With the Arab uprisings of 2011, the so-called 'Turkish model' emerged as central to a number of debates within academia about the significance of the modernisation experience of Turkey and its alleged applicability for developing countries of the Middle East and North Africa region. This thesis explores the concept of the Turkish model through the lens of modernisation studies.

There are two mainstream conceptualisations of the Turkish model within the scholarly literature, namely what this thesis terms the 'structural model' and the 'societal model'. While the structural model emphasises the value of the Kemalist secularisation program and the pre-1980 period of state-led development for the alleged success of Turkey in modernisation, the societal model highlights the role of social forces, particularly focusing on the post-1980 period of economic liberalisation and the rise of the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) after 2002.

The methodology of the structural model is based on hypotheses of 'classical modernisation theory', whereas the societal model is inspired by 'neo-modernisation theory'. Nevertheless, there is a gap in the existing literature on the Turkish model in terms of holistically examining this country case with a rising approach within modernisation studies in recent years – the 'multiple modernities paradigm'.

This thesis offers an alternative approach to the study of the Turkish model by applying the multiple modernities paradigm. This theorem challenges Eurocentric and deterministic conceptualisations of modernity by arguing that the processes of secularisation and economic development do not necessarily result in the consolidation of liberal democratic regimes. The thesis argues that the conceptual frameworks used by the structural and societal models within Turkish studies are based on the historical Western European experience of development, which prevents the two schools from fully accounting for the nuances of the unique process of transformation in Turkey. While expecting Turkey to replicate the Western experience, both approaches neglect the significance of historical contingency, path dependency and international context for the socio economic and political history of this country. By contrast, the multiple modernities paradigm acknowledges the profound impact these factors had on Turkey's modernisation experience. Based on this framework, the thesis analyses the economic, social and political development trajectories of Turkey, showing that modernisation in this non-Western society has been a complex phenomenon that produced a divergent 'modernity' rather than converging towards Western values such as liberal democracy.


A sequential annulation domino reaction of sulfur ylides and α,β-unsaturated cyclic ketimines for the construction of cyclic 2-alkenyl aziridines has been developed. Readily accessible starting materials, a one-pot procedure, excellent functional group compatibility, and mild conditions make this transformation a powerful tool for the synthesis of cyclic 2-alkenyl aziridines.


If battery packs for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are to operate effectively in all climates, thermal management of the packs is essential. In this paper, we will review a systematic approach for designing and evaluating battery pack thermal management systems. A thermal management system using air as the heat transfer medium is less complicated than a system using liquid cooling/heating. Generally, for parallel HEVs, an air thermal management system is adequate, whereas for EVs and series HEVs, liquid-based systems may be required for optimum thermal performance. Further information on battery thermal management can be found on the Web site www.ctts.nrel.gov/BTM


his paper presents the results of quantitative research into the influence of marital status on citizen preparedness for response to natural disaster caused by flood in the Republic of Serbia. The aim of such research is a scientific explanation of relationship between marital status and preparedness. In order to realize research, nineteen communities were randomly selected in which 2,500 persons were surveyed, in 2015. On that occasion, households were questioned using the multi-stage random sample. The research results suggest that married would in the highest percentage give money to help flood victims, long-lasting rains make them to think about preparedness for floods, they know what flood is, they are familiar with viruses and infections that accompany the period during and after the flood, they know where in local community elders, disabled and infants live, they know safety procedures for responding during floods, they would evacuate to a friend's place. On the other side, divorced citizens in the lowest percentage take preventive measures to reduce tangible consequences caused by floods, they are not yet prepared, but will start preparing next month, they know what flood is, they would evacuate to the upper floors of the house, say that someone at primary/secondary school and within family educated them on floods, they know what to do after an official warning about approach of flood, they got information about floods at faculty, through informal education and through media. The research results can be used in designing strategies and campaigns aimed to raise the level of preparedness of citizens with regard to their marital status.


The milk yield and fertility records of cows which at any time either gave birth to twin calves or retained their placenta have been examined. Milk yield was higher in the lactation preceding the birth of twins than in any other lactation and the lactation following the birth of twins tended to be longer. Milk yields of cows which retained their placenta were not significantly different from those of cows which cleansed normally. Many cows which gave birth to twins or which retained their placenta were subsequently barren. There was significantly greater mortality among twin calves and after the birth of twins placentae were more often retained.


Not much is written about communication in the languages of natural sciences and hunting. Only a few authors explore literature and the language of forestry or hunting (Dynak 1988, 1991a, 1991b, 1993, 1994, 2004, 2012; Jóźwiak Z. 2004; Jóźwiak J. 2013; Kloc 2019; Kościelniak-Marszał 2013; Pajewska 2003; Przybecki 2008). At the same time, these languages, both in Poland and abroad, have not been researched into so far from a broader comparative perspective in the field of intercultural communication. First of all, monolingual dictionaries are available on the market (e.g. Hoppe 1970; Gawin 2016; Jóźwiak; Biały 1994; Kozłowski 1996; Krzemień 1986; Szałapak 2004). In addition, you can find several bilingual dictionaries of the forestry or hunting language in Polish-English (Kloc 2013, 2015; Witkowska 2010), Polish-German (Niedbał 1917; Żeromski 1990; Klin et al. 2006) pairs and vice versa, but there are no dictionaries for other language pairs, e.g. Polish-French. There are also no papers devoted to communication problems, despite the fact that books on nature sciences and hunting are translated from various languages into Polish, and there is a market demand for translators ensuring effective interlingual communication during hunting trips. The aim of the work is to present the problems of intercultural communication in the field of natural sciences and hunting language. The results presented in the work were obtained by analyzing the work of students participating in a specialist translation course. A qualitative analysis of the mistakes made by students has been made and conclusions have been drawn as to how well a student of philological studies is prepared to translate natural science texts, including hunting texts.


ABSTRACT Welfare policy in Australia has undergone a marked shift in direction since the election of the Liberal Coalition (Conservative) Government in 1996. This paper examines welfare policy and, in particular, the disability support pension, in the light of the vocational needs of those with psychiatric disabilities who seek to gain employment. Empirical data is presented concerning a case study of 65 clients participating in a vocational program. These participants had all been diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities, and were assisted to obtain open employment. The paper demonstrates that welfare policy, in conjunction with the recently privatized employment services network, not only fails to address the barriers faced by individuals with psychiatric disabilities, but undermines their efforts to gain employment and recover from the illness.


Inverter-based power sources are increasingly being connected to the power system due to the global drive towards renewable generation. This paper investigates the voltage stability of a power system where a load center is supplied by the grid through a transmission system along with an inverter-based generation located close to the load center. It is also assumed that there is no additional reactive power compensation at the load center and voltage control at Point of Common Coupling (PCC) is done by the inverter. This is challenging as the inverter has an added duty. If the inverter controllers are not designed properly, the inverter could reach its current limit following to contingencies rendering it unable to support the voltage at the PCC. This is due to the fact that once the current limit is reached, the inverter ceases to function as a voltage source. When the voltage at the PCC is not supported, the active power transfer capability of both the inverter and the grid will be reduced. An effective control method is required under such circumstances to handle the active and reactive components of the inverter current. Various strategies exist for controlling the active and reactive components of the inverter current while preserving the current magnitude at the rated value. The necessity of an adequate control strategy to sustain long-term voltage stability following a system contingency is emphasized in this research. This paper further discusses three candidate control strategies and the effectiveness of the reactive current prioritizing approach as a solution for operation upon system contingencies.


Recent advances in mobile positioning systems and telecommunications are providing the technology needed for the development of location-aware tele-care applications. This paper introduces CAALYX – Complete Ambient Assisted Living Experiment, an EU-funded project that aims at increasing older people's autonomy and self-confidence by developing a wearable light device capable of measuring specific vital signs of the elderly, detecting falls and location, and communicating automatically in real-time with his/her care provider in case of an emergency, wherever the older person happens to be, at home or outside.


This paper studies the flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) with the objective of minimizing the total completion time. This problem is known to be strongly NP-hard [1]. Therefore, it is quite difficult to achieve an optimal solution to this problem with exact methods and heuristic approaches are generally used to find near optimal solutions within a reasonable computation time. The present work proposes a Random-Key based genetic algorithm for the joint resolution of the inherent assignment and sequencing subproblems. A new chromosome encoding method with some effective crossover and mutation operators are introduced. Also, a mixed integer linear program is developed and tested. Computational experiments are carried out on a large set of instances. The proposed algorithm is proved to be both effective and efficient in solving the studied problem.


The two strains (meningeal and urethral) from the patient gave clear-cut results. Both fermented glucose only and the controls (known strains of gonococci and meningococci) gave their characteristic sugar reactions. Serological identification could not be carried out, since although the organisms gave a smooth suspension in saline solution, neither could be suspended in 1/10 horse serum. The following week the patient was discharged to the venereal out-patient department.


In this paper, the existence problem of finger solutions of the Hele-Shaw equations is studied. The finger solutions are travelling-wave solutions whose finger-shaped interfaces are moving along a certain direction at a constant speed. The existence of finger solutions is shown through a fixed-point argument of the Hilbert transformation.


I focus on two special requirements for the simulation model: Ability to observe global and local behaviour ("micro/macro-scope"). This means that we should be able to observe in real time (i.e. during the simulation) or subsequently analyze every chosen component of the network. A component of the network could be a challenge, a situation, an agent, a link, or a combination of these. From the software architecture point of view this implies that we should have the ability to access each component of the model as a separate object. Ability to observe and analyze the dynamics of the network development ("life-logging"). Running the simulation with certain parameters for the predeter-


Abstract The study examines the terminology currently in use for the higher-level subgroups of the Indo-European family tree. Based on the observation that the terminology is heterogeneous and confusing, the study discusses the central terms, suggesting that the whole language family and its ancestor should be referred to as "Indo-European" and "Proto-Indo-European" respectively. Under the hypothesis that the three first subgroups to branch off were Anatolian, Tocharian and Italo- Celtic, "Indo-Tocharian" is recommended as a suitable name for the non-Anatolian subgroup, and "Indo-Celtic" for the non-Anatolian and non-Tocharian subgroup.


It is quite essential to investigate the causes of pavement deterioration in order to select the proper maintenance technique. The objective of this study was to identify factors cause deterioration of recently constructed roads in Khartoum state. A comprehensive literature concerning the factors of road deterioration, common road defects and their causes were reviewed. Three major road projects with different deterioration reasons were selected for this study. The investigation involved field survey and laboratory testing on those projects to examine the existing pavement conditions. The results revealed that the roads investigated experienced severe failures in the forms of cracks, potholes, and rutting in the wheel path. The causes of those failures were found mainly linked to poor drainage, traffic overloading, expansive subgrade soils, and the use of low quality materials in construction. Based on the results, recommendations were provided to help highway engineers in selecting the most effective repair techniques for specific kinds of distresses. Keywords— Pavement, deterioration, causes, failures.


Physiological and questionnaire investigations are carried out on 10 constructive toys, with the participation of 38 children 7 to 12 years old. A testimonial of the toys is made according to mass, dimensions, technological treatment, packing etc. A number of discrepancies with the hygienic requirements were established: 1) imperfection of the technological treatment (sharp edges, tops and holes, difficult assembling and disassembling of details, not fitting some details at construction, presence of odour, dust in the packings); 2) discrepancy with the announced age destination; 3) faults (incongruity of colours, small dimensions of models and not clear and contrast models, absence of age destination); 4) unphysiological strain and fatigue during play with part of the toys. On the basis of the results are developed hygiene recommendations to the manufacturing of constructive toys for children over 7 years.


Ketamine and pregabalin each provide postoperative analgesia, although the combination has yet to be evaluated. One hundred and forty‐two patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were randomly assigned to receive ketamine alone, pregabalin alone, ketamine and pregabalin combined, or placebo. Pain scores at rest and on movement, morphine consumption, side‐effects, pressure pain thresholds and secondary hyperalgesia were evaluated. Mean (SD) total 48‐h morphine use was reduced in patients given ketamine alone (52 (22) mg) and pregabalin alone (44 (20) mg) compared with placebo (77 (36) mg) p < 0.001. Morphine use was further reduced in patients given both ketamine and pregabalin (38 (19) mg) with an interaction between ketamine and pregabalin (ANOVA factorial; p = 0.028). Secondary hyperalgesia was reduced by ketamine. There were no differences between groups in pain scores after surgery, pressure pain thresholds or side‐effects. The combination of pregabalin and ketamine has a small, beneficial clinical effect.


The aim of this paper is to evaluate the validity of case management of severe out-patient form of pneumonia using the indicators of quality at the in-patient departments in Ryazan. This audit was carried out on the basis of 102 patients data hospitalized to the in-patient departments in Ryazan in 2005-2009 years period. The mean age of patients was 51,85±1,68 years, 61 patients were males and they predominated over females (59,8%). The indicators of quality were taken by us because they have already proved their reliability in Russia and abroad. Initial antibacterial therapy (70,6%) didn't meet modern clinical recommendations. In less than half cases IV antimicrobial injections were used. Only in 24% of cases we gave step-down antimicrobial therapy. The method of clinical scaling to estimate the severity of patients condition was not applied, only in 24,5% of cases we used pulseoxymetry to find out the stage of hypoxemic abnormality


In the manifold of materials for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) sensing, graphene related materials (GRMs) gain special attention thanks to their versatility and overall chemico-physical tunability as a function of specific applications. In this work, the sensing performances of graphene-like (GL) layers, a new material belonging to the GRM family, are tested against ethanol and n-butanol. Two typologies of GL samples were produced by employing two different approaches and tested in view of their application as VOC sensors. The experiments were performed under atmospheric pressure, in dry air, and at room temperature and demonstrated that the sensing capabilities are related to the film surface features. The results indicated that GL films are promising candidates for the detection of low concentrations of VOCs at room temperature. The present investigation thus paves the way for VOC sensing optimization using cost-effective and easily scalable materials.


The paper provides an overview of the enforcement activity of the Spanish competition authority in the digital economy. It explores, in particular, (i) the authority's approach to market definition and the assessment of market power; (ii) the main theories of harm developed in its decisions; and (iii) the remedies imposed. The institutional aspects are also considered.


As the high speed expanding scheme adopted by IEEE802.11b standard, the Complementary Code Keying modulation technology can only perform well in error probability with high signal noise ratio. However, when SNR is comparably low or the number of users in the same channel augments suddenly, the system's error probability soars. On the basis of the research on Complementary Code Keying, RS coding and decoding algorithms, this paper analyzed code parameters' influence on error correction and accordingly promoted a coding scheme suitable for Complementary Code Keying: RS(255,239). Simulation Results demonstrated that once SNR is upon 5.1dB the system performance would be greatly enhanced.


The practice of veiling among Indonesian Muslim women has significantly increased since the last few decades. It has been a surprising trend considering the fact that most indigenous women in the archipelago were bare-headed and the country itself does not constitutionally declare as an Islamic state. Unfortunately, the explanation of this puzzle has not been sufficiently conducted by scholars, let alone considering the complexity of its development. Partial explication is no longer adequate to understand the inter-connected dimension of veiling, as it intertwines with religious and socio-political aspects of Muslim's lives. This book, therefore, presents an extensive analysis on transformation of veiling among Indonesian Muslims dealing with social, political and economic developments. It provides an account from the perspective of various agents, both elite and non-elite, who have involved in theological and political tensions since New Order to Reform Era. This book is an important study not only for readers interested in development of Muslim women in Southeast Asia, but also for all those interested in transformation of Muslim practices in the world.


Background. Sialadenoma papilliferum (SP) is a rare benign epithelial tumor of salivary gland origin, its diagnosis being potentially challenging. It was first described by Abrams and Finck in 1969 as an analog of the cutaneous syringocystadenoma papilliferum. The aim of this comprehensive review is to highlight the clinical and histopathological diagnostic aspects of intraoral SP, analyzing cases previously described and reporting new cases. Methods. Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched up to February 2022, using as entry term "sialadenoma papilliferum". No time limits were applied and only studies in English were taken into account. Only cases involving the mouth were included. Conference proceedings, personal communications, and letters to the editor were excluded. Results. In total, 42 out of 234 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with 64 cases reported. Mean age of patients with SP was 57.2 years, with a higher prevalence among males. The most affected site was the palate, particularly the hard palate. Four cases with uncertain malignant features have been reported. While clinical manifestations of SP are rather unspecific (e.g., submucosal swelling with ulceration), histopathological and immunohistochemical features are quite peculiar, SP have a limited growth potential, leading to conservative excision as treatment of choice. Conclusions. SP, though rare, should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of intraoral swellings, particularly those located on the palate.


ABSTRACT Introduction Invasive candidiasis or candidemia is a severe infection affecting more than 250,000 people worldwide every year. It is present in up to 16% of ICU patients. The prognosis of these infections is unfavorable, with global death estimated around 50,000 per year, which corresponds to up to 40% depending on patient severity and comorbidities. Therapeutic failure is not rare due to the emergence of multiresistant strains and of new species poorly responsive to current therapies like Candida auris. Areas covered We first review the positioning of antifungal drugs used to treat candidiasis, namely polyenes, azoles, echinocandins and pyrimidine analogues. We then discuss the progresses brought by new formulations, new derivatives within these classes, compounds acting on new targets or repurposed drugs in terms of pharmacokinetic profile, spectrum of activity, potency, safety or risk of drug-drug interactions. Expert opinion While new formulations (amphotericin B cochleate) improve oral bioavailability of the corresponding drugs, new azoles or echinocandins offer higher potency including against strains resistant to former generations of drugs. Repurposed drugs show synergism with current therapies in vitro. Results from ongoing and future clinical trials will be decisive to establish the interest for these drugs in our arsenal.


Corticotroph responsiveness to arginine vasopressin (AVP) increases during late gestation in fetal sheep. The mechanism of this increase in AVP responsiveness is currently unknown but could be related to an increase in vasopressin type 1b (V1b) receptor expression in the pituitary during development. To determine if there are ontogenic changes in V1b receptor expression that may help explain the changes in ACTH responses to AVP, we studied pituitaries from three groups of fetal sheep [100, 120, or 140 days gestational age (dGA)]. V1b receptor mRNA and protein significantly decreased by 140 dGA. Peak V1b mRNA levels were detected at 100 dGA, while peak V1b protein levels were detected at 120 dGA. The reduction in V1b receptor expression in late gestation may be due to the naturally occurring peripartum increase in fetal plasma cortisol because cortisol infusion at 122-130 dGA decreased V1b receptor mRNA. Thus there is a marked decrease in the expression of the V1b receptor in the pituitary during fetal development, leaving the role of the V1b receptor in increasing AVP responsiveness uncertain.


Price discovery is the timely and efficient incorporation of new information into transaction prices. In the microstructure literature price discovery has been empirically examined in three broad contexts: where price discovery occurs, how it occurs, and the informational efficiency of prices. This dissertation contributes to the literature by examining these three avenues of price discovery in the US and Australian stock and options markets in separate essays. The first essay examines whether price discovery in the US occurs primarily in stock or options markets. We use new empirical measures of price discovery and find that price discovery in the options market is approximately one third relative to the stock market. Our findings are that the options share of price discovery is between two and six times greater than has been documented in prior studies, and suggests that the options market is an important venue for informed trading, consistent with early theoretical predictions. In particular, we find that informed traders are attracted to the leverage inherent in options contracts. Our findings increase our understanding of the insider trading characteristics required to make more efficient use of regulatory resources to combat insider trading and reduce negative effects on financial markets, for example, reduced liquidity. In addition, our findings have practical implications for both option and stock market makers in managing bid ask spreads. The second essay examines how price discovery occurs, and investigates the informational efficiency of large price changes in the Australian stock market. We find that large price changes driven by public information are permanent which is consistent with the semi-strong efficient markets hypothesis. Our findings have implications for US continuous disclosure regulation, in which similar large price changes subsequently underreact. We attribute our findings to the unique Australian information environment which reduces investor distraction which can occur due to information revelation from a number of different sources. In addition, we find that large price changes driven by private information are permanent which is consistent with the imputation of private information into fundamental value. We also find that it would be difficult to consistently profit from the overreaction in returns following large price changes driven by liquidity trading. The third essay examines price discovery resulting from US divestiture announcements. We use both option and stock prices to disentangle the different sources of value created from divestitures, often aggregated in prior studies, into synergy gains, new information revealed about the stand-alone value of involved firms, and probability of deal success. We find that divestitures create positive synergy gains for both parties, consistent with acquirers purchasing positive synergies and sellers divesting negative synergies. The divestiture announcement reveals favorable new information about the seller's stand-alone value consistent with the undervaluation of its assets, and unfavorable new information about the acquirer's stand-alone value consistent with the friendly nature of divestiture deals. In contrast to using abnormal returns, we find that divestitures create value for the shareholders iv of both acquiring and selling firms. Our findings will be of interest to both managers and shareholders.


This Article posits that we are in a key moment of discursive and ideological transition, an era in which the model of elective race is ascending, poised to become one of the dominant frameworks for understanding race in the United States. Because we are in a period of transition, many Americans still are wedded to fairly traditional attitudes about race. For these Americans, race is still an objective, easily ascertainable fact determined by the process of involuntary racial ascription — how one's physical traits are racially categorized by third parties. The elective-race framework will challenge these Americans to recognize other ways in which people experience race, including acts of voluntary affiliation as well as selective and conditional affiliations. Importantly, even if one concludes that most Americans still hold traditional, ascriptive-based understandings of race, there is evidence that elective race is steadily gaining influence in certain quarters, shaping government institutions' formal procedures as well as certain Americans' racial understandings. To improve the clarity and precision of discussions about elective race, this Article outlines the key premises and norms associated with this ideological framework. My primary goal is to help courts and scholars understand the basic tenets and tensions that are likely to be present in plaintiffs' elective-race claims. Although some scholars have trivialized racial self-identification interests or represented them as a threat to antidiscrimination law, my project is to show that racial self-identification decisions matter in concrete ways because they can trigger serious race-based social sanctions that are a core anti discrimination law concern. Indeed, as we will see, voluntary racial-affiliation decisions can and do trigger race-based resentment, rejection, and social sanction when they do not match certain expected or established American understandings about the boundaries of racial categories.


The growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of 75 cryptorchid lambs lot-fed for 43 days was examined. The lambs were sired by Texel and Poll Dorset rams and born to Merino or Border Leicester x Merino ewes giving 4 genotypes (TM, TBM, PDM, PDBM). The PDBM lambs grew significantly (P < 0.05) faster than the TM and PDM lambs with TBM lambs not significantly different from the other groups. A linear model (P < 0.001) best explained changes in ultrasonically measured fat and eye muscle depth over the feeding period. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between genotypes for fat depth measured over the eye muscle (Fat C) and at the GR site. Both the TM and PDM lambs produced significantly (P c 0.05) leaner carcasses than their second cross equivalents when adjusted to a carcass weight of 28.5 kg. The dimensions or area of the eye muscle were not affected by genotype, but the TBM lambs had the lowest EUROP score (or best conformation) and the PDM the highest, the difference being significant (P < 0.05). Genotype had no significant effect on L* (relative lightness) or a* (relative redness) values of the eye muscle. TM and PDM carcasses had significantly higher bl* (relative yellowness) values (tail fat) than TBM carcasses and at the 12th/13th rib site the TBM carcasses also had significantly (P c 0.05) lower b2* values. First cross (TM and PDM) lambs will be leaner at heavier weights, providing a saleable meat yield advantage over second cross lambs, but from the limited sample of sires used no advantage of Texel sired lambs over Poll Dorset sired lambs was evident.


In Denmark the provision of out of hours care by general practitioners came under increasing pressure in the 1980s because of growing demand for services by the public and increasing complaints from rural doctors about their heavy workload and disproportionately low remuneration in comparison with urban doctors. As a result, the out of hours service was reformed at the start of 1992: locally negotiated rota systems were replaced with county based services. Each county now has a coordination centre, where all patients' calls are received by a team of doctors. The doctors may give a telephone consultation, advise the patient to attend one of the emergency clinics strategically placed about the county, or arrange for a home visit. Doctors on home visiting duty are located at bases throughout the county and keep in touch with the coordination centre with mobile telephones. Graded fees mean that doctors are encouraged to give telephone consultations rather than arrange for clinic consultations or home visits. The reforms have reduced doctors' out of hours workload and the number of home visits made and have proved acceptable to patients, doctors, and administrators.


Musculoskeletal and central nervous system infections caused by Bacillus cereus are very rare. Only a few cases have been reported, whose clinical courses strongly suggested that surgical procedures combined with appropriate antimicrobial therapy are necessary to cure these infections. A 60-year-old man with severe neutropenia due to myelodysplastic syndrome, developing necrotizing fasciitis and brain abscess caused by Bacillus cereus is reported. Without performing any surgical procedures, the patient was successfully treated with systemic antimicrobial therapy combined with granulocyte colony stimulating factor, which contributed to the increase in the neutrophil count.


ABSTRACT The heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria Oenococcus oeni and Leuconostoc mesenteroides are able to grow by fermentation of pyruvate as the carbon source (2 pyruvate → 1 lactate + 1 acetate + 1 CO2). The growth yields amount to 4.0 and 5.3 g (dry weight)/mol of pyruvate, respectively, suggesting formation of 0.5 mol ATP/mol pyruvate. Pyruvate is oxidatively decarboxylated by pyruvate dehydrogenase to acetyl coenzyme A, which is then converted to acetate, yielding 1 mol of ATP. For NADH reoxidation, one further pyruvate molecule is reduced to lactate. The enzymes of the pathway were present after growth on pyruvate, and genome analysis showed the presence of the corresponding structural genes. The bacteria contain, in addition, pyruvate oxidase activity which is induced under microoxic conditions. Other homo- or heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria showed only low pyruvate fermentation activity.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of dual-source CT (DSCT) coronary angiography (CAG) for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) that induces perfusion defects at myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), by using SPECT and conventional CAG as the reference standard.

METHODS
Thirty-five patients with suspected or known CAD underwent both DSCT coronary angiography and MPI (using exercise or adenosine stress-rest protocol) with technetium-99m sestamibi SPECT. All the patients were beta-blockers-naïve before DSCT scan. The DSCT CAG studies were classified as having no stenosis, non-obstructive (< 50% luminal narrowing) stenosis, or obstructive (> or = 50% luminal narrowing) stenosis. MPI examinations were classified as showing normal or abnormal (reversible and/or fixed defects). A comparative regional analysis of coronary stenosis on DSCT versus myocardial perfusion on SPECT was made. In a subset of 20 patients, CAG was performed as a reference standard for CT angiography.

RESULTS
On the basis of the DSCT data, 98.4% of coronary segments were assessable. Twenty-seven branches were classified as having no stenosis, among which 85% had normal MPI. Nine branches showed non-obstructive stenosis and 69 branches showed at least one obstructive lesion. Only 50 (64%) branches with an abnormal DSCT had abnormal MPI; even in branches with obstructive stenosis on DSCT, 23 (33%) still had a normal MPI. By receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, at the optimal cutoff value of 58% stenosis, the sensitivity and specificity of DSCT to detect myocardial perfusion defect as defined by SPECT were 85% and 65%. In the subgroup compared with CAG, the sensitivity and specificity of DSCT to identify obstructive stenosis were 93% and 96%.

CONCLUSIONS
DSCT and SPECT provide mutually complementary information on CAD. CT angiography can help rule out functionally relevant CAD, but has poor capability in predicting ischemia. DSCT provides high-quality diagnostic image without heartbeat controlling and has a high accuracy in detecting obstructive stenosis.


This study investigates the conflict between work and private life (work-life conflict and life-work conflict) and its relationship with burnout among physicians in breast cancer centers in North Rhine-Westphalia (n=378). With regard to the construct burnout, we differentiated between the 3 subscales emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment of the Maslach burnout inventory. In a structural equation model it was seen that above all the work-life conflict is positively associated with emotional exhaustion whereas the life-work conflict has a stronger positive correlation with depersonalisation and a negative relationship with personal accomplishment. Altogether, the results emphasise the importance of a successful interaction between professional work and private life ("work-life balance") for the health of medical personnel.


The purpose of this research is described strategic competence of mathematically proficiency's students resolve a math problem using open-ended questons.The research was conducted in SMPN 5 Bungo .The kind of research qualitative descriptive, the data using test shaped about open-ended instrument of matter two variable system of linear equations and interviews. Data analysis done by reduction , presentation of data and verification or withdrawal of the conclusions .The result showed that students who were the subject of study has fulfilled all indicators strategic competence. Subject to the six indicators strategic understanding a situation and the competence of the problem , find kata-kata hal-hal key and ignoring the irrelevancy of the problem , presents a question it is mathematically in various forms , choose the presentation of suitable to help solve the problem , choose an effective method of settlement to resolve the problem and find a solution given from trouble .But not all the indicators look in pieces the subject , it is strengthened by the interview .So that all the indicators have been met by the subject.


Thermally stimulated currents (TSC) were studied in polycrystalline diamond films to gain information about the trap levels in this material. The TSC glow curve is composed of a dominant peak at 555 K with smaller overlapping peaks in the 400–500 K range. The analysis of the TSC isothermal decay at high temperatures shows that the peak at 555 K is related to a trap level at 1.86 eV. The dose response and the room temperature fading rate of TSC were measured in order to evaluate the potential of these films for UV radiation dosimetry. The TSC are found to increase sublinearly with the dose over three decades and to decay with the logarithm of the storage time at room temperature.


Background: The objective of this study was to determine the rates of patient satisfaction, perceived recurrence of flexion deformity, and additional treatment after collagenase clostridium histolyticum treatment for Dupuytren's contracture at a minimum of 5-year follow-up. Methods: A retrospective study was performed of 199 digits in 142 patients who underwent collagenase clostridium histolyticum treatments from April of 2010 to December of 2013 with a minimum of 5-year follow-up. Patients were contacted by telephone regarding perceived recurrence, additional treatment, satisfaction, and willingness to undergo this treatment again. Results: At an average 7.2-year follow-up, 160 of 199 digits (80 percent) had perceived recurrence, and 105 of 199 digits (53 percent) underwent additional treatment. Average satisfaction was 6.5 on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 10, and 67 percent would undergo collagenase clostridium histolyticum treatment again. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR, 0.77; 95 percent CI, 0.63 to 0.93) and isolated metacarpophalangeal joint involvement (OR, 0.53; 95 percent CI, 0.29 to 0.97) were associated with decreased odds of additional treatment, and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (OR, 2.49; 95 percent CI, 1.35 to 4.48) and nonsmoker status (OR, 0.23; 95 percent CI, 0.09 to 0.59) were associated with willingness to undergo the treatment again. Conclusions: Patients may be counseled that the long-term perceived recurrence rate of Dupuytren's contractures after collagenase clostridium histolyticum treatment is high, and more than half of patients seek additional treatment. Satisfaction and willingness to undergo collagenase clostridium histolyticum treatment decrease with perceived recurrence. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.


INTRODUCTION
Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis or Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease is a rare anatomoclinical entity whose etiology remains unknown. It is mainly reported in young adult female, presenting with cervical lymphadenopathies, fever and asthenia. The diagnosis is based on the histological examination of a lymph node biopsy. The disease course is usually uneventful, but sometimes Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease can reveal or evolve into a cutaneous or a systemic lupus.

EXEGESIS
We report three new cases of Kikuchi's disease: the first one mimicked a systemic lupus, the second one was associated with a lupus-like rash, and a the last one was a severe case with hemophagocytic syndrome and a primo-infection with Epstein-Barr virus revealing a systemic lupus erythematosus.

CONCLUSION
Clinical and biological follow-up of patients presenting with Kikuchi's disease is necessary to look for an association with a lupus. We discuss the pathogenic links between Kikuchi's disease and lupus.


ABSTRACT A two-level atom interacting with two nonlinear Kerr oscillators pumped by an optical parametric process is studied. An analytical solution for the dynamical evolution of an interaction between Su and Su-systems is derived. The role of intrinsic damping, detuning, and Kerr-like medium on the entanglement evolution, quantum correlation, and coherence is elucidated. It is shown that the intrinsic decoherence leads to the sudden death and sudden birth entanglement, while the detuning eradicates these effects. The quantum coherence growth can be controlled by the detuning and the Kerr-like medium.


We have studied the structural and electronic properties of a hybrid hexagonal boron nitride with phosphorene nanocomposite using ab initio density functional calculations. It is found that the interaction between the hexagonal boron nitride and phosphorene is dominated by the weak van der Waals interaction, with their own intrinsic electronic properties preserved. Furthermore, the band gap of the nanocomposite is dependent on the interfacial distance. Our results could shed light on the design of new devices based on van der Waals heterostructure.


Moderately intensive aerobic and strengthening exercises are recommended in treatment guidelines and are effective in reducing pain and activity limitations in patients with rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. Although exercises are effective and deemed to be safe, adverse events have been reported from exercise trials in the field of rheumatology. The incidence of adverse events, including an increase in pain during and after exercise, an increase in joint inflammation, increased cartilage degeneration, musculoskeletal injuries and falls due to exercise, is low. Although the frequency of adverse events seems to be low, the question arises as to how people with rheumatic diseases can exercise more safely and therefore avoid adverse events. There is a need to investigate adverse events resulting from exercising as part of the improvement of care for patients with rheumatic diseases. Such studies could focus on the type of patients who are at a greater risk of being confronted with adverse events of exercise and the intensity of exercising. The results of studies investigating these issues will contribute to improving the knowledge of effective exercising in patients with rheumatic diseases. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Background Sleep is a modifiable lifestyle factor that can be a target for efficient intervention studies to improve the quality of life and decrease the risk or burden of some chronic conditions. Knowing the profiles of individuals with poor sleep patterns is therefore a prerequisite. Wearable devices have recently opened new areas in medical research as potential efficient tools to measure lifestyle factors such as sleep quantity and quality. Objectives The goal of our research is to identify the determinants of poor sleep based on data from a large population of users of connected devices. Methods We analyzed data from 15,839 individuals (13,658 males and 2181 females) considered highly connected customers having purchased and used at least 3 connected devices from the consumer electronics company Withings (now Nokia). Total and deep sleep durations as well as the ratio of deep/total sleep as a proxy of sleep quality were analyzed in association with available data on age, sex, weight, heart rate, steps, and diastolic and systolic blood pressures. Results With respect to the deep/total sleep duration ratio used as a proxy of sleep quality, we have observed that those at risk of having a poor ratio (≤0.40) were more frequently males (odds ratio [OR]female vs male=0.45, 95% CI 0.38-0.54), younger individuals (OR>60 years vs 18-30 years=0.47, 95% CI 0.35-0.63), and those with elevated heart rate (OR>78 bpm vs ≤61 bpm=1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.34) and high systolic blood pressure (OR>133 mm Hg vs ≤116 mm Hg=1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43). A direct association with weight was observed for total sleep duration exclusively. Conclusions Wearables can provide useful information to target individuals at risk of poor sleep. Future alert or mobile phone notification systems based on poor sleep determinants measured with wearables could be tested in intervention studies to evaluate the benefits.


Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are promising agents that are developed for targeted delivery of cytotoxic payloads to tumor cells. ADCs share a common design of antibody, linker, and cytotoxic payload. Despite significant efforts, the number of available payload classes with a differentiated mode-of-action that can successfully be employed to generate antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) is still rather limited. So far, only ADCs with microtubule depolymerizing or DNA binding payloads have been approved. The identification of ADC payload classes with a novel mode-of-action will increase therapeutic options and potentially help to overcome resistance. Inhibitors of the kinesin spindle protein (KSP/Eg5/KIF11) have generated interest due to their high anti-tumor activity. However, the transfer of the potency of small molecule KSP inhibitors (KSPis) to highly efficient clinical regimens with a sufficient therapeutic window remains challenging. Through the conjugation of a novel pyrrole subclass of KSPis to antibodies targeting different cancer antigens, we generated a panel of ADCs and characterized them both in vitro and in vivo. ADCs targeting either EGFR or TWEAKR/Fn14 showed strong and specific internalization and displayed specific and potent anti-proliferative efficacy in vitro. In cytotoxicity assays, these ADCs exhibited sub-nanomolar potency in antigen-positive cancer cell lines (EGFR/TWEAKR-pos. NCI-H292; TWEAKR-pos. BxPC3, LoVo) and more than 100-fold selectivity versus non-targeted control-ADC containing the same linker and the same payload. Furthermore, selective anti-tumor efficacy of EGFR- and TWEAKR-KSPi-ADCs was demonstrated in vivo using both cancer cell line-derived models of NSCLC (NCI-H292), urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) (KU-19-19), and renal cell carcinoma (A498), as well as in the TWEAKR-positive patient-derived xenograft UCC model BFX469. At doses of 5-10 mg/kg qw or bw potent anti-tumor efficacy with treated-to-control ratios (T/C) between 0.16 to 0.28 as well as complete regressions were observed. In summary, KSP inhibitors have been established as a promising new payload class allowing the generation of highly potent and selective ADCs for the treatment of solid tumors. Citation Format: Anette Sommer, Sandra Berndt, Hans-Georg Lerchen, Beatrix Stelte-Ludwig, Sven Wittrock, Anne-Sophie Rebstock, Lisa Dietz, Christoph Mahlert, Simone Greven, Nils Griebenow, Yolanda Cancho-Grande, Rolf Jautelat, Heiner Apeler, Bertolt Kreft. Preclinical activity of novel antibody-drug conjugates with pyrrole-based kinesin spindle protein inhibitors targeting different tumor antigens [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 46. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-46


Background. The main function of extender solutions for trout semen is to preserve viability while keeping the sperm motility inactivated. The longer the sperm remain viable and inactivated the better, so that later they can be intentionally activated when the sperm must travel to reach the egg micropyle for fertilization. In rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), considerable advances have been made concerning the production of sperm extenders, quality control protocols, and the handling of gametes. However, the protocols for using an extender can differ considerably, especially regarding the extender composition. Additionally, the precise impact of pH on sperm motility, and its effect in the design and selection of a sperm extender remain unclear. Goals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pH on rainbow trout sperm motility and activation during storage at 5 °C and using 5 different extenders. Methods. Three simple composition sperm extenders (306, 512, and Mounib) and two complex composition sperm extenders (Erdahl & Graham, and Hank's) were tested at different pHs (7, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6, 7.8, 8.0, and 8.2), as well as 3 activation solutions (DIA 532, saline solution, and pond water). Results. The extenders showed a high buffer capacity. The highest percentages of motility were obtained with DIA 532. Extenders 306, 512, and Hanks exhibited a positive relationship between pH and % motility. Erdahl & Graham and Mounib extender did not induce motility in rainbow trout sperm at different pHs. Conclusions. A positive relationship was found between the pH and motility of trout sperm, as well as a negative effect regarding the activation solution DIA 532 with the 306, 512, and Hanks extenders.


The earliest more or less datable events in South Asia's cultural history, the death of the Buddha and the composition of Pāṇini's grammar - respectively five and four centuries before the beginning of the common era - antedate with one to two centuries the start of a slow and hesitant shift from orality to the written transmission of sacred and literary texts in South Asia. With regard to Vedic texts we have, moreover, clear indications that their transmittors avoided and evaded their transferral to a written form for a very long time, whereas Buddhist scriptures, for instance, were transferred from purely oral to mainly written transmission much earlier. We are therefore confronted with a tradition of Vedic texts stretching over at least two to three millennia, out of which only the last few centuries show a tangible text transmission in written form, usually parallel with a gradually weakening oral and ritual tradition that to varying degrees takes occasional or even systematic support from by that time available written sources. Since directly datable written sources are not available before kings start to record their opposition to or support of Vedic ritual in inscriptions (from king Aśoka in the third century B.C.E. onwards) and since an oral tradition that is not embedded in a very strong ritual context is extremely fluid, we have to study the properties of another medium, next to oral sources and written sources in the form of inscriptions and manuscripts, if we would like to trace the Vedic Aryans in the Indian subcontinent. This other medium is ritual. In the present paper the focus is not so much on the messages transmitted through Vedic ritual but rather on its intrinsic properties and chronological and geographical parameters. Just as the television appeared at a certain point in the history of humanity, had to compete first with other media like print and the radio, and after a period of expansion again with other media such as the computer that restrict its niche in the domains where it had initially expanded, like that Vedic ritual appeared at a certain point in South Asian cultural history, it may have had to compete with other media and especially with other ritual systems of which we know very little, and it later on saw its niche severely restricted in domains where it had initially expanded when new media, such as the transmission of ideas through written and later printed texts, became important.


This paper focuses on a phenomenon known as spiritual health. Although the scientific literature defines the concept of this health component (in relation to other dimensions, i.e. physical, mental and social health), there is no agreement concerning its relation to religiousness. The aim of this research is to find out the views of citizens (n = 1810) and physicians (n = 1200) in the Czech Republic on the potential dimension of health in its spiritual mode, and on the understanding of its content by those who acknowledge its existence. One of the main research findings is that physicians in the Czech Republic acknowledge the existence of spiritual health (47.0%) to a significantly greater extent than citizens of the country (26.4%). In both groups of respondents, the understanding varies in the discourse of psychology (psychiatry), theology, in the preference for harmony, and in medical care. The acknowledgement of spiritual health depends strongly on gender (women acknowledge the existence of this phenomenon more than men), religious belief (religious physicians, as well as religious citizens and members and non-members of churches and religious societies, acknowledge the existence of spiritual health significantly more compared with atheists) and education (with increasing education the proportion of citizens who acknowledge the existence of spiritual health rises considerably-the highest proportion is found in university graduates). Spiritual health is shown to be an important public health issue, even in a strongly secularized society.


Abstract The Kepler Mission is a space-based mission whose primary goal is to determine the frequency of Earth-size and larger planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. The mission will monitor more than 100,000 stars for patterns of transits with a differential photometric precision of 20 ppm at V = 12 for a 6.5 hour transit. It will also provide asteroseismic results on several thousand dwarf stars. It is specifically designed to continuously observe a single field of view of greater than 100 square degrees for 3.5 or more years. This paper provides a short overview of the mission, a brief history of the mission development, expected results, new investigations by the recently chosen Participating Scientists, and the plans for the Guest Observer and Astrophysical Data Programs.


Background
Low birth weight (LBW) is a major health problem responsible for neonatal mortality and morbidity such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

Objective
This case-control study aims to compare data on the intake of energy, macro and micronutrient in two groups of pregnant women, who gave birth to low birth weight (LBW) babies named cases and those who gave birth to babies of normal weight (NW) called controls.

Material and methods
The collection of information was done using an established questionnaire for 400 pregnant women, allowing the collection of data on socio-demographic and obstetrical factors. Nutritional intake was obtained by recording food consumption using the 24-hour recall method. Anthropometric measurements of parturient and fundal height (FH) were measured before delivery.

Results
The mean FH of the cases was 25.69±0.13 and that of the controls was 31.83±0.06. The gestational age of the cases was on average 31.65±0.21 week of amenorrhea (WA) against 38.04±0.08 WA for the controls. 37% of LBW newborns had an Apgar score < 7 (p< 0.001) and 71% were hospitalized in neonatal intensive care (p<0.001). Micronutrient deficiency was raised and concerned calcium 34.02% vs 60.65%, folates 48.32% vs 68.01% and iron 50.85% vs 66% in cases and controls respectively. Newborns from NW had a weight of 3395.5±15.99 against 1957.25±30.72 for those from LBW.

Conclusion
This study shows that the nutritional intake did not cover all the nutrient needs of the pregnant women studied and that newborns with LBW are associated with an altered anthropometric status. Improving the living conditions of mothers, good monitoring of pregnancy, and good nutritional education can significantly improve the nutritional status with the same food intake and should be integrated into the nutritional intervention strategies.


The need for data compression has rapidly increased over the years. This is mainly due to the evolution of high speed networks and modern communication techniques. The main factors in multimedia and communication systems are the storage space and the time delay for transmission. During the optimization process the modified Lloyds algorithm searches for empty cells i.e. the unused code vectors. Also it keeps track of the image vector producing maximum distortion corresponding to the code vector representing maximum number of image vectors are used to replace the unused code vectors thus removing the empty cells from the code book. As the iteration goes on the empty cells are completely removed. The modified code book is free from empty cells it is more efficient than the LBG algorithm and produces a better picture quality. The performance measures can be compared using parameters such as Mean Square Error and Picture Signal to Noise Ratio.


The emergence of oil production in Gulf countries and the subsequent oil boom in the 1970s led to massive migration from Kerala to Middle East Gulf countries as part of the post-industrial migratory order. The Gulf countries and their opportunities became an integral part of Kerala's youth life while developing future goals and aspirations. This paper provides insight into the migration aspiration of the youth from Kerala and their awareness of migration. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the second half of 2019 in Calicut, Kerala. The sample consisted of 491 students. Most youths are aware of gulf migration through their family, friends and media. Two out of three youths aspire to migrate abroad in future for a job and related activities. Surprisingly, in Kerala, youth with migrant fathers don't aspire to migrate than youth with non-migrant fathers. While having a migrant friend shows a higher likelihood of aspiration to migrate among youth. In the case of Kerala, in the coming 10 to 20 years, migration will continue as a potential life choice for achieving life goals for youth in Kerala. Policies should promote awareness about migration and facilitate a secure and safe migration for youths.


The purpose of this article is to analyze the current regulatory and regulatory processes to ensure the effective implementation of transport in terms of application of successful international experience and integration with European best practices. The article uses general scientific methods: retrospective analysis, monographic method, methods of comparison and analysis. The article considers important theoretical and practical aspects of Ukraine's transport system in the context of its interaction with international organizations, in particular, features of phased framework cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the context of TRACECA regional initiative, Eastern Partnership Transport Group, joint transport network between the EU and its eastern neighbors, including Ukraine, including within the TEN-T portfolio. The authors of the article pay special attention to the processes of implementation of the system of indicative maps of the European transport network, as well as the indicative plan, which includes a package of investment proposals and the needs of these countries in modernizing transport infrastructure. Peculiarities and target conditions of introduction of elements of European experience in the activity of the transport system of Ukraine within the framework of the EU technical assistance project are substantiated. At the same time, the directions of the envisaged harmonization of the transport legislation of Ukraine to the terms of the Association Agreement with the EU are considered in detail, as well as the directions of updating the transport strategy of Ukraine in accordance with national and European requirements.The scientific novelty of the article lies in the authors' proposed structuring of stages of development and interaction of the Ukrainian transport system with European partners. From a practical point of view, the article allows to better structure the integration of the Ukrainian transport system and its legal field into the system of the European transport network and European legislation. Further research on the issues raised should include coordination of various actions and measures implemented in Ukraine in the framework of the integration of the domestic transport system into the European network.


The article investigates the mechanisms and effectiveness of EU and US attempts to liberalize public procurement in Brazil, India and China. These emerging countries have been reluctant to fully embrace the EU- and US-induced international procurement regime, which is underpinned by the plurilateral WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Relying on the Special Issue's 'supply-and-demand model' of regulatory power, the article finds that the EU has developed a more assertive bargaining approach over time compared to the US, and can hereby rely on support from business groups and the centralization of competences at EU-level. In terms of effectiveness, EU and US strategies depend on emerging countries' demand for external input, with Chinese authorities being most involved in exchanges with EU and US counterparts. Finally, the persistence of domestic preference schemes in the US and low market penetration in the EU undermine their efforts to gain market access abroad, and – worse – inspire emerging countries to introduce not only 'best' practices of transparent procurement procedures, but also 'bad' practices of protectionism against foreign companies.


In order to assess increased creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) among medically asymptomatic active crack cocaine abusers, retrospective analysis of daily supervised urine data collected in a 20 day daily visit plus 12 week followup weekly visit study of heavy crack cocaine abusers was performed. The subjects were 36 black male chronic crack cocaine users unmotivated in drug abuse treatment, willing to be studied for daily payment, who were recruited by word of mouth on the street. Of the 464 CPK results obtained, the mean CPK value was 397 (SD = 784) IU/L. Two-thirds of the results were greater than 200; 19% were greater than 500 IU/L. CPK test results were systematically eliminated if related to medical causes or concurrent other drug use. The relative contribution of recent alcohol use versus recent cocaine use in raising CPK was assessed by dividing the remaining 435 observations into sequential use groups. With alcohol use instances excluded, a statistically significant relationship between urine cocaine metabolite and elevated CPK was found. When all other possible causes of elevated CPK levels were controlled, crack cocaine use was associated with a significant quantitative effect on CPK level.


Glioblastoma multiforme is a deadly cancer whose current treatment options are limited. The ability of glioblastoma tumor cells to infiltrate the surrounding brain parenchyma makes complete removal of these tumors nearly impossible. We investigated how microglia, the resident macrophages of the brain, stimulate glioblastoma cell invasion. We examined the ability of normal microglia from C57Bl/6J mice to stimulate GL261 glioblastoma cell invasion in vitro. The two cell populations were differentially labeled with cell tracker dyes and invasion was quantified by confocal imaging. The effect of inhibiting EGFR and CSF1R (c-fms) on microglia-stimulated glioblastoma invasion using pharmacological agents was tested. We also determined the level of EGF and CSF1 ligand expression by glioblastoma and microglial cells using ELISA, western blotting, and immunofluorescence. We found that microglia stimulate the invasion of GL261 glioblastoma cells by approximately 8 fold in an in vitro invasion assay. Pharmacological inhibition of EGFR strongly inhibited microglia-stimulated invasion. Furthermore, using a pharmacological CSF-1R kinase domain inhibitor, we showed that CSF-1R signaling is also required for microglial enhancement of glioblastoma invasion. GL261 cells were found to constitutively secrete CSF-1, the levels of which are unaffected by EGF stimulation, EGFR inhibition or coculture with microglia. We also demonstrated that microglia express EGF which is largely associated with the plasma membrane. These data indicate that during invasion, glioblastoma and microglia cells signal to each other using EGF and CSF-1. The results of this study indicate the possibility of inhibiting glioblastoma invasion by targeting glioblastoma-associated microglia. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3110. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3110


Hutter SA, Taylor JA. Relative sensitivity of explicit reaiming and implicit motor adaptation. J Neurophysiol 120: 2640–2648, 2018. First published September 12, 2018; doi:10.1152/jn.00283.2018.—It has become increasingly clear that learning in visuomotor rotation tasks, which induce an angular mismatch between movements of the hand and visual feedback, largely results from the combined effort of two distinct processes: implicit motor adaptation and explicit reaiming. However, it remains unclear how these two processes work together to produce trial-by-trial learning. Previous work has found that implicit motor adaptation operates automatically, regardless of task relevance, and saturates for large errors. In contrast, little is known about the automaticity of explicit reaiming and its sensitivity to error magnitude. Here we sought to characterize the automaticity and sensitivity function of these two processes to determine how they work together to facilitate performance in a visuomotor rotation task. We found that implicit adaptation scales relative to the visual error but only for small perturbations—replicating prior work. In contrast, explicit reaiming scales linearly for all tested perturbation sizes. Furthermore, the consistency of the perturbation appears to diminish both implicit adaptation and explicit reaiming, but to different degrees. Whereas implicit adaptation always displayed a response to the error, explicit reaiming was only engaged when errors displayed a minimal degree of consistency. This comports with the idea that implicit adaptation is obligatory and less flexible, whereas explicit reaiming is volitional and flexible.


Aging in place strategies such as residential remodeling have potential to enable older persons to remain in their own homes satisfactorily in terms of quality of life. The purpose of this study is to investigate the types of residential remodeling, needs, and opinions of elderly households living in Seoul and to suggest the housing policy and system for improving independent living of elderly households. Using face to face interview with structured questionnaire, 115 elderly households were interviewed during April 25, 2005. Most of respondents wanted to stay in their own homes as long as they can and some of them remodeled their houses to adapt their physical and financial conditions and housing needs. Various factors such as financial problem and lack of knowledge about remodeling process, however, restricted their actions to realize their needs. Based on the results, some suggestions to activate 'aging in place' were proposed as future guidelines of housing policy related to residential remodeling for housing welfare of the elderly.


The primary aim of this article is to update many important synthetic pathways, properties and applications
of the polyurethanes and its composites. Polyurethanes (PUs) are a special group of versatile materials
with a great potential for different use in the development of modern, healthy and clean society, including
its multifaceted use in the fields of construction and building related work, transportation, furniture and bedding,
appliances, packaging, textiles, fibres, apparel, machinery and foundry, electronics, footwear, medical
and so forth. Over the last 8-9 decades, several synthetic strategies of the diverse polyurethanes (PUs) are
maturely designed and actively executed using various sustainable and non-sustainable methods for miscellaneous
applications in different areas. The major advantages of the modern PUs are to impose desired properties
in the materials pertinent to the field of work during their preparation by changing a different kind of monomers
and additives. Briefly, this review summarizes the overall accounts, importance, synthetic approaches,
properties, and miscellaneous applications in the desired scenario in details.


A cluster of 7 lung cancer deaths among workers of a small tannery in Biella is reported. The major process in the plant, until the end of World War II, was chromium and vegetable tanning. A historical cohort study was carried out on a total of 353 male workers. The expected number of death was estimated on the basis of local mortality rates. An SMR for lung cancer of 449 (95% C.L. 180-925) was found for the entire cohort. Excluding workers non specifically employed in tanning operations, the SMR for lung cancer increased to 1087 (95% C.L. 352-2533). In order to control for potential confounders a nested case-control study was planned. The next-of-kin of 8 cases deceased for lung cancer and 32 controls matched by age were interviewed on smoking habits and previous jobs. Logistic regression analysis showed an O.R. of 6.94 (95% C.L. 1.18-40.73), adjusted for smoking habits and occupational history, for subjects involved in tanning operations. A registry of incident cases of cancer was established in order to avoid biased findings based on cluster cases.


We compared the performance of a computerized symptom assessment tool called Choice in terms of number of symptoms and time needed for 92 cancer patients with two other standard methods: interview and questionnaire. Choice outperformed interviews in number and precision of reported symptoms, and did better than questionnaires in focusing on bothersome symptoms. There were high correlations between Choice and questionnaires. Interface and symptom structure play an important role for adequately eliciting patients' symptoms.


"Burch shows how to build a variety of American and British furniture reproductions from the 17th through 20th centuries. All projects are measured from the originals, many of which are in museums....Beginning woodworkers will find many of the projects challenging. However, the plans are explained very well and the illustrations are outstanding....Will appeal to experienced woodworkers and to those interested in antique furniture construction. Recommended."-- "Library Journal. ."..has to be the most handsome volume I've seen in a good long time!"-- "Popular Woodworking. 320 pages, 254 b/w illus., 8 1/2 x 11.


The process of a γ-irradiation experiment of fibre optical gyroscope (FOG) control circuit was described, in which it is demonstrated that the FOG control circuit, except for D/A converter, could endure the dose of 10krad with the protection of cabin material. The distortion and drift in D/A converter due to radiation, which affect the performance of FOG seriously, was indicated based on the elemental analysis. Finally, a compensation network based on adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system is proposed and its function is verified by simulation.


We introduce a numerical method, based on finite elements and lattice gauge theory, to compute approximate solutions to Schrödinger and Pauli equations. The crucial geometric property of the method is discrete gauge invariance. The main new achievement is second order convergence. This is proved by interpreting the method as defined on gauge potential dependent finite element spaces and providing an analysis of such spaces in terms of gauge potential dependent norms on simplices of all dimensions.


The aim of this study is to explore the safety and efficacy of Cone-Beam computed tomography (CBCT) guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of pulmonary malignancies. Thirty-one patients with pulmonary malignant tumors (≤3 cm in diameter) were enrolled to this study. Total 43 CBCT guided RFA treatments were performed, including 7 patients undergoing multiple treatments. The target tumor puncture success rate, tumor remission rate, postoperative cumulative survival rate, tumor-free survival rate and complication rate were analyzed. All 43 CBCT guided RFA procedures successfully punctured the target tumors. Complications included five cases of pneumothorax and three cases of hemoptysis. For the 31 patients who underwent CBCT guided RFA, the 1- and 2-year cumulative survival rates were 80.6 and 54.8%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year disease-free survival rates were 54.8 and 32.3%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 6-month remission rates were 78.4, 68.7 and 63.3%, respectively. The average cumulative radiation dose and average effective radiation dose were 194.62 ± 105.51 mGy and 5.41 ± 3.45 mSv, respectively. CBCT help to shorten the operation time, reduce the unnecessary interventions and also reduce the incidence of complications. CBCT guided RFA is one safe and efficacious treatment for pulmonary malignancies.


Abstract With a rapid growth in semiconductor Industry, complex applications are being implemented using small size chips, with the use of Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductors (CMOS). With the introduction of new Integrated Circuit (IC) technology, the speed of the circuits has been increased by around 30%. But it was observed that for every two years, the power dissipation of a circuit doubles. The main reason for this power dissipation is leakage currents in the circuit. To reduce these leakage currents, we can reduce the width of the device. In addition to this, we can use lector techniques that use Leakage Control Transistors (LCT) and High Threshold Leakage Control Transistors (HTLCT).In this paper; we present a circuit technique that uses 130 nano-meter CMOS VLSI circuits that use two extra transistors to mitigate the leakage currents. The proposed technique overcomes the limitations posed by the existing methods for leakage reductions an average leakage reductions is 82.5%.The estimation of power and delay will be discussed using LCT's and HTLCT's.


We have imaged five 7\arcmin \x 7\arcmin\ fields in M31 spanning galactocentric radii from 4 to 32 kpc along the SW-major axis. The fields were observed through two broad-band (\V\ and \I) and two narrow-band (\CN\ and \TiO) filters. The broad-band data were used to construct \IvsVI\ color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and, in some of our fields, we found significant numbers of stars in the Cepheid instability strip. A distance modulus for the Cepheids in the middle field was found that agreed well with other values in the literature values. The width of the giant branch (GB) in the \IvsVI\ CMD of all 5 fields was investigated, and we show that in four of the fields a likely explanation for the GB width is a combination of {\it both} metallicity and mass variations. Using the broad-band data, the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) luminosity functions (LFs) were measured in the five fields, and we show that differences exist between these LFs. We speculate on how the different star forming histories in the fields may lead to the observed AGB LFs and GB widths. Using the narrow-band data along with the broad-band data we separated the AGB stars into carbon-rich (C) and oxygen-rich (M) types. The carbon stars LFs were used to obtain an estimate for the distance modulus of M31 which agrees with the value derived from Cepheids. The ratio of C- to M-stars (C/M) is believed to be an indicator of gaseous chemical abundance at the time of formation of these stars. We show that the C/M ratio increases smoothly with galactocentric distance, suggesting an inverse correlation with metallicity. This is the first demonstration of this effect within a single extragalactic system. We find that differences in the width of the GB and the AGB LFs do not significantly affect the C/M ratio. We consider the effect of the increasing C/M ratio on the ISM in M31, and cite evidence in favor of a model where the grain composition in M31 is a function of galactocentric distance.


Introduction: Leadership competencies are unsuitable that given the leadership to employees, can decrease the motivation, performance and ultimately job satisfaction. This research was conducted to develop a leadership competency model as an effort to improve the motivation and performance of nurses so as to improve health services. Methods: This research have two phase, phase one is analytic observational with 140 sample, analysis data with partial least square (PLS), formulation of strategic issues using focus group discussion (FGD), then make a modul with some expertise. Phase two is quasy experimental with 32 sample divided into two group, there are treatment group and control group. Analysis data in phase two with wilcoxon signed rank test and mann whitney. Result: Phase one there is influence of internal factors (knowledge, skills, and values) to the leadership competencies (t = 3.728> 1.96), there is influence of external factors (cultural organizations) to the leadership competencies (t = 2.257> 1.96), competence leadership influence motivation (t = 3,432> 1,96), leadership competencies influence to performance (t = 2.878> 1.96). The second phase, calculation with Wilcoxon signed rank test showed there is difference motivation in treatment group pre-test and post-test, Mann-Whitney test showed there is influence of development leadership competency model to the motivation of nurses. Test Wilcoxon signed rank test for performance of nurses showed there is difference between pre-test and post-test, Mann-Whitney test was obtained there is influence development of leadership competency model to the performance of nurses. Discussion: Development of leadership competency model can increase the motivation and performance of nurses.


Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is an aggressive skin tumor. Although ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important risk factor for some skin cancer types, no population-level study has evaluated for an association between UVR and SC risk. Herein, we examined satellite-based ambient UVR in relation to SC incidence using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 cancer registry data (2000-2016). There were 3503 microscopically confirmed cases of SC diagnosed during the study period. For non-Hispanic whites, there was an association between increasing ambient UVR and SC risk (incidence rate ratio [per UVR quartile] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval = 1.11 to 1.19; two-sided P < .001) including among individuals with and without putative Muir-Torre syndrome. In contrast, there was no association between ambient UVR and SC risk for other race and ethnicities. Our findings support a role for UVR in SC tumorigenesis, which suggests that photoprotection may reduce SC risk, particularly for high-risk populations (eg, Muir-Torre syndrome).


Abstract:On 16 September 1991 the Philippine Senate voted against a proposed treaty to extend the presence of United States military bases in the Philippines for another ten years. As an insider in the Senate from 1987 to 1995, I reflect on the significance of this historic vote, which signified victory for the nationalist movement. How was it possible for a traditionally conservative and pro-US institution like the Philippine Senate to brave American displeasure by rejecting treaty extension? I address this question from the perspective of the broad antinuclear and anti-bases movement in the Philippines, from which a step-by-step strategy was implemented.


The authors studied the effect of atomic bomb radiation in Nagasaki and Hiroshima on the incidence of retinoblastoma by examining the history of exposure to atomic bomb radiation among the grandparents and parents of retinoblastoma patients in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Of 85 patients born in Nagasaki Prefecture from 1965 to 1986 and in Hiroshima Prefecture from 1966 to 1986, 42 had records to whether or not their grandparents and parents had been exposed to atomic bomb radiation. Seven had parents or grandparents exposed to atomic bomb radiation. These patients showed neither a high incidence of bilateral retinoblastoma nor a family history of retinoblastoma, although a higher incidence of cancer in the family history was found in the exposed group. Exposure to radiation showed no correlation with the onset of retinoblastoma. Moreover, the incidence of retinoblastoma in Nagasaki and Hiroshima Prefectures was almost the same as the average incidence in Japan. The authors failed to find evidence of increased incidence of retinoblastoma in the offspring of those exposed to atomic bomb radiation in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. However, this does not mean that the effect of radiation on the occurrence of retinoblastoma can be ruled out.


The study of flow can provide information on the initial state dynamics and the degree of equilibration attained in heavy-ion collisions. This contribution presents results for both elliptic and directed flow as determined from data recorded by the PHOBOS experiment in Au+Au runs at RHIC at √S NN = 19.6, 130 and 200 GeV. The PHOBOS detector provides a unique coverage in pseudorapidity for measuring flow at RHIC. The systematic dependence of flow on pseudorapidity, transverse momentum, centrality and energy is discussed.


Why are we as humans so attracted to water and to colorful reefs? Indeed, why are reefs so dazzling? How did cleaning station symbiosis evolve? How come there are so many extraordinary defense mechanisms among reefs animals? Do the denizens of reefs have consciousness? How did warning coloration evolve? In what ways do fundamental mathematical rules manifest in coral reefs? For answers to these questions and many more, take a dive into Reflections Underwater. Coral reefs are one of the world's great natural wonders: endlessly surprising and mesmerizing kaleidoscopic fractals of color and life. But they are also under serious threat from the effects of climate change and development. Reflections Underwater is a unique, illuminating book that explores a dazzling variety of topics and concepts relating to coral reefs. Adopting a holistic, multidisciplinary perspective that weaves together scientific and humanistic ideas, including psychology, evolution, zoology, philosophy, mathematics, art, physics, and more, this book offers a compelling angle on these remarkable and fragile habitats. Meticulously researched and elegantly argued, it is illustrated throughout with exquisite photographs gleaned from the author's many marine adventures.


A V12 engine often just called a V12 is an internal combustion engine with 12 cylinders. The engine has six cylinders on each side called banks. The two banks form a "V" shaped angle. In most engines, the two banks are at a 60° angle to each other. All twelve pistons turn a common crankshaft. It can be powered by different types of fuels, including gasoline, diesel and natural gas. A V12 engine does not need balance shafts. A V12 angled at 45°, 60°, 120°, or 180° from each other has even firing and is smoother than a straight-6. This provides a smooth running engine for a luxury car. In a racing car, the engine can be made much lighter. This makes the engine more responsive and smoother. In a large heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower and prolonging engine life.  The main objective of the project is how to develop the prototype of V 12 engine assembly using CAD tool SOLIDWORKS. These Engine  assembly consists major components they are Piston, Connecting Rod Assembly, Crank Shaft, Cylinder head, Cam Shaft, Valves, crank case, oil tank and spark plug with required dimensions. The components which are developed in SOLIDWORKS are also analyzed in it using simulation tool. The thermal analysis of piston, crank shaft, cam shaft and valve is performed for 800k thermal loading and the results of temperature distribution of the components are shown. Finally the thermal analysis results of the components are compared and the best suited material is selected.


The study used a stochastic production frontier analysis to analyze the determinants of technical efficiency among rice farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 288 rice farmers in Kogi State through a well structured questionnaire. The study noted that farm size, seed and fertilizer were the most important factors increasing rice productivity. Also, the technical efficiency of rice farmers varied due to the presence of technical inefficiency with the mean efficiency value of 0.54 implying that about 46% of rice output is lost due to inefficiency on the part of farmers. Variables such as age (-0.05), household size (-2.38), and the use of improved variety (-0.10) caused an increase in technical efficiency of farmers. The productivity of the factors could be improved by expanding the farmsize, increasing the quantity of seed, fertilizer use and increasing  the level of labour while alternative sources of agrochemicals be employed by farmers in other to boost production. The farmers should be encouraged to use improved varieties of rice in order to increase their technical efficiency.


Myocardial infarction (MI) remains a major cause of mortality worldwide. Despite significant advances in MI treatment, many who survive the acute event are at high risk of chronic cardiac morbidity. Here we developed a cell-free therapeutic that capitalizes on the antifibrotic effects of micro(mi)RNA-101a and exploits the multi-faceted regenerative activity of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) extracellular nanovesicles (eNVs). While the majority of MSC eNVs require local delivery via intramyocardial injection to exert therapeutic efficacy, we have developed MSC eNVs that can be administered in a minimally invasive manner, all while remaining therapeutically active. When loaded with miR-101a, MSC eNVs substantially decreased infarct size (12 ± 2.4% vs. 21.4 ± 5.7%) and increased ejection fraction (53.6 ± 7.6% vs. 40.3 ± 6.0%) and fractional shortening (23.6 ± 4.3% vs. 16.6 ± 3.0%) compared to control. These findings are significant as they represent an advance in the development of minimally invasive cardio-therapies.


The prevalence of infected and infective black flies was estimated by pool screen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification in the three river basins in Ecuador endemic for onchocerciasis. Mass distribution of ivermectin (Mectizan) resulted in dramatic declines in the prevalence of infected and infective flies. In the Rio Santiago river basin, no infections were detected, suggesting that transmission had ceased. The ratio of infected to infective flies in Simulium exiguum was 10-fold lower than the corresponding ratio for Simulium quadrivittatum, suggesting that S. exiguum is a more-competent vector for Onchocerca volvulus than S. quadrivittatum. However, the prevalence of infective flies in the two species was not different, suggesting that S. quadrivittatum may play an important vectorial role where it is the dominant human-biting species. The data demonstrate that pool screen PCR is an efficient way to monitor transmission in areas subject to control, and to certify an area as free of O. volvulus transmission.


Background Treatment of chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD), a common disease, has over recent years been studied using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to many high-profile benefits. These can be evaluated by the measurement and analysis of related outcomes. Because of selective reporting bias and the heterogeneity of study outcomes, it is not possible to combine similar studies in a meta-analysis. Consequently, not only does the low quality of original studies fails to support evidence-based decision-making, but also the value of those clinical studies cannot be evaluated. To solve these problems, the development of a core outcome set for traditional Chinese medicines for the treatment of chronic pulmonary heart disease (COS-TCM-CPHD) is required. Methods The development is conducted in five steps: (1) a library of outcomes through systematic review, the retrieval of libraries from two clinical trials registries, and semistructured interviews is established; (2) following data extraction and analysis of the library of outcomes, each outcome can be classified into seven outcome domains, including TCM disease, symptoms/signs, physical and chemical testing, quality of life, long-term prognosis, economic evaluation, and adverse events to form a preliminary list of outcomes; (3) stakeholder groups for participation are selected; (4) stakeholder groups are invited to participate in two rounds of Delphi surveys to score outcomes and provide additional outcomes; (5) a consensus meeting is organized to produce the final COS-TCM-CPHD. Discussion. The protocol is consistent with the guidelines defined by the Core Outcome Set-STAndardised Protocol (COS-STAP) statement and formulated with reference to Core Outcome Set-STAndards for development (COS-STAD). The COS-TCM-CPHD will improve the consistency of study reports and reduce publication bias, thereby improving the quality of TCM clinical trials and decision-making for evidence-based medicine. The study has been registered on the COMET website (http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1677).


Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing -cells. As a result, people with T1D suffer from high blood glucose which requires exogenous insulin therapy to maintain within the normal physiological range. However, exogenous insulin therapy does not mimic the tightly regulated function of the pancreas, and as a result does not prevent the development of diabetic complications. Currently, the only cure is either pancreas or islet transplantation; however these treatments are hampered by a shortage of donors. As a result, the generation of an alternative cell replacement therapy would overcome the aforementioned limitations with current treatments. Gene therapy as a means of generating "artificial" insulin-producing cells (IPCs) is being considered as a potential cure for T1D. Previous research has shown that the viral-mediated transfer of the pancreatic transcription factor NeuroD1 and human furin-cleavable insulin (INS-FUR) genes to hepatocytes resulted in their transdifferentiation into pancreatic-like cells capable of synthesising, storing and secreting insulin in response to fluctuating glucose concentrations. Due to their ease of isolation, ease of genetic modification and immunemodulatory properties, the aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of ex vivo expanded murine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) as gene therapy targets for the development of a T1D cell replacement therapy following the lentiviral over-expression of murine NeuroD1 and Pdx1, and INS-FUR. Non-invasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) technology is an established and sensitive tool for accessing cell replacement therapy efficacy and treatment outcome in living preclinical small animal models. Furthermore, preclinical BLI results often serve as the decision point of a cell replacement therapy's suitability (efficacy and safety) for clinical trial testing in humans. This study utilised the Firefly luciferase reporter protein Luc2, a Luc2 specific light producing substrate D-luciferin and an IVIS Lumina II imaging system. First, a unique subpopulation of BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. These BMSCs displayed potent clonogenicity and tri-lineage differentiation potential, hallmark characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, when compared to the plastic adherent bone marrow stromal cell starting population. Second, BMSCs were nucleofected to express the yeast fusion cytosine deaminase uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CDUPRT) and/or Luc2 genes (BMSC-Luc2/CDUPRT; BMSC-Luc2). Luc2 was utilised as a reporter protein for evaluating the in vitro and in vivo persistence of transgene expression in BMSCs and the in vivo persistence of gene-modified BMSCs in immune intact and immune-compromised mice. CDUPRT is a pro-drug converting enzyme, otherwise known as a suicide gene that was utilised as a cell therapy experimental 'off' switch. CDUPRT converts the non-toxic pro-drug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into the toxic metabolite 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) that causes BMSC death. In vitro functional characterisation of CDUPRT using a Luc2 based cytotoxicity assay showed that following exposure to 5-FC, BMSC-Luc2/CDUPRT demonstrated increased cell death when compared to BMSC-Luc2 and parental BMSC controls. A subcutaneous transplant of Luc2/CDUPRT-expressing BMSCs in immune-intact (NOD; n=4) and immunedeficient (NOD/Scid; n=4) mice persisted for 2 weeks and 12 weeks respectively. These results show a BMSC transplant survival providing an experimental window of 12 weeks in NOD/Scid mice and the rapid immune-mediated destruction of BMSC carrying nonmammalian genes in NOD mice. Ex vivo culture-expanded BMSCs were subsequently transduced with the HMD lentiviral vector (MOI=10) to express INS-FUR, and murine NeuroD1 and Pdx1 as m -cell differentiation. Pancreatic transdifferentiation was characterised via reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by the assessment of insulin storage and secretion. INS-FUR-expressing BMSCs lacked glucose-responsiveness and secreted large amounts of human insulin chronically, whereas NeuroD1 and Pdx1-expressing BMSCs lacked glucose-responsiveness and insulin secretion capabilities. Furthermore, RT-PCR analysis showed that BMSC did not undergo pancreatic transdifferentiation when transduced with pancreatic transcription factors, and did not store insulin within secretory granules as determined by acid/ethanol extraction. A subcutaneous transplant of 1x107 and 5x107 INSFUR-expressing BMSCs were assessed for their ability to reverse diabetes in STZ-NOD/Scid mice (n=5), which failed to do so upon transplantation. This study showed ex vivo expanded BMSC multipotential differentiation into fat and bone diminishes with increasing passage, and therefore BMSC may be more useful as gene therapy targets prior to expansion. This correlates with other studies where ex vivo expansion of MSCs is associated with a loss of MSC characteristics (phenotype, proliferative capacity, self-renewal, immunomodulation) and negative T1D clinical outcomes.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate correlates of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in a clinical sample of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHOD
Parent and teacher Child Behavior Checklists were administered to 300 children with ADHD to ascertain comorbid symptoms. Based on previous research, a seven-step hierarchical regression analysis was developed. Six hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with either parent or teacher Child Behavior Checklist aggression, delinquency, or anxious/depressive comorbid symptoms as dependent measures.

RESULTS
Controlling for (1) variables known to increase risk for ADHD child psychopathology and (2) estimated duration of ADHD, our results suggest that the presence of comorbid symptoms is influenced by age of onset. An early age of onset of ADHD was correlated with a greater rate of parent-reported child aggressive symptoms, and a later age of onset was correlated with a greater rate of parent-reported child anxious/depressive symptoms. Elevated levels of comorbid externalizing and internalizing symptoms are associated with greater ADHD symptom severity.

CONCLUSIONS
Comorbid externalizing and internalizing symptoms are correlated with age of ADHD onset and are related to the severity of clinical presentation in a referred sample of children with ADHD.


It is well established that holding leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over an extended period of time generally results in returns substantially less than the daily multiple might imply. This is due to the compounding problem caused by the volatility of returns. However, in periods of low volatility, the compounding issue can actually work for investors. The trick is avoiding leveraged funds during periods of high volatility. Using the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) as a forecasting tool for expected future volatility, this study shows that in the past 20 years, judiciously investing in bullish leveraged ETFs over longer time frames can actually lead to magnified returns greater than the daily leverage implies and increases, the return–risk trade-off as measured by standard Sharpe ratios.