We report the discovery, spectroscopic confirmation and preliminary characterisation of 24 gravitationally lensed quasars identified using Gaia observations. Candidates were selected in the Pan-STARRS footprint with quasar-like WISE colours or as photometric quasars from SDSS, requiring either multiple detections in Gaia or a single Gaia detection near a morphological galaxy. The Pan-STARRS grizY images were modelled for the most promising candidates and 60 candidate systems were followed up with the William Herschel Telescope. 13 of the lenses were discovered as Gaia multiples and 10 as single Gaia detections near galaxies. We also discover 1 lens identified through a quasar emission line in an SDSS galaxy spectrum. The lenses have median image separation 2.13 arcsec and the source redshifts range from 1.06 to 3.36. 4 systems are quadruply-imaged and 20 are doubly-imaged. Deep CFHT data reveal an Einstein ring in one double system. We also report 12 quasar pairs, 10 of which have components at the same redshift and require further follow-up to rule out the lensing hypothesis. We compare the properties of these lenses and other known lenses recovered by our search method to a complete sample of simulated lenses to show the lenses we are missing are mainly those with small separations and higher source redshifts. The initial Gaia data release only catalogues all images of ~ 30% of known bright lensed quasars, however the improved completeness of Gaia data release 2 will help find all bright lensed quasars on the sky.


BPSA and proPSA are distinct molecular forms of free PSA in serum. BPSA is a form of free PSA that is associated with BPH. The inactive precursor of PSA, proPSA, is associated with prostate tumors. ProPSA is comprised of native proPSA as well as truncated proPSA forms, [-2]pPSA and [-4]pPSA, which have been shown to be more cancer-associated than native proPSA. We have developed highly specific and sensitive research immunoassays for BPSA, and the different forms of proPSA. Free PSA in prostate cancer serum contains a median of 28% BPSA and 32% proPSA, though each form of PSA can range from 0 to more than 50% in individual samples. Early studies revealed that proPSA significantly increases the specificity for prostate cancer, especially in the 2-4 ng/ml PSA range. It is estimated that 20-30% of men with PSA values from 2-4 ng/ml have prostate cancer. In the 2.5-4 ng/ml PSA range proPSA gave a receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.636 compared with free PSA (0.506) and complex PSA (0.509). At 90% sensitivity the specificity for proPSA was 25% compared to 10% for %FPSA and cPSA (P = < 0.001). ProPSA was superior to %FPSA and complexed PSA in the 4-10 ng/ml PSA range (AUC = 0.689, 0.637 and 0.538, respectively). ProPSA represents a more cancer-specific form of PSA that better discriminates prostate cancer from BPH.


Honesty in scientific publication is critical for scientific advancement, but dishonesty is commonly and increasingly observed in misconduct and other questionable practices. Focusing on dishonest conformity in peer review, in which authors unwillingly obey referees' instructions in order to have their papers accepted even if the instructions contradict the authors' scientific belief, the current study aims to investigate the determinants of dishonesty. Drawing on survey data of Japanese life scientists, this study shows that the conflict between authors and referees in peer review is common. A majority of scientists follow referees' instructions rather than refute them. The results suggest that conformity occurs more frequently (1) in biology than in medicine and agriculture, (2) when authors are in strong scientific competition, (3) if authors are associate professors rather than full professors, (4) if authors have no foreign research experience, and (5) in low-impact journals rather than in medium-impact journals.


Background: Six months of loss followed by gradual regain to baseline is descriptive of most weight loss attempts.Purpose: This study sought to identify thoughts and feelings accompanying weight loss that might explain the phenomenon.Methods: Thoughts, feelings, and body weight were measured weekly for 6 months in 41 women receiving behavioral treatment for obesity.Results: Overall, the weight loss experience of these women was positive, requiring modest time and effort and being associated with more positive than negative thoughts and experiences. Over time, however, positive but not negative reactions to the weight loss experience decreased, as did the strength of beliefs that the benefits of weight loss were worth the effort. In addition, we found no relation between the women's perception of effort and weight loss results.Conclusions: Inadequate long-term rewards for behaviors needed for weight control may be an important cause of frequent weight loss failures.


Serving the Reich tells the story of physics under Hitler. While some scientists tried to create an Aryan physics that excluded any 'Jewish ideas', many others made compromises and concessions as they continued to work under the Nazi regime. Among them were world-renowned physicists Max Planck, Peter Debye and Werner Heisenberg. After the war most scientists in Germany maintained they had been a political or even resisted the regime: Debye claimed that he had gone to America in 1940 to escape Nazi interference in his research; Heisenberg and others argued that they had deliberately delayed production of the atomic bomb. In a gripping exploration of moral choices under a totalitarian regime, here are human dilemmas, failures to take responsibility and three lives caught between the idealistic goals of science and a tyrannical ideology.


This paper proposes the hand contour detector which is robust to noises. Existing methods reduce noises by applying morphology to extracted edges, detect finger tips by using the center of hands, or exploit the intersection of curves from hand area candidates based on J-value segmentation(JSEG). However, these approaches are so vulnerable to noises that are prone to detect non-hand parts. We propose the noise tolerant hand contour detection method in which non-skin area noises are removed by applying skin area detection, contour detection, and a threshold value. By using the implemented system, we observed that the system was successfully able to detect hand contours.


Background Increasing chemical nematicide and fertilizer application has disturbed the natural balance and increased human health risks, which in turn compelled and increased the urgency to discover novel and more safe and effective biological tools to control root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) distributed throughout Egypt. Objective Isolation and screening of rhizobacteria from soil samples was the first step. The second step was the evaluation of the isolated rhizobacteria capability as nematicides under laboratory and screenhouse conditions. The third was to employ protoplast fusion as genetic technique to improve the nematicidal effect of rhizobacterial bacteria strains and comparison between parent and fusant protein profiles to analyze the genetic recombination among them. Materials and methods Serial dilution method was used to isolate rhizobacteria on Tryptic Soy Agar plates. The evaluation test against M. incognita J2 of bacterial isolates was achieved under laboratory conditions and nematode parameters under screenhouse. The most potent rhizobacteria were exposed to molecular identification using 16s rDNA sequencing. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp tenebrionis (Bt) was evaluated for the first time as a bioagent that acted as a nematicide. Protoplast fusion was employed between the most potent bacterial strain, Bacillus cereus (Bc) and B. thuringiensis subsp tenebrionis (Bt). Selection of bacterial fusants was achieved on complete media containing selectable antibiotics marker. Parental and fusant strains were evaluated against J2 under laboratory and screenhouse conditions and their ability in plant-growth promotion by assessment of plant parameters. SDS-PAGE analysis was used to analyze protein profiles. Results and conclusion Out of 15 bacterial isolates, NRC12 recorded the highest percentage mortality 88.3% after 24 h compared with control. NRC12 was identified as B. cereus NRC12 (Bc) and deposited in Genbank under accession number MW548408. Protoplast fusion between B. cereus (Bc) and B. thuringiensis (Bt) resulted in formation of 10 stable bacterial fusants that gave higher nematicidal effect compared with parental strains. Bacterial fusant, F7, achieved the highest mortality and reduction in J2 in soil by 98.3 and 87.19% under laboratory and screenhouse conditions, respectively. The highest reduction in the number of galls and egg masses on root system was also recorded by F7 with 77.18 and 72.35%, respectively, compared with its parents. Also, F7 registered the highest significant (P≤0.05) increment in length, fresh weight, and dry weights in the shoot system of eggplant in pot experiments. The bacterial fusant, F7, exhibited more ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen compared with bacterial parents. Protein profile of F7 proved that this fusant was the only one that acquired equal protein bands from each parent. The highest frequency of genetic recombination might occur in F7 and subsequently, induced effective nematicidal effect more than its parents.


Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disease which affects many young adults. Often thought of as a disease that causes physical disabilities, the impact that cognitive symptoms have on patients has only recently been acknowledged. The research presented in this thesis examined cognitive symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Specifically, the thesis focused on one cognitive ability known as inhibitory control. The aim of the thesis was to better understand this cognitive symptom, with a view to informing the development of therapeutic interventions which may result in improved quality of life for patients.


Some theoretical and practical aspects of the application of transmission microdiffraction (µXRD) to thin sections (≤30 µm thickness) of samples fixed or deposited on substrates are discussed. The principal characteristic of this technique is that the analysed micro-sized region of the thin section is illuminated through the substrate (tts-µXRD). Fields that can benefit from this are mineralogy, petrology and materials sciences since they often require in situ lateral studies to follow the evolution of crystalline phases or to determine new crystal structures in the case of phase transitions. The capability of tts-µXRD for performing structural studies with synchrotron radiation is shown by two examples. The first example is a test case in which tts-µXRD intensity data of pure aerinite are processed using Patterson-function direct methods to directly solve the crystal structure. In the second example, tts-µXRD is used to study the transformation of laumonite into a new aluminosilicate for which a crystal structure model is proposed.


BACKGROUND
Surgical site infections (SSIs) continue to occur at an unacceptably high rate, incurring direct costs of up to $10 billion per year in the United States and far more than that in total economic costs. There is a continued need to identify potential sources of microbial contamination that lead to surgical infections.

METHODS
Using contact culture plates, we randomly took a total of 517 samples of various surfaces in 33 operating rooms (ORs) over a 6-mo period.

RESULTS
Flat surfaces treated with decontamination techniques (floors, anesthesia carts, operating tables, and other flat surfaces) grew small numbers of bacterial colonies, as did other surfaces that were decontaminated less often. Personal items, especially the tops of shoes and personal hats, had much higher contamination than the surfaces just described, which in the case of these two items averaged 50-60 CFU/20 cm(2). The outsides of face masks contained slightly more organisms than did floors, but the insides had almost 100 times more organisms, which was of concern because of high leakage rates at the mask-face interface.

CONCLUSIONS
The culture system used in our study can be used as a simplified and cost-effective method of identifying the comparative densities of organisms on different surfaces for surveillance of microbial contamination in the OR. To reduce bacterial contamination, shoe covers and disposable hair coverings should be worn at every operation in which there are substantial risks of SSI. Masks that reduce leakage at the mask-face interface should be worn and discarded after each operation.


AbstractIn medicine, cognitive errors form the basis of bias in clinical practice. Several types of bias are common and pervasive, and may lead to inaccurate diagnosis or treatment. Forensic and clinical neurology, even when aided by current technologies, are still dependent on cognitive interpretations, and therefore prone to bias. This article discusses 4 common biases that can lead the clinician astray. They are confirmation bias (selective gathering of and neglect of contradictory evidence); base rate bias (ignoring or misusing prevailing base rate data); hindsight bias (oversimplification of past causation); and good old days bias (the tendency for patients to misremember and exaggerate their preinjury functioning). We briefly describe strategies adopted from the field of psychology that could minimize bias. While debiasing is not easy, reducing such errors requires awareness and acknowledgment of our susceptibility to these cognitive distortions.


Link quality measurement (LQM), i.e. packet reception ratio (PRR) measurement, is becoming an indispensable component in multihop wireless networks. However, in all the existing LQM mechanisms, a common fact is that a node's knowledge about the forward PRR from itself to its neighbor is informed by the neighbor. On the one hand, this receiver- dependent measurement provides accurate and timely updates on the link quality. On the other hand, it opens up a door for a malicious node to easily report a false measurement result to mislead the routing decision and degrade the system performance. In this paper, we analyze the security vulnerabilities in the existing LQM mechanisms and propose an efficient broadcast- based secure LQM (SLQM) mechanism, which prevents the malicious receiver from reporting a higher PRR than the actual one. We analyze the security strength and the cost of the proposed mechanism. Simulation results show that even when there are only 10% malicious nodes in the network, the average end-to-end throughput can be degraded by 50% compared with the normally operated network, which demonstrates the importance of employing SLQM mechanisms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work addressing the SLQM problem in multihop wireless networks.


We extended the limits of standard jaw and neck dissection in large tumors of the oropharynx with extension to the soft and hard palate. Resection of the primary tumor with adequate margins and the lymphatics of the infratemporal fossa is required for tumor control in these extensive lesions. Splitting the lip in the midline and developing a large cervicofacial flap gives an excellent exposure to the region. The resection includes the hemimandible and the soft tissues of the intratemporal fossa. The internal carotid artery is followed to the skull base and all structures medial to this vessel, including the cartilaginous portion of the eustachian tube and the external carotid, are included in the en bloc specimen. The resection of the posterior maxilla, pterygoid plate, and palate may vary according to tumor size. The surgical defect is usually reconstructed with a pectoralis myocutaneous flap.


'Morris Heading' collards were transplanted 18 May near Benson, NC. Treatment plots were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. Plots consisted of single rows 10 ft long on 42-in centers. Treatments were applied using a CO2 pressurized backpack sprayer with a single hollow cone nozzle delivering 100 gal/acre at 40 Ib/in2 Applicaions were made on 1, 9, 16, 23, and 30 June, 7, 14, 21, and 28 July, and 4 Aug. Biweekly evaluations for target pests were conducted beginning on 1 June.


Thoracic injuries, specifically rib fractures, are prevalent in motor vehicle crashes and are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Rib fractures present in a variety of patterns, ranging in severity from minor to severe. The number of fractures also contributes to the injury assessment; as fracture number increases, severity increases. Research regarding relationships between a rib's structural properties and fracture characteristics is lacking; therefore, the objective of this study was to identify relationships of fracture characteristics with structural properties in human ribs subjected to anterior-posterior loading to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of thoracic injury and improving injury risk assessment. Ribs (n=347) were impacted in a dynamic bending scenario representing a frontal thoracic impact. Fracture characteristics (location, classification, number, and severity) were analyzed utilizing a new classification system. Structural properties (peak and yield force, %peak and yield displacement, linear structural stiffness, total energy, plastic energy, and ductility/brittleness) were calculated from test data for each rib and their relationships with fracture characteristics were assessed. Three structural properties (%peak displacement, total energy, and plastic energy) were found to have significant differences with all fracture characteristics except fracture location. However, the significant differences were only found in specific comparisons within each fracture characteristic. Fracture location was only found to have a significant relationship with %peak displacement.


Maintenance of cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis is critical for membrane architecture, protein localization, and protein trafficking. Dysregulation can lead to severe health concerns including obesity, diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Vital to the management of lipid molecules are the sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) family of transcription factors, which transcribe more than 30 genes controlling lipid homeostasis. The activation of SREBP is tightly regulated through association with SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP). When sterol levels are high, SCAP maintains SREBP in the endoplasmic reticulum. As sterol concentrations are reduced, SCAP escorts SREBP to the Golgi apparatus where it is activated. Liver-specific knockout of SCAP results in a 70-80% decrease in lipid biosynthesis and germline knockout is hypothesized to be embryonic lethal. Nonetheless, how SCAP recognizes and restricts the location of SREBP is relatively unknown. Structural insight to this protein-protein interface may yield future drug targets; however, their large molecular mass makes them challenging. We hypothesize both CTDs can be functionally produced in vitro to investigate the complex affinity, stoichiometry, and architecture. So far, we have recombinantly produced milligram quantities of both proteins. Circular dichroism and 1D NMR spectroscopy support in vitro SCAP refolding into a β-propeller fold. In contrast to previously published suggestions of a seven-bladed propeller motif, our sequence analysis and homology modeling support an eight-bladed architecture. Both X-ray crystallography and NMR are currently being pursued to elucidate the SCAP structure. In conclusion, recombinant expression of SCAP and SREBP is feasible and future research will use a combined biochemical and cell-based approach to determine the complex affinity, dynamics, and binding interface.


In modern supply chains, stakeholders with varying degrees of autonomy and intelligence compete against each other in a constant effort to establish beneficiary contracts and maximize their own revenue. In such competitive environments, entities-software agents being a typical programming paradigm-interact in a dynamic and versatile manner, so each action can cause ripple reactions and affect the overall result. In this article, the authors argue that the utilization of data mining primitives could prove beneficial in order to analyze the supply-chain model and identify pivotal factors. They elaborate on the benefits of data mining analysis on a well-established agent supply-chain management network, both at a macro and micro level. They also analyze the results and discuss specific design choices in the context of agent performance improvement.


We consider a wireless networked, sensor-driven lighting system as an enabling infrastructure for providing system solutions and services in intelligent buildings. The lighting system in an office space consists of multiple luminaires, with each luminaire having a co-located presence sensor, light sensor, and wireless radio for communication to a central controller. Information from these wireless sensors is used for realizing three specific solutions and services: 1) adaptive illumination control; 2) indoor positioning; and 3) building usage information maps. Using occupancy and light measurements from the multiple sensors, a multivariable controller is designed to determine dimming levels of the luminaires so as to achieve an illumination distribution adapted to changing occupancy and daylight. The wireless sensor transmissions to the central controller are captured by a user mobile device in terms of radio signal strength measurements. Using these measurements, the user position is determined by a device-centric positioning algorithm, in turn offering access to location-based building services to the user. Finally, sensor values at the central controller are stored in a database and processed by an analytics engine to offer building usage information services. As an embodiment service, we use presence sensor data for constructing occupancy maps and, in conjunction with light sensor data, to analyze the energy consumption patterns of lighting systems.


An electrochemical thermocell realizes thermal to electric energy conversion when two electrodes operate the same reversible reaction but at different temperatures. Its Seebeck coefficient is determined by the entropy change of the redox reaction. Here we report a thermocell containing acetone and iso-propanol as the redox couple, which can achieve the highest reported Seebeck coefficient of −9.9 mV K−1 when the hot side is above the boiling point of acetone. Vaporization entropy of acetone increases the total entropy change in the conversion of iso-propanol to acetone. In addition, a concentration gradient of acetone caused by evaporation and condensation increases the cell voltage significantly. Stable performance of the thermocell is enabled by a Pt−Sn catalyst operating in a neutral pH electrolyte solution. The possibility of utilizing a liquid−gas phase change to increase the Seebeck coefficient of thermocells opens a new venue for exploration.


Roads and parking areas represent a place of conflict between freight vehicles and other urban activities, especially on mixed residential and commercial streets. This conflict results in traffic congestion, illegal parking, pollution and road safety problems. The challenge is to allocate public space between the right operating activities, parking activities, public transport and so on. To address that, urban logistics delivery bays, also known as loading/unloading (L/U) zones, have become a real solution to facilitate the delivery and pick-up operations of urban freight vehicles, ensure accessibility for delivery drivers, reduce congestion and improve road safety. Therefore, this paper reports on planning and enforcement of urban delivery bays needs. It is part of the urban freight transport (UFT) surveys. This involves consolidating with new contribution the development, implementation and statistical analysis of a survey in order to quantify the need of delivery areas. Compared to the existing literature, this paper presents a mixed applied methodology which is divided into two parts : "Exploratory survey" and "Establishment-vehicle observation" survey. These two surveys techniques were conducted to offer an overview of the freight vehicle delivery and pick-up frequency according to the daytime and weekdays and the operations related to the loading/unloading activities. This makes it possible to estimate the delivery bays requirement in the study area. The findings from a methodological and practical angle are illustrated through a real case study in a commercial street in Morocco. The findings suggest that 60% of deliveries are made between 8:00 A.M and 12 A.M, and the movements generated by each establishment are 257 movements. For this, the study zone requires the development of three loading/unloading (L/U) bays. The main contribution is to propose an approach that urban authorities can use to estimate urban delivery areas efficiently and thus allow simple replication of the proposed framework in other cities.


We consider some mathematical properties of Weyl-like quantizations based on two families of orderings of el(af+bQ): the first family, WW interpolates between Wick U = 1) and antiWick (/I = — 1) ordering, while the second family, Wco,^, interpolates between the Q-(//=!) and P-(fj.= — 1) orderings. The ordering W(o, and for Wu.o with — l</i<0 quantization is a well-defined map from the tempered distributions on phase space into the continuous linear operators from j*8 (M) into j£ (M)'. For the orderings Wu.m with 0<^<1 we have to restrict the class of wave functions from s& (IE) to a certain dense subset of it, and the resulting quantization procedure sends tempered distributions on phase space into sesquilinear forms on this subspace. For Wick ordering itself we have not been able to find any useable quantization scheme, and we doubt whether any one exists that is based on tempered distributions. We also consider questions of boundedness, and determine the matrix coefficients for the quantizations of phase space functions of radius or of angle. In particular, we consider various quantizations of the angle function in phase space.


Enhancing optical nonlinearities so that they become appreciable on the single photon level and lead to nonclassical light fields has been a central objective in quantum optics for many years. After this has been achieved in individual micro-cavities representing an effectively zero-dimensional volume, this line of research has shifted its focus towards engineering devices where such strong optical nonlinearities simultaneously occur in extended volumes of multiple nodes of a network. Recent technological progress in several experimental platforms now opens the possibility to employ the systems of strongly interacting photons, these give rise to as quantum simulators. Here we review the recent development and current status of this research direction for theory and experiment. Addressing both, optical photons interacting with atoms and microwave photons in networks of superconducting circuits, we focus on analogue quantum simulations in scenarios where effective photon-photon interactions exceed dissipative processes in the considered platforms.


In this article, a sliding mode control strategy is developed for the position tracking of a two-degree-of-freedom serial flexible link (2DOFSFL) robot. Considering that the 2DOFSFL robot usually suffers disturbances from internal friction produced by direct current motors and unknown external environment, a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) is introduced to improve the accuracy and robustness of the position tracking controller to complete practical missions. The unknown disturbances are estimated efficiently by using developed nonlinear disturbance observer. The simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for the position tracking of the 2DSFL robot.


Colorectal cancers (CRC)-and probably all cancers-are caused by alterations in genes. This includes activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). There are many ways to achieve these alterations. Oncogenes are frequently activated by point mutation, gene amplification, or changes in the promoter (typically caused by chromosomal rearrangements). TSGs are typically inactivated by mutation, deletion, or promoter methylation, which silences gene expression. About 15% of CRC is associated with loss of the DNA mismatch repair system, and the resulting CRCs have a unique phenotype that is called microsatellite instability, or MSI. This paper reviews the types of genetic alterations that can be found in CRCs and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and focuses upon the epigenetic alterations that result in promoter methylation and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). The challenge facing CRC research and clinical care at this time is to deal with the heterogeneity and complexity of these genetic and epigenetic alterations, and to use this information to direct rational prevention and treatment strategies.


This paper presents a current shaping method for torque ripple and mean air-gap radial force-shape harmonics reduction, under minimum Joule losses, used for air-born and structure-born vibration reduction in 3-phase PMSM electric drives. The main source for structure-born noise in electric powertrains is the torque ripple, while the main source for air-born noise are the radial air-gap forces. The proposed method uses a Fourier-decomposed LUT model obtained from updating the 2D electromagnetic FE model using test-bench results. Modal testing is used to update the structural model, and the vibration response on the machine full RPM range is determined using the vibration-synthesis method. The proposed current shaping algorithm is deterministic and can be used on any topology of 3-phase PMSMs. The torque and mean air-gap force harmonics that are intended for reduction can be arbitrary selected and their minimization can be fully completed if the maximum current and voltage constraint are respected. On the machine under test, vibration reduction is accomplished, especially for the mechanical orders that interact with the second mode-shape.


Lactoferrin is contained in cytoplasmic granules of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Upon centrifugation, it sediments in a band of granules that also contain 50% of the lysozyme activity. This granule class is distinct from others associated with alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase. The granules are latent for lactoferrin as only lysed granules have the capacity specifically to inhibit antigen binding by anti-lactoferrin serum.


Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying is a relatively new high rate deposition process that uses a supersonic gas flow to accelerate fine powder particles (micron size) above a critical velocity. Upon impact, the particles deform plastically and bond to the substrate to form a coating. In this study, nanocrystalline Al-Mg coatings are produced using the Cold Spray technology. In an attempt to improve the understanding and optimize the process, the effects of substrate preparation and substrates thickness on the overall quality of the coatings are investigated. Two different grit materials are used to prepare the substrates with simple grit-blasting. Results show that the use of different grit sizes leads to changes in the mass deposited on the substrate (deposition efficiency) but has no significant effect on the coating microstructure. Other trials are conducted on samples of different thickness to verify the applicability of the Cold Spray process on thin surfaces. Results show that the Cold Spray process can be used to produce coatings on thin surfaces without noticeable damage to the substrate and with the same coating quality.


By plasma clot suture it has been found possible in certain cases to effect better restoration of the anatomic relationships of nerve stumps with less trauma to them than with the aid of silk.1However, owing largely to imperfections in technic, our earlier experiments were not uniformly successful. It soon became clear that plasma clot was suitable as suture material only when the nerve ends could be united without tension. It developed that further requisites for satisfactory suture by means of a plasma clot are: freedom from hemorrhage and contusion around the site of suture; procurement of flat, smooth contact surfaces of the nerve stumps so that satisfactory coaptation of fibers can be obtained, and the use of a removable mold which permits the plasma to surround uniformly the entire site of suture. The results of our efforts to bring about these favorable conditions for plasma clot suture of


To achieve a zero emission of water with nutrients and plant protection products, recirculation of water in the greenhouse system is obligatory and discharge should be minimized. In this study it was investigated if applied cleaning products may accumulate to harmful concentrations and hamper plant growth. An enquiry amongst growers gave insights in the use of various products. This enquiry showed that most products are used in low concentrations to remove biofilm from piping. Laboratory tests have been executed to investigate if a side effect could be seen to eliminate pathogens. It appeared that the applied, low, concentrations to clean the pipework had no side effect in eliminating of pathogens. In a greenhouse experiment it appeared that sodium, chloride and chlorate can potentially accumulate, while chelates are partly broken down. Measurements at commercial gerbera farms showed that no accumulation took place to harmful concentrations.


This paper discusses a solution to the problems posed by sensor resource allocation in an adaptive, distributed radar array. We have formulated a variant of the classic resource allocation problem, called the setting-based resource allocation problem, which reflects the challenges posed in domains in which sensors have multiple settings, each of which could be useful to multiple tasks. Further, we have implemented a solution to this problem that takes advantage of the locality of resources and tasks that is common to such domains. This solution involves translating tasks and possible resource configurations into bids that can be solved by a modified combinatorial auction, thus allowing us to make use of recent developments in the solution of such auctions. We have also developed an information-theoretic procedure for accomplishing this translation, which models the effect various sensor settings would have on the network's output


The near field dynamics of buoyant reactive jets with adjacent sidewalls is investigated by time-dependent three-dimensional direct simulations. The physical problem is a fuel jet issuing vertically into an oxidant ambient environment in a corner configuration with sidewall boundaries. Simulation results are presented for two cases with different jet nozzle geometries: a corner-round reactive jet and a corner-square reactive jet with the same cross-sectional area on the nozzle plane. Buoyancy-induced large vortical structures evolve spatially in the flow field and transition to turbulence occurs downstream. Calculation of the mean flow properties shows that entrain ment of the corner-round jet is stronger than that of the corner-square jet due to the stronger vortex deformation in the corner-round case.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative force in communication and messaging strategy, with potential to disrupt traditional approaches. Large language models (LLMs), a form of AI, are capable of generating high-quality, humanlike text. We investigate the persuasive quality of AI-generated messages to understand how AI could impact public health messaging. Specifically, through a series of studies designed to characterize and evaluate generative AI in developing public health messages, we analyze COVID-19 pro-vaccination messages generated by GPT-3, a state-of-the-art instantiation of a large language model. Study 1 is a systematic evaluation of GPT-3's ability to generate pro-vaccination messages. Study 2 then observed peoples' perceptions of curated GPT-3-generated messages compared to human-authored messages released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), finding that GPT-3 messages were perceived as more effective, stronger arguments, and evoked more positive attitudes than CDC messages. Finally, Study 3 assessed the role of source labels on perceived quality, finding that while participants preferred AI-generated messages, they expressed dispreference for messages that were labeled as AI-generated. The results suggest that, with human supervision, AI can be used to create effective public health messages, but that individuals prefer their public health messages to come from human institutions rather than AI sources. We propose best practices for assessing generative outputs of large language models in future social science research and ways health professionals can use AI systems to augment public health messaging.


Columnar cacti Trichocereus terscheckii is an important source of food and water for insects, birds and wild cattle in dry areas of North West Argentina. Their fruits have been suggested as a plausible source of food, but are not directly included in the human diet yet. Stem chemistry has long been of interest because of its hallucinogenic properties, but little is known about the nutritional value. In this work, basic nutritional composition of a mature stem was analyzed establishing moisture, total fat, ash, fiber, protein, lipidic and sugar profile. The main constituents fatty acid found in T. terscheckii were linolenic, linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids, but also a rare isomer of oleic acid was relatively abundant. This pattern did not agree with the profiles found in other species of columnar cacti. Current exploration of nutritional profiles of T. terscheckii stem provides novel information that contributes to a better understanding of this species whose slow development rate, high water storage capacity and hallucinogenic properties are features that make it especially vulnerable to an increased rate of extraction, habitat fragmentation and extensive cattle ranching.


This study examines two alternative views—universal and contingency—of the human resources (HR)-performance relationship in manufacturing settings. Results from a survey of 97 plants primarily support a contingency approach to human resource management (HRM). An HR system focused on human capital enhancement was directly related to multiple dimensions of operational performance (i.e., employee productivity, machine efficiency, and customer alignment), but subsequent analysis revealed that this main effect was predominately the result of linking human-capital-enhancing HR systems with a quality manufacturing strategy. Other manufacturing strategies also moderated the HR-performance relationship.


Summary

Diversified cropping systems can have high soil microbial biomass and thus strong potential to reduce the weed seedbank through seed decay. This study, conducted in Iowa, USA, evaluated the hypothesis that weed seed decay is higher in a diversified 4-year maize–soyabean–oat/lucerne–lucerne cropping system than in a conventional 2-year maize–soyabean rotation. Mesh bags filled with either Setaria faberi or Abutilon theophrasti seeds and soil were buried at two depths in the maize phase of the two cropping systems and sampled over a 3-year period. Setaria faberi seed decay was consistently greater at 2 cm than at 20 cm burial depth and was higher in the more diverse rotation than in the conventional rotation in 1 year. Abutilon theophrasti seeds decayed very little in comparison with seeds of S. faberi. Separate laboratory and field experiments confirmed differences in germination and seed decay among the seed lots evaluated each year. Fusarium, Pythium, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Trichoderma were the most abundant genera colonising seeds of both species. A glasshouse experiment determined a relationship between Pythium ultimum and S. faberi seed decay. Possible differences in seed susceptibility to decay indicate the need to evaluate weed seedbank dynamics in different cropping systems when evaluating overall population dynamics and formulating weed management strategies.


This study presents the numerical simulation of Navier-Stokes, energy and hydromagnetic equations to analyse two-dimensional natural convection of liquid metals subjected to transverse magnetic field. The spatio-temporal study shows that the oscillatory flow changes to steady fluid flow pattern with increase in intensity of applied magnetic field for a range of Rayleigh number (Ra) between 105 and 108. The strength of magnetic field governs the pattern formation as well as the amplitude of the velocities for any particular Rayleigh number in the above range. The amplitude of aperiodic oscillations of any dynamical variable at higher Ra gets significantly damped out, especially removal of low-power harmonics with increase in the strength of magnetic field through variation of Chandrasekhar number.


Long‐term central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential to modern pediatric oncology practice, but central line‐related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a frequent and important complication. CVC salvage is often attempted but treatment failure is common due to persistent infection, delayed catheter removal, or subsequent relapse of infection, which can be associated with significant morbidity and cost. Adjunctive antibiotic lock therapy (ALT) has been proposed to reduce the risk of treatment failure, but insufficient data are available to confirm efficacy of this intervention.


The problem of guidance control of an interceptor against a ballistic missile flying with some decoys around is studied in this paper. Before the determination of the real target, it is necessary for the interceptor to keep targets reachable as many as possible. First, the terminal guidance problem is analyzed under the complex detection circumstance, and the missile-target relative motion equations are established in the line-of-sight coordinate system. Secondly, the Kalman Filter theory is applied to estimate the missile-target relative motion information and the prediction of the targets' state information is obtained. The probability density function of the targets' position is also calculated at the final time. Thirdly, the terminal predictive guidance law is proposed, which leads the interceptor to the optimal position by predicting the optimal set of positions reachable by the interceptor at the end of the interception for the next sampling moment. Finally, the necessary simulation experiments are conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.


The omnipresence of e-services running on various instances of pervasive e-infrastructures that are fundamental to the contemporary information society generates an abundance of digital evidence. The evidence in a digital form stems from a myriad of sources ranging from stand alone computers and their volatile and non-volatile storages, to mobile small scale digital devices, network traffic, ever-present applications comprising social networks, ISP records, logs, Web pages, databases and both global and local information systems. The acquisition and the analysis of this evidence is crucial to understanding and functioning of the digital world, regardless of the positive or negative implications of the actions and the activities that generated the evidence. In the case of the later, when the evidence comes from illegal, illicit and malicious activities, the protection of digital evidence is of major concern for the law enforcement and legal institutions, namely for investigators and prosecutors. To protect the integrity of the digital evidence, a number of security methods are used. These methods differ in terms of performance, accuracy, security levels, computational complexity, potential errors and the statistical admissibility of the produced results, as well as the vulnerabilities to accidental or malicious modifications. The work presented deals with the evaluation of these security methods in order to study and understand their "goodness" and suitability to protect the integrity of the digital evidence. The immediate outcome of the evaluation is a set of recommendations to be considered for selecting the right algorithm to protect integrity of the digital evidence in general.


The relationship between running intensity and the accumulation of hypoxanthine and uric acid in plasma was studied in four well-trained runners. The runners each performed several 800-m runs at different velocities, each run being performed on separate days. Venous blood samples were collected before and at regular intervals after the runs. The concentration of hypoxanthine and uric acid was determined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in plasma extracts. A marked increase in the plasma concentration of both hypoxanthine and uric acid occurred simultaneously at intensities corresponding to 110, 108, 115 and 107% of VO2max for subject a, b, c and d, respectively. The sudden sharp increase in plasma concentration of hypoxanthine and uric acid may indicate that at a certain level of running intensity ATP catabolism exceeds the rate of ATP regeneration from the normal metabolic pathways.


Measurement of intracranial arterial blood flow velocity is a new technique with potentially a number of very useful applications. This study validates the technique by comparing it to cerebral blood flow (CBF) measured using intravenous Xenon133 and extracranial clearance recording. We have measured the middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocity in 17 symptomatic patients with the EME TC 264 transcranial Doppler velocimeter and compared these measurements to the ipsilateral hemispheric cerebral blood flow measured with an intravenous Xenon133 technique (Novo Cerebrograph 10A). Measurements were made at rest and during hypercapnia. The absolute measurement of MCA velocity and hemispheric CBF showed a poor correlation (r = 0.424, p less than 0.01) due to wide between-patient variations at rest but the blood flow response to hypercapnia, expressed as a reactivity index, showed a good correlation (r = 0.849, p less than 0.001). Thus changes in MCA velocity reliably correlate with changes in cerebral blood flow but the absolute velocity cannot be used as an indicator of CBF.


We investigate the ability of an active body (master) to manipulate a passive object (slave) purely via contactless flow-mediated mechanisms, motivated by potential applications in microfluidic devices and medicine (drug delivery purposes). We extend prior works on active–passive cylinder pairs by superimposing periodic oscillations to the master's linear motion. In a viscous fluid, such oscillations produce an additional viscous streaming field, which is leveraged for enhancing slave transport. We see that superimposing oscillations robustly improves transport across a range of Reynolds numbers. Comparison with results without oscillations highlights the flow mechanisms at work, which we capitalize on to design (master) geometries for augmented transport. These principles are found to extend to three-dimensional active–passive shapes as well.


Abstract Objectives This pilot study aimed at assessing interobserver agreement with two contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) algorithms for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. Methods Focal liver lesions in 55 high-risk patients were assessed independently by three blinded observers with two standardized CEUS algorithms: ESCULAP (Erlanger Synopsis of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Liver Lesion Assessment in Patients at risk) and ACR-CEUS-LI-RADSv.2016 (American College of Radiology CEUS-Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System). Lesions were categorized according to size and ultrasound contrast enhancement in the arterial, portal-venous and late phase. Interobserver agreement for assessment of enhancement pattern and categorization was compared between both CEUS algorithms. Additionally, diagnostic accuracy for the definitive diagnosis of HCC was compared. Histology and/or CE-MRI and follow-up served as reference standards. Results 55 patients were included in the study (male/female, 44/ 11; mean age: 65.9 years). 90.9 % had cirrhosis. Histological findings were available in 39/55 lesions (70.9 %). Reference standard of the 55 lesions revealed 48 HCCs, 2 intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinomas (ICCs), and 5 non-HCC-non-ICC lesions. Interobserver agreement was moderate to substantial for arterial phase hyperenhancement (ĸ = 0.53 – 0.67), and fair to moderate for contrast washout in the portal-venous or late phase (ĸ = 0.33 – 0.53). Concerning the CEUS-based algorithms, the interreader agreement was substantial for the ESCULAP category (ĸ = 0.64 – 0.68) and fair for the CEUS-LI-RADS® category (ĸ = 0.3 – 0.39). Disagreement between observers was mostly due to different perception of washout. Conclusion Interobserver agreement is better for ESCULAP than for CEUS-LI-RADS®. This is mostly due to the fact that perception of contrast washout varies between different observers. However, interobserver agreement is good for arterial phase hyperenhancement, which is the key diagnostic feature for the diagnosis of HCC with CEUS in the cirrhotic liver.


Introduction: The introduction of protein conjugate vaccines for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and Neisseria meningitidis (N. menigitidis) has changed the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity, and our incomplete knowledge of its pathogenesis and emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria contribute to such mortality and morbidity. An early empiric antibiotic treatment is critical for the management of patients with bacterial meningitis. Areas covered: This article gives an overview on optimal treatment strategies of bacterial meningitis, along with considerations of new insights on epidemiology, clinical and laboratory findings supportive of bacterial meningitis, chemoprophylaxis, selection of initial antimicrobial agents for suspected bacterial meningitis, antimicrobial resistance and utility of new antibiotics, status on anti-inflammatory agents and adjunctive therapy, and pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis. Expert opinion: Prompt treatment of bacterial meningitis with an appropriate antibiotic is essential. Optimal antimicrobial treatment of bacterial meningitis requires bactericidal agents able to penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB), with efficacy in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Several new antibiotics have been introduced for the treatment of meningitis caused by resistant bacteria, but their use in human studies has been limited. More complete understanding of the microbial and host interactions that are involved in the pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis and associated neurologic sequelae is likely to help in developing new strategies for the prevention and therapy of bacterial meningitis.


Background: A wide spectrum of indicators has been postulated to associate with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-2019) cases. Among which were demographic profile, latitude, humidity, temperature, and ozone concentration. Despite obtaining significant results, there is still a dearth of research exploring other substantial determinants of Covid-2019 cases. The Philippine government is currently challenged to address issues pertaining to poverty and substinence. Empirical evidence of these studies suggests how identification of potential indicators could aid in the formulation of targeted strategies to mitigate future health problems. In this study, seven socio-economic indicators were associated with Covid-2019 cases across 17 regions in the Philippines. This is a retrospective study utilizing readily accessible public data in the analysis. Socio-economic indicators used were poverty incidence, magnitude of poor families, substinence incidence, and magnitude of substinence poor population. In addition, the income, expenditure, and savings recorded per Philippine region were taken for the analysis. A single Philippine region was the sampling unit; hence, a total of 17 regions were assessed. Covid-2019 cases as of April 7, 2020 were considered for the analysis. Descriptive statistics, Kendall rank correlation, and stepwise regression were used to determine if the seven socio-economic indicators were associated with Covid-2019 cases. Substinence incidence and income were retained for the regression model, which explained 87.2 percent of the variance in the Covid-2019 cases (R2 = .872). The results indicated that for every 1,000 PhP increase in income, there was a decrease of 3.99 Covid-2019 cases in each Philippine region. Meanwhile, for every 1.0 percent increase in substinence incidence, there was an increase of 3.34 Covid-2019 cases in each Philippine region. High income and low substinence incidence are associated with significant reductions in Covid-2019 cases across the 17 regions of the Philippines. This provides additional knowledge to policy makers and health officials in formulating targeted strategies to regions that could potentially record high number of Covid-2019 cases in the future. Early identification of these high-risk regions would warrant prompt preventive measures. Given the seasonal and recurring nature of Covid-2019 with respect to previous outbreaks, it is essential for the Philippine government to formulate directed policies and innovate programs that would decrease substinence and increase income. Concerted multi-region efforts should be made to prepare for possible infection outbreaks in the future. Additional studies could be explored in the future to capture significant changes in the socio-economic indicators.


West Nile virus is widespread in southern Russia, where the fever appears annually. Since Western Kazakhstan borders on southern Russia, we examined mosquitoes in this region for the presence of West Nile virus. Virus was detected in a small proportion of Culex modestus mosquitoes (3/239 pools) and isolates are related to strains from Volgograd, Russia. A screen for West Nile virus IgG was conducted and ~5% of the local human population tested positive.


A method for computing the capacitance matrix and inductance matrix for a multiconductor transmission line in a multilayered dielectric region is presented. The number of conductors and the number of dielectric layers are arbitrary. Some of the conductors may be of finite cross section and others may be infinitesimally thin. The conductors are either above a single ground plane or between two parallel ground planes. The formulation is obtained by rising a free-space Green's function in conjunction with total charge on the conductor-to-dielectric interfaces and polarization charge on the dielectric-to-dielectric interfaces. The solution is effected by the method of moments using pulses for expansion and point matching for testing. Computed results are given for some cases where all conducting lines are of finite cross section and other cases where they are infinitesimally thin.


Summary: After EMS mutagenesis, mutants of Methylobacterium organophilum DSM 760 unable to synthesize pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) were selected among mutants which did not utilize methanol but were still able to use methylamine as growth substrate. Six different pqq genes (pqqA to pqqF) were identified by complementation analysis. The genes pqqA to pqqD, cloned in a single R' plasmid, were grouped in a 3·9 kb DN A fragment. The genes pqqA and pqqB belonged to a single transcription unit independent from the adjacent gene pqqC. The gene pqqD was contained in a short DNA segment of approximately 01 kb, separated from pqqC by a region with no apparent role in PQQ biosynthesis. Two other genes were identified: pqqE, which was closely linked to pqqD; and pqqF, located approximately 19 kb from the other genes. Directed mutagenesis by marker exchange provided chromosomal insertion mutations of these genes in M. organophilum. Attempts to express the pqq genes in two heterologous hosts, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas testosteroni, were unsuccessful, and no plasmid containing all of the pqq genes was isolated.


Variation in the diet of wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, was investigated in two contrasting habitats, deciduous and coniferous woodland, over 26 months and in 10 additional sites trapped during winter. Stomach contents were categorized as seed, fruit, green plant, root and animal material. Diet was evaluated using the percentage occurrence of each food type. Age and sex differences in diet occurred infrequently. Seed predominated throughout but was especially prevalent in autumn and winter. There was a peak in the incidence of animal material in the spring and early summer. Animal food was generally more frequent in mice caught in conifer plantations than in deciduous woodland during the longer-term study. Further, mice from the additional coniferous habitats had greater percentage occurrence of animal food than those from the additional deciduous sites. There was a negative, non-linear association between relative population size and diet in these winter samples. This suggests that spatial variation in numbers of A. sylvaticus is dictated by food availability and density is locally food limited.


This paper summarizes experimental studies of incompressible elliptic jets of different aspect ratios and initial conditions, and effects of excitations at selected frequencies and amplitudes. Elliptic jets are quite different from the extensively studied plane and circular jets - owing mainly to the fact that the azimuthal curvature variation of a vortical structure causes its non-uniform self-induction and hence complex three-dimensional deformation. Such deformation, combined with properly selected excitation can substantially alter entrainment and other turbulence phenomena, thus suggesting preference for the elliptic shape in many jet applications. The dominance of coherent structures in the jet far field is evident from the finding that switching over of the cross-section shape continues at least up to 100 equivalent diameters De. The locations and the number of switchovers are strongly dependent on the initial condition, on the aspect ratio, and, when excited, on the Strouhal number and the excitation level. We studied jets with constant exit momentum thickness θe, all around the perimeter, thus separating the effects of azimuthal variations of θe, (typical of elliptic jets) and of the shear-layer curvature. Also investigated are the instability characteristics, and enhanced entrainment caused by bifurcation as well as pairing of vortical structures. We discuss shear-layer and jet- column domains, and find the latter to be characterized by two modes : the preferred mode and the stable pairing mode - similar to those found in circular jets -both modes scaling on the newly-defined lengthscale De. The paper documents some time- average measurements and their comparison with those in circular and plane jets.


INTRODUCTION: The use of carver skis has for years been the topic of discussions and new concepts of optimal skiing technique, assuming that realizing curves (carving) should be possible only by canting the skis on their edges without the necessity of lateral sliding or turning skis. Investigations objectivizing the real effect of mechanical factors on the beginning (release) and trajectory of curves are generally interfered with by the 'biological system' of the subjects (skier).

METHODS: A mechanical apparatus (called: skiing model; see Fig. 1) was constructed which is able to pitch from one side to the other, can 'lean' forward or backward (to alter the center of gravity relative to the skis), and can be varied in respect to the angle of canting the skis (to alter the effect of the edges). Thus, the skiing model enables us to isolate the influence of different factors on carving (side cut of the ski, canting, center of force and initial speed, etc.). An exploratory study was realized on a prepared slope in a ski hall. To collect cinematographic data, the runs of the skiing model using different carver skis under distinct conditions were filmed by 2 synchronized Hi8-video-cameras. The carver's turn radius and instant of pitching were determined and compared.

RESULTS: Exceeding a critical speed, the skiing model executes constant turns. The turn radius of the skiing model and the instant of pitching to the other side are influenced by each of the above-mentioned factors. The figure (on the left) shows the trajectory of two different carver skis (side cuts with turn radius of respectively 17m and 9m).

CONCLUSIONS: Exclusively controlled by external forces in combination with the internal geometry of the skiing model, this mechanical apparatus is able to realize different turns. There is no need for muscular force and biological regulation for carving if the moving system provides the proper mechanical conditions. These results should influence the discussion about how to teach, learn and optimize skiing with carver skis.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility of three early transition metal (ETM) based alloys was assessed in vitro with agarose gel as a phantom, including Zr-20Nb, near-equiatomic (TiZrNbTa)90 Mo10 and Nb-60Ta-2Zr, together with pure tantalum and L605 Co-Cr alloy for comparison. The artifact extent in the MR image was quantitatively characterized according to the maximum area of 2D images and the total volume in reconstructed 3D images with a series of slices under acquisition by fast spin echo (FSE) sequence and gradient echo (GRE) sequence. It was indicated that the artifacts extent of L605 Co-Cr alloy with a higher magnetic susceptibility (χv ) was approximately 3-fold greater than that of the ETM-based alloys with χv in the range of 160-250 ppm. In the ETM group, the MRI compatibility of the materials can be ranked in a sequence of Zr-20Nb, pure tantalum, (TiZrNbTa)90 Mo10 and Nb-60Ta-2Zr. In addition, using a rabbit cadaver with the implanted tube specimens as a model for ex vivo assessment, it was confirmed that the artifact severity of Nb-60Ta-2Zr alloy is significantly reduced in comparison with the L605 alloy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 377-385, 2018.


Although recently the minimal invasive urological and endourological methods have been substantially improved, concerns remain about the optimal management of proximal ureteral stones. Even the European Association of Urology Guidelines are not fully clear and leave the choice of treatment method to the urologist's discretion. Both extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and ureteroscopy (URS) are accepted methods of the proximal ureteral stones management. ESWL is very often used as a first–line procedure because of its minimal invasiveness. It is proper for ureteral stones in all locations, but especially suitable for proximal (lumbar) localization because URS is considered more difficult in the upper part of the ureter.

Authors of the paper published in this issue of Central European Journal of Urology have discussed the impact of a double–J stent for the results of ESWL in ureteral lumbar stones [1]. A lot of predictors have been reported to influence ESWL outcome in the management of ureteral calculi [2]. One of them is a double–J stent. As the authors have pointed, there are conflicting opinions on the ESWL effects in the management of ureteral stones in pre–stented patients. There is a quite popular theory that the indwelling stent creates expansion space thus facilitating effects of ESWL. On the other hand many authors stress that a stent can absorb energy of shock waves, impede their propagation and energy transmission thus lowering fragmentation rate. Also, while some suggest that catheters aid fragments passage by passive dilatation of the ureter [3] others point out that double–J stents can cause uretheral oedema, irritation and diminished peristalsis delaying clearance [4].

Results reported by Pettenati et al. show that presence of a double–J stent adversely affect the results of ESWL for stones >8 mm. The main limitation of this study is its retrospective design. However, some prospective studies have also reported that pre–stenting before ESWL does not improve the procedure results. In the recent prospective randomized trial stenting prior ESWL provided no additional advantage over in–situ ESWL. There was no statistical significant difference in stone–free rates between stented and non–stented patients with upper impacted ureteral stones measuring ≤2 cm treated with ESWL (90% vs. 86.7% respectively; p = 0.346) [5]. In another prospective randomized study pre–stenting limited stone–free rates in the ESWL management 4 to 10 mm ureteral stones (68.6% vs. 83.7% for stented and non–stented groups respectively; p = 0.026) and was responsible for higher post–ESWL morbidity and lower quality of live [6].

Therefore routine stenting before ESWL for ureteral lithiasis is not recommended, but in case of complicated lithiasis (sepsis, acute obstructive pyelonephritis, renal insufficiency, severe pain) urgent decompression with a double J stent is often necessary before implementation of definitive treatment. What should be the next step in the management of ureteral stones after recovery from sepsis or any other emergency case? Should we perform ESWL or rather ureteroscopy as a definitive treatment following the double J stent placement?

The choice is controversial. Decision should be individual for each patient with a ureteral stone, especially if complicating factors co–exist. However, in my opinion Pettenati's study and other publications support the use of URS as a preferred first–line procedure in complicated lumbar ureteral stones previously managed with a double J stent. Pre–stenting makes ureteroscopy easier, improves stone–free rates and reduces complications risk [7]. With uncomplicated URS there is a higher probability of definitive stone clearance with just one procedure and the stent can be removed earlier. That is an important advantage as lower urinary tract symptoms caused by indwelling stent are noticed in up to 80% of patients. Stent–related complaints interfere with daily activities and are responsible for quality of life deterioration [3]. Patients treated with ESWL are usually not immediately stone–free and very often there is a need for repeated ESWL sessions or other additional procedures which delay definitive treatment, thus lowering the patient's quality of live and increasing costs.


Fourteen patients with persistent and severe postcibal symptoms following vagotomy and pyloroplasty for duodenal ulcer had the pylorus reconstructed. A dumping provocation test was useful in patient selection and evaluation of results. When assessed between 6 months and 3 years after operation, nine patients had an excellent or good result and three were improved. Surgical technique is relatively simple and the operation should be considered and practised more often than it seems to be from documented experience.


A liposomal small-molecule glutathione analog inhibitor of glutathione S-transferase (GST) P1-1 with hematopoiesis-stimulating activity. After intracellular de-esterification, the active form of TLK199 (TLK117) binds to and inhibits GST P1-1, thereby restoring Jun kinase and MAPK pathway activities and promoting MAPK-mediated cellular proliferation and differentiation pathways. This agent promotes the proliferation and maturation of hematopoietic precursor cells, granulocytes, monocytes, erythrocytes and platelets.


In this paper, a method of designing a controller which ensures the synchronization between the transmission and the reception ends of chaotic secure communication systems with interval time-varying delays is proposed. To increase communication security, the transmitted message is encrypted with the techniques of N-shift cipher and public key. And to reduce the conservatism of the stabilization criterion for error dynamic system obtained from the transmitter and receiver, a new Lyapunov-functional and bounding technique are proposed. Through a numerical example, the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown in the chaotic secure communication system.


Our future military force will be complex: a highly integrated mix of manned and unmanned units. These unmanned units could function individually or within a swarm. The readiness of future warfighters to work alongside and utilize these new forces depends on the creation of usable interfaces and training simulators. The difficulty is that current unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control interfaces require too much operator attention and common swarm control methods require expensive computational power. This dissertation discusses how to improve upon current user interfaces and how to improve the performance of a common swarm control method, the digital pheromone field. This method uses digital pheromones to bias the movements of individual units within a swarm toward areas that are attractive and away from areas that are dangerous or unattractive. A more efficient method for performing pheromone field calculations is introduced, one that harnesses the power of the GPU (graphics processing unit) in today's graphics cards by reshaping the ADAPTIV swarm control algorithm into a form acceptable to the GPU's pipeline [1]. The GPU ADAPTIV implementation is tested in scenarios that involve up to 50,000 virtual UAVs. When compared to its counterpart CPU implementation, the GPU version performed over 30 times faster than the CPU version. This gain translates directly into lower costs for training the future warfighter today and fielding the swarms of tomorrow. Finally, this dissertation presents a vision for combining these new interface ideas and performance enhancements into an effective swarm control interface and training simulator.


IN RECENT years an increasing interest in and concern about sex transformation procedures have been evidenced. 1-18 While the number of people who have undergone such modifications in their anatomy is small, the moral, legal, and social problems they raise are highly problematic, intensely controversial, and of the broadest significance. Methods In our studies of normal and abnormal gender identity we have seen patients who have demanded that their primary and secondary sex characteristics be changed so as to approximate those of the opposite sex. We have noted that a male's demand, for example, for penectomy, testicular castration, construction of an artificial vagina, development of breasts, etc, involves the physician in decisions which are so highly charged in our culture as to make his dealings with such patients very difficult indeed. Having been struck by the intensity of the feelings aroused by such requests, we decided


Social Robotics is becoming more relevant for the healthcare sector as an increasing amount of research and development is invested by researchers and practice. One research area where additional research would help the acceptation and adoption of social robots is intramural care where people with dementia live. The current body of knowledge on this topic can be described as nascent. In this study, we add to the body of knowledge regarding the design and enactment of social robots like the one used in this study, the Tessa robot, with the goal to improve acceptation and adoption of social robots in dementia care. To do so, we conducted a case study at a healthcare organization, featuring semi-structured interviews, observations and talking mats. During this case study, an experiment was carried out in which a Tessa robot was used in intramural care with three clients suffering from dementia. The most important finding of this study is that for the robot to be accepted and effective it must be implemented properly in the existing healthcare processes, otherwise it might serve as a companion, but will not relieve the workload of healthcare workers. the and effectiveness of the Tessa robot for both HW's and people with dementia be improved?


The global impacts of disaster risks are on the rise. Moreover, evidence shows that the severity of damage will increase exponentially. In 2019, there were 395 natural disasters that caused 11,755 deaths. Literature and practice indicate that diversification of disaster risk management (DRM) approaches can make communities more resilient. One notable bottleneck in adopting diverse DRM approaches is the historical dominance of natural and technological sciences with little contribution from social sciences. Thus, a heterogeneous social-technical approach to DRM is rare and risk governance challenges are hardly understood. We conducted a systematic literature and practice review and extracted data to develop and answer five sub-questions. After that, we reviewed relevant information and selected eight risk evaluation approaches. We made comparisons and used the input to design the Risk Evaluation Diversity-aiding Approach (RED-A). The approach consists of 12 criteria and a checklist with 22 items. RED-A provides guidance to DRM researchers and practitioners when conducting socio-technical risk evaluations. It helps identify cognitive biases in the ongoing DRM process that may largely impact the quality of risk evaluation procedures. The goal of the 22-item checklist is to ensure that the 12 RED-A criteria are incorporated as much as possible to support the progressive transition towards a heterogeneous social-technical DRM approach. Finally, the RED-A criteria and checklist are applied in the Solotvyno municipality context (in Ukraine), to illustrate the use of the approach.


Background In men who have sex with men (MSM), orogenital sexual practises and an increase in triple site testing have resulted in detection of pharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections. Clinical features are not well-described and there are no evidence-based treatment guidelines for this site of infection. We describe a cohort of MSM with pharyngeal CT seen in a large urban GUM clinic. Methods Retrospective analysis of 300 MSM with pharyngeal CT seen from 2009–2012; 31% were HIV positive, > 50% on antiretroviral therapy. Diagnosis was by CT RNA detection by Aptima Combo2 (Gen-Probe). Results Of 300 cases, 11.6% of patients described throat symptoms. Concurrent rectal CT was seen in 53%; urethral CT in 12%; 21 patients had CT at all 3 sites. Of 133 CT-positive specimens tested for lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) DNA, 3 were positive (2.3%); only 1/3 had severe throat symptoms. The other two had symptomatic rectal LGV. Patient Treatment comprised ≥ 7 days doxycycline (100mg bd) for 77% or azithromycin (1g stat) for 31%. Only 68% of patients (185/272) returned for pharyngeal test of cure (TOC) at a median 48 days. There were 5 positive TOCs; however 4 of these were likely re-infections rather than treatment failure, due to high levels of ongoing sexual risk (3 had received 7 days and one 14 days doxycycline). One patient had persistent chlamydial infection and CT conjunctivitis despite having received azithromycin 1g stat 5 weeks prior. Conclusions With the use of dual NAAT screening of throat swabs, pharyngeal CT detection will occur in 1–2% of MSM. It is a source of onward transmission and can occasionally cause throat symptoms. Both azithromycin 1g or 7+ days of doxycycline seem to be efficacious treatment, although with high rates of concurrent rectal CT infection doxycycline is preferred. An association with CT conjunctivitis needs further study.


The physico-chemical properties and the botanical origin of 31 commercial honey samples from Southeast Brazil, indicated as monofloral honeys, were analyzed in order to verify quality parameters. The physico-chemical analyses comprised the test of Fiehe, the lugol reaction, the determination of humidity, pH, reduced sugars, ashes and diastase. In accordance with Brazilian legislation all samples showed adequate water content. The level of reducing sugars from 10 samples was below the Brazilian quality parameters for honey, three presented a Schade/Gothe number of diastase activity below 8 and in one sample only a higher ash content. Pollen analysis showed that nearly 57% of the samples analyzed could be classified as monofloral honeys, corresponding to nine samples of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae), two of Citrus (Rutaceae), two of Schinus (Anacardiaceae), two of Vernonia (Asteraceae), one of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) and one of Gochnatia (Asteraceae). The other samples were of bifloral or heterofloral origin. No relation between the floral origin and the physico-chemical properties of the samples examined could be detected using regression analysis (p>0.05).


Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are well recognized tools for visual DNA detection. Most reports on their use have however been restricted to synthetic or PCR amplified DNA sequences. Herein, we describe a visual DNA detection method that can detect unamplified genomic DNA sequences specifically, using simple reagents and AuNPs, without the need for PCR. This strategy applies thiolated probes and AuNPs to detect genomic DNA. The thiolated probes, in the presence of target Salmonella genomic sequences, cause the AuNPs to aggregate irreversibly, producing a red to purple colorimetric change. As little as 608 000 copies (at 37 fM) of the Salmonella genome were thus detected visually, by eye, without the need for a power source or sophisticated instrumentation. This method thus opens in-roads to direct visual detection, bringing sophisticated DNA analysis capabilities to the point of need.


The clinical and pathologic characteristics of five patients with esophageal sarcomas are presented, including the only recorded esophageal Triton tumor (malignant schwannoma), the third recorded synovial sarcoma, two patients with carcinosarcoma, and one with leiomyosarcoma. All five patients were males who presented with dysphagia. Three tumors were in the cervical esophagus, and the remaining two were in the distal esophagus. On endoscopic examination, three of the tumors were noted to be polypoid, while the other two were sessile. Two patients presented with disseminated disease, and a third was locally unresectable. These three patients were treated with palliative intent. The remaining two patients underwent surgical excision and postoperative radiation therapy, and are alive and well 6 and 7 years following treatment. This experience suggests that combined modality therapy employing postoperative radiation may be effective in managing these rare lesions.


Transscaphoid volar lunate dislocation is rare 1, is usually the result of high-energy trauma, and is difficult to treat. Because of the variable results obtained with closed reduction 2, open reduction and internal fixation is usually recommended. Green and O'Brien 3 stated that when the scaphoid remains attached to the lunate and is dislocated volarly, osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis of the lunate or the proximal pole of the scaphoid frequently develop.

We report the case of a patient who sustained a volar dislocation of the lunate in conjunction with the proximal pole of the fractured scaphoid. Open reduction and internal fixation resulted in an excellent outcome. The patient was informed of the possibility that data from his case would be submitted for publication.

A thirty-year-old, right-hand-dominant man sustained an isolated injury to the right wrist after a fall from a height of approximately 15 ft (4.57 m). The patient reported that he fell on his outstretched hand with the wrist in extension. The right wrist was painful, swollen, and tender to palpation. The hand was neurovascularly intact with no sensory deficit in the distribution of the median nerve. The radiographic evaluation of the right wrist revealed a transscaphoid volar lunate dislocation. The proximal fragment of the scaphoid was displaced along with the lunate in a volar direction, approximately 4 cm proximal to the radiocarpal joint ( Fig. 1 ).

Fig. 1:
Posteroanterior (A) and oblique (B) radiographs showing the transscaphoid volar lunate dislocation.

With the patient under general anesthesia, the fracture-dislocation was treated with open reduction and internal fixation five hours after the injury. Initially, through a volar approach ( Fig. 2 ), the carpal tunnel was released and the carpal bones were exposed, and then realignment of the bones was assisted through a second, dorsal "T-shaped" incision. …


Received: 26 Oct. 2012 Accepted: 14 Nov. 2012 Published: 27 Dec. 2012 ABSTRACT: This essay arose out of a new intellectual stream that specifically aims at understanding the role of politics in the perception of nature in American environmental design tradition. No doubt that a range of tendencies, movements, and styles in environmental design reflect certain perceptions and ideologies about the relationship of society to the natural world. They also represent the changing perceptions of natural and cultural landscapes in design practice over time and place. In this changing perception of landscape, it is the objective of this essay to explore the notion of resistance as the principal issue to understand the political power of environmental design for social change. Environmental design is a domain of politics because it produces a practice as a system of social and cultural power that emphasizes the transformation of both natural and cultural landscape at once. Its apprehension thus requires an ideological analysis; yet, it should be supplemented by an understanding of social relations, hierarchies, and power relations within society, institutions, grassroots organizations, and social groups involved in the general process of production of cultural patterns. The analysis, in other words, has to expose the ways in which the social production of space is reproduced, performed, perceived, and made available to the public in a cultural setting.


A patient with fulminant pulmonary tuberculosis died after 41 days of intensive care despite pansensitive organisms and no known underlying immunosuppression. Two factors leading to death in this patient were a delay in seeking medical attention and a subtherapeutic serum level of rifampin, though no obvious evidence of malabsorption existed. Malabsorption of antitubercular drugs is under-recognized and of extreme importance in the treatment of critically ill patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Factors associated with mortality from tuberculosis and selected aspects of critical care management are discussed.


The vascularization of three-dimensional (3D) tissue constructs is necessary for transporting nutrients and oxygen to the component cells. In this study, a vacuum forming method was applied to emboss a vascular pattern on an electrospun membrane so that guided vascular structures could develop within the construct. Two- or six-layer constructs of electrospun membranes seeded with endothelial cells and pericytes were stacked and subcutaneously implanted into mice. Blood vessel formation in the implanted constructs with six alternating layers of flat membranes and membranes embossed with a blood vessel pattern was observed after two weeks of implantation. The formation of blood vessels was observed along the embossed blood vessel pattern in the structure of the embossed membrane laminated at four weeks and eight weeks. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin 1 (Ang-1) were highly expressed in the vascularized structures. Therefore, we demonstrated that a structure capable of producing a desired blood vessel shape with electrospun membranes embossed with a blood vessel pattern can be manufactured, and that a variety of structures can be manufactured using electrospun membranes in the tissue engineering era.


The problem of receiving points with high curvature (singular points) of contours for identification of the shape of objects on images is solved. Analysis of existing methods of numerical differentiation in the given aspect is held. The new method of differentiation of the flat discretely defined curves, which are dots (pixels) of circuits, based on variations of Arch Height method is considered. Features of such method of differentiation are shown using various formulas of calculation of a derivative. Dependency aspects of the accuracy of the derivative on the chord length are analyzed. It is shown, that with an increase in its length differentiation accuracy degrades, and the result tends to the module of curvature of a curve at the given point. Comparison of the developed method with other known methods is made. The analysis of area of applicability and variability of parameters of differentiation is made. The accuracy aspects of calculation of derivatives for various parameters of differentiation are investigated. Examples of differentiation of various curves, both set analytically, and the functions-contours received from real images are considered. It is shown, that the offered method allows to get rid of the ambiguity in position of points of a contour with high curvature and consequently to raise quality of recognition of the shape of objects. Possible scopes of the given method in various areas of science and technics are stated.


Edney, M. J., MacLeod, A. L. and LaBerge, D. E. 2014. Evolution of a quality testing program for improving malting barley in Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 535-544. The quality of Canadian malting barley has continually improved since malt barley was exported in the late 1800s. Improvements were linked to a dynamic evaluation system that evolved with a better understanding of malting biochemistry and as suitable methods were developed. Methods became more accurate and more specific in their ability to define quality. They progressed from sensory evaluation, to surmising malt quality from barley protein levels, to the first micro-maltings followed by automated laboratory-scale maltings. Malt quality analysis started simply with malt extract and diastatic power followed by wort protein. As the necessity for cell wall breakdown became better understood, analyses like wort viscosity, fine/coarse grind extract differences and wort β-glucan were adopted. A continuum of cultivars were released in Canada, based on this evaluation system, starting with the six-rowed releases OAC 21, then Montcalm and Bonanza, followed by the two-rowed releases Betzes, Klages, Harrington and AC Metcalfe. Release of future cultivars will depend on an evolving evaluation system that could include; barley homogeneity, specific starch-degrading enzymes, individual amino acids and specific traits such as low lipoxygenase and low phytic acid barley. The result will be development and release of cultivars with better defined quality that can fill specialized niches in the malting and brewing industries of the future.


This paper presents an empirical study comparing two alternatives for generating code from aspect-oriented models. In an aspect "disrupting" process, an object oriented implementation in Java is automatically generated from domain specific models, comprising a mix of UML (for core functionality) and DSLs (for qualities like security and performance). In an aspect "preserving" process, an aspect oriented implementation in AspectJ is automatically generated from the same models. In both alternatives, a number of subjects are asked to perform several maintenance tasks requiring the addition and improvement of functionality. The results show that, in most of the cases, the AO alternative provides for shorter maintenance cycles.


Foreign body aspiration in children may present with a variety of symptoms. We report here an unusual case of laryngeal foreign body in an infant masquerading as laryngeal web in its clinical presentation as well as radiological findings. The diagnosis was only made at endoscopy, thus emphasising the limited sensitivity of radiographic studies in identifying this condition.


Tannins from many plant-derived traditional medicines demonstrate immune regulatory activity. Recently, we reported that condensed tannins (procyanidins) isolated from a select number of traditional medicines act as γδ T cell agonists. γδ T cells play an important role in mucosal immunity by regulating the mucosal immune response and maintaining epithelial health. Procyanidins induce a priming state on the γδ T cell, thus improving its ability to quickly respond to secondary stimuli. This priming state is characterized, in part, by an increased half-life of select transcripts in the γδ T cell relevant to innate immunity. This increase in transcript half-life could enable the cell to more quickly produce appropriate immune responses to secondary stimuli. Previously we reported that oligomeric procyanidin fractions, but not monomeric procyanidins, act as γδ T cell agonists. We have further defined the activity of different sizes of procyanidins. The tetrameric and pentameric procyanidins from apple peel have greater specificity for γδ T cells, whereas larger oligomers demonstrate less specificity. Our results suggest procyanidins with specific oligomeric structures prime γδ T cells by stabilizing transcripts with critical functions in innate immunity. Funded by: NIH/ NIAID Contract HHSN266200400009/N01-AI40009 and NCCAM P01 AT004986-01


Purpose : We studied the correlation between reference voluntary contraction (% RVC) of vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis (VM), Berg balance scale (BBS), and timed-up & go (TUG) test. Methods : We recruited 30 stroke patients from a rehabilitation center at a hospital.? All subjects could walk with or without an assisting device. Subjects were evaluated with % RVC of VL and VM, BBS, and TUG. The data were analyzed using a Pearson correlation coefficient. Results : The % RVC of VL and VM and BBS (p


In modern conditions of development of market economy much attention in the Union state is paid to small and medium-sized businesses, their existence and problems. A necessary strategic resource for the development of small and medium-sized businesses is its youth sector.  The growing interest in youth entrepreneurship is also due to the fact that it currently has the potential to improve the socio-economic situation of young people. Methods of research are forms and methods of formation of innovative system based on entrepreneurship cooperation. The urgency of the problem of youth entrepreneurship development is recognized both in the state as a whole and in many regions of the country. Youth entrepreneurship is recognized as one of the priorities of the state youth policy and state policy in the field of support of small and medium-sized businesses. Evidence of this is the growing number of state, regional and municipal regulations and various programs directly or indirectly related to youth entrepreneurship.


In the rice-wheat system dominated belt of India (Indo-Gangetic plains; IGP), paddy leaves, about 8 to 9 t/ha of loose and anchored residue in the field, are mechanically harvested. Farmers prefer to burn this residue to clear the field for the timely preparation of conventional wheat sowing. In-situ degradation by autochthonous fungi can be a better option for the disposal of unwanted crop residues. Autochthonous fungi isolated from conservation agriculture-based crop management fields were screened and assessed for their residue degradation potential. Nineteen isolates were selected for detailed enzymatic analysis in submerged fermentation, responsible for lignocellulosic residue degradation. Out of these five fungal isolates RPW 1/3 (Aspergillus flavus), RPW 1/6 (Aspergillus terreus), RPW 1/9 (Aspergillus terreus), RPWM 2/2 (Penicillium janthinellum) and RZWM 3/1 (Aspergillus niger) showed higher activities of cellobiase, CMCase, FPase, xylanase, and laccase enzymes in solid state fermentation. Further two isolates RPW 1/3 and 1/6 showed approximately 30% degradation of straw residue after 10 days incubation.


Essential (primary) hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Blood pressure is largely heritable; however, the genetic factors contributing to essential hypertension are mostly unknown. We examined a large Chinese kindred (n=387) and selected a subset of 94 individuals for genotyping. An additional 32 Chinese nuclear families with essential hypertension were also recruited. Genome-wide parametric linkage analysis identified a new locus for primary hypertension on chromosome 12p (parametric LOD score 3.44). This locus overlaps with the assigned locus that causes severe autosomal-dominant hypertension and brachydactyly, the only form of monogenic hypertension known to date that resembles primary hypertension. We suggest that this genomic region, spanning 18 annotated genes, will be of great relevance in elucidating new mechanisms for primary hypertension.


INTRODUCTION
Current Australian guidelines differ in their recommendations on optimal iron deficiency anaemia screening and management during pregnancy. A more active approach to screening and treatment of iron deficiency in pregnancy has been beneficial within a tertiary population. However, this approach has not been evaluated within a regional healthcare setting.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical impact of standardised screening and management for iron deficiency in pregnancy within a regional Australian centre.

DESIGN
Single centre, retrospective cohort observational study that audited medical records pre and post implementation of standardised screening and management for antenatal iron deficiency. We compared rates of anaemia at birth, rates of peripartum blood transfusions and rates of peripartum iron infusions.

FINDINGS
There were 2773 participants with 1372 participants in the pre-implementation group and 1401 in the post-implementation group. Participant demographics were similar. Anaemia at admission for birth decreased from 35% to 30% (RR 0.87, 95% CI (0.75, 1.00), p 0.043) Fewer blood transfusions were required (16 (1.2%) pre-implementation, 6 (0.4%) post-implementation, RR 0.40, 95% CI(0.16, 0.99), p 0.048). Antenatal iron infusions increased from 12% to 18% of participants post implementation (RR 1.47, 95% CI(1.22, 1.76), p 〈0.001).We audited compliance with the guidelines and found improvements post implementation.

DISCUSSION
This is the first study to show clinically useful and statistically significant reduction in rates of anaemia and blood transfusions, post implementation of routine ferritin screening and management within a regional Australian population.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest there is benefit to implementation of standardised ferritin screening and management packages in Australian antenatal care. It also encourages RANZCOG to review current recommendations on screening for iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) juice concentration on betacyanin degradation kinetics and sensory acceptance. The samples stored at 4°C were comparatively stable compared to 25°C in terms of betacyanin retention, and yeast and mold growth. The loss of betacyanin in red-fleshed dragon fruit juice and concentrate at 25, 37, and 45°C were of first-order reaction. The drink reconstituted from red-fleshed dragon fruit concentrate showed better acceptability in terms of sweetness, flavor, and overall acceptability. The current study demonstrated improved betacyanin retention and sensory acceptance of red-fleshed dragon fruit juice via juice concentration.


The purpose of this study is to attampt to identify how wars explained in novels which have been translated in to the Turkish language from foreing languages. In this sense an examination of war narrative styles was conducted. The research is based on the document analysis method. With this method, The French –Russian War of 1812, The Crimean War, the American Civil War, The First World War and the Spanish Civil War were examined. The War of 1812 was fought between the two states.The novels related to Spain and the USA describ their respective civil wars. In other novels many states participated in survey and dealing with the First World War. The results obtained were analyzed


Summary: Refinement of protein structure models is a long‐standing problem in structural bioinformatics. Molecular dynamics‐based methods have emerged as an avenue to achieve consistent refinement. The PREFMD web server implements an optimized protocol based on the method successfully tested in CASP11. Validation with recent CASP refinement targets shows consistent and more significant improvement in global structure accuracy over other state‐of‐the‐art servers. Availability and implementation: PREFMD is freely available as a web server at http://feiglab.org/prefmd. Scripts for running PREFMD as a stand‐alone package are available at https://github.com/feiglab/prefmd.git. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.