abstract The article investigates the effects of the agglomeration of technological activities on the growth in regional productivity, applying the notion of pecuniary knowledge externalities. Pecuniary knowledge externalities enable one to appreciate both the gains and losses associated with the regional concentration of knowledge-generating activities. Both are two sides of the same coin. The gains are due to the reduction in the prices of knowledge as input into its dedicated markets, while the losses stem from the reduction in the prices of knowledge as an output. This analysis allows us to contextualize the effect of geographic proximity on knowledge externalities and their impact on regional growth. Our analysis leads to the hypothesis of an inverted U-shaped relationship between the agglomeration of innovation activities and productivity growth. The empirical analysis based on a large sample of European regions from 1996 to 2003 supports the hypothesis that agglomeration yields diminishing net positive effects beyond a maximum.


For Aristotle, prudence or practical wisdom is a virtue of thought that is practical rather
than theoretical and deliberative rather than intuitive. It is the intellectual virtue that
perfects reasoning in regard to decision making in the realm of human action. To have
this virtue is to be good at thinking about how to live a fulfilled life as a whole, and to
be successful in so doing. The prudent person is the only one who is truly just,
courageous and temperate, and the good person is truly good only if he is prudent.
According to Aristotle, there is a fundamental connection between prudence and moral
virtue. This connection depends on the pre-existence of certain natural qualities.
Although Aristotle stresses the importance of prudence and the ethical life, he holds that
the human person - endowed as he is with the divine element of reason - is capable of
an even higher way of life. This is the life of contemplation, the life dedicated to the
appreciation of truth, the life that is closest to the way of life of the gods.
For St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle is the Philosopher. In treating of prudence, Aquinas
follows Aristotle very closely especially in his Commentary on Aristotle's
'Nicomachean Ethics He teaches that prudence is a virtue of the practical intellect that
is related in a particularly close way to the moral virtues. In order to be morally good, a
person needs the moral virtues, and these in turn need the judgment of prudence.
Aquinas's interpretations of Aristotle's notion of prudence are more accurate than, and
indeed represent improvements on, those advanced by other leading authorities ofh;s
time, including St. Albert the Great in his Super Ethica. In ways that are significant, he
changes and develops some of Aristotle's teachings on prudence in both his
Commentary on Aristotle's 'Nicomachean Ethics ' and in some of his more theological
works, e.g., his Summa Theologiae. For example, Aquinas holds that Aristotle's
conception of ultimate end or human flourishing - by Aristotle's own statement - can
only be realized in an imperfect way in this life.


Background ABO blood group is a hereditary factor of plasma levels of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) and von Willebrand factor (VWF). Age and gender have been shown to influence FVIII, VWF, fibrinogen (Fbg), and ADAMTS13 (A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 13). We investigated the effects of ABO type, age, and gender on plasma levels of FVIII, Fbg, VWF, and ADAMTS13 in a Chinese population. Methods A total of 290 healthy volunteers were eligible for this study. ABO blood group was determined by indirect technique. FVIII:C and Fbg were measured by clotting assays. VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), collagen-binding activity (VWF:CBA), and ADAMTS13 antigen were assessed by ELISA, whereas VWF ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:Rcof) was performed by agglutination of platelets with ristocetin. Results Mean FVIII:C and VWF levels (VWF:Ag, VWF:CBA, and VWF:Rcof) were significantly higher in non-O than in O type subjects (p < 0.05 for all comparison). ADAMTS13 antigen decreased with increasing age, whereas the other parameters increased. Other than ADAMTS13 (p < 0.01), no gender-related variations were observed in the other parameters. Moreover, FVIII:C, Fbg, VWF:Ag, VWF:CBA, and VWF:Rcof showed significant and positive relationships with age (r = 0.421, 0.445, 0.410, 0.401, and 0.589, resp.; all p < 0.001), whereas a negative relationship was observed for ADAMTS13 antigen (r = 0.306; p = 0.006). Furthermore, FVIII:C were strongly correlated with VWF:Ag, VWF:CBA, and VWF:Rcof (r = 0.746, r = 0.746, and r = 0.576, resp.; p < 0.0001). VWF parameters were also strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.0.847 for VWF:Ag and VWF:CBA; r = 0.722 for VWF:Ag and VWF:Rcof; p < 0.0001). Conclusions ABO blood group, age, and gender showed different effects on plasma levels of FVIII:C, Fbg, VWF:Ag, VWF:CBA, VWF:Rcof, and ADAMTS13 antigen. These new data on a Chinese population are quite helpful to compare with other ethnic groups.


With the purpose of consolidating, in a strategic way, to encourage and to support the local commerce, sports and cultural aspects in the city of Candelária (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), we propose a study of equipment needs that offer entertainment and leisure to the population, preventing residents from moving to other nearby cities to meet those needs. Favored by the flat topography of the site, the solutions interconnect with the proposal to create a multipurpose track, which would encourage the use of the bicycle as a means of transport, not only for working purposes, but also for leisure, as well as providing benefits of greater road safety and travel speed. For this, the proposed urban equipment and its connections with the multipurpose track are analyzed using geoprocessing and virtual reality features. Virtual maps and three-dimensional models help on exemplification of the proposals, enabling better study of the city's existing potentialities as conditioning factors of the project.


Ranked data is commonly used in research across many fields of study including medicine, biology, psychology, and economics. One common statistic used for analyzing ranked data is Kendall's {\tau} coefficient, a non-parametric measure of rank correlation which describes the strength of the association between two monotonic continuous or ordinal variables. While the mathematics involved in calculating Kendall's {\tau} is well-established, there are relatively few graphing methods available to visualize the results. Here, we describe a visualization method and provide an interactive app for graphing Kendall's {\tau} which uses a series of rigid Euclidean transformations along a Cartesian plane to map rank pairs into discrete quadrants. The resulting graph provides a visualization of rank correlation which helps display the proportion of concordant and discordant pairs. Moreover, this method highlights other key features of the data which are not represented by Kendall's {\tau} alone but may nevertheless be meaningful, such as the relationship between discrete pairs of observations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through several examples and compare our results to other visualization methods.


Purpose: To assess the quantitative accuracy and the clinical utility of 3D volumetric PET imaging with FDG in brain studies, 24 patients with various neurological disorders were studied. Materials and Methods: Each patient was injected with 370 MBq of 2-[]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. After a 30 min uptake period, the patients were imaged for 30 min in 2 dimensional acquisition (2D) and subsequently for 10 min in 3 dimensional acquisition imaging (3D) using a GE PET system, The scatter corrected 3D (3D SC) and non scatter-corrected 3D images were compared with 2D images by applying ROIs on gray and white matter, lesion and contralateral normal areas. Measured and calculated attenuation correction methods for emission images were compared to get the maximum advantage of high sensitivity of 3D acquisition. Results: When normalized to the contrast of 2D images, the contrasts of gray to white matter were (3D) and (3D SC). The contrasts of normal area to lesion were (3D) and (3D SC). Three nuclear medicine physicians judged 3D SC images to be superior to the 2D with regards to resolution and noise. Regional counts of calculated attenuation correction was not significantly different to that of measured attenuation correction. Conclusion: 3D PET images with the scatter correction in FDG brain studies provide quantitatively and qualitatively similar images to 2D and can be utilized in a routine clinical setting to reduce scanning time and patient motion artifacts.


Accurate position data show that Brunt Ice Shelf has an irregular three‐dimensional motion driven by the ocean tide. A 30‐day GPS record from Halley station shows not only the expected vertical tidal displacement, but also a significant variation in horizontal velocity. The maximum forward velocity occurs about four hours before the maximum tidal height, a phase relationship that suggests ocean currents may be responsible. However, values of ice/water friction coefficients needed to make this explanation plausible appear to be too high to be physically reasonable. Alternative explanations invoke interactions between the ice shelf and a grounded area at the ice front. Our findings suggest that significant errors might result if these motions are ignored when interpreting 'double difference' satellite SAR interferograms, where the common assumption is that the horizontal velocity of an ice shelf has no tidal dependence.


In the present word we have a completed studied about the combustion of biomass cylindrical solid briquette in particular to the referent of the combustion kinetic going to the point on the determination of the combustion time in every controlled face to the process, the O2 diffusion through gas film, the volatile diffusion through the ash wall and the chemical reaction, starting from the nucleus model without reacting.


Abstract 4280 Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in hospitalized patients. To reduce the incidence of this potentially preventable adverse event, we incorporated computerized clinical decision support-enabled "smart order sets" in our electronic order entry system which have significantly increased the prescription of risk-appropriate VTE prophylaxis. Despite our performance improvement, hospital-acquired VTE remains a common complication at our institution. The purpose of the current study was to examine the clinical characteristics of patients developing VTE during their hospital stay and identify potentially modifiable causes for these events. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of an administrative database of objectively-confirmed VTE among patients hospitalized at the Johns Hopkins Hospital during fiscal year 2011. Demographic and clinical data including VTE risk category, ordered VTE prophylaxis and the number of missed doses of VTE prophylaxis were retrieved from our computerized provider order entry system. VTE were attributed to central venous catheter (CVC) if they occurred in the same vascular distribution. VTE were deemed preventable if risk-appropriate prophylaxis was not ordered or if any doses of pharmacologic prophylaxis were missed. CVC-VTE were not classified as preventable. Results: Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011, 139 hospitalized adult patients were classified as developing potentially preventable VTE. The mean age is 61.3 (SD: 17.7) years, 54.0% were male, the mean BMI was 28.2 (SD: 7.6) kg/m2 and 70.5% had a surgical procedure during hospitalization. Median length of hospitalization was 15 days and median time to VTE was 6 days. Eighty nine patients (64.0%) were classified as being at high or very high risk for VTE; 52 patients admitted to a surgical service and 37 admitted to the medical service. Fifty patients (36.0%) were judged to be at moderate risk, 23 patients admitted to a surgical service and 27 admitted to the medical service. Eighty five patients (61.2%) developed DVT, 45 patients (32.4%) developed PE, and 9 patients (6.5%) had superficial thrombophlebitis (ST). Forty nine events were CVC-VTE; 38 CVC- DVT, 3 CVC- PE and 7 CVC-ST. Among 139 patients who developed in-hospital VTE, 117 patients (84.2%) experienced events that were not preventable by best practice prophylaxis (49 CVC-VTE, 2 ST, 58 received all doses of risk-appropriate prophylaxis). Among 88 patients with potentially preventable VTE events, best-practice prophylaxis was prescribed for 76 (86.5%). The most common reason for potential preventable VTE was missed doses of VTE prophylaxis. For those ordered best-practice prophylaxis, 18 patients (23.7%) missed one or more doses of pharmacologic prophylaxis, 12 patients on the medical and 6 patients on a surgical service. For 7 patients (38.9%), the provider determined that their clinical condition was inappropriate for one or more doses of prophylaxis administration; 4 patients on the medical service and 3 patients on a surgical service. Eight patients (25%) refused one or more doses of prophylaxis; 7 patients on the medical service and 1 patient on a surgical service. Conclusions: This retrospective consecutive case series of hospital-acquired VTE reveals that a substantial percentage of VTE among hospitalized patients are not preventable even with best practice prophylaxis. Therefore, process measures (prescription of risk-appropriate VTE prophylaxis) rather than outcomes (VTE) is the appropriate quality improvement metric for assessing provider and institutional performance. In addition, we noted that missed doses of VTE prophylaxis were the most common finding among patients suffering potentially preventable hospital-acquired VTE. Patient refusal and provider omission were the two leading reasons for missed doses of VTE prophylaxis. These findings underscore the need to track rates of ordered and administered doses of best-practice VTE prophylaxis and identify reasons and solutions for these quality deficits. Disclosures: Streiff:sanofi-aventis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BristolMyersSquibb: Research Funding; Eisai: Consultancy; Janssen Healthcare: Consultancy; Daiichi-Sankyo: Consultancy.


A fast pulsed jet of is applied for the loss modulation of a CW laser and pulse trains of repetitively Q-switched generation are recorded in the frequency range 0.1-1 kHz. The laser-pulse shape and its duration depend on the jet-driving frequency, the position of the pulsed stream relative to the intracavity beam and the temporal changes of the absorber density. A controllable, full-depth modulation of the laser output at frequencies in the range between the jet frequency and harmonics is obtained. The process is ascribed to the interaction of a vortex trail evolving in the jet-edge region. The resulting modulation of the laser gain is ascribed to the common effect of the absorber bleaching and beam refraction.


Objective: Endovenous foam sclerotherapy (EFS) is widely performed in the U.S, but there is a paucity of studies evaluating clinical predictors of outcomes, including biomarkers, in patients with venous disorders.
Methods: Patients undergoing EFS monotherapy for venous disorders were enrolled. Evaluation at baseline, 1 week, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks included clinical characteristics and biomarker analysis.
Results: 100 patients with venous disease were treated. At one week follow-up, 44% underwent a second injection. At 3 months, 100% of patients had obliteration of at least 80% of their affected veins, and 96% reported improved venous stasis symptoms. Adverse events were minor and deep vein thrombosis was found 4 patients at 3 months. D-dimer levels were significantly higher at week one, but returned to baseline by week 12; fibrin monomer decreased and PPL increased at one week and 3 months relative to baseline.
Conclusion: EFS monotherapy is effective in treating signs and symptoms of venous disease with few adverse effects. D-dimer levels are significantly associated with obliteration of venous segments suggesting an association between vein obliteration and activation of coagulation.


Three types of liquid and tablet antacids have been studied in vitro and in vivo: aluminium hydroxide, aluminium hydroxide‐magnesium carbonate and hydrotalcite. The effects on gastric pH of antacid suspensions and antacid chewing tablets having identical active ingredients have been studied in 36 volunteers, the sequence of both forms of administration being randomized. Gastric acid secretion was continuously stimulated during the experiment by a pentagastrin infusion. Antacid chewing tablets gave inferior results when compared with the same antacid in liquid. Antacid suspensions are therefore preferred in the treatment of acid‐peptic disease.


. This paper presents COOL-MC, a tool that integrates state-of-the-art reinforcement learning (RL) and model checking. Specifically, the tool builds upon the OpenAI gym and the probabilistic model checker Storm. COOL-MC provides the following features: (1) a simulator to train RL policies in the OpenAI gym for Markov decision processes (MDPs) that are defined as input for Storm, (2) a new model builder for Storm, which uses callback functions to verify (neural network) RL policies, (3) formal abstractions that relate models and policies specified in OpenAI gym or Storm, and (4) algorithms to obtain bounds on the performance of so-called permissive policies. We describe the components and architecture of COOL-MC and demonstrate its features on multiple benchmark environments.


BACKGROUND
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is mainly due to developmental abnormalities leading to thyroid dysgenesis (TD). TD encompasses very distinct morphologic subtypes of disease. This study examined and compared the phenotype in TD variants and searched for genetic alterations in sporadic thyroid hypoplasia (TH), the most misdiagnosed form of CH. This was a longitudinal study over a 14-year period (1990-2004).

METHODS
A continuous series of 353 children with TD was identified using thyroid function tests [thyroxine (T4) and TSH], scintigraphy, and ultrasound as diagnostic tools. Individual phenotypes were analyzed in 253 children with TD. Mutations in the most likely candidate genes were studied in 35 cases of TH.

RESULTS
The overall birth prevalence of permanent CH was 1:4795. Ectopy represented 37% of all cases of permanent primary CH, dyshormonogenesis 28%, agenesis 24%, hypoplasia 10%, and hemiagenesis 1%. The lowest screening T4 level and the highest TSH level were in the agenetic group, followed by TH. The TH group had an improvement in the thyroid function showing less-severe phenotype with aging. In the molecular analysis, one patient was identified with a mutation in the PAX8 gene (155G>C; R52P); four patients had a heterozygous G>C substitution in position -569; two patients showed a (234C>A; P52T) or (2181C>G; D727E) polymorphic variants of the TSH-R gene; and one patient presented a novel heterozygous nonsynonymous substitution, 293G>A; S98N, in the NKX2.5 gene.

CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of CH was within the previously reported range of 1:3000-4000. Ectopy was the most common etiology. Clinical analysis revealed distinct hormonal patterns in TH subgroup when compared with other variants of TD, with genetic abnormalities identified only in few cases in the TSH-R, PAX8, and NKX2.5 genes.


Cloud computing is not just a service of computing or how the computing service is delivered. It is transforming the computing landscape, which means many big technical, economic and business changes will happen. Cloud computing has emerged with a promise to decrease the cost of computing implementation and deliver the computing as service, where the client pay only for what he needed and used. On the other hand, many security concerns arise with cloud computing. This paper introduces a practical study for cloud computing security threats. This study was conducted on a real SaaS provider with more than one thousand and five hundred clients for 285 days.


Objective
To determine whether a clinical scoring system (the mPRIEST score) could be used to identify an emerging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant with increased clinical severity.

Design
Cross sectional study comparing two time periods (Delta and Omicron waves).

Setting
Public Emergency Departments in Northern Sydney Local Health District.

Participants
Patients presenting during August 2021 (Delta wave) and January 2022 (Omicron wave) with confirmed COVID-19. Data on age, gender, temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and mental status were extracted from patients' electronic medical records to assess clinical disease severity at presentation.

Main outcome measures
Modified Pandemic Respiratory Infection Emergency System Triage (mPRIEST) score calculated using routinely collected data.

Results
A sample of 262 records of COVID-19 positive patients presenting during the Delta and initial Omicron waves were reviewed with 205 having COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis. During the Delta wave 48.1% had scores above 4 compared to 35.1% for the Omicron wave (p = 0.03). The median score was also significantly higher for the Delta group (4 vs 3; p = 0.01). Hospitalisations, admissions to ICU and deaths during admission were higher among patients presenting during the Delta wave than among those presenting during the Omicron wave.

Conclusion
The mPRIEST score was significantly higher for patients for whom the predominant circulating variant was Delta than those for whom the predominant circulating variant was Omicron. This finding is consistent with international reporting of severity measured by hospital admission data and demonstrates the score's possible ability to identify an emergent strain with higher morbidity and mortality.


Welcome to this almost summer issue of BJSM packed chock full with solutions. Please also make sure you checked last month's "ACL issue"1 as well the bumper Concussion supplement.2 Continuing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) theme—because who can get enough of that—Associate Editor Hewett provides another jewel in his crown of contributions that aim to make ACL history. Last month, he and newly-minted PhD Carmen Quatman3 reviewed the arguments for the valgus forces being the primary mechanism in women; this contrasts with the "saggital plane" forces theory. That certainly stirred the pot!

This month comes the second punch of this flurry—original data showing clearly that in women ACL injury occurred when the …


The origin of the first Andean imperial state has been the subject of lively debate for decades. Archaeological sites dating to the Peruvian Middle Horizon time period, A.D. 540 to 900, appear to give evidence for the emergence of an expansive empire that set the stage for the development of the later Inca state. This archaeological investigation of Pikillacta, the largest provincial site of Peru's pre-Inca Wari empire, provides essential background for interpreting the empire's political and cultural organization. With engineering skills rivaling those of the builders of Cuzco itself, the Wari at Pikillacta erected more than seven hundred buildings covering nearly two square kilometers, with a fresh water supply and an elaborate underground sewage system but, enigmatically, only seven short streets and a near total lack of windows. In this long-awaited volume, Gordon McEwan and his colleagues report on the labor costs of construction (nearly 6 million man-days), the typology of Pikillacta's enigmatic architecture, and the site's spectacular hydraulic system as well as its ceramics and chronology, human remains, and metal artifacts. In the final section, building on his years of research and excavation, McEwan develops a hypothetical model of Wari provincial administration in the Cuzco region, arguing that the Wari were innovators of techniques of statecraft that explain the function of and the labor investment in the Pikillacta complex. His book not only substantively contributes to our understanding of when and exactly how and why Pikillacta was built and what it was used for, it also illuminates the political and cultural antecedents of the Inca state.


The distributions currently used to model and simulate crop yields are unable to accommodate a substantial subset of the theoretically feasible mean-variance-skewness-kurtosis (MVSK) hyperspace. Because these first four central moments are key determinants of shape, the available distributions might not be capable of adequately modeling all yield distributions that could be encountered in practice. This study introduces a system of distributions that can span the entire MVSK space and assesses its potential to serve as a more comprehensive parametric crop yield model, improving the breadth of distributional choices available to researchers and the likelihood of formulating proper parametric models.


Consider a two-way ANOVA design. Generally, interactions are characterized by the difference between two measures of effect size. Typically the measure of effect size is based on the difference between measures of location, with the difference between means being the most common choice. This paper deals with extending extant results to two robust, heteroscedastic measures of effect size. The first is a robust, heteroscedastic analogue of Cohen's d. The second characterizes effect size in terms of the quantiles of the null distribution. Simulation results indicate that a percentile bootstrap method yields reasonably accurate confidence intervals. Data from an actual study are used to illustrate how these measures of effect size can add perspective when comparing groups.


The present study had the objective of verifying the relationships among the self-reports produced by three behavior therapists (with differing length of professional experience) about their own behavior when interacting with their patients and the respective behavior that in fact occurred. Nine sessions were filmed and transcribed in full. Seven days after the session, a questionnaire was handed out; only in the third session did the therapists attend the filming before the interview. The basis for the categories of analysis was the verbal operant known as tact. Therapist A presented the highest indices of distortion in the self-reports, followed by Therapist B: both presented frequencies of unstable performances; Therapist C presented the lowest indices of distortion and the most steady performance, and was the only one that stated that he did not remember what occurred during the session. The results corroborate the behavioral analysis theory: Self-reports about past events tend to be imprecise.


In this review, we summarize the present status of theories of the spin fluctuation (SF) mechanism in explaining anomalous or non-Fermi liquid behaviours and unconventional superconductivity (SC) in strongly correlated electron systems around the antiferromagnetic (AF) quantum critical point. We refer to the high-Tc cuprates, two-dimensional organic compounds and heavy electron systems. We argue that the SF theories are successful in explaining at least the essential part of the problems, indicating that AF SF is the common origin of SC in these systems. This review is concluded by several comments on remaining problems which may require some additions to the SF theory, like the pseudo-gap phenomena observed in the hole-underdoped cuprates.


Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) has been used to obtain images, in ultra-high vacuum (UHV), of molecules of eta 5-cyclopentadienyl-bis triphenylphosphine ruthenium 4-pentaoxybenzonitrile hexafluorophosphate (Ru* complex) and a monolayer of polymerized polydiacetylene (PDA) deposited on Au substrates in the form of Langmuir-Blodgett films. Tunnelling spectroscopy has been used to detect the electronic structure on the surface due to Ru* complex molecules. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) was used to confirm this electronic structure.


This document provides description of the technical specifications and experimental design for the simulation framework employed as part of the MAFMC's Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE, e.g. Bunnefeld et al. 2009) for discarding in the summer flounder recreational fishery.


We find an exact cylindrically symmetric stationary exterior solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations. We then match this solution smoothly onto an interior solution for rotating charged dust found earlier by the author. The solution thus obtained is regular and well behaved inside the matter. Such matched solutions are rare either for the Einstein or Einstein-Maxwell equations. Some properties of the solution are discussed.


R diseases are responsible for major economic losses at poultry farms especially during co-infections of respiratory pathogens. However, the impact of co-infections is not well known, especially in broilers. The current study was aimed to assess the probable synergism of E. coli (O78) and velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV-CK-Pakistan-NARC-13N39-2013), in the broiler model. Three-week-old commercial broilers were inoculated with either vNDV, E. coli serotype O78 or both agents simultaneously or 3 days apart. The birds were clinically observed and swabbed daily. They were killed at 4 and 14 days after single or dual inoculations and were inspected for gross lesions. Samples of the respiratory organs (trachea, lungs, and air sacs) were taken for histological analyses. All the infected subjects showed clinical signs of varying severity. Co-infected groups showed the most obvious clinical signs, associated with significantly higher mortality and respiratory organ abnormalities, in comparison with the mono-infected groups (P<0.05). There was a non-significant (P>0.05) effect of the inoculation time intervals between vNDV and E. coli inoculation (none or 3 days). Microscopic lesions staining supported clinical and macroscopic findings. Higher virus shedding (P<0.05) in oropharyngeal swabs was observed in coinfected groups than single infected groups. The results revealed that experimental co-infection of E. coli and NDV enhances the degree of severity of clinical signs, gross lesions, and death rate and warns that E. coli and NDV can cause substantial economic losses by exercising additive or synergistic pathogenic effect in the reproduction of respiratory disease if given simultaneously or three days apart.


The use of computational fluid dynamics have a central role today in the automotive
industry, but still a lot of decision making is based on knowledge achieved with
prototype testing. With the industry driven towards shorter development cycles,
the need of more accurate virtual computational methods grow. When the time
available for testing is shortend, more and more of the technical ground for decision
making need to be entrusted to simulations.
In this thesis a method is developed and evaluated for investigating the thermal
balance in the engine bay of a car with focus on the components in close proximity
of the exhaust system. A CFD simulation is setup with a finite volume model of a car
in a wind tunnel with a fully resolved engine bay, including the internal exhaust gas
flow from the exhaust manifold downstream to the first sections of the exhaust pipe.
The solids containing the exhaust gases are also included with volume meshes, along
with several other solid components included for temperature correlation.
In the following simulations the fluid flow and heat transfer is calculated using the
steady state Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, the SST k −! turbulence
model and the effect of surface-to-surface radiation included. The method also include
dual stream modeling and porous media treatment of the front heat exchangers
and modeling of the cooling fan with a moving reference frame.
The results show temperatures for several solid components located slightly further
away from the exhaust system within a 12% deviation from the test data. This
concludes the overall temperature in the engine bay is well captured. The internal
exhaust gas temperatures are shown to be predicted within a margin of 6%.
However, with the high temperatures of the exhaust gases, this 6% error means
around 50 K difference. This deviation can only partially explain the results for
the component closest to the exhaust system, the manifold heat shield, which give
an error of as much as 40%. This, along with other significant deviations from the
test data closer to the exhaust system indicate these components need to be more
thoroughly modeled to achieve a full representation of the thermal balance in the
engine bay.


An algorithm for estimating the disparity of objects of interest is proposed. This algorithm uses image shifting and overlapping area to estimate the disparity value; thereby depth of the objects of interest can be obtained. The algorithm is able to perform at different levels of accuracy. However, as the accuracy increases the processing speed decreases. The algorithm is tested with static stereo images and sequence of stereo images. The experimental results are presented in this paper. Keywords—stereo vision, binocular parallax


In this paper, the design problem of dynamic output feedback controller for asymptotic stabilization of uncertain neutral systems has been considered. A criterion for the existence of such controllers is derived based on linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach combined with the Lyapunov method. A parameterized characterization of the controllers is given in terms of the feasible solutions to the inequalities, which can be solved by various optimization algorithms. A numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed design method.


The teosinte Zea nicaraguensis forms constitutive aerenchyma in the root cortex as observed in flooding tolerant wetland plants. We have previously identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling aerenchyma formation under non-flooding conditions on chromosome 1 (Qaer1.06) using 214 individuals of a maize Mi29 × Z. nicaraguensis BC2F1 population. The present studies objective was to increase the marker density around the Qaer1.06 locus, which is essential for the development of near-isogenic lines possessing the aerenchyma-forming gene with only a small region of the Z. nicaraguensis chromosome segment. A survey of 62 SSR and 38 insertion/deletion (INDEL) markers identified a total of 36 useful markers in the region of interest. These were selected for the construction of a linkage map in a 214 individual BC2F1 and a 123 individual BC4F1 population from a cross between Mi29 × Z. nicaraguensis. Using the BC4F1 population, we performed QTL mapping and the results indicated that a QTL for aerenchyma formation under non-flooding condition was located on chromosome 1 (bin 1.05) at a position that is near to Qaer1.06. The markers obtained here should be useful for the development of high quality near-isogenic lines possessing the Qaer1.05-6.


The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between talent management and absorptive capacity of Russian companies. Specifically, the paper discusses the theoretical framework, which demonstrates how talent attraction, development and retention are related to absorptive capacity dimensions, namely knowledge acquisition and assimilation (referred to as potential absorptive capacity), and knowledge transformation and exploitation (referred to as realized absorptive capacity). The paper suggests a number of testable hypotheses and via multiple linear regression analyzes 60 Russian companies showing the applicability of the proposed framework. Consequently, the research proves the important role of talent management practices, specifically talent development, in developing absorptive capacity dimensions in Russian context.


To the Editor.— A feature story in the MEDICAL NEWS section (239:94, 1978), "Misdiagnosis of Acute Epiglottitis Can Be Fatal," deserves further comment. Although I agree with the general thrust of the story and am pleased to see this potentially lethal problem brought to the attention of the general medical audience, one portion of the text is misleading and potentially dangerous. In the sixth paragraph, Dr Rivers is quoted as recommending laryngoscopy (direct or indirect) to confirm the diagnosis of epiglottitis. To the inexperienced, this advice, if not further qualified, could lead to a disaster. The airway is unstable in epiglottitis; a minor stimulus such as a reflex gag can be sufficient to provoke complete airway obstruction 1,2 (229:671, 1974). Although many patients may be successfully examined by careful tongue depression and direct visualization of the epiglottis, and some may tolerate laryngoscopy (230:821, 1974), it is rarely possible to predict


The objective of the present study was to investigate hospital administrator's expectations about the administrative role played by nurses, utilizing functions proposed by the Neoclassical Theory of Administration: planning, organization, direction, and control as theoretical references. An instrument established in TREVIZAN (1989) was applied to 11 hospital administrators. The results showed they expect the four functions to be done by nurses. Therefore, the interaction between nurses and hospital administrators is critical to improve the patient's assistance.


By means of a spirally cut strip of rabbit thoracic aorta, it has been shown that angiotonin exists in two forms. One form, angiotonin II, causes a contraction of the strip. The other, angiotonin I, is inactive. They are equally pressor when injected intravenously in animals. An enzyme in plasma converts the inactive form to the active form. The identical pressor activity can be explained by the excess of the converting enzyme in the plasma of the intact animal which rapidly converts angiotonin I to angiotonin II. Some patients with hypertension have a greater content of the converting enzyme in their plasma than is found in plasma of normotensive subjects. In addition to the converting enzyme, other factors in plasma enhance the ability of angiotonin and catechol amines to induce constriction of the strip of aorta. These factors may sensitize the mechanisms in the muscle which set up the process of contraction.


Tuberculosis is one of the most widespread bacterial diseases on the planet. It is an infection that has plagued humans for over millennia. One line of bioarchaeological research is concerned with the origins and spread of the disease (phylogeography). A new research study within this field indicates that the origin of the disease in the South American continent is attributable to transmission from seals and sea lions, rather than from people [1]. This finding re-opens a longstanding debate as to whether tuberculosis originated from a bovine source and proceeded to infect humans, which infers a specific historical trajectory relating to the domestication of animals, or whether the pathogen is considerably older and developed in tandem with the first humans.


The reaction of F+n-H2 to form HF(v,J)+H is studied in a crossed jet apparatus under single collision conditions, using high-resolution direct absorption spectroscopy to probe the nascent rotational HF distributions. The J-dependent reactive cross-sections into HF(v=3,J) are investigated over a range of center-of-mass collision energies well below the 1.9 kcal mol-1 barrier for adiabatic chemical reactions with groundstate F(2P3/2) atoms. The energy dependent reaction cross-sections decrease much more slowly with Ecom than predicted by exact quantum calculations on the adiabatic F(2P3/2)+H2 surface (K. Stark and H. Werner, J. Chem. Phys., 1996, 104, 6515). In addition, product states in the HF(v=3) manifold are observed that are energetically accessible only to the excitedspin–orbit state F*(P1/2)+H2(j=0,1) channel. These observations strongly suggest that non-adiabatic reactions with spin–orbit excited F*(P1/2) contribute significantly in the near threshold region, in good agreement with recent calculations by M. Alexander, H. Werner and D. Manolopoulos (J. Chem. Phys., 1998, 109, 5710). Finally, the feasibility of high-resolution IR laser Dopplerimetry on the nascent products is illustrated on collision free HF(v,J) distributions formed from reactions of F+CH4.


Crowdfunding has caused a worldwide revolution in early-stage startup financing during recent years. In the United States, the expansion of for-profit crowdfunding platforms to fund small businesses and startups prompted Congress to pass the game-changing law on equity crowdfunding, Title III of the JOBS Act in 2012 ("CROWDFUND Act"). While its specific rules and regulations as adopted by the SEC takes effect this year, the substance of the JOBS Act as a whole is geared more towards the goal of capital formation, over the historically promoted goal of investor protection. The use of equity crowdfunding has extended over to Taiwan as well. In 2014, the Taiwanese government created the "Go Incubation Board for Startup and Acceleration" ("GISA Board"), a government-sanctioned public equity crowdfunding platform run by the GreTai Securities Market ("GTSM"), a government-controlled foundation. It first promulgated the GISA Regulations and soon thereafter the Private Portal Regulations to govern the public and private platforms, respectively. Though transplanted from the CROWDFUND Act, Taiwan's legal adaption or innovation reflects its path dependence on a high level of investor protection underlying local securities regulation, placing much more emphasis on investor protection than on capital formation, in theory. From a public choice perspective, the resultant features of Taiwan's legal transplantation could be attributed to lobbying and influence by incumbent securities firms, as well as the GTSM's own political incentives. This Article argues that a comparative and qualitative study of Taiwan's equity crowdfunding regulatory patterns reveals that the transplantation of the U.S. model tends to be more of form than of substance, that is, of copying the text rather than pursuing the goal of capital formation in practice.


This paper analyzes the effects of E- Wallet on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) customers' satisfaction. A comprehensive discussion of the various services provided by ADNOC was presented to capture related and unrelated product offerings. Given that the primary offering is fueling, ADNOC also provides services such as lubrication, car wash options and tire centers. The ADNOC stations also have alliances with the food and beverage industry such as McDonald's corporation, Costa Coffee as well as Starbucks. Given that this paper presents the first study of ANDOC's utilization of the E-Wallet and customer satisfaction, results from other industries were reviewed to establish an overview of customers' utilization of E-Payment facilities. For this study a survey was administered to solicit responses from ADNOC's customers to ascertain the satisfaction level of the utilization of the E-Wallet. Coefficient alpha was used to measure the internal consistency reliability of both E-wallet and Customer Satisfaction subsets. The research paper also used Pearson's correlation coefficient to assess the degree of possible relationship between the Pearson's correlation coefficient. Coefficient alpha was 0.85 and 0.95 for E-wallet and Customer Satisfaction respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient test was 0.815 indicates that there is strong relationship between Pearson's correlation coefficient. The finding is expected to help ADNOC management to better understand the concept of "know your customers".


Purified human alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) was shown to inhibit 3H-thymidine incorporation into mouse or human lymphocytes stimulated by various mitogens or by allogeneic cells. In the mouse, both B- and T-cell responses were affected. In the human, proliferative responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes, thymocytes and T-enriched tonsillar lymphocytes to phytohaemagglutinin were inhibited as well as that of tonsillar lymphocytes to Salmonella typhi-murium lipopolysaccharide. Spontaneous 3H-thymidine incorporation was moderately and inconstantly decreased, without evidence of altered cell viability. The inhibitory effect of alpha 1-AT appears to be related to its protease inhibitory capacity. These data bring further evidence for the role of proteolytic enzymes in the early events of lymphocyte activation, and support the hypothesis that serum inhibitors of proteases may contribute to the modulation of the immune response.


Thyroid cancer management has moved to less extensive surgery in lesions with favorable criteria. Our study evaluated if the sonographic (US) size of thyroid nodules is a reliable criterion to determine the extent of surgery in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). A retrospective study was performed to evaluate thyroid nodules measuring <10 mm in the preop sonogram with a permanent pathology of PTC. Patients were subdivided into two groups based on the US size: A (1–5 mm) and B (6–10 mm). Statistical correlations were made for the presence of the following unfavorable criteria: multifocality, capsular invasion, angio/lymphatic invasion, extrathyroidal invasion, and presence of metastases. A total of 1901 thyroidectomies were performed: 722 (38%) for PTC. 182 (25%) patients met the inclusion criteria. There were 30 patients in Group A (1–5 mm) and 152 patients in Group B (6–10 mm). Five (17%) patients in Group A and 53 (35%) patients in Group B presented unfavorable criteria (P < 0.005). Malignant thyroid nodules with the US size of <5 mm can in theory be candidates for partial thyroidectomy, but 17 per cent of them might still need further surgical intervention. Lesions with the US size of 6 to 10 mm still have a moderate risk of presenting unfavorable pathological criteria.


The social-ecological model (SEM) provides a framework for developing multidimensional preventive strategies at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels. While sarcopenia forms due to multiple factors, the SEM has not yet been applied to the prevention of sarcopenia. We aimed to categorize the factors associated with sarcopenia in each level of the SEM. The electronic databases were searched between 2010 and 2021 to collect factors associated with sarcopenia. Information from guidelines, reference lists, and expert consultation was further hand-searched. The factors mentioned in the reviewed studies were classified into the SEM. In 17 studies, 42 factors associated with sarcopenia were identified; thereafter, 33 biological and individual factors were categorized at the intrapersonal level, isolation was categorized at the interpersonal level, a sedentary lifestyle was at the organizational level, community involvement and social capital were at the community level, as well as knowledge about the disease, disability, income, education, and residential area were categorized at the policy level. The categorization of factors associated with sarcopenia, based on the SEM level, may be useful in the development of preventive strategies; however, further research is required.


We sought to determine whether sex differences exist for the cannabinoid modulation of appetite, body temperature and neurotransmission at pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) synapses. Gonadectomized male and female guinea pigs were outfitted to monitor core body temperature and injected with either the CB1 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 (1 mg/kg s.c.), antagonist AM251 (3 mg/kg s.c.) or vehicle (1 ml/kg s.c.) and evaluated for changes in six indices of feeding behavior under ad libitum conditions for 7 days. WIN 55,212-2 elicited an overt, sexually differentiated hyperphagia in which males displayed larger increases in hourly and daily intake, consumption/gram body weight, meal size and meal duration. The agonist also produced a more robust acute hypothermia in males than in females. In addition, males were more sensitive to the hypophagic effect of AM251, manifested by comparatively sizeable decreases in hourly intake, consumption/gram body weight, meal frequency and hyperthermia. To gain additional insight into the cellular mechanism underlying cannabinoid regulation of energy homeostasis, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recordings in hypothalamic slices prepared from gonadectomized male and female guinea pigs, and monitored miniature excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs and mIPSCs) in arcuate (ARC) neurons. ARC neurons from females exhibited a higher basal mEPSC frequency. WIN 55,212-2 dose-dependently reduced mEPSC and mIPSC frequency; however, cells from males were far less sensitive to the CB1 receptor-mediated decrease in mIPSC frequency. These effects were observed in neurons subsequently identified as POMC neurons. These data reveal pronounced sex differences in how cannabinoids influence the hypothalamic control of homeostasis.


Calculations of threshold voltages and their variations with respect to fluctuations in the substrate dopant density and the channel depth were performed for a recoil-implanted profile of a GaAs MESFET. It was observed that for these very shallow channels, the range of threshold voltages obtained was considerably smaller for different nitride thicknesses and there was a noticeable reduction in the sensitivity of the threshold voltage to fluctuations in the substrate parameters. The implant depth was the crucial parameter in the determination of the threshold voltage and its sensitivity, although in recoil implantation the surface dopant density appeared to be the dominant parameter. >


The Life Sciences Learning Center (LSLC) is a hands-on science outreach center located at the University of Rochester's School of Medicine and Dentistry (UR-SMD) in Rochester, NY. The LSLC provides hands-on, case-based learning to boost science literacy and increase enthusiasm toward science learning. The LSLC offers on-site and in-school programs for secondary students (grades 6-12) and has developed a wide variety of online curriculum materials that can be used in science classrooms and informal education settings. The LSLC is a model for sustainability with over 20 years of funding through a combination of sources including numerous grant awards from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations. The LSLC was awarded its first of five NIH Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA) in 1998, which would prove to be a key funding source for sustainability. The LSLC has widely disseminated its curriculum materials nationwide through teacher professional development programs and online. An ongoing partnership with Science Take-Out has led to further dissemination of LSLC's curriculum materials and has strengthened LSLC's model for curriculum development and evaluation. The LSLC has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of teachers and their students and the increased demands for hands-on, inquiry-based learning that focuses on real-life issues in STEM.


A 52-year-old man was given emergency admission because of progressive facial edema and dyspnea. Chest X-ray film on admission showed a large hemispherical mass in the right paratracheal region. Chest CT scan showed a large tumor in the mediastinum, narrowing of the trachea and superior vena cava. Severe snoring at night and excessive daytime sleepiness were noticed. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) was diagnosed by polysomnogram (PSG). Although a histological diagnosis of the tumor was not established, chest irradiation was begun to reduce the size of tumor. After treatment, the mediastinal tumor almost completely disappeared, and the facial swelling and snoring were gradually relieved. PSG showed remarkable improvement of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). These findings suggested a significant correlation between SVCS and OSAS. After three months, right inguinal lymphadenectomy was done and it was diagnosed as malignant lymphoma (mantle cell lymphoma). OSAS may cause a deterioration of respiratory symptoms and the quality of life in a patient with SVCS. Therefore, in the case of SVCS, it is important to take account of the presence of OSAS and select an appropriate treatment.


Ionic liquid assisted growth of ultra-long ZnO nanowires from thermal chemical vapor deposition and the incorporation of dopants into the ZnO lattice have been investigated. We find that decomposed components of the ionic liquid at higher temperatures facilitate ultra-long vapor-liquid-solid ZnO nanowires that exhibit an unusual a-axis orientation. In particular, the ionic liquid BMImBF4 has been studied and the mechanism of the nanowire growth model in response to the use of the ionic liquid has been explained. We show that boron which is part of the investigated ionic liquid incorporates into the ZnO lattice and serves as a donor source. Electrical measurements were conducted and have shown an enhanced electrical conductivity (ρ = 0.09 Ω cm) when using the ionic liquid assisted growth approach. This work represents a step towards the controlled doping for designing future nanowire devices.


Synaptic inputs to neurons are distributed across extensive neurite arborizations. To what extent arbors process inputs locally or integrate them globally is, for most neurons, unknown. This question is particularly relevant for amacrine cells, a diverse class of retinal interneurons, which receive input and provide output through the same neurites. Here, we used two-photon Ca2+ imaging to analyze visual processing in VGluT3-expressing amacrine cells (VG3-ACs), an important component of object motion sensitive circuits in the retina. VG3-AC neurites differed in their preferred stimulus contrast (ON vs. OFF); and ON and OFF responses varied in transience and preferred stimulus size. Contrast preference changed predictably with the laminar position of neurites in the inner plexiform layer. Yet, neurites at all depths were strongly activated by local but not by global image motion. Thus, VG3-AC neurites process visual information locally, exhibiting diverse responses to contrast steps, but uniform object motion selectivity.


In response to policy developments in higher education in the UK, the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE—now merged in the Higher Education Academy) was established in 1999 to provide a national framework for teaching and learning at tertiary level. This article considers the training environment of novice lecturers within the ILTHE framework and identifies areas of tensions within it. Activity systems theory is used as a broad framework for apprehending this environment. Praxis‐related, epistemological, structural and ideological dissonances are identified. Suggestions to advance change in this area are formulated in the light of the main findings. The limitations afforded by the activity systems approach are also discussed.


Phospholipid vesicles encapsulated with enzymes have potential applications for artificial organelles. A critical problem associated with the compartmentalized enzymes is their low reactivity because of the permeability resistance of lipid bilayers to substrates. In the present work, the polyunsaturated bilayers of 1,2-dilinolenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:3-PC) were elucidated to be highly permeable to 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein at high temperatures up to 60 °C and applied to fabricate vesicle-based reactive enzyme reactors. d-Amino acid oxidase (DAO) from porcine kidney was encapsulated in 18:3-PC vesicles with each aqueous volume of 3.4 × 10-21 m3 (=3.4 aL). The DAO-containing vesicles were highly reactive at 40 °C toward d-alanine being added to bulk solution at pH 9.0 and stably catalyzed following two types of reactions. One is the DAO-catalyzed continuous production of H2O2 in the vesicles for 30 min being detected by the free peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of o-dianisidine in bulk solution. The other is the cascade reaction in the vesicles coencapsulating DAO and catalase being followed for 5 h on the basis of the concentration of unreacted d-alanine. In the latter reaction, the intermediate product H2O2 was decomposed by catalase producing oxygen allowing its cyclical use for the DAO-catalyzed oxidation. Furthermore, thanks to the highly temperature-dependent permeability of 18:3-PC bilayers, on/off-like switching in the activity could be induced with respect to the vesicle-confined enzyme by shifting the reaction temperature between 20 and 40 °C. The above reactive vesicles can offer the opportunity of the H2O2-based reliable detection of d-amino acids and the continuous optical resolution of racemic mixtures of amino acids.


In 1981 and 1985, two editions of a catalog of non-destructive nuclear measurement instrumentation, and material control and surveillance equipment, were published by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The last edition of the catalog included one hundred and twenty-five entries covering a wide range of devices developed in the US and abroad. More than ten years have elapsed since the publication of the more recent Catalog. Devices described in it have undergone significant modifications, and new devices have been developed. Therefore, in order to assist specialists in the field of Material Control and Accounting (MC and A), a new catalog has been created. Work on this instrumentation catalog started in 1997 as a cooperative effort of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), operated by Brookhaven Science Associates under contract to the US Department of Energy, and the All-Russian Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), subordinate institute of the Atomic Energy Ministry of the Russian Federation, within the collaborative US-Russia Material Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPC and A) Program. Most of the equipment included in the Catalog are non-destructive assay (NDA) measurement devices employed for purposes of accounting, confirmation, and verification of nuclear materials. Other devices also included in the Catalog are employed in the detection and deterrence of unauthorized access to or removal of nuclear materials (material control: containment and surveillance). Equipment found in the Catalog comprises either: (1) complete devices or systems that can be used for MC and A applications; or (2) parts or components of complete systems, such as multi-channel analyzers, detectors, neutron generators, and software. All devices are categorized by their status of development--from prototype to serial production.


Objective: To understand the quality of life and influencing factors of patients with pneumoconiosis, and to provide a basis for formulating targeted improvement strategies to improve the quality of life. Methods: From April to December 2018, Questionnaire survey was conducted on patients with pneumoconiosis that diagnosed in Hangzhou Hospital for the Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Disease, using self-made questionnaire and SF-36.237 valid questionnaires were used to investigate the basic conditions, health services, social assistance and quality of life of patients, and analyze the influencing factors of quality of life. Results: Hangzhou city's some pneumoconiosis patients were mostly with monthly income <3000 yuan (72.6%, 172/237) ; more patients with medical expenses of 8000 to 25000 yuan per year (60.3%, 143/237) ; The proportion of patients receiving medical assistance and work-related injury insurance was low, at 2.1% (5/237) and 23.8% (54/227) respectively. The scores of Pneumoconiosis patients in PhysicalFunction (PF) , Role-Physical (RP) , Bodily Pain (BP) , General Health (GH) , Vitality (VT) , Social Function (SF) , Role-Emotional (RE) and Mental Health (MH) were lower than the national norm (P<0.05) . The scores from high to low were BP, SF, MH, PF, VT, RE, RP and GH. There were significant differences in the quality of life scores of pneumoconiosis patients with different ages, work types, education levels and monthly income (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The quality of life of some patients with pneumoconiosis in Hangzhou is lower than that of the general population. Age, work types, and monthly income are factors influencing quality of life.


[Objective] The ratio of flesh content and biochemical compositions in muscles of Pachyhynobius shangchengensis were researched in this experiment to provide basic referrences for studying nutritive physiological ecology of Pachyhynobius shangchengensis.[Method]The biochemical analytic method was used to detect the ratio of flesh content and biochemical compositions in muscle of Pachyhynobius shangchengensis.[Result]The ratio of flesh contents of female and male Pachyhynobius shangchengensis were 54.93% and 55.84% respectively.The contents of protein,total saccharides and fatty acid of female Pachyhynobius shangchengensis were 15.44%,1.70% and 0.68% respectively,while the same contents of male Pachyhynobius shangchengensis were 15.67%,1.89% and 0.53% respectively.The total content of 18 kinds of amino acids was 12.72%(the proportion in fresh weight),among which the content of 8 kinds of essential amino acids was 4.68%.The essential amino acids index(EAAI)was 72.68 and limiting amino acids was valine.There were 11 kinds of fatty acids in muscles of Pachyhynobius shangchengensis,among which the content of unsaturated fatty acids(80.02%)was higher than that of saturated fatty acids(19.98%).[Conclusion] Pachyhynobius shangchengensis was a kind of valuable natural resource belonging to the nutritious type of low fat content and high protein content.


To the Editor.— The article by Dunn et al 1 entitled "Patient and House Officer Attitudes on Physician Attire and Etiquette" was interesting in that there are few studies that have examined the impact of physician dress style. However, this survey examined only the preferences of patients and did not examine the subsequent effect of dress style on patient-physician rapport. This question has been examined, at least in an adolescent population, in a study we conducted recently. 2 In our study, physicians randomly dressed in four dress styles from jeans to suit and tie. At the end of the interview, patients were asked to fill out a confidential questionnaire on their comfort level with their physician and also their preferences about the dress of their physician. Regardless of the dress style of the physician, the patients evaluated their physicians equally. In this study, 43% of the respondents stated that dress


Lack of confidence in businesses, lack of transparency and new demands from various interested and responsible stakeholders calls for the application of new leadership styles that encourage simpler, faster and effective implementation of socially responsible practices in the organization. There are many definitions of leadership as it means different things to different people. Leadership is about setting vision, empowering, inspiring and influencing people and reaching the set goals. Leadership is not a synonym for management. Corporate social responsibility requires finding the appropriate balance of economic, ecological and socio-cultural determinants in any organizational system. It is important to develop and nurture leadership style that leads to healthy implementation of socially responsible practices and promotes positive organizational culture. Poor leadership brings a plethora of negative consequences. Transformational leadership, with more supportive and responsive leaders, boosts the transition towards Corporate Social Responsibility 2.0 or the so-called systematic or radical corporate social responsibility a concept introduced and investigated by Visser (2012). This article analyses, evaluates and discusses CSR 2.0 and presents perspectives of senior level managers (hotel managers) on the concept of CSR 2.0. Hotel managers from the biggest Croatian hotel companies were interviewed. Author elaborates the applied leadership style and the interrelatedness of CSR 2.0 with the transformational leadership that can be seen as Leadership 2.0. Author further argues the importance of transformational leadership for the effective implementation of CSR 2.0. A set of required leadership competences for adopting and successfully implementing and/or reaffirming corporate social responsibility 2.0 is presented.


Anemia is the most common hematologic disturbance of patients with chronic renal failure. It is usually normocytic, normochromic and the bone marrow does not show erythroblastic compensatory changes. The anemia is the resultant of different factors; inadequate erythropoiesis, hemolysis and bleeding, being the former the most important mechanism. The important role of the erythropoietin and its mechanism of production are discussed. Patients in intermittent peritoneal dialysis program show higher hemoglobin concentration than patients in chronic hemodialysis. The authors mention the therapeutic approach used to minimize the anemia emphasizing the need of reducing the number of blood transfusions (unless absolutely necessary), since they inhibit erythropoiesis.


Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks provide a well-established framework for elucidating structural properties. In contrast, much greater effort is required to identify useful and/or hidden information using the approach because of the complexity of the networks. Accordingly, an appropriate methodology that allows characterization of a simple, but core, sub-network of a complex network would be a potentially valuable alternative approach. Here, we employed k-core decomposition as a useful tool for obtaining core sub-networks from the complex PPI network in yeast. To apply a k-core value to the complex yeast PPI network, we constructed cytoplasmic and nuclear core sub-networks. We measured the lethality of proteins and the ratio of hub to non-hub core sub-network proteins at each k-core value step. With increasing k-core value, the values of the two parameters gradually increased. Application of 6- and 7-core values to cytoplasmic and nuclear PPI networks yielded modular, structured core sub-networks that were functionally specialized. We also elucidated a false hub: a structural hub exhibiting no functional roles or lethal properties in the network. By employing k-core decomposition to cytoplasmic and nuclear PPI networks in yeast, we obtained useful and/or hidden information during the core sub-network construction process, indicating that k-core decomposition is a useful tool for structural and informational network studies. Notably, we found false hub proteins that might provide insight into protein networks and clues to understanding network evolution.


Since illumination variations may cause the misinterpretation of data for various higher vision applications and algorithms, this study aims to reduce such influence. In order to obtain a motion mask, which is input for a higher vision application, wavelet coefficients are calculated by applying two-dimensional lifting wavelet transform with two mother wavelets. Energy is calculated from the obtained wavelet coefficients. Morphological operations are used to improve output image. The developed algorithm is a robust algorithm further reducing false alarm readings caused by illumination variations (better false detection rate and percentage of correct classifications).


Acoustic target strengths of free-swimming siphonophores were measured in situ at 24 and 120 kHz from a remotely operated vehicle equipped with both acoustic transducers and a video camera. The transducers and camera were co-registered by aiming both instruments at the same volume of water and time-stamping the recorded data. The video system allowed us to search for and identify siphonophores, and verified whether individual animals were centered in, or near, the axis of the acoustic beams. A towed, down-looking acoustic survey system (operating at 120 kHz) measured the target and volume scattering strengths of scattering layers, presumed to be dominated by siphonophores. Spatial density of the sound scatterers was estimated from survey data. Our results confirm that free-swimming physonect siphonophores have relatively high acoustical target strengths caused by a gas inclusion in the pneumatophore of each animal. A relatively small number of these animals can dominate the backscattering detected by acoustic surveys even though other taxa may dominate the plankton on a numerical or biomass basis. Siphonophore colonies are fragile and cannot be reliably censused with nets. Our estimates of siphonophore target strengths can improve the ability to use acoustics to quantitatively census siphonophores and other taxa possessing comparably-sized gas inclusions.


Abstract The systematic relationships of four species in the South African holoparasitic genus Hyobanche were examined using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) banding patterns and nucleotide sequence data from nuclear ribosomal ITS regions and the plastid gene rbcL. Ordination of ISSR data revealed discrete groups, although H. glabrata and H. rubra were indistinguishable. Phylogeny reconstructions based on ISSR and ITS data were congruent and depicted relationships where H. atropurpurea and H. sanguinea form a clade with H. glabrata and H. rubra as their sister group. In contrast, the rbcL tree revealed a topology where H. atropurpurea was sister to a clade that included the other three species. The combination of molecular, morphological, and biogeographical data suggest two alternative hypotheses: (1) that floral evolution has progressed from galeate hirsute corolla tubes to straight glabrous tubes as represented by H. sanguinea, H. glabrata (intermediate morphology), and H. rubra, respectively; or (2) the intermediate floral morphology and distribution of H. glabrata reveal a hybrid origin of this species with H. sanguinea and H. rubra as progenitors. Communicating Editor: Paul Wilson


Background
 Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy associated with chronic hemolysis and vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) resulting in pain, organ damage, and a shortened lifespan. Current treatment options are limited, and many individuals with SCD continue to experience VOCs despite receiving therapy. Although the precise cause of VOCs is not clear, evidence suggests that cell adhesion is involved. Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein that mediates the adhesion of platelets to each other and to other cell types, including vascular endothelium and leukocytes. An emerging hypothesis is that VWF contributes to the pathophysiology of VOCs through the formation of hyper-adhesive ultra-large VWF multimers. VWF activity is regulated by the metalloprotease ADAMTS13, which specifically cleaves ultra-large VWF multimers in an extended conformation. Patients with SCD have been shown to have higher levels of VWF multimers and lower levels of ADAMTS13 activity during VOCs. This imbalance could be caused either by the increased generation and release of ultra-large VWF multimers or by the inhibition of ADAMTS13 activity by plasma free hemoglobin or thrombospondin-1. Increasing the plasma concentration of ADAMTS13 using a recombinant ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13; TAK-755, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., Lexington, MA, USA) may be therapeutically beneficial by enhancing cleavage of ultra-large VWF multimers. Here, we report the design and enrollment status of the Recombinant ADAMTS13 In Sickle Cell Disease (RAISE-UP) study (NCT03997760), the first clinical study of a recombinant ADAMTS13 in patients with SCD.
 Study Design and Methods
 This phase 1, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, ascending single dose study will assess the safety (including immunogenicity), tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of rADAMTS13 in patients with SCD. This study is planned to be conducted in 2 parts (part A and part B). Here we present the study design for part A which is being conducted initially and will enroll approximately 20 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with a documented history of SCD (HbSS or HbSβ 0 thalassemia). Concurrent treatment with a stable dose of hydroxyurea is allowed. Exclusion criteria include an acute VOC in the preceding 21 days and a blood transfusion either within the last 30 days or on ≥2 occasions in the last 90 days. Ethics committee approval and patient consent were obtained. Patients will be randomized 3:1 to receive a single intravenous infusion of either rADAMTS13 or placebo in 3 sequential dose cohorts. Patients in cohort 1 (n=4) will receive a 40 IU/kg dose, cohort 2 (n=8) will receive an 80 IU/kg dose, and cohort 3 (n=8) will receive a 160 IU/kg dose (Figure). In cohorts 2 and 3, 6 patients will receive rADAMTS13 and 2 patients will receive placebo. The first 3 patients enrolled in each cohort will be dosed with a separation time of at least 14 days. Enrollment into the next higher dose cohort will only be allowed following review of safety data and authorization by a dose escalation committee. Enrollment will be paused if anaphylaxis, binding or inhibitory antibodies, a life-threatening condition, or death are reported. All patients will complete an end-of-study visit on day 28 following infusion. Primary safety endpoints include adverse events, serious adverse events (SAEs), adverse changes in vital signs and laboratory parameters, and incidence of binding and inhibitory antibodies against rADAMTS13 occurring during the study. A secondary objective is to assess the PK of single-dose rADAMTS13 in each dose cohort, including an assessment of ADAMTS13 antigen and ADAMTS13 activity. Secondary PD objectives are to assess the effect of rADAMTS13 on VWF and platelet count and to study the correlation of plasma free hemoglobin and thrombospondin-1 with rADAMTS13 activity and VWF. Enrollment has been completed for cohort 1. In the review of safety data by the dose escalation committee, no drug-related SAEs were reported and no binding or inhibitory antibodies to ADAMTS13 were observed. On the basis of these findings, cohort 2 has been opened for enrollment.
 Figure 1 Figure 1.

 Patwari: Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.,: Current Employment. Nguyen: Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.,: Current Employment. Bhattacharya: Takeda: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.: Current Employment. Jain: Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.,: Current Employment; Takeda: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.


BackgroundFusarium species are important pathogenic organisms, which can cause many diseases in plants and humans. Characterizing the mechanism underlying their pathogenicity and drug resistance is critical. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation has been widely used for the molecular analysis of many species. ResultsIn this study, we constructed the pXEN recombinant plasmid carrying the neomycin phosphatase II gene (neo) and established a simple and efficient procedure for the transformation of resistant Fusarium oxysporum mediated by A. tumefaciens. The transformation efficiency was as high as 250 mutants per 104 conidia. A total of 1,450 stably transformed mutants were generated, resulting in a small-scale library of F. oxysporum mutants containing T-DNA tags. Some of the mutants exhibited phenotypic changes in growth, metabolism, and development. Additionally, the sequences flanking the inserted T-DNA were obtained by touchdown-TAIL PCR, the insertion sites and genes associated with the phenotypic changes could be determined.ConclusionsThe developed method may enable to analyze gene functions and study biological characteristics, which will lay the foundation for future analyses of the mechanism underlying F. oxysporum pathogenicity and resistance. Furthermore, it may be applicable to investigations of other important pathogenic fungi.


Arrays of in-fibre Bragg gratings (IFBGs) are increasingly being employed to measure strain in a variety of structures. To maximize the number of IFBGs that can be multiplexed from a broad band source requires accurate control and reproducibility of the Bragg centre wavelength. In this communication we demonstrate that the combination of a phase mask based interferometer and tuneable UV writing wavelength can provide high resolution control over the Bragg centre wavelength. The interferometer is shown to have two regimes of operation, offering a high resolution (0.03 nm) or a large spectral range (51 nm). The technique is compared to previous writing methods and is demonstrated experimentally.


The level set method was generalized for simulating the evolution of the surface of multilayer substrates under focused ion beam irradiation. For a correct description of such process the calculations took into account the sputtering yield angular dependences, the densities of the irradiated materials and it was considered that sputtered atoms can escape from different layers of the substrate. Comparison of the calculation results with experimental data for test structures formed in a two-layer silicon dioxide–crystalline silicon substrate showed that the developed simulation method makes it possible to predict the shape of structures fabricated by a focused ion beam with good accuracy.


According to World Health Organisation data, cancer is one of the most influential diseases that goes head to head with heart diseases in the ranking of causes of death, causing approximately 10 million deaths annually and accounting for 20% of all deaths. Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally for both men and women. In some pre-clinical studies in cancer cell line in vitro experiments, some results have been obtained that Aloe Vera Extract (AVE) obtained from Aloe vera plant and Cannabindiol (CBD) obtained from Cannabis sativa may have anticancer effect against cancer, but more analysis is required for the reliability of these results. In this study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of AVE and CBD in human lung cancer (A549 and BEAS) cells were studied in a multifaceted manner. Diagnosis of lung cancer disease is approximately 15% in the early stage and 85% in the late stage or metastatic stage. Therefore, despite the use of targeted drugs today, the 5-year survival rate of patients can only be 5-10%. In this study, the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of AVE and CBD on human lung cancer cells A549 and healthy normal BEAS-2B cells were studied in a versatile and comparative manner. Cytotoxic effect of AVE and CBD was evaluated by xCELLigence RTCA System and AnnexinV-FITC/PI Apoptosis Assay by Flow Cytometry. In the current investigation, we discovered that AVE and CBD might incite a relative higher ratio of cell death in lung cancer cells (A549) than in non-cancer human epithelial lung cell line BEAS-2B, which may be achieved through regulating mitochondrial metabolism. In summary, our research is under Patent submission and shows that CBD and AVE have the potential to develop into a potent new anti-lung cancer drug.


The Coca-Cola Plant is one of the biggest names in FMCG market in India. It covers 60 percent of soft drink market and also covers drinking water market of India. The Coca-Cola is itself a popular brand with soft drink products among every person from child to old age people. This work mainly presents an analytical study on consumer behavior on soft drinks related to coca-cola India plant. The study was held in the 4 region of India which are Chandigarh, Ambala, Rohtak and Nabipur. Data was collected by the survey and some important observations are concluded. Out of 310 respondents 59.67% respondents are male and 40.32% are female respondents were participated in this survey. The survey is based on age, qualification and area of residence. Maximum male in this region are in favor for stop unhealthy practice in soft drink companies by government. It covers mainly four areas in North region and analysis is done on basis of respondents score.


The command economy that ruled in Eastern Europe for many decades resulted there in a strong belief in economies of scale with large and specialized production units. Small organizations and enterprises were only marginal phenomena. In transition to a market economy, small firms are expected to play a central role. Small firms are the base of the business population pyramid; they serve as examples for people trying to learn the core of entrepreneurship. The flexibility of small firms will be the effective variable needed to confront the turbulent future of Eastern Europe. Small firms will have an important role in building the necessary business infrastructure in the transition from a command economy to a free market economy.


As a teacher in baking and patisserie courses there can be difficulties in following the curriculum for Patisserie 1. If this leads to an education that is not the same for all the schools in the country, it creates a problem that has to be solved. The results of this investigation show that teachers generally do not follow the curriculum but instead chooses their own solutions. Some conclusions that have come forth are that the National Agency for Education needs to make the curriculum clearer and give tangible examples of products, that can either be classified as easy or complicated, in the field of baking and pastry courses. I have chosen the standardized interview method. The number of people interviewed was limited to 7 Patisserie teachers located in the surrounding counties.


Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, continues to change at a rapid pace in response to city branding efforts. Significant investments in the city's urban infrastructure and its built environment are widespread, as Abu Dhabi attempts to compete on the world stage and lure in tourists, corporations, and investors alike. City planners have been busy updating the city's urban spaces and streetscapes. They have been transforming it into a sleek and modern contemporary Arab city with a 'high-end' feel – which has been successful thus far. As a result, Abu Dhabi's name has become synonymous with luxury, and the city's overall quality, livability, and resilience have improved significantly. At the other end of the spectrum, the lower-income segments of the society appear to be missing from the urban planning effort. Some of the urban upgrading interventions might be unintentionally taking away some of the vibrant and diverse aspects of informal street life. This is especially true in some areas, where monotonous and sterile newer environments and streetscapes are replacing the older, informal environments, mostly inhabited by lower-income workers. This paper takes a closer look at some of these older spaces and streetscapes in Abu Dhabi. Through a case study, it attempts to shed some light on some of these vibrant areas, which could potentially vanish soon. It also attempts to highlight the energetic nature of these streetscapes and bring this to the attention of city planners. The paper argues that valuable lessons could be learned from these informal spaces and that these lessons could contribute positively to future planning efforts in the city.


Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a relatively common behaviour in adolescents. This is concerning as NSSI is a transdiagnostic risk factor for a range of mental disorders and is associated with increased risk of later suicide attempts. In this thesis, I used a longitudinal sample of New Zealand secondary school students to investigate the possible developmental pathway of parental attachment to NSSI via the mediating effect of emotion regulation. First, I examined the suitability of the Emotion Regulation Index for Children and Adolescents (ERICA; MacDermott et al., 2010) as a measure of emotion regulation in a New Zealand sample using confirmatory factor analysis, followed by a comparison with a more popularly used measure (the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). Finding the ERICA to be suitable for use with my sample, I conducted a cross-lagged panel analysis with a longitudinal mediation to investigate how attachment, emotion regulation, and NSSI relate to each other over time. I found that emotion regulation was a significant mediator of the relationship between attachment and NSSI, supporting my hypothesis. The theoretical and practical implications of this are discussed in terms of the development of NSSI and intervention and treatment possibilities.


Nowadays, with the spread of communication networks, the demand to transmit multimedia data has significantly increased. So, the knowledge about data type which is transmitted through the network is an important issue for monitoring communications and preventing transmission of malicious data. A typical identification system attempts to identify the type of transmitted coded data through classification within a predefined set. The classification is usually based on some relevant features extracted from the received bit stream. Most of the researches in this field consider a few kinds of image codec in their classification problem. In this paper, an efficient identification system is proposed for classification within ten different images codecs. The proposed system is based on combination and extension of existing methods. According to simulation results, image codecs are classified with average accuracy of 88.90%. Among various codecs, GIF and BMP have the highest accuracy of 99.3% and 92.5%, respectively. On the other hand, FLIF and WEBP have the lowest accuracy 83.3% and 83.6%, respectively.


Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a devastating paediatric brain tumor with no effective therapy and near 100% fatality. The failure of most therapies can be attributed to the delicate location of these tumors and choosing therapies based on assumptions that DIPGs are molecularly similar to adult disease. Recent studies have unravelled the unique genetic make-up of this brain cancer with nearly 80% harbouring a K27M-H3.3 or K27M-H3.1 mutation. However, DIPGs are still thought of as one disease with limited understanding of the genetic drivers of these tumors. Here we apply methylation profiling, whole genome sequencing, expression profiling, and copy number analysis to discover that DIPGs are three molecularly distinct subgroups (H3-K27M, Silent, and MYCN) and uncover a mutations in a novel driver, ACVR1 in 20% of DIPGs. Mutations in ACVR1 were constitutively activating, leading to SMAD phosphorylation and increased expression of downstream activin signalling targets ID1 and ID2. The MYCN subgroup is not associated with histone mutations and is instead characterized by hypermethylation and chromothripsis of chromosome 2p with high-level amplifications of MYCN, ID2, and KIDINS220. The Silent subgroup affects younger children, has genomes with minimal genomic instability and fewer mutations, over-expresses WNT pathway genes, as well as genes with known cancer association such as MDM2, MSMP and ADAM33. The H3-K27M subgroup is highly K27M-H3 mutated and associated with additional hits including activating mutations in ACVR1, frequent RB1 and TP53 deletions, PVT-1/MYC or PDGFRA gains/amplifications, genomic instability and alternative lengthening of telomeres. Our results show that this seemingly homogeneous entity in fact comprises three distinct subgroups with different demographic and molecular features. This complexity needs to be considered when designing new therapeutic approaches in order to improve outcome for these children. Citation Format: Pawel Buczkowicz, Christine Hoeman, Patricia Rakopoulos, Sanja Pajovic, Andrew Morrison, Eric Bouffet, Ute Bartels, Oren Becher, Cynthia Hawkins. Uncovering molecular subgroups and a novel cancer driver, ACVR1, in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr A18.


In the area of image retrieval, post-retrieval processing is often used to refine the retrieval results to better satisfy users' requirements. Previous methods mainly focus on presenting users with relevant results. However, in most cases, users cannot clearly present their requirements by several query words. Therefore, relevant results with rich topic coverage are more likely to meet users' ambiguous needs. In this paper, a re-ranking method based on topic richness analysis is proposed to enrich topic coverage in retrieval results. Furthermore, a quantitative criterion called diversity scores (DS) is proposed to evaluate the improvement. Given a set of images, topics that are rarely included in the set are scarce topics, as oppose to rich topics that are widely distributed among the set. Scarce topics contribute more than rich topics do to the DS of images. Five researchers are invited to evaluate the re-ranked results both in topic coverage and relevance. Experimental results on over 20,000 images demonstrate that our proposed approach is effective in improving the topic coverage of retrieval results without loss of relevance.


A multi-person discrete game where the payoff after each play is stochastic is considered. The distribution of the random payoff is unknown to the players and further none of the players know the strategies or the actual moves of other players. A learning algorithm for the game based on a decentralized team of learning automata is presented. It is proved that all stable stationary points of the algorithm are Nash equilibria for the game. Two special cases of the game are also discussed, namely, game with common payoff and the relaxation labelling problem. The former has applications such as pattern recognition and the latter is a problem widely studied in computer vision. For the two special cases it is shown that the algorithm always converges to a desirable solution. >


This publication reports on the oral health, dental visiting and dental treatment needs of Australian adults as self-reported in the National Dental Telephone Interview Survey (NDTIS) 2010. Time series data across all NDTISs conducted since 1994 are also presented to provide a picture of how key measures have changed over this period. International comparisons are also included. Oral health In 2010, the majority of Australian adults reported good oral health. However, 37% reported that they had experienced an oral health issue in the previous 12 months, including 15% who experienced toothache, 25% who felt uncomfortable with their dental appearance and 17% who had avoided certain foods. Adults who were from low-income households or held an Australian Government concession card were more likely to report having 'fair' or 'poor' oral health and to have experienced toothache than adults from high-income households or non-cardholders. There was no significant change over time in these measures. Dental visiting Around 60% of adults made a dental visit in the previous 12 months and the majority of these visited for a check-up (60%). Adults in the lowest income group (51%) and cardholders (those who hold an Australian Government concession card) (53%) were less likely than those in the highest household income group (65%) and non-cardholders (64%) to have made a dental visit in the previous 12 months. Adults from Major cities were more likely than those from all other areas to have made a dental visit and to have visited for a check-up. Barriers to dental care use Around 38% of adults experienced a financial barrier or hardship associated with dental visits. Overall, 31% avoided or delayed making a dental visit due to cost. Of those who did visit, around 11% of adults reported that dental visits in the previous 12 months were a large financial burden. Adults from the lowest income households were seven times as likely to report difficulty paying a $150 dental bill than those from high-income households. International comparisons Australian adults reported oral health similar to their Canadian counterparts but generally better than that of New Zealanders. Fewer Australians than New Zealanders had no natural teeth. However, Australians were more likely than their New Zealand counterparts to have made a dental visit in the previous 12 months but less likely than those in Canada to do so. Australian adults were more likely at all ages than Canadian adults to report that they had avoided or delayed visiting due to cost. However, they were less likely to have avoided or delayed due to cost than New Zealanders in all age groups up to 45-54 years and less likely to report that they currently needed dental care.


abstract:In many ways, Spock is Star Trek's "original Other," defining the role of aliens, androids, and other Others, whose differences—and similarities—allow the show to explore ethical questions and the human experience. But Spock as developed and portrayed by Nimoy—the audience's first and often defining portrayal—offers a uniquely Jewish interpretation of Spock's alienness, Otherness, and hybridity. This article connects previous work on Star Trek and hybridity with Jewish studies, arguing for Spock's Jewish hybridity and demonstrating how Spock's liminal identity reflects Nimoy's interpretation of a Jewish experience. Jewish identity has long destabilized binaries and resisted easy categorization; as such, Nimoy's Jewish Spock refigures the hybrid as more than the sum of its parts, allowing for new perspectives on hybridity, identity, and Otherness. Nimoy's portrayal of Spock is not only a positive self-representation of Jewish identity, it forces us to reconsider the dichotomies that undergird our theorization of hybridity in science fiction and beyond.


Background: Tamoxifen is an important drug in chemotherapy being part of various protocols in cancer treatment, but is not universally effective even when used before surgery or in preventing recurrence. Pharmacogenetic variability in drug metabolism is one possible mechanism of treatment failure. We hypothesize that Drug-Herb Interactions (DHI) contribute in disease outcomes, nevertheless the functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in drug metabolizing enzymes that activate cytochrome enzymes. Methods: We performed a retrospective study in the last 9 years of clinical cases enrolled in follow up of Observatory of Drug-Herb Interactions, University of Coimbra - Portugal (www.oipm.uc.pt), and the data collected will be discussed in this paper. Data obtained from PubMed and from PubChem Compounds with preference given to the data obtained during the last 10 years, was also obtained. The search terms were varied depending of the Clinical situation. Results: From our experience, in order to avoid the major predictable DHI more observational trials should be carried out for therapeutic protocols associated to tamoxifen. The most consumed, fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants and other natural products associated to the intake of tamoxifen were, for example, Orange and Better juice, Aloe, Geranium, Saint John Wort leaves and flowers, roots as Astragalus, Curcuma, Ginger, Ginseng, Rehmanniae and Valeriana, mushrooms as Coriolus, Maitake, Shiitake and Reishi. Conclusions: Based on the major compounds involved in those products will be predictable how to advice patients doing this kind of treatment and follow a possible therapy failure, or even a toxic event. Our group did a flyer with the main possible interactions selected for DHI with Tamoxifen. This it will be given to patients doing therapy with tamoxifen, helping them to be a aware of the situation and involving all in the resolution for a better outcome (it will be available in our website as other materials for download already posted there).


Given the many dams worldwide, safety is critical as a dam failure can negatively impact human health, property and the environment. India has a substantial stock of dams, ranking third after the US and China. However, about 80 percent of its large dams are over 25 years old, and nearly 227 dams are over 100 years. These 'geriatric' dams continue to function but raise serious safety concerns, with a classic example being the 127-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam. Although India's track record of dam safety is more or less satisfactory, there has been poor maintenance and several failures. Even though 'water' under India's Constitution is a matter that India's States determine, India recently enacted the Dam Safety Act, 2021 at the national level. Many have expressed criticism of this statute for being 'anti-federal'. This article evaluates the law on dam safety in India by highlighting the salience of India's Dam Safety Act. The core argument is that given legislative laxity on the part of States in adopting dam safety measures, and the limitations on a State to legislate beyond its borders, the Union did need to intervene via the Dam Safety Act. By enacting this statute, the Union has not usurped the States' powers. Instead, it has fortified cooperative federalism by creating institutional structures at the central and State levels to ensure that dam safety is not compromised and that people do not have to lose their lives unnecessarily.


A study was conducted to determine how Hispanic bilingual students' knowledge of Spanish vocabulary and ability to identify Spanish-English cognates relate to their comprehension of English expository text. Subjects, 74 upper elementary Hispanic students able to read in both Spanish and English, were tested for Spanish and English vocabulary knowledge, and after reading each of four expository texts containing English words with Spanish cognates (e.g., English transform and Spanish transformar) were given a multiple-choice test on their understanding of key concepts from these texts. After a brief explanation of the concept cognate, they were asked to identify the words in these texts that had Spanish cognates. Performance on the multiple-choice test was found to be related to students' ability to recognize cognate relationships. The relationship between Spanish vocabulary knowledge and English reading comprehension also appeared to depend on students' ability to recognize cognates.