This paper studies both cooperative and noncooperative amplify-and-forward (AF) wireless relay strategies with power constraints at the source and at the relays. The main objective is to design jointly and iteratively the closed form of a source scaling factor and a relay amplifying matrix, based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion under the conditions of both no-channel and channel phase misalignments. With the derived optimal source scaling factors and relay amplifying matrices, impacts on the system performance of both no-channel and channel phase misalignment are investigated by presenting the bit error rate and cost function behavior. Finally, this paper presents the iterative algorithm to solve the constrained Lagrangian optimization problem with a low computational complexity.


We report new data on the even-parity autoionizing resonances due to the 4f inner-shell excitation in ytterbium using a three-colour four-photon resonant excitation technique. The spectra were observed using three dye lasers simultaneously pumped by a common Nd:YAG laser in conjunction with a thermionic diode ion detector. More than 50 new levels corresponding to the 4f136s2n Rydberg series have been detected. The data were analysed in the light of the spectral lineshapes, parent ion configurations and quantum defect approach.


The purposes of this article are to reinvestigate how returns of major American depository receipts (ADRs) from different countries are related to the underlying stock returns and to identify the determinants of ADR risk premiums. We use different types of error-correcting terms in vector error correction models to examine information flows between ADRs and the underlying foreign stocks. General method of moments estimation of conditional international asset pricing model of Dumas and Solnik (1995) is applied to investigate ADR return premiums. We find that stock returns are more affected by disequilibrium between ADR and stock prices in an inefficient way. For US investors, foreign exchange rate risk premiums and world market risk premium (beyond US index) are priced in ADRs returns ex ante. Surprisingly, it is shown that the exchange rate of New Taiwan dollar and the interest rates of Brazil and Taiwan play important roles in determining ADR risk premiums across countries.


Hydrogels contain modified carboxymethylcellulose polymer together with propylene glycol as known components. Nowadays, they are common agents used in the treatment of leg ulcer patients, and a possible cause of allergic contact dermatitis. However in the published data, not all the patients with positive patch tests to hydrogels were sensitized to propylene glycol, remaining some allergens to be identified. The authors describe two leg ulcer patients sensitized for different commercial available hydrogels tested "as is", with concomitant patch tested positivity to imidazolidinyl urea (IU) and diazolidinyl urea (DU). Patient A was an 84-year-old male, and patient B was a 77-year-old female, both with a known history of leg ulcer for more than 8 weeks. Patient A was sensitized for Intrasite Gel®, Hydrogel Nu-Gel®, Askina Gel®, neomycin and budesonide. Patient B was sensitized for Intrasite Gel®, Hydrogel Nu-Gel®, Askina Gel®, Hydrosorb Gel®, Fragance mix 1 and 2, Amerchol, geraniol and citral. They were negative to propylene glycol tested in 5% pet. and 20% aq. IU and DU are formaldehyde-releasing agents, used as antimicrobial preservatives in the formulation of pharmaceutical creams and ointments and are known to cause contact dermatitis. Also, in many studies performed, it has been shown that contact allergy is high in patients with leg ulcers. As result, assessment of the relevance of positive patch test reactions in these patients can be difficult. Although we were not able to get the complete ingredient list of the hydrogels tested, attending to these observations, could be of importance to evaluate the presence of IU/DU in patients with suspected contact dermatitis to hydrogels.


Astrocytes are pivotal responders to alterations of extracellular pH, primarily by regulation of their principal acid‐base transporter, the membrane‐bound electrogenic Na+/bicarbonate cotransporter 1 (NBCe1). Here, we describe amammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)‐dependent and NBCe1‐mediated astroglial response to extracellular acidosis. Using primary mouse cortical astrocytes, we investigated the effect of long‐term extracellular metabolic acidosis on regulation of NBCe1 and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms by immunoblotting, biotinylation of surface proteins, intracellular H+ recording using the H+‐sensitive dye 2′,7′‐bis‐(carboxyethyl)‐5‐(and‐6)‐carboxyfluorescein, and phosphoproteomic analysis. The results showed significant increase of NBCe1‐mediated recovery of intracellular pH from acidification in WT astrocytes, but not in cortical astrocytes from NBCe1‐deficient mice. Acidosis‐induced upregulation of NBCe1 activity was prevented following inhibition of mTOR signaling by rapamycin. Yet, during acidosis or following exposure of astrocytes to rapamycin, surface protein abundance of NBCe1 remained ‐unchanged. Mutational analysis in HeLa cells suggested that NBCe1 activity was dependent on phosphorylation state of Ser245, a residue conserved in all NBCe1 variants. Moreover, phosphorylation state of Ser245 is regulated by mTOR and is inversely correlated with NBCe1 transport activity. Our results identify pSer245 as a novel regulator of NBCe1 functional expression. We propose that context‐dependent and mTOR‐mediated multisite phosphorylation of serine residues of NBCe1 is likely to be a potent mechanism contributing to the response of astrocytes to acid/base challenges during pathophysiological conditions.


In this paper, contribution of spherically conformal ultra-wide band (UWB) bow-tie antennas on tumor detection capability of a radar-based UWB microwave imaging system, which is currently being developed at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey-MRC-MİLTAL, is investigated by using an anatomically realistic voxel-based breast phantom through simulation studies. The designed conformal antenna operates efficiently across the band from 1 GHz to 8 GHz, and it's immersed in a coupling medium in order to get a good impedance matching with the breast phantom. Images are successfully formed by using delay-and-sum (DAS) algorithm for the detection of a spherical tumor model with 2 mm diameter, embedded at 40 mm depth inside the breast. The use of the spherical conformal antenna presents an excellent solution to increase signal energies in the microwave images by around 3.2 dB, as well as to decrease mutual coupling effects between array elements, compared to the same system with planar bow-tie antennas.


Some Experiments with Streptokinase in Recent Aortic Prosthese in Dogs and Cats M. SAMAMA, J. L. FONTAINE, JACQUELINE CONARD, P. DESNOYERS AND J. DIEBOLD (Hospital de I'Hotel Dieu, Paris) Streptokinase was infused into 18 dogs and 13 cats four days to six weeks after the insertion of aortic prostheses. Control studies with saline infusion were carried out with eight dogs and six cats. With streptokinase treatment almost all animals experienced severe bleeding within one week and in cats within up to three weeks of insertion of the prosthesis. Histological examination in these cases showed complete lysis of fibrin deposits within the lumen of the prosthesis. Fig. 3. Enzyme release of the isolated perfused rat liver. 652


Bovid fossils constitute rare findings in the Cerro de los Batallones fossil sites. However, maxillar and mandibular remains of a juvenile individual of a large-sized bovid were discovered in Batallones-1. In the present work, we describe these fossils and assign them to the Eurpoean genus Austroportax (Sickenberg, 1829). We name these fossils as Austroportax sp. due to the lack of more diagnostic additional material belonging to this form.


Summary:
More and more often, arbitration practitioners are confronted with the issue of whether a document is covered by legal privilege or whether it can be used as evidence even if it was exchanged in the course of settlement discussions. Because of the significant differences between domestic rules governing the issues of privilege/professional secrecy and confidentiality,parties and their counsel have different expectations about what information or documents should be considered privileged or confidential. To which ethical rules or law the Arbitral Tribunal should refer in order to decide such issues? The rules potentially applicable in cross–border transactions,especially when multinational companies have been represented by attorneys practicing in different jurisdictions, may lead to different results. Should the Tribunal consider the law of the place of the arbitration, even if there are no other connections with that law? Should the same law apply to both parties to arbitration proceedings to avoid unfair results even though the parties are located in different jurisdictions? If allegations of conflicts of interests arise following access to information deemed privileged, should such counsel be disqualified, and if this question arises, should the Arbitral Tribunal adjudicate such a dispute and on what basis? It may be unrealistic to promote "transnational rules" governing issues of legal privilege and confidentiality. Indeed, there are significant differences between countries and it is difficult,in any event, to adopt and enforce binding transnational rules. Arbitration practitioners may nevertheless be guided by general principles governing issues of privilege and confidentiality. This article presents the guiding principles identified to date in this area of law with concrete examples of their application to cross–border disputes.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Green tea is drawing increasing attention due to its potential chemopreventive effect. The polyphenols, including epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and epicatechin in green tea, are believed to be the active components. However, epidemiological and clinical studies have shown mixed results presumably due to lack of bioavailability when given orally. In this study, polyphenon E, a standardized green tea extract, was administered by novel polycaprolactone implants (two, 2-cm implants; 20% drug load) grafted subcutaneously or by drinking water (0.8% w/v) to female S/D rats. Animals were then challenged with subcutaneous benzo[a]pyrene (BP) implants (2 cm; 10% load), and euthanized after 1 week. Analysis of the lung DNA by 32P-postlabeling showed a significant reduction (50%; p=0.023) in BP-induced DNA adducts in the implant group. A modest (34%) but statistically insignificant adduct reduction was also observed in the drinking water group. The dose of polyphenon E administered by implants was found to be >100 times lower than that by oral route (15.7 mg vs. 1,632 mg). No evidence of toxicity associated with either the polymeric materials or the compounds was found in all these groups based on the body weight and tissue weights. To determine possible mechanisms of action of polyphenon E, we analyzed CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and GST at mRNA and protein expression levels and for the enzyme activities. However, no evidence was found for favorable modulation of these phase I and phase II enzymes by polyphenon E. In in vitro studies, reaction of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (anti-BPDE) with DNA was found to be strongly inhibited by individual catechins, particularly epigallocatechin gallate, present in polyphenon E, suggesting quenching of the electrophilic metabolite by the catechins. This notion was confirmed by reaction of anti-BPDE with individual catechins by LC/MS/MS. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that i) the effective dose of polyphenon E administered by polymeric implants was over 100-fold lower than the traditional oral route; and ii) polyphenon E exert their chemopreventive effect, at least, in part, due to direct quenching of anti-BPDE (Supported from CA-118114, KLCRP grant and Agnes Brown Duggan Endowment).

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5715.


Background: Digoxin is distributed in skeletal muscles in high concentrations. The most reliable parameter to measure the distribution of digoxin in patients undergoing hemodialysis is not known. Objective: To estimate which distribution parameter—estimated lean body mass (E-LBM) calculated by subtracting the fat mass from the dry weight, lean body mass, dry weight, and ideal body weight—is the most reliable predictor for assessing the accuracy of a digoxin dosing regimen in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate 21 patients undergoing hemodialysis who were administered digoxin. The patients were divided into 2 groups: digoxin 0.125 mg administered twice a week (low-dose group) or 3 times per week (high-dose group). The differences between E-LBM, lean body mass, dry weight, and ideal body weight for the low- and high-dose groups were determined. The relationships between serum digoxin concentrations and the weekly digoxin dose per E-LBM, lean body mass, dry weight, and ideal body weight were also determined. Results: E-LBM, lean body mass, dry weight, and ideal body weight in the high-dose group were significantly larger than those in the low-dose group (p = 0.021, 0.015, 0.024, and 0.0029, respectively), although no significant difference in serum digoxin concentrations was evident. Significant correlation was found between serum digoxin concentrations and the weekly digoxin dosage per E-LBM, dry weight, lean body mass, and ideal body weight (r = 0.746, p < 0.0001; r = 0.638, p = 0.0014; r = 0.645, p < 0.0011; r = 0.553, p = 0.0083, respectively). Conclusions: E-LBM appears to reflect the best parameter for predicting serum digoxin concentrations. The use of the dry weight parameter could be generally useful for adjusting the dosage of digoxin in patients undergoing hemodialysis.


Self-assembled supramolecular materials derived from peptidic macromolecules with π-conjugated building blocks are of enormous interest because of their aqueous solubility and biocompatibility. The design rules to achieve tailored optoelectronic properties from these types of materials can be guided by computation and virtual screening rather than intuition-based experimental trial-and-error. Using machine learning, we reported previously that supramolecular chirality in self-assembled aggregates from VEVAG-π-GAVEV type peptidic materials was most strongly influenced by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic packing of the alanine and valine residues. Herein, we build upon this idea to demonstrate through molecular-level experimental characterization and all-atom molecular modeling that varying the stereogenic centers of these residues has a profound impact on the optoelectronic properties of the supramolecular aggregates, whereas the variation of stereogenic centers of other residues has only nominal influence on these properties. This study highlights the synergy between computational and experimental insight relevant to the control of chiroptical or other electronic properties associated with supramolecular materials.


Schubert's 'Der Doppelganger' is among the composer's most-analysed works. Yet, in spite of numerous published Schenkerian readings, Schenker's own analytical sketches of the song remain largely neglected. His work on 'Der Doppelganger' was prompted by a letter from Felix-Eberhard von Cube of 8 May 1932, which enclosed a voice-leading analysis. Although this analysis does not survive, the broad outline of Cube's reading can be reconstructed from the letter. Schenker's reply to Cube is not known to survive, but a diary entry of 17 July 1932 records work on the song and the sending of a 'solution' to his former pupil; sketches in the Oster Collection, also dating from 17 July 1932, further document the theorist's work on the song that day. Schenker appears to settle on an Urlinie that descends from 3, in contrast to the primary tone of 5 that features not only in Cube's original analysis but also in many recently published ones. In choosing a 3-line, Schenker places great weight on the relationship between the song's Urlinie and its four-note ostinato motive, and the sketches illustrate how his concerns are similar to those of modern-day theorists working three-quarters of a century later.


This workshop is focus on Machine Learning. Machine learning is the most growing branch of computer science, driven by the ongoing explosion in the availability of data. Machine learning evolved from artificial intelligence and deals with many different problems and aspects to solve various tasks, including knowledge discovery, data mining, decision support and etc. A grand challenge is to discover relevant structural patterns and/or temporal patterns in complex data, which are often hidden and not accessible to the human expert.
Biomedicine is a branch of medical science that applies biological and other natural-science principles to clinical practice. The branch especially applies to biology and physiology, which has been the dominant health system for more than a century. Nowadays, the dramatic growth of medical and biological data has created an unprecedented opportunity for machine learning in the pattern recognition and machine learning community. Many medical and biological problems involve challenging approaches to pattern discovery and learning. This workshop aims at highlighting the on-going research both the advancement of machine learning technologies and the improvements of biomedicine, and trying to bringing together researchers from the related fields to foster discussion and elicit open problems on machine learning and its applications in biomedicine. The workshop will consist of invited talks, contributed presentations, and posters. We plan to include an opening tutorial and an overview of the state-of-the-art techniques. Invited talks will be given by leading experts from both machine learning and biomedicine. We hope this workshop will not only provide an opportunity for international researchers to exchange ideas and present the latest promising work, but also create a platform to discuss and identify important future topics and directions in related fields for further research and collaboration.


ABSTRACT Problematic eating interventions targeting young people living in out-of-home care (OoHC) have been neglected. Therefore, the aim of this narrative literature review was threefold: (1) to identify the state of the literature regarding interventions that address subclinical and clinical problematic eating behaviours among young people in OoHC; (2) to evaluate problematic eating interventions that have been developed for young people in the general population; and (3) to assess the extent to which these general interventions can be translated and implemented for young people in OoHC. This study found no interventions specifically designed for young people in OoHC. While there is the potential for current problematic eating interventions to be translated for this cohort, major adaptions are required in which both trauma-informed and attachment-focused perspectives are seen as central factors to problematic eating interventions in OoHC. IMPLICATIONS There are significant practical and theoretical limitations of administering current problematic eating interventions to young people living in OoHC. Interventions combining the theoretical underpinnings of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mentalisation-Based Therapy for Eating Disorders may begin to address the risk factors for problematic eating among young people in OoHC. A trauma-informed, attachment-focused problematic eating intervention is needed for young people in OoHC.


Background Gavo-cel is an autologous and HLA-independent T -Cell R eceptor F u sion C onstruct (TRuC TM ) T cell therapy that targets mesothelin-expressing tumors and is under Phase 2 evaluation for treatment-resistant MPM, NSCLC, cholangio-carcinoma, and ovarian cancer tumors (NCT03907852). Mesothelin (MSLN) is a 71 kDa GPI-anchored membrane protein that undergoes proteolytic membrane shedding to generate soluble mesothelin-related peptides (sMRPs) whose levels are correlated with tumor burden in MPM. sMRPs contain the juxtamembrane epitope of that is recognized by the MH1 binder domain of the gavo-cel TRuC and whose levels are correlated with tumor burden in MPM. Because shed MLSN has been implicated as a potential obstacle to successful anti-MSLN therapies, including cell therapies, we assessed the impact of soluble MSLN (sMSLN) on the function of gavo-cel and or allogeneic anti-MSLN TRuC, MH1gd. Methods In this study, we generated primary human TRuC-T cells modeling MSLN-targeting clinical agent gavo-cel or that express MH1gd TRuC, and then measured the impact of soluble MSLN on the in vitro activation, cytotoxicity, and cytokine response of gavo-cel or MH1gd during acute and chronic challenge with antigen-expressing tumor cells. We also evaluated whether sMRP in human serum impacts the in vitro cytotoxicity and cytokine response of gavo-cel in response to MSLN-expressing tumor cell lines. High, supraphysiological levels of the full-length shed domain of MSLN, sMSLN, does not impair, block, or disrupt the effector function of gavo-cel or MH1gd TRuC-T cells with respect to in vitro cytotoxicity or cytokine production. Furthermore, gavo-cel demonstrates potent efficacy in vivo in a tumor model characterized by circulating sMSLN. Conclusions Our data indicate that both gavo-cel and allogeneic MSLN-targeting TRuC-T cells are not susceptible to functional suppression by sMRPs, even at supraphysiological levels that far exceed those found in cancer patients. preprint.


More than 50% of young women who have had sex early in life acquire cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Most of the infections are with the high-risk HPV types, which are potential ethiologic factor for cervical cancer. Although ten or more HPV types are thought to be of high-risk, perhaps less than 30% of such infections persist and less than 1.5% develop cancer. Many previous studies clarify the oncogenic potentials of HPV16 or 18 genes by the experimental transformation of cells, introduced with target genes. Some molecular events induced with E6 and E7 genes of high-risk HPV types could explain the mechanisms of HPV for promoting cancer development. One important step for the malignant progression by HPV is the stable expression of HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins in the host cells, and this may be caused by the integration of the HPV genome into the host genome. The E6 and E7 proteins induce uncontrollable cell growth and accumulate mutations in the host genome after many cell divisions by inhibiting the functions of Rb and p53, which tightly regulate cell division cycle. However, it is postulated that such molecular events may occur only in cells able to escape from the immune-surveillance system, since all viral proteins are potentially immunogenic and targeted by the immune cells. Thus, immune responses to HPV and immune-evasion mechanisms of HPV play the most important role for persistent HPV infection and the progression of cervical diseases. It is reported that increased helper T type 2 (Th2) responses (suppression of cell-mediated immunity) and reduction of Th1 responses (no stimulation of cell-mediated immunity) are more frequently observed in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions than in normal cervices, suggesting that immune suppression is involved in CIN development. Correlations between certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II alleles and susceptibility to cervical carcinoma or protection against HPV infection are reported, suggesting that the genetic background related to immune responses may contribute to different outcome in the women who are infected with HPV. HPV appears to evade the host immune responses by several mechanisms: (i) avoidance of viral antigen recognition, (ii) induction of HPV 16 E7 tolerance, (iii) modulation of the signal transduction pathways of interferons and other cytokines such as interkeukin-18, and MHC antigens, (iv) inhibition of surrounding immune cell activity by secreted E6 and E7 proteins. Both immune-suppressive and oncogenic actions induced with HPV infection may allow HPV-infected cells to transform into cancer cells in vivo by conferring survival abilities against the growth inhibitory or apoptotic stimulation of cytokines and the attack of killer cells. Biomedical Reviews 2003; 14: 75-93.


These experiments were designed in order to determine normal hematological and biochemical values of normal dogs living in a laboratory environment. The findings were conclusive. Serial studies of some of the basic parameters have been done in a second group of animals. After a short period of conditioning, daily changes in weight, temperature, hematocrit and hemoglobin are minimal if the methods of analysis are standardized and reproducible.


Identification of factors causing acute renal failure (ARF) and its associated poor prognosis in critically ill patients can help in planning strategies to prevent ARF and to prioritize the utilization of sparse and expensive therapeutic modalities. Most of the studies in such patients have been done in the developed world, and similar data from the developing world is sparse. We analyzed 45 consecutive patients who developed ARF in the intensive care unit (ICU) during a 12-month period. Demographic and detailed biochemical profile, previous chronic illness, precipitating factors, number of failed organs, type of ARF (oliguric/nonoliguric), and need for and type of renal replacement therapy (RRT) received were recorded at the time of admission to ICU and during the course of illness. The mean age of these patients was 43.1 years, with 75.6% being males. Hypotension, sepsis, and use of nephrotoxic drugs were common precipitating factors for ARF in these patients. However, multiple precipitating factors were present in the majority (80%): 81.5% had at least one organ failure prior to development of ARF, 71.1% had oliguria, and 71.1% required RRT. Intermittent hemodialysis was the most common form of RRT given. Patient mortality was 64.4%, with 15 of the 16 surviving patients becoming dialysis independent. We observed an increase in mortality from 0% to 100%, depending on the number of failed organs from one to six. On comparing the predictor outcomes between survivors and nonsurvivors by multivariate analysis, only the number of failed organs at the time of ARF (2.6 ± 0.9 vs. 4.5 ± 0.8) and serum albumin <3.0 g/dL were found to be statistically significant. To conclude, ARF in critically ill patients is multifactorial in origin and carries a high mortality. Mortality in these patients increases with increasing numbers of failed organs and with a serum albumin of <3.0 g/dL.


Delivery systems may be designed to protect and control the release kinetics of growth/differentiation factors in a spatiotemporal manner. Liposomes are examples of biological-based bioactive agent delivery systems. In this work, ascorbic acid (AscA) was encapsulated in the inner compartment of the liposome and dexamethasone (Dex) was encapsulated within the lipid bilayer in order to develop a dual release system of these bioactive agents involved in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The particle size (∼150 nm) of the prepared liposomes showed a monodisperse distribution. The bioactive agent release study showed that Dex was released more rapidly from the liposomes than AscA. The Dex release profile showed an initial burst release within 12 h; afterwards, a slower and sustained release was observed until 21 days. The release of AscA from the liposomes was not detected until 6 h; afterwards, a linear release was observed from 24 h until 21 days. The effect of Dex–AscA-loaded liposomes on the viability, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBMSCs) were assessed. The cell culture results showed that the Dex–AscA-loaded liposomes (in a single dose or in repeated doses) do not have any cytotoxic effect. Dex–AscA-loaded liposomes given once did not promote induction of hBMSCs differentiation into the osteogenic lineage. However, Dex–AscA-loaded liposomes given repeatedly promoted the hBMSCs differentiation into the osteogenic lineage, both in basal medium and complete osteogenic medium. These results were genotypically demonstrated by the expression of osteoblastic markers. In conclusion, Dex–AscA-loaded liposomes represent a biological nanoparticle strategy with potential safety and efficacy for bone tissue engineering approaches.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is predominantly expressed in the brain and spinal cord during neonatal development and is subsequently down-regulated in the adult. In cancer, ALK is ectopically expressed as a consequence of one of several different cytogenetic translocations or inversions that lead to the expression of an oligomerized, constitutively active, intracellular tyrosine kinase. The resulting fusion protein has been identified in anaplastic large cell lymphomas, non small cell lung carcinomas and more recently breast and colorectal carcinomas. Preclinical data convincingly demonstrates that fusion transcripts can drive tumorigenesis and inhibition of ALK in vitro and in vivo leads to inhibition of cellular growth. Full length (fl) ALK is also expressed in a variety of other tumor types, and recent data suggest that at least in neuroblastoma, the flALK transcript contains activating point mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain. These data suggest that flALK may also be a therapeutic target in cancer. Here we demonstrate that a significant subset of ovarian carcinoma cell lines and biopsy specimens aberrantly express ALK. Gene expression analysis in 126 ovarian carcinoma samples demonstrated a prevalence of ALK expression of 19%. Analysis of the histological subtypes within this study, showed specific enrichment of ALK transcript in papillary ovarian carcinoma (15 of 42 samples). This subtype showed a range of ALK expression between 2 - 4 fold increase above normal ovarian tissue. We have also confirmed that in a subset of ovarian tumor cell lines and primary tumor samples that ALK transcript is converted into ALK protein. DNA sequence analysis has revealed that in these patient samples and cell lines, ALK is predominantly wild type. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) suggest that over expression may occur as a consequence of low copy number amplification. These preliminary findings suggest that ALK expression in cancer has now been observed in ovarian carcinomas by a mechanism distinct from cytogenetic translocations or inversions. Currently, we are attempting to correlate the aberrant expression of ALK with ovarian cancer prognosis as well as understand the value of inhibiting ALK expression in this cell type.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3142.


Erythrocytes are sensitive to the effects of interaction with external agents and pathogens, which results in biochemical and morphological changes. This study evaluated the effects of CdS-dextrin nanoparticles on the biocompatibility, morphology and ζ-potential of erythrocytes in vitro. Blood was obtained from healthy male Wistar rats and erythrocytes were obtained by centrifugation. Hemolysis and topographical analyses were done using spectrophotometry and AFM, respectively. Determination of ζ-potential and molecular docking were also performed. CdS-dextrin quantum dots were evaluated at 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/mL. CdS-dextrin quantum dots produced hemolysis (5%) with all concentrations used. Morphological changes included loss of biconcavity, and surface cracks were observed with 0.1 and 1 μg/mL during 30 min of exposure. When erythrocytes were incubated for 60 minutes this resulted in loss of concavity, increased size, and the presence of surface accumulations, which increased in a concentration dependent manner. The ζ-potential values did not change, regardless of the concentration of quantum dots. The analysis of CdS-dextrin quantum dots uptake showed that they did not enter the cell, though green fluorescence surrounding the erythrocytes was observed. The molecular docking revealed that dextrin of quantum dots might be interacting with glucose transporter GLUT1. Therefore, the interaction of CdSdextrin quantum dots with erythrocytes induce minimal hemolysis but important morphological changes. It is not clear if these changes could be associated with functional changes. These preliminary findings provide evidence that nanomaterials can interact with erythrocytes and might cause associated pathophysiological processes following human exposure.


This completely revised and updated alternative to "Robert's Rules" is a comprehensive and logical guide to conducting smoothly functioning, formal organizational meetings. The third edition updates parliamentary procedure for contemporary practice, clarifies confusing laws, and eliminates obsolete, arcane motions while retaining all essential safeguards. Its clear, non-technical language makes it accessible to everyone. And its special section of answers to the most frequently asked questions should be particularly useful for newcomers to parliamentary procedure.


. Worldwide, progress has been made toward managing productive lands more sustainably to improve freshwater health. However, a lack of national guidance for environmental reporting and recording means that it is not possible to quantify consistently which land management actions that help improve water quality have been implemented, where, when, and to what extent. This situation suggests that information on the effectiveness of these actions is missing or fragmented. Systematic recording and reporting of land management actions is an important piece of a large freshwater restoration puzzle. We investigated what motivates New Zealand land managers to record their actions and report them to their networks by conducting 23 semi-structured interviews. Between February and November 2020, we spoke with food producers, New Zealand Indigenous people of the land t ā ngata whenua community members, and government and industry representatives. The key themes that described motivators for these land managers to record and report land management actions were collective engagement (e.g., working with catchment care groups), identity and social norms (e.g., being a "socially approved" farmer), and efficient farm management (e.g., using one simple recording tool for multiple purposes to save time). While these findings will be broadly germane to international contexts, they are being used specifically to inform the development of a proposed National Register of Land Management Actions in Aotearoa New Zealand.


Permanent growth of packaging waste has a negative environmental effect. Moreover, various chemical substances are one of the resources used for packaging production so it can affect people health in various ways. For these reasons legislation is tightening up, waste management objectives are increasing, packaging recycling is encouraged and so on. This paper presents implementation of the recycling process for packaging streams in relation to the chemicals they contain. Consider the problems, which is encountered in the recycling of packaging, while special attention is given to packaging recycled raw materials. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.74.4.22148


Just plug on your television, or step out in a public place and observe what you mostly have. You would have numerous images of women, for selling the things. You would also have these images at the back sides of vehicles, at sign boards,at television in advertisements, in magazines, in news papers and everywhere. Now try to scrutinize what these images are actually saying to you, what kind of activities these ladies are doing in these images. The answer would be as! These images would be alluring to you, seducing to you, grabbing your attention, gratifying to you, trying to become a thing of screen esthetic, appealing and stimulating to your sexual desires and giving you an image of women you don't have in reality. From media you have got an image of women who is sexually charged and is an icon of sexuality. This negative portrayal of women in media has lethal impacts on the society. Its poisonous perspectives have bombardments onto the minds of individuals and in this way it is also creating some social evils. We have havoc results on our society from this woman's misrepresentation on media, which is resulting in moral and social crimes.


This paper uses new tariff data to re-evaluate the extent to which South Africa has liberalised its trade from the late 1980s. The paper finds that significant progress has been made in simplifying South Africa's tariff structure and reducing tariff protection, but further progress can be made in removing tariff peaks, reducing tariff dispersion, and lowering the anti-export bias arising from protection. Further, although protection has fallen, the decline has been no faster than in other lower-middle-income economies. The paper also finds that estimates of the level of nominal and effective protection, and their rate of change, are sensitive to the choice of tariff measure (collection duties or scheduled tariff rates) and Input-Output or Supply-Use table, but that the sectoral structure of protection is largely unaffected. Copyright 2005 Economic Society of South Africa.


In this article we explore the approach of the Singapore International Commercial Court (the 'SICC') to jurisdiction and joinder of non-consenting parties, and way that any resulting judgments are likely to be treated by foreign enforcing courts. This novel juncture arises as international commercial courts, such as the SICC, rely predominantly upon party autonomy to enliven their jurisdiction over disputants. This does not require any territorial link of the parties or the dispute to the host jurisdiction (Singapore). At the same time, however, the SICC is granted a mandate under Singaporean law to join non-consenting parties, again with no necessary territorial link. Where such joinder occurs, any resulting judgment is likely to face significant difficulties if recognition and enforcement is sought outside of Singapore. To support this argument, we first set out the ways in which non-consenting disputants may be joined to proceedings before the SICC, and offer some initial thoughts on how these powers are likely to be exercised. Second, we argue that any such exercise of jurisdiction – that lacks either territorial or consent-based jurisdiction grounds – is unlikely to gain support internationally, by reference to transnational recognition and enforcement approaches, and the SICC's most likely recognition and enforcement destinations. Finally, we offer some concluding remarks about the utility of international commercial court proceedings against nonconsenting parties, including the possibility they may impact on domestic recognition and enforcement approaches in foreign States.


On 20 September 2015, the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC) declared that type 2 wild poliovirus had been eradicated. The GCC examined reports from 189 of 195 countries around the world and studied separate data [held by the World Health Organization (WHO)] from the remaining countries. According to WHO, nearly 2 million appropriate clinical samples had been tested, and no type 2 wild polioviruses were found. The announcement is the first step toward eradicating all three wild poliovirus types. But this landmark will only be declared when the GCC is confident that there have been no wild virus cases of any type for 3 years.


Aim: To describe the accreditation of undergraduate dental programs in Chile according to the 2015 assessment procedures of the National Accreditation Commission. Methodology: Descriptive study. The unit of analysis are the resolutions on accreditation of dental programs in Chile by the National Accreditation Commission (CNA-Chile), accessed from the advanced search engine at the CNA-Chile website. From the resolutions the following information was obtained: Effective date, Years of accreditation, Accrediting agency and the Strengths and Weaknesses of the 3 dimensions assessed in undergraduate programs: Graduate profile and results, Operating conditions and Self-regulation. Universities that belonged to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) and to the Chilean Association for Dental Education (ACHEO) were considered in the study. Results: Fourteen universities have a history of accreditation of dental programs. They all belong to ACHEO and half of them are members of CRUCH. The range of accreditation was 2-7 years. The average years of accreditation in private universities was 4.57 ± 1.72, while in CRUCH it was 6 ± 1, with an overall average of 5.29 ± 1.54. The programs have been accredited by CNA-Chile and 4 other accrediting agencies. Conclusion: There is significant variability in the quality of dental programs in Chile according to CNA-Chile accreditations. Programs from CRUCH universities have a better and more consistent quality than those of private institutions.


The objective of the present study was studying the prevailing bacterial etiology of Chronic Maxillary Sinusitis (CMS) in different age groups, to evaluate the impact predisposing factors to chronicity and to estimate the susceptibility of the isolated microorganisms to commonly used antimicrobial agents. This study was carried out on 103 patients (60 males and 43 females) in age ranged from (12 to 67 years) who were diagnosed clinically and radiologically to have CMS. Culturing of sinus aspirates from all patients on an appropriate media to isolate aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was done. The isolates were identified by conventional methods and their sensitivities against commonly used antimicrobial agents were tested. The present study revealed that CMS was higher in 40 males (66.67%) than in 25 females (58.14%) of group II and it was more frequent in adults than in children. Positive cultures were detected in 97 (94.2%) cases of which pure aerobic bacteria were isolated in 11 cases (10.7%) and pure obligate anaerobes were isolated in 9 (8.7 %), while mixed of both were found in 77 cases (74.8%). Our study showed a strong association between CMS and predisposing factors as allergic rhinitis, septal devia-tion and nasal polyposis, but it showed a poor association with aspirin sensitivity. High susceptibility of all aerobic isolates to vancoymycin, cefotaxime, cefaclor, clarithromycin was detected while, anaerobic isolates showed high susceptibility to moxifloxacin, cefotaxime and meropenem.

 Key words: Chronic maxillary sinusitis (CMS), aerobic isolates, antimicrobial agents.


The abyss of the Sea of Japan represents an example of an isolated deep-sea environment that contains mostly endemic fauna and has a complicated Quaternary history. To determine the trophic structure and sources supporting this abyssal benthic community, the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and fatty acid (FA) compositions of key invertebrate species and sedimentary organic matter (SOM) were analysed. Samples were collected at a range of depths from 2481 to 3666 m in the deep-water basin of the Sea of Japan in August 2010. Species of the most abundant invertebrates—including polychaetes, sea anemones, peracarid crustaceans, bivalves and brittle stars—showed similar δ15N values, corresponding to relatively high and similar trophic positions. Analysis of FA trophic markers showed that all of these equally 15N-enriched omnivores, carnivores and scavenger species in the Sea of Japan abyssal environment fed mostly on sinking zooplankton animals. The resulting FA profiles of these species showed a high 18:1ω9/18:1ω7 ratio, and the 22:6ω3 and 20:5ω3 polyunsaturated FAs were the most abundant FAs. Only one macrobenthic species, the filter-feeding Thyasira (Parathyasira) sp., had low 22:6ω3 and 20:5ω3 FA proportions, but it exhibited significant levels of 18:2ω6 and 16:1ω10 FAs characteristic of the SOM of the deep waters of the Sea of Japan. These data reveal the dominant role of descending zooplankton as a food resource for megaand macrobenthos in this marginal deep-water environment. Despite the proximity of the productive shelf area, which exports plant residues to the deep-water basin of the Sea of Japan, we found no isotopic or FA indications of feeding on allochtonous detritus of seagrasses or macroalgae among abyssal consumers. Our data did not support cannibalism as a feeding mode of the abundant abyssal carnivorous polychaetes, as had previously been suggested. Different key invertebrate species of the Sea of Japan abyssal food web occupied similar trophic positions and fed predominantly on descended zooplankton. We suggest that the simple structure of the Sea of Japan abyssal food web, lacking abundant deposit-feeder food chains, is the result of the young evolutionary age of this community rather than the low availability of bottom detritus or the specific structure of the pelagic community that provides abundant downward flow of zooplankton.


Heterogeneity of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) represents a major hurdle towards personalized medicine. Efforts based on whole tumor profiling demonstrated that the CRC molecular subtypes were associated with specific tumor morphological patterns representing tumor subregions. We hypothesize that whole- tumor molecular descriptors depend on the morphological heterogeneity with significant impact on current molecular predictors. We investigated intra-tumor heterogeneity by morphology-guided transcriptomics to better understand the links between gene expression and tumor morphology represented by six morphological patterns (morphotypes): complex tubular, desmoplastic, mucinous, papillary, serrated, and solid/trabecular. Whole-transcriptome profiling by microarrays of 202 tumor regions (morphotypes, tumor-adjacent normal tissue, supportive stroma, and matched whole tumors) from 111 stage II-IV CRCs identified morphotype-specific gene expression profiles and molecular programs and differences in their cellular buildup. The proportion of cell types (fibroblasts, epithelial and immune cells) and differentiation of epithelial cells were the main drivers of the observed disparities with activation of EMT and TNF-α signaling in contrast to MYC and E2F targets signaling, defining major gradients of changes at molecular level. Several gene expression-based (including single-cell) classifiers, prognostic and predictive signatures were examined to study their behavior across morphotypes. Most exhibited important morphotype-dependent variability within same tumor sections, with regional predictions often contradicting the whole-tumor classification. The results show that morphotype-based tumor sampling allows the detection of molecular features that would otherwise be distilled in whole tumor profile, while maintaining histopathology context for their interpretation. This represents a practical approach at improving the reproducibility of expression profiling and, by consequence, of gene-based classifiers.


It is well known that abnormal animal behaviour is affected by both environment and genetics. This thesis aimed to use behavioural observations as well as gene expression measurements to explore how animals that perform and receive tail biting (pigs) and feather pecking (laying hens) differ from individuals that are not involved in these behaviours. In study I, the results suggested that tail biting is related to other abnormal behaviours. Pigs performing a high frequency of tail biting focused on abnormal behaviours that included oral manipulation (such as ear and bar biting), whereas those performing less tail biting showed a wider variety of different abnormal behaviours. In study II and III, many genes were differently expressed when neutral pigs were compared with tail biters and receivers, all housed in the same pen, as well as when compared to control pigs housed in a pen with no tail biting. This suggests that the neutral pigs had a phenotype that made them somewhat resistant towards performing and receiving tail biting. Behavioural data, in combination with information on the functions of these differently expressed genes, indicated that this difference in behaviour was due to the neutral pigs being less pig-directed in their behaviour. The focus on pigs which remain neutral in the outbreak is a new approach in tail biting studies. The gene expression data further suggested that selection for production may unintentionally have created pigs that perform and receive more pig-directed abnormal behaviour. In study IV, the functions of many of the 16 genes differently expressed between feather pecking hens, victims and control birds, support earlier hypotheses about feather pecking being linked to nutrition/feeding and immune mechanisms. In summary, this thesis provides both behavioural characteristics and lists of genes that strengthen earlier reported results as well as give new suggestions about the biological mechanisms underlying tail biting and feather pecking behaviour.


Prosthetic rehabilitation of microstomia patients presents difficulties at all stages as the maximal oral opening is smaller than the size of a complete denture. Several techniques have been described for use when either standard impression trays or the denture itself becomes too difficult to place and remove from the mouth. This article describes a different design for the fabrication of maxillary sectional trays to enable easier and efficient impression making in a patient with limited oral opening.


In current society, the necessity of recognising people is increasing every day. Logical or physical access is restricted to authorised users, which in many cases have to provide tokens where their personal information is stored. At the same time, biometrics proposes a feasible solution for the recognition problem. The combination of both solutions is coming up front. However, up till now, owing to processing restrictions, these tokens are just able to store data and perform the last steps of the biometric recognition process. In this study, the authors propose a new system where tokens are based on hardware/software (HW/SW) co-design, which allows computing most of the biometric process in them. This proposal covers several aspects which these systems are subject to, taking advantages of the two platforms they use for reducing computational time or HW area, and also to increase security or minimise misidentification errors. For testing this proposal, an Iris ID token has been implemented, showing different design alternatives adapted to different work scenarios.


INTRODUCTION
Researchers are urged to include health-economic assessments when exploring the benefits and drawbacks of a new treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the costs associated with the establishment of a new patient education programme for patients with a stoma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Following a previous case-control study that explored the effect of patient education for stoma patients, we set out to examine the costs related to such a patient education programme. The primary outcome was disease-specific health-related quality of life measured with the Ostomy Adjustment Scale six months after surgery. The secondary outcome was generic health-related quality of life measured with Short Form (SF)-36. In this secondary analysis, we calculated direct health-care costs for the first six months post-operatively from the perspective of the health-care system, including costs related to the hospital as well as primary health care.

RESULTS
The overall cost related to establishing a patient education programme showed no significant increase in the overall average costs. However, we found a significant reduction in costs related to unplanned readmissions (p = 0.01) as well as a reduction in visits to the general practitioner (p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Establishing a patient education programme - which increased quality of life - will probably not increase the overall costs associated with the patient course.

FUNDING
The study received financial support from Søster Inge Marie Dahlgaards Fond, Diakonissestiftelsen, Denmark, and from Aase and Ejnar Danielsens Foundation, Denmark.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
NCT01154725.


The blood levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate have been studied in 16 acute asthmatics and a group of healthy controls. No significant difference was found, but asthmatics had higher haemoglobin concentrations.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of concentrate on the quantitative and qualitative carcass characteristics of feedlot ewes. Twenty-four crossbred ewes were randomly distributed in four treatments: (1) diet with 20%; (2) 40%; (3) 60%; and (4) 80% of concentrate. Animals were slaughtered when those receiving the diet with 80% of concentrate reached adult weight, at around 50kg LW. The data were analyzed by means of variance and regression analyses and correlations. The levels of concentrate increased live weight at slaughter linearly. Height at the withers and rump presented medium to high correlation (0.86). The correlation of loin eye area measured on the carcass and by ultrasound examination was 0.81, whereas for back fat thickness it was 0.85. The increase in the use of concentrate in the diets promotes heavier carcasses with better yields and fat cover. Some measures obtained in vivo presented high correlation with those measured on the carcass. The use of ultrasound can be a way to predict the in vivo loin eye area. The use of concentrate improves the meat quality in variables' color and appearance.


InCl3 catalyzes the reaction of hydroxylamine hydrochloride with a number of aldehydes and ketones under solvent free condition to afford an efficient method for the synthesis of oximes.


A 8-year-old male with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome was admitted to our hospital because of left hilar swelling on a chest roentgeonogram. Bronchofiberscopy and transbronchial aspiration cytology (TBAC) was performed under general anesthesia with a laryngeal mask. The specimen obtained by TBAC was immediately stained and diagnosed as malignant lymphoma. One month later, thoracotomy was performed in order to get more detail diagnosis, which is necessary to determine the regimen of chemotherapy, and the nodal specimen were diagnosed as Hodgkin's disease. The ABVD therapy was performed which induced the complete remission. The laryngeal mask is a useful device for bronchofiberscopy in children.


The main aim of this paper is neither to rethink the religious theories of the concept of the Other, which are alive in the different World Religions, nor to analyze the philosophical theories of the Other, such as M. Buber´s, M. Heidegger´s, I. Levinas´s or P. Ricoeur´s theories, nor the sociological theories such as those of G. H. Mead or Ch H. Cooley, but to analyze the different plots of meaning intertwined in the facticity of several proto-typical encounters with the Other trying to understand them from a hermeneutical point of view.


Negative mutual inductance results from coupling between two conductors having current vectors in opposite directions. As a quantity in electronic circuits, negative mutual inductance is usually so much smaller in magnitude than overall inductance that it can be neglected with little effect. In the microelectronic world, however, its neglect can result in inductance values as much as 30 percent too high. This paper derives inductance equations for planar thin- or thick-film coils, comparing equations that include negative mutual inductance with those that do not. It describes a computer program developed for calculating inductances for both square and rectangular geometries, the variables considered being track width, space between tracks, and number of turns. Graphic results are presented for up to 16 turns over an inductance range of 3 nanohenries to 10 microhenries. Although details of fabrication are not included, the effects of film thickness and frequency on the mutual-inductance parameter are discussed.


Liquid calcium nitrate is obtained from the reaction between nitric acid and lime hydrate, carriers of the nutrients nitrogen and calcium respectively; the latter coming from the Holguin and Pinar del Rio limestone quarries. The generation of solid waste results in the greatest environmental impact of this process. In order to reduce the environmental damage in the Company of Fertilizers and Pesticides of Nuevitas, Camaguey, it is investigated and characterized the residues of the process of obtaining liquid calcium nitrate the objective is to use it as a carrier of nutrients for the crops. It known that these residues still contain nutrients easily assimilated by plants, therefore these can be useful as fertilizer or as an agricultural amendment. The chemical characterization of the residues was used the Cuban Norm 1121: 2016, Cuban Norm 1117: 2016 and American Chemical Society Specifications. The characterization of the sludge obtained in the sedimentation and the insoluble solid of the neutralization reaction give lower nitrogen and calcium values in the solid. Based on the results this waste can use in the agriculture.


The critic's corner is (or brief, unrefereed statements about one or more aspects of disasters, and which have research implications. While some statements are solicited, we would prefer to have them volunteered. Preference will be given to provocative points of view and those which seem to challenge established ways of viewing, thinking and researching disaster phenomena. The point of view expressed is that of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent that of the editors, the journal or the research committee.


Diana Abu Jaber's Crescent (2003) is a postmodernist Arab American novel that sheds light on the multicultural encounters in modern America. It highlights the different dichotomies surrounding various ethnic communities in a way to transcend them and to build cultural bridges. It seeks to forge a hybrid cultural integration and to promote understanding among separate ethnic groups living in the America. Generic transgressions of conventional storytelling are manifested in various ways in the novel such as the merging of fact and fiction and the mingling of literary genres. All these references are incorporated into the texture of the fairytale story and the main fictional story that go simultaneously in the novel. Like most postmodernist writers, Abu Jaber challenges the ideas of binary oppositions, disconnected boundaries and stable identities. She experiments with intertextuality, fragmentation, manifold narratives and narrators and various literary allusions. Through resorting to different discourses in this multilayered text, she creates what Bakhtin calls a 'polyphonic' text.


The three famous problems concerning units, zero-divisors and idempotents in group rings of torsion-free groups, commonly attributed to I. Kaplansky, have been around for more than 50 years and still remain open. In this article we introduce the corresponding problems in the considerably more general context of arbitrary rings graded by torsion-free groups. For natural reasons, we will restrict our attention to rings without non-trivial homogeneous zero-divisors with respect to the given gradation. We provide a partial solution to the extended problems by solving them for rings graded by unique product groups. We also show that the extended problems exhibit the same (potential) hierarchy as the classical problems for group rings. Furthermore, a ring which is graded by an arbitrary torsion-free group is shown to have no non-homogeneous central unit, no non-trivial central zero-divisor and no non-trivial central idempotent. We also present generalizations of the classical group ring conjectures and show that it suffices to consider finitely generated torsion-free groups in order to solve them.


The article is devoted to the mechanisms and epidemiological aspects and diseases arriving in emergency department patients. On the basis of the conducted analysis, identified promising group to increase patient flow in the emergency department. The problems identified in the course of work and ways of their solution.


This study took an in-depth, global look at the entirety of the teaching practices of six elementary school teachers in Canada who are known to be highly motivating instructors. The study investigated the interaction between teaching practices and the change in elementary-school student motivation. Three teachers were chosen for their reputation as great motivators, while the other three were randomly selected in schools from the same sociological context; the students of these teachers also participated. Teachers were interviewed, their classes were observed, and their teaching materials were examined. Documents and other qualitative data were analyzed by ethnographic content analysis, and a motivation scale was applied to students. Results indicated that effective teachers seem to emphasize effort more than ability, using attributional feedback to favor student motivation. Effective teaching was also related to the sharing of classroom management responsibilities with students, and with creating a classroom culture in which students were held accountable, had self-determination, and believed that through effort they could succeed. Planning and decision making for these teachers showed awareness of the importance of creating a classroom context in which students were highly motivated, and they were aware when students were not motivated. Student's perceptions of the teachers actions were more important for influencing motivation than the teacher's real actions themselves. Contains 20 references. (JPB) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************************


The emergence of micro- and nanoscale science and engineering has provided new avenues for engineering materials with macromolecular and even molecular-scale precision, leading to diagnostic and therapeutic technologies that will revolutionize the way healthcare is administered. Biomaterials have evolved from off-the-shelf products to materials designed with molecular precision to exhibit the desired properties for a specific application, often mimicking biological systems. Controlling interactions at the level of natural building blocks, from proteins to cells, facilitates the novel exploration, manipulation, and application of living systems and biological phenomena. In addition, polymer networks with precisely engineered binding sites have been created via molecular imprinting, where functional monomers are preassembled with a target molecule and then the structure is locked with network formation. Nanoscale science and engineering have accelerated the development of novel drug delivery systems and led to enhanced control over how a given pharmaceutical is administered, helping biological potential to be transformed into medical reality. Micro- and nanoscale devices have been fabricated using integrated-circuit processing techniques, enabling strict temporal control over drug release. The advantages of these microdevices include simple release mechanisms, very accurate dosing, the capability of complex release patterns, the potential for local delivery, and possible biological drug stability enhancement by means of storage in a microvolume that can be precisely controlled. In particular, the development of polymer systems that are able to interact with their environment in a thermodynamically responsive manner has led to novel intelligent biomaterials and applications. Intelligent biomedical materials can be used for the delivery of drugs, peptides, and proteins; as targeting agents for site-specific delivery; or as components for the preparation of protein or drug conjugates. These intelligent materials are attractive options as functional components in micro- and nanodevices because of the ease with which recognition and actuation properties can be precisely tailored. Recent developments in intelligent materials and nano- or microdevices for drug delivery systems are the emphasis of this review, which addresses the use of intelligent biomedical materials as carriers for the development of novel pharmaceutical formulations.


We study thermodynamic manifestations of the chiral anomaly in disordered Weyl semimetals. We focus, in particular, on the effect which we call ``adiabatic dechiralization,'' the phenomenon in which a change in temperature and/or an absorption or release of heat results from applying parallel electric and magnetic fields that change the imbalance of quasiparticles with different chiralities (at different Weyl nodes). This effect is similar to that of adiabatic demagnetization, which is commonly used as a method of low-temperature refrigeration. We describe this phenomenon quantitatively and discuss experimental conditions favorable for its observation. A related phenomenon, which we analyze and which is readily observable in experiments, is the dependency of the heat capacity of a Weyl semimetal on parallel electric and magnetic fields.


Culture for Norton (2004) is a matrix of the sort popularized in the recent film, The Matrix. For all humans, who are products of culture, there is nothing outside of it. Politics is not merely reflected by culture, but is in culture. Culture also constitutes bodies as it constructs gender, sexuality, and race. Being in one culture precludes being in others.We propose an alternative metaphor – that culture is not as a matrix, but as an equilibrium in a well-defined set of circumstances in which members of a cultural group, through shared symbols, ritual practice, and high levels of interaction, are able to condition their behavior on common knowledge beliefs about the behavior of all members of the group. These beliefs include what members of the group are likely to do under a range of circumstances, including behaviors that are off the equilibrium path, that is, what behaviors would occur if a member of the group were to violate expected behaviors. Examples of off the path behavior include what behavior should trigger sanctions and what those sanctions should be.In so doing, we highlight not the ubiquity but rather the restricted domain of culture. An individual is typically a member of multiple cultural groups and hence of multiple cultures. A member of Congress is also an American and part of American culture; she may also be a devout catholic, a member of that church and culture; and she may be a professional, such as a lawyer, and part of that professional culture. The reason people can simultaneously be members of different cultures is that the domain of each culture is limited, and this is an implication that Norton did not derive from her discussion of multiple identities.


Polycrystalline ferrites have very important structural, magnetic and electrical properties that are dependent on several factors such as method of preparation, stoichiometry, substitution of cations, sintering temperature, sintering time, sintering atmosphere, etc. NiCuZn ferrite is one of the most important magnetic materials for multilayer chip inductor (MLCI) applications due to their high electrical resistivity, low sintering temperature and high permeability. In view of this in the present book stands for, single phase NiCuZn ferrites have been prepared at low temperature (without sintering aids) by both conventional and microwave sintering techniques and studies on structural, magnetic and electrical properties are presented.


abstract Nodal root anatomy was compared among twelve upland and lowland rice (Oryza sative L.) varieties with tropical origin which were grown in hydroponic culture and under field conditions. The traditional upland japonica varieties showed the largest diameter of root, stele, and xylem vessel followed by modern upland varieties. There was a clear varietal difference in the ratio of stele to root diameter, which was associated with the genetic group rather than with the ecosystems. The japonica varieties had a significantly larger stele diameter relative to the root diameter than indica and aus varieties. The indica and aus varieties displayed more xylem vessels per unit area of stele than the japonica varieties, but the diameter of xylem vessel was smaller. Equivalent xylem vessel diameter (De) was more dependent on the number of xylem in the indica varieties than in the japonica varieties. Distinctly different types of sclerenchyma anatomy were identified among the varieties. The development of sclerenchyma was classified into four different types based on thickening of cell wall in the outer cortical parenchyma and the number of sclerenchymatous cell layers. Like the xylem anatomy, the varietal differences in sclerenchyma development were more associated with genetic group rather than the ecotype. The japonica varieties had higher frequency of the types which have a doubled cell layer in sclerenchyma with thick cell wall than indica and aus. The difference among the genetic groups was nearly consistent across growing conditions, aerobic and submerged soils. These results indicated that sclerenchyma development is controlled by a genetic factor.


Abstract Traditional cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) of flood risk reduction measures usually ignore distributions of damages over populations, which disadvantages the poor. Instead, a CBA based on social welfare includes individual social vulnerability through relative impacts on consumption. If vulnerabilities are high, floods are catastrophic and cause poverty, migration or indirect deaths, and risk reductions have high social welfare values. For non-catastrophic risks, social welfare values of risks are relatively higher for vulnerable low-income households. We present a framework to integrate social vulnerability into CBAs, and show how financial protection reduces social flood vulnerability and provides welfare benefits. A case study illustrates that traditional CBAs underestimate the social welfare value of flood risk reduction measures, up to a factor of 30. Data on financial protection is however scarce, which hampers estimation of the social welfare value in practice. A solution is to increase financial protection of individuals, in addition to offering physical flood protection.


Thesis (M.A.)--Georgetown University, 2008.; Includes bibliographical
 references. While nobly caring for and looking after their patients' welfare, surgery
 residents undoubtedly encounter mental strains and physical challenges while balancing the
 professional and personal aspects of their lives. The question the thesis explores is: Will
 the reduction of surgery residents' work hours enable these novice physicians to lead more
 fulfilling personal lives without compromising their professional competence in caring for
 their patients?; Statistical data on the number of hours a surgery resident works and the
 number of cases these residents handle per week, other tasks for which they are responsible
 and the skills they must learn within four or five years of residency demonstrate the pros and
 cons of their current work conditions. These data further demonstrate correlations between
 such strict work conditions and incidence of misdiagnosis, patient death, complications, rate
 of recurrence, frustration for both the residents and patients, and a reduced rate of medical
 graduates applying to medical school and of residents finishing surgery training. Moreover,
 these data analyze through the utilitarian moral theory the impact of such work conditions on
 both surgery residents and their patients within the medical specialty of surgery.; Various
 studies conducted within the past decade on the educational system embodying surgery residency
 programs reveal the need to modify surgery residents' hours thereby increasing time residents
 can sleep, read, and spend personal time with their families and friends. Modifying surgery
 residents' work hours, as these various studies demonstrate, by scheduling these residents
 on-call days farther apart permits more time for residents to attend educational opportunities
 that will enhance their careers, interact with patients and colleagues, and spend personal
 time away from the hospital. Hence, scheduling certain hours of surgery residents' daily
 schedule into different professional activities will continue to promote the quality and skill
 by which they must care for patients while they balance their professional and personal
 lives.; This thesis shows that balancing professional and personal lives and reducing
 professional and personal stressors are possible for surgery residents to lead more fulfilling
 and healthier mental and physical lives. Nevertheless, several factors must be considered and
 evaluated before establishing a consensus within surgery residency programs. Directors and
 staff members of surgery residency programs, staff members of surgical departments, attending
 physicians, chief physicians, and surgery residents must continue to work together in
 establishing a residency program that will inspire surgical residents to lead fulfilling
 careers in the field of surgery and empower them to promote the well-being of patients at the
 highest possible standard.


Exact solutions of Nilsson mean-field plus various type of pairing interactions are briefly reviewed. Some even-odd mass differences and moment of inertia of low-lying states for rare earth and actinide nuclei calculated in nearest-orbit pairing and extended pairing models and comparison with the corresponding experimental data are shown. An exact boson mapping of the reduced BCS pairing Hamiltonian is reported. In the mapping, fermion pair operators are mapped exactly to the corresponding bosons. The image of the mapping results in a Bose-Hubbard model with level dependent hopping.


This resource guide will direct you in finding excellent library resources that will support and enhance your CJ class assignments.


This review systematically examines comparative international entrepreneurship (CIE) research, analyzing 259 articles published in 21 leading journals from 1989 to 2010. We outline the importance of multi-country studies of entrepreneurial activity in enabling the comparison and replication of research and generating meaningful contributions to scholarship, practice, and policy. Our systematic review classifies research findings into four levels—individual, firm, industry, and country—each with respect to characteristics, antecedents, and outcomes of entrepreneurial activities as well as theory and methodology. Taken together, our review highlights the heterogeneous nature of entrepreneurship across countries and its role in explaining outcomes at firm (e.g., financial and export performance) and country (e.g., economic growth) levels as well as antecedents at the country level (e.g., culture). We find the CIE literature is highly fragmented with substantial knowledge gaps related to content, theory, and methodology, for which we outline a detailed future research agenda. Given the atheoretical nature of most published CIE research, we provide specific suggestions to extend the current dominant theoretical perspectives (institutions, culture, resource-based view, transaction cost economics, economic growth, and human capital); consider new lenses from management, international business, and entrepreneurship; and integrate and test multiple theories. From a content perspective, we outline the need to define and cross-reference prior studies of entrepreneurship and prioritize emerging phenomena that are critical to practice, and policy, and offer specific directives for integrated and multi-level studies of characteristics, antecedents, and outcomes. Methodological suggestions include theory-based rationale for the selection of countries, greater attention to data collection and sample selection equivalence, and the solutions to the ecological fallacy problem. We urge scholars to work together and across countries, cooperating with interested agencies and associations to develop new longitudinal, multi-level data sets and introduce dual qualitative/quantitative approaches and new diverse, sophisticated analytical tools.


Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease among women. At present, more and more attention has been paid to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the field of breast cancer research. We aimed to investigate the expression profiles of lncRNAs and construct a prognostic lncRNA for predicting the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer.Methods: The expression profiles of lncRNAs and clinical data with breast cancer were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out by R package (limma). The survival probability was estimated by the Kaplan‑Meier Test. The Cox Regression Model was performed for univariate and multivariate analysis. The risk score (RS) was established on the basis of the lncRNAs' expression level (exp) multiplied regression coefficient (β) from the multivariate cox regression analysis with the following formula: RS=exp a1 * β a1 + exp a2 * β a2 +……+ exp an * β an. Functional enrichment analysis was performed by Metascape.Results: A total of 3404 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified. Among them, CYTOR, MIR4458HG and MAPT-AS1 were significantly associated with the survival of breast cancer. Finally, The RS could predict OS of breast cancer (RS=exp CYTOR * β CYTOR + exp MIR4458HG * β MIR4458HG + exp MAPT-AS1 * β MAPT-AS1). Moreover, it was confirmed that the three-lncRNA signature could be an independent prognostic biomarker for breast cancer (HR=3.040, P=0.000).Conclusions: This study established a three-lncRNA signature, which might be a novel prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.


BACKGROUND
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression has been reported in several malignancies, but the expression of PD-L1 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has been characterized rarely. The aim of this study was to assess the significance of PD-L1 expression and its associations with clinicopathologic factors and disease outcome in PTC.

METHODS
Immunohistochemistry staining was conducted retrospectively to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in a total of 260 PTC tumors and corresponding non-tumor tissues. The correlations between PD-L1 expressions with clinicopathologic features and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed.

RESULTS
PD-L1 expression was positive in 52.3% (136/260) of PTC tumor tissues, which was significantly higher than in corresponding non-tumor thyroid tissues. In clinicopathologic analyses, this positive staining of PD-L1 was positively linked to multifocality (p = 0.001) and extrathyroidal extension (p = 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, positive PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue was significantly associated with worse RFS (hazard ratio 2.825 [confidence interval 1.149-6.943], p = 0.024). In subgroup analyses based on clinicopathologic factors, positive PD-L1 staining of tumor tissue was associated with worse RFS in males (p = 0.001), older patients (≥45 years; p = 0.001), and patients with a primary tumor size >4 cm (p = 0.002), multifocal tumors (p = 0.031), extrathyroidal extension (p = 0.012), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004). In contrast, positive PD-L1 staining predicted worse RFS in the subgroup of patients without Hashimoto's thyroiditis (p = 0.001) and treated with total thyroidectomy (p = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS
PD-L1 is important in determining aggressiveness of PTC and could predict the prognosis of patients. Therefore, inhibition of PD-L1 is suggested as a potential strategy for the treatment of advanced PTC with high expression of PD-L1.


A novel assembly process, designed for automation, has been developed and implemented. This paper describes both the equipmerit and processes employed by this technology. The key features of the design are the Use of the whole top surface of the chip for assembly, large bonding pads to reduce the required mechanical accuracies, and elimination of wire bonding and chip attach by bonding the chip directly to the leadframe. All bonds are being made simultaneously to a Strip of leadframe. Other features such as the thermal and electrical characteristics, corrosion resistance, and environmental stress results are also discussed.


277 its heritage—and its voice" (253). Agarwal's book fi rmly locates Indian poets writing in English in their rightful places by recognizing the depth of the political, social, and linguistic investments they have made, thereby adding heft to the thin skein of critical works on these poets. Th e English poem, "Pativrata," by Ranjanadevi Chavan Patil, a Dalit poet, that ends the introduction captures the Indianness of modern Indian poetry and its satiric and ironic acuity. Patil satirizes pativrata or "devotion to husband" by stating that after all the work the wife puts into this job, fi nally the award "goes to the husband" (25). Since Agarwal includes a Dalit poem in English, it would seem logical for this volume to also include essays on Dalit and tribal poets writing poetry in English. Despite this lacuna, the strong essays in Agarwal's book are testimony of a more nuanced perspective on Indian poets writing in English within the transnational poetry scene.


Moore's Law needs a hero. This year, we'll see if the chip business's designated savior-extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography- is really up to the task. After decades of bringing us the incredible shrinking transistor, chipmakers are now hard up against the limits of their printing technique: Trying to use today's ultraviolet lasers to print the next generation of circuits would be like trying to trace a fine line with a preschooler's crayon.


Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin film has remarkable physical and chemical properties, which makes it useful for a variety of applications. In this work, HfO2 films were prepared on silicon through plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at various substrate temperatures. The growth per cycle, structural, morphology and crystalline properties of HfO2 films were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometer, grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The substrate temperature dependent electrical properties of PEALD–HfO2 films were obtained by capacitance–voltage and current–voltage measurements. GIXRD patterns and XRR investigations show that increasing the substrate temperature improved the crystallinity and density of HfO2 films. The crystallinity of HfO2 films has a major effect on electrical properties of the films. HfO2 thin film deposited at 300 °C possesses the highest dielectric constant and breakdown electric field.


Complex I or NADH:quinone oxidoreductase is the largest enzyme complex, but the least understood energy coupling site in the respiratory chain of mitochondria and bacteria. No high-resolution structural information exists for this enzyme and the molecular mechanism that couples electron transfer and proton pumping is not understood. In mammals, about 50% of the mitochondrial DNA is encoding protein subunits of Complex I, and thus there is a strong correlation between defect Complex I and various degenerative diseases. Learning more about Complex I is thus important both for basic science and for medicine.

Complex I contains three large membrane-spanning subunits, NuoL, NuoM and NuoN, that are homologous to one particular class of Na+/H+ antiporters and therefore are likely to harbor important components of the proton translocation machinery. MrpA and MrpD belong to this class of Na+/H+ antiporters and are found in a gene cluster containing seven genes, mrpA-G. In this work the transmembrane topology of the antiporter-like subunits was determined and their phylogenetic relationship investigated. In the analysis MrpA and MrpD formed distinct branches where NuoL grouped with MrpA and NuoM/N with MrpD. The result suggest that there are functional differences between the MrpA/NuoL and MrpD/NuoM proteins. The remaining proteins encoded by the mrp gene cluster were analyzed by PSI-BLAST, a bioinformatical search tool that more efficiently detect distant homologies. MrpC was found to be a NuoK homologue, and thus we conclude that NuoK, NuoL and NuoM where recruited together to Complex I, from the antiporter module MrpC, MrpA and MrpD. A functional difference between MrpA and MrpD was confirmed using Bacillus subtilis mrpA and mrpD deletion strains that were more salt and pH sensitive than wild type cells, but to a different extent.

Recent work by Julia Steubers group at ETH Zurich showed that Complex I from Escherichia coli could translocate Na+, but this has hitherto not been regarded as a general property of proton pumping Complex I. By expressing the Complex I subunits NuoL and NuoM from the alpha-proteobacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus in the B. subtilis deletion strains we have demonstrated that these subunits are capable of Na+ translocation in vivo. Since R. capsulatus Complex I is more closely related to mitochondrial Complex I than to the E. coli enzyme, it is very likely that all Complex I enzymes have the ability to translocate Na+ as well as H+.


The behavioral variation in alligator nest attendance has characterized the species as iconic in common lore and perplexed biologists for decades. Here, we quantify patterns in nest attendance among mothers as well as variation in such patterns throughout two nesting seasons. We employed camera traps controlled by circuit boards to capture time-lapse photographs of alligator nest areas for the duration of each nesting season. Data revealed a bimodal pattern of nest attendance over time that significantly varied across incubation days in both 2011 and 2012, and also differed between years. Nest attendance also differed among hours in the diel cycle, and this pattern was the same for both years. Nest visits were frequent immediately after the eggs were laid, and attendance behavior attenuated rapidly after the first week of incubation. Nest visitation then increased near the end of the incubation period with the largest portion of visits recorded during hatching and the maternal movement of hatchlings away from nest sites. While the extent of this pattern varied between years, the pattern itself did not. The majority of attendance behavior occurred during night hours, with little visitation recorded between 1000 and 1600 hours. Our study is the first to document temporal variation in alligator nest attendances at daily, seasonal, and annual temporal scales, and our findings suggest nighttime visits during oviposition and hatching periods are consistent among years.


Decreased sexual functioning is prevalent among female survivors of sexual violence yet psychological factors that contribute to sexual impairments in this population are understudied. To extend research in this area, the current study examined two psychological factors as they relate to sexual functioning concerns among 148 female survivors of sexual violence: severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) and sexual self-schemas. Four domains of sexual functioning were examined: sexual desire, sexual arousal, sexual satisfaction, and orgasm functioning. It was predicted that PTSSs would be associated with a more negative sexual schema, which in turn, would be associated with decreased sexual functioning across the four domains. Using path analysis, PTSSs were found to be indirectly associated with decreased sexual satisfaction (b = −.08, SE b = .04, p = .035), sexual arousal (b = −.01, SE b = .001, p = .02), and reduced orgasm functioning (b = −.01, SE b = .001, p = .002). Results also supported significant direct paths from PTSS to all sexual functioning variables. These results support that negative sexual self-schemas may be relevant to the co-association of PTSSs and reductions in sexual functioning and satisfaction.


The article discusses the problem of the possibility of knowing the future, especially the future of social phenomena compared with the future of natural ones. This problem is formulated as a dilemma: the future can be explored or can be only constructed. The idea of constructive character of knowledge of the future is viewed in two possible interpretations.The first one is a special case of the constructivist interpretation of knowledge, according to which different pictures of the future are arbitrarily constructed on the basis of information about the past and current state. The second interpretaion can be presented in the form of a praxeological question: what should be an action in relation to the future, first and foremost to the future of social phenomena - cognitive or creative. It is shown that, in the first case, there is an ability to interpret knowledge of the future from the point of view of epistemological realism, in the second case, both cognitive and creative types of activity as a pragmatic position in relation to the future are necessary and cognitive activity cannot be reduced to creative one. It is also shown that forecaster's dilemma reflects the problematic nature of forecasting under the conditions of transformation of scientific rationality and point of view of common sense, which is observed in recent decades.


Variability in Photovoltaic (PV) generation resulting from variability in the solar radiation over the PV arrays is a topic of continuing concern for those involved with integrating renewables onto existing electrical grids. The island of Lanai, Hawaii is an extreme example of the challenges that integrators will face due to the fact that it is a small standalone grid. One way to study this problem is to take high-resolution solar measurements in multiple locations and model simultaneous PV production for various sizes at those locations. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collected high-resolution solar data at four locations on the island where proposed PV plants will be deployed in the near future (Fig. 1). This data set provides unique insight into how the solar radiation may vary between points that are proximal in distance, but diverse in weather, due to the formation of orographic clouds in the center of the island. Using information about each proposed PV plant size, power output was created at high resolution. The team analyzed this output to understand power production ramps at individual locations and the effects of aggregating the production from all four locations. Hawaii is a unique environment, with extremely variable events occurring on a daily basis. This study provided an excellent opportunity for understanding potential worst-case scenarios for PV ramping. This paper provides an introduction to the datasets that NREL collected over a year and a comprehensive analysis of PV variability in a distributed generation scenario.


Testes of rabbits were cooled with ice applied to the scrotum for 10 min. Disintegrated spermatozoa (95-24 %) appeared in the ejaculates 24 hr. after treatment. Morphological disintegration takes a few hours but physiological deterioration appears rather more quickly. The proportion of disintegrated spermatozoa depends on the duration of treatment. The occurrence of disintegrated sperms in the ejaculate lasted about 10 days, depending on the rate of evacuation of disintegrated sperms from the cauda epididymis. There was no adverse effect of ice treatment on sex drive and spermatogenesis. The testes of rabbits, rats and guinea-pigs were treated with ice for 10-20 min. About 20-30 % of disintegrated sperms was found in the cauda epididymis of rabbits and rats but not in guinea-pigs.


The Seed of Beilschmiedia mannii ( Lauraceae ) is a traditional vegetable, non - timber forest product (NTFP ) much consumed by some populations of the forest regions in Ivory Coast . It is rich in essential nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) and minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Fe) which are important nutritio nal supplements to the diet often starchy ( Plantain Foutou, yam Foutou, cassava Foutou, Placali, etc. ) of these populations. The aim of this study is to contribute to the promotion of foodstuff non wood forest products with this simple traditional method of preparing this little - known vegetable rich in protein (5.9 % - 7.16 % d. m) . Keyword s : Beilschmiedia mannii , Seed, traditional vegetable, non - timber forest product, nutritional supplements .


The efficacy of the drug "essentiale" is discussed on the basis of observation over 34 patients suffering from ischemic heart disease with functional hepatic insufficiency and types IIa and IIb hyperlipoproteinemia. Its normalizing effect on the indices of lipid metabolism the flow of blood in the leg and foot, the vascular tone, and liver function is shwon.


Thrombin injection as a means of inducing thrombus formation has recently received wide attention as an alternative treatment for pseudoaneurysm. We present a case of a 67-year-old man in whom a large mycotic pseudoaneurysm developed in the ascending aorta because of sternal osteomyelitis and mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting. Transcatheter intra-arterial thrombin injection was performed, and it successfully induced pseudoaneurysm thrombosis. However, the procedure was complicated by a sudden transient ischemic attack caused by thrombus propagation into the cerebral circulation. Complete thrombus dissolution in the cerebral circulation with the resolution of neurologic symptoms was achieved by means of intravenous abciximab.


In this paper we explore the effects of bank-borrower physical proximity on price and non-price aspects of small business lending in local credit markets. Along the price dimension, our analysis reveals that interest rates increase with bank-borrower distance and decrease with the distance between borrower and other competing banks. Along the quantity dimension, we observe that more distant borrowers are more likely to experience binding credit limits. We also show that the quantity effects of bank-borrower distance are concentrated among less transparent firms. Our findings are consistent with pricing based on marginal costs that reflect information-based factors, and are in contrast to the established paradigm, where banks adopt spatial discriminatory pricing rules when lending to small-sized enterprises.


Abstract Context Active surveillance of primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in a multiethnic population with established newborn bloodspot screening. Objective To estimate performance of newborn screening for CH at different test thresholds and calculate incidence of primary CH. Design Prospective surveillance from June 2011 to June 2012 with 3-year follow-up of outcomes. Relative likelihood ratios (rLRs) estimated to compare bloodspot TSH test thresholds of 6 mU/L and 8 mU/L, with the nationally recommended standard of 10 mU/L for a presumptive positive result. Setting UK National Health Service. Patients Clinician notification of children aged <5 years investigated following clinical presentation or presumptive positive screening result. Main Outcome Measure(s) Permanent primary CH status determined by clinician report of continuing T4 requirement at 3-year follow-up. Results A total of 629 newborns (58.3% girls; 58.7% white ethnicity) were investigated following presumptive positive screening result and 21 children (52.4% girls; 52.4% white) after clinical presentation; 432 remained on treatment at 3-year follow-up. Permanent CH incidence was 5.3 (95% CI, 4.8 to 5.8) per 10,000 infants. With use of locally applied thresholds, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were 96.76%, 99.97%, and 66.88%, respectively. Compared with a TSH threshold of 10 mU/L, positive rLRs for 8 mU/L and 6 mU/L were 1.20 (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.75) and 0.52 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.72), and negative rLRs were 0.11 (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.36) and 0.11 (95% CI, 0.06 to 0.20), respectively. Conclusions Screening program performance is good, but a TSH threshold of 8 mU/L appears superior to the current national standard (10 mU/L) and requires further evaluation. Further research should explore the implications of transient CH for screening policy.


BACKGROUND
Nitroglycerine (NTG) has analgesic properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the analgesic effect of three different doses of NTG (200 µg, 300 µg and 400 µg) when added to lidocaine in intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) in trauma patients.

METHODS
One hundred patients undergoing hand surgery were randomly allocated to four groups to receive 3 mg/kg 2% lidocaine diluted with saline to a total dose of 40 mL in the control group (Group LS, n = 25) or 200, 300, 400 µg NTG plus 3 mg/kg 2% lidocaine diluted with saline to a total dose of 40 mL in the NTG group (Groups LN1, LN2, LN3 respectively; n = 25 in each group). Before and after the tourniquet application, hemodynamic variables, tourniquet pain, sedation, and analgesic use were recorded.

RESULTS
Sensory and motor block onset times were significantly shorter in the LN3 group compared with Groups LN1, LN2, and LS (p<0.05). Sensory and motor block recovery times were statistically prolonged in the LN3 group when compared with Groups LN1 and LS (p<0.05). Postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were significantly lower at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after tourniquet release in Group LN3 compared with Group LS (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION
The addition of 400 µg NTG to lidocaine in IVRA shortens the onset of sensory and motor block in trauma patients and improves the quality of anesthesia and perioperative analgesia better than the addition of 200 µg or 300 µg NTG, without causing side effects.