Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a birth defect of the diaphragm resulting in pulmonary sequelae that threaten the lives of infants. In computed tomography (CT) images of a 17th century middle-aged male mummy (the Andong mummy), we observed that the abdominal contents had protruded into the right thoracic cavity through the diaphragmatic defect, accompanied by a mediastinal shift to the left. On autopsy, the defect in the right posterolateral aspect of the diaphragm was reconfirmed, as was the herniation of the abdominal organs. The herniated contents included the right lobe of the liver, the pyloric part of the stomach, a part of the greater omentum, and the right colic flexure connecting the superior part of the ascending colon and the right part of the transverse colon. Taking our CT and autopsy results together, this case was diagnosed as the Bochdalek-type CDH. Herein we make the first ever report of a CT-assisted diagnosis of a pre-modern historical case of CDH. Our results show the promising utility of this modality in investigations of mummified human remains archaeologically obtained.


This study was performed to examine the toxicity of Psoralea corylifolia L. by the single?dose oral tests in rat and bacterial reverse mutation assay. In single?dose oral toxicity tests, 5 mL ethanol extract of This study was performed to examine the toxicity of Psoralea corylifolia L. by the single?dose oral toxicity tests in rat and bacterial reverse mutation assay. In single?dose oral toxicity tests, 5 mL ethanol extract of P. corylifolia L. were directly injected into 10 rats (5 males and 5 females) at a dosage of 2 g/㎏. Death practice was not detected during breeding periods (14 days), and LD?? was calculated over 2 g/㎏. No difference were observed with control group in the growth rate and histological observations. In bacterial reverse mutation assay, his(?) Salmonella Typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and trp(?) Escherichia coli WP2uvrA (pKM101) were used for assessing the toxicity of ethanol extracts of P. corylifolia L.. No significant difference in formation of the colonies and no dose?dependent increase was observed regardless of the addition of S9 mix. The results showed that ethanol extracts of P. corylifolia L. did not have single?dose oral toxicity and mutagenic toxicity.


South Africa held their first democratic election in 1994. The fact that ANC won this doctrinarian election is fundamental for all levels of the South African society. South Africa constitutes a society with clear inequalities and social problems. Since education is considered as a crucial factor to meet these challenges we have studied if a more extended and more equal access to education is observable after the democratic election in 1994 compared with the years before. The period we study mainly reaches over 1983 and 2003. Economic theories emphasizing the importance of education and the weight of not marginalizing any groups in the society from the access to this human right have guided us to the purpose of this thesis. With the development of the educational budget as a base; enrollment, boys-girls ratios in primary and secondary education and the distribution of resources between races have been used as a framework to this thesis. We have found that the overall development of the educational budget as part of the total national budget has been positive during the period examined, but a decrease from 1997 and forward is seen. Although there have been a greater amount granted to the educational system, taking inflation into account. The development of the enrollment ratios in primary education shows a constant increase until 1995, the period after show a decline. The gender disparity has been reduced, but still girls' representation is lower than males'. In secondary education the development shows a constant increase of total enrollment and a continuing fluctuation in the gender diversity in advantage for girls has been observed. Before 1994 there was an important race marginalization within education, of particularly the black population. The development between 1970 and 1985 was very positive but still in1985 the black and to some extent the colored populations were discriminated on both levels. After 1994 a clear priority to improve the quality of primary education for black children is seen. It is also obvious that efforts have been made to develop the quality of their secondary education. Despite this clear inequalities in education, in disadvantage for the black population, still remains.


This book describes the methods of collection of microorganisms from soil, pure culture of the microorganisms and isolation of a highly antagonistic microorganism from various types of organisms. It also describes the determination of the optimum conditions for maximum growth of the specific microorganism as well as the best yield of the secondary metabolites. The procedures of isolation of antimicrobial compounds from the crude extract, determination of antimicrobial activities, cytotoxic effect and sub-acute toxicity study of the isolated compounds have been described in the book.


In recent years, Asian arbitration hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore are more and more frequently preferred over established venues in Europe or the United States. Apart from the geographical advantage and many other attributes, they are uniquely positioned to provide more cost-effective options for arbitration, which may prove to be one of the major attractions to parties using arbitration. The overall costs for arbitration proceedings still impose a deterring factor that drives away potential users of arbitration, including in booming Asia. To target this issue, this article identifies the main cost drivers and analyses diverging approaches against the backdrop of the legal environment in Asia to make a proposal as to whether and how Asia can cut the costs.


The problems caused by imperfect speech recognition in spoken dialogue systems are well known: they confound the ability of the system to manage the dialogue, and can lead to both user frustration and task failure. Speech recognition errors are likely to persist for the foreseeable future, and so the development and adoption of a well-founded approach to the handling of error situations may be an important component in achieving general public acceptability for systems of this kind. In this paper, we compare two studies of user behaviour in response to speech recognition errors in quite different dialog applications; the analysis supports the view that user behaviour during error conditions contains a large component that is independent of the domain of the dialogue. The prospect of a consistent response to errors across a wide range of domains enhances the prospects for a general theory of error recognition and repair.


= Abstract = Perianastomotic ulceration (PAU) rarely occurs after small bowel resection in infancy. Since the understanding of its pathogenesis is incomplete, an effective method of treatment has not yet been discovered. We report the first case in Korea of a 10-year-old girl with chronic iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and growth failure who was diagnosed with PAU at colonoscopy. Seven years were required to identify the cause of IDA. After surgical resection and revision of anastomosis, a close follow-up is being conducted due to the risk of recurrence. Here, we also review reports on 25 pediatric patients with PAU derived from a search of the English-language literature and describe the clinical features of PAU along with the results of treatment. (Korean J Pediatr 2010;53:89-92)


Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease of uncertain aetiology that belongs to the family of α-synucleinopathies. It clinically presents with parkinsonism, cerebellar, autonomic, and motor impairment in variable combinations. Pathological hallmarks are fibrillary α-synuclein (αSyn)-rich glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) mainly involving oligodendroglia and to a lesser extent neurons, inducing a multisystem neurodegeneration, glial activation, and widespread demyelinization. The neuronal αSyn pathology of MSA has molecular properties different from Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease (PD), both of which could serve as a pool of αSyn (prion) seeds that could initiate and drive the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. The molecular cascade leading to the "prion-like" transfer of "strains" of aggregated αSyn contributing to the progression of the disease is poorly understood, while some presented evidence that MSA is a prion disease. However, this hypothesis is difficult to reconcile with postmortem analysis of human brains and the fact that MSA-like pathology was induced by intracerebral inoculation of human MSA brain homogenates only in homozygous mutant 53T mice, without production of disease-specific GCIs, or with replication of MSA prions in primary astrocyte cultures from transgenic mice expressing human αSyn. Whereas recent intrastriatal injection of Lewy body-derived or synthetic human αSyn fibrils induced PD-like pathology including neuronal αSyn aggregates in macaques, no such transmission of αSyn pathology in non-human primates by MSA brain lysate has been reported until now. Given the similarities between αSyn and prions, there is a considerable debate whether they should be referred to as "prions", "prion-like", "prionoids", or something else. Here, the findings supporting the proposed nature of αSyn as a prion and its self-propagation through seeding as well as the transmissibility of neurodegenerative disorders are discussed. The proof of disease causation rests on the concordance of scientific evidence, none of which has provided convincing evidence for the classification of MSA as a prion disease or its human transmission until now.


Environmental context Methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfide are important atmospheric trace gases, but their biogeochemical contributions to the atmosphere are not fully understood. The amino acid derivative methyl methionine has been hypothesised to be a precursor of these two atmospheric gases, especially in drying salt-lake environments. We found methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfide in salt crystals and soil samples of hypersaline lakes, suggesting that a thermal decay of methyl methionine could be one of the formation mechanisms responsible. Abstract Volatile organic halocarbons (VOXs) and volatile organosulfur compounds (VOSCs) play an important role in the chemical processes of the lower atmosphere. However, biogeochemical release mechanisms from terrestrial environments are complex and the current knowledge of the origin and fluxes of these compounds is incomplete. This study presents data from worldwide sampling campaigns to hypersaline salt lakes to investigate terrestrial sources for atmospheric VOXs and VOSCs. The hypothesis was tested if methionine or methylmethionine could potentially serve as a precursor for methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfide formation in salt-lake environments. Next to methyl chloride, emissions from hypersaline soil samples incubated in headspace vials showed an array of VOSCs including dimethylsulfide and dimethyldisulfide. Additionally, methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfide were released from fluid inclusions of halite crystals after grinding and purge-and-trap headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. An abiotic mechanism for their formation is conceivable owing to the fast response of emission on heating freeze-dried samples at 40°C. Furthermore, the compounds trapped in fluid inclusions of halite crystals correspond to those compounds originally formed in the immediately subjacent soils. Based on the thermolytic degradation of methylmethionine, the activation energies for methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfide are calculated from their Arrhenius plots. Additionally, structurally related substances were analysed and a degradation mechanism is postulated. Results indicate that thermolytic processes could play an important role in salt-lake environments on desiccation.


Using Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) spectroscopy, we analyse the stellar kinematics of 18 brightest group early-type (BGEs) galaxies, selected from the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS). We analyse the kinematic maps for distinct features, and measure specific stellar angular momentum within one effective radius (λe). We classify the BGEs as fast (10/18) or slow (8/18) rotators, suggesting at least two different evolution paths. We quantify the anti-correlation between higher-order kinematic moment h3 and V/σ (using the ξ3 parameter), and the kinematic misalignment angle between the photometric and kinematic position angles (using the Ψ parameter), and note clear differences between these parameter distributions of the fast and slow rotating BGEs. We find that all 10 of our fast rotators are aligned between the morphological and kinematical axis, consistent with an oblate galaxy shape, whereas the slow rotators are spread over all three classes: oblate (1/8), triaxial (4/8), and prolate (3/8). We place the results into context using known radio properties, X-ray properties, and observations of molecular gas. We find consistent merger histories inferred from observations for the fast-rotating BGEs, indicating that they experienced gas-rich mergers or interactions, and these are very likely the origin of the cold gas. Observational evidence for the slow rotators are consistent with gas-poor mergers. For the slow rotators with cold gas, all evidence point to cold gas cooling from the intragroup medium.


We examine Dropout through the perspective of interactions: learned effects that combine multiple input variables. Given $N$ variables, there are $O(N^2)$ possible pairwise interactions, $O(N^3)$ possible 3-way interactions, etc. We show that Dropout implicitly sets a learning rate for interaction effects that decays exponentially with the size of the interaction, corresponding to a regularizer that balances against the hypothesis space which grows exponentially with number of variables in the interaction. This understanding of Dropout has implications for the optimal Dropout rate: higher Dropout rates should be used when we need stronger regularization against spurious high-order interactions. This perspective also issues caution against using Dropout to measure term saliency because Dropout regularizes against terms for high-order interactions. Finally, this view of Dropout as a regularizer of interaction effects provides insight into the varying effectiveness of Dropout for different architectures and data sets. We also compare Dropout to regularization via weight decay and early stopping and find that it is difficult to obtain the same regularization effect for high-order interactions with these methods.


By using the dielectric relaxation method, we studied molecular dynamics of α-tetralone. Our purpose was to reveal the molecular origin of secondary processes observed for this very simple-structured molecule. To this end, we carried out dielectric measurements at both ambient and elevated pressure of neat α-tetralone and in mixture with oligostyrene. By means of both experimental observations and theoretical calculations, we proved that one of the secondary relaxations has the intramolecular origin, while the other is undoubtedly the intermolecular process called Johari-Goldstein relaxation characteristic of the glassy state.


Objectives To compare the diagnostic yield of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) by the American Heart Association/ American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) 2015 revised Jones criteria with the WHO 2004 and Australian guidelines 2012. Methods Retrospective observational study in 93 cases of suspected ARF admitted to the Division of Paediatric Cardiology between January 2012 and December 2014. WHO 2004, Australian guidelines and AHA/ACC 2015 Jones criteria were applied to assess definite and probable ARF. Results Of the 93 cases, 50 were diagnosed as the first episode of ARF and 43 as a recurrence of the condition. Subclinical carditis was a predominant presentation (38%) in the first episode group (p<0.01) whereas in the recurrence group carditis (88%) was the main presentation (p<0.01). Among the joint manifestations, the majority of patients in both the first episode group and the recurrence group presented with arthralgia. Of all the patients with suspected ARF (50), 34% of cases did not fulfil the standard Jones criteria 2004; however, 86% qualified as having ARF on applying the Australian and AHA/ACC 2015 criteria. Surprisingly in the recurrence group only 67% of the patients fulfilled AHA/ACC 2015 despite the modifications incorporated beyond WHO 2004; however, all the patients fulfilled the Australian guidelines either as definite (88.4%) or probable (11.6%). Inclusion of subclinical carditis, polyarthralgia and monoarthritis as major criteria influenced the diagnosis to definite ARF in 20%, 10% and 4% of patients, respectively. Conclusions The clinical manifestations of ARF, comprising subclinical carditis and arthralgia, are possibly milder in the Indian population; hence, inclusion of subclinical carditis, polyarthralgia and monoarthritis as major criteria in the newer guidelines has improved the diagnostic yield of ARF. In the absence of a gold standard for the diagnosis of ARF, it is not possible to comment on sensitivity and specificity.


Neutron detection techniques play an important role in various fields. As one of the promising candidates of neutron detectors with high efficiency, rare-earth-ion-doped LiCaAlF6 (LiCAF) scintillators have been developed. Since the LiCAF scintillator consists of light elements, it has low gamma-ray sensitivity. A large single crystal of a LiCAF up to a few inches diameter can be fabricated with Czochralski technique. The large LiCAF scintillator can be a promising neutron detector with high detection efficiency both from thermal to epi-thermal energy region. When using a large crystal, we must take care of the influence of gamma rays because neutron fields are usually accompanied by a large amount of gamma rays. A Ce:LiCAF scintillator can discriminate neutron and gamma-ray events with a pulse shape discrimination based on a difference in scintillation decay time. In this paper, we adopt the digital signal processing technique to investigate the detail properties of the scintillation decay time and evaluate the performance of neutron-gamma discrimination. A Ce:LiCAF scintillator has quite fast component about 1 ns only for fast electrons produced by gamma-rays. There is no fast component for heavy charged particles produced by neutron captures. We, therefore, can discriminate the neutron and gamma-ray events by presence of this fast component. The responses of Ce:LiCAF scintillators were investigated through basic experiments using both a Cf-252 neutron source with a polyethylene moderator and a Co-60 gamma-ray source. By using the pulse shape discrimination based on the presence of fast component, the gamma-ray sensitivity can be reduced to 1/10 of that without the pulse shape discrimination under condition keeping the 90% neutron sensitivity. In addition, we preliminarily evaluate the gamma-ray rejection performance for various Ce content LiCAF crystals. In these evaluations, low Ce content samples showed high gamma-ray rejection property.


Collagen materials are widely applied in medicine due to optimal handling characteristics, biocompatibility, controlled biodegradation, the ability to form complexes with drugs and facilitate regeneration. Researchers from Sechenov University developed, studied in experiments and introduced into medicine a variety of materials based on collagen — a protein of connective tissue. At the same time, new collagen materials were launched into clinical practice abroad. In this review of Russian and world literature, we described how scientific and applied studies of collagen materials developed over time and tried to illustrate the current state and trends of collagen application for a variety of medical purposes — from hemostatic sponges to tissue-engineered constructs. The range of available collagen-based medical products and the emergence of new collagen materials indicate the keen interest in this biomaterial from the medical community and the potential of future discoveries.


With the aim of developing first year undergraduate students' awareness and ability of autonomous learning, they were asked to do self-access work in an academic English proficiency course through drafting a learning contract outlining their learning objectives and submitting learning evidence regularly in the course of the semester. This study examines the content of the learning contract and the English language learning beliefs reflected from the learning objectives formulated, plus questionnaire results, and determines whether university students in Hong Kong are ready for autonomous learning or not. Based on the findings, the study examines whether Hong Kong university students are ready for autonomous learning, and discusses ways to deal with the challenges which might impede implementation of language learner autonomy in Hong Kong.


In 1998 a co-operation was initiated between DuPont and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) with the aim of generating knowledge on environmental behaviour of sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides under Swedish agricultural conditions. Results from a 9-year monitoring programme of SU herbicides in surface waters are presented. The report includes the analytical results from 536 samples collected during 1998 to 2006 from up to 4 intensively cultivated agricultural catchments in the southern portion of Sweden. The following seven SU herbicides were included: chlorsulfuron, flupyrsulfuronmethyl- sodium, metsulfuron-methyl, rimsulfuron, thifensulfuron-methyl, tribenuron-methyl and triflusulfuron-methyl. Results on detection frequency and concentration levels are presented and related to amounts applied in the investigated areas as well as to the Swedish Guideline Values (GV) for surface waters. The application of SU herbicides to a variety of crops was quite comprehensive during the 9- year investigation period, with tribenuron-methyl being the most extensively used herbicide on 16-33% of the arable catchment area each year. Thifensulfuron-methyl was the secondly most widespread SU herbicide. Analytical results showed that SU herbicides were occasionally detected in stream water draining intensively cultivated areas in Sweden (on average in 13% of the samples collected each year). These findings were essentially restricted to samples collected during or shortly after the main application season. The level of detected concentration was typically in the 0.01-0.1


Time trends of age-standardized rate (ASR) of brain central nervous system cancer incidence (ICD-10: C70-72) were compared among 18 selected cancer registries and ethnic/racial groups in East Asia, Europe and USA. The data source was the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Vols IV–VIII (years at diagnosis: 1973–77, 1978–82, 1983–87, 1988–92 and 1993–97, respectively). World population was used for age standardization.


This book provides an avenue for Americans in all walks of life to deepen their understanding of Middle Eastern peoples and their attitudes toward the United States and each other. The book creates contexts for readers struggling to understand current conflicts in the region- Iraq, Israel/Palestine as well as the dilemma of the Kurds. It is one of the few books containing an overview of contemporary Middle East culture and politics with balanced views from Jews and Muslims rarely contained in one volume, including: *Transcripts of Bin Laden's videotaped messages *Post-9/11 transcript of the Saudi Arabian ambassador's interview on Meet the Press *A round-up of Arab-American responses with self-criticism by a Muslim and an Israeli scholar Since September 11, 2001, much of the world has turned its attention to the Middle East, mostly with a string of questions. Who were these 19 terrorist hijackers all from the Middle East? Why did they attack the U.S - the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC.? What is there about the Middle East, if anything, that would lead these terrorists to believe they were martyrs in a holy war and would be given a special place in heaven? Through Middle Eastern Eyes attempts to answer these questions - and many more. The last five selections in the book deal specifically with 9/11 by presenting the views of Osama bin Laden, the relations to 9/11 throughout the Middle East, the agenda of radical Islamic fundamentalists and the response to this agenda by moderate Muslims. In addition, several other selections in the book deal with the tenets of Islam, its influence on people's daily lives, and the tug of war between traditional and Westernized values in the region. First published almost three decades ago, Through Middle Eastern Eyes attempts to bring to life the Middle East-a seedbed of history and religion, a hotbed of ethnic and religious conflict. Sources range from speeches and historical documents to autobiography, traditional and modern literature, and economic and political analysis.


A highly sensitive, specific and tissue-independent method is described to evaluate oxidative stress-mediated protein hydroxylation in red blood cells, frontal cortex, and liver by HPLC separation and electrochemical detection of protein-bound 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) following gas-phase amino acid hydrolysis of tissue protein extracts containing exclusively proteins larger than 3 kDa. Simultaneous measurement of protein tyrosine (Tyr) content using fluorescence detection results in a tissue specific DOPA/Tyr ratio that may reflect oxidative stress-mediated protein modifications in disease, or following the exposure to oxidative stress-inducing agents.


. The smart meters are considered the main component of the smart grid allowing communication and processing of electrical energy measurement data to utilities. Nowadays, there is a great concern that smart meters' data which is communicated mainly by wireless or wired communication means produce electromagnetic fields which be harmful to human health. In this work, a study of data analytics is presented on the readings produced by the smart meters made with statistical and machine learning probabilistic techniques in order to compare the data with reference values and determine if they are harmful or not for the human health.


Background: Stopping long-term (>12 months) antidepressants can be difficult for patients because of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Many people do not recognise withdrawal symptoms or do not know how to minimise them to safely stop antidepressants. We developed the RELEASE resources to address these gaps: a medicines information brochure, a decision aid, and drug-specific hyperbolic tapering protocols. Aim: To explore patients' acceptability of the resources to optimise their use and impact. Design and setting: A think-aloud interview study with adults with lived experience of long-term antidepressant use conducted in south-east Queensland. Interviews were undertaken with participants face-to-face or via videoconferencing. Methods: Fourteen participants purposively sampled from general practices were interviewed. Participants verbalised their thoughts, impressions and feelings whilst engaging with each resource. Interviews were analysed using a deductive coding framework including codes related to acceptability and optimisation. Interviews were analysed in a series of four tranches, with iterative modifications made to resources after each tranche. Results: Participants reported the resources were relevant, informative, motivational, and usable. Participants' comments informed modifications including changes to wording, content order, and layout. Several participants expressed frustration that they had not had these resources earlier, with one reporting the information could have been life changing. Many participants commented on the need for these resources to be widely available to both patients and doctors. Conclusions: The RELEASE resources are acceptable, useful, and potentially life changing. The effectiveness of these consumer-informed resources in supporting safe cessation of long-term antidepressants is currently being tested in general practice.


Nineteen patients who undergo facial nerve reconstruction after the operation of cerebellopontine angle tumor from 1964 to 1981 were investigated. Eighteen cases were of acoustic neurinoma, and one was of low grade astrocytoma. Spinal accessory-facial nerve anastomosis was performed in thirteen cases. Cross facial nerve graft was done in three cases. Hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis, phrenico-facial nerve anastomosis, and intracranial direct anastomosis were done in one case each. In spinal accessory-facial nerve anastomosis cases, good result was obtained only in 30%, but using microsurgical technique since 1972, its rate went up to 50%. In cross facial nerve anastomosis cases in which two sural nerve grafts were used and the zygomatic and the buccal branches of the right and left connected each other, only one of three revealed good result. The cases of hypoglossal and intracranial direct facial anstomosis resulted in good recovery. As our conclusion, it is difficult to obtain the powerful reinnervation by means of the spinal accessory facial nerve anatomosis and the cross facial nerve graft. Therefore, the best method to be chosen in facial nerve reconstruction seems intracranial direct anastomosis. If the method is impossible, hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis should be chosen as the second best. The cross facial nerve graft seems to be leaving much room for technical improvement.


Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is performed for a variety of movement disorder indications chief among which are Parkinson's Disease (PD) and dystonia. Other indications include essential tremor, tremor of Multiple Sclerosis and tardive dyskinesia (TD). While the motor outcomes of DBS in these disorders are reviewed in other chapters of this text, this chapter will focus on the psychiatric sequelae of DBS. Areas reviewed will be subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus interna (GPi) targeting for PD and GPi stimulation for dystonia as these indications have been investigated most comprehensively. Treatment of the neuropsychiatric symptoms post DBS will not be covered in this chapter. Some management strategies are offered in Voon et al. [1]


The mechanisms associated with colonization of human gastroduodenal mucosa by Helicobacter pylori remain unclear. To colonize gastric-type epithelium H. pylori must enter the gastric lumen, resist damage by all bactericidal factors operating within the acidic gastric milieu, penetrate the mucus gel despite highly viscous and hydrophobic properties of the mucus layer, and, finally, secure optimal conditions for its further multiplication. Since the H. pylori microorganism has been seen freely spread throughout the entire mucus layer thickness as well as in intimate contact with surface epithelium, the interrelationship between this spiral microorganism and the mucus seems to be of paramount importance. H. pylori has been shown to affect adversely the chemical and physical properties of the mucus layer. Therefore, the mucus layer compromised by the presence of this microorganism may become an easy target for acid and peptic damage, which ultimately leads to mucosal pathology, inflammation and/or peptic ulcer disease.


An aqueous capillary electrophoretic method was developed for chiral analysis of the novel anti‐diabetic drug, sitagliptin. The acid–base profiling of the analyte was carried out using both capillary electrophoresis and nuclear magnetic resonance pH titrations. The apparent complex stability and chiral separation properties were investigated with 30 different cyclodextrins under acidic conditions. The effect of concentration and pH of the BGE, temperature of the capillary, and the type and concentration of the chiral selector on the enantiomer resolution were thoroughly investigated. The effects of dual cyclodextrin systems on separation were also extensively studied. Complete separation of racemic sitagliptin with good resolution (RS=2.24) was achieved within a short time (15 min) with optimized parameters (10°C, pH=4.4, 40 mM phosphate buffer) of a sulfobutylether‐β‐cyclodextrin (averaged degree of substitution ∼4) and native β‐cyclodextrin dual system. The averaged stoichiometry of the inclusion complex was determined using the Job plot method with both 1H and 19F NMR experiments and resulted in a 1:1 complex. The structure of the inclusion complex was elucidated using 2‐D ROESY NMR experiments.


Seed growth methods are useful for the preparation of various shape-controlled nanocrystals, such as rods, cubes, and plates. The seed growth method generally employs seed nanocrystals dispersed in solutions and capping agents with selective adsorption properties. This article describes a novel seed growth method using Au nanoparticles supported on SiO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼160 nm (SiO2@Au NPs) and a long-chain amidoamine derivative (C18AA) with selective adsorption properties on gold. The selective growth of dendritic Au nanowires (Au DNWs) on the SiO2@Au NPs took place, but growth of Au nanocrystals was not observed using bare SiO2 NPs. The disadvantages of this method were a long time-consuming preparation and a lower yield of SiO2@Au DNWs; for this reason, a co-reducing agent was used to increase the formation rate of Au DNWs. We found that the use of ascorbic acid, which has weak reducing powers, brought a considerable improvement to the preparation time and yield of SiO2@Au DNWs. Furthermore, these SiO2@Au DNWs showed high morphological and dispersion stabilities compared with unsupported Au DNWs, and this method is expected to be the preparation method of supported shape-controlled nanocrystals with high morphological and dispersion stabilities.


The reaction of arylbiguanides and N-amidino-O-alkylisoureas with diketene was found to proceed through the acylated intermediates to give pyrimidines and s-triazines. The reaction of arylbiguanides with ethyl acetoacetate was also attempted and the proportion of pyrimidines and s-triazines obtained was found to be almost equall to that in the case of the reaction with diketene. Therefore, this reaction was also elucidated to proceed via the acylated intermediates.


Introduction. The deterioration of women's reproductive health, which is manifested in increased morbidity among pregnant women, reducing the number of normal births and to increase the variance of fetal development is of particular concern. It is known, that female reproductive system is especially sensitive to influence of negative factors of any origin. The aim of the study – to investigate the problems of assessment of reproductive toxicity of pesticides. Research Methods. We used general scientific research methods. They include analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, analogy, abstraction and specification, system analysis, formalization. Results and Discussion. Among the diseases that negatively affect reproductive health as a factor increasing the risk of ectopic pregnancy, infertility, disorders of menstruation, the appearance of tumors, significant importance are the inflammatory diseases of female genital organs. The incidence of this pathology remains high and is about 130.0/10 thousand women. Fundamental research of recent decades has allowed determining the basic mechanisms of the functioning of the reproductive system in women. Traced the relationship between ovarian function and the secretion of gonadotropins, mechanisms of regulation folliculogenesis in the ovaries, we formed a theory about the influence of sex hormones on the tonic and cyclic secretion of gonadotropins by the pituitary gland, proven the rhythm of their secretion. This allowed us to determine not only the main regularities of the functioning of the reproductive system in norm, but also to establish the types of its disorders in various pathological conditions. pathological processes of the internal genital organs lead, to impairment of reproductive function in women which list each year is gradually updated and refined, which greatly contributes to the development of new and improvement of existing methods of instrumental and laboratory diagnosis. The notion of reproductive toxicity of chemical substances in the context of the identification of their risk to the reproductive system involves the ability of tested compounds to induce breach of its reproductive function in adult animals, and abnormal development in the offspring. However, it should be noted that for a number of reasons for the study of pathogenetic disorders in the process of embryogenesis is taken out of the context of all other studies to assess reproductive toxicity and methodologically radically different from them. Conclusions. Our analysis of experimental and analytical data on reproductive toxicity showed the following: 1) 67 % of the pesticides belong to substances that can cause adverse effects on the function of reproduction; 2) among all the pesticides that have been subjected to study in the test system several generations of animals, and about 9% have selective toxic effect on the reproduction function; 3) a selective effect of pesticides on the reproduction function does not depend on the toxicity of drugs. The likelihood of identifying compounds with selective reproductive toxicity is approximately the same level for preparations 1-3 hazard class acute systemic toxicity. Based on the obtained results, we can speak about the importance of studying the characteristics of toxic action of pesticides on the reproductive system and search of new approaches in the assessment of reproductive toxicity (gonadotoxiс) pesticides


Food security and job creation are among the top priorities of the government of Eswatini. To address these priorities, the government have made substantial amount of investment to support the agricultural sector over the years. Regardless of these policy intervention, Eswatini is still an importer of food and unemployment remains substantial high. The study examined the influence of investment climate on productivity of food and beverages industries in Eswatini. Findings of this study will assist the government of Eswatini to design focused policy interventions in order to attract more local and foreign direct investment.A Cobb-Douglas production function for Eswatini of manufacturing industries was estimated using 2006 cross sectional data from the World Bank to produce a measure of TFP for each industry. In addition, an extended Cobb-Douglas production function was estimated with investment climate variables for selected manufacturing industries.The results showed that manufacturing industries in Eswatini are labour intensive and competition from informal sectors is the main obstacle faced by manufacturing industries in Eswatini. The findings of the study further reveals that an increase in corruption  cause a decrease in productivity. The study recommends investment in institutional reforms especially to fight against corruption and efficacy in the provision of public goods and services. It further recommends a resilient support and regulation of the informal sector.


Tourism is viewed as a vehicle which can produce an array of benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander [ATSI] peoples. Although ATSI tourism is a small sector of the Australian tourism industry, its ability to facilitate diverse benefits should not be underestimated. While numerous Australian Governments have produced tourism policies to facilitate the development of ATSI tourism, the effectiveness and appropriateness of these policies have been questioned. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which Australian State/Territory Government ATSI tourism policies can facilitate the development of ATSI tourism. This paper describes a qualitative study examining the foci of current Australian State/Territory Governments' ATSI tourism policies. The study concluded that ideally, these policies should demonstrate a more balanced distribution of foci across the economic, socio-cultural, ecological and political environments to avoid accusations of rhetoric and thus demonstrate a propensity for facilitating long term sustainable outcomes for ATSI tourism.


This paper considers the problem of component forensics and proposes a methodology to identify the algorithms and parameters employed by various processing modules inside a digital camera. The proposed analysis techniques are non-intrusive, using only sample output images collected from the camera to find the color filter array pattern; and the algorithm and parameters of color interpolation employed in cameras. As demonstrated by various case studies in the paper, the features obtained from component forensic analysis provide useful evidence for such applications as detecting technology infringement, protecting intellectual property rights, determining camera source, and identifying image tampering.


Scheduling jobs on multiple machines has numerous applications and has been a central topic of research in the scheduling literature. Recently, much progress has been made particularly in online scheduling with the development of powerful analysis tools. In this line of wok a centralized scheduler typically dispatches jobs to machines to exploit the given resources the best to achieve the best system performance which is measured by a certain global scheduling objective. While this approach has been very successful in attacking scheduling problems of growing complexity, the underlying assumption that jobs follow a centralized scheduler may not be realistic in certain scheduling settings. In this paper we initiate the study of online scheduling for selfish jobs in the presence of multiple machines. Selfish behavior of jobs is a common aspect observed in the absence of a centralized scheduler. We explore this question in the unrelated machines setting, arguably one of the most general multiple machine models. In this model each job can have a completely different processing time on each machine. Motivated by several practical scenarios, we assume that when a job arrives it chooses the machine that completes the job the earliest i.e. minimizes the flow time of the job. The goal is to design a local scheduling algorithm on each machine with the goal of minimizing the total (weighted) flow time. We show that the algorithm Smoothed Latest Arrival Processor Sharing, which was introduced in a recent work by Im et al. [27, 28], yields an O(1/ )-competitive schedule when given (1 + ) speed. We also extend our result to minimize total flow-time plus energy consumed. To show this result we establish several interesting properties of the algorithm which could be of potential use for other scheduling problems.


State hospitals, once the primary source of treatment for seriously mentally ill patients, are changing their roles and responsibilities, as community hospitals and community mental health services are established and made functional. The impetus for deinstitutionalization is both humane and financial. It appears that long-term institutionalization adds additional burdens to the mentally ill patient, and it is thought that community treatment is more cost-effective. As the state hospitals empty out, there remain a variety of options, including destruction or conversion of facilities, or maintaining state hospitals as small, tertiary care institutions. States have adopted various plans with measured degrees of success. This small volume is a potpourri that provides an overview of the problems encountered by state mental hospitals and describes in detail specific state hospitals at discrete stages of evolution, future roles for state hospitals, and the relationship of state hospitals and universities. Personally, I found this small volume


Spillover effects in crime are typically studied as a result of offender behaviour. This study investigates whether spillover effects can occur in the reporting of domestic abuse by victims. Domestic abuse is a particularly interesting context because of its high prevalence but low reporting rate. Extending existing spatio-temporal Hawkes process specifications, we test for the presence of two spillover channels in all domestic abuse calls in a major English city. We find no evidence to support such effects in the reporting of domestic abuse.


Abstract One of the crucial debates in vegetation ecology is whether plant communities are discontinuous, distinguishable units or whether they change continuously. Phytosociology assumes discontinuity and its methodology requires subjective sampling during vegetation inventories. For that reason, some researchers argue that phytosociology artificially creates discontinuity among plant communities. Our aim was to assess the continuity between ash-alder riparian forest (Fraxino-Alnetum), and alder swamp forest (Carici elongatae-Alnetum), and to check whether discontinuity observed between these two plant associations is an effect of subjective sample plot choice. We conducted 57 phytosociological relevés within a regular grid covering potential sites of both plant communities. All relevés were arranged in order of decreasing relative cover of the diagnostic species for each plant association resulting in a gentle gradient, indicating a continuous transition from Fraxino-Alnetum to Carici elongatae-Alnetum. Similar results were obtained by detrended correspondence analysis. The proportion of species from the Querco-Fagetea class, typical to Fraxino-Alnetum, was decreasing with increasing proportion of species from the Alnetea glutinosae class, typical to Carici elongatae-Alnetum. This shift followed a gradient of ecological light-moisture indicator values. Our results confirmed continuous transition between two plant communities and led us to the conclusion that discontinuity resulted from the standard sampling protocol used in classical phytosociology. This protocol, however, is useful in searching for typological patterns, required for classification of plant communities, which is the main aim of phytosociology. Nevertheless, it does not provide full insight into the variability of vegetation and introduces uncertainty when trying to understand ecosystem dynamics. This uncertainty should be taken into account when phytosociological data are used for nature conservation recommendations and to draw conclusion about vegetation dynamics.


Routing protocol is a set of rules implemented by router in routing process to build a routing table. The table is used as a reference to forward data packets from source to destination in internetworks. There are three types of routing protocol: Distance vector, Link state and Hybrid routing protocol. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a Link state routing protocol that implements SPF (Shortest Path First) Dijkstra algorithm to determine a shortest path from source node to destination node. OSPF as a public domain routing protocol not only works as an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) in certain Autonomous System (AS) but also as Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP) which able to control the route of data packets among different Autonomous Systems. This capability is achieved by implementing multiple interfaces OSPF with separate topological databases with their own Links state information in every Autonomous System. In this research, Zebra software package is used to implement OSPF routing protocol and for the purpose of analysis and measurement of the output we use a linux web base packet-analyzer software package. The result we found indicates that the bigger number of router and link on the router, the bigger the bandwidth used in networks while the bigger number of area, the smaller bandwidth used in every area. Keywords: OSPF, link state, routing protocol, autonomous system.


Monitoring marine ecosystems is essential for the conservation and management of marine biodiversity as it is central to the development of sustainable management practices and for assessing the effectiveness of the increasing number of marine reserves (MR) globally. Monitoring data are often collected in MRs to assess the state of natural marine systems in the absence of anthropogenic disturbance or to assess recovery of previously impacted species. In recent years, MR designation has attempted to move away from ad hoc approaches to MR establishment and towards using existing species distribution and abundance data to define protected areas. Given the logistics and cost of collecting biological data in the marine environment, effective methods are required to successfully demonstrate changes associated with MRs and to identify the spatial distribution of organisms and habitats for the planning of further MRs. The aim of this thesis was to identify effective protocols for the monitoring of fish and invertebrate species inside MRs in New Zealand, and to develop and apply methodologies to identify spatial distribution patterns relevant to marine spatial planning.  Using baseline data of fish and invertebrate species abundances for the Taputeranga MR I performed prospective power analyses to identify the most cost-effective monitoring approach for subsequent monitoring. Based on before-after-control-impact (BACI) tests the power to conclude statistically that abundances were higher at MR sites was low for even large simulated changes in abundance (two-fold or four-fold increases) for most species. Due to differences in baseline abundance and spatio-temporal variance terms, power varied considerably among species, highlighting the difficulty of monitoring all species to the same degree, whilst also remaining cost-effective. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for temporally replicated survey designs as "one-off" surveys had much lower power than those that were temporally replicated.  Longer term monitoring effectiveness was analysed using three long-term datasets from MRs in the South Island of New Zealand. I analysed the power of alternate underwater visual census (UVC) monitoring configurations to conclude statistically that there were increasing/decreasing trends in abundance, as well as the precision and accuracy of trend estimates. Overall even the highest replication designs considered had low power (< 80%) to conclude there was a non-zero trend even when simulated data represented trends equivalent to the population doubling or halving over ten years. The most cost-effective monitoring design varied among species and MRs, further highlighting that monitoring choices need to be location- and species-specific. A general finding, however, was that increasing the number of sites was almost always more beneficial than increasing the number of transects per site. Based on these results, I recommend that monitoring design planning focuses more specifically on assessments of precision and accuracy of estimated parameters, with less focus on power, as this places greater emphasis on interpreting monitoring data in terms of potential biological significance rather than testing for statistical significance.  Monitoring can never achieve complete coverage of large areas therefore methods for extrapolating or predicting species or habitats to un-surveyed locations are necessary for evaluating large-scale spatial distributions. To address this I used modelling techniques to identify the spatial variation in species and habitats along the Wellington south coast, with a particular focus on elucidating the potential and realised effects of wave exposure. A wave simulation model (SWAN) was used to identify the spatial variation in wave exposure relevant to intertidal and subtidal communities. In particular the spatial variation in wave forces was compared to the distribution of two subtidal macroalgal species, Macrocystis pyrifera and Ecklonia radiata, taking into consideration the biomechanical thresholds of damage for these plants. Despite considerable wave forces during winter storms, healthy E. radiata is unlikely to be damaged, whilst larger (>15 m stipe length) M. pyrifera plants are likely to be damaged in certain locations dependent on local sheltering effects. Furthermore, the distribution of M. pyrifera from aerial imagery coincided with areas that were predicted to have lower wave forces, suggesting that the distribution of M. pyrifera may be related to wave exposure.  I subsequently constructed species distribution models revealing the relationship between intertidal species distributions and environmental factors, as a predictive baseline of the current distributions of species. The abundances of Chamaesipho barnacle species were found to be best described by wave exposure, with increased cover correlated with increasing wave exposure, while contrasting patterns were observed for C. brunnea and C. columna with respect to distance from the harbour entrance, suggesting differential larval supply or differential responses to changing water column characteristics. Macroalgal assemblage composition was explained predominantly by wave exposure, with a rich macroalgal assemblage at the less exposed locations, and more exposed locations exhibiting a community consisting of coralline algal species and the large brown alga Durvillaea antarctica. The predictive models were then used to predict species distributions for a section of coastline demonstrating how this form of modelling can be used to maximise the potential of monitoring data.  Finally, a literature keyword search along with methodological developments and results from previous chapters are used in the final chapter to develop a framework for the collection of data from the planning phase all the way through to long-term monitoring of MRs.


During the period 2007-2012, we performed sampling of different Barbus populations in the southern France. Fish were identified using 30 microsatellite loci. Of all 243 studied individuals, we detected only 17 hybrid specimens in four fish populations. Lower values of expected heterozygosity were found in the allopatric populations of B. meridionalis compared to the pure populations of B. barbus. However, there were no significant differences in genetic variability between populations of both species. According to the published data, Dactylogyrus carpathicus and D. dyki parasitize both Barbus species investigated, but D. malleus is specific for B. barbus. Our fish examination for the presence of metazoan parasites revealed that D. malleus and D. carpathicus were the most abundant and prevalent in allopatric populations of B. barbus. D. dyki in low abundance was present solely in allopatric B. meridionalis populations. Dactylogyrus parasites were absent in all sympatric populations, except for one population. No relationship between the level of genetic variability in Barbus populations and abundance or prevalence of Dactylogyrus was found. Using molecular data, we found that genetic distances are responsible for the similarity of parasite communities between different Barbus populations.


Assignment of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of the 59 non-exchangeable protons of the 13 aromatic amino acid residues of lysozyme has been completed using a combination of selective spin decoupling and nuclear Overhauser experiments. The experimental chemical shift data were used to simulate the aromatic region of the NMR spectrum at 300 MHz and at 470 MHz. Excellent agreement with the experimental spectra was obtained and the simulations permitted more accurate chemical shift values and resonance linewidths to be obtained. The current set of assignments is compared with those of the assignments made previously. Evidence for the motional behaviour of the aromatic amino acid side chains is presented.


The present work looks into the place the body occupies within interactive experiences. Firstly, we explore the nature of the machine in its corporeal dimension, and the human body in the digital representation process. Then, a classification is proposed for the modes of articulation of the participant's body in interactivity, following various analytic frameworks. Finally, we analyze the difference between the physical bodies within an experience and the construction of the bodies present in the artwork, outlining the dialogue between technical engineering and the symbolic dimension.


Chemo-resistive sensors were prepared from monodisperse poly(aniline) nanoparticles (PaniNP) synthesized via oxidative dispersion polymerization. Poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA) was used as the stabilizer and dopant agent. PaniNP transducers were assembled by spraying layer by layer a solution containing different concentrations of PaniNP and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) onto interdigitated electrodes. This process led to stable sensors with reproducible responses upon chemical cycling. Chemo-electrical properties of these sensors have been investigated in sequential flows of pure nitrogen and nitrogen saturated with a set of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Interestingly the sensing mode of PaniNP transducers (the NVC or PVC effect) can be switched simply by increasing PaniNP content or by the addition of only 0.5% of MWNT to reach a resistance lower than 150 Ω. Due to their original conducting architecture well imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM), i.e. a double percolated conductive network, PaniNP–MWNT hybrids present both higher sensitivity and selectivity than other formulations, demonstrating a positive synergy. Mechanisms are proposed to describe the original chemo-electrical behaviours of PaniNP-based sensors and explain the origin of their selectivity and sensing principle. These features make them attractive to be integrated in e-noses.


Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (S-PEEK) with 40% of degree of sulfonation was studied using full atomistic molecular dynamics simulation in order to investigate the nanophase-segregated structures, focusing on the sulfonate group and water phase at various water contents such as 10, 13, and 20 wt %. By analyzing the pair correlation function, it is found that as the water solvation of sulfonate groups proceeds more with increasing water content, the distance between sulfonate groups is increased from 4.4 A (10 wt %) to 4.8 A (13 wt %) to 5.4 A (20 wt %), and the hydronium ions (H3O+) become farther apart from the sulfonate groups. The water coordination number for water and the water diffusion are enhanced with increasing water content because the internal structure of the water phase in S-PEEK approaches that of bulk water. Compared to the Nafion and Dendrion membranes, the S-PEEK membrane shows less internal structure in the water phase and smaller water diffusion, indicating that the S-PEEK has less nanophase segregation than the Nafion and Dendrion membranes.Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (S-PEEK) with 40% of degree of sulfonation was studied using full atomistic molecular dynamics simulation in order to investigate the nanophase-segregated structures, focusing on the sulfonate group and water phase at various water contents such as 10, 13, and 20 wt %. By analyzing the pair correlation function, it is found that as the water solvation of sulfonate groups proceeds more with increasing water content, the distance between sulfonate groups is increased from 4.4 A (10 wt %) to 4.8 A (13 wt %) to 5.4 A (20 wt %), and the hydronium ions (H3O+) become farther apart from the sulfonate groups. The water coordination number for water and the water diffusion are enhanced with increasing water content because the internal structure of the water phase in S-PEEK approaches that of bulk water. Compared to the Nafion and Dendrion membranes, the S-PEEK membrane shows less internal structure in the water phase and smaller water diffusion, indicating that the S-PEEK has le...


We discuss response time properties of linear arrays and tree-like arrays of cells with various handshake communication behaviours. The response times of a network are the delays between requests and succeeding acknowledgments for the first cell. We derive simple formulas for the worst-case response time and amortized response time of such networks using a general variable-delay model, where delays may vary between a lower and upper bound. The properties are independent of any particular implementation of the cells of the network.


With the rapid development of the insurance industry, more diverse insurance products are produced for consumers. Insurance portfolio problems have received increasing attention. While most studies focus on insurance portfolio problem for a single insured, insurance portfolio problems for a specific group of insured are even more intricate but little attention has been paid to. In this article, we propose a group insurance portfolio model for investment allocation of several insurance policies so that the total payout of the whole group can be maximized. The statistical average value of each parameter is considered in the model to approximate the expectation payout of the group insurance portfolio problem. To solve this problem, a coevolutionary estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) utilizing the divide-and-conquer strategy is proposed. First, as the payout of each insured under a certain portfolio plan can be calculated separately, the proposed approach decomposes the group insurance portfolio problem into several single-insured insurance portfolio problems. In this way, the dimension of the optimization problem becomes lower compared to the original problem. An adaptive EDA is proposed to optimize the portfolio plan of each insured independently. Second, the group insurance portfolio problem remains a nonseparable problem since the investment amount of each insured is limited by the total investable amount of the whole group. A particle swarm optimization algorithm is adopted to cooperate with the EDA to optimize the proportion of allocation to each insured. The proposed algorithm is verified on various scenarios. The experimental results validate that the proposed approach is effective for the group insurance portfolio problem.


The article has examined the revision of the social functions of museums associated with changes in social structures, which began in the second half of the last century. This process caused a wide-ranging discussion about changes in the place and role of museums in society, which led to the emergence of museum institutions whose scope went beyond the gathering, study, conservation, and exhibition of collections. The authors pay attention to the role of museum institutions within the physical spaces and local communities in which the museum exists, considering it in the context of the impact on urban space. The article analyzes the process of tourism development in the second half of the twentieth century and its impact on the beginning of the "museum boom". In this context considered the process of museums transformation into tourist attractions, their formation of cultural space, and the infrastructure of settlements. Particular attention paid to the role of the modern museum in the formation of an attractive image of cities and regions. The authors presented the role of the modern museum in the revitalization of urban physical space. Also, they analyzed the experience of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and its role in transforming the post-industrial depressed city into one of the centers of European and world tourism and culture. Based on the experience of Polish narrative museums, the authors examined the process of revitalization and changes in the urban space, after the emergence of a modern museum. Particular attention paid to the analysis of sociological studies that exploring the impact of modern narrative museum on tourist attractiveness, security, investment attractiveness and infrastructure development processes of modern urban space. Also, the authors paid attention to the role of the modern museum in the development of social capital, which leads to the process of transforming museums into places of leisure, building around themselves a space of values, local and global communication.


The author focuses on the critical developments, technological in particular, which are currently posing a threat to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Crucial technologies affecting nuclear weapon proliferation and their potential ramifications for the nuclear non-proliferation regimes as a whole are examined and potential policy options which could ameliorate or eliminate the resulting dangers are analysed and assessed. Developments and problems raised by the Iraqi and North Korean nuclear programmes receive special attention. In particular, recent efforts in strengthening export control regulations on nuclear and dual-use technology and equipment and in improving nuclear safeguards are described and their impact analysed. Of lasting relevance in the non-proliferation context, this book is of particular relevance in the light of the indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.


To observe the therapeutic effects of the prescription of Huo Nao Fang ([symbol: see text]) on ischemic apoplexy, 120 patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group, with 60 in each group, the former treated with Huo Nao Fang while the latter with western medicine. The nervous function and blood rheology were tested before and after treatment for both groups, and the effects of Huo Nao Fang were evaluated. The results showed that the total effective rate was 91.7% in the treatment group and 61.6% in the control group, with a significant difference (P < 0.01) between the two groups. The treatment group was superior to the control group in improving blood rheology, reducing blood lipid and restoring the nervous function (P < 0.05).


Aims: The aim of the study is to present later results in the treatment of hallux valgus with Austin corrective metatarsal osteotomy. Materials and methods: In the period from 1982 to 1991, 238 patients (230 females and 8 males) and 380 feet were operated. The patients were followed up from 11 to 20 years. The age of the patients varied from 40 up to 60 years (the median value of around 46 years of age). Indications for the Austin corrective metatarsal osteotomy were the angle of hallux valgus more than 20 degrees, intermetatarsal angle more than 10 degrees as well as pain due to shoe pressure over the medial side of metatarsophalangeal joint and aesthetic reasons. In this study, 130 patients and 230 feet were evaluated (radiological, clinical and subjective evaluation). Results: The angle of hallux valgus was 20 to 52 degrees (mean value – 34.5 degrees) before operation, and 8 to 36 degrees after operation (mean value – 16.1 degrees). Intermetatarsal angle was 10 to 25 (mean value – 15 degrees) before operation and 7 to 22 degrees (mean value – 8 degrees) after operation. Shortening of first metatarsal bone was 2 to 6 mm (mean value – 3 mm) Conclusion: The study shows that Austin corrective metatarsal osteotomy in treatment of hallux valgus is a good method if strict and precise criteria are closely followed in the indication of operative procedure in treating hallux valgus, especially with middle-aged patients.


During the two Voyager encounters with Saturn, radio bursts were detected which appear to have originated from atmospheric lightning storms. Although these bursts generally extended over frequencies from as low as 100 kHz to the upper detection limit of the instrument, 40 MHz, they often exhibited a sharp but variable low frequency cutoff below which bursts were not detected. We interpret the variable low-frequency extent of these bursts to be due to the reflection of the radio waves as they propagate through an ionosphere which varies with local time. We obtain estimates of electron densities at a variety of latitude and local time locations. These compare well with the dawn and dusk densitis measured by the Pioneer 11 Voyager Radio Science investigations, and with model predictions for dayside densities. However, we infer a two-order-of-magnitude diurnal variation of electron density, which had not been anticipated by theoretical models of Saturn's ionosphere, and an equally dramatic extinction of ionospheric electron density by Saturn's rings.


Summary One file (commutes.net) is a Pajek format file for use in Combo, a community partitioning algorithm for network partitioning. The other file is a zipped shapefile of tract-to-tract commutes in the United States, created in QGIS and partitioned using Combo. Please see the attached readme.txt file for full information.


In this paper, Differential Evolution (DE) that incorporates fuzzy control and k-nearest neighbors algorithm is proposed to tackle the economic load dispatch problem. To provide the self-terminating ability, a technique called Iteration Windows (IW) is introduced to govern the number of iteration in each searching stage during the optimization. The size of IW is controlled by a fuzzy controller, which uses the information provided by the k-nearest neighbors system to analyze the population during the searching process. The controller keeps controlling the IW till the end of the searching process. A wavelet based mutation process is embedded in the DE searching process to enhance the searching performance. The weight F of DE is also controlled by the fuzzy controller to further speed up the searching process. The proposed method is employed to solve the Economic Load Dispatch with Valve-Point Loading (ELD-VPL) Problem. It is shown empirically that the proposed method can terminate the searching process with a reasonable number of iteration and performs significantly better than the conventional methods in terms of convergence speed and solution quality.


This article examines discourses associated with a new environmental movement, "Carbon Rationing Action Groups" (CRAGs). This case study is intended to contribute to a wider investigation of the emergence of a new type of language used to debate climate change mitigation. Advice on how to reduce one's "carbon footprint," for example, is provided almost daily. Much of this advice is framed by the use of metaphors and "carbon compounds"—lexical combinations of at least two roots—such as "carbon finance" or "low carbon diet." The study uses a combination of tools from frame analysis and lexical pragmatics within the general framework of ecolinguistics to compare and contrast language use on the CRAGs' website with press coverage reporting on them. The analysis shows how the use of such lexical carbon compounds enables and facilitates different types of metaphorical frames such as dieting, finance and tax paying, war time rationing, and religious imperatives in the two corpora.


This case study uses segment data from General Electric's SEC filings to provide students in managerial and cost accounting courses the opportunity to see how a variety of classroom topics apply to a real-world company. Students are required to find relevant segment-related data in 10-Ks. By using financial accounting data to make managerial accounting decisions, the case serves as a link between financial and managerial accounting. This case has four independent requirements that focus on a different topic related to segment reporting: (1) segment performance measures, (2) segment profitability, (3) segment decision-making, and (4) segment reporting changes as connected to corporate structure and strategy. In each requirement, students are asked to prepare a memo and supporting analysis based on the relevant segment-related data. The modular nature of the case provides instructors with flexibility for implementation in a variety of managerial and cost accounting courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
 JEL Classifications: M40; M41.


Abstract Artificial intelligence plays an important role in contemporary medicine. In this short note, we emphasize that philosophy played a role in the development of artificial intelligence. We argue that research in computability theory, the theoretical foundation of modern computer science, was motivated by a philosophical question: can we characterize precisely the class of problems that can be solved by algorithms? We suggest that reflecting on the connection between philosophy and artificial intelligence helps realize that philosophical and scientific progress are connected.


Scattering and noise parameters of AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs from Conexant with 30 and 35% of Al mole content were measured and modeled. De-embedding of the pad parasitics was accurately performed by using a "two step" method and small-signal modeling. Small-signal hybrid /spl Pi/ type model parameters were extracted from "cold" and "hot" HBT measurements. Thermal, hot electron and correlated base and collector current shot noises were included in the noise model, which accounted well for the measured noise parameters. From the resolution of noise sources It was found that minimum in noise figure at 5 GHz stems from the correlation of base and collector shot noise. Al content in the alloy does not influence the high frequency noise properties of the AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs.


The purple mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana) is native to southeast Asia and has been reported to contain a variety of health promoting properties that include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anit-microbial and anti-diabetic properties. The principle constituents isolated from the mangosteen fruit are the xanthones with well over 50 unique entities isolated to date. Here we report on the properties of a mangosteen fruit extract for cancer chemoprevention and/or chemotherapy using prostate cancer (PCa) as a model disease. Using a mangosteen fruit extract (MFE) a significant decrease in cell viability was observed against four different prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, CWR22, PC3, DU145). Several analytical standards were used to identify dietary xanthones by HPLC with alpha-mangostin found to be the most abundant xanthone of MFE representing approximately 59% of the extract. Next, we investigated the ability of MFE to promote cell cycle arrest by flow cytometry and observed a significant increase in cells in G1 phase when treated with 7.5 μg/mL of MFE after 24 hours. Further confirmatory studies were performed by western blot analysis of PC3 cells treated with MFE. To understand the possible interaction between xanthones and cyclins/cdks in a cell free system a biochemical based assay was performed and found to inhibit cyclinD1/CDK4 as well as other kinases. To determine the potential of MFE in an in vivo model we investigated the ability of MFE to inhibit colony formation of CWR22 and PC3 cells. MFE was found to completely inhibit colony formation of CWR22 cells at a concentration of 5 µg/mL. Next, using an athymic nude mouse model implanted with CWR22 cells mice were randomized to receive intraperitoneally the standardized mangosteen fruit extract (MFE) or placebo two times weekly with tumors measured twice weekly until tumors reached a volume of 1200 mm3. At the conclusion of the study the treatment group had a significantly smaller tumor with an average tumor volume of (143 mm3) compared to the placebo group (1135 mm3) representing an 87.5% smaller tumor in the treatment group. Based on these promising results we have evidence suggesting that MFE may be a promising agent for the prevention and/or treatment of prostate cancer. Further studies are needed to determine the potential of purified dietary xanthones from the mangosteen fruit for cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2884.


A 308-year ice core record provides new data on climate variability in coastal West Antarctica and shows that a clear warming trend has occurred in recent decades. To study climate over the past 3 centuries, Thomas et al. analyzed stable isotopes in the ice core, which provide a record of past temperatures. They observed that climate variability in coastal West Antarctica is strongly driven by sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the tropical Pacific.


Background: Vitiligo is a chronic, idiopathic, acquired pigmentary disorder which is characterized by depigmented patches on skin and mucous membranes. It affects approximately % 0.1-8.8 of the population. Different hypotheses are concerning to explain etiopathogenesis. Nowadays several studies have been keeping up about oxidative stress in vitiligo etiology. Oxidative stress is the result of overproduction or inadequate removal of reactive oxygen species. Recent studies are mainly major on antioxidants levels and lipid peroxidation product levels in blood. There is not enough evidence about the levels of protein and DNA peroxidation product levels in vitiligo patients. At this point multicentric more studies on larger population are needed to be made to prove the certain affects of these markers in vitiligo etiology.


This paper deals with some structural properties of the sequent calculus and describes strong symmetries between cut-free derivations and derivations, which do not make use of identity axioms. Both of them are discussed from a semantic and syntactic point of view. Identity axioms and cuts are closely related to the treatment of negation in the sequent calculus, so the results of this article explain some nice symmetries of negation. §


Italy possesses a unique cultural heritage that is constantly under threat from natural and anthropic risks: fire vulnerability is one of the main causes of architectural heritage destruction. The goal of this work is to propose a methodological approach to the management and preservation of historical building heritage with respect to fire safety. This approach aims to facilitate the process of analysis, design and fire management in historical buildings, using automated procedures based on HBIM (Historical BIM) processes. BIM can be used effectively in the digitization of cultural heritage: HBIM enables the three-dimensional modeling of the building by means of parametric objects, to which infographic information is associated, related to an appropriate Level of Development (LoD). A workflow process has been defined to set up a procedure for best practices which can guarantee the correct interoperability between BIM programs and fire safety design. The procedure, based on the exchange of IFC files, shows result applying analysis through Model Checking software of Model Checking and shows limited interoperability with fire safety software. The procedure has been validated through real tests and measurements, by comparing data obtained from a traditional fire prevention analysis with the data gathered from the automated procedure. The real case study is the ?Command Building? of the School of Air Warfare in Florence. Results mainly indicate that fire safety in historical buildings should always be managed using a performance-based approach (interoperability issue between HBIM and fire safety software).


Inventory record inaccuracy has significant negative impacts on the performance of inventory management. For example, it usually leads to high holding cost or large backlog penalty. To hedge against it, we investigate the robust replenishment problem for a one-vendor-and-one-retailer vendor managed inventory (VMI) system with inventory inaccuracy. The objective of this research is to minimize the average cost of the retailer, including the transportation cost, the inventory holding cost and the backlog penalty. First, we show how to compute the probability distribution of the physical inventory level in the future periods. Based on this probability distribution, the expected inventory cost (EIC) of the retailer is defined. Then a robust (r, Q) policy that is insensitive to inventory inaccuracy is proposed. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted to examine the performance of the proposed robust policy for hedging against inventory inaccuracy; and sensitivity analysis is carried out to study how the parameters of the system affect the average cost.


Purpose: Immune-related pneumonitis (IRP) has attracted extensive attention, owing to its increased mortality rate. Conventional chemotherapy (C) has been considered as an immunosuppressive agent and may thus reduce IRP's risk when used in combination with PD-1/L1 inhibitors. This study aimed to assess the risk of IRP with PD-1/L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy (I+C) versus PD-1/L1 inhibitors alone (I) in solid cancer treatment. Method: Multiple databases were searched for RCTs before January 2021. This NMA was performed among I+C, I, and C to investigate IRP's risk. Subgroup analysis was carried out on the basis of different PD-1/L1 inhibitors and cancer types. Results: Thirty-one RCTs (19,624 patients) were included. The I+C group exhibited a lower risk of IRP in any grade (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38–0.95) and in grade 3–5 (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.21–0.92) as opposed to the I group. The risk of any grade IRP with PD-1 plus chemotherapy was lower than that with PD-1 monotherapy (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28–0.89), although grade 3–5 IRP was similar. There was no statistically meaningful difference in the risk of any grade IRP between PD-L1 plus chemotherapy and PD-L1 inhibitors monotherapy (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.43–2.09) or grade 3–5 IRP (RR, 0.71;95% CI, 0.24–2.07). In addition, compared with the I group, the I+C group was correlated with a decreased risk in IRP regardless of cancer type, while a substantial difference was only observed in NSCLC patients for grade 3–5 IRP (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.15–0.98). Conclusion: In comparison to PD-1/L1 inhibitor treatment alone, combining chemotherapy with PD-1/L1 inhibitors might reduce the risk of IRP in the general population. Furthermore, PD-1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy were correlated with a decreased risk of IRP compared to PD-1 inhibitor treatment alone. In contrast to the I group, the I+C group exhibited a lower risk of IRP, especially for NSCLC patients.


Online shopping becomes apart of lifestylefor Indonesian. It leads to the business in this sector is prospective . The purpose of this paper is to find out how seller, institution, and experience-based online trust-building mechanisms affect customers trusts in e-marketplace and e-se//er of emarketp/ace, which shape the repurchase intentions. According to research finding using 380 respondent s, the perceived usefulness of seller and institutional-based mechanisms affect trust in e-marketplace. Meanwhile, the seller and experience-based mechanism influence the trust in e-seller of e-marketplace. Thus, both of the trusts influence repurchase intentions.


Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) is widely used for assessing the quality of teaching process and instructor performance but the validity of ratings is controversial (Irby et al., 1987). We hypothesized that specific personal characteristics of medical students may affect their SET ratings. The study was prospectively performed in students attending Internal Medicine (7th and 8th semester of the 6-year programme) at the Athens University Medical School. During the 7th semester, students come in touch with clinical medicine for the first time in their career (156 teaching hours, 50% in small groups in the wards of the Internal Medicine Department). During the 8th semester (126 teaching hours, 50% in wards) students have previous experience of the teaching process and the subject of Internal Medicine. Examinations take place at the end of each semester; therefore, the obtained grade for the 7th semester is known at end of the 8th semester. Participating students filled in anonymous questionnaires at the end of each semester. In addition to SET, visual analogue scales regarding their initial expectations from the teaching process, interest on the educational subject, self-perception of 'student quality' and ambition as a future professional physician were obtained, whereas the 7th semester's exam grade was recorded. Analysis of 446 questionnaires (comparable results across the three academic years with median participation rate of 91%) showed that a higher initial interest in the subject of teaching was consistently associated with higher SET ratings (p5 0.0005). A trend for granting lower SET ratings by students with lower initial expectations and worst examination performance in the previous semester (p : 0.080 and p : 0.069, respectively) was found, suggesting that more 'indifferent' towards their education students evaluate the educational process in a 'stricter' manner. In contrast, gender, individual ambition status and the degree of self-perception of quality as a student did not influence SET ratings. Taken together, these data suggest a correlation between effective student learning and better evaluation of teaching. Higher exam grades imply increased student learning, as a result of effective teaching during the semester. Thus, increased student learning leads to student satisfaction, which in turn leads to higher SET ratings.


The risk of a brain abscess is a complication of odontogenic infection that is rarely considered by physicians and little spoken of, yet treating dental infections may avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. We report a case of 7-year-old boy with a brain abscess secondary to a dental infection. He was immediately taken to the operating theatre for drainage and cleaning of the abscess. A dental examination revealed root abscesses on temporary molars, which were extracted under general anaesthetic. Two months after his admission, the child was switched to oral antibiotherapy and could return home. A brain abscess represents a life-threatening disease. Childhood brain abscess is uncommon but may be encountered by all physicians and students as a clinical emergency. It is indispensable that physicians finding symptoms similar to those in this case study refer the patient for emergency care and that possible dental foci of infection be assessed, whether or not the patient is being followed for dental care.


4293 Tamoxifen is widely prescribed as hormonal therapy for breast cancer and as a chemopreventative. Tamoxifen binds to estrogen receptor (ER) and antagonizes estrogen-mediated breast cancer growth. Despite the benefits of tamoxifen, almost all tamoxifen-responsive patients develop resistance to therapy. Selenium is an essential micronutrient currently in clinical trials for cancer prevention. Recent evidence now demonstrates the potential of utilizing selenium in a new way: as a novel therapy for overt cancer through combination with well-established chemotherapeutic and hormonal agents. We previously showed that organic selenium disrupts ERα signaling via downregulation of ERα and that selenium potentiates tamoxifen efficacy in tamoxifen-sensitive breast cancer cells and restored tamoxifen sensitivity in tamoxifen-resistant cells. The present work extends these studies to examine the effects of selenium + tamoxifen on apoptosis and growth of human breast cancer xenografts. Methylseleninic acid (MSA, 10 μM), a nontoxic, monomethylated form of selenium, but not 4-hydroxytamoxifen (10-7M), induced apoptosis of tamoxifen-sensitive MCF-7 cells and -resistant MCF-7-LCC2 cells in vitro as measured by quantitation of histone-associated DNA fragments. Remarkably, addition of tamoxifen to MSA resulted in synergistic apoptosis in both cell lines. In both MCF7 and MCF7-LCC2 cells, MSA and MSA + tamoxifen activated Bim, cytochrome-C, PARP, and caspases 7, 8, 9 but not caspases 2, 6, 10, 12 as measured by Western blot. Inhibitors of caspase 8 (Z-IETD-FMK, 20 μM) and 9 (Z-LEHD-FMK, 20 μM) blocked MSA + tamoxifen induced apoptosis. These data support a model in which MSA or MSA + tamoxifen activate the intrinsic, mitochondrial apoptotic pathway with cross-talk to caspase 8. Methylselenocysteine (MSC) was used in in vivo studies for reasons of efficacy, lack of toxicity, and recent approval for human clinical trials. 5 x 106 MCF-7 cells were bilaterally injected into mammary fat pads of ovariectomized nu/nu mice and implanted with an estradiol pellet (0.72 mg) until palpable tumor (10 days). At day 10, administration of either MSC (100 μg/mouse/day IP) or tamoxifen (5 mg implant) for an additional 30 days did not significantly alter estrogen-stimulated tumor growth. However, co-administration of MSC with tamoxifen completely suppressed growth of MCF-7 tumors. These data indicate that elevated apoptosis may underlie synergistic growth inhibition of breast cancer by combination of organic selenium with tamoxifen. Combination of selenium with tamoxifen may delay the onset of tamoxifen resistance while simultaneously improving therapeutic efficacy.


Scientists play important roles in conducting public engagement, but evidence shows that scientists perceive great challenges in doing so. Drawing broadly from the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examines factors predicting scientists' willingness to conduct public engagement. This study further examines how perceived behavioral control (PBC) of conducting public engagement would moderate the relationships between the proposed predictors and scientists' willingness to conduct public engagement. Using survey data collected from 706 scientists based in Singapore, this study found that attitude toward and personal norms of conducting public engagement, as well as PBC, significantly predicted scientists' willingness to conduct public engagement. Notably, PBC interacted with attitude toward conducting public engagement, the perceived descriptive norms, the perceived positive media influence, and the perceived negative external norms of conducting public engagement, as well as personal norms of conducting public engagement to predict scientists' willingness to conduct public engagement. We postulated the key role that the perception of the ease or difficulty plays in motivating scientists to conduct the skill-intensive endeavor explains the significant moderating effects. The theoretical implications on the TPB and the practical implications for public engagement are further discussed.


Abstract Philip Kan Gotanda's I Dream of Chang and Eng (2011) is a fictional imagining of the lives of the conjoined Siamese twins Chang and Eng who lived in the United States in the nineteenth century (1811-1874). The play dramatizes the twins' ascent from monstrosity to social acceptance. Gotanda draws on the transformation of the twins' status from the exotic poor aliens to the naturalized Americans who own plantations and black slaves and are married to white women at a time in which naturalization of ethnic immigrants was prohibited and interracial marriage was a taboo. This study utilizes Michael Omi and Howard Winant's racial formation theory and a disability studies framework to analyze Gotanda's play, proposing that the mutation of the image of Chang and Eng and the redefinition of their disability provide early examples of America's paradoxical treatment of race and body to serve cultural, national, and political tendencies. The intersection between race and disability in the case of Chang and Eng questions, disturbs, and alters racial and body hierarchies, and confirms that both race and disability are social constructs that take different shapes and meanings in different socio-political contexts.


This work aimed to confirm previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting the somatic cell score (SCS) in dairy cattle on Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 4 and 26. A granddaughter design with selective genotyping was implemented that included half-sib families from 12 male lines of Italian Holstein cattle. The animals were genotyped for 5 microsatellite markers each on regions of BTA 4 (average marker spacing 9.42 cM) and BTA 26 (average marker spacing 5.26 cM), previously reported by other authors as carrying QTL for somatic cell count. Quantitative trait loci analyses were performed using interval mapping by regressing sire breeding values for SCS onto genotype probabilities at 1-cM intervals along the 2 chromosome regions. Breeding values for SCS were estimated for the whole population using a test-day repeatability animal model. Results were not significant on a chromosome basis, but a possible QTL was found at BM4505 on BTA 26, confirming this region for further studies of QTL affecting SCS in the Italian Holstein population.


The ethanol extract of Betel leaf ( Piper betle L.), an indigenous climber plant of Bangladesh was screened for its antibacterial activity against some foodborne pathogens viz. Vibrio cholerae ATCC 6395 , E. coli ATCC 25922 ,  E. coli O157:H7 NCTC 12049, Shigella dysenteriae- 1 MJ-84 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Experimental  findings revealed that the ethanol extract of betel leaves potentially inhibit the growth of these foodborne  pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was ranged from 0.625% (w/v) to 0.75% (w/v). The  ethanol extract of betel leaf showed the highest MIC values for E. coli ATCC 25922 (0.625 mm), Vibrio cholera ATCC 6395 (0.625 mm), and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (0.625 mm). It was revealed that the antibacterial  activity was highest at around neutral pH and at moderate temperature. The highest temperature (100°C)  and the pH (10.0) treated ethanol extract showed a little less activity than the maximum activity at moderate  temperature and at neutral pH, suggesting that the ethanol extract of the betel leaf was to some extent high  temperature and high pH tolerant. The ethanol extract of betel leaf might have a potential application as  natural food preservative to improve the microbiological safety of the foods. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v28i2.11817 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 28, Number 2, December 2011, pp 58-63


BACKGROUND
Gadolinium is an alternative angiographic contrast agent in patients with impaired renal function and high risk for iodinated contrast adverse reaction. We report two cases of acute renal failure caused by gadolinium (0.6 and 0.9 mmol/kg of body weight) after the execution of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to produce diagnostic-quality images in two elderly diabetic patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency. Both patients needed dialysis treatments for as long as a few weeks until their renal function improved. In our opinion, and according to the guidelines of European Society of Urogenital Radiology, gadolinium has not been assessed as less nephrotoxic than iodinated contrast agents. In fact, 1.8 to 4.8 g of iodine, equally attenuated with a relatively high dose (0.2 to 0.4 mmol) of a gadolinium chelate, is a low iodine dose and could hardly have any important nephrotoxic effects.

CONCLUSIONS
The maximum dose of gadolinium-based contrast agents should never exceed 0.2 to 0.4 mmol/kg in azotemic patients who are undergoing DSA, even though these doses of gadolinium may not provide images of suitable quality for diagnosis and intervention.


ABSTRACT Victims of workplace mobbing show diverse coping behavior. We investigated the impact of this behavior on bystander cognitions, emotions, and helping toward the victim, integrating coping literature with attribution theory. Adult part-time university students (N = 161) working at various organizations participated in a study with a 3(Coping: approach/avoidance/neutral) × 2(Gender Victim: male/female) × 2(Gender Bystander: male/female) design. Victims showing approach (vs. avoidance) coping were considered to be more self-reliant and less responsible for the continuation of the mobbing, and they elicited less anger. Continuation responsibility and self-reliance mediated the relationship between the victim's coping behavior and bystanders' helping intentions. Female (vs. male) participants reported more sympathy for the victim and greater willingness to help, and female (vs. male) victims elicited less anger. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.


The quality and purity of honey are generally indicated by the physicochemical properties including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) level, a neo-formed contaminant with genotoxic potential. The concentration of HMF in honey usually increases as storage duration prolonged. This study investigated the differences in the physicochemical properties and the HMF concentration of fresh (stored within six months) and aged (stored for four years) tualang honey (TH), as well as the correlation between these two main parameters. Each of the physicochemical properties of TH was evaluated using standard established protocols. Meanwhile, the determination of HMF concentrations was conducted using High Performance Lipid Chromatography (HPLC) method. Results obtained indicated that the HMF contents in fresh TH (27 mg/kg) was found to be lower whereas aged TH sample contained greatly higher concentration (1426 mg/kg) when compared to the international recommended value of HMF for tropical honeys (< 80 mg/kg). The physicochemical properties (pH, free acids, lactones, total acidity and moisture content) of TH showed significant correlation with HMF concentration. These parameters could be used as rapid assessments for TH quality from different storage periods. The current findings suggest that there were significant modifications in the chemical reactions between TH of different storage durations. TH stored for four years might be not suitable and safe for human consumption.
Keywords: physicochemical properties, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, aged honey, storage duration