Introduction By producing H2O2, the NADPH oxidase Nox4 is involved in differentiation of mesenchymal cells. Exercise alters the composition of slow and fast twitch fibres in skeletal. Here we hypothesized that Nox4 contributes to exercise-induced adaptation such as changes in muscle metabolism or muscle fibre specification and studied this in wildtype and Nox4-/- mice. Results Exercise, as induced by voluntary running in a running wheel or forced running on a treadmill induced a switch from fast twitch to intermediate fibres. However the induced muscle fibre switch was similar between Nox4-/- and wildtype mice. The same held true for exercise-induced expression of PGC1α or AMPK activation. Both are increased in response to exercise, but with no difference was observed between wildtype and Nox4-/- mice. Conclusion Thus, exercise-induced muscle fibre switch is Nox4-independent.


A recently improved ionic liquid force field was used to compute the viscosity for binary and ternary mixtures of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([emim][Cl]) with water, acetonitrile, and glucose. For the same systems, experimental viscosity data are provided. The simulation and experimental results were in reasonable agreement. Simulations consistently overestimate the viscosities for the mixtures of [emim][Cl] and glucose while the viscosities of the mixtures of glucose and water are well reproduced. Both experiments and simulations show that the addition of acetonitrile reduces the viscosity of a solution of [emim][Cl] and glucose by more than an order of magnitude.


In the median eminence of guinea pig, cat and dog some axons of the hypothalamo-infundibular tract are immunoreactive with anti LH-RH. In these three species, the axons have a similar topography and area of peripheric terminations. These one occur at the capillaries of Mantelplexus. It was also shown, in the cat, that these areas of termination exhibit a strong monoamine fluorescence.


Banking is one of the Largest Financial Institution which constantly provides better Customer Services. To improve the Service Quality, Banking Services are expanded to Mobile Technology. Recently Mobile Banking plays a vital role in Banking Sector. This technology helps the Customers to provide all the account information as well as save timings. Customer can avail all financial services such as Credit, Debit, Money Transfer, Bill Payment etc in their Mobiles using this application. It saves time to speed in a Bank. Almost, most of the banks providing financial services through Mobile phones. But still majority of peoples are not preferred this services like ATM or Online because of Risk Factor. The main objective of this paper is to discuss about the benefits, issues and suggestions to improve Mobile Banking services successfully.


Non-verbal behaviour, particularly gaze direction, plays a crucial function in regulating conversations and providing critical social information. In the current set of studies, we represented interactants in a shared immersive virtual environment. Interactants sat in physically remote rooms, entered a common virtual room and played games of 20 questions. The interactants were represented by one of three types of avatars: (1) human forms with head movements rendered in real time; (2) human forms without head movements rendered; or (3) human voice only (i.e., a conference call). The data demonstrated that interactants in the rendered head movement condition rated a higher level of co-presence, liked each other more, looked at each other's heads more, and spoke for a lower percentage of time during the game, compared to the other two conditions. We discuss implications for the design of shared virtual environments, the study of non-verbal behaviour and the goal of facilitating efficient task performance. Copyright # 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The operation of a brushless permanent-magnet machine requires rotor-position information, which is used to control the frequency and phase angle of the machine's winding currents. Sensorless techniques for estimating rotor position from measurements of voltage and current have been the subject of intensive research. This paper reviews the state of the art in these sensorless techniques, which are broadly classified into three types: motional electromotive force, inductance, and flux linkage.


Abstract 1157

Background: Venous thromboembolism [VTE] is the second highest cause of mortality among patients with cancer. However, pharmacological thromboprophylaxis for patients with solid tumor is only recommended during hospitalization. Primary outpatient thromboprophylaxis is not a widely accepted practice.

Objective: Determine safety and efficacy of outpatient primary VTE prophylaxis in patients with solid tumors.

Data sources: A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE and EMBASE up to June 2012. Key search words included venous thromboembolism, malignancy, anticoagulants, and chemotherapy. Studies were considered for our meta-analysis if they included outpatient primary pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in adult patients with active solid cancer. All the information was independently reviewed by 2 of the authors [MP, SJ] and a third reviewer resolved discrepancies. The measure of association was calculated with R (R: A Language and Environment for Statistical, R Development Core Team, [www.R-project.org][1]), R META package (Version 0.8–2, Author: Guido Schwarzer). The Q statistic was calculated and a formal test of homogeneity was conducted. Random-effects model was preferred in case of heterogeneity.

Results: A total of 1371 abstracts were reviewed and 29 manuscripts were fully abstracted. Eight randomized controlled trials including 6706 patients were analyzed. There were less VTE events with outpatient prophylaxis: odds ratio [OR] of 0.53 (95% CI, 0.40–0.70). Six studies used low or ultra-low molecular weight heparin and two studies used warfarin. In the subgroup analysis of heparin based primary prophylaxis, there was a significant reduction in VTE events [OR 0.47, 95% CI, 0.34–0.64], no significant heterogeneity [[FIG 1][2]]. In addition, there was no difference in major bleeding events between groups [OR 1.48, 95% CI, 0.89–2.46]. Five studies reported mortality data; there was significant heterogeneity between studies.

Conclusions: Heparin based outpatient VTE prophylaxis in patients with solid tumors reduced by half the risk of VTE with no significant differences in major bleeding events. The current publications do not allow a meaningful grouped analysis of survival data, improved patient selection is necessary in order to adequately target VTE prevention strategies.

![Figure][3]

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: http://www.R-project.org
 [2]: #F1
 [3]: pending:yes


Background Serum biomarkers that can predict subsequent clinical or imaging outcomes would aid decision-making in the management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Objectives Using data from the golimumab (GLM) study, GO-RAISE, in patients with active AS, we analysed correlations between multiple serum biomarkers and inflammation as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS). Methods In GO-RAISE, patients with moderately to severely active AS were randomized to SC GLM 50mg, 100mg, or PBO q4wks. PBO-treated patients crossed over to receive GLM at wk16 or 24. Spinal MRIs in the sagittal plane were acquired using 1.5T scanners with T1 and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences at BL and wk14. 98 patients were scored for activity (ASspiMRI-a) and structural (ASspiMRI-c) scores. Radiographs and MRIs were assessed by 2 readers who were blinded to treatment and image time order. Mean scores were used for analyses. Sera were collected from 140 patients at baseline and wk14 for analysis of markers by ELISA and/or using a multiplex platform (Rules Based Medicine). Spearman correlation analyses with Bonferoni p-value adjustment and logistic regression were conducted to assess the relationship between 76 serum biomarker levels and ASDAS using C-reactive protein (ASDAS), ASspiMRI-a, or MRI-c score at various time points. Results Baseline ASDAS showed significant correlations with serum biomarkers for inflammation (IL-6, ICAM-1, haptoglobin, amyloid P) and lipid metabolism (Complement C3). BL IL-6 or TIMP-1 correlated with the reduction of ASspiMRI-a at wk14 in GLM-treated patients. Wk4 change in IL-6 and C3 also showed correlation with change in ASspiMRI-a at wk14. Development of new fatty degeneration in the spine at wk14 correlated with BL biomarkers involved in lipid metabolism (leptin, C3) and tissue remodeling (TIMP-1). Previously described predictors such as insulin, MMP-3, VEGF, or bone resorption markers did not have significant correlations with clinical or imaging outcomes. Conclusions This analysis suggests that serum biomarkers IL-6, TIMP-1, and C3 may be linked to a reduction in spinal inflammation in AS patients following GLM treatment. In addition, ICAM-1, haptoglobin and amyloid P correlate with baseline disease activity and may implicate novel roles for these factors in AS-related inflammation. Disclosure of Interest R. Inman Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., X. Baraliakos Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., K.-G. Hermann Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., J. Braun Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., A. Deodhar Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., D. van der Heijde Grant/research support from: Janssen R&D, LLC., S. Xu Employee of: Janssen R&D, LLC., B. Hsu Employee of: Janssen R&D, LLC.


A common framework of particle physics consists of two sectors of particles, such as the Standard Model and a dark sector, with some interaction between them. In this work, we initiate the study of a qualitatively different setup in which one of the sectors is a topological quantum field theory (TQFT). Instead of particles, the physics of a TQFT only manifests itself in non-trivial spacetime topologies. Topological defects provide a natural place to investigate such effects. In particular, we consider two possible ways in which axionic cosmic strings can interact with a Zn TQFT. One of them, by extending the structure of the axion coupling, leads to specific predictions for the localized degrees of freedom on the cosmic string, which can in turn effect their evolution and leave observable signals. The second approach, by gauging a discrete subgroup of the axionic shift symmetry, leads to dramatic changes in the string spectrum. We stress that the scenario considered here should be regarded as a plausible way for new physics to arise since it can be the low energy effective field theory for quite generic scenarios at high energies. To demonstrate this point and further illustrate the physical implications, we constructed such UV completions for both of the cases of couplings to TQFTs. The detailed prediction for observable signals of such scenarios needs further investigation. At the same time, our results demonstrate that there are rich new phenomena in this scenario. ar X iv :2 30 2. 00 77 7v 1 [ he pph ] 1 F eb 2 02 3


Recent research has shown abnormal lipids in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection hypocholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and also low high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol have all been described. In addition, increased dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles and also lipoprotein (a) have been observed in some patients. The use of the protease inhibitors has been associated with diabetes mellitus and also features of insulin resistance. This article looks at these lipid abnormalities in detail and discusses possible therapeutic options that may be available, in order to address them.


In this article we advance the idea of a cognitive network, capable of perceiving current network conditions and then planning, learning, and acting according to end-to-end goals. Cognitive networks are motivated by the complexity, heterogeneity, and reliability requirements of tomorrow's networks, which are increasingly expected to self-organize to meet user and application objectives. We compare and contrast cognitive networks with related research on cognitive radios and cross-layer design. By defining cognitive networks, examining their relationship to other technologies, discussing critical design issues, and providing a framework for implementation, we aim to establish a foundation for further research and discussion


The general inadequacy of chemical fungicides to tackle Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum diseases in tomato has led to the search for biocontrol solutions to these maladies. Twenty-six local isolates of Trichoderma spp. and 56 isolates of fluorescent pseudomonads from Kerala were evaluated for their antagonistic activity against R. solani and F. oxysporum under in vitro conditions. Different isolates showed varying degrees of antagonism. The two most antagonistic isolates against R. solani were T. pseudokoningii TR17 and T. harzianum TR20. Likewise, T. viride TR19 and TR22 formed the most effective isolates against F. oxysporum. Production of volatile and non-volatile antibiotic compounds varied among these isolates. Of the fluorescent pseudomonads, Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates P28 and P51 showed the greatest inhibition against R. solani whereas against F. oxysporum , P20 and P28 were most effective. Isolates obtained from the phylloplane were generally unsuccessful. Inhibitory property of the antagonistic bacteria was also media-dependent. Many of the pseudomonads, which inhibited the pathogens on KMB agar, failed to retard the pathogen's growth on the PDA medium. The bacterial and fungal antagonists were also not mutually antagonistic as their co-inoculation hardly inhibited each other.


IndiaIndia's first moon probe, Chandrayaan-1, has suffered a critical malfunction that jeopardizes the remainder of the mission. According to the Indian Space Research Organization, Chandrayaan-1 achieved all of its mission objectives before the malfunction was detected in May; some foreign scientists with instruments aboard Chandrayaan-1 concur that the probe performed well. But the spacecraft, which entered lunar orbit last November, can no longer orient itself with high precision.


Clinical attachment level is regarded as the most popular measure to assess periodontal disease (PD). These probed tooth site level measures are usually rounded and recorded as whole numbers (in millimetres) producing clustered (site measures within a mouth) error prone ordinal responses representing some ordering of the underlying PD progression. In addition, it is hypothesized that PD progression can be spatially referenced, i.e. proximal tooth sites share similar PD status in comparison with sites that are distantly located. We develop a Bayesian multivariate probit framework for these ordinal responses where the cut point parameters linking the observed ordinal clinical attachment levels to the latent underlying disease process can be fixed in advance. The latent spatial association characterizing conditional independence under Gaussian graphs is introduced via a non‐parametric Bayesian approach motivated by the probit stick breaking process, where the components of the stick breaking weights follow a multivariate Gaussian density with the precision matrix distributed as G‐Wishart. This yields a computationally simple, yet robust and flexible, framework to capture the latent disease status leading to a natural clustering of tooth sites and subjects with similar PD status (beyond spatial clustering), and improved parameter estimation through sharing of information. Both simulation studies and application to a motivating PD data set reveal the advantages of considering this flexible non‐parametric ordinal framework over other alternatives.


Care of patients with acute myocardial infarction formed the motivation for the establishment of the coronary care units. Dr. Desmond Julian et al in Edinburgh described their experience treating cardiac arrest in acute myocardial infarction, first with open and then with closed chest massage, to the British Thoracic Society in 1961; they published their observations in Lancet later that year (1). Dr Julian wrote, "Many cases of cardiac arrest associated with acute myocardial ischemia could be treated successfully if all medical, nursing, and auxiliary staff were trained in close chest cardiac massage and if the cardiac rhythm of patients with acute myocardial infarction were monitored by an electrocardiogram linked to an alarm system" (1). Dr Julian then went on to establish a unit in Sydney, and other units were set up in Kansas City, Philadelphia, Toronto, Melbourne, New York, and Miami (2). The term "coronary care unit" was coined by Dr Hughes Day to describe the unit in Bethany Hospital, a 200-bed private hospital in Kansas City (3). Some of the early descriptions are instructive, especially with respect to the impact of structural factors on outcome. For example, Meltzer and Kitchell opened a two-bed research unit at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia in 1962 and wrote of their initial efforts: "The results were dismal: the resident physicians were hopelessly bored with the inactivity and the seemingly endless vigil, and it became necessary to discontinue the effort abruptly to avoid (what now would be called) a demonstration. By default, a system of specialized care was then conceived wherein nurses rather than physicians assumed the primary responsibility for surveillance as well as for emergency treatment" (4). In addition, it was by no means considered obvious that a coronary care unit was a good idea. Julian's report of his team's initial results in Sydney was rejected by the British Medical Journal on the grounds that "it was irresponsible to suggest that all patients with myocardial infarction should be admitted to wards in which they could receive intensive care" (5). The article was ultimately published in the Medical Journal of Australia (6). The mid 1960s saw a proliferation of coronary care units and a dramatic improvement in results, with a 30% to 50% reduction of the in-hospital mortality rate from myocardial infarction (7). Most of the early emphasis was on arrhythmias. Nurses and physicians were trained to recognize arrhythmias detected by continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and to treat them with either newly available antiarrhythmic agents such as lidocaine or direct current defibrillators and pacemakers. When potential of sudden death was averted by treatment of a life-threatening arrhythmia, this was often a dramatic and memorable event for all involved. This led to a changed zeitgeist within the cardiology community and the medical community as a whole; the problem of sudden death was no longer regarded with futility (8). With success in resuscitation and the ability to control arrhythmias and conduction disorders, the main causes of death from myocardial infarction became left ventricular failure and cardiogenic shock. The next phase of the evolution of coronary care focused on hemodynamics and was characterized by a keen interest in high technology. The Swan-Ganz catheter allowed for bedside assessment of hemodynamics, and patients with myocardial infarction were placed into hemodynamic subsets that had both prognostic significance (9) and therapeutic implications (10, 11). Radionuclide ventriculography and, later, echocardiography were used to characterize myocardial performance. Coronary care tended to be based on the rational application of pathophysiologic principles, something that is still true today. Another major advance came with the recognition of the value of prompt coronary reperfusion. Streptokinase was first proposed for use in myocardial infarction by intravenous infusion by Sherry et al (12) in Philadelphia in 1957, and by intracoronary infusion by Chazov (13) in Moscow in 1976, but it did not achieve widespread use in myocardial infarction until after the publication of the GISSI trial from Italy in 1986 (14) and the international ISIS-2 trial in 1988 (15). With use of more selective fibrinolytic agents, and then with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, in-hospital mortality was halved again, to 5% to 7% (7). More recent evolution of the coronary care unit has also focused on the use of sophisticated technology. For patients with advanced heart failure, hemodynamic support can be provided with intra-aortic balloon pumping, percutaneous assist devices, implantable assist devices, or total implantable hearts. Patients with life-threatening arrhythmias frequently have implantable cardiac defibrillators, with or without biventricular pacing, and may also be treated by radiofrequency ablation, often guided by sophisticated intracardiac mapping. In this context, the current issue of Critical Care Medicine contains a very interesting and highly relevant report by Dr. Katz et al (16) about characteristics and outcomes of 29,275 patients admitted to the Duke University Hospital coronary care unit from 1989 to 2006. A number of interesting trends emerged from the analysis. The prevalence of noncardiovascular diagnoses increased, with dramatic increases in the incidence of septic shock and acute kidney injury, and a less dramatic, albeit still significant, increase in respiratory failure. Along with this increase in noncardiac diagnoses, patients had a steady increase in comorbidity scores. Despite this increase in complexity and comorbidity, coronary care unit and in-hospital mortality did not change significantly over the observation period. *See also p. 375.


A Swedish text-to-speech system has been developed at the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB). The system, named Filibuster, is open and extensible and makes it possible to generate synthetic speech with a high degree of control. The Filibuster system is used in the production of talking books in TPBs service for print handicapped students at university level. Through the use of text-to-speech, students can receive their talking books much faster. Also, each book costs less to produce. The system was deployed in February 2007 and during this year the plan is to produce a total of 200 titles. The system has been designed specifically for creating talking book versions of university textbooks. It has a large lexicon, covering some 573,000 words and names. Filibuster includes a comprehensive text pre-processor to write out nonword entities, such as numbers, characters and expressions. So far, one male voice, Folke, has been created, but more are planned.


A course on Electronic Instrumentation has recently been developed at the University of Nebraska, which specifically emphasizes design aspects. The objective of the course is to expose senior undergraduate and graduate students to electronic as well as nonelectronic concepts concerned with instrumentation design and development. Topics covered include basic analog and digital circuits, filters and oscillators, linear and switching power supplies, low-noise techniques, signal processing, phase-locked loops (PLLs), transducers, grounding and shielding, thermal analysis, vibration analysis, electronic packaging, wiring and cabling, and engineering ergonomics. The course is intended to enable students to succeed as entry-level engineers in industry.


The long‐term change of thermospheric neutral density has been investigated using satellite drag measurements and through sensitivity studies using upper atmosphere general circulation models. The magnitude of the change has been quantified in both approaches, and the source of the secular change attributed to the concentration changes of greenhouse gases. In this study, we use CO2 concentration measured at Mauna Loa Observatory and solar variation based on a proxy model to calculate the secular change of thermosphere neutral density for the last three decades, using a global mean upper atmosphere model. Our results show that the average density decrease at 400 km from 1970 to 2000 is 1.7% per decade. To quantify the impact of solar activity on the secular change of neutral density, we also calculated the long‐term density change under solar minimum and solar maximum conditions for the same time period. The average trends at 350 km and 450 km are 2.2% per decade and 2.9% per decade for solar minimum conditions, while at solar maximum, they are 0.7% per decade and 0.8% per decade, respectively. These model results are compared to estimates of thermosphere density change derived from satellite drag observations, showing good agreement. In addition, based on a recent forecast of the intensity of solar cycle 24, we predict that the long‐term change of thermospheric neutral density from 2006 to the end of solar cycle 24 will be ∼2.7% per decade at 400 km.


Nine monoclonal antibodies which reacted with equine immunoglobulin (Ig)M and not other equine Ig and serum proteins were prepared. Cells producing antibodies (C 1.9) which precipitated with IgM and bound to staphylococcal protein A were triple-cloned (C 1.9/3.2) and the antibodies further characterized. Monoclonal antibody C 1.9/3.2 reacted with an IgM determinant present on serum IgM from horses of several breeds. Studies with 125I-labeled IgM revealed the presence of this determinant on all IgM molecules. The monoclonal antibody enabled quantitation of IgM in presuckling foal and adult horse sera, using rocket electrophoresis. This procedure was used because presumably it gives a positive precipitation reaction over a wide range of antigen-antibody ratios. The C 1.9/3.2 monoclonal antibody recognized an exposed mu-chain determinant on live B lymphocytes, as determined by immunofluorescence. Also, IgM-containing cells could be identified in acetone-fixed frozen sections of lymphoid tissue. Sera from several other species carry the determinant identified by C 1.9/3.2, suggesting that the reagent may be useful for IgM studies in other species.


Solar variability occurs over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, from the Sun's brightening over its lifetime to the fluctuations commonly associated with magnetic activity over minutes to years. The latter activity includes most prominently the 11 yr sunspot solar cycle and its modulations. Space weather events, in the form of solar flares, solar energetic particles, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms, have long been known to approximately follow the solar cycle occurring more frequently at solar maximum than solar minimum. These events can significantly impact our advanced technologies and critical infrastructures, making the prediction for the strength of future solar cycles particularly important. Several methods have been proposed to predict the strength of the next solar cycle, cycle 25, with results that are generally not always consistent. Most of these methods are based on the international sunspot number time series, or other indicators of solar activity. We present here a new approach that uses more than 100 yr of measured fractional areas of the visible solar disk covered by sunspots and plages and an empirical relationship for each of these two indices of solar activity in even–odd cycles. We anticipate that cycle 25 will peak in 2024 and will last for about 12 yr, slightly longer than cycle 24. We also found that, in terms of sunspot and plage areas coverage, the amplitude of cycle 25 will be substantially similar or slightly higher than cycle 24.


The shape parameters of the multiplicity distribution of prompt gamma rays emitted in spontaneous fission of z52Cf were obtained using the multiple coincidence technique. The multiplicity distribution is well represented by a Gaussian distribution. Assuming the average number of prompt gamma rays emitted per fission to be 10.3, the standard deviation of the multiplicity distiibution was estimated to be 4.2 40.4. The variation of the standard deviation of the multiplicity distribution has also been obtained as a function of kinetic energy of one of the fragments and was found to exhibit a strong zigzag dependence on the single fragment kinetic energy. The results have been discussed on the basis of the emission mechanism of prompt gamma rays in fi~,sion.


Photograph of Stan Kenton at the Famous-Barr record store in St. Louis, MO promoting Hopalong Cassidy records for children. He is sitting in a chair next to a woman and they are surrounded by children; Kenton appears to be reading to them.


The antioxidant ability of the flavanol catechin and its planar derivative, catechin 1 (PC1), was explored using the DF/B3LYP theoretical approach. Their potentiality in the hydrogen abstraction and electron transfer reactions, the main working mechanisms of antioxidants, was evaluated by computing the values of two key parameters, which are the OH bond dissociation energy and the ionization potential. Results indicated that the effect of a planar arrangement in the catechin molecule is small in the case of the hydrogen abstraction but greater for the electron transfer, since the in vacuo ionization potential value decreases by about 3 kcal/mol. The reaction of these molecules with the hydroperoxyl radical (*)OOH indicated that the H(*) abstraction is faster with the planar catechin.


Background: Although undergraduate psychology curriculum should cultivate performance-based skills to prepare students for helping professions, little work to date has addressed this standard. Objective: This research replicates the methods used in a previous study by examining pre-post changes in empathic communication skills and perceived communication competence across two applied psychology courses: Basic Helping Skills and Internship. This study extended this work by also exploring learning gains from different formats (i.e., face-to-face vs. online), internship types (mental health-related vs. not mental health-related), and the longevity of learning gains. Method: Psychology students (N = 171) completed a measure of communication competence and provided written empathic responses on a vignette-based performance measure at the start and end of the semester. Results: Students perceived their communication skills as improving over time; however, only students in the Basic Helping Skills course showed improved empathic communication skills, especially when the instruction was in a face-to-face format. Students with previous skill training maintained their learning gains over time. Conclusion: Student empathic communication improves most with face-to-face instruction in Basic Helping Skills rather than an internship experience. Teaching Implications: For the development of empathic communication skills, prerequisite requirements for Internship and instructive scaffolding for the application of skills may be recommended.


It is perhaps a truism that sedimentary organic geochemical processes can best be quantified if the concentrations of the major organic chemicals are known. While numerous authors have reported the concentrations of one or other compound classes, relatively few studies have accounted for all of the organic carbon in a well-resolved depth sequence of Recent sediments. In the present study, we report a mass balance for organic carbon in 1 cm sections of Recent sediment (0-10 cm) from offshore Peru by measuring the major, operationally defined classes of biochemicals: proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. However, in deeper sediments in the same core (200 cm), the proportion of organic carbon that can be accounted for by present analytical methods is only about 60%, and recalculation of published data shows that this decreases to only a few percent at 100 m depth. We discuss briefly, methods which have proved useful for characterization of the uncharacterized fraction which some workers have termed humin or 'proto-kerogen'. The smooth and rapid decreases in the proportions of 'protein' and 'carbohydrate ' carbon and ' bound ' lipids in this core are attributed to diagenetic alteration rather than to variations in input, confirming many previous results. The overall proportions of free lipids, in contrast, did not decrease systematically in the shallowest sediments (0-25 cm). This is not reflected in most previous studies of individual lipids, many of which decrease rapidly with depth in these sediments. We suggest that interactions within the lipids may account for this apparent discrepancy.


ABSTRACT Glaciers on active volcanoes are subject to changes in both climate fluctuations and volcanic activity. Whereas many studies analysed changes on individual volcanoes, this study presents for the first time a comparison of glacier changes on active volcanoes on a continental scale. Glacier areas were mapped for 59 volcanoes across Latin America around 1986, 1999 and 2015 using a semi-automated band ratio method combined with manual editing using satellite images from Landsat 4/5/7/8 and Sentinel-2. Area changes were compared with the Smithsonian volcano database to analyse possible glacier–volcano interactions. Over the full period, the mapped area changed from 1399.3 ± 80 km2 to 1016.1 ± 34 km2 (−383.2 km2) or −27.4% (−0.92% a−1) in relative terms. Small glaciers, especially in tropical regions lost more of their area compared to large and extra–tropical glaciers. Interestingly, 46 out of 59 analysed glaciers (78%) showed a decelerating shrinkage rate in the second period (−1.20% a−1 before 1999 and −0.70% a−1 after 1999). We found a slightly higher (but statistically not significant) area loss rate (−1.03% a−1) for glaciers on volcanoes with eruptions than without (−0.86% a−1).


Acquiring a pressure ulcer while in the hospital is a devastating outcome for the patient and their family. Pressure ulcer formation in the medical surgical patient population reflects a gap in practice because it is the nursing staff's responsibility to reposition and protect the patient from developing pressure ulcers. The purpose of this project was to answer the following question. For patients on a medical surgical unit, how does the implementation of a pressure ulcer toolkit, along with the use of an automated patient repositioner (APR), affect the rate of the hospital acquired ulcers over a ten week period? A medical surgical unit of approximately 20 inpatient beds in a southern hospital experienced an increase in pressure ulcers over that last two years. The plan, do, study, act was the change methodology used to frame the quality improvement project. In addition, Lewin's theory of change was used to infuse a change in practice for the nursing staff to reposition high risk patients with every patient interaction. After utilizing the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) toolkit for pressure ulcer prevention and the use of the APR with every patient interaction, the medical surgical unit went from experiencing three to four pressure ulcers forming on patients each month, to zero for a consecutive three months. The AHRQ toolkit for pressure ulcer prevention supports the use of innovative tools, like the APR, which was successful at preventing pressure ulcer formation for patients highly susceptible for skin breakdown and could be systematically adopted in multiple units in the organization.


The enzyme farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPP) is a protein involved in the route of mevalonate present in tumour cells. Inhibiting this enzyme causes the apoptosis of carcinogenic. The most used drugs to inhibit this enzyme have been identified. Therefore it is interesting to design new drugs for this enzyle. For the computational design of new drugs using molecular docking techniques it is very important to have the structure of the pretein that one tries to inhibit. Because of it, this protein needs to be in the suitable conformation. To obtain this certain conformation, it is necessary to know the motions that take place intor the protein, the interactions and the behaviour of the active or allosteric site. To analyse these parameters in this study we have performed molecular dunamics simulations of FPPS to elucidate the dynamic changes that take place in its structure. We have carried out a simulation the apo (FPPS) and holo (FPPS + inhibitor) state. The obtained results show that FPPS is a higly flexible protein in the apo state and it can alternate between an open and closed conformation. From these two simulations the most relevant structures have been extracted and docking has been carried out with two different ligand. First, we hava performed the docking ot the GPP substrate into the selected conformations of the protein. Th GPP is a substrate of the FPPS that is placed in the active centre of the protein. using the docking results and visualization techniques, the position and the interaction energy of the substrate on the active site has been analysed, to know which is the most appropiate structure for the design of novel active site drugs. Secondly the docking was performed with the ligand BFH on the selected conformations. The BFH is an allosteric inhibitor of FPPS that does not contain the bisphosphonate group. By visualizing the results we were able to analyse the position that BFH adopts in the allosteric site and which are the most important amino acids to account for this interaction. Though the analysis of the orientation energy of the GPP and BFH ligands in the active/allosteric site respectively, we have been able to select the best conformations of the active and allosteric sites that can be used for the future design of drugs targeting the FPPS protein


The influence of various salts, chelates, and other complexes of zinc given by gavage on serum zinc levels in rats was studied. Serum zinc concentrations were determined over 6 hr after administration of zinc sulfate at doses of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mg of zinc/kg. Serum zinc levels following doses of zinc salts and complexes were compared with those after zinc sulfate. Phytic acid, aminopolycarboxylic acids (including edetate disodium), and penicillamine significantly suppressed increases in serum zinc concentration. Some natural amino acid-zinc sulfate mixtures (those with lysine, cysteine, glycine, and histidine) produced greater levels than the equivalent dose of zinc sulfate alone. Several thiocarboxylic acids, such as mercaptoacetic acid and thiosalicylic acid, also increased serum zinc concentrations. These observations form a basis for attempted modification of zinc absorption in other species.


According to the UN, creativity is a crucial factor to ensure a better world and recognized as a fundamental tool to further develop other abilities and problem-solving skills. Nevertheless, this requires individual curiosity, an open-mind, imagination, problem solving skills and a willingness to take action. Human activity is causing planetary climate change, thus causing destruction, and generating negative consequences for mankind. The explored question is whether creativity can address climate change issues, as regards to innovation, and consequently foster a preferred outcome. This approach provided insights on how students address a given challenge, using creativity and design innovation processes to address issues and create a viable outcome.The UN general secretary acknowledged that education encourages people to change attitudes and behaviours, helping them make informed decisions. This requires equity, inclusion, and relevance, towards the development of prosperous societies inhabiting a healthy planet. Whatever society invests on education, it will return onto society itself. In a classroom, young people can be taught the impact of global warming and learn how to adapt to climate change. Education empowers all people, but especially motivates the young to act. (Guterres, 2022).Designers are at the forefront of those able, and committed, to accomplish change. In addition, design education has significant importance addressing not only design issues but also climate change issues, fostering a viable sustainable change, towards the development of sustainable products and services. This, nonetheless, requires adaptation, resilience, and clear communication to a specific audience conveying a desired message. Design needs to incorporate sustainable practices, focusing on product life cycle, energy consumption, standardization, maintenance, repair, overhaul, reuse, and easy recycling. Thus, reducing waste and using the limited planetary resources.Design students learn by observing, listening, and mostly by doing, encouraged with good examples, hands-on experience, and supported with constructive feed-back. Active teaching methodologies require teachers to act as mediators, encouraging and challenging students to research and acquire knowledge thought applied practice, whereas individually or in group learning, constructing knowledge, exploring, in a process of creation, connection, and transformation.Mitigation of climate change requires global and local action, not only concerning greenhouse gases and natural resources management, but especially regarding complex social behaviours that require a shift towards sustainability.This exploratory research brings insight on higher education design students addressing changes and its implications with Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodologies, addressing design consequences, using creativity as a transformation tool in an interdisciplinary process in a fast-changing world that requires a paradigm shift.


The incorporation of small molecules into lipid bilayers is a process of biological importance and clinical relevance that can change the material properties of cell membranes and cause deleterious side effects for certain drugs. Here we report the direct observation, using surface-enhanced Raman and IR spectroscopies (SERS, SEIRA), of the insertion of ibuprofen molecules into hybrid lipid bilayers. The alkanethiol-phospholipid hybrid bilayers were formed onto gold nanoshells by self-assembly, where the underlying nanoshell substrates provided the necessary enhancements for SERS and SEIRA. The spectroscopic data reveal specific interactions between ibuprofen and phospholipid moieties and indicate that the overall hydrophobicity of ibuprofen plays an important role in its intercalation in these membrane mimics.


Background and Hypothesis:Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is defined by chronic tissue inflammation, and prior work in the field implicates activation of the NFκb pathway. This pathway is activated by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which recognize molecules associated with pathogens and cellular damage. In CRS subjects, particularly those with nasal polyps, dysregulated pro-resolving processes have been documented. Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), including lipoxin A4 and the resolvins, are prime targets for active resolution of the chronic tissue inflammation that defines the disease. We hypothesize that exaggerated pro-inflammatory responses to CRS tissues could be mitigated by application of SPMs in vitro.
Project Methods:CRS polyp tissue was collected from surgical specimens, and submerged in cell culture conditions with 10 ug/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipoteichoic acid (LTA) to mimic bacterial pathogens commonly observed in CRS (i.e., P. aeruginosa or S.aureus). Tissues were treated with 50 nM of SPMs, either lipoxin A4, resolvin D1, or resolvin D2. RNA was isolated from treated tissues. RNA was analyzed with Taqman Microarray NF-kB human pathway RT-PCR panel to evaluate expression of NF-kB-associated genes. In tandem, supernatant was collected for analysis of cytokine and chemokine signaling proteins. Protein assays were performed using the Luminex Multiplex Assay to observe modulation of pro-inflammatory immune signaling molecules
Results:LPS and LTA exposures demonstrated robust and different pro-inflammatory responses in ex vivo nasal polyp tissue. Treatment with SPMs was able to at least partially reduce NF-kB activation and the associated inflammatory response at a molecular level.
Conclusion:Inflammation is a complex, temporally precise physiologic process. In chronic inflammatory mucosal diseases such as CRS, repeated acute insults may lead to chronic tissue inflammation. A novel treatment approach leveraging endogenous tissue resolving processes, i.e., SPMs was tested here in vitro and demonstrates potential promise for CRS with nasal polyps.


Aqueous sampling rates for 25 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were determined on the commercially available passive Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS). To date, POCIS calibration has only been carried out for a handful of compounds. Uptake rates were 0.040 to 2.462 L/d under conditions of flowing water; quiescent conditions resulted in uptake rates between 0.016 and 0.223 L/d. The uptake of many PPCPs appears to be boundary‐layer controlled, as indicated by higher sampling rates under flowing conditions. Sampling rates were corrected for analyte dissipation rates, and some correlations with octanol–water partition coefficients were noted. Field deployments of POCIS in wastewater effluent and surface waters had time‐weighted average concentrations derived from laboratory calibrations that were consistent with regular grab samples. This work indicates that POCIS can be used as a quantitative tool for measuring PPCPs in the aquatic environment.


ABSTRACT We contribute to the understanding of the relationship between organisational identification and work-related stress by examining the role that expanded forms of organisational identification play in explaining the nature of this relationship. The current study explores the extent to which organisational identification and other expanded forms of identification predict employee strain. We hypothesise that ambivalent identification, neutral identification, and disidentification will moderate the negative relationship between organisational identification and exhaustion and ego depletion, such that the link between identification and strain will be stronger when the other dimensions are low. We tested these predictions in a survey among 228 employees of care homes for the elderly (72% social-sanitary operators, 27% nurses). Results largely supported the hypotheses and show reliable interactions for ambivalent, neutral identification, and disidentification on both exhaustion and ego depletion. Results showed a significant moderation by ambivalent identification for exhaustion but not for ego depletion. We discuss limitations and future implications for research and practice of the expanded model of organisational identification in organisational interventions that deal with work-related stress.


This research addresses design and construction of an oven (2 m x 3 m x 2 m) for effectively drying palm bunch using glycerin as a fuel and a closed-loop oscillating heat-pipe with check valves (CLOHP/CV) as a heat exchanger for waste heat recovery. In each experiment, palm bunches (500 kg) were baked in oven with and without CLOHP/CV heat exchanger. CLOHP/CV (0.2 m x 0.8 m x 0.5 m) is made of copper tubes (inner diam, 2.03 mm). Working fluids were distilled water, ethanol and R134a. Waste heat from oven was recovered by heat exchanger and was beneficial for pre-heating the air in combustion process. Pre-heating was useful in burning glycerine, and distribution of heat inside oven with CLOHP/CV was better than without CLOHP/CV. Consequently, palm bunches received uniform heat that restrained enzyme thus slowing dissolution reactions that would otherwise produce free fatty acids and cause loss of palm oil. Use of a CLOHP/CV also reduced moisture content of palm bunches to 1.2 wt% on dry basis. When using oven with CLOHP/CV as a heat exchanger with R134a as working fluid, the highest thermal efficiency of drying palm bunch was 42.4%, highest effectiveness of CLOHP/CV was 43.0% and highest efficiency of glycerin stove was 45.0%.


Abstract Life tables calculated in the classic way on the basis of annual death statistics and age-specific population estimates as of 1 January of each year become unreliable at the oldest ages. Due to the rapid decline of mortality among the oldest old observed in the past few decades and the even swifter increase in the proportion of nonagenarians and centenarians in industrialized countries, it has become more important than ever to improve the accuracy of the measurement of mortality at the oldest ages.The extinct generation method enables us to do this while using only real data. The method was adapted to be used with cohorts that are not completely extinct, thus making it possible to reconstruct recent mortality after age 90 with an acceptable degree of accuracy.The trends in life expectancy at 90, 95 or 100 can thus be studied with greater accuracy from the start of the twentieth century. The comparison between the results obtained through traditional methods and those obtained through the extinct generation method shows that life expectancy at those ages was previously overestimated, thus masking its spectacular increase during the last three decades.


More than half of the money spent in 2013 for 75 new drugs covered by Medicare Part B went toward only 3 of them, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report (http://1.usa.gov/1N0OnCq).

Those 3 drugs were Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Eylea (aflibercept), both of which are used to treat macular degeneration and macular edema, and Prolia (denosumab), which is used to treat osteoporosis. The expenditures for these 3 drugs accounted for 53% of the $5.9 billion Medicare and its beneficiaries spent in 2013 on 75 Part B drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 2006. Of the 75 new drugs, the 20 most expensive cost $51 000 to $536 000 per beneficiary in 2013.


The aim of this article is to examine the scope of the commentary made by Jacques Lacan in his Seminaire on the concept of phenomenological intentionality. By re-writing the object of the drive in a topological space / curve, Lacan intended to give full value to a certain number of defining traits of Freudian drive against its interpretation into any kind of non-critical intentionalism. This specifically required that the French psychoanalyst emphasize the vicariousness of the drive in relation to any defined object / goal which induces the irreducible "perverse polymorphic" nature of any drive. Our article also seeks to demonstrate that Lacan did not agree with the repudiation of the concept of "intention" which he had inherited from phenomenology and which he had reworked under Freud's patronage, but had subverted its scope in the passage from intentionality to pulsionality by which he expected to achieve disidentification of the desired objective / goal from the pulsional satisfaction goal. Through this complication, we seek to re-open the issue of limits that the concept of intentionality encounters when it meets post-Freudian metapsychology.


We investigated the influence of the growth temperature (Tgr) on the microstructure and on the optical properties of GaInNAs quantum wells (QWs). By comparing the structural information (transmission electron microscopy) with the optical properties (photoluminescence spectroscopy), we demonstrate that high photoluminescence efficiency of GaInNAs QWs is achieved only when the two-dimensional growth mode is preserved, which can be obtained at a low Tgr even for high In content. We also show composition modulations in the GaInNAs QWs, which can lead to the interface roughness.


Managers have a key role in ensuring staff are trained effectively so they can carry out their work to a
high standard (Alvarez et al 2004, Duffield et al 2011). However, within the last five years, a number
of high profile reports in England have identified significant failings in healthcare delivery and made
recommendations to improve workforce education and training to enhance safety, quality and patient
outcomes (Keogh 2013, Francis 2013, Cavendish 2013, Imison et al 2016). Indeed the UK Health
Select committee in January 2018 stated that 'Health Education England must reverse cuts to
nurses'(House of Commons 2018) continuing professional development budgets. Funding allocated to
trusts should be specifically ring-fenced for continuing professional development (CPD) for nurses,
and specific funding should be made available to support CPD for nurses working in the community.'
They indicated they had heard 'a clear message (…) that access to continuing professional
development plays an important role in retention' (House of Commons 2018). Operating in a climate
where both time and financial resources are limited, it is important that managers make informed
decisions about staff education and training which demonstrate value for money as well as improved
service quality. However, factors such as competing organisational priorities and managers' own time
constraints may impact on their ability to make such decisions and to evaluate the outcomes of training
attended. Decision making takes place in a variety of ways which include, but are not limited to,
appraisals. This can result in choices which do not best serve staff, the patient or the organisation. In
this context, a tool to aid managers' decision-making regarding staff training may be valuable.


Many multiprocessor systems have interconnection networks as underlying topologies and an interconnection network is usually represented by a graph where nodes represent processors and links represent communication links between processors. In 2016, Zhang et al. proposed the $g$-extra diagnosability of $G$, which restrains that every component of $G-S$ has at least $(g +1)$ vertices. As an important variant of the hypercube, the $n$-dimensional crossed cube $CQ_{n}$ has many good properties. In this paper, we prove that $CQ_{n}$ is tightly $(4n-9)$ super 3-extra connected for $n\geq 7$ and the 3-extra diagnosability of $CQ_{n}$ is $4n-6$ under the PMC model $(n\geq5)$ and MM$^*$ model $(n\geq7)$.


 Abstract — Modern structures such as floor systems, pedestrian bridges and high-rise buildings have become lighter in mass and more flexible with negligible damping and thus prone to vibration. In this paper, a semi-actively controlled pendulum tuned mass dampers (PTMD) is presented that uses air springs as both the restoring (resilient) and energy dissipating (damping) elements; the tuned mass damper (TMD) uses no passive dampers. The proposed PTMD can readily be fine-tuned and re-tuned, via software, without changing any hardware. Almost all existing semi-active systems have the three elements that passive TMDs have, i.e., inertia, resilient, and dissipative elements with some adjustability built into one or two of these elements. The proposed semi-active air suspended TMD, on the other hand, is made up of only inertia and resilience elements. A notable feature of this TMD is the absence of a physical damping element in its make-up. The required viscous damping is introduced into the TMD using a semi-active control scheme residing in a micro-controller which actuates a high-speed proportional valve regulating the flow of air in and out of the air springs. In addition to introducing damping into the TMD, the semi-active control scheme adjusts the stiffness of the TMD. The focus of this work has been the synthesis and analysis of the control algorithms and strategies to vary the tuning accuracy, introduce damping into air suspended PTMD, and enable the PTMD to self-tune itself. The accelerations of the main structure and PTMD as well as the pressure in the air springs are used as the feedback signals in control strategies. Numerical simulation and experimental evaluation of the proposed tuned damping system are presented in this


In this paper we develop the method of circle of partitions and associated statistics. As an application we prove conditionally the binary Goldbach conjecture. We develop series of steps to prove the binary Goldbach conjecture in full. We end the paper by proving the binary Goldbach conjecture for all even numbers exploiting the strategies outlined.


Figure 1: Genetic modifiers of huntingtin protein aggregation in C. elegans.: A) Representative fluorescent confocal micrographs of a parental strain (EAK103) expressing Htt513(Q128)::YFP in body wall muscle cells, or of three independent EMS-derived mutants referred to herein as modifiers of Htt aggregation (mha). B) Quantification of the number of Htt513(Q128)::YFP protein aggregates in each of the mha mutants compared to both the parental strain and to strain EAK102, which expresses the protein Htt513(Q15)::YFP as a negative control for aggregation. Mean aggregate number for at least 50 individuals is shown for each indicated time point. Animals were sacrificed at the time of scoring; therefore each day represents a completely independent experiment. Error bars represent standard error of the mean. 1/2/2020 Open Access Student t-tests were performed, comparing aggregation in each mha strain to that of the parental strain. Because no statistically significant differences were observed over time, data for each of the three days were pooled for the purpose of further statistical analyses. The symbol *** denotes a p-value less than 0.0001. C) Representative western blot of Htt513(Q128)::YFP protein detected with an anti-polyQ antibody or α-tubulin as a loading control. N2 and YFPexpressing animals (AM134) are shown as negative controls. D) Western blot quantification using Image J analysis software. Mean Htt protein levels are shown for three biological replicates, error bars represent standard error of the mean, and the p-value is the result of a student t-test. Description Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant monogenic neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the gene encoding the protein huntingtin (Htt) (MacDonald et al., 1993). The resultant disease-associated Htt protein harbors a polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat that renders it metastable with respect to folding (Carrell and Lomas, 1997). Htt protein misfolding, characterized by the accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates and neurotoxicity, is first observed in midto late-life for most HD patients (Becher et al., 1998). The age-of-onset for HD is inversely proportional to CAG repeat length (Becher et al., 1998). Nonetheless, genetic variation between HD patients is attributed to slight differences in age-of-onset, even when repeat length is the same (Gusella and MacDonald, 2000). Thus, genetic background seems to be an important modifier of Htt protein aggregation and toxicity. We are interested in identifying genes/proteins that enhance or suppress the folding defect of human Htt. To model Htt toxic-gain-of-function in the genetically tractable Caenorhabditis elegans, we previously characterized transgenic animals expressing a YFP-tagged polyQ-expanded disease-associated fragment of human Htt in C. elegans body wall muscle cells (Lee et al., 2017). More specifically, the first 513 amino acids of the human Htt protein were fused to YFP for visualization. Two different polyQ tract lengths (Q15 and Q128) were utilized, resulting in the proteins Htt513(Q15)::YFP and Htt513(Q128)::YFP, corresponding to the strains EAK102 and EAK103, respectively (Lee et al., 2017). For simplicity, these proteins are referred to herein as Htt513(Q15) or Htt513(Q128). As reported, only Htt513(Q128), not Htt513(Q15), formed protein aggregates in body wall muscle cells (Lee et al., 2017), consistent with only longer polyQ tracts being associated with disease. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of genetic modifiers of Htt aggregation (mha). To this end, EAK103 animals expressing Htt513(Q128) were grown to the L4 larval stage and exposed to the alkylating agent ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) at a final concentration of 50mM for 4hrs, according to established protocols (Brenner, 1974). In short, F1 individuals derived from the mutagenized parents were allowed to self-fertilize for one generation, yielding an F2 population, for the purpose of homozygosing recessive alleles and thereby uncovering mutant phenotypes. Screening of the F2 animals for those with increased or decreased aggregation was performed by eye with a fluorescent stereomicroscope. Using this strategy, we obtained three independently-derived mha alleles, mha-1(eee1), mha-(eee2), and mha-(eee3) all displaying either increased or decreased Htt513(Q128) protein aggregation. Independence was assured by generating separate pools of F1 progeny with no more than one mutant individual selected from any given pool for further analysis. However, because allelism tests were not performed, we cannot say that our three alleles necessarily represent three different genes. Therefore, we are assigning only one allele, eee1, the specific gene name mha-1. Qualitatively, mha1(eee1) displayed decreased Htt513(Q128) aggregation whereas mha-(eee2) and mha-(eee3) displayed increased aggregation (Fig. 1A). To determine the extent of aggregation suppression or enhancement, the number of Htt513(Q128) protein aggregates in each of the three mha mutant strains was quantified at days 1, 4, and 8 of adulthood and compared to that of the Htt513(Q128) parental strain (EAK103) and the Htt513(Q15) negative control strain (EAK102) (Fig. 1B). The aging time-course was to determine whether our new mutants had early or late effects or whether they worked in a synergistic manner with the aging program. We found that while the parental strain accumulated ~15 aggregates in body wall muscle cells on all days examined, mha-1(eee1) accumulated <10 aggregates, whereas mha-(eee2) and mha-(eee3) accumulated >20 aggregates. These numbers of aggregates were statistically different from the parental strain, but not affected by age in any of the mutants examined (Fig. 1B). Because aggregation is a concentration-dependent phenomenon, we needed to rule out the trivial possibility that changes in aggregation were simply due to higher or lower transgene expression levels. To address this, we performed western blot analysis with an antibody raised against expanded polyQ or against α-tubulin as a loading control (Fig. 1C). Briefly, total protein from animals grown to day 1 of adulthood was extracted and loaded on a 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel, transferred to a PVDF membrane, and incubated in the presence of the indicated antibodies. Visualization was with a LiCor Odyssey imaging system (Lincoln, NE). Quantification of protein levels from three independent experiments was performed with Image J. The analysis revealed that mha-1(eee1) accumulated more, not less, Htt513(Q128) protein than the parental control (Fig. 1D). This means that the underlying genetic lesion in mha-1(eee1) decreases aggregation without decreasing protein levels. In contrast, mha-(eee2) and mha-(eee3), in which Htt513(Q128) aggregated more than the control, also accumulated more total protein. Thus, the observed increase in aggregation could be due to a higher 1/2/2020 Open Access concentration of available Htt513(Q128) protein. Alternatively, these aggregates themselves may be highly stable, such that increased aggregation may equate to less protein turnover, a longer half-life, and, consequently, higher steady-state protein levels. Together, our data describe a screening strategy for the successful identification of genetic modifiers of Htt513(Q128) protein aggregation. Prior to this study, we were uncertain whether the long polyQ tract length and early aggregation of Htt513(Q128) in body wall muscle cells would render it impossible to suppress aggregation. However, mha-1(eee1) only forms a few aggregates in the muscles surrounding the head, but is otherwise completely diffuse. Thus, the mutants characterized herein are not only interesting in their own right as modifiers of protein aggregation, but they serve as a proof of principle, opening up the possibility for larger-scale studies in the future.


This Paper present the data acquisition system of 20 kVA three phased SMES-based voltage sag restorer device. The control of the voltage source inverter also described. The experimental results shows that the validate of the data acquisition and the voltage source inverter control system. In the experiment important data of the system is recorded. It can be seen that the system works well in the experiment. Also the way of control method suitably compensates the sag of the voltage. The recording data can be used for evaluating the dynamic performance of device and for further research on control method to improve the performance of SMES system. It is also helpful to design 500 kVA SMES system.


Abstract. In recent years, deep learning technology has been continuously developed and gradually transferred to various fields. Among them, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which has the ability to extract deep features of images due to its unique network structure, plays an increasingly important role in the realm of Hyperspectral images classification. This paper attempts to construct a features fusion model that combines the deep features derived from 1D-CNN and 2D-CNN, and explores the potential of features fusion model in the field of hyperspectral image classification. The experiment is based on the deep learning open source framework TensorFlow with Python3 as programming environment. Firstly, constructing multi-layer perceptron (MLP), 1D-CNN and 2DCNN models respectively, and then, using the pre-trained 1D-CNN and 2D-CNN models as feature extractors, finally, extracting features via constructing the features fusion model. The general open hyperspectral datasets (Pavia University) were selected as a test to compare classification accuracy and classification confidence among different models. The experimental results show that the features fusion model obtains higher overall accuracy (99.65%), Kappa coefficient (0.9953) and lower uncertainty for the boundary and unknown regions (3.43%) in the data set. Since features fusion model inherits the structural characteristics of 1D-CNN and 2DCNN, the complementary advantages between the models are achieved. The spectral and spatial features of hyperspectral images are fully exploited, thus getting state-of-the-art classification accuracy and generalization performance.


Heavy fermion superconductors are largely studied for their unconventional ground states. We present results on the skutterudite compound PrOs4Sb12 (Tc ≈ 1.8K), and on the heavy-fermion CeCoIn5 (Tc ≈ 2.3K), where both the low field and the low temperature behaviour of their thermal conductivity yield evidence for multigap superconductivity.


The problem treated is that of determining the geometric configuration and constitutive parameters of an object from a knowledge of the low-frequency scattered far field produced by an incident plane wave. This problem is recast as a constrained optimization problem for a functional defined in terms of the polarizability tensor elements associated with the object. In particular, a method is described for finding the dimensions and orientation of that ellipsoid, the scattering properties of which best approximate the measured far field.


Urbanisation in the Netherlands differs from countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where urban sprawl a real problem. But even with an almost stable population the spatial demand is growing. Manageability of the city and preservation of the countryside requires that the process of expanding urban areas is brought to a halt. Increasing the density could provide a way out. In this context, high rise might be part of the sustainable solution. High rise strategy, if any, in Dutch cities, is limited to zoning in which tall buildings are allowed, suggesting a market capable of filling-in the outlines. In this manner, the national need for increasing density is not met sufficiently. Better acknowledgement of the additional costs of high rise, that recoils clients, is needed. By developing methods that utilize the relative high land revenues to stimulate sustainable, high rise might contribute to a more sustainable city.


Summary The subcutaneously transplanted Jensen sarcoma grew to a weight of 50–60 gm in 16–18 days and then regressed. During the period of growth the tissue could be divided into a region of necrotic dead cells and a region of live cells by the lissamine green exclusion test. The activity of 4 acid hydrolases (cathepsin, aryl sulfatase, β-galactosidase, and acid phosphatase) were determined in both tumor regions during growth and the beginning of regression. Measurements were made of the total enzymatic activity and the free activity or that not bound to large cellular particles under the uniform set of conditions employed. A high percentage of the activity of the 4 enzymes was free in the inner necrotic region of the tumor. The total activity of cathepsin and acid phosphatase declined in the necrotic portion with tumor age. There was a marked increase in both the free and total activities of cathepsin, aryl sulfatase, and β-galactosidase in the outer portion of the tumor during the early periods of regression. Total acid phosphatase activity declined in the outer portion of the tumor during regression. The data suggest that acid hydrolases are involved in the degradation of tumor cells during both necrosis and regression of the tumor.


In this paper Sanchar Shakti as a case study is presented as an example of a flexible and highly innovative approach to use of public funds to finance need based, inverse PPP projects. Unlike the case of EU, the Universal Service Fund of India combines many objectives of structural funds for rural ICT development (state aided projects) rather than restricting itself to a minimalist safety net approach. This allows wider scope for funding of rural ICT projects of various types through Universal Service funds. Sanchar Shakti is a unique programme of women's empowerment where rural women's Self Help Groups across India are being provided useful information, knowledge and skills specially customised to their cultural context and vocations through the mobile phone. This is a project where the needs of the women dictated the project's scope and contours, allowing sufficient flexibility in design, while adhering to the rigour and requirements of a public private partnerships.


Job demands can contribute to nurses' turnover intention and this can have an impact on health services among the general population. It appears important to identify the work environment factors associated with turnover intention, as well as the psychological resources liable to act on this relationship. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), the purpose of this study (n=1179) is to investigate the relationship between two job demands (role ambiguity and role conflict) and turnover intention, as well as the moderating role of basic need satisfaction (autonomy, competence and relatedness) within these relationships.,This cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses (Quebec, Canada). Nurses completed an online questionnaire. To test the proposed moderating effect of satisfaction of the three psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence and relatedness) in the relationship between job demands (i.e. role ambiguity and role conflict) and turnover intention, path analysis was conducted using Mplus v.8 (Muthen and Muthen, 2017). Two models, one for each demand, were tested.,As expected, role ambiguity and role conflict are positively related to turnover intention. Results reveal a significant interaction between role ambiguity and satisfaction of the need for autonomy in the prediction of turnover intention. The satisfaction of the need for competence and the satisfaction of the need for relatedness did not moderate the relationship between role ambiguity and turnover intention. Satisfaction of the need for autonomy moderated the relationship between role conflict and turnover intention. Moreover, results revealed a significant interaction between role conflict and satisfaction of the need for competence in the prediction of turnover intention. Satisfaction of the need for relatedness did not moderate the relationship between role conflict and turnover intention.,The results align with the theoretical propositions of several leading theories in occupational health which state that workers' psychological functioning derives not only from the job characteristics of their work environment, but also from the psychological resources at their disposal. The study contributes to SDT. First, to date, this is the first study to investigate basic psychological need satisfaction as a moderator in the relationship between contextual factors and workers' functioning. Second, the findings revealed the importance of assessing psychological needs separately, as each contributes in a specific way to workers' work-related attitudes and adaptation to their professional environment.,Perceptions of autonomy and competence act as key psychological resources for nurses. Managerial support for autonomy (e.g. providing nurses with meaningful information regarding their work) and competence (e.g. providing nurses with frequent positive feedback regarding their work efforts) constitutes a series of key management practices that can foster perceptions of autonomy and competence. The findings show that two role stressors predict nurses' turnover intention. As such, health care establishments are encouraged to focus on interventions that reduce uncertainties and conflicting situations from nurses (provide clear job descriptions and effective communication).,By promoting a sense of effectiveness and feelings of self-endorsement at work, health care establishments can reduce nurses' turnover intention and help prevent staffing shortages among this important work group.,Although past research shows that workers' motivational profile can modulate the relationship between characteristics within the work environment and workers' functioning, studying the quality of work motivation is not sufficient to completely understand the factors that can influence workers' reactions to job demands. Need satisfaction is crucial to the development and maintenance of high quality motivation. Evaluating need satisfaction as a moderator in the stressor–strain relationship could offer a better understanding of the psychological experiences that can promote workers' adaptation to their work environment. To date, no study has investigated the buffering role of psychological needs in the stressor–strain relationship.


Can we understand epistemic justification in terms of epistemic rights? In this paper, we consider two arguments for the claim that we cannot and in doing so, we provide two arguments for the claim that we can. First, if, as many think, William James is right that the epistemic aim is to believe all true propositions and not to believe any false propositions, then there are likely to be situations in which believing (or disbelieving) a proposition serves one of these goals, whereas suspending judgement serves the other, equally important goal. Second, it is in principle always possible to have different epistemic standards for evaluating the evidence for the proposition in question, so that one can have a right to believe (or disbelieve) that proposition and a right to suspend judgement on it. Whereas the first consideration counts in favour of the idea that believing justifiedly is at least sometimes a matter of having an epistemic right, the latter consideration favours the view that believing justifiedly is always a matter of having an epistemic right.


Rabbit antibodies against components of the human milk fat globule bind specifically to normal human breast epithelial cells and cell lines derived from breast carcinomas, as well as to the outer surface of the human milk fat globule. Variation in indirect immunofluorescence staining in both intensity per cell and percentage of cells stained is observed for the different brest cell lines. Cells derived from other epithelial and other ectodermal tissues, fetal fibroblasts, cells of the blood buffy coat, and even fibroblasts of the breast itself do not bind the antibodies. This suggests that these antibodies are detecting cell-type-specific antigens. These normal breast epithelial cell antigens are on the cell surface and their expression is stable in long-term cultured cell lines, even after much chromosomal variation in a given line. By affinity chromatography, three distinct antigenic components can be isolated from the milk fat globule, one of which contains carbohydrate. These differentiation antigens of the human breast epithelial cell are not only useful as specific cell-type markers, but also can provide a tool to study the role of the cell surface in normal and neoplastic mammary development.


Despite the steady improvement in the macroeconomic environment, Albania is still considered one of the poorest countries in Europe. Considerable improvement in poverty rates has been made in the last decade and according to the World Bank's Poverty Assessment in 2008, Albania has already reached the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty rates by 2015. The improved poverty rates have been attributed mainly to higher per capita GDP, but also to the direct and indirect effects of international remittances. However, poverty rates are still double-figured and about 12 percent of the population lived below the poverty line. Furthermore, the improvement in the national poverty rates has not been accompanied by proportionate reductions all over the country, with the Mountain region being highly marginalized. Compared to 2005, in 2008 poverty in the Mountain region increased by 1 percentage point and the increase was even more pronounced in the mountain rural area. The rural poverty rate in the Mountain region was 14 percent higher than the national rural rate in 2005, and 104 percent higher in 2008, whilst rural poverty rates for other regions in 2008 are almost at the national rural poverty rate or lower (Albanian Institute of Statistics, UNDP and the World Bank, 2009). This study estimates the impact of the international migration and remittances on poverty rates in the hypothetical case with additional migration and remittances in the Mountain region of Albania using data from the Albanian LSMS 2008. In this hypothetical case, the basic assumption is that the households that do not receive remittances from their members will send one (additional) member abroad and that this person will remit. A counterfactual of per capita consumption expenditure is constructed for the observed non-recipient households by using the estimated coefficients of the determinants of per capita consumption of the households that receive remittances from their members abroad. The results suggest that controlling for characteristics of the household, its head and location, the recipient and non-recipient households do not differ in their unobserved characteristics. In the Mountain region, the counterfactual with migration and remittances yields to considerably lower poverty rates. If given the opportunity to migrate the poverty headcount would have declined by 64 percent and the poverty gap and severity would have been almost inexistent.


Vallius, H., Ryabchuk, D. & Kotilainen, A. 2007. Distribution of heavy metals and arsenic in soft surface sediments of the coastal area off Kotka, North-Eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 45, 33–48, 12 figures and 5 tables. The modern soft surface sediments of the sea area off Kotka in the Northeastern Gulf of Finland were surveyed for heavy metal contamination. Altogether, 14 sites were sampled with a gravity corer for chemical analyses. The sea-floor sediments of this rather shallow and thus sensitive sea area have for decades been loaded with heavy metals and other harmful substances. Although a slightly improving trend can be seen, the soft sediments off Kotka and Hamina can still be classified as largely polluted, especially on the basis of cadmium and mercury contents in the surface sediments. Deeper down, at depths of 10–20 cm, the sediments are even more highly contaminated, such that concentrations occasionally reach values representing very high contamination. Mercury is the main pollutant of the near coastal areas close to the outlets of River Kymijoki, while cadmium is the main pollutant in the remote basins in the east and southeast.


An integral double plume model is used to explore the fate of solid CO2 hydrate particles released continuously into a quiescent ocean for the purposes of CO2 sequestration. Such a release is desirable because hydrate particles are negatively buoyant and dissolution of CO2 enhances this negative buoyancy through the solute density effect. Plume depth and thickness are shown to increase with CO2 mass loading and initial hydrate particle diameter, and exceed the equivalent rise height and thickness associated with positively buoyant droplet releases. The depths also greatly exceed those associated with a single particle release, highlighting the importance of the "plume" effect. Plumes initially composed of multiple particle sizes produce greater maximum plume depth, but similar average plume depth and dilution compared with plumes composed of homogeneous particles, suggesting that adequate simulations can be made using a single particle size. Although the model is valid only for discharge to quiescent receiving water, analysis shows the effects of an ambient current decrease with increasing mass flow rate or decreasing particle size, making results relevant for most likely release scenarios.


A digital control architecture is presented for electronic ballasts that provides a phase sweep for reliable, soft lamp ignition and a smooth transition to lamp current regulation mode. The controller is based on an inner phase loop for fast regulation of the resonant tank operating point and an outer current loop for lamp current regulation. The inner loop operates on a simple digital control law that computes the required gate timing relative to the inductor current positive zero crossing. Phase control provides reliable drive of the resonant converter in the presence of large dynamic changes in the load impedance during lamp ignition and warm up and natural tracking of component variations with temperature and time. The primarily digital approach provides programmability for broad application, insensitivity to process and temperature variations, realization in low cost CMOS processes and few external components. Experimental results are presented for an integrated ballast controller fabricated in a 0.8 mum CMOS process used in a 400 W, 150 kHz HID electronic ballast.


Voegelin's research on Tianxia is only a prototype that has some deficiencies resulting from the lack of qualified sources and the change of his theoretical interests. However, his narrative on Tianxia is still insightful in different ways. Not only does he provides an external view on sinology, but also a new interpretive methodology to understand different socio-political order patterns, including ancient China. Considering the Tiānxia-mania in Chinese academia, comparing Voegelin's research with representative Chinese studies can help us further evaluate both the Voegelinian and the Chinese scholars' thoughts on Tianxia.


Using the stochastic Langevin model coupled with a statistical decay model, we study the influence of pre-equilibrium(PE) emission on probing postsaddle friction(β) with neutrons. A postsaddle friction value of(14-16.5) ×1021s-1 and(11-13) ×1021s-1 is obtained from comparing calculated and measured prescission neutron multiplicities of heavy fissioning systems248 Fm and256Fm in the absence and presence of the deformation factor.Moreover, it is found that a larger β is required to fit multiplicity data after the PE effect is accounted for, and that the effect becomes stronger when more energy is removed by PE particles. Our findings suggest that, to more accurately determine the postsaddle friction strength through the measurement of prescission neutrons, in addition to incorporating the contribution of PE evaporation source into the experimental multi-source analysis for particle energy spectra in coincidence with fission fragments, on the theoretical side, it is very important to make a precise evaluation of the energy that PE emission carries away from excited compound systems produced in heavy-ion fusion reactions.


In the tropics the contribution of bees as pollinators of important economic indigenous crops remains largely undocumented. We studied the diversity of bee species visiting indigenous tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) and habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense) in subtropical Yucatán, México. The contribution of two native bees, Exomalopsis (E) and Augochloropsis (AG) was compared with that of the introduced Africanized Apis mellífera (HB) for pollinating unvisited flowers in both crops. Apis mellífera and stingless bees were dominant in habanero pepper but solitary bee species were important visitors of tomato. In spite of both crops being autogamic, there was a significant contribution of native bees for pollination of both tomato and habanero pepper. The comparison of fruit weight, number of seeds, and a pollination index based on the latter showed that E and AG were more effective pollinators compared to HB in both crops (ca. Spear's index of ca. 0.7 vs. 0.35 respectively). In tomato, a further evaluation of the contribution to pollination provided by the three bee species was made using the rate of visits to flowers. Although E and AG were the most efficient pollinators at single flower visits in tomato, none of the three species (including HB) were able to provide single visits to all flowers per unit time to the crop. Our results underline the importance of maintaining diverse assemblages and abundant populations of bee species that can synergically contribute to the productivity of tomato and hot pepper in the Neotropics.


ABSTRACT In this report we present the identification and analysis of twoBacillus subtilis genes, yklA andykzA, which are homologous to the partially RpoS-controlledosmC gene from Escherichia coli. TheyklA gene is expressed at higher levels in minimal medium than in rich medium and is driven by a putative vegetative promoter. Expression of ykzA is not medium dependent but increases dramatically when cells are exposed to stress and starvation. This stress-induced increase in ykzA expression is absolutely dependent on the alternative sigma factor ςB, which controls a large stationary-phase and stress regulon. ykzAis therefore another example of a gene common to the RpoS and ςB stress regulons of E. coli andB. subtilis, respectively. The composite complex expression pattern of the two B. subtilis genes is very similar to the expression profile of osmC in E. coli.


Silent ischaemia is the term which has appeared with the development of such diagnostic techniques as exercise test or Holter ECG monitoring. The term relates to depression of the ST-T segment in ECG despite absence of pain felt by the patient. Episodes of silent ischaemia occur in all clinical forms of coronary disease, are of prognostic importance and require treatment with monitoring of treatment effectiveness. The problem of pain absence in certain ischaemic episodes has not yet been elucidated.


Integrin αvβ3/α6β1 are crucial in the transduction of intercellular cancer information, while their roles in prostate cancer (PCa) remain poorly understood. Here, we systematically analyzed the transcriptome, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and clinical data of 495 PCa patients from the TCGA database and verified them in 220 GEO patients, and qPCR was used to validate the expression of the model genes in our patients. First, we found that integrin αvβ3/α6β1 was negatively correlated with most immune cell infiltration and immune functions and closely associated with poor survival in TCGA patients. Then, we divided these patients into two groups according to the expression level of αvβ3/α6β1, intersected differentially expressed genes of the two groups with the GEO dataset and identified eight biochemical recurrence-related genes (BRGs), and these genes were verified by qPCR in our patients. Next, these BRGs were used to construct a prognostic risk model by applying LASSO Cox regression. We found that the high-risk (HR) group showed poorer OS, PFS, biochemical recurrence and clinical characteristics than the low-risk (LR) group. In addition, the HR group was mainly enriched in the cell cycle pathway and had a higher TP53 mutation rate than the LR group. More importantly, lower immune cell infiltration and immune function, higher expression of PD-L1, PD-1, and CTLA4, and higher immune exclusion scores were identified in the HR group, suggesting a higher possibility of immune escape. These findings suggested the key role of integrin αvβ3/α6β1 in predicting prognosis, TP53 mutation and immune escape in PCa.


A case presentation of an adolescent with tarsal navicular avascular necrosis is presented. External fixation with tarsal navicular diastasis is a simple, straightforward management option to allow osseous regrowth and bone healing. In this case, the external fixator was well tolerated and the patient demonstrated a quick return to function without pain or discomfort. The external fixation technique with tarsal navicular diastasis is an uncommon but effective means of reversing the tarsal navicular avascular process and avoiding an open technique such as arthrodesis.


This research shows the process to design a qualitative indicator system to assess the quality of Curricular Management in schools that are members of the Jesuit School Association of Colombia ( ACODESI – Spanish acronyms), certified under ISO 9000:2000. The  qualitative curriculum management was evaluated from a qualitative perspective, based on five parameters that are paramount in assessing curricular management ( relevance, impact, transcendence, systematization, and degree of satisfaction ) and seven curricular components ( principles, criteria, study plan, programs and projects, methodologies, management and guidance ). The following stages were followed to design the indicator system: preparing the conceptual framework, collecting documentary information through surveys and interviews, analyzing information, constructing an indicator system, and approval by expert judges. The study concludes that applying this new system offers a way to assess the quality of the education offered at the member schools of the Association; however, the system also requires a comprehensive look as it is a qualitative instrument that opposes the general trend to quantify results in schools.


EGFR and HER2 expression are correlated with poor prognosis in several cancers including bladder cancer. The EGFR‐targeting agent cetuximab is currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of bladder cancer, but has only been modestly effective as a single agent in most solid tumor types. In colon cancer, lack of cetuximab efficacy has been attributed to compensatory activating mutations in Kras. The incidence of Kras mutations is rare in bladder carcinomas. There is a need for preclinical models with which to study resistance to EGFR‐targeting agents. Here, we generated four cetuximab‐resistant clones of a cetuximab‐sensitive transitional bladder cancer cell line in vivo by exposing cetuximab‐sensitive bladder cancer cell line xenografts to slowly increasing concentrations of cetuximab. We verified this resistance in vivo by demonstrating growth of cetuximab‐resistant xenografts in the presence of high doses of cetuximab, as well as establishing differential sensitivity to cetuximab between sensitive and resistant xenografts in vivo . We validated the cetuximab‐resistant phenotype of these cells in vitro by showing decreased response to cetuximab in an invasion assay. We examined the levels of total and phosphorylated EGFR, HER2, HER3, AKT, MAPK, and the total protein levels of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition markers E‐cadherin and Vimentin in the isogenic cetuximab‐sensitive and cetuximab‐resistant cells. Increased phosphorylation of the ERBB family members HER2 and HER3 was detected in cetuximab‐resistant clones compared with their cetuximab‐sensitive parental cell lines. Treatment of the cetuximab‐resistant cells with an irreversible dual kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR and HER2 (BIBW2992), successfully inhibited their growth. These data suggest that activation of HER2 and HER3 may contribute to cetuximab resistance where targeting these other HER family members may enhance the efficacy of EGFR blockade. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C47.


Drug administration errors are common in neonatal and paediatric intensive care units.1,2 The frequency of iatrogenic injury of any sort due to such an error is reported to be 3.1%; that is, one injury for each 33 intensive care admissions, and 10.5% of these errors may be potentially serious.1 Critical incidents (CI) are events that could have reduced, or did reduce, the safety margin for the patients.2 Drug-related CI (29%) were found to be potentially life-threatening in a recent analyses of CI in a neonatal–paediatric intensive care unit.2 Human errors contributed to 63% of the CI and 50% were detected by routine checks.2 Knowledge of CI is a precious source in achieving zero drug error as a clear goal, not by finding faults in the individual, but by identifying faults in the system and building into that system mechanisms for picking up faults before they occur.3 We wish to report a recent CI that occurred in the nursery at Kirwan Hospital for Women in which intravenous lignocaine (xylocaine 1%, 50 mg in 5 mL) was mistaken for intravenous heparinized saline (50 IU in 5 mL) due to similarities in the appearances and contents of the vials (Fig. 1). A routine check, however, detected the CI in time and avoided the potential disastrous consequences. Similarities in packaging and labelling of medications have resulted in the inadvertent administration of overdose of ergometrine instead of Vitamin K in neonates.4 Accidental administration of a bolus of 50 mg lidocaine (instead of contrast iodine) has been reported in an infant who survived.5 The clinical picture comprised collapse, respiratory arrest, convulsions and coma. We recommend that intravenous lignocaine should not be kept on the medication/resuscitation trolleys in neonatal nurseries as part of routine medications. Importance of routine checks is emphasised.


We show that the double-gate (DG) FET geometry has lower gate capacitance per gate CG and lower sheet carrier density per gate NS than the single-gate (SG) FET geometry for the same gate-stack because the semiconductor capacitance CSC is a property of the channel, and therefore, CSC per gate of the DG FET is one-half that of the SG FET. This effect is marginal in FETs with high effective mass and/or high valley degeneracy channel materials but is fairly pronounced in FETs with low effective mass and/or low valley degeneracy channel materials.


Recently, much progress has been made in the direct assimilation of satellite radiance measurements in numerical weather‐prediction systems. In order to use radiances from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS), biases between the observed radiances and those simulated from the model first guess must be corrected. The original scheme for TOVS radiance‐bias correction at the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts utilized a global scan correction, and a linear air‐mass correction, with the observed radiances from the Microwave Sounding Unit channels 2, 3 and 4 as predictors. The new scheme differs in two fundamental ways. Analysis of radiance data shows a significant residual scan bias which depends strongly on latitude for some channels. The new scheme applies a latitudinally dependent scan correction to take this into account. The air‐mass predictors are now computed from the background field, since the background field contains a more consistent representation of the air mass and surface characteristics than the observed microwave radiances. Four new predictors are used, 1000–300 hPa thickness, 200–50 hPa thickness, model surface skin temperature and total precipitable water. In particular, the skin‐temperature predictor is able to differentiate between ocean and sea‐ice, performing much better than the old scheme in the winter hemisphere. The use of model predictors is a change in philosophy away from correction of the observations to correction of the computed forward radiances. This leads to a natural extension where the gradient of the bias correction can be taken into account in variational retrieval schemes.