basic on the data on 2008, the model has been corresponding treated and used to regulate the irrigation diversion of "irrigate section" on Sushui River. Fmincon function, which is a optimization technique of MATLAB, has been used for the solution of ecological basic flow regulation model. Regulation results show that, in order to meet the ecological basic flow of Sushui River, water diversion of Chencun and Wenxi Sushui irrigation area should be reduced under all the guarantee rate except 20% on the 3 conditions, the maximum decrease of water diversion of Chencun irrigation area under 100%, 80% and 50% guarantee rate in turn is 15.96%, 26.56% and 31.89%, and that of Wenxi Sushui irrigation area in turn is 97%, 5.7% and 4.56%. The study can provide a scientific basis for the relief of water shortage situation.


Purpose of the reviewRheumatic manifestations are commonly encountered in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or C (HCV) infection. In this review the most common clinical rheumatic manifestations of HBV or HCV infection and their management will be critically presented with a special emphasis on the efficacy and safety of the new biologic agents. Recent findingsRecent significant advances in the antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B and C as well as the emergence of new biologic therapies (anti-TNF agents, rituximab) for the treatment of rheumatic diseases have changed significantly the therapeutic approach for patients with rheumatic disorders in the setting of hepatitis B or C. For patients with hepatitis B, prophylactic antiviral therapy with oral antiviral agents (nucleoside or nucleotide analogues) is recommended for all cases in which immunosuppressive therapies are administered, whereas for severe hepatitis C-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia, a number of recent studies have shown the short-term safety and efficacy of rituximab. SummaryRheumatologists in collaboration with hepatologists have today an array of efficacious therapeutic options to explore for patients presenting with rheumatic disorders in the setting of a co-existent HBV or HCV infection. Appropriate pretreatment screening and close monitoring are essential for these difficult-to-treat patients.


Soil erosion causes severe on- and off-site effects, including loss of organic matter, reductions in soil depth, sedimentation of reservoirs, eutrophication of water bodies, and clogging and smothering of spawning habitats. The involved sediment source-mobilization-delivery process is complex in space and time, depending on a multiplicity of factors that determine lateral sediment connectivity in catchment systems. Shortcomings of soil erosion models and connectivity approaches call for methodical improvement when it comes to assess lateral sediment connectivity in agricultural catchments. This study aims to (i) apply and evaluate different approaches, i.e., Index of Connectivity (IC), the Geospatial Interface for Water Erosion Prediction Project (GeoWEPP) soil erosion model, field mapping and (ii) test a connectivity-adapted version of GeoWEPP (i.e., "GeoWEPP-C") in the context of detecting hot-spots for soil erosion and lateral fine sediment entry points to the drainage network in a medium-sized (138 km2) agricultural catchment in Austria, further discussing their applicability in sediment management in agricultural catchments. The results revealed that (a) GeoWEPP is able to detect sub-catchments with high amount of soil erosion/sediment yield that represent manageable units in the context of soil erosion research and catchment management; (b) the combination of GeoWEPP modeling and field-based connectivity mapping is suitable for the delineation of lateral (i.e., field to stream) fine sediment connectivity hotspots; (c) the IC is a useful tool for a rapid Geographic Information System (GIS)-based assessment of structural connectivity. However, the IC showed significant limitations for agricultural catchments and functional aspects of connectivity; (d) the process-based GeoWEPP-C model can be seen as a methodical improvement when it comes to the assessment of lateral sediment connectivity in agricultural catchments.


We study the time scales for adiabaticity of trapped cold bosons subject to a time-varying lattice potential using a dynamic Gutzwiller mean-field theory. We explain apparently contradictory experimental observations by demonstrating a clear separation of time scales for local dynamics (~ ms) and global mass redistribution (~1 s). We provide a simple explanation for the short and fast time scales, finding that while density or energy transport is dominated by low energy phonons, particle-hole excitations set the adiabaticity time for fast ramps. We show how mass transport shuts off within Mott-insulator domains, leading to a chemical potential gradient that fails to equilibrate on experimental time scales.


The Open Source Software Development (OSSD) is a movement, challenges many traditional and commercial theories of software development. A group of developers, programmers, and other community members develop the Open Source Software (OSS) in a collaborative manner. Community and contributors provide great support to make the source code of the software easily understandable and modifiable. However, there are insignificant such standard model or methodologies for OSSD has yet been established. Currently, researchers are proposing methodologies in this area. This paper proposes a new model, OScrum by modifying the scrum to make it applicable for OSSD. The proposed model has been constructed after analyzing the key metrics, pillars, and values of Scrum and OSSD. The model has been evaluated through comparing implementation process and working procedure of OSSD. The result shows that the implementation process of OSCRUM has a very close relationship with the process of OSSD and therefore, it fits well in such software development.


-Plant species associated with animal disturbances (ant hills, badger mounds, pocket gopher mounds, prairie vole burrow systems and bison wallows) were examined on a tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas. Vegetation growing on disturbed sites was a function of both the type of disturbance and the surrounding vegetation. Annuals were an important component of the flora on some disturbances, e.g., badger mounds, but on other sites, e.g., pocket gopher mounds and ant hills, common perennial prairie species were more abundant. These effects of animals illustrate the importance of disturbance in maintaining species richness and spatial heterogeneity in tallgrass prairie.


BACKGROUND
Cardiac arrest is a major public health issue affecting an estimated 300,000 patients in the United States each year. The American Heart Association has recommended the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and III (SAPS) to assess severity of illness and to predict outcomes in the post-cardiac arrest population. Our objective was to determine if SAPS II and SAPS III scores predict outcomes in post-cardiac arrest patients.

METHODS
We performed an observational study of patients suffering cardiac arrest with return of spontaneous circulation. Data were collected prospectively and recorded in the Utstein style. SAPS II and SAPS III scores were calculated for each subject. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the calculated severity of illness score and in-hospital mortality and poor neurologic outcome.

RESULTS
A total of 274 subjects were identified for analysis. SAPS II was a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.07) and poor-neurologic outcome (OR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.04-1.08). SAPS III was a significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.04, 95%CI: 1.02-1.06) and poor neurologic outcome (OR: 1.04, 95%CI: 1.02-1.05). Both scores had moderate ability to discriminate survivors from non-survivors (SAPS II AUC: 0.70; SAPS III AUC: 0.66), and good neurologic outcome from poor neurologic outcome (SAPS II AUC: 0.71; SAPS III AUC: 0.65).

CONCLUSION
SAPS II and SAPS III scores have only moderate discrimination and are not clinically relevant tools to predict outcome in post-cardiac arrest patients. Further study is needed to identify a more reliable severity of illness score in the post-arrest population.


The authors studied the splitting dynamics of the synthetic chromogenic substrate (S-benzyl-L-cysteine-p-nitroanilide) specific of serum cystine aminopeptidase, depending on a wide range of pH (from 2.5 to 8.0) by means of an enzymatic serum system of pregnant women and selected animals (sheep, cows, sewer-rats), compared with non-pregnant controls. Examining the form of the enzymatic activity curves of the enzymatic system of women's and animal serum in dependence on pH, the authors revealed a characteristic bell-shaped course of the curve in the serum of pregnant women, as distinct from the sera of animals; the activity of cystine aminopeptidase in cows shows a two-peak course at pH from 3.5 to 4.0 and at pH from 6.5 to 7.0 while other animal species show irregularities with signs of the second peak. It follows from the results of the experiment that the main difference between pregnant and control animals is not the general increase of cystine aminopeptidase but a shift of the occurrence, or an increase of enzymatic activity at the given pH. The highest levels of cystine aminopeptidase were found in the blood sera of sewer-rats and lower in sheep and cows.


The Anatolian acorn (Quercus ithaburensis Decne) is a promising resource for a variety of industries in Turkey and the world. It has the potential to serve as a bio-mordant, natural dye for textiles and leather, providing an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic dyes and reducing dependence on chemicals and petrochemicals. The commercial viability of the acorn and its export potential make it a valuable resource for supporting regional trade and boosting the local economy, with the potential to create new job opportunities. In addition, the acorn has a unique colour range, fastness, and antimicrobial properties, making it a desirable choice for manufacturers looking for a sustainable alternative. Overall, the Anatolian acorn holds great potential as a natural dye and a valuable resource for supporting regional trade and sustainability goals. The development and commercialization of this resource could play a significant role in the future of sustainable development in Turkey and the world.


Two amyloidogenic Bence Jones proteins (Am37 VkappaIV and NIG1 VkappaI) and one non-amyloidogenic protein (NIG26 VkappaIII) were characterized. The protein Am37 had four deletions when compared with the translated germ-line gene sequence: two Ser residues following position 27 (27e, 27f) in CDR1 and two amino acids Pro-44, and Tyr-49 in FR2 were deleted. A strictly conserved salt-bridge-forming amino acid, Asp-82, was replaced by the hydrophobic residue Leu. In a comparative study of amyloidogenic and non-amyloidogenic proteins, five amino acids (Ser-10, Ala-13, Ser-65, Gln-90, and Ile-106) were found to be unique to NIG1 and several other amyloidogenic proteins. Additional substitutions also occur within these proteins. These substitutions might be significant in altering protein folding as well as in contributing to their aggregation as amyloid fibrils.


This article argues two issues - first, that the transformation of knowledge and knowledge production is still pertinent and yet an unresolved issue. The reconstruction of knowledge management as a discourse and practice in the legislatures cannot be fulfilled without the transformation of the knowledge base. The legislatures, through their oversight and public participation, have an opportunity to engender a people-connected knowledge production and knowledge management regime, but are not doing so. The article singles out knowledge production and argues that it is the foundation which needs to be 'decolonised' if ever knowledge management is to be an emancipatory praxis which connects with the tacit and explicit knowledges of marginalised communities serviced by legislatures. The article uses as the points of reference the various forms of public participation used by the legislatures, e.g. sector parliaments and publichearings. Knowledge management is inferred in the article to include knowledge production, codification, deployment and storage; it involves all the practices of embedding knowledge in organisational cultures and activities. The article furtherargues that the kind of knowledge currently used in parliamentary oversight functions should be not be taken for granted as if it is complete and uncontested. Legislative forums of public participation should be used as knowledge production forums to complement and expand the codified hegemonic knowledge paradigms dominating the field of knowledge management. The knowledge emanating from 'marginalised communities', based on their languages and experiences could be an enriching contribution to the diversification of the content of what is known and also the terms of validation of what constitutes knowledge.


Abstract Salinity is one of the important abiotic stresses that challenge crop productivity worldwide. Crop nutrition management and exogenous application of proline may help improve plant salt tolerance. This study investigated the effects of exogenous proline (100 mM) and phosphorus (P; 10 and 100 mg kg−1 sand) application on the growth, P content and ionic balance in maize under salt stress. Seedlings of a maize hybrid 30Y87 were grown in sand-filled pots maintained under normal (1 dS m−1) and salt stress conditions (6 dS m−1). Salt stress caused a significant reduction in plant photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, and shoot and root P contents and tissue potassium (K+) contents whereas a significant increase in tissue sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) was also noted. However, the application of proline and P ameliorated the impact of salt stress by restricting the Na+ and Cl− uptake and accumulation, and significantly improved plant light absorption capacity, plant growth, P contents and tissue K+ contents under both control and salt stress conditions. In this regard, the application of proline with a high rate of P nutrition was more effective. In conclusion, co-application of proline with a high rate of P nutrition synergistically restricted the Na+ and Cl− accumulation and improved the plant growth under salt stress.


: We report an event of food poisoning traced to eating salted shrimps. Vibrio alginolyticus was shown to be the causative agent through epidemiological investigations and etiological tests. Vibro alginolyticus can bring about human septicaemia and wound infection and it was found in the feces of patients with diarrhea, but no determination on its pathogenicity was done. From the samples of food which led to food poisoning. Vibrio alginolyticus was isolated, and for the first time it was determined as a pathogen of food poisoning.


OD estimation is a critical component of Dynamic Traffic Assignment System in that it determines the frequencies of driver's trips through a network. As OD estimation is intended for use in a real-time setting, computational issues are critical, and the Kalman Filtering method is provided to increase computational efficiency. The basic idea of this applied is to use all the information contained in historical OD data in conjuction with data on traffic counts to generate OD estimated in real-time. Unlike other approaches in literatures, this approach is based on deviations from historical values.


Background Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed medications that are thought to increase the risk of cardiovascular events because they reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel via shared hepatic pathways. Objective This study examined the prevalence of concomitant prescribing of clopidogrel/PPI among patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and the adverse cardiovascular event associated with this interaction. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted by retrieving patient data from the Nat Health Insurance claims processor database in Palestine. Adults diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) from 2019 through 2021 who were prescribed clopidogrel or clopidogrel in combination with a PPI were included in the study. Endpoints were adverse cardiac events, including readmission for revascularization during the first year of treatment. Results The study included 443 patients; the prevalence of prescribing concomitant clopidogrel with a PPI was 74.7%, whereas 49.2% were prescribed interacting PPI (omeprazole, esomeprazole, and lansoprazole). 59 (13.3%) of participants experienced a cardiovascular event within 1 year of starting therapy, including 27 (12.4%) patients who had a cardiovascular event while taking an interacting PPI. No significant association was found between PPI administration and increased CV event risk in patients receiving concomitant clopidogrel and PPIs therapy (p = 0.579). Conclusion In this study, we observed a high prevalence of prescribing a PPI in combination with clopidogrel, regardless of the FDA recommendations. No significant increase in cardiovascular events was observed in patients receiving concomitant clopidogrel and PPI therapy.


Climate change has induced ocean deoxygenation and exacerbated eutrophication-driven hypoxia in recent decades, affecting the physiology, behaviour and ecology of marine organisms. The high oxygen demand of visual tissues and the known inhibitory effects of hypoxia on human vision raise the questions if and how ocean deoxygenation alters vision in marine organisms. This is particularly important given the rapid loss of oxygen and strong vertical gradients in oxygen concentration in many areas of the ocean. This review evaluates the potential effects of low oxygen (hypoxia) on visual function in marine animals and their implications for marine biota under current and future ocean deoxygenation based on evidence from terrestrial and a few marine organisms. Evolutionary history shows radiation of eye designs during a period of increasing ocean oxygenation. Physiological effects of hypoxia on photoreceptor function and light sensitivity, in combination with morphological changes that may occur throughout ontogeny, have the potential to alter visual behaviour and, subsequently, the ecology of marine organisms, particularly for fish, cephalopods and arthropods with 'fast' vision. Visual responses to hypoxia, including greater light requirements, offer an alternative hypothesis for observed habitat compression and shoaling vertical distributions in visual marine species subject to ocean deoxygenation, which merits further investigation. This article is part of the themed issue 'Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world'.


We numerically calculated the photonic band structure of a cholesteric blue phase II (BPII) liquid crystal using two models, the tensor order parameter model and the double-twist cylinder (DTC) model. The tensor order parameter model was derived numerically from the Landau-de Gennes theory, whereas the DTC model simply assumed a three-dimensional stack of ordered cylinders. The two models yielded similar photonic band structures; however, the polarization dependence of the transmission spectrum through the (100) direction in BPII was different. The results from the tensor order parameter model gave a better qualitative agreement with experiments on the transmission spectrum. This demonstrates the importance of a precise orientation model in the analysis of the optical properties of cholesteric blue phases.


Electron microscope data explain why feldspars are key to nucleating ice particles in clouds Ice-nucleating particles in Earth's atmosphere have a profound impact on cloud properties. Among the plethora of particle types in the atmosphere, certain feldspars associated with desert dust have been identified as very important ice-nucleating particles (1). As Kiselev et al. (2) show on page 367 of this issue, specific crystallographic features, which only appear in small patches in cracks or other imperfections, may be responsible for feldspar's capacity to nucleate ice (see the image). These results not only help us to understand why certain feldspars are so good at nucleating ice, but may help pave the way to a more general understanding of how ice crystals nucleate.


In recent years, MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) have attracted much attention in the study of the next generation wireless communication systems. In this paper, we propose a new channel estimation and data detection joint algorithm for MIMO system using MAP-based SAGE (Space-Alternating Generalized Expectation-maximization) algorithm. In the MAP-based SAGE algorithm we divide a sub-frame of MIMO system into some sub-blocks and use the MAP-based SAGE algorithm in each sub-block. At the head of each sub-frame, we insert a training symbol which is used to initial estimation at the beginning. In the iteration process, we apply channel estimation of the previous sub-block to initial estimation in the current sub-block by ML detection. In the current sub-block we update channel estimate and data detection by iteration until converge. In each iteration process, only part of the transmit antennas is updated. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve BER performance.


In this paper the impact of varying spacer dielectric on both sides of gate oxide on the device performance of a symmetric double gate Junctionless transistor (DGJNT) is reported. The performance parameter of the device considered in this study are ION/IOFF, DIBL and subthreshold slope. It is observed that there is a significant improvement in ION/IOFF, DIBL and subthreshold slope with spacer dielectric.


Introduction: A variety of team-based telehealth interventions have recently been developed and piloted in a number of practice settings. Despite the variety of intervention designs, clinical inertia (CI) continues to be problematic for therapeutic intensification and subsequent disease control. Commentary: Based on recent literature, pharmacists have the ability to mitigate a number of factors contributing to CI. Considering CI continues to limit overall effectiveness of team-based telehealth interventions, involving pharmacists more intentionally in these interventions would provide benefit to therapeutic intensification and therapeutic outcomes.


We propose a new approach for Collaborative Filtering which is based on Boolean Matrix Factorisation (BMF) and Formal Concept Analysis. In a series of experiments on real data (Movielens dataset) we compare the approach with the SVD- and NMF-based algorithms in terms of Mean Average Error (MAE). One of the experimental consequences is that it is enough to have a binary-scaled rating data to obtain almost the same quality in terms of MAE by BMF than for the SVD-based algorithm in case of non-scaled data.


Evidence of TeV emission from GRB 970417a has been previously reported using data from the Milagrito detector. Constraints on the TeV fluence and the energy spectrum are now derived using additional data from a scaler system that recorded the rate of signals from the Milagrito photomultipliers. This analysis shows that if emission from GRB 970417a has been observed, it must contain photons with energies above 650 GeV. Some consequences of this observation are discussed. Subject headings: gamma rays: bursts — gamma rays: observations


Time-series of in situ or satellite-derived measurements of hourly irradiation on horizontal surface are increasingly available. In many cases, such data are input to numerical procedures that can be performed only if a solar zenith angle can be associated to each measurement. Currently, only time stamp is given for each measurement; no angle is given. The solar zenith angle is greatly varying within 1 h and cannot be considered as constant. In this context, there is a practical request from companies, academics, researchers...: what is the best practice for computing this angle? The work presented here compares the performances of several existing practices and makes recommendations keeping in mind the practical aspects faced by practitioners, companies, academics, researchers... High-quality 1 min measurements of global, diffuse and direct collected by the BSRN station in Carpentras in France, are aggregated to yield hourly irradiation, and used to assess the performances. It is found that several practices may be used to compute in a satisfactory way the effective solar zenith angle. The most accurate results are obtained if one may obtain corresponding irradiation values that should be observed under clear-sky conditions. The McClear Service available at http://www.soda-pro.com is one Web service providing such estimates of cloud-free irradiation for several summarizations, from 1 min to 1 month. If one may not obtain such cloud-free estimates, then the most accurate results are obtained from using irradiation at the top of atmosphere. Performances show a tendency to decrease during sunrise and sunset hours.


F. Scott Fitzgerald likely gleaned the title for his magnum opus The Great Gatsby from an enigmatic passage in Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim, in which the eponymous character is said to be "of great gabasidy" — a polyglot's pronunciation of great capacity. But the parallels between Conrad and Fitzgerald's novels go well beyond the title, most notably in the way that Fitzgerald fashions Gatsby in the image of Jim. Moreover, both Conrad and Fitzgerald meditate on Jim's and Gatsby's "capacity," which they imbue with a romantic optimism that forestalls the traumas of the past. Fitzgerald utilizes Conrad and his protagonist as a model for how to place a conventionally romantic character within a text that is otherwise preoccupied with modernist forms and themes.


Abstract The article explores the theory and practice of constitu-tional engineering in the context of ethnically fragmented societies. By looking at the way electoral engineering fits into broader concepts of democratic rights and democratisation processes, the tension between representation and stability is presented as an issue of how to combine democratic legitimacy with efficiency in dealing with post-war situations. Historical and cognitive institutionalism might provide a better understanding of how an ethnic community might evolve into a political community than a rational-choice oriented, positive institutionalism prevalent in conflict management studies. The author suggests three criteria for assessing efforts of constitutional engineering in terms of democratic legitimacy without having to solve the dilemma of whether democratic institutions or democratic culture must come first. By closing with a brief analysis of discussions of the electoral system in Bosnia, the article raises practical questions about the rhetoric of institutionalism and democratic theory in a post-war context.


The 1 : 1 : 1 condensates of salicylaldehyde, propanediamine, and either pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde (L1) or pyridine-2-carbaldehyde (L2) have been isolated and combined with selected first-row transition-metal ions. The copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of L1 have been prepared and characterized, as has the pyridine adduct of the corresponding cobalt(II) derivative. The copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of L2 have also been characterized. Spectral and chemical properties of these systems are compared with those of complexes involving analogous symmetrical Schiff-base ligands.


AIM
To detect cytotoxic effects of blood serum (BS) from schizophrenia patients on astrocytes and neurons in the human fetal brain organotypic culture.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Authors studied the human fetal brain organotypic culture after the application of BS from 20 healthy donors and 33 untreated patients with attack-like progressive schizophrenia (ICD-10: schizophrenia, paranoid type, F20.02; F20.22). The numerical density of degenerating cells was estimated by the optical dissector method in Nissl stained sections. A qualitative electron microscopic study of glial cells, neurons and neuropil as well as morphometric study of the ultrastructure of astrocytes were performed.

RESULTS
Authors found no significant effect of BS from patients with schizophrenia on the numerical density of degenerating cells as compared to BS from healthy donors. The qualitative study detected ultrastructural alterations in astrocytes and microglial cells but not in neurons. The morphometric study of astrocytes demonstrated a decrease of the area of astrocytes, their nuclei (р<0.001) and cytoplasm (р<0.05), reduced number of mitochondria (р<0.05) and increase in the number and volume fraction of lypofuscin inclusions (р<0.01).

CONCLUSION
The application of BS from untreated schizophrenia patients does not influence the cell survival in human fetal brain organotypic culture and the ultrastructure of neurons and neuropil but induces the hypotrophy of astrocytes and increase in the number of lypofuscin inclusions. The data suggest that astrocytes are specific target for the damage effect of BS from schizophrenia patients.


Introduction Animal models are valid for in vivo research on the pathophysiological process and drug screening of gout arthritis. Intra-articular injection of monosodium urate (MSU) is the most common method, while stable MSU deposition enveloped by inflammatory cells was rarely reported. Objective To develop a modified gouty arthritis rat model characterized by intra-articular MSU deposition and continuous joint pain with a minimally invasive method. Method A total of twenty-four rats were randomly allocated into six groups. Three intervention groups of rats received intra-articular MSU embedment. Sham groups received pseudosurgeries with equal normal saline (NS). Gross parameters and pathological features of synovium harvested from anterior capsule were estimated. Mechanical pain threshold tests were conducted over a 96-hour period postoperatively. Moreover, quantitative immunofluorescence was conducted to assess tissue inflammation. Result After MSU embedding, rats got more persistent arthritic symptoms as well as tissue MSU deposition. More significant synovial swelling was detected in the MSU group compared to sham groups (P < 0.025). Behavioral tests showed that the embedding of MSU resulted in prolonged mechanical hyperalgesia during 2 hours to 96 hours postoperatively (P < 0.05). MSU depositions enveloped by inflammatory cells that express IL-1β and TNF-α were detected in embedding groups. Quantitative immunofluorescence suggested that the frequencies of MSU interventions upregulated expression of proinflammatory factors including IL-1β and TNF-α (P < 0.05). Conclusion A minimally invasive method was developed to establish modified rat model of intra-articular MSU deposition. This model was proved to be a simple reproducible method to mimic the pathological characteristics of persistent gouty arthritis.


The main types of oxygenates, which are used in the manufacture of motor types of gasoline, are considered. Oxygenates (oxygen-containing compounds) is the general name for lower alcohols and ethers used as high-octane components of motor fuels. For the manufacture of motor types of gasoline, a low-octane base is used to which high-octane components are added. In many cases, lower alcohols (methanol, ethanol, etc.) and ethers (methyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether, etc.) are used as high-octane components of motor types of gasoline. Straight-run gasoline and stable gasoline are often used as the low-octane gasoline base for mixed motor types of gasoline.

Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest monohydric alcohol. Methyl alcohol is now produced synthetically from carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a representative of monohydric alcohols with the formula C2H5OH. The production of ethyl alcohol is possible in several ways: biochemical, hydrolysis, synthetic, or ethylene hydration. For the manufacture of motor types of gasoline, dehydrated ethyl alcohol (bioethanol, an alternative universal component of motor fuel (KMPU), etc.) is used.

Bioethanol is produced according to DSTU 7166: 2010 "Bioethanol. Technical mind". According to DSTU 7166: 2010, bioethanol is dehydrated ethyl alcohol made from biomass or from raw ethyl alcohol for use as biofuel. As a technological and denaturing additive, gasoline (petroleum products) is introduced into bioethanol in an amount of up to 1.5 % by volume.

KMPU is produced in accordance with TU U 20.5-00372536-001: 2013 "Component of firing motor alternative universal (KMPU). Technical conditions". An alternative universal motor fuel component is dehydrated ethyl alcohol with a complex of additives, which is used for the manufacture of mixed motor types of gasoline and alternative types of motor types of gasoline. Compositionally, KMPU is similar to bioethanol but differs from it in the presence of another high-octane component – methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

Methyl tert-butyl ether, formula CH3-O-C (CH3)3 is a product that can be obtained in large quantities by reacting isobutylene with methanol. The advantage of MTBE is its good solubility in gasoline, and, at the same time, it is not washed out of it with water. MTBE does not impair the physical and chemical stability of gasoline; it is characterized by stable anti-knock properties during storage and operation.

The article discusses the results of the study of the listed oxygenates by gasliquid chromatography. This method makes it possible to establish the qualitative and quantitative composition of oxygenates and motor types of gasoline based on them.
It is shown that from readily available petroleum components (stable gas gasoline) without the use of complex technological equipment by mixing with oxygenates, it is possible to obtain a gasoline mixture with a high detonation resistance, which is fake gasoline in composition.

When mixing in certain proportions a low-octane gasoline base, for example, stable gas gasoline and oxygenates (lower alcohols, ethers), which have appropriate performance characteristics, it is possible to obtain commercial gasoline that will meet the requirements of regulatory documents (DSTU) for motor types of gasoline.

The considered technology also allows, when mixing in the calculated proportions of commercial gasoline A-92 (A-95) with oxygenates and stable gasoline, to improve the operational characteristics (knock resistance) of the obtained gasoline mixture or to increase the volume of the resulting gasoline mixture without improving its operational characteristics.

Key words: blended types of gasoline, alternative types of gasoline, oxygenates, lower alcohols, ethers, bioethanol, alternative motor fuel component universal.


Introduction: The quality of life and the risk of hospitalization are partially related to the activity level of patients with COPD. The effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation can be characterized by exercise physiologic variables and daily activity.

Methods: 12 patients with COPD (FEV1: 55±17%pred, age: 60±9 year, BMI: 21±4 kg/m2) performed 30-minute high intensity cycling 3 times per week for 8 weeks supervised by physiotherapists. Exercise physiologic variables and 12-hour daytime activity monitoring (Dynaport MiniMode, McRoberts BV) were measured before and after rehabilitation.

Results: None of the patients was hospitalized in this rehabilitation period. There was no change in maximal exercise capacity (WRmax: 75±17 vs. 82±21 Watt), but oxygen uptake (VO2:1,06±0,33 vs. 1,32±0,08 L/min.; p<0,05) and lactate threshold (LAT: 0,68±0,18 vs. 0,88±0,20 L/min.; p<0,05) improved significantly. Patients with COPD were more active after rehabilitation (lying: 26±16 vs. 12±11%; locomotion: 7±5 vs. 14±3%, p<0,05). Energy expenditure was reduced at rest after rehabilitation (lying: 22634±15352 vs. 12736±16514 Watt, p<0,05). Step counts improved significantly (3257±2267 vs. 5688±2920, p<0,05). The time of locomotion modestly correlated with post-rehab WRmax (r2=0,40, p<0,05) and FEV1 (%pred) (r2=0,25, p<0,05).

Conclusion: Activity monitoring contributes to the complex evaluation of rehabilitative interventions. Compared to maximal exercise capacity, change in activity level proved to be more sensitive to detect improvement in the status of COPD patients in this pilot study.


Organic waste has high COD and BOD content, so it is dangerous if disposed of directly into the environment. Organic waste processing, such as waste from livestock manure and liquid tofu waste, requires a process that can reduce COD and BOD levels as well as produce valuable products. Anaerobic digestion method is the proper process to convert complex compounds in waste into simpler compounds with methanogenic bacteria into a renewable energy product, namely biogas. On the other hand, the anaerobic digestion process can reduce COD and BOD levels in the biogas formation process. This study uses raw materials such as cow manure and chicken manure, and liquid tofu waste. The variables that produced the largest biogas were those with a ratio of 70% cow dung, 15% chicken manure, and 15% tofu liquid waste with a total of 3,251.5 mL. Then, the COD and BOD levels decreased significantly with more than 98% COD removal, and more than 95% BOD removal in all variables at the end of the anaerobic digestion process.


This exploratory paper examines the experiences of Project Zoo, a collaborative endeavour between the Industrial Design department at RMIT University and Melbourne Zoo. The project, adopting constructivist pedagogy and a participatory design approach, focussed on the development of behavioural enrichment products and scenarios for orang-utans in captivity. Through lengthy observations, by collecting data in multiple manners and undertaking a number of activities, students learned in action about the everydayness of the zoo, the needs and routines of its inhabitants and a number of related limitations and considerations for their designs, to then develop a series of concepts and scenarios for their unusual clients, with the iterative help of keepers at the primate department and, at times, volunteers and general staff. The project proved to be a successful experience for a number of reasons, particularly for (1) the participatory research students have engaged in and learned from over the course of a semester, (2) the success among zoo staff of the designed prototypes, some which are currently being developed and formally manufactured with the zoo and for its primate department, and (3) a partnership, originally developed as a pilot project, that is currently being renegotiated as a long-term relationship thanks to newly developed shared values and the acknowledgement of reciprocal interests and benefits.


The cerebral cortex is composed of hundreds of different types of neurons, which underlie its ability to perform highly complex neural processes. How this astonishing cell diversity is generated during development constitutes a major challenge in developmental neurosciences, with important implications for neurological diseases. Here we review some recent and exciting advances in this field, from the description of the cellular processes at the origin of cortical neuron diversity, to the dissection of the molecular logic underlying fate selection in cortical neurons.


In this paper, we report on a design method for chirped delay lines (CDLs) in microstrip technology. They consist in a continuously varying strip width, so that the coupling location between the quasi-TEM microstrip mode and the same but counter-propagating mode is linearly distributed in frequency. High delay/spl times/bandwidth products, over frequency ranges of several gigahertzs, can be obtained following this procedure. Experimental data confirm the design method. Real-time Fourier analysis of wideband pulses can be performed using these CDLs.


Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), one of the most severe inherited retinal dystrophies, is typically associated with extremely early onset of visual loss, nystagmus, and amaurotic pupils, and is responsible for 20% of childhood blindness. With advances in molecular diagnostic technology, the knowledge about the genetic background of LCA has expanded widely, while disease-causing variants have been identified in 38 genes. Different pathogenetic mechanisms have been found among these varieties of genetic mutations, all of which result in the dysfunction or absence of their encoded proteins participating in the visual cycle. Hence, the clinical phenotypes also exhibit extensive heterogenicity, including the course of visual impairment, involvement of the macular area, alteration in retinal structure, and residual function of the diseased photoreceptor. By reviewing the clinical course, fundoscopic images, optical coherent tomography examination, and electroretinogram, genotype-phenotype correlations could be established for common genetic mutations in LCA, which would benefit the timing of the diagnosis and thus promote early intervention. Gene therapy is promising in the management of LCA, while several clinical trials are ongoing and preliminary success has been announced, focusing on RPE65 and other common disease-causing genes. This review provides an update on the genetics, clinical examination findings, and genotype-phenotype correlations in the most well-established causative genetic mutations of LCA.


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Anaesthetized dogs (pentobarbitone 25 mg kg-1 + 3 mg kg-1 h-1) with a Teflon catheter inserted to the femoral artery for pressure and heart rate measurement and blood sampling were studied. Extradural puncture was carried out at L7--S1 under x-ray control and 2% lignocaine (1 ml min-1) infused for approximately 10 min. During extradural block a decrease in arterial pressure was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in plasma noradrenaline concentration (NA) and a compensatory increase in plasma renin activity (PRA), which became significant 15 min after commencing the block when the arterial pressure was at the minimum. Dihydroergotamine (DHE) led to a rapid reversal of the hypotension with no change in heart rate and a decrease in PRA. Hypovolaemia (blood loss 5 ml kg-1) was induced before and during block, respectively, in two further experimental groups. Increased NA and PRA were found under hypovolaemia without extradural block, but only PRA increased with hypovolaemia and a block. The effects of DHE in the later studies were comparable to those observed in the initial study.


We carry out a nonparametric analysis of financial durations. We make use of an existing algorithm to describe nonparametrically the dynamics of the process in terms of its lagged realizations and of a latent variable, its conditional mean. The devices needed to effectively apply the algorithm to our dataset are presented. On simulated data, the nonparametric procedure yields better estimates than the ones delivered by an incorrectly specified parametric method. On a real dataset, the nonparametric analysis can convey information on the nature of the data generating process that may not be captured by the parametric specification. In this view, the nonparametric method proposed can be a valuable preliminary analysis able to suggest the choice of a 'good' parametric specification, or a complement of a parametric estimation."