Incorporation of economically or environmentally consequential polyvalent metals into iron (oxyhydr)oxides has applications in environmental chemistry, remediation, and materials science. A primary tool for characterizing the local coordination environment of such metals, and therefore building models to predict their behavior, is extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS). Accurate structural information can be lacking yet is required to constrain and inform data interpretation. In this regard, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) was used to calculate the local coordination environment of minor amounts of U incorporated in the structure of goethite (α-FeOOH). U oxidation states (VI, V, and IV) and charge compensation schemes were varied. Simulated trajectories were used to calculate the U LIII-edge EXAFS function and fit experimental EXAFS data for U incorporated into goethite under reducing conditions. Calculations that closely matched the U EXAFS of the well-characterized mineral uraninite (UO2), and constrained the S02 parameter to be 0.909, validated the approach. The results for the U-goethite system indicated that U(V) substituted for structural Fe(III) in octahedral uranate coordination. Charge balance was achieved by the loss of one structural proton coupled to addition of one electron into the solid (-1 H+, +1 e-). The ability of AIMD to model higher energy states thermally accessible at room temperature is particularly relevant for protonated systems such as goethite, where proton transfers between adjacent octahedra had a dramatic effect on the calculated EXAFS. Vibrational effects as a function of temperature were also estimated using AIMD, allowing separate quantification of thermal and configurational disorder. In summary, coupling AIMD structural modeling and EXAFS experiments enables modeling of the redox behavior of polyvalent metals that are incorporated in conductive materials such as iron (oxyhydr)oxides, with applications over a broad swath of chemistry and materials science.


The influence of moisture content on the thermal effusivity of wood cement-based composite was investigated. Measurements of thermal effusivity were performed inside a closely controlled climatic cell at ambient temperature (C) in conditions ranging from fully saturated to oven-dry. Shrotriya et al's model based on an Ohm's law approach was used for predicting the effective thermal effusivity of studied materials. The topological parameters of the model, such as sphericity of particles and resistivity formation factor, have been estimated as a first approximation from both thermal conductivity measurements and formulae proposed in the literature. Test results confirm that moisture content tends to increase the thermal effusivity significantly. It is also found that the Shrotriya et al's model yields predictions which agree quite closely with experimental data for wood aggregates-clay-cement composites for different amounts of wood aggregates and degrees of saturation.


Abstract During the development of PCR primer sets for microsatellite marker loci from enriched genomic libraries for three squat lobster species from Galatheidae (Decapoda: Anomura); Munida rugosa (Fabricius, 1775), M. sarsi (Huus, 1935), and Galathea strigosa (Linnaeus, 1761) (collectively known as squat lobsters), a number of unforeseen problems were encountered. These included PCR amplification failure, lack of amplification consistency, and the amplification of multiple fragments. Careful examination of microsatellite containing sequences revealed the existence of cryptic repeated elements on presumed unique flanking regions. BLAST analysis of these and other VNTR containing sequences (N  =  252) indicates that these cryptic elements can be grouped into families based upon sequence similarities. The unique features characterising these families suggest that different molecular mechanisms are involved. Of particular relevance is the association of microsatellites with mobile elements. This is the first reported observation of this phenomenon in crustaceans, and it also helps to explain why microsatellite primer development in galatheids has been relatively unsuccessful to date. We suggest a number of steps that can be used to identify similar problems in microsatellite marker development for other species, and also alternative approaches for both marker development and for the study of molecular evolution of species characterised by complex genome organisation. More specifically, we argue that new generation sequencing methodologies, which capitalise on parallel and multiplexed sequencing may pave the way forward for future crustacean research.


We present the extensional polymorphism, a framework to type check ad hoc polymorphic functions. This formalism is compatible with parametric polymorphism, and supports a large class of functions defined by structural pattern matching on types.


In contrast to the extensively researched modeling of plant architecture, the modeling of plant organs largely remains an open problem. We propose a method for modeling lobed leaves. This method extends the concept of sweeps to branched skeletons. The input of the model is a 2D leaf silhouette, which can be defined interactively or derived from a scanned leaf image. The algorithm computes the skeleton (medial axis) of the leaf and approximates it using spline curves interconnected into a branching structure (sticky splines). The leaf surface is then constructed by sweeping a generating curve along these splines. The orientation of the generating curve is adjusted to properly capture the shape of the leaf blade near the extremities and branching points of the skeleton, and to avoid self-intersections of the surface. The leaf model can be interactively modified by editing the shape of the silhouette and the skeleton. It can be further manipulated in 3D using functions that control turning, bending, and twisting of each lobe.


Cytochrome (CYP) P450 enzymes have a primary role in antidepressant metabolism and variants in these polymorphic genes are targets for pharmacogenetic investigation. This is the first meta-analysis to investigate how CYP2C19 polymorphisms predict citalopram/escitalopram efficacy and side effects. CYP2C19 phenotypes comprise poor metabolizers (PM), intermediate and intermediate+ metabolizers (IM; IM+), extensive and extensive+ metabolizers (EM [wild type]; EM+) and ultra-rapid metabolizers (UM) defined by the two most common CYP2C19 functional polymorphisms (rs4244285 and rs12248560) in Caucasians. These polymorphisms were genotyped or imputed from genome-wide data in four samples treated with citalopram or escitalopram (GENDEP, STAR*D, GenPod, PGRN-AMPS). Treatment efficacy was percentage symptom improvement and remission. Side effect data were available at weeks 2–4, 6 and 9 in three of the investigated samples. A fixed-effects meta-analysis was performed using EM as the reference group. Analysis of 2558 patients for efficacy and 2037 patients for side effects showed that PMs had higher symptom improvement (SMD=0.43, CI=0.19–0.66) and higher remission rates (OR=1.55, CI=1.23–1.96) compared to EMs. At weeks 2–4, PMs showed higher risk of gastro-intestinal (OR=1.26, CI=1.08–1.47), neurological (OR=1.28, CI=1.07–1.53) and sexual side effects (OR=1.52, CI=1.23–1.87; week 6 values similar). No difference was seen at week 9 or in total side effect burden. PMs did not have higher risk of dropout at week 4 compared to EMs. Antidepressant dose was not different among CYP2C19 groups. CYP2C19 polymorphisms may provide helpful information for guiding citalopram/escitalopram treatment, despite PMs are relatively rare among Caucasians (~2%).


Vital fluorochrome hydroethidine was used for measuring relative extra- and intracellular production of active oxygen in phagocytotic blood cells in hemoglobinopathies. Hydroethidine sensitivity to diverse free oxygen forms was studied in various model systems. Probability of false-positive results was estimated. It was established that hydroethidine interacts with superoxide anion radicals in molar ratio 1:1, that intracellular production of active oxygen forms in leukocytic mass cells stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate was enhanced in patients with major beta(+)-thalassemia and in a patient with hemoglobinopathy due to unstable hemoglobin Hb-Alesha. In thalassemia minor no significant differences compared to control were reported. Potential causes and value of the results obtained are under discussion.


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

Recently, we and others analyzed large series of pediatric medulloblastomas (MB) and identified a number of recurrent aberrations in each of the four major subgroups (WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4). However, due to their infrequent occurrence not much is known about genetic aberrations in adult MBs. We now have analyzed a large series of adult SHH MBs (age ≥ 16) by whole genome sequencing and compared them with pediatric SHH MBs. We sequenced tumor and blood of 26 adult SHH MBs and compared them with 30 pediatric SHH MBs. A replication cohort of 28 adult and 29 pediatric SHH MBs was sequenced for 414 genes by targeted sequencing. We also performed expression profiling and DNA methylation analyses on most of these cases. Whole genome sequencing revealed a clear correlation between mutation rate and age of the patient (r = 0.69). Furthermore, the genomic data showed that SHH MBs can be split up in three distinct subgroups: infants, children and adults. They all have mutations in the SHH pathway, mostly in PTCH1 (infants and adults), SUFU (infants) and SMO (adults). Children almost completely lack the classical upstream SHH pathway mutations but instead have more downstream aberrations such as MYCN and GLI2 mplifications, and have frequent TP53 mutations, often in the germline, whilst all of these were extraordinarily rare in infants and adults. We also identified several recurrent mutations in adult MBs that were not found in pediatric MBs. Moreover, the three SHH subgroups were different in their transcriptome and methylome with the TP53 mutated SHH MBs in children being more similar to adult MBs. Collectively, this data will help to better understand the biology of pediatric and adult SHH-medulloblastoma, but most importantly may help selecting patients for targeted SHH inhibition and new treatment strategies for TP53 mutated SHH MBs in a clinical setting.

Citation Format: Marcel Kool, David TW Jones, Natalie Jaeger, Paul A. Northcott, Volker Hovestadt, Ulrich Schueller, Marc Remke, Yoon-Jae Cho, Scott Pomeroy, Michael D. Taylor, Roland Eils, Andrey Korshunov, Peter Lichter, Stefan M. Pfister. Whole genome sequencing of SHH medulloblastomas predicts molecular groups of responders and non-responders to SMO-inhibition . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4591. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4591


After collapsing from an illness while attending a business meeting, a dying Artemio Cruz, a rich and powerful land owner in modern Mexico, is driven by conscience to recall his corrupt life.


Bishydrazides are versatile linkers for attaching glycans to substrates for lectin binding and pathogen detection schemes. The α,ω-bishydrazides of carboxymethylated hexa(ethylene glycol) (4) can be conjugated at one end to unprotected oligosaccharides, then attached onto carrier proteins, tethered onto activated carboxyl-terminated surfaces, or functionalized with a photoactive cross-linking agent for lithographic patterning. Glycoconjugates of bishydrazide 4 can also be converted into dithiocarbamates (DTCs) by treatment with CS(2) under mild conditions, for attachment onto gold substrates. The immobilized glycans serve as recognition elements for cell-surface lectins and enable the detection and capture of bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by their adsorption onto micropatterned substrates. A detection limit of 10³ cfu/mL is demonstrated, using a recently introduced method based on optical pattern recognition.


Aims A variety of methods are available for defining under-nutrition (thinness/under-weight/under-fat) and over-nutrition (overweight/obesity/over-fat) in children and adolescents. The extent to which these definitions produce similar results is unclear. This study aimed to assess agreement between widely-used methods of assessing nutritional status, in rural South African children and adolescents, and to examine the benefit of body composition estimates rather than simple proxies for body fatness. Methods In an age stratified random cross-sectional sample of 1519 boys and girls from rural South Africa, in three equal groups (school grades 1, 5 and 9 corresponding to ages 7, 11 and 15 years respectively), underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity were assessed using four methods: BMI-for-age using WHO (2007) reference data; Cole (2007) and Cole-International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut offs; weight-for-age (CDC-WHO 1977); % body fat estimated by impedance (Jebb 2004). Comparisons were made between the different methods using weighted kappa analyses and defined using Landis and Koch categories. Results In both boys and girls, prevalence of unhealthy weight status (both under- and over-nutrition) was higher at all ages with body fatness measures than with simple anthropometric proxies for body fatness. Prevalence of healthy weight status with body fatness measures in boys ranged from 36% at age 15 to 74% at age 7, and in girls from 63% at age 7 to 72% at age 11. With the other simple anthropometric proxies for body fatness prevalence of healthy weight status was much higher; 78-92% in boys and 69-91% in girls. Kappa agreement between fatness and weight-based measures was only fair or slight in the boys but fair to substantial in the girls using Landis and Koch categories. Conclusions Methods for defining under- and over-nutrition should not be considered equivalent. Weight-based measures are easy to collect however they appear to provide highly conservative estimates of unhealthy weight status, possibly more conservative in boys than girls. Simple body composition measures may be more informative than anthropometry for nutritional surveillance of children and adolescents in low-middle-income countries.


The paper presents a shorter project with the aim to enhance the quality of courses and design studios on the master level at Chalmers Architecture through constructive alignment. The intention was to carry out the project as action research and the examiners were involved in detecting weaknesses and working out improvement. The results show that there are weaknesses in course descriptions regarding aims and learning objectives which can be improved by the use of recommendations based on constructive alignment and Bloom's taxonomy. The project has also detected the need for further discussions among examiners about assessment of learning outcomes and grading and how to make these more tangible for students.


Understanding the inner workings of neural network models is a crucial step for ratio-nalizing their output and refining their architecture. Transformer-based models are the core of recent natural language processing and have been analyzed typically with attention patterns as their epoch-making feature is contextualizing surrounding input words via attention mechanisms. In this study, we analyze their inner contextualization by considering all the components, including the feed-forward block (i.e., a feed-forward layer and its surrounding residual and normalization layers) as well as the attention. Our experiments with masked language models show that each of the previously overlooked components did modify the degree of the contextualization in case of processing special word-word pairs (e.g., consisting of named entities). Furthermore, we find that some components cancel each other's effects. Our results could update the typical view about each component's roles (e.g., attention performs contextualization, and the other components serve different roles) in the Transformer layer.


This paper describes investigations by Flotation Technologies and Mooring Systems Inc. to develop a low drag subsurface mooring apex buoy that contains an RD Instruments Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler current meter. Five different candidate mooring apex buoy systems are compared with regard to their drag, inclination and stability in current and effect on the performance of a typical mooring. The Drag Coefficients of cylindrical and spherical buoy candidates are Reynolds number sensitive in the velocity range of 1 to 3 knots. This leads to calculated and observed hydrodynamic instability due to minute variations in current velocity. An airship shaped streamlined body was found to have the lowest drag, best inclination response and little or no Reynolds number sensitivity in the current regime of interest.


For a completely disordered lattice, it is found that vanishing mobility is attained at a critical atomic density of rho A1/3 a0=0.2, which agrees adequately with known results.


This paper proposes a computationally efficient Predictive Torque Control (PTC) technique for permanent-magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) without weighting factors. The proposed control strategy is based on computing the q-axis reference current from the demanded torque. Furthermore, the d-axis reference current is set to zero to achieve the maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) operation of the PMSG. Then, the reference voltage vector (VV) is directly computed from the reference current vector using the deadbeat principle. Finally, according to the location of this reference VV, only three evaluations of the cost function are required. The cost function includes only the error between the reference VV and the candidates ones, which eliminates the need of weighting factors. Therefore, the proposed control scheme overcomes the following drawbacks of the classical PTC: 1) High calculation burden, and 2) tuning of the weighting factors. Experimental results using a dSPACE DS1007 realtime platform and a 14.5 kW PMSG are presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed control method.


In the current work, a graphene oxide coated water hyacinth biochar composite (WHB-GO) was synthesized to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The biomass feedstock was firstly treated with graphene oxide and then annealed at 300 °C in a quartz tube furnace under N2 atmosphere. After synthesis, full characterization with various techniques (SEM, FT-IR, XPS and BET) were used to analyze the properties of the adsorbent and the sorption mechanisms of Cr(VI). The effects of pH, ionic strength, sorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics, as well as comparison and regeneration experiments were also investigated. The results indicated that the adsorption capacity was significantly influenced by pH and ionic strength. The maximum adsorption capacity (150.02 mg g−1) of the WHB-GO was obtained at pH 2.0 and 50 °C. Besides, the sorption data could be fitted well by pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption reaction was a spontaneous and endothermic process. The enhanced adsorption of Cr(VI) on the WHB-GO was mainly controlled by electrostatic attraction and reduction of Cr(VI) coupled with Cr(III) complexation. The regeneration study revealed that WHB-GO could be reused almost six times without loss of activity in adsorption tests. Overall, WHB-GO can be used as a novel, facile, and low-cost sorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.


Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an annual plant native of the Andes. The International Year of Quinoa in 2013 highlights this underutilized culture. Is thus recognized the potential role of this plant but this pathway may also have an impact on territorial development. Since the 1980s, quinoa has experienced a boom with an increase in international demand. In the Andean countries, it remains a staple food. hi North America and Europe, it is appreciated as organically produced and fair trade product. To meet demand, production has more than doubled in Bolivia, the leading producer along with Peru, while in Chile, initiatives have been launched to develop and promote this marginal crop. In Bolivia, quinoa is produced mainly in the southern Altiplano, an area with extreme environmental conditions. From 1990 to 2010, production has more than doubled. Revenues increased. However, the commercial dynamism induced profound changes and conflicts. But development of the territory through the quinoa value chain is real and results of the population dynamics, and the involvement of NGOs in support of producers' associations. Research action with the use of role playing game to discuss staging innovations have helped to address both individual and collective problems and to shared common vision of the territory. The comparative study of the Bolivian Altiplano, the central Chile region and the Mapuche region in southern Chile shows that the quinoa sector can, depending on the context and the type of accompanying process, either structure or weaken the development of territories in question. The quinoa boom in the Andean countries is the opportunity to analyze the territorial dynamics in real time. Organic production systems or those based on agroecology are possible, and can also be recognized on the domestic market. The sector can then serve as a lever for new relationships between family farms and markets, providing an alternative to the conventional agricultural export model. Collective action makes it possible to go beyond the scale of the farm in order to plan the integration of agricultural innovations into the region and to consider a renewed connection between agriculture and society. A shared understanding of the problems and the support of local actors in the construction of a territorial project are the keys to success. These can be facilitated by a mediator. Another lesson is that territorial governance must take into account the governance of the sector. (Resume d'auteur)


Soil and water salinity can reduce plant growth, affecting yield and quality of agricultural and horticultural crops. This study was designed to measure canopy spectral reflectance of soybean plants under different salinity and irrigation treatments (drip, sprinkler, and furrow), and to relate the reflectance characteristics to salinity-induced alterations in leaf chlorophyll, specific leaf mass, and above-ground biomass. Soybean canopy reflectance was measured with a hand-held Cropscan multispectral radiometer in the visible (460-710 nm) and near-infrared (NIR; 810-950 nm) spectrum domain. Canopy reflectance in the NIR was significantly and consistently reduced by the salinity treatment. The reduction was attributed to increases in specific leaf mass caused by salinity, and can be delineated with the simple ratio vegetation index (SRVI), with 660 and 830 nm as the most sensitive waveband combination. Reflectance in the visible domain did not show a salinity effect nor any correlation to leaf chlorophyll changes from salinity stress. Canopy reflectance in NIR showed the most salinity effect under furrow irrigation where the soybeans were subjected to the most cumulative salinity stress.


A vast amount of unstructured data is being generated in the age of big data. Relation extraction (RE) is the critical way to improve the utility of the data by extracting structured data, which has seen a great evolution in recent years. This paper first introduces five paradigms of RE, namely the rule-based paradigm, the machine learning paradigm, the deep learning model-based paradigm, and the two types of current mainstream methods with pretrained language models. Based on the RE scenario, a comprehensive introduction is made for the currently popular paradigm with prompt learning, which is investigated regarding four aspects. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. Since big models are too large to be easily trained, prompt learning has become a promising research direction for RE, our work is, therefore, a systematic introduction to this paradigm for RE and compared with traditional paradigms. In addition, this paper summarizes the current problems faced by RE tasks and proposes valuable research directions with prompt learning.


This paper presents an experimental study on the effects of the process parameters on laser cutting of 3 mm thick mild steel plates. The parameters investigated includes laser power, gas pressure and cutting speed. The kerf width and the cut edge roughness are examined. The laser source used is a continuous wave CO2 laser with maximum power of 4 kW. The obtained results show that as the laser power increases, the average kerf width increases. Oxygen gas pressure also has a remarkable effect on the cut edge roughness. It is found that as the gas pressure increases, the roughness is increased. Increasing of the cutting speed gives the narrower average kerf width and the smoother cut surface. 


Capacity planning is a technique which can be used to predict the computing resource needs of an organization for the future after studying current usage patterns. This is of special import for adaptive enterprises, given the large infrastructure and large number of users. Determining resource needs beforehand can be very beneficial because it is a proactive approach and helps prevent resource crunches and service level violations. Accuracy of the predicted values, however, depends upon the methods used for the forecast and also upon the accuracy of the historical data. Historical data in the capacity planning sense is system performance data. Most of the approaches used for such a prediction make use of statistical methods or are based on queuing theory. This paper compares the traditional statistical based methods with a method based on neural networks. The training set for the neural network consists of historical values of a metric (for example CPU utilization percentage) for which the prediction is to be done. The advantages of this method over other methods have also been discussed. From the predicted information, we illustrate how capacity planning is done.


Introduction: Nicotinic receptors (nAChR), a class of ligand-gated ion channels, are attractive targets in a variety of CNS diseases. The low-affinity α7 nAChR modulate the levels of various neurotransmitters, their receptor density is affected in schizophrenia and a single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region has been associated with higher risk for schizophrenia. Areas covered: This article reviews the scientific rationale for α7 nAChR stimulation and presents a selection of α7-positive modulators that are in development for cognitive deficits, both in Alzheimer's disease and in cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. The available clinical information is reviewed and the translational difficulties are discussed. Expert opinion: In contrast to preclinical models, clinical proof-of-concept studies so far have not shown clear unequivocal cognitive benefit, although there are signs of clinical efficacy on specific cognitive scales and on negative symptoms. Possible problems associated with the clinical development include the impact of dosage and dosing schedule on the balance between activation and desensitization of the ion channel, the selection of comedication, robust human target engagement data and the choice of clinical readout scales. A better understanding of the human biology of α7 nAChR is essential for improving the successful clinical development of this promising target.


The work described in this paper is based on the results of routine whole-body measurements carried out by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland Dosimetry Service from 1996 to 1999. Data on the occupational radiation exposures of monitored personnel are examined and have been found to follow the skewed distribution reported by UNSCEAR. The annual average effective dose for each major work practice over the 4 years is given and compared with the UNSCEAR reference value of 1.1 mSv per year for all occupations. Evidence suggests that improvements in procedures and the use of better equipment have resulted in a reduction in the numbers of workers receiving measurable doses.


Online communities host growing numbers of discussions amongst large groups of participants on all manner of topics. This user-generated content contains millions of statements of opinions and ideas. We propose an abstractive approach to summarize such argumentative discussions, making key content accessible through 'point' extraction, where a point is a verb and its syntactic arguments. Our approach uses both dependency parse information and verb case frames to identify and extract valid points, and generates an abstractive summary that discusses the key points being made in the debate. We performed a human evaluation of our approach using a corpus of online political debates and report significant improvements over a high-performing extractive summarizer.


In the ears of mammals, hair cell loss results in permanent hearing and balance deficits, whereas in fish, amphibians, and birds, the production of replacement hair cells can restore those modalities. In avian ears, continuous exposures to forskolin trigger cell proliferation and the regeneration of hair cells, so we investigated the effect of forskolin on sensory epithelia cultured from the ears of mammals. Continuous 72 hr exposures to forskolin failed to induce proliferation in neonatal rat utricles, but brief (≤1 hr) exposures to forskolin or Br-cAMP did. Proliferation occurred only in media that contained serum. Forskolin also augmented the mitogenic effects of glial growth factor 2. The S-phase entry induced by forskolin was blocked by monensin and bafilomycin, two compounds that can inhibit the recycling of membrane receptors. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that in mammalian vestibular epithelia elevated cAMP induces S-phase entry by increasing the number of growth factor receptors at the plasma membrane.


This article shows the importance in human rights law of the right to leave any country, particularly in the light of increasing efforts by European countries of destination to prevent departures, and to contain movement by enrolling countries of origin and transit to act as gatekeepers. The article highlights the autonomous nature of the right and clarifies the challenges in triggering its application. The opposability of the right to countries of destination is explored, which requires clarifying the difficulties in meeting the jurisdictional threshold in human rights law, and the complications in operationalizing the proportionality test under this qualified right. The article explains the interplay between these difficulties. It argues that the jurisdictional threshold expresses a political and legal relationship between the duty-bearer (the state) and the right-holders (the individuals). This relationship enables the operationalization of the substantive analysis as to whether measures limiting rights are in accordance with the law and are proportionate.


Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is extremely rare and is characterized by widespread acinar cell-like differentiation. We report of a 39-year-old woman presented with a palpable breast mass with significant morphological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings. Histologically, ACC showed a diffuse glandular infiltrative pattern, with small acinar or glandular structures mixed with solid nests. Neoplastic cells were monotonous proliferation of cells with a granular or clear cytoplasm, resembling acinar cells of the salivary glands or Paneth cells. Both glandular and solid tumor cell populations were strongly positive for lysozyme and α-1-antitrypsin.


Abstract The aim of this work was to study the colonization of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species in fine-roots of poplar clones. Roots of 7 poplar clones were sampled from a 1-year-old trial established at an industrial site strongly polluted with heavy metals at Balatonfűzfő , Hungary. The poplar clones have shown variable degrees of colonization by AMF, suggesting differential host susceptibility or mycorrhizal dependency. After outplanting the percentage of poplar survival was strongly correlated with the frequency of AMF infection. Two clones that survived at the lowest ratio after outplanting had not been colonized by AMF in contrast to those which survived to a much higher extent.


Two combinations of four characters have much to reveal about change in the Chinese economy. In 2004, Hong Kong economist Larry Lang raised the alarm about corrupt management buyouts (MBOs) of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and applied the phrase 'retreat of the state, advance of the private sector' (guotui minjin 国退民进) to the ills of SOE privatization. Lang's public skewering of refrigerator tycoon Gu Chujun for acquiring state assets at below market value stirred controversy on the mainland, leading ultimately to Gu's arrest and an end to officially sanctioned MBOs. A few years later, the same characters arranged in slightly different order described a very different trend. In the wake of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, a series of high-profile takeovers of private enterprises by China's central-level SOEs gave rise to a new, and quickly ubiquitous, phrase: 'advance of the state, retreat of the private sector' (guojin mintui 国进民退). In the span of less than a decade, in other words, hand-wringing about the Chinese economy has come full circle. Whereas concern once focused on curtailing private entrepreneurs' predations in the weakened state sector, policy debate now centres on how to shield private enterprises from the unwanted advances of massive and centrally backed SOEs (yangqi 央企). What has happened? The analysis offered here finds that the advance of the state in China is a longer-term and slower process than the above vignette would suggest. Commentators have sometimes characterized central SOE assertiveness since 2008 as marking a turning point in Chinese economic development – as a decision for state capitalism and against slow but steady marketization (e.g. Wines 2010). A closer look at the evidence shows that the state's advance reaches much farther back in time. To be sure, the Chinese government's US $586 billion post-crisis fiscal stimulus plan, which heavily favoured the state sector, did play to the advantage of large SOEs and hastened the 'retreat' of private enterprises from several industries including steel, real estate and airlines. But this was a moment of culmination more than inception. Today's muscular yangqi are, in some measure, the product of twenty years of sustained effort to mould state-owned national champions in key industries. While previous work has focused on the contribution of institutions and interests to


This investigation was designed to clarify the potential role of basic antigens in immune complex nephritis. The GBM is negatively charged and binds cationic substances. We studied 1) whether chemically cationised proteins can bind to the GBM, act as planted antigen, and induce 'in situ' immune complex formation or 2) if a pre-formed cationic antigen antibody complex can localise in the GBM. Results obtained with 5 chemically cationised proteins support the first possibility.


The risk of extinction of populations has not previously been empirically related to parameters characterizing their population dynamics. To analyze this relationship, we simulated how the distribution of population dynamical characters changed as a function of time, in both the remaining and the extinct populations. We found for a set of 38 bird populations that environmental stochasticity had the most immediate effect on the risk of extinction, whereas the long-term persistence of the population was most strongly affected by the specific population growth rate. This illustrates the importance of including infor- mation on temporal trends in population size when assessing the viability of a population. We used these relationships to examine whether time to extinction can be predicted from interspecific life history variation. Two alternative hypotheses were examined. (1) Time to extinction should decrease with increasing clutch size or decreasing survival rate because of the larger stochastic components in the population dynamics of such species. (2) Time to extinction should increase with decreasing clutch size or longer life expectancy if ex- tinction rates are most strongly influenced by variation in the specific population growth rate. In the present data set, time to extinction increased with decreasing clutch size because of larger stochastic influences on the population dynamics of species with large clutch sizes located toward the fast end of the ''slow-fast continuum'' of life history variation. This demonstrates that interspecific variation in extinction risk can be predicted from knowledge of general life history characteristics. Such information can therefore be useful for assessing minimum sizes of viable populations of birds.


Introduction : Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic pathogen that causes human angiostrongyliasis; its main clinical manifestation is eosinophilic meningitis. It was reported in Cuba for the first time in America. Objective : To review the main immunological findings about the human neuroimmune response against this parasite. Materials and methods : This paper is based on a review of the papers mainly from Cuban authors published in the last 10 years about the human neuroimmune response against this helmint. This information becomes more relevant after the introduction of the African giant snail Lissachatina fulica in Cuba in 2014. Results : The humoral immune response is based on the immunoglobulin intrathecal synthesis. When the third-stage larvae goes to the central nervous system at the first lumbar puncture there are no major immunoglobulin synthesis.  One week later an immune intrathecal response is done by a two class major immunoglobulin class mainly IgG+ IgA. Intrathecal activation of complement is evident of intrathecal synthesis of major immunoglobulins during this disease. The activation of complement system components in cerebrospinal fluid is relevant to the understanding of this tropical disease, which is emerging in the Western hemisphere. Intrathecal synthesis of at least one of the major immunoglobulins and a wide spectrum of patterns may be observed. Although intrathecal synthesis of C3c and IgE is always present, C4 intrathecal synthesis does not occur in every patient. The diversity of intrathecal synthesis and activation of the different complement pathways enables their division into three variant groups. In each one could be find the activation of one or several complement pathways including the participation of MBL, MASP-2 and ficolins as part of the lectin pathway complement activation. Conclusion : The neuroimmune response against Angiostrongylus cantonensis eosinophilic meningoencephalitis is an example of the host-parasite interaction.


When professional learning communities (PLCs) are developed to promote the academic achievement of English language learners (ELLs), the results can benefit not only ELLs but the whole school. This article examines the ventures of three high schools that implemented PLCs as part of a Title III National Professional Development Project. The authors highlight the research on the effectiveness of PLCs and offer an operational definition for envisioning PLCs. Case studies of the three high school teams illustrate different cycles of inquiry and help readers understand how the emergence and development of professional teams improve the instruction and learning of ELLs. Using principles of effective PLCs as a framework, the authors share the challenges and successes of each team. The article concludes that effective PLCs are focused by a commitment to improve learning, informed by recognized principles, structured by the norms and inquiry processes that team members establish, and guided by school leaders who support teams and help them envision goals worth pursuing.


Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the basic physical phenomenon in which certain nuclei absorb and emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation while in the presence of a magnetic field. The noninvasive nature of NMR techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), has allowed explosive developments in biomedical applications since the late 1970s. MRI of protons is now a widely accepted clinical imaging technique, whereas MRS of various nuclei, including 31P, 1H, 13C, 23Na, and 19F, can provide a vast amount of metabolic and physiological information. MRI provides significant advantages over many other imaging techniques in terms of resolution, contrast, and its noninvasive nature. Although not as common in clinical medicine, MRS also provides valuable metabolic information that cannot be obtained by other techniques. This article reviews the fundamentals of spatial encoding, contrast, artifacts, and applications of MRI as well as some recent advances in the field. Some applications of biomedical MRS of various nuclei are also discussed.


Background: The Veterans
Administration (VA) has been using telehealth to enhance Veteran access to high
quality VA care for over a decade. Clinical video telehealth (CVT) is one such
telehealth tool that allows Veterans the opportunity to be evaluated by
specialists at the Indianapolis VA while they actually remain in their
community (in their local healthcare setting). Such tools are reported to
improve satisfaction by avoiding the need to make the long, stressful, and
often costly trips to the Medical Center. Our goal is to describe the results
of CVT implementation at the Indianapolis VA. Methods: A retrospective review
of the data from 2011-2014 related to the use of CVT at the Indianapolis VA was
undertaken. The data collected during this time period included: the number of
CVT visits per year by specialty, the number of miles in travel avoided per
visit, and patient satisfaction survey data, which are obtained after each
CVT visit. Results: A total of 14,708 Veterans have enrolled in our CVT
telehealth program since 2011. There were 23,267 visits in 2013. 486,170 miles
related to travel were avoided (calculating the number of miles avoided in
travel from home to a local satellite site as compared to having to travel from
home to the Indianapolis VA). At the current Government reimbursement rate of
$0.42/mile, this is expressed in a cost avoidance of $209,053. In total, since
2011, the telehealth CVT program has saved the Government $331,132, a total
of 770,075 miles saved in travel for our Veterans. In addition, the CVT program
has been very well received by our Veterans with an overall satisfaction score
of 96%. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the implementation of CVT is cost
effective and is well received by Veterans. Telehealth modalities such as CVT
are viable options that enhance Veteran satisfaction by decreasing the time
and the costs related to travel while continuing to offer high quality health
care.


This paper presents a model-based fault-tolerant approach for designing a control strategy in order to integrate a diesel engine generator (DEG) as master generation unit, voltage and frequency leader, in an islanded microgrid configuration. The microgrid design is mainly composed of a hybrid wind-diesel-photovoltaic power system with a battery storage system (BSS). A model predictive control (MPC) scheme has been selected for this task, due to its flexibility and capability for handling constraints. Fault-tolerance is achieved in the DEG control system with the addition of a fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) module to the MPC structure, in order to reconfigure the control strategy when actuator faults in the DEG are present. Different operating conditions of the microgrid were simulated in order to test control robustness. Improved performance over a baseline controller, IEEE type 1 exciter, is achieved. Dynamic models of the microgrids components are presented and simulation results of the microgrid behavior in Matlab/Simulink®.


Abstract Purpose To investigate the value of three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging (3DUS-FI) in real-time guiding needle placement by phantom models and in vivo simulations. Materials and methods Two radiologists (beginner and expert) performed needle placement using two-dimensional ultrasound (2DUS) and 3DUS-FI, respectively. In the phantom study, single-needle placement was performed by puncturing the center point of each ball and assessed based on the specimen length. Multiple-needles placement was performed by placing three needles in each ball, and their locations were confirmed by computed tomography, and assessed based on the distance deviation between needles. In the in vivo simulation study, simulated-needle placement was performed by placing a virtual ablation needle in each liver tumor and assessed by the simulated ablative cover rate and margin. Results Specimen length was significantly longer with 3DUS-FI in the beginner, whereas no significant difference was observed in the expert (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 14.60 ± 2.60 mm vs. 16.25 ± 1.38 mm, p = .017; expert, 16.78 ± 1.40 mm vs. 16.95 ± 1.15 mm, p = .668). Distance deviation between needles was significantly smaller with 3DUS-FI (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 25.06 ± 16.07 mm vs. 3.72 ± 1.99 mm, p < .001; expert, 11.70 ± 7.79 mm vs. 2.89 ± 1.52 mm, p < .001). The simulated ablative cover rate and margin were significantly larger with 3DUS-FI for the beginner, whereas only the latter was significantly larger for the expert (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 73.55 ± 8.73% vs. 81.38 ± 11.84%, p = .001, 0.82 ± 0.97 mm vs. 2.65 ± 1.23 mm, p < .001; expert, 78.60 ± 9.91% vs. 83.24 ± 11.69%, p = .059; 1.65 ± 1.15 mm vs. 2.95 ± 1.13 mm, p < .001). Conclusions 3DUS-FI is useful for real-time guiding precise needle placement and may be further use to improve the efficacy of liver thermal ablation.


This study was carried out in Dunchon-dong wetland from January 2007 to July 2008. Study site is designated as an ecosystem conservation area which indicates the area with high ecological and environmental values. We investigated seasonal water level and vegetation changes. Water level was related to precipitation. 195 plant species from 64 families were founded and 25 species among them were first recorded in 2008. This study proved that water level fluctuation enhances the biodiversity of plant community. This wetland can be used as a valuable reference when wetland ecosystem will be restored or constructed in the suburban area.


Agricultural production in the European Union sharply rose during the second half of the 20 thcentury. As a side-effect environmental impact increased as well, and resulted in widespread environmental problems, which policymakers now seek to reduce. Therefore, up-to-date, standardised information on environmental impact of agriculture is required covering the entire area of the Union. NOAA-AVHRR images seem well suited to provide part of this information, because 1) one image covers a large area, 2) so significant time series are available, and 3) they contain two relevant spectral bands for vegetation and crop studies. The objective of this study is to develop a change detection method to locate changes in environmental impact using NOAA-AVHRR images. The required spatial observation units were defined such that they match both agriculture and NOAA-AVHRR. For this purpose a method was developed to determine the correspondence in geometry between two polygon sets. It was shown that polygons formed by bio-physical variables match patterns in AVHRR images better than those formed by socio-economic variables. The selected units were obtained from the soil map. Once the spatial units were defined, measures could be sought that characterise environmental impact in terms of land cover, so they might be observable in the AVHRR images. A suitable measure was found in change in agricultural area, which will result in changed environmental impact if other factors remain unchanged. For changes in agricultural intensity, which will lead to changed environmental impact as well, no suitable measures exist. Finally, three different change detection methods were proposed to detect changes in agricultural area using NOAA-AVHRR images. The methods aim at enhancing the information regarding agricultural change while minimising classification inaccuracy, spatial misregistration and radiometric effects. None of these methods proved successful in locating regions with changes in agricultural areas. The conclusion is that NOAA-AVHRR images seem not suited to detect changes in European agriculture. Besides these aspects related to a change detection method, methods to solve cloud contamination of NOAA-AVHRR images were studied. Clouds often reduce the useful area in AVHRR images. Seven procedures, including conventional and geostatistical methods, to replace small clouds by estimated land radiation values were compared. The estimates from the geostatistical methods led to the best estimates of reflection values from the landscape underlying the clouds. Next, the suitability of near-future remote-sensing systems was assessed for detecting changes in environmental impact of agriculture. MERIS is a sensor mounted on ENVISAT, a European satellite that will be launched in November 2001. Its announced specifications make it seem a promising information source for land applications at the continental scale. To estimate the value of its 300m pixel a new method is proposed, which is referred to as the Stained Glass Procedure. This method relates pixel size to discernible detail, and predicts the level of detail detectable in another (here non-existing yet) image. According to the Stained-Glass Procedure, MERIS images will show twice as much detail as NOAA-AVHRR images, which is a significant improvement. Unfortunately, it will take quite some years before time series useful for change detection have been collected.


Abstract Purpose: The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a widely used questionnaire to evaluate the functional impairment of a patient with a disorder of one or both lower extremities. It also can be used to monitor the patient over time and to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention. Nevertheless there is no Spanish version of the LEFS, so the aim of this study was the translation and cross-cultural adaption of the Spanish version of the LEFS and to evaluate its psychometrics properties. Methods: The questionnaire was cross cultural adapted into Spanish. The psychometric properties tested in the Spanish version of the LEFS were: internal consistency, test–retest reliability, constructs validity, discriminative validity, responsiveness, concurrent validity and floor and ceiling effects in 132 participants seeking for treatment due to lower extremity dysfunction. Results: The Spanish version of the LEFS had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.989), test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.998, 95% CI: 0.996–0.999) and presented a high correlation with the SF-36 (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey) especially with the physical function and pain subscales. The construct validity showed a single factor that account for 84.95% of the variance. The standard error of measurement of the Spanish version of the LEFS was 0.88 scale points (95% CI) and the minimal detectable change was 2.18 scale points (95% CI). The sample, collected from five Spanish physical therapy centers, was divided in groups (acute, sub-acute and chronic subjects). Within group changes showed a significant improvement on the LEFS score (p < 0.001) and effect sizes were large in all conditions. The LEFS allowed to distingue between acute and not acute conditions; for this criterion ROC curve was performed at baseline (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.95). There was no floor or ceiling effects. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the LEFS has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool to assess musculoskeletal dysfunction in the lower extremity that could be used with Spanish speaker population. Implications for Rehabilitation Cross-cultural adaptation of a self-reported questionnaire to evaluate musculoskeletal lower extremity disorders in the Spanish population. To provide Spanish clinicians and physiotherapists a useful tool to assess the lower extremity function. To provide Spanish researchers a valid tool for research on lower extremity function: patient's improvement due to treatment, compare results obtained between populations, treatment.


ABSTRACT Enterprises have made changes in their marketing and communication activities because of increased competition and changes in consumer behavior. In seeking to stand out from their competitors, brands have started to use more creative, extraordinary, interactive, and nontraditional approaches in their advertisements. One of these approaches is ambient advertising, which involves the guerilla marketing activities and alters environmental elements that consumers interact with (e.g., pedestrian paths, bus stops) creatively and unexpectedly and renders these elements meaningful in terms of advertising. In ambient advertising literature, relationships between perceived surprise, attention toward the ad, attitudes toward the ad and brand, purchase intention, and mediation effect of attitude toward an unknown brand have not been hierarchically tested. In this study, the effectiveness of ambient advertising was evaluated based on a structural equation model and the data were collected from 194 consumers through cross-sectional survey method. The results revealed some statistically significant relationships. In conclusion, perceived surprise was determined as a strong antecedent of attention toward the ad, attitude toward ambient advertising was found to have a positive effect on purchase intention, and it was also found that attitude toward the brand had a mediating effect between attitude toward the ad and purchase intention.


The full degree of freedom in mobile systems heavily depends on the energy provided by the mobile phone's batteries. Their capacity is in general limited and for sure not keeping pace as the mobile devices are crammed up with new functionalities. The discrepancy of Moore's law, offering twice the processing power at least each second year, and the development in batteries, which did not even double over the last decade, makes a shift in researchers' way of designing networks, protocols, and the mobile device itself. The bottleneck to take care of in the design process of mobile systems is not only the wireless data rate, but even more the energy limitation as the customers ask for new energy-hungry services, e.g., requiring faster connections or even multiple air interfaces, and longer standby or operational times of their mobile devices at the same time. In this survey, the energy consuming entities of a mobile device such as wireless air interfaces, display, mp3 player and others are measured and compared. The presented measurement results allow the reader to understand what the energy hungry parts of a mobile device are and use those findings for the design of future mobile protocols and applications. All results presented in this work and further results are made public on our web page [2].


The imminent arrival of the Internet of Things (IoT), which consists of a vast number of devices with heterogeneous characteristics, means that future networks need a new architecture to accommodate the expected increase in data generation. Software defined networking (SDN) and network virtualization (NV) are two technologies that promise to cost-effectively provide the scale and versatility necessary for IoT services. In this paper, we survey the state of the art on the application of SDN and NV to IoT. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to provide a comprehensive description of every possible IoT implementation aspect for the two technologies. We start by outlining the ways of combining SDN and NV. Subsequently, we present how the two technologies can be used in the mobile and cellular context, with emphasis on forthcoming 5G networks. Afterward, we move to the study of wireless sensor networks, arguably the current foremost example of an IoT network. Finally, we review some general SDN-NV-enabled IoT architectures, along with real-life deployments and use-cases. We conclude by giving directions for future research on this topic.


Antonio Sims shares how kingdom partnerships have impacted his community, in Part 1 of our Global Distinctives feature series. The Global Distinctives, agreed on by nearly 240 leaders at the 2012 Global Summit, are six unifying principles that bind our whole Foursquare family in doctrine and culture.


The following are a selection of papers published recently in Geotechnique that readers of Geotechnical Engineering may find of particular interest. The selection concentrates on applied rather than pure research topics and covers issues published from September 2001 to March 2002.


The contraceptive effect of oral contraceptive use provides an important health benefit, particularly in developing countries, where the risks of pregnancy and childbearing are increased. Several important noncontraceptive health benefits of oral contraceptive use include the prevention of endometrial and ovarian cancers. Data are generally reassuring concerning the risks of oral contraceptive use, which include cardiovascular disease and breast and cervical cancer.


Purpose: This study attempts to ascertain if adaptive behaviour complies with the characteristics of a normal distribution. Methods: Adaptive behaviour data collected from two large state samples of 2900 were reviewed to determine the shape of their distributions.  A smaller convenience sample of 37 adults without intellectual disability was similarly reviewed.  Results: Findings suggest that the shape of the distribution of adaptive behaviour increasingly deviates from normal as cognitive abilities increase.   Conclusions/Implications: It does not appear that adaptive behaviour is normally distributed.   This will impact the diagnosis of intellectual disability because while IQ scores two standard deviations below the mean reliably cut off about 2% of the population, a similar cut-off cannot be assumed for adaptive behaviour.


Reusing greywater (GW) can lower domestic water consumption. However, the GW must be treated and disinfected for securing user health. This research studied at the laboratory scale, and in flow-through setups, which are generally used in full-scale GW treatment the disinfection efficiency of the two commonly used technologies (a) chlorination and (b) low-pressure UV irradiation. The disinfection methods were studied under a commonly found range of total suspended solids (TSS; 3.9–233 mg/L) and 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) concentrations (0–107 mg/L) as a representative/proxy of bioavailable organic matter. The negative effect of TSS began even at low concentrations (<20 mg/L) and increased consistently with increasing TSS concentrations across all the concentrations tested. On the other hand, the negative effect of BOD5 on FC inactivation was observed only when its concentration was higher than 50 mg/L. Multiple linear regression models were developed following the laboratory results, establishing a correlation between FC inactivation by either chlorination or UV irradiation and initial FC, TSS, and BOD5 concentrations. The models were validated against the results from the flow-through reactors and explained the majority of the variability in the measured FC inactivation. Conversion factors between the laboratory scales and the flow-through reactor experiments were established. These enable the prediction of the required residual chlorine concentration or the UV dose needed for an on-site flow-through reactor. This approach is valuable from both operational and research perspectives.


The radially averaged metallicity distribution of the ISM and the young stellar population of a sample of 20 disk galaxies is investigated by means of an analytical chemical evolution model which assumes constant ratios of galactic wind mass loss and accretion mass gain to star formation rate. Based on this model the observed metallicities and their gradients can be described surprisingly well by the radially averaged distribution of the ratio of stellar mass to ISM gas mass. The comparison between observed and model predicted metallicity is used to constrain the rate of mass loss through galactic wind and accretion gain in units of the star formation rate. Three groups of galaxies are found: galaxies with either mostly winds and only weak accretion, or mostly accretion and only weak winds, and galaxies where winds are roughlybalancedbyaccretion.Thethreegroupsaredistinct inthepropertiesoftheir gasdisks. Galaxies with approximately equal rates of mass-loss and accretion gain have low metallicity, atomic hydrogen dominated gas disks with a flat spatial profile. The other two groups have gas disks dominated by molecular hydrogen out to 0.5 to 0.7 isophotal radii and show a radial exponential decline, which is on average steeper for the galaxies with small accretion rates. The rates of accretion (. 1.0×SFR) and outflow (. 2.4×SFR) are relatively low. The latter depend on the calibration of the zero point of the metallicity determination from the use of HII region strong emission lines.


This paper examines the market and organizational factors that led to the bankruptcy in July 2000 of Tri Valley Growers (TVG), a California tomato- and fruit-processing cooperative owned by more than 500 growers. TVG's bankruptcy was caused by a confluence of organizational and market-related factors including a low productivity of assets due to high inventory levels and obsolete facilities, high operating costs relative to competition, high raw product transport costs due to the geographic mismatch of production and processing capacity, particularly in tomato operations, and a poor information system. TVG was also highly leveraged. Re-organization as a new-generation cooperative in 1996 failed to stabilize the equity base.


Laboratory experiments and clinical investigations have confirmed the various claims made originally by Buchholz and Engelbrecht (1970) that antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement releases the antibiotic into the surroundings in useful concentrations. Palacos R cement released higher concentrations than CMW, Simplex and Sulfix brands of cement and over longer periods. Concentrations of gentamycin and fucidin were sufficient to penetrate dead cortical bone. These conclusions need to be assessed with animal studies, mechanical testing and clinical results before the ideal place of antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement is established.


CLaSSES (Corpus for Latin Sociolinguistic Studies on Epigraphic textS) is a digital resource which gathers non-literary Latin texts (epigraphs, writing tablets, letters) of different periods and provinces of the Roman Empire. This corpus has been taggedwith linguistic and extra-linguistic information that allows quantitative and qualitative analysis of spelling variations in Latin sources. The resource is available on the web in open access and is structured in different sections: Rome and Italy, Roman Britain,Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean, and Sardinia.


Background Dissociation is a generally recognized phenomenon in psychology and psychiatry; however, questions are still not fully resolved about the difference between pathological and normal dissociation, as well as the role of dissociation, depending on its aetiology, in the formation of clinical manifestations of mental disorders. Objective To complement the existing data about the significance of dissociation in non-psychotic mental disorders. Design Using the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), we screened 62 patients (13 male and 49 female) from the Non-Psychotic Conditions Inpatient Department of the Udmurt Republican Clinical Psychiatric Hospital (Izhevsk, Russia). Nineteen of the patients had mental disorders of organic aetiology and 43 patients had mental disorders of psychogenic aetiology. Results Dissociation at the pathological level was detected in 12.9% of the patients, all of them female. Among patients with psychogenic disorders, the proportion of patients with pathological dissociation was more than three times that of patients with organic disorders. Among the particular dissociative phenomena, absorption had the highest average severity, both in the general sample and in each aetiological group of patients, while dissociative amnesia had the lowest average severity. The highest levels of dissociation were found in young female patients who had never been married. In patients with psychogenic disorders, the average dissociation severity was significantly higher than in the general population, while in patients with organic disorders it was significantly lower. Conclusion The dissociation phenomenon may play a significant symptom-forming role in young women suffering from non-psychotic mental disorders of psychogenic aetiology. In the case of organic mental disorders, the severity of dissociative manifestations decreases even below the conditionally normal level, which may indirectly indicate the destruction of dissociative physiological mechanisms by an organic brain process.


This paper models the interaction of long-term contracting and spot market transactions between one Genco and one or more Discos. The basic model proposed allows the Genco or Discos to negotiate bilateral electric power contracts and then, on the day, to sell or buy in an associated spot market. The type of bilateral contracts studied has a two-part tariff structure that is at the foundation of practical contracts used in industry. The first part is a reservation cost per unit of capacity, and the second an execution cost per unit of output when this capacity is actually used. We show that Disco's optimal contracting strategies follow an index that combines the Genco's reservation cost and execution cost. The Genco's optimal strategy is to reveal its production cost but extract its margin for the Discos from the capacity reservation charge. The optimal reservation charge depends on the opportunity cost the Genco loses from the spot market as well as the inverse elasticity of the Disco's contract demand.


• A laboratory of the type and size here described was found capable of handling a monthly average of 160 specimens for virus isolation studies and 150 serum samples for serologic studies, and has made it possible to confirm the etiological diagnosis in from 2 to 15 patients per month. The total floor space required for the special incubators, together with the customary laboratory equipment, was less than 90 sq. m. (960 sq. ft.). Two types of cells are propagated routinely, namely monkey kidney and the HeLa carcinoma. In addition, the laboratory is equipped to maintain embryonated hen's eggs for studies of influenza and mumps and certain animals (suckling mice, adult mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs) for other purposes. The personnel include both part-time and full-time workers. This laboratory has been found valuable in improving the care of certain types of patients, in medical education, and in clinical research.


Defective route finding is a symptom in which an indivisual demonstrates inhibility to find the way in the familiar places. This symptom arises from lesions at the right parieto-occipital region and the right posterior part of the splenium of the corpus callosum. We present a case of defective route finding resulting from the right anterior thalamic infarction. A 63-year-old right-handed man abruptly presented with difficulty in route finding on his way home. Neither spatial neglect nor agnosia was observed with pictures of his house and surrounding streets. Although there was an attention disturbance, his activities of daily living were spared. Brain MRI revealed a fresh infarction at the right anterior nucleus of the thalamus. Single photon emission computed tomography using 123I-methyltyrosine showed hypoperfusion at the right parieto-occipital region as well as the right thalamus. Neuropsychological tests showed visuospatial memory disturbance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of defective route finding caused by the right anterior thalamic infarction. The right anterior thalamic nucleus might be involved in the visuospatial recognition circuit.


Abraham and Isaac separately 'used' their wives to stay alive. Viewed, on one hand, as a pragmatic approach to life, the choice made by father and son demonstrates a moral failure that caused them to 'sacrifice' their wives, turning them to objects that could be exchanged. Hence, the end of preserving their lives justifies the means (lying and cooperation in formal evil of adultery). On the other hand, the story of Isaac, following in the footsteps of his father, offers us a reflection on how certain human actions, while useful and valid at a given point in time, cannot be judged morally good/bad or worthy of emulation without reference to the intention and historical situation of the primary agent. In Gen 20:1-18 and 26:1-11, the five protagonists (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca and Abimelech) confront us with the perennial issues of patriarchy, the agency and compliance of women in reinforcing patriarchal patterns of politics and de-humanisation, the resilience and resistance of women in the face of the many forms of objectification and commodification as well as the error of repeating the mistakes of the fathers. Using a biblical social ethical approach, this article examines (a) how patriarchalism could and have fostered the objectification and commodification of women; (b) what themes from father and son communicate to the modern reader about the interplay of cause and effect in fostering a culture of gender violence and instrumentalisation of women, as well as (c) how the female protagonists' response to the situation of exploitation (especially sexual exploitation) and objectification could inspire modern women to break boundaries that negate female flourishing.
https://doi.org/10.17159/2312–3621/2021/v34n1a7


Drought is one of major abiotic stress limiting rice stable production. In the study, four rice cultivars, IAPAR9 (upland rice cultivar), H8 and H10 (droughttolerance variant lines derived from 6527 embryo-soaked with Alternanthera philoxeroides DNA solution) and 6527 (ordinary rice cultivar), were used to study the antioxidant characteristics of drought-resistant varieties by superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and their related gene expression profiles. The results showed that the SOD activity, POD activity and MDA content were increased significantly under drought stress, while decreased in the yield and its related traits such as seed setting ratio, 1000-grain weight and grain number per panicle. The SOD and POD activities in drought-tolerant rice (H8, H10 and IAPAR9) were significantly higher than those in drought-sensitive 6527. Less MDA content was produced in drought-tolerant rice (H8, H10 and IAPAR9) than sensitive 6527. The yield of H8 was significantly higher than that of other cultivars, and the seed setting ratio and 1000-grain weight from those with drought-tolerant were significantly higher than that of sensitive 6527. After drought stress, there were 11 genes related to antioxidant progress whose expression profiles changed significantly between H8 and 6527. These results suggested that drought tolerant cultivars maybe subdue harms from the peroxidation by inducing the express of related genes of antioxidant process, further increasing the SOD activity and POD activity. Thus, their enhancement of drought resistance could maintain the normal growth and development under drought stress and achieve maximum photosynthate storage.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate if intravenous acetaminophen compared to oral administration reduced the consumption of opioids and their side effects without an increase in pain during the stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

DESIGN
Prospective, randomized study.

SETTING
An ICU in a university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
Eighty patients with written informed consent undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. Anesthesia was based on propofol and fentanyl combined with sevoflurane.

INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomized to 2 groups: acetaminophen, 1 g every sixth hour during the postoperative period, either as tablets or intravenously after extubation.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
The amount of opioids administered during the study period was measured starting with acetaminophen administration during the stay in the ICU until 9 o'clock the following morning. Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was noted. Pain was evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Three patients, 2 in the oral and 1 in the intravenous group, were excluded because of incomplete data. The intravenous group received less opioids than the orally treated group, 17.4 +/- 7.9 mg compared with 22.1 +/- 8.6 mg (p = 0.016). PONV incidence and VAS scores did not differ. During the first hours after extubation, 50 of 77 patients reported VAS scores >3 with no difference between groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous acetaminophen had a limited opioid-sparing effect when compared with oral administration after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The opioid-sparing effect was not accompanied by any reduction in the incidence of PONV. The clinical significance of the opioid-sparing effect could therefore be questioned.


Group elevator scheduling has long been recognized as an important problem for building transportation efficiency, since unsatisfactory elevator service is one of the major complaints of building tenants. It now has a new significance driven by homeland security concerns. The problem, however, is difficult because of complicated elevator dynamics, uncertain traffic in various patterns, and the combinatorial nature of discrete optimization. With the advent of technologies, one important trend is to use advance information collected from devices such as destination entry, radio frequency identification, and sensor networks to reduce uncertainties and improve efficiency. How to effectively utilize such information remains an open and challenging issue. This paper presents the optimized scheduling of a group of elevators with destination entry and future traffic information for normal operations and coordinated emergency evacuation. Key problem characteristics are abstracted to establish a two-level separable formulation. A decomposition and coordination approach is then developed, where subproblems are solved by ordinal optimization-based local search, and top ranked nodes are selectively optimized by using dynamic programming. The approach is then extended to handle up-peak with little or no future traffic information, elevator parking for low intensity traffic, and coordinated emergency evacuation. Numerical testing results demonstrate near-optimal solution quality, computational efficiency, the value of future traffic information, and the potential of using elevators for emergency evacuation.


Although the survival of probitoics in fruit juices, which were nominated to be a good probiotic carrier, could be improved by using microencapsulation technique in alginate bead coated with chitosan, the satisfactoriness of the consumer must be considered. Consumer assessment and sensory evaluation of this product were performed by consumers in Thailand and by using descriptive analysis, respectively. Four hundred consumers from Bangkok and the suburbs of Bangkok were served with orange and grape juices containing probiotic beads together with questionnaire in order to determine the consumer demographic, buying behavior and consumer acceptance. Most consumers bought fruit juice due to its taste (9.6) and nutritional value (8.9). However, the addition of probiotic beads influenced the sensory quality of the product by increasing the swallowing difficulty and remaining particles of the products. The majority of consumers accepted orange and grape juices containing probiotic beads (82.3 and 84.3%, respectively), giving scores of texture and overall preferences as 6.6 and 6.7 for orange juice; and 6.8 and 6.9 for grape juice. Application of probiotic beads also increased turbidity of grape juice. Moreover, more than 86% of the participants were willing to try and purchase the product, reflecting existence of a potential market for fruit juice containing probiotic beads.


The maturity standards and fruit quality of apple cultivars, viz., Vance Delicious, Starkimson, Red Chief, Oregon Spur, Gala Must, Royal Delicious, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious were assessed during 2007–2008 at Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand) situated at 2,250 m amsl. The studies revealed that full bloom duration of different cultivars varied during both the years but the varietal sequence of flowering was the same. Among the cultivars Vance Delicious came into bloom early in both the years. The estimated harvesting date for sampling of each cultivar was determined on the basis of fruit size, weight, TSS, acidity, back ground skin colour and ease of fruit separation from spur. The various cultivars were found to mature when the average starch iodine score reached 4.83 to 5.67. Furthermore, red coloured cultivars attained maturity when the skin colour developed between 50 to >75%. Similarly the skin colour of Golden Delicious cultivar turned into yellowish-green on maturity. All the fruit physical parameters and TSS increased significantly from first to fifth sampling in all the cultivars. Accordingly fruit acidity showed a declining trend from 2.53% in Gala Must to 0.38% in Royal Delicious. The mean days after full bloom to harvest at IV sampling stage varied from 110.0 (Vance Delicious) to 145.5 (Golden Delicious). In the range of 68.0% (Red Delicious) to 74% (Vance Delicious) fruits were harvested with ease of separation at IV sampling stage and this stage was found to be suitable for harvesting of fruits on optimum maturity.


SummaryDoes South European welfare have any specificity in dealing with the challenges and constraints shaping the evolution of social protection in the European Union? Is there any particular Mediterranean response to welfare developments in the EU different from the Corporatist, Liberal or Social-democratic regimes? Are the characteristics of the model of social protection in Southern Europe likely to endure in the near future or are they in a process of deep transformation? This article carries out an overview of societal transformations and welfare reform in South European countries related to three main areas of analysis: Socio-economic; Politico-institutional and Cultural-axiological. By discussing continuity and change concerning these analytical dimensions, the article aims at identifying thematic areas and key issues for future research which could test the resilience – or otherwise – of welfare arrangements in Southern Europe.


The diagnostic approach to ureteric colic has changed due to the introduction of new radiological imaging such as non-contrast CT. The role of intravenous urography, which is regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis of ureteric colic, is being challenged by CT, which has become the first-line investigation in a number of centres. The management of ureteric colic has also changed. The role of medical treatment has expanded beyond symptomatic control to attempt to target some of the factors in stone retention and thereby improve the likelihood of spontaneous stone expulsion.


The Mauranipur region is situated along the central part of the Bundelkhand Craton (BuC) in the northern Indian shield, which consists of garnet- biotite gneisses with various deformational structures in the form of folding, faulting, augen and tail structures. These deformation structures are tectonic imprints that reveal the tectonic nature of the garnet-biotite gneisses. The groundmass of Grt-Bt gneisses is characterized by presence of garnet, biotite, plagioclase, K-feldspar, quartz, and ilmenite. The phase equilibrium modelling and geochemical attributes depict the tectonic activity and metamorphic evolution of the studied rocks. The P-T pseudosection has been calculated in the NCKFMASHT system, which revealed that the peak mineral assemblage stabilized in the P-T range of 6.35–6.75 kbar and 755–780ºC, and it further goes to retrograde metamorphism under P-T condition ranging from 4.80–5.28 kbar and 718–735ºC. These gneisses represent a calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline series of protolithic origin. The negative anomaly of Nb and Ti for all samples indicates that a subduction tectonic setting has occurred in the BuC. The (La/Lu)N ratio and differences in the trace elements indicate heterogeneous sources and large variation in the degree of partial melting. The Y vs Nb and (Y+Nb) vs Rb tectonic discrimination diagrams indicate that the Grt-Bt gneisses have an affinity towards the volcanic arc granite and developed during subduction setting. The geochemical interpretation provides significant evidence that protoliths of Grt-Bt gneisses were further metamorphosed by the continent-continent collision. Keywords: Garnet-biotite gneiss, Pseudosection, P-T condition, Geochemistry, Bundelkhand


The discipline of language policy and planning (LPP) is often proposed as a viable tool for language revitalisation. However, the conventional paradigm upon which LPP is based is inadequate for such an inherently political, contentious and problematic area of social policy, and does not address the hegemonic and counterhegemonic discourse that is at the very core of language revitalisation efforts. It is therefore argued here that LPP needs to be explicitly underpinned by critical discourse theory (CDT) if it is to be of genuine use to those involved in language revitalisation efforts, particularly to grass roots language activists. Following an introductory chapter which provides a background to the research and a rationale for it (Chapter 1), there is a critical review of selected literature on LPP and CDT, a review which ends by proposing a list of criteria which, it is argued, can be used to determine the extent to which discourse that is intended to be counter-hegemonic adheres to the principles of effective counter-hegemonic discourse as outlined in the literature on CDT (Chapter 2). In the following three chapters (Chapters 3, 4 & 5), these criteria are applied to the analysis of three recent reports that have a direct bearing on indigenous language revitalisation in Australia (Our Land Our Languages) and New Zealand (Ko Aotearoa Tēnei and Te Reo Mauriora). The first of these reports is found to adhere very closely to the criteria; the second less so; the third almost not at all. The different ways in which each of these reports has been received would tend to support the hypothesis that, other things being equal, the more closely a text of this type conforms to the criteria that is, the more closely it is aligned to the fundamental principles of effective counter-hegemonic discourse as outlined in CDT the more likely it is to be positively received and, therefore, to represent an effective challenge to the existing hegemony. The overall conclusion is that CDT can not only assist language activists by providing a basis for determining how successful counter-hegemonic discourse is likely to be in achieving its aims but has the potential to provide LPP with a secure theoretical foundation (Chapter 6).


BACKGROUND
Several reports have indicated that ultrasonication can change the solubility of muscle proteins and improves the functional properties of meat and isolated muscle proteins. Moreover, available literature suggests that ultrasonication can significantly improve the gelling properties of muscle proteins.

OBJECTIVES
The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of low-frequency ultrasonication on the secondary structure of myosin and the impact of these structural changes on solubility and gelling ability.

METHODS
Myosin from breast muscles (Pectoralis major) of broiler chicken was extracted and exposed to low-frequency ultrasonication for 30 min. Four aliquots collected at the interval of 5, 10, 20, and 30 min were analysed for change in ATPase activity, sulfhydryl content, surface hydrophobicity, alpha-helicity. The possible impact of these changes on heat-induced gelation was observed through electron micrographs.

RESULTS
Ultrasonication reduced the enzymatic activity of myosin and increased the reactive sulfhydryl content. Decreased α-helicity and increased intrinsic fluorescence displayed significant structural changes at the secondary and tertiary levels. Myosin aggregation, as indicated by electron micrographs, showed a marked decrease. The microstructure of myosin gels displayed a distinct correlation with ultrasonication-induced structural changes. Furthermore, improved microstructure led to a significant increase in the water retention capacity of myosin gels.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, ultrasonication of myosin caused a marked change in structure at the tertiary and secondary levels. Structural changes apparently confined within the globular head region and rod portion of myosin were displayed by reduced enzymatic activity and improved gelation/solubility. Results of our study convincingly showed that ultrasonication improved the microstructure of myosin gels resulting in increased WHC.


Abstract : It is unlikely that regional data recorded at a newly installed array of stations could be used immediately to reliably discriminate events because of uncertainties about the local characteristics of wave propagation. However, the stations would immediately begin to record P sub nl data from small local events. This raises the possibility that the earthquake data base could be used to calibrate the array for discrimination purposes. The relationships is studied between long period P sub nl data and high frequency regional phases in the western U.S. This report examines the phase P sub g. The high frequency p sub g phase for small, shallow events typically appears as a complex arrival with a duration of several tens of seconds. This is much longer than the possible duration of the effective source time function even with depth phases taken into account. This phenomenon can be explained by synthesizing P sub g using generalized rays which is a practical computational procedure for a simple layer over a half space crustal model. If model responses are computed by progressively adding in rays with one reverberation in the crust, then two and so on, it is observed that a sequence of high frequency arrivals develops spanning the typical duration of P sub g. Each successive resonance phase is associated with a higher order reverberation in the crust. If each arrival contributes a typical amount of high frequency scattered energy, the long duration of P sub g is simple to understand. Keywords: Seismic discrimination.


Objective: To objectively measure color vision dysfunction in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD) using an easily administered, essentially free, modified Stroop test. Methods: Sixty-one iPD patients and 26 age-matched controls (HC) were enrolled after IRB approval and performed congruent (CST) and incongruent (IST) modified Stroop tests consisting of 40 words in 10 colors arranged in a 5 x 8 grid. The scorer was blinded to participant diagnosis. Errors on IST were defined as type 1 (written word reported rather than color) or type 2 (color reported different from the written word or its color). Results: The iPD group and the control group completed testing with similar CST performance. On the IST, 75.4% of iPD patients had type 2 errors (p = 0.001, OR 4.907, 95%CI 1.838–13.097) compared to 38.5% HC, with a positive predictive value of 82%. The mean number of type 2 errors was also higher in the iPD group, even with MoCA scores as a covariate in the analysis. Type 1 errors were not significantly different between the groups. A univariate logistic regression model with age, gender, MoCA, normalized IST completion time and the presence/absence of type 2 errors also resulted in type 2 errors as the only significant factor in the equation (p = 0.026). Conclusions: The modified Stroop test incorporated into the clinical evaluation of a patient may provide a quick and inexpensive objective measure of a non-motor feature of iPD, which could help in the clinical diagnosis of iPD in conjunction with the motor assessments currently used by neurologists.


Synchronic measurements of spontaneous ultra-weak light emission from germinating wheat seedlings both in Brazil and after transportation to Japan, and with a simultaneous series of germinations with local seedlings in the Czech Republic, are presented. A series of tests was also performed with samples returned from Japan to Brazil and results compared with those from undisturbed Brazilian seedlings. Native seedlings presented semi-circadian rhythms of emission which correlated with the gravimetric tidal acceleration at their locality, as did seeds which had been transported from Brazil to Japan, and then returned to Brazil. Here, however, there were very small disturbances within the periodicity of emissions, perhaps as a result of similar tidal profiles at locations whose longitudes are 180° apart, as in this case, different from previous results obtained in Brazil–Germany tests with other longitude shift. This feature of the Brazil and Japan locations may have minimized the requirement for the acclimatization of the transported seed to their new location.


JiTT is a proven pedagogical strategy in which faculty use the World Wide Web to make face-to-face classes more active and student centered. It enhances interactions among faculty and students, and encourages students to be fully engaged. JiTT promotes active learning and student engagement, and is often used in combination with other active learning methods. JiTT provides a window into students' attitudes and ideas about course content, study habits and other issues. This enables faculty to respond effectively to students' needs, and creates an opportunity to begin education research projects. To date, JiTT has been adopted by over 200 faculty members in over 30 fields, and has been shown to improve learning and student retention


Context: Spontaneous perforation of rectum is a rare event; however evisceration of the small bowel through the perforated site without predisposing factors is extremely rare, complex and worth reporting. Case report: A 14 years old presented to us apparently as a case of intussception. The operative findings revealed it to be a case of spontaneous perforation of rectum with evisceration of the small bowel through the perforation. Conclusion: Sudden increase in the intra-abdominal pressure leads to the perforation in the chronically deranged rectal wall and pushes the small bowel loops into the pelvis and through the perforated rectum to appear transanally.


Background: Many children born very preterm have cognitive and minor motor problems later, even if attending mainstream schools. Objective: To examine associations between this suboptimal performance and perinatal and postnatal clinical factors. Participants and methods: A geographically determined cohort of 280 infants born at less than 32 weeks gestation in 1991–92 in Liverpool, free of major disability and attending mainstream school at 7 years of age. A perinatal and postnatal data set were obtained from the clinical records retrospectively. Measurements of height, weight, and head circumference at 7 years were made, together with assessments of intelligence (Wechsler intelligence scale for children, IQ) and motor impairment (Movement assessment battery for children, MABC). Results: Multiple regression analysis showed IQ at 7 years to be independently significantly related to gestation, persistence of the arterial duct (PDA), and head circumference at 7 years. MABC was only significantly related to gestation. PDA was related to periventricular haemorrhage (OR 2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 5.8) and parenchymal lesions including ventriculomegaly (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 11.4). Conclusion: Cognitive ability in children born preterm is significantly related to gestation, but may also be related to the effects of PDA on early brain development, through either periventricular haemorrhage/ventriculomegaly or other disturbance of early brain growth.


The adriamycin sensitive and resistant human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were investigated by computerized image analysis for establishment of characteristic cell nuclei-morphological differences. Using specially developed algorithms and a large set of subvisual parameters, morphological features characteristic for the resistant cell line were described. The most useful parameters for distinguishing the resistant from sensitive cells are related to chromatin structure and include integral optical density per micron 2, the average area of chromatin region, and the integral density of the chromatin region per micron 2. Besides the size of the nuclei, the two features with the most discriminatory power belonged to those characterizing patterns of chromatin condensation. The results of quantitative analysis suggest that drug resistance relates to specific chromatin patterns. Compared to sensitive cell line, the resistant MCF-7 cells show distinguished coarse chromatin pattern with enlarged condensed chromatin regions.


Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is typically diagnosed during early adult life at a tumoral stage. It occurs only rarely in children. We report six childhood cases of DFSP which presented initially with the misleading clinical appearance of atrophic plaques, and we review over 140 cases of DFSP in childhood. As compared with adult forms, DFSP in children does not show distinctive features except for a tendency for acral localization. The diagnosis is difficult because of the slow course of the lesions, which present initially as apparently benign atrophic morphoeaor keloid‐like plaques. We believe that DFSP in childhood is probably under‐estimated, as a significant proportion of patients diagnosed as young adults had an onset several years earlier. Better knowledge of the initial appearance is important for making an early diagnosis and for an easier surgical treatment.


Using a self questionnaire we have done a domiciliary study of the perception of health and respiratory function in a population of 537 patients suffering from chronic respiratory disease. We arranged elsewhere the objective biological data of the severity of the disease represented in the computerised dossier on each patient and were able to compare this objective data to the subjective data gathered by the questionnaire. The objective data, in particular the blood gas analysis, appeared to be very weakly linked to the perception that the subjects had of their health and of their physical mobility. A study of the survival at one year showed that functional capacity and psychological approach of subjects were better predictive factors of mortality than the severity of the disease defined according to medical criteria. This study recalls the limits of standard methods of follow up for chronic respiratory failure, and stresses the importance of physical independence in these subjects: this functional indicator seems to have a value which is both descriptive as it is connected, as a whole, to the indicators of the quality of life and also prognostic as it is a better predictive factor for mortality at one year.


Ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) is a fatal gynecologic malignancy usually presenting with bilateral localization and malignant peritoneal effusion. Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) is a tumor suppressor gene whose expression is directly controlled by microRNA‐21 (miR‐21). Exosomes are small cell‐derived vesicles that participate in intercellular communication, delivering their cargo of molecules to specific cells. Exosomes are involved in several physiological and pathological processes including oncogenesis, immunomodulation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The current study analyzed the expression of PDCD4 and miR‐21 in resected OSC specimens and in cells and exosomes from OSC peritoneal effusions.


Interviews with PCG chief executives, six months into their job, revealed concerns about the personal qualities needed for the role. There were concerns about the dominance of GPs on boards, at the expense of nurse members. Some reported that health authorities had difficulty in letting go of control to the new organisations.


Interferon alpha (IFNα) therapy, despite good efficacy in curing HCV infection, leads to major side effects, in particular inducement of a strong peripheral T-cell lymphocytopenia. We here analyze the early consequences of IFNα therapy on both thymic function and peripheral T-cell homeostasis in patients in the acute or chronic phase of HCV-infection as well as in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. The evolution of T-cell subsets and T-cell homeostasis were estimated by flow cytometry while thymic function was measured through quantification of T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) and estimation of intrathymic precursor T-cell proliferation during the first four months following the initiation of IFNα therapy. Beginning with the first month of therapy, a profound lymphocytopenia was observed for all T-cell subsets, including naïve T-cells and recent thymic emigrants (RTE), associated with inhibition of intrathymic precursor T-cell proliferation. Interleukin (IL)-7 plasma concentration rapidly dropped while lymphocytopenia progressed. This was neither a consequence of higher consumption of the cytokine nor due to its neutralization by soluble CD127. Decrease in IL-7 plasma concentration under IFNα therapy correlated with the decline in HCV viral load, thymic activity and RTE concentration in blood. These data demonstrate that IFNα-based therapy rapidly impacts on thymopoiesis and, consequently, perturbs T-cell homeostasis. Such a side effect might be detrimental for the continuation of IFNα therapy and may lead to an increased level of infectious risk, in particular in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Altogether, this study suggests the therapeutic potential of IL-7 in the maintenance of peripheral T-cell homeostasis in IFNα-treated patients.