Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a group of over 450 genetically distinct conditions associated with significant morbidity and mortality, for which early diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes. Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is currently underway in several countries, utilising a DNA-based technique to quantify T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC). This strategy will only identify those infants with an IEI associated with T and/or B cell lymphopenia. Other severe forms of IEI will not be detected. Up-front, first-tier genomic-based newborn screening has been proposed as a potential approach by which to concurrently screen infants for hundreds of monogenic diseases at birth. Given the clinical, phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of IEI, a next-generation sequencing-based newborn screening approach would be suitable. There are, however, several ethical, legal and social issues which must be evaluated in detail prior to adopting a genomic-based newborn screening approach, and these are discussed herein in the context of IEI.


Stamping failures consist of, broadly speaking, either tearing (excessive local strain energy) or wrinkling (insufficient or inappropriate local strain energy). Good parts are produced when the strain energy or plastic work is effectively distributed during the forming process such that tears and wrinkles are eliminated. The process window framed by tearing and wrinkling limits can be rather small for some materials, notably aluminum alloys. At present, there are no established methods of directly controlling the forming energy distribution within the tool during a stamping operation. All current commercial methods attempt plastic strain control at the sheet boundary by various binder geometries and pressure profiles. While improvements by active control of draw beads and binder pressure have led to improved stamping performance, these methods still broadly rely on tool geometry to set the energy distribution. We have recently developed and demonstrated a method for more directly controlling the distribution of forming energy in a stamping operation based on an extension of electromagnetic (EM) impulse forming. We now have techniques for embedding and operating EM pulse actuator coils in stamping tools. These coils can be operated in a single high power pulse or as a series of lower energy pulses occurring several times during the forming stroke. A single high power pulse can provide the advantage of increased material forming limits of high velocity forming. However, applying a series of lower power pulses can increase forming limits without exposing the tooling and coil to large shock loads. Multiple pulses reduce the maximum strain levels by engaging more of the part material in the forming process which mimics (eliminates) the use of lubricants. Conventional production stamping rates are technically obtainable with proper integration of the EM impulse circuit with the forming press and tooling. This paper focuses on the basic design approach of our multiple pulse technique and integrated process forming results. Comparisons to other augmented stamping processes as well as conventional stamping are presented in terms of both simple metrics, such as draw depth and strain distributions.


This research aimed to determine the concentration of chloramphenicol in shrimp using the standard addition method based on the diazotization reaction using Zn powder as a reducing agent of chloramphenicol, followed by the use of N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride as a coupling agent and measured at 565 nm. Based on the test, the shrimp sample was found to contain 1964.91 mg/kg of chloramphenicol and it exceeded the requirements set by the European Commission which was 0,15 mg/kg. The limit of detection (LOD) value is 0.19 mg/mL and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) value is 0.64 mg/mL. The correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.9991 for the concentration range of 0-50 ppm. The analysis of the results showed that the %recovery in shrimp analysis using this method was 87.41%-107.73% with an average of 109.38%.


Background:Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) medication is the pressing public health problem worldwide. Non-adherence to HAART leads to treatment failure, immunologic failure, and virological failure. Despite different interventions made; still, HAART medication adherence among adult people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is inconsistent across studies and the effect of HIV disclosure status was not well studied. Therefore this study determines the pooled prevalence of HAART adherence and its relationship with HIV disclosure status among Adult PLWHA.MethodsWe searched 3247 both published and unpublished original articles from January 2016 to November 2019 in Ethiopia using different search engines. Data were extracted using Microsoft excel. New Castle Ottawa Scale quality assessment tool was used. STATA software version 11 was used for analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed. Cochran Q statistics and I2 were used to estimate heterogeneity. Eggers and Begg's test was used to assess the publication bias.ResultsA total of 15 studies for systematic review and four studies for Meta-analysis were used. The pooled prevalence of HAART medication adherence is found to be 81.19% (80.132, 82.248). In the subgroup analysis, the pooled prevalence of HAART adherence was 79.82% (73.19, 86.45) in the Oromia region, 82.51% ( 73.14, 91.87) in the Amhara region, and 72.7% (63.78, 81.61) in the SNNPR. HIV disclosure improves HAART adherence by nearly three times compared to non-HIV disclosed HAART users (AOR=2.99, 95%CI: 1.88, 4.77).ConclusionsThe pooled prevalence of HAART adherence among adult PLWHA was found to be low. Having HIV disclosure improved HAART medication adherence.


The formation of protonated serine octamer clusters from homochiral and heterochiral monomer solutions was investigated. The well-established preference for homochiral cluster formation was found to originate from collision-induced dissociation of the less stable ion population B prior to reaching the mass spectrometer's analyzer cell. In addition, collision-induced dissociation experiments were undertaken to investigate the relative stabilities of populations A and B and infrared multi-photon dissociation experiments addressed the relative stabilities of the protonated serine octamer cluster and its metaclusters. Isotopically-labeled serine was used throughout the experiments.


Fresh pods of Moringa oleifera with nutraceutical importance are widely consumed in food commodities as vegetables. It is nutritious and it also has several biological activities. In the present study, a simple, rapid, cost-efective, and sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was applied for the simultaneous determination of six phenolic compounds, viz., gallic (phenolic acid), p-coumaric, cafeic acid (hydroxycinnamic acid), chlorogenic acid (cinnamic acid derivative), quercetin and kaempferol (flavonols) in flowers, pods, leaves, twigs, and seeds of M. oleifera. Simultaneous separation and quantification of compounds were achieved on HPTLC pre-coated silica gel 60 F254 aluminum plates using the mobile phase toluene—ethyl acetate—formic acid (14:10:1). Densitometric determination was carried out at λmax 282 nm. The calibration curves were linear, ranged between 0.984 and 0.998; the limit of detection and quantification ranged between 110.8 ng mL-1 and 142.3 ng mL-1, and 301.6 ng µL-1 and 410.8 ng µL-1; and recovery ranged between 96.2% and 97.9%. The validated method was successively used to analyze the above compounds in the plant parts of M. oleifera. The amount of the total phenolic content and specifc phenolic compounds ranged from 4.86 mg g-1 (gallic acid equivalent [GAE]) to 14.79 mg g-1 (GAE) and 0.007% quercetin (fower and fower with pods) to 0.099% gallic acid (pods of 15 days). This study reveals that the presence of specific phenolic compounds in M. oleifera shall be a good source for the isolation of the above-mentioned compounds for industrial use.


After the great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, we started the discussion about the combination of measures on earthquake. For example, one is to strengthen the design specification with earthquake. The other is how to evacuate after the occurrence of earthquake. In this study, we try to consider the combination of two required functions by the idea of multi state system (MSS). And we define the reliability of evacuation. Completed evacuation time is calculated by simulation. The reliability of evacuation is shown by the probability that completed evacuation time becomes shorter than required evacuation time. Then, we define the reliability estimation matrix using required evacuation time, number of sign, number of evacuation and so on.


Introduction: Given its association with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT), pes cavus is a common reason for referral to a neurologist. We investigated clinical features that may predict CMT in children with pes cavus. Methods: In this study we retrospectively reviewed pes cavus patients referred to Boston Children's Hospital in the past 20 years. Patients were categorized as idiopathic or CMT, based on EMG/genetic testing, and their clinical features were compared. Results: Of the 70 patients studied, 33 had idiopathic pes cavus, and 37 had genetically confirmed CMT. Symptoms of weakness, unsteady gait, family history of pes cavus and CMT, and signs of sensory deficits, distal atrophy and weakness, absent ankle jerks, and gait abnormalities were associated with CMT. Conclusions: In children with pes cavus, certain clinical features can predict CMT and assist in selection of patients for further, potentially uncomfortable (EMG) and expensive (genetic) confirmatory investigations. Muscle Nerve, 2013


The dissertation consists of a collection of personal essays about hunting and fishing. Because the essays are narratives and contain dialogue, characterization, description, themes, etc., they fall under the genre of creative nonfiction. The dissertation has two parts. Part I consists of an essay that discusses the author's struggle to combine creative nonfiction with outdoor writing and also describes the author's dilemma of writing about hunting, a topic that is often controversial at the university, while a graduate student. Part II of the dissertation consists of narratives that recount the author's hunting and fishing experiences that occurred in North Texas and in the mountains of New Mexico. The essays discuss fishing for trout and hunting for deer, wild boars, quail, and duck. Three major themes are developed throughout the dissertation. The first theme describes the close relationship that exists between the author and his father. This closeness is partly due to the time that they have shared during decades of hunting and fishing together. The second theme discusses the ethics of hunting and especially focuses on which methods of hunting are ethical and which methods are not. The third theme explores the complex and sometimes unpleasant interactions that occur between sportsmen when they encounter each other while hunting and fishing. This theme explores the give and take attitude that must exist in order for sportsmen to get along. This attitude is necessary because no two outdoorsmen view the outdoors and hunting and fishing in quite the same way.


The reliability of Monte Carlo calculations of ion chamber response depends critically upon the details of the electron transport, particularly at media interfaces. Improper handling of electron transport algorithms near boundaries can lead to anomalous results which the authors call 'interface artefacts'. This effect is demonstrated for two computer codes, EGS and CYLTRAN/ETRAN, and the underlying physics is described. Details are also given of a Monte Carlo code suitable for the calculation of ion chamber response to 60Co without calculational artefacts and of various variance reduction techniques that greatly reduce the computing time required.


Wildlife agencies typically attempt to manage carnivore numbers in localized game management units through hunting, and do not always consider the potential influences of immigration and emigration on the outcome of those hunting practices. However, such a closed population structure may not be an appropriate model for management of carnivore populations where immigration and emigration are important population parameters. The closed population hypothesis predicts that high hunting mortality will reduce numbers and densities of carnivores and that low hunting mortality will increase numbers and densities. By contrast, the open population hypothesis predicts that high hunting mortality may not reduce carnivore densities because of compensatory immigration, and low hunting mortality may not result in more carnivores because of compensatory emigration. Previous research supported the open population hypothesis with high immigration rates in a heavily hunted (hunting mortality rate=0.24) cougar population in northern Washington. We test the open population hypothesis and high emigration rates in a lightly hunted (hunting mortality rate=0.11) cougar population in central Washington by monitoring demography from 2002 to 2007. We used a dual sex survival/fecundity Leslie matrix to estimate closed population growth and annual census counts to estimate open population growth. The observed open population growth rate of 0.98 was lower than the closed survival/fecundity growth rates of 1.13 (deterministic) and 1.10 (stochastic), and suggests a 12–15% annual emigration rate. Our data support the open population hypothesis for lightly hunted populations of carnivores. Low hunting mortality did not result in increased numbers and densities of cougars, as commonly believed because of compensatory emigration.


&NA; Twelve thromboplastins were tested against a secondary reference thromboplastin (human brain CRM BCR No. 147) or a tertiary house standard (human brain thromboplastin) with plasmas from normal healthy individuals and patients on oral anticoagulant therapy. The relationship between the prothrombin ratios of the thromboplastins tested versus the reference reagent was either a straight or curved line. The International Sensitivity Index (ISI) was estimated for each of the test thromboplastins and these ranged from 0.98 to 2.24. Some ISIs stated by manufacturers were different from our results. Thromboplastins with a high ISI showed a loss of sensitivity in assessing the level of anticoagulation at the upper end of the therapeutic range. In addition, the 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of the ISI estimations were widest for thromboplastins with the highest ISIs. Conversion of the prothrombin ratio to International Normalized Ratio (INR) was most accurate with the Australasian Reference Thromboplastin (ART) and least accurate with reagents having an ISI of 2.00 and over. Thromboplastins with an ISI between 1.10 and 1.50 may be adequate for the control of oral anticoagulant therapy, but were less accurate than a thromboplastin with an ISI approximating 1.00. Factors other than ISI should be considered in the choice of a thromboplastin, in particular a measurement of the accuracy of the ISI estimation such as the 95% confidence interval estimation used here.


Objective To evaluate the radiological and clinical findings of congenital cystic neuroblastomas as compared with those of the cystic presentation of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage. Materials and Methods We analyzed the US (n = 52), CT (n = 24), and MR (n = 4) images as well as the medical records of 28 patients harboring congenital cystic neuroblastomas (n = 16) and neonatal adrenal hemorrhagic pseudocysts (n = 14). The history of prenatal detection, location, size, presence of outer wall enhancement, internal septations, solid portion, calcification, turbidity, vascular flow on a Doppler examination, and evolution patterns were compared in two groups of cystic lesions, by Fischer's exact test. Results All (100%) neuroblastomas and three (21%) of the 14 hemorrhagic pseudocysts were detected prenatally. Both groups of cystic lesions occurred more frequently on the right side; 11 of 16 (69%) for neuroblastomas and 11 of 14 (79%) for hemorrhagic pseudocysts. The size, presence of solid portion, septum, enhancement, and turbidity did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between the two groups of cystic lesions. However, tiny calcifications (n = 3) and vascular flow on color Doppler US (n = 3) were noted in only neuroblastomas. The cystic neuroblastomas became complex solid and cystic masses, and did not disappear for up to 90 days in the three following cases, whereas 11 of the 14 (79%) hemorrhagic pseudocysts disappeared completely and the three remaining (27%) evolved to calcifications only. Conclusion Although the imaging findings of two groups of cystic lesions were similar, prenatal detection, the presence of calcification on initial images, vascularity on color Doppler US, and evolution to a more complex mass may all favor neuroblastomas.


Recent reanalyses suggest that pharmacotherapy was superior to cognitive-behavior therapy in the acute treatment of more severely depressed outpatients in the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP). At the same time, this finding was neither robust across sites within the TDCRP nor consistent with findings from other studies. D.F. Klein has argued that those other studies were inherently flawed because they did not include pill-placebo controls, an argument that he extended to drug-psychotherapy comparisons in the treatment of panic as well. It is agreed that the inclusion of such controls would have facilitated the interpretation of the findings, but it is not agreed that their omission rendered those studies uninterpretable. Cognitive-behavior therapy remains a viable alternative to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depression and a particularly promising intervention in the treatment of panic disorder.


The course of pregnancy and parturition has been examined in 29 women who had been operated on for temporal epilepsy at the age of 13 to 29 years. The period of follow-up varied from 2 to 18 years. It has been established that pregnancy in these women is attended by a somewhat elevated predisposition to cerebral convulsions so that anticonvulsive therapy is indicated for such patients during this period. Barbiturates displayed no dysmorphogenic action in these patients.


Until the 16th day of gestation the intravenous LD50 of Cd2+ in the pregnant Wistar‐Porton rat is higher, but not significantly different from that (1.8 mg Cd2+ per kg body weight) in nulliparous females. At 20 days it is 1.1 mg Cd2+ kg per body weight. This decrease is related to the rapid increase in weight of the conceptuses in late gestation and to the retention of most of the dose in the maternal compartment. If the dose is based on body weight at conception, the LD50for the 20‐day pregnant rat (1.6 mg Cd2+ per kg body weight) and non‐gravid female do not differ significantly. Nevertheless, after the same Cd2+ dose, hepatic and renal Cd2+ concentrations are less in the pregnant than in the non‐pregnant animal. The Cd2+ concentrations, therefore, do not determine the liver and kidney damage, which is restricted to the pregnant rat. Placentae also accumulate Cd2+ and placental haemorrhage follows the injection of the appropriate Cd2+ LD50 on day 12–20 of gestation. In those animals that die between 16 and 30 h after dosing, haemorrhage and death appear to be correlated. Renal damage, therefore, probably results from haemorrhagic shock. It is not dependent on the transfer of protein‐bound Cd2+ from the necrotic placentae to the kidney. Between the 8th and 15th day of gestation, Cd2+ (1.25 mg per kg body weight) is highly teratogenic. Hydrocephalus is the most frequent abnormality when the dose is given between the 8th and 12th day. Other malformations include eye defects, gastroschiasis and umbilical hernia.


In order to improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to irradiation therapy, we targeted hexokinase 2 (HK2), the first rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, and explore its role in cervical cancer cells. We suppressed HK2 expression and/or function by shRNA and/or metformin and found HK2 inhibition enhanced cells apoptosis with accelerating expression of cleaved PARP and caspase-3. HK2 inhibition also induced much inferior proliferation of cervical cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo with diminishing expression of mTOR, MIB and MGMT. Moreover, HK2 inhibition altered the metabolic profile of cervical cancer cells to one less dependent on glycolysis with a reinforcement of mitochondrial function and an ablation of lactification ability. Importantly, cervical cancer cells contained HK2 inhibition displayed more sensitivity to irradiation. Further results indicated that HPV16 E7 oncoprotein altered the glucose homeostasis of cervical cancer cells into glycolysis by coordinately promoting HK2 expression and its downregulation of glycolysis. Taken together, our findings supported a mechanism whereby targeting HK2 inhibition contributed to suppress HPV16 E7-induced tumor glycolysis metabolism phenotype, inhibiting tumor growth, and induced apoptosis, blocking the cancer cell energy sources and ultimately enhanced the sensitivity of HPV(+) cervical cancer cells to irradiation therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To review the evidence that buffering of local anaesthetics with sodium bicarbonate reduces the pain of injection whilst not affecting efficacy.

METHODS
Medline search from 1966 to December 2001. Articles in all languages were included. Bibliographies were examined for papers.

RESULTS
The search identified 63 publications. All were retrieved. Of these, 22 were human prospective randomized controlled trials directly assessing the pain of infiltration. Three papers were based on observations. No case series, case reports, or retrospective studies were identified. One animal study was found.

CONCLUSION
The evidence is that buffering with sodium bicarbonate significantly reduces the pain of local anaesthetic injection. The buffered solutions retain the efficacy of local anaesthetics and are stable in the mixtures used in the trials. Adrenaline-containing buffered solutions need refrigeration in closed containers for storage. Buffering will be particularly useful where pain of local anaesthetic injection may not be well tolerated such as in large areas of infiltration, sensitive areas such as the face and in children. It is recommended that sodium bicarbonate and tables of stable dilutions are readily available in the emergency department to facilitate this.


Predators can have strong roles in structuring communities defined by foundation species. Accumulating evidence shows that predation on reef-building oysters can be intense and potentially compromise efforts to restore or conserve these globally decimated foundation species. However, understanding the controls on variation in oyster predation strength is impeded by inconsistencies in experimental methodologies. To address this challenge, we conducted the first meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude, uncertainty, and drivers of predator effects on oysters. We synthesized 384 predator-exclusion experiments from 49 peer-reviewed publications over 45 years of study (1977 to 2021). We characterized geographic and temporal patterns in oyster predation experiments, determined the strength of predator effects on oyster mortality and recruitment, and assessed how predation varies with oyster size, environmental conditions, the predator assemblage, and experimental design. Predators caused an average 4.3× increase in oyster mortality and 46% decrease in recruitment. Predation increased with oyster size and varied with predator identity and richness. Unexpectedly, we found no effects of latitude, tidal zone, or tidal range on predation strength. Predator effects differed with experiment type and tethering method, indicating the importance of experimental design and the caution warranted in extrapolating results. Our results quantify the importance of predation for oyster populations and suggest that consideration of the drivers of oyster predation in restoration and conservation planning may hasten recovery of these lost coastal foundation species.


Despite the growing popularity of Context-Aware Recommender Systems (CARSs), only limited work has been done on how contextual recommendations affect the behavior of customers in real-life settings. In this paper, we study the effects of contextual recommendations on the purchasing behavior of customers and their trust in the provided recommendations. In particular, we did live controlled experiments with real customers of a major commercial Italian retailer in which we compared the customers' purchasing behavior and measured their trust in the provided recommendations across the contextual, content-based and random recommendations. As a part of this study, we have investigated the role of accuracy and diversity of recommendations on customers' behavior and their trust in the provided recommendations for the three types of RSes. We have demonstrated that the context-aware RS outperformed the other two RSes in terms of accuracy, trust and other economics-based performance metrics across most of our experimental settings.


Aim: This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of  phyto-substance supplement on hepatic functions in NAFLD patients. Methods: 78 patients, affected by NAFLD, were recruited: group D (39 peoples, 26 females), treated with hypocaloric and hypolipidic diet, and group K (39 peoples, 23 females), administered with hypocaloric and hypolipidic diet and supplement. Anthropometric measurements, serum glucose, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), gamma-GT and hepatic transaminases (AST, ALT) were evaluated before and after six month treatment. Bioimpedance analysis and liver ecography were performed. Finally, hepatic steatosis index (HSI) was calculated. Results: Six months of hypocaloric and hypolipidic diet associated with phyto-substances resulted in a significant reduction of Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) in K groups. HIS, indeed, was reduced by 4,4 ± 0,3% in the severely  affected patients. On the other hand, the HSI reduction was by 1,6 ± 0,1% in the severely affected patients administered with hypocaloric and hypolipidic diet. Conclusions: Hypocaloric and hypolipidic diet associated to phyto-substance supplement has been proven more useful than only hypolipidic diet in NAFLD patients, facilitating improvement in nutritional status and hepatic metabolism.


A patient with rheumatoid arthritis taking prednisone developed Blastocystis hominis acute diarrhoea, which was associated with increased inflammation and effusion of the left knee. B hominis organisms were found in synovial fluid from the left knee. The patient responded dramatically to metronidazole treatment. B hominis may become disseminated in immunosuppressed patients with diarrhoea and may cause infective arthritis.


The powered roll gin stand is a new saw-type ginning technology that has undergone numerous studies evaluating its use for ginning seed cotton. Past results have shown increased production and turnout without adversely affecting fiber properties. In some cases improvements in fiber properties over a conventional gin stand where demonstrated. This paper reports High Volume Instrument and Advanced Fiber Information System fiber property results from three recent field tests evaluating the technology on three different makes of gin stands. Results indicate the make of gin stand where optimization studies have been performed to determine optimal operational settings performed significantly better than the conventional gin stand in processing rate, lint turnout, and some fiber properties. Current and planned future studies are also discussed, including the potential to use this technology for real-time process control of fiber properties.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Dear editor We thank the editor-in-chief for giving us an opportunity to respond to the letter from Dong et al regarding our study. We are also thankful to Dong, Qunya and Wu, Wenzhe for their attention to our work and their expert opinion. It is a great honor that our study has been read precisely by other researchers. Herein, we provide our responses to their concerns regarding our work. First, we searched the Web of Science Core Collection using the terms "acupuncture OR electroacupuncture" AND "cervical pain OR neck pain" on December 4, 2020. This search identified 658 articles at that time. However, on November 2, 2021, a search with the same search terms retrieved in 656 articles. After that, we searched using the suggested search terms, "acupuncture OR electroacupuncture OR electro-acupuncture OR warm needling OR fire needing OR plum blossom needling" AND "cervical pain OR neck pain OR cervicodynia* OR cervicalgia* OR cervicogenic pain OR neckache" with "topic," and the search retrieved 665 articles. Compared to the results of the search with the previous terms on the same day, there were nine additional articles. None of the nine articles met the inclusion criteria of our study. One study was not written in English, five studies did not deal with neck pain, two studies did not use acupuncture as an intervention, and one study was not a human study. Therefore, the suggested search method will not change the results of our study. However, we agree with the researchers' concise scheme when searching for data. We believe that the more specific the search term, the higher the quality of the data. However, our results were not affected by the search terms. Therefore, we believe that more detailed search terms will be needed in future bibliometric studies to include the maximum number of eligible studies. Second, as rightly identified by Dong et al, the exact database that we used was the Web of Science Core Collection. We hope that other researchers will refer to our work and communication for their research using bibliometric analysis. Correspondence: Mi-Yeon Song Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 23 Kyungheedaero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea Tel +82 2-440-7141 Fax +82 2-958-9104 Email firstname.lastname@example.com


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. Carya illinoinensis, cell arrangement, sterol biosynthesis inhibitor, transmission electron microscopy ABSTRACT. Propiconazole, a triazole fungicide, has been reported to inhibit leaf expansion in pecan ( Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) trees when applied under field conditions. This study was conducted to determine the effect of propiconazole on pecan leaf morphology and structure using light and transmission electron microscopy. Mature pecan trees were sprayed once or three times per week from budbreak to pollen maturity. Fungicide sprays resulted in significantly reduced leaf area. Compared to controls, leaves from propiconazole-treated shoots had alterations in cell arrangement characterized by more tightly packed palisade parenchyma cells with fewer intercellular spaces; neither leaf thickness nor palisade or spongy layer thickness were affected. Propiconazole caused modifications in the chloroplasts, with a tendency for internal membranes to be less defined, and for thylakiods to exhibit less stacking. The extent of structural changes was related to fungicide dosage. Results show that propiconazole applications during leaf development can inhibit leaf expansion and modify cellular organization of the mesophyll cells. Chemical name used: 1- ((2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl) methyl)-1 H- 1,2,4-triazole (propiconazole).


It is extremely important for chemists to establish the structure of new compounds. A more accurate understanding of the structure leads to the construction of appropriate reaction systems. For example, although the well-known platinum complex, [PtCl2(NH3)2], has two geometrical isomers (cis and trans in Fig. 1), only the cis-isomer (so-called cisplatin) exhibits prominent antitumor activity (Reedijk, 1996; Rosenberg et al., 1969).


The AC-plasma display panel (AC-PDP), capable of producing real-time, high-resolution, full-color video images is a fairly recent technology. The operation of these devices is dictated by the physics of low-temperature gas discharges. We have developed a fully self-consistent, Boltzmann-Poisson numerical simulation for the operation of an idealized AC-PDP picture element. A key component in the operation of the AC-PDP is a dielectric layer on each of the pixel electrodes. These dielectric layers provide each pixel with a memory capability. This allows a pixel, once addressed, to remain in an on-state until it is specifically re-addressed into an off-state. This ability leads to "write", "sustain", and "erase" duty cycles for each pixel. In this paper, we will present a brief introduction to AC-PDP construction and operation and present detailed simulation results for the "write" and "sustain" operations of a picture element.


Abstract #4039 Introduction: The importance of hormone receptor status in assigning treatment and the potential use of HER2 targeted therapy have made it imperative for laboratories to improve detection techniques. As inter-laboratory variability in immunohistochemical (IHC) tests may also affect epidemiologic studies of breast cancer subtypes in different countries, we conducted a validation study of breast cancer biomarkers between a well-established laboratory in the US and a field laboratory at the Institute for Medical Research and Training at the University College Hospital in Ibadan Nigeria.
 Method: 232 breast tumor blocks were evaluated for ER, PR, and HER2 at both laboratories using tissue micro arrays (TMA) technique. Web-based conferences were held periodically to discuss IHC staining protocols, standardize scoring systems and to resolve discrepant cases. Pathologists used whole slide imaging for joint review and kappa statistic (κ) was used to indicate concordance between the two laboratories. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was carried out to confirm HER2 status in all cases.
 Results: Initially, concordance analysis revealed an agreement of 91% (κ=0.52) for ER, 85% (κ=0.49) for PR, and 80% (κ=0.39) for HER2 between the two labs. Antigen retrieval techniques and scoring methods were identified as important reasons for discrepancy. After quality assurance and training, the agreement improved to 92% (κ=0.53) for ER, 88% (κ=0.64) for PR, and 94% (κ=0.75) for HER2. To date, florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been completed for 67 cases to confirm HER2 status, out of which 16 (24%) were shown to amplify the HER2 gene, 6 out of the 12 discordant HER2 results were resolved by FISH.
 Conclusion: We found web-based conference with TMA and digital microscopy a useful and cost-effective tool for quality assurance of IHC, consultation and collaboration between distant laboratories. Quality improvement exercises in testing of tumor biomarkers will reduce misclassification in epidemiologic study of breast cancer subtypes and provide much needed capacity building in resource poor field sites.
 Acknowledgement
 This study was carried out with the support of Breast SPORE NCI P50 CA125183, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Lee Jeans Entertainment Industry Fund. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 4039.


Purpose - Government policy can alleviate inequities in living standards. Disabled people often qualify for government assistance which is one way that their living standard can improve, although arbitrary systems for distributing assistance are not likely to serve equity objectives. The purpose of this paper is to indicate the key variables to which government should direct attention, in order to alleviate both horizontal and vertical inequity in grants to disabled people. Design/methodology/approach - There is no literature, either theoretical or empirical, that specifically addresses this problem. This paper invokes important economic concepts associated with the nineteenth century English philosopher/economist, John Stuart Mill, as well as the 1998 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Amartya Sen. Mill's general conception of how government should behave in treating citizens was elaborated subsequently in the public finance literature on principles of taxation. These notions are about "the equal treatment of equals" and "the unequal treatment of unequals". Sen's recent discussion of the "conversion handicap" from his general framework of capabilities is highly relevant to the question addressed here. Findings - These concepts, applied with some analytical tools of algebra and geometry, show that Mill's principles can combine with Sen's into a relevant conceptual framework. The central principles and concepts for policy formation on the standard of living for disabled people are not random; they can be specified with clarity. Originality/value - This paper contributes the relevant conceptual "yardsticks" by which policy for distributing assistance to disabled people can be evaluated. Steps, towards devising better approaches to the distribution of assistance to disabled people can now be taken.


Objective: To investigate differences in snuff consumption, sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics between baseline intermittent smokers that had become daily smokers, stopped smoking or remained intermittent smokers at the one year follow up. Design/setting/participants/measurements: A population of 12 507 individuals interviewed at baseline in 1992-94 and at a one year follow up, aged 45–69 years, was investigated in a longitudinal study. The three groups of baseline intermittent smokers were compared to the reference population (all others) according to sociodemographic, psychosocial, and snuff consumption characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess differences in psychosocial conditions, adjusting for age, sex, country of origin, marital status, education, and snuff consumption. Results: 60% of all baseline intermittent smokers had remained intermittent smokers, 16% had become daily smokers, and 24% had stopped smoking at the one year follow up. The long term intermittent smokers and those who had stopped smoking were young, unmarried, highly educated, and snuff consumers to a higher extent than the reference population. They also had more psychosocial resources than the reference population, while the psychosocial resources of those who had become daily smokers were poorer. Conclusions: The majority of intermittent smokers are long term intermittent smokers. The results suggest that long term intermittent smokers have other psychosocial characteristics than daily smokers.


The process of creative discovery refers to discovering additional values of existing objects by identifying novel associations between seemingly unrelated things; however, this process is not always successful. To reveal the dynamic process of creative discovery, particularly when and why people made right or wrong judgments, the daily life scenario was described, and a possible tool was presented for judging whether it is usable to solve problems. Electrophysiological activity was recorded when people identified novel tools and then retrospectively analyzed the differences among three responses: correctly identified novel and usable (C-NU) options, falsely identified novel and usable (F-NU) options, and correctly identified novel but unusable (C-NUU) options. The results showed that, compared with ordinary tools, novel tools evoked greater N2, N400 and LSP amplitudes; the differences in these components were likely associated with the monitoring and resolution of cognitive conflicts in the process of discovering novel associations. Regarding novel tools, smaller N400 and greater LSP amplitudes were evoked by the C-NU option than by the F-NU option, and no differences in these components were found between the F-NU and C-NUU options. The findings revealed that the success or failure of discovering novel associations depended on reactive control in resolving conflicts. Only when sufficient cognitive effort is used to resolve a conflict to a great degree can the appropriately novel association be successfully discovered; otherwise, the novel and appropriate association is lost.


Most of the thermal insulations in the construction industry market based on fossil raw material or need a huge amount of production energy. Nowadays, sustainable thermal insulation products are more popular, and the demand for these products on the market is increasing. Some of them reach the main material properties of artificial ones but usually not all. Today the reaction to fire is another big challenge in this field. In many cases, producers use chemicals that can increase fire resistance, but on the other hand, increase the environmental impact of insulations too. It is also hard to find a binder which provides proper mechanical parameters and durability and is environmentally friendly too. During our scientific research on environmentally friendly thermal insulation materials, which is running for 4 years, we found that silicate-based adhesives meet many of these criteria mentioned above. In this article, the mechanical properties of straw-based insulation bonded with silicate binder were investigated. The effect of conventional and microwave drying on compressive strength were compared to found the optimal hardening process of binders. During the experiments, straw was applied in a natural state, natural stem length distribution and without microstructure and surface modification. The used binder is a simple silicate-based binder (potassium silicate) without any modification agent. Conventional drying needs a longer time, and during it, many cracks form in the early age of the hardened binder. It is because of shrinkage and the differences in the rigidity of the binder along its cross-section. Besides, the straw stems swell when exposed to moisture (from binder), and after drying they shrink, which decreases the quality of the bond between stems and binder. The microwave drying evenly heats the various points of the specimen, so it is not generated such big differences in shrinkage. The contact between stems and binder are also better. Due to these effects, the microwave dried specimens reached the limit required for step resistance, and they had three-time higher average compressive strength than we got by the conventional drying of the same raw material.


Purpose: To demonstrate the effect of resveratrol on Notch signaling in MG-63 and U2OS osteosarcoma cell lines. Methods: Cell Counting Kit 8 reagent was used to analyze cell proliferation while TRIzol® reagent was employed for the extraction of total RNA. High Capacity cDNA reverse transcription chain reaction kit was used to transcribe 2 μg RNA. Western blot analysis was performed to examine Hes1 and Hey1 expression. Results: The results revealed that resveratrol treatment exhibited dual mechanisms of action on the activation of Notch signaling in osteosarcoma cells. The osteosarcoma cell lines, MG-63 and U2OS, when exposed to 20 μM concentration of resveratrol for 48 h showed significant toxicity compared to untreated cells. However, 30 μM concentration of resveratrol induced higher toxicity which was lethal to cell growth. The results from RT qPCR and Western blot data revealed a concentration-dependent effect of resveratrol on the expression of Notch signaling genes including Hes1, Hes5, Hey1, Hey2 and HeyL in U2OS cells. Treatment of U2OS cells with 20 μM concentration of resveratrol for 48 h induced a marked increase in the expression of Hes1, Hes5, Hey1, Hey2 and HeyL mRNA compared to the untreated cells. However, at a concentration of 30 μM, resveratrol inhibited the activation of Notch signaling pathway. This was evident by a decrease in the expression of Hes1, Hes5, Hey1, Hey2 and HeyL, Notch signaling target genes. Conclusion: Resveratrol plays an important role in the activation of Notch signaling pathway and may be of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of osteosarcoma. Keywords: Osteosarcoma, Dual action mechanism, Notch signaling pathway, Toxicity, Cell growth inhibition


Abstract: A premix of atrazine, bicyclopyrone, mesotrione, and S-metolachlor was recently approved for broad-spectrum weed control in corn in the United States. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the response of common waterhemp to various rates of the premix applied before emergence (preemergence, PRE) or after emergence (postemergence, POST) in corn. In greenhouse dose-response bioassays, PRE application of the premix at 975 g a.i. ha-1 provided 90% control (visual estimates) of common waterhemp at 28 d after treatment (DAT). The POST doses to control 90% (ED90) of common waterhemp at 21 DAT were estimated as 1157 and 1838 g a.i. ha-1 for the 8–10, and 15–18 cm tall common waterhemp, respectively. Under field conditions, the premix applied PRE at the labeled rate (2900 g a.i. ha-1) provided 98% and 91% control of common waterhemp at 14 and 63 DAT, respectively. The ED90 values for the in-field POST dose-response bioassay were 680 and 2302 g a.i. ha-1 at 14 DAT for the 8–10 and 15–18 cm tall common waterhemp, respectively. The root mean square error and the model efficiency coefficient values indicated a good fit for the prediction models. Spearman's correlation coefficient (r S) showed that corn yield was positively correlated (r S ≥ 0.55; P < 0.001) with common waterhemp biomass reduction. The premix applied PRE provided higher corn yields compared with the premix applied POST. The new premix will provide an additional herbicide option with multiple effective modes of action to control common waterhemp in corn.


We present the multi-component Hunter—Saxton and μ-Camassa—Holm systems. It is shown that the multi-component Camassa—Holm, Hunter—Saxton and μ-Camassa—Holm systems are geometrically integrable, namely they describe pseudo-spherical surfaces. As a consequence, their infinite number of conservation laws can be directly constructed. For the three-component Camassa—Holm and Hunter—Saxton systems, their nonlocal symmetries depending on the pseudo-potentials are obtained.


As predicted by Susskind the Web is becoming an important vehicle for marketing the legal practice and a tool enabling the delivery of legal services to clients. To what extent can law firms benefit from selling their services through this medium? Despite the growth of the Web, there is little research concerning the functionality and strategic business use of Web sites within the area of the provision of legal services. This paper produces a unique and comprehensive benchmark survey of eighty-four Web sites offered by Scottish legal practices. It assesses the Web sites according to two criteria, firstly, James Ho's Matrix based on customers perception of value-added benefits and secondly, the Five Quadrants Evaluation Criteria (5-QEC) developed by the authors, which examined the sites under five headings: Ideas & Content, Organisation, Language & Conventions, Presentation and Technical. The results of the survey assess whether or not Scottish solicitors are taking the opportunity to pursue an e-commerce strategy and trade via the Web, or alternatively focus on the provision of information.


This paper presents a genetic approach to determining the optimal number of machines required in a manufacturing system for meeting a specified production schedule. This use of genetic algorithms is illustrated by solving a typical machine requirements planning problem. Comparison of the respective results obtained by using the proposed approach and a standard mixed-integer programming package shows that the proposed approach is indeed an effective means for optimal manufacturing systems design.


Background A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate the value of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan in the diagnosis and management of large vessel vasculitis. Vasculitis is classified by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria23-24. Though often based on ACR criteria, the clinical diagnosis of specific type of vasculitis by using ACR criteria only may be difficult20-25. The diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis can be challenging in difficult cases presenting with non-specific clinical features. The diagnosis of small vessel vasculitis is aided by antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies. There are no specific serological markers for the diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis. Objectives Doppler Ultrasound, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging can identify the structural abnormalities (wall thickening, thrombus, calcifications and luminal stenoses) in vessels but do not provide an assessment of disease activity. These structural abnormalities develop later in course of vasculitis as a result of the inflammatory process and are irreversible. Biopsy of the affected vessel may not be possible in all cases. Moreover, in cases of GCA a negative temporal artery biopsy does not exclude the diagnosis. It is important to make a correct diagnosis as treatment with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive therapy may lead to significant side effects. PET is a relatively newer functional imaging investigation. It may be helpful in identifying areas of occult disease and excluding vascular inflammation. Methods The earliest published literature about use of PET imaging in diagnosis of large vesselvasculitis was in 1999. Literature search was conducted using major online databases (see below) for articles published until March 2011. Articles published in languages other than English were excluded. Case reports were excluded from the review. Consecutive case series were included. Studies using PET Imaging complemented with other modalities (Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging) were included. American College of Rheumatology Criteria was not mentioned in all studies. The following search terms were used solely or in combination to search the literature The following databases were used to conduct the search Pubmed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane. A total of 22 articles were selected for inclusion in the systematic review. These included 7 prospective studies, 7 Retrospective studies and 8 consecutive case series. Results As a functional whole body imaging PET may be useful in evaluating diagnostically challenging cases of large vessel vasculitis. It may identify areas for obtaining biopsy and help in assessing the extent of disease. However, PET imaging is not widely available and there is of lack of standardization of imaging techniques. Conclusions There is not enough evidence to include PET imaging in routine the work up of large vessel vasculitis. It may be useful in monitoring disease activity where inflammatory markers are not reliable. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The authorship of AJLAIS over seven years was subjected to analysis by gender, collaboration and institutional affiliation. A total of 95 research articles contributed by 118 authors were analysed. Results indicated male dominance of single‐authored articles, 83.2 per cent to 16.8 per cent. Of the 16 co‐authored articles nine (56.25 per cent) were co‐authored by men only, one article (6.25 per cent) was co‐authored by women only, and gender mixture was found in six (37.5 per cent) of the articles. A cross‐tabulation of institutional affiliation with gender revealed that no woman contributed any article from special and public libraries while there was a relative gender mixture in academic libraries and library schools. There is a need to encourage female publication output in all sectors of librarianship and information science in Africa.


Sweating, the intermittent secretion of uid from the sweat glands, is an indispensable mechanism for the regulation of body temperature. The methods used to measure the sweat rate include an iodine starch test, a weight assay, and an ion electric conductivity method. The ventilation capsule method is another method for quanti cation of sweat rate. However, this method has a problem in that the subject's physical activity is restricted by the rmly attached measurement probes. SNT-200, a wearable sweat meter developed by Rousette Strategy Inc., is already commercially available. This sweat meter contains silica gel that serves as an absorbent for sudoriferous steam and uses a temperature–humidity sensor to detect humidity changes in the device caused by sweating. However, the accuracy of the measurement has not yet been suf ciently investigated. This study was designed to provide evidence to validate the underlying measurement principle and accuracy of the device. We simulated various sweating conditions and performed simulated sweating measurements using SNT-200. In the rst experiment, continuous sweating over a wide body surface was simulated. The calculated absorbed steam volume was 1.84 times greater than the real transpiration rate. In the second experiment, sweating was simulated in the form of water drops, and the sweat meter absorbed the generated steam. In the second experiment, the data obtained using SNT-200 was in good accord with the volume dispensed by a micropipette. These experiments provided convincing evidence that the total area of four steam holes (A1, in the equation for calculating the sweat rate) required correction. We therefore modeled the effective absorption area of the sweat meter as one circle encompassing the four holes (8 mm in diameter; 52 mm2) instead of a summation of the areas of four steam holes. De ning the effective absorption area by this method modi ed the value calculated in the rst experiment, which agreed with the transpiration rate. In addition, the modi ed moisture absorption volume in the sweat meter converged within ± 20% error of the actual measurement, except at 30°C.


131 strains of E. coli isolated from coliform mastitis were examined for susceptibility to 8 antibiotics. Colistin, gentamycin, and polymyxin B were the most active drugs based upon MIC determination. In milk, ampicillin showed the highest bactericidal activity followed by polymyxin B and colistin. All strains examined were sensitive to colistin, gentamycin, and polymyxin B.


In order to improve the performance and efficiency levels of their dental clinics, employers need to start focusing on their dentists' productivity and effectiveness at work. There are numerous factors influencing dentists' productivity: the workforce, input prices, dentists' experience. Up until now, there has been no research done on measuring the productivity levels of general dentists and dental specialists in Lithuania. This research would be useful not only for individuals, who control the supply of general dentists and dental specialists, but also private or public employers of dental clinics. Objective. To analyze the factors that influence the numbers of patients a general dentist and a dental specialist can accept during a 6-hour working day. Materials and methods. A study was carried out among 2008 general dentists and dental specialists in Lithuania during the period 12/2012 and 06/2013. A structured questionnaire was used to identify the productivity of general dentists' and dental specialists' and to determine the influencing factors. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software (version 20.0). Results. The average number of patients during a 6-hour working day was roughly the same between the two examined groups: general dentists took on average 8,4± 3,4, while dental specialists took on – 8,5± 5,2 with specialized patients. A statistically significant relationship (p = 0.02) was found between the dentists' productivity and working with an assistant: dentists, who always work alone, treat fewer patients (7.9 ± 3.3) than those, who work partially with an assistant (8,9 ± 3,7). Moreover, dentists, who work in major Lithuanian cities, treat fewer patients (7.7 ± 3.6) than those, who work in smaller towns (9±3,1). Also, there was a statistically significant relationship (p<0.05) between dentists, who work in public hospitals (10,3±3,5), and dentists, who work in private clinics (7,6±3,3). Conclusions. Even though the average number of patients treated by general dentists and dental specialists is the same, they differ significantly on various other variables, with the two major ones being the presence of an assistant and the geographical location of the clinic.


It is of practical interest to identify which processes will benefit significantly from the use of constrained control algorithms such as model predictive control, and which will not. Explicit conditions are derived that identify whether a particular process may benefit from constraint handling. These conditions are also useful for understanding the interactions between design and control for a particular system, especially for actuator placement and selection. The conditions are computable for a large-scale system directly from its transfer function model, a simulation model (e.g. defined by a set of ordinary/partial-differential equations and algebraic conditions), or experimental input-output data. The formulation considers the effects of measure- ment noise, process disturbances, model uncertainties, plant directionality and the quantity of experimental data. The conditions are illustrated by application to a paper-machine model constructed from industrial data.


This retrospective study was undertaken to compare long term results of Nissen fundoplication and the Belsey Mark IV repair in patients with reflux oesophagitis and stricture between 1972 and 1987. 105 patients were operated on for reflux oesophagitis, and 43 of the patients had stricture. There was one postoperative death (after a Belsey Mark IV repair). The cumulative recurrence rate after the Nissen operation was 9%, all recurrences of oesophagitis occurring within the first two years. The cumulative recurrence after the Belsey repair was 37%. Only 15 of 32 patients treated with Nissen fundoplication for stricture needed dilatation after operation, and then only during the first two years. "Gas-bloat" occurred in 18% of the patients treated with Nissen fundoplication. We conclude that the Nissen fundoplication is a good operation for patients with severe reflux oesophagitis and for those with peptic strictures of the oesophagus. The Belsey Mark IV repair, however, cannot be recommended for patients with strictures.


Recently there has been a renewed interest surrounding the role that language plays in the shaping of cognition based on the study of spatial relations with a particular attention to Mesoamerican languages. Since Brown and Levinson (1993), several studies have shown that speakers of Mesoamerican languages largely prefer non-egocentric strategies in the solution of nonverbal tasks and that this preference strongly aligns to the spatial expressions found in these languages. Moreover, it has been argued that contact with Spanish increases the use of egocentric responses. This paper engages in this discussion with new evidence from a Mexican community which has shifted from a Mesoamerican language, Ixcatec, to Spanish during the twentieth century. It presents three studies consisting of nonverbal, memorization tasks, conducted with a total of 52 monolingual Spanish speakers from the community of Santa Maria Ixcatlan. According to the neo-Whorfian approach, the residents of Santa Maria Ixcatlan should strongly favour the Spanish-related egocentric responses. Against this assumption, however, our study shows that the geocentric responses are predominant among the Ixcatecs. This result clearly indicates that frames of reference are culturally-defined and do not disappear in case of language shift but persist in cognitive representations among the members of a stable, rural community.


He describes a patient who could not conceive of any relationship between two other people, and could not allow her analyst to think objectively, or "¿ communicate with himself― about her, as this represented her parents relationship which she could not countenance. Feldman's chapter also usesextensiveciical material to illustrate the re-enactment of oedipal conflicts in analysis and cites examples of patients putting him in therapeuticdilemmaswhichechotheirs. Hesuggests that slow learning and difficulties in making cognitive con nections stem from the inability to acknowledge the connection between parents. O'Shaughnessy's accounts of her patients' oedipal conflicts illustrate a postulated special type of splitting, namely †̃¿ fracturing' of the parents into two halves, one the sadistic penis, the other the masochistic female. Overall, this collection is to be warmly recommended with its engaging clinical material and lucid theoretical discussion. The paper by Klein, while taking up a fair proportion ofthe book, provides anexcellent foundation on which the more modern theories are developed in subsequent chapters.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the use of platelet volume indices in the interpretation of thrombocytopenia in dogs with systemic disease.

METHODS
Case records of 80 control dogs and 159 thrombocytopenic dogs with systemic disease were reviewed retrospectively. The relationships between mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and platelet count in systemically well dogs were established. Knowledge of these relationships was used to interpret thrombocytopenia in terms of the underlying disease process.

RESULTS
There was a positive relationship between platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume. Both platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume varied in a negative relationship with platelet count, which was unaffected by signalment, underlying disease, variations in haemotological parameters or serum proteins.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The interpretation of mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width in dogs requires simultaneous reference to the platelet count. Platelet volume indices did not aid interpretation of thrombocytopenia in terms of underlying pathological processes in the population studied.


Describes the research and development (R&D) phase of a hypothetical large-scale electronic system. The methodology, system design concepts, cost effectiveness and customer acceptance considerations presented herein are based on a synthesis of various R&D programs. An attempt is made to provide a quantitative evaluation of newly introduced `customer acceptance' parameters, which include such factors as maintainability, availability, degree of automation, operator approval and improvements over previous systems. It is concluded that such parameters should be given as much attention as the more familiar cost-effectiveness concept during the design process in order to ensure customer acceptance of the system.


Abstract If one takes a birds-eye tour of the social history of the languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula, from the Antiquity to the present, there are several key features that can be clearly perceived. Latin, for instance, stands out in this timeline for its role as protagonist during a period of 2000 years. One can also note the importance of linguistic demography, the cycles of which determine the social presence of languages as well as how we view them, since it is these cycles that affect the configuration and extension of the geographic varieties of each language. Linguistically speaking, Spanish history demonstrates the influence that France has had in different times and diverse areas: the importance of Provencal literature, the arrival of European culture by way of the Camino de Santiago and through ecclesiastical reforms, the Medieval re-population movements, or the influence of the French model in linguistic politics of the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, what stands out most clearly when considering the mosaic of languages that have come together in the Peninsula over the course of time is the naturalness and normality with which these languages have co-existed on an everyday basis, whether neighboring languages, co-offcial languages sharing the same territory, mixed languages, or languages that mutually influence each other. The case of the Basque Territory is particularly representative due to its secular bilingualism, with the co-existence of extremely different languages from Indo-European and other varieties in the Pre-Historic Age, to modern-day Basque and Castilian. We should not lose sight of the fact that it was a bilingual monk who penned what we consider some of the first testimonies of the Basque language. The aim of this article is to present some of the most important moments in the social history of the Spanish language as it relates to its neighboring languages.


Ten cultivars of locally grown rice were screened for yield and other desirable agronomic characteristics. Their milling characteristics were evaluated by dehusking in a Satake (THU-34A) Testing Rice Husker and polishing in a BSO8A Single Pass Rice Pearler. The physical quality and proximate composition of the cultivars were determined. Cooking characteristics and sensory evaluation were carried out on the samples. Varieties B-189 and IR-72 had the highest average yields. Variety IR-66 had the shortest growth duration with IR-72 recording the lowest plant height. Akpafu variety had good milling characteristics, that is, low level brokens with ITA-304 being most susceptible to breakage. Variaty TOX-3108 had the highest overall cooking and sensory acceptability rating with Akpafu being the least acceptable. The suitability of each variety for various local dishes was also evaluated. Whilst B-189 was good for all local dishes, Akpafu was found to be best
(Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 1996, 29(2): 53-58)


In previous studies we found that plasma angiotensinogen levels were reduced by lesions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei. To determine if the decrease was caused by decreased secretion of hormones that normally stimulate angiotensinogen secretion by the liver, we correlated the changes in plasma angiotensinogen produced by paraventricular lesions with changes in plasma LH, ACTH, and thyroid hormones; compared the changes in plasma angiotensinogen and other hormones to those produced by hypophysectomy; and determined the effects of treatment with ACTH and T4 in animals with paraventricular lesions. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, bilateral lesions destroying more than 50% of the paraventricular nuclei decreased plasma angiotensinogen to 787 +/- 52 ng angiotensin-I/ml in 7 days compared to 1576 +/- 142 ng angiotensin-I/ml in sham-operated controls. Plasma T3 and T4 were also reduced, whereas there were no statistically significant changes in plasma ACTH or LH. Hypophysectomy produced a comparable decline in plasma angiotensinogen and thyroid hormone levels. Daily administration of a single dose of ACTH had no effect on plasma angiotensinogen in rats with paraventricular lesions, but T4 treatment restored plasma angiotensinogen to normal levels. The data indicate that the decline in circulating angiotensinogen produced by lesions of the paraventricular nuclei is caused by the decrease in the secretion of thyroid hormones produced by these lesions. They also demonstrate that in addition to regulating circulating renin via the sympathetic nervous system, the brain has an effect on circulating angiotensinogen via neuroendocrine control of thyroid function.


Microvessel density (MVD) and expression of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF), acting as a highly specific inducer of angiogenesis, were evaluated in tissue specimens of 25 patients with squamous cell cancer of the vulva. MVD was quantified by immunostaining for factor VIII-related antigen at one field of 0.25 mm2. VPF/VEGF expression was evaluated immunohistochemically using a monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody. FIGO stages I, II, and III were diagnosed in 12, 7, and 6 patients, respectively. MVD >20/field was found in 10 of 25 tumors and moderate or strong expression of VPF/VEGF in 10 of 25 tumors. High MVD was significantly more frequent in tumors with moderate or strong VPF/VEGF expression compared to tumors with no or weak VPF/VEGF expression (P = 0.01). Overall survival rates of patients with tumors of high MVD (P = 0.01) and strong VPF/VEGF expression (P < 0.01) were significantly poorer compared to those patients with low MVD or poor VPF/VEGF expression. Strong VPF/VEGF expression and high MVD are considered important parameters of tumor angiogenesis and therefore are related to poor survival probability in vulvar cancer patients.


Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among females with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in the development of cancers. However, the prognostic value of microRNA-421 (miR-421) in breast cancer have not been extensively explored.Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the relative expression of miR-421 in breast cancer tissue samples. Relationships between miR-421 expression and clinicopathological factors were analyzed by chi-square test. The effects of several variables on survival status were tested by Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.Results: MiR-421 expression was significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues, compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues (P<0.001). Moreover, abnormal miR-421 expression was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), TNM stage (P=0.021), and differentiation (P=0.044) of breast cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with low miR-421 expression had a shorter overall survival time than those with high miR-421 expression (P=0.001). Furthermore, multivariate analysis demonstrated that miR-421 (P=0.014, HR=2.000, 95%CI: 1.149-3.480) was an independent prognostic indicator in breast cancer patients, as well as lymph node metastasis (P=0.016, HR=1.987, 95%CI: 1.137-3.474).Conclusion: The reduced expression of miR-421 may predict the poor prognosis of breast cancer and miR-421 may be involved in the progression of breast cancer.


The work is devoted to influence of the inner health picture (IHP) to the child resilience. IHP is the personnel concept about him (her) self as a health person. We attempted to appreciate the role of IHP in resilience to the disorders and compared IHP of healthy and ill children. We have tried to understand the psychological mechanism of the resilience to the disorders of the children with the formed and unformed IHP.We created the questionnaire for the IHP assessment and assessed the IHP in 80 children of 4-7 years old. It was shown, that about 60% of children of 4-5 years old and 40% children of 6-7 years old instead of IHP had inner picture of illness. When they were asked what they need to do for being health, they answered they need "to go to the doctors" and "to use the pills". The program of IHP formation was made and was tested during three years. It was shown that the sickness rate of the children participating in program significantly decreased. The assumption was made that conscious health conception of a preschooler could influence on his (her) behavior.


The use of angiotensin-receptor blockers has already been outlined in cardiology and diabetology. In extending clinical indications of this drug class their pleiotropic actions might play a role: they are improving endothelial function, and their antiatherogenic effect is not related to antihypertensive action. It may also be important that while some antihypertensive agents are impairing sexual function, angiotensin-receptor blocking agents seem to improve sexual activity in hypertensive men. As there is alternative route for angiotensin II synthesis, there are patients in whom blockade of angiotensin II actions do need more aggressive treatment for proper therapeutic results. The discovery of angiotensin-receptor blocking agents made possible to produce this blockade in the tissues as well, and suggested combined administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers for better clinical results. In patients with congestive heart failure data from an earlier pilot study (RESOLVD) suggested that combined use of these two drug classes would lead for a more complete blockade of the renin-angiotensin system with better clinical results, especially in those patients in the higher dose ranges. Recent results showed that using this drug combination cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization because of worsening heart failure could significantly be decreased (CHARM-Added study). More important data are expected from the ongoing ONTARGET program (Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial).


Objectives: This study aims to review the development of health technology assessment (HTA), including the socioeconomic context, outputs, and policy utilization in the Thai setting. Methods: This study was conducted through extensive document reviews including these published in both domestic and international literature. Results: Evidence suggests that contextual elements of the health system, especially the country's economic status and health financing reforms, as well as their effects on government budgeting for medical and public health services, played an important role in the increasing needs and demands for HTA information among policy makers. In the midst of substantial economic growth during the years 1982 to 1996, several studies reported the rapid diffusion and poor distribution of health technologies, and inequitable access to high-cost technology in public and private hospitals. At the same time, economic analysis and its underpinning concept of efficiency were suggested by groups of scholars and health officials to guide national policy on the investment in health technology equipment. Related research and training programs were subsequently launched. However, none of these HTA units could be institutionalized into national bodies. From 1997 to 2005, an economic recession, followed by the introduction of a universal health coverage plan, triggered the demands for effective measures for cost containment and prioritization of health interventions. This made policy makers and researchers at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) pay increasing attention to economic appraisals, and several HTA programs were established in the Ministry. Despite the rising number of Thai health economic publications, a major problem at that period involved the poor quality of studies. Since 2006, economic recovery and demands from different interests to include expensive technologies in the public health benefit package have been crucial factors promoting the role of HTA in national policy decisions. Meanwhile, HTA capacity has been strengthened through the establishment of many health economic and HTA initiatives. An illustration of the work and contributions of the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) is provided. In this phase, HTA policy integration has been enhanced through different mechanisms and organizations. Conclusion: Over the past two decades a notable progression has been made in relation to the capacity building of HTA research and its policy utility in Thailand. Such development has been shaped by multiple factors. It is anticipated that experience gained among academics, health officials, and civil society organizations will be helpful not only in sustaining the momentum but also in improving formal HTA systems in the future.


A new species of Darwin wasp of the genus Dicamptus Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ophioninae), D. curvus Pham, Matsumoto Shimizu sp. nov., is described on the basis of type specimen from Lai Chau Province, northwest Vietnam. The new species probably belongs to the giganteus species group and is easily distinguishable from the other species of the group by the smaller indices of fore wing AI and CI as well as the form of sclerites. Two species, D. cantoni Gauld Mitchell and D. reticulatus (Cameron), are recorded for the first time from Vietnam; and additional distribution records for D. nigropictus (Matsumura) in Vietnam are provided. Through the present study, a total of four Dicamptus species have been recognized in Vietnam and illustrated.


The aim of this study is to examine Finnish students' school engagement profiles in the light of the data collected in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) in 2003. Even though Finnish students' cognitive achievement has proved excellent in various international assessments, their school engagement has not been flattering. The article first defines the concept of school engagement and discusses some previous findings on students' attitudes and socio‐emotional disposition towards school life. Next, on the basis of students' responses to the PISA 2003 survey questionnaire, students are grouped and the groups profiled by cluster analysis into six distinct clusters in terms of peer acceptance, student‐teacher relations and perceptions of the value of school and education for the future. This is followed by a description of the cluster profiles and their examination in relation to students' gender and socio‐economic background as well as to their performance in mathematics, reading and science and then in relation to their self‐beliefs and educational aspirations. The results indicate that when examining school engagement, average values for the whole age group are not sufficient to describe the spectrum of young people's school satisfaction and social relations. Instead, in Finnish schools there are distinct student groups with different engagement profiles, which are associated with both the cognitive and affective learning. In conclusion, some suggestions are made for further interventions as concerns the different student clusters.


In this work, we present a multi-phase hybrid algorithm based on clustering to solve the multi-depots vehicle routing problem (MDVRP). The proposed algorithm initially adopts K-means algorithm to execute the clustering analyses, which take the depots as the centroids of the clusters, for the all customers of MDVRP, then implements the local depth search using the Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (SFLA) for every cluster, and then globally re-adjusts the solutions, i.e., rectifies positions of all frogs by the extremal optimization (EO). The processes will continue until the convergence criterions are satisfied. The results of experiments have shown that the proposed algorithm possesses outstanding performance to solve the MDVRP.


background. The Q‐switched neodymium (Nd):YAG laser with quadruple frequency is very effective for the treatment of tattoos, pigmented lesions, and vascular, benign lesions. It is also an option for treating rhytides, scars, and facial pigmentations. objectives. This paper is based on a series of patients with periocular and perioral rhytides, postacne scars, and melanic and vascular eyelid pigmentation who were treated with the Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser with quadruple frequency. methods. The patients were divided in three separate groups: facial wrinkles, postacne scars, and eyelid pigmentation. All were biopsied before and after the laser treatment. Different wavelengths (1064, 650, 585, and 532 nm) were used in order to study the clinical improvement and the histological changes that occurred several weeks following the laser treatment. Additionally, these biopsies aided in observing specific histological characteristics related to applying the different wavelengths by evaluating them along with the clinical results. results. Very good results were achieved in the 22 facial wrinkle cases with two treatments. Excellent results were achieved in the 28 postacne patients, and the outcome of the 16 patients with pigmentation of the eyelids were considered good. conclusion. The Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser with quadruple frequency can be classified as a valid alternative for facial resurfacing. The results obtained are comparable to those with the pulsed carbon dioxide lasers, plus it has the advantage of being effective on vascular lesions.


This report summarises a conference paper presented at the 4th International Congress hosted by the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Coaching Psychology in London, December 2014. A further discussion of a Systematic Review (SR) study which aimed to strengthen evidence-based coaching through reviewing existing studies in Coaching Psychology was presented. This SR focused on investigating effective coaching psychologists' attributes for a productive coaching relationship and how to facilitate desired outcomes. The coaching relationship has been established as a key indicator for a positive coaching outcome through several primary studies. Nevertheless existing competency frameworks of main governing associations (e.g. the British Psychological Society) have not yet outlined explicit behavioural indicators for facilitating an effective coaching relationship. Hence, it is an essential step to study common factors for an effective coaching process and to what extent coaches' attributes impact the coach-coachee relationship. The details of this SR study has been published in International Coaching Psychology Review in 2014 (Lai & Almuth, 2014); this short paper will discuss how this SR study results expand commonly used coaching evaluation from coachees' satisfaction to comprise more concrete outcome measurement.


A new approach to the understanding of biological activity caused by low-intensity laser radiation, in which coherence is a factor of paramount importance, has been developed. It is based on the dipole interaction of gradient laser fields with cells, organelles and membranes. The laser intensity gradients in an object arise due to the interference of the light scattered by the tissue with the incident light beam (speckle formation). Apart from speckles, different types of light spatial modulation can be created deliberately using different schemes for beam interference.It is shown that gradient laser fields may cause spatial modulation of the concentration of particles and increase their 'partial temperature'. This paper presents the results of experimental observation of trapping of different types of particles, including human lymphocytes, in the interference fields of the He–Ne laser. The sweep-net effect on particles of different sizes on moving the laser field is demonstrated and crystal-like self-organization of particles in the laser gradient field is observed.The influence of gradient laser fields on erythrocyte rouleaus, on the apoptosis of human lymphocytes as well as on their chromosome aberrations is demonstrated. It may be concluded from the experimental studies that the influence of an interference laser field with a rightly chosen period can stimulate the repair system of a cell, increasing its viability.


'Patharnakh' and 'Punjab Beauty' are major pear cultivars grown under the subtropical conditions of northwestern India. These pear cultivars tend to put up profuse vegetative growth under the high density planting that leads to excessive shading of bearing zone of canopy. To facilitate light penetration into inner plant canopy, there is a need to contrive an efficient approach for vegetative growth management. The foliar applications of varying concentrations of plant bio-regulators viz. Prohexadione calcium (ProCa) (100, 200, 400 mg L-1) and Paclobutrazol (PBZ) (100, 250, 500 mg L -1) were done at 10 days after full bloom (DAFB) 'Patharnakh' and 'Punjab Beauty' pear plants trained on the Y-trellis training system. Shoot length, leaf area index and trunk cross-sectional areas (TCSA) were greatly reduced by Pro-Ca 200 and 400 mg L -1 concentrations. Treatments enhanced light penetration and photosynthesis. Fruit weight improved with plant bio-regulator treatments resulting in increased yield efficiency of pear plants. This study exhibited a strong positive correlation between light availability and yield efficiency o f pear plants.


This research provides the first look into the experiences of openly gay male team sport athletes on ostensibly all-heterosexual teams. Although openly gay athletes were free from physical harassment, in the absence of a formal ban against gay athletes, sport resisted their acceptance and attempted to remain a site of orthodox masculine production by creating a culture of silence surrounding gay athleticism, by segmenting gay men's identities, and by persistently using homophobic discourse to discredit homosexuality in general. Sports attempt to tolerate gay male athletes when they contribute to the overarching ethos of sport—winning—but try to taint the creation of a gay identity within sport that would see homosexuality and athleticism as compatible. Still, by proving themselves successful in sport, and meeting most other mandates of hegemonic masculinity except for their sexual identity, gay male athletes show that hegemony is not seamless and that there is a possibility of softening hegemonic masculinity in the sporting realm.


Cold FET methods have been widely used for active FET modeling assuming the bias independence of parasitic elements. However, the assumption has been merely justified by the resulting modeling accuracy. This paper investigates the consistency of cold FET conditions with active FET through the exact and the error minimizing solutions of cold FET intrinsic reference plane constrained by the feedback condition of active FET model. Additionally, drain bias dependence of parasitic resistances will be presented.


This article is based on a survey conducted on the top management's perceptions and practices of critical success factors (CSFs) with respect to benchmarking implementation in Malaysian automotive components manufacturing companies. The main objective of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on top management's practices of CSFs for implementing benchmarking among eight different companies categories, comprising of all respondents; quality certified; non-quality certified; Small and Medium Enterprise (SME); large; 100% locally owned; 100% foreign owned; and joint venture companies. To achieve this objective, the authors developed a questionnaire comprising of nine major CSFs and 49 elements, checked for reliability and validity by experts and practitioners. The analyses from 68 respondent companies showed the CSFs for benchmarking implementation were practiced at low to moderate level. On overall, there is a significant difference between the CSFs perceived level of importance and extent of practice by the respondent companies. Pair samples t-test results showed there is a significant difference between the level of importance and practices in all CSFs in quality certified, large, SME, 100% local and joint venture companies. The survey results also showed no significant difference in terms of level of importance and practice of all the CSFs in 100% foreign companies. In non-quality certified companies there is no significant difference in terms of level of importance and practice except for four CSFs. Finally, the paper concludes with some suggestions on the steps on how to improve the CSFs adoption rate and thus enhanced business competitiveness and excellence in Malaysian automotive manufacturing companies


Fluid filtration rate with respect to surface area (Jv/S) was measured in capillaries of rat mesentery by a micro-occlusion technique. Superfusion of the mesentery with 100 nM platelet-activating factor (PAF) caused a fivefold increase in Jv/S (control, mean +/- SE = 0.016 +/- 0.002 micron/s, n = 44 rats; PAF, 0.078 +/- 0.010, n = 10), whereas 20 nM leukotriene B4 (LTB4) had no effect (0.010 +/- 0.003, n = 8). These doses of PAF and LTB4 induced a similar level of leukocyte adherence to venular endothelium. Neutrophils play a role in PAF-mediated increases in Jv/S, since a significantly lower Jv/S was elicited by PAF superfusion in neutropenic rats (0.024 +/- 0.006, n = 7). Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) directed against either the leukocyte adhesion glycoprotein CD11/CD18 (0.037 +/- 0.006, n = 8) or the endothelial cell adhesion molecule P-selectin (0.025 +/- 0.004, n = 8) also attenuated PAF-induced capillary filtration, whereas a nonbinding form of the P-selection MAb had no inhibitory effect (0.066 +/- 0.024, n = 3). These results indicate that PAF, but not LTB4, enhances capillary fluid filtration rate. While neutrophils do not adhere to endothelium in capillaries exposed to PAF, they do appear to contribute significantly to the PAF-induced capillary fluid filtration.


COVID-19 is an unprecedented global pandemic. On 12 March 2020, a lockdown order was issued in Italy in attempt to contain the health crisis. The study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on diet, physical activity, sleep quality, and distress in an Italian cohort. An online anonymous interview, which included validated questionnaires was created to compare lifestyle habits pre- and during the lockdown. Data analysis from 604 subjects with a mean age of 29.8 years was carried out using multivariate analysis. Compared to pre-COVID-19 times, 67% of people changed their eating habits and increased consumption of foods containing added sugars. Women and men with low adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) were more likely to be physically inactive (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Results from logistic regression showed a three times higher risk of being inactive if adherence to the MedDiet was low (p < 0.0001), especially in men between 26 and 35 years. Lower levels of distress were reported in males who were physically active (89%) (p < 0.001). Our findings may help to identify effective lifestyle interventions during restrictive conditions.


Core to developing a general theory of markets, service-dominant (S-D) logic suggests that service is the fundamental basis of exchange (Vargo and Lusch, 2004). In turn, 'Service provision implies the ongoing combination of resources, through integration, and their application' (Vargo and Lusch, 2010: 4); hence the central role of resource integration as the means through which resource integrators (actors) co-create phenomenologically determined value. We identify five themes relevant to gaining a clearer understanding of the role of social and economic factors in resource integration. The themes and the broad relationships between them are conceptualized in Figure 1. Here we identify actors who possess appropriate resources which they are allowed and able to share, co-creating value using collaborative and integrative processes. Their evaluation of each experience occurs within the context of each specific engagement and provides continuous input into future collaborations. The resulting value may impact both the ability of actors to exercise agency and the processes involved in integrating resources.


In many coal combustion simulations, only one mixture fraction is used to model the coal-off gases. This assumption, however, is not accurate because the coal char and coal volatiles have considerable differences in composition. In the case of a coal:manure blend combustion, the use of one mixture fraction to describe the off gases from the coal and the manure yields inaccurate predictions. The inaccuracy is due to the fact that coal and manure have substantially different compositions and heating values. In the present work three mixture fractions are used separately to account for primary air, secondary air, coal off-gas and manure off-gas in a numerical simulation of blend combustion in a swirl burner. In the near burner region, significant differences in gas temperature and burnout are predicted when compared with a coal only base case. Secondary air and fuel flow rates are changed to keep the same equivalence ratio. The effects of these changes on the gas temperatures and burnout are determined.


One major challenge for businesses today is the openning of their information systems (IS), making them accessible to their partners over the Internet. To this aim, they expose interfaces of their IS via Web wervice technology which consists in loosely coupled components using XML documents and commonly agreed standards to communicate. But this component set is heterogeneous and changing despite new technologies like Web services which assure a minimum level of interoperability. As such, the automation of Web service composition is a key enabler for rapid deployment of new composite services. Past work on the semantic Web provides several high level solutions to discover potential connections and interactions between heterogeneous Web services. However, few or none of these tackle implementations issues related to XML messages management at the syntactic level. This article focuses on adapting some XML database solutions, specifically XML schema matching, to leverage the semantic matching analysis by providing a data transformation that enables data integration of exchanged messages. Our approach requires no semantic addition to already existing industrial engines to execute the resulting compositions. The preliminary evaluation results, provided by an implementation in an industrial project, shows the effectiveness of the proposed solution.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Immunotherapy has yielded significant improvements in survival for many cancer types, but its impact on glioblastoma (GBM) has been relatively muted. There is a growing interest in understanding the role of cancer metabolism and its role in tumor growth and therapeutic response. Thus, it is equally important to consider the clinical implications of immune cell metabolism on cancer progression and implications for therapeutic development. Our objective is to present new developments in immunometabolic research that are relevant to immunotherapy development for high-grade gliomas.

METHODS
A literature search and review was conducted, regarding original research articles studying metabolic pathways of immune cells in high-grade gliomas. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase databases on May 15 and June 13, 2022. English-language original research articles were selected and prioritized based on their inclusion of findings related to metabolic changes in myeloid and lymphoid cells in the glioma tumor microenvironment.

KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS
There are many metabolic mechanisms by which immune cells in high-grade gliomas, like GBM, contribute to tumor growth and persistence via immunosuppression and high therapeutic resistance. There are also several ways that metabolic optimization has already been shown to improve immunotherapies already in clinical trials or in use, including dendritic cell vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor T cells.

CONCLUSIONS
The implications of immunometabolic research presented here should be taken into consideration in future research and immunotherapy development of high-grade gliomas for our best chances at improving patient survival.


A number of international legal and ethical guidelines attempt to safeguard patients' rights in various health care areas. On the national level, health care legislation defines the rights of different patient groups more concretely in everyday practice. In general, the right to decide about one's own treatment — and to refuse treatment — is considered to be of the greatest importance. Several patient groups can, however, be treated involuntarily. In addition to minors, psychiatric patients in certain situations form a group of patients whose own will can be overridden in health care. In Finland also intoxicant abusers, the mentally retarded and patients suffering from certain communicable diseases can in special situations be taken into involuntary care. This article discusses the differences between the status and rights of involuntarily treated patients in different social and health care acts in Finland. Several paragraphs of the laws studied were identified that assign more rights to patients treated involuntarily under the Act on Social Work with Intoxicant Abusers and the Act on Special Care for the Retarded than to involuntary psychiatric patients. The practical implications of this article will be discussed.


Since the first global summit on climate change was held in 1992, the international community has managed to adopt a series of agreements and action plans to coordinate efforts of all countries to tackle the existing and potential challenges caused by climate change. Yet due to a lack of legally binding mechanisms and the huge discrepancy between developed and developing countries in their respective responsibilities, little progress has been made in international climate negotiation over the past decade. With the joint endeavor of major greenhouse gas emitters, especially emerging economies like China, the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal, the Paris Climate Agreement, was adopted in December 2015, setting up the legal framework of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and relevant international institutions to combat climate change on a reinterpreted principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)." Conducive as it is to the institutions and working model of global climate governance, the agreement will attach more responsibilities to developing countries including China. Having developed a strong resolution and given many open international commitments to assume more responsibilities in combating climate change, China should develop a green-growth approach while providing more public goods for the international community, so as to make its best contributions to future global climate governance.