Background: Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella typhimurium are pathogenic bacteria found in contaminated water and food. No assay method is currently available on simultaneous detection or identification of all the three pathogens. Our aim was to develop a rapid and reliable method for this purpose. Materials and methods: A protocol for sample collection, and a PCR procedure was designed specifically for the assay. Selected fragments of 239 bp, 432 bp, and 360 bp for E. coli O157 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) gene (rfbE), V. cholerae toxin gene (ctx), and Salmonella typhimurium putative cytoplasmic protein gene (STM4497), respectively, were amplified from the extracted bacterial DNA samples in a single tube by multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR products were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Results: All unknown samples were verifiably identified. The assay was sensitive enough to detect and identify as few as 100 cells of E. coli O157:H7, V. cholerae and Salmonella typhimurium. The presence of other bacteria did not interfere with the analysis. Conclusion: This assay is a specific and reliable tool which allows cost-effective detection of all three bacterial pathogens in one reaction tube.


Background: Growing evidence suggests that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are implicated in stroke recurrence and mortality, and their location can be a critical factor. This study evaluated the impact of periventricular WMHs (PVWMHs) and subcortical WMHs (SWMHs) on poststroke functional outcomes. Methods: Brain MRI was performed on 187 acute ischemic stroke patients (57.8% male; mean age = 64.3 years) recruited from the Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital from February 2007 to January 2008. A Fazekas score ≥2 in the periventrcular or subcortical white matter was taken as presence of WMHs. Demographic data and risk factors for stroke were assessed. Functional stroke outcomes were evaluated 30 days after stroke using the Barthel Index (BI) and the modifiedRankin Scale (mRS). Results: WMHs were inversely linked to favorable functional outcome measured by mRS (p = 0.001) and BI (p = 0.003). Evaluating different locations, PVWMHs were associated with unfavorable functional outcomes (p = 0.002, mRS; p = 0.001, BI). SWMHs were related to mRS (p = 0.026) but not BI (p = 0.069). After controlling other stroke risk factors, infarct volumes and initial stroke severity, PVWMHs were a significant indicator for both mRS (OR = 2.76; 95% CI = 1.03–7.40) and BI (OR = 3.07; 95% CI = 1.13–8.40), but SWMHs were not. Conclusions: Unfavorable functional stroke outcome is associated with MRI WMHs. In terms of location, PVWMHs but not SWMHs are related to functional stroke outcome.


How can literature teachers foster an ethic of care in the classroom? How can literature and imaginative pedagogical strategies facilitate education of the moral imagination and overall training of the ethical thinker? This essay explores some theoretical reflections on moral education through literature and, in particular, suggests practical pedagogy that has application in K‐12 as well as college/university classrooms. I approach this topic in the following way: (a) considerations surrounding the position of teaching literature as an ethic of care; (b) a view of a selection of children's novels suitable for K‐12 language arts as well as post‐secondary study (Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet; Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved; Jean Little, Willow and Twig); and (c) an emphasis on teaching ideas for drama and writing exercises that include the use of maxims and themes such as experiencing the mythic, the ethical journey, and teaching moral courage as ...


On the basis of proposals submitted by the Commission, the Council adopts EU legislation in the form of regulations and directives, either jointly with Parliament in accordance with Article 294 of the TFEU (ordinary legislative procedure) or alone, following consultation of Parliament (1.2.3). The Council also adopts individual decisions and non-binding recommendations (Article 288 of the TFEU) and issues resolutions. The Council and Parliament establish the general rules governing the exercise of the implementing powers conferred on the Commission or reserved for the Council itself (Article 291(3) of the TFEU).


Background These days, engaging at sufficient regular physical activity strongly recommended for good health and physical functioning. Physical activity can increase the self-confidence of the health professionals and they would become fit for daily activities with patients. Knowing the level of physical activity can help health care professionals to plan for physical activity programs. This study aimed to measure the level of physical activity and associated factors among adult health professionals at Tirunesh Beijing general hospital.Objective The aim of this study was to assess the level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019.Methods Institution based cross-sectional study conducted level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019. Two hundred nighty seven adult health professionals were participated, which was a 97.4% response rate. The global physical activity questionnaire used to measure the level of physical activity. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses was done to affirm the variables characteristics. A predictor variable with a p-value of less than 0.2 exported to multivariate analysis. During multivariate analysis, statistical significance declared at a p-value of < 0.05.Results In general, the majority of the study participants, 89.2% (95% CI: 85.9-92.6) were achieved recommended levels of physical activity. Regarding the intensity of the physical activity, the overall mean time score was 518.4 mints per week or 2352.6 MET/week. For moderate-intensity physical activity, 83.5% of the study participants were physically active, (≥150 minutes/week). In the case of vigorous activity, about 32.7% of the study participants were physically active and engaged in vigorous physical activity (≥75 minutes /week). The study participants, who had self-motivation for physical activity, had a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2 and aged < 40 years were physically active.Conclusions Health care providers' habit of physical activity improved as compared with the previous studies. However, the current level of physical activity of health professionals is not adequate. Health care providers' age, body mass index and self-motivation attribute to physical activity. The level of physical activity can increase by enhancing staff motivation towards physical activity.


Many long‐term records of climate variables have missing data or have had changes in their times of observation. Here we present a technique to analyze such inhomogeneous records. We assume that the underlying climatic processes are nonstationary, where the observations contain a long‐term trend superimposed on periodic shorter time seasonal and diurnal cycles. The seasonal and diurnal variations are approximated using a limited number of Fourier harmonics, while the trend is represented by a monotonic function of time whose amplitude can also vary seasonally and diurnally. A least squares method is used to estimate the unknown Fourier coefficients. As an example of the technique, we present an analysis of multi‐decadal hourly observations of surface air temperature obtained from several meteorological stations within the United States.


A long-standing puzzle in comparative constitutional law revolves around the negative correlation between the number of constitutional rights incorporated in constitutions and a country's human rights situation. Is it only a correlation, driven by other sociological or historical factors? Is it that committing to more de jure rights hurts the protection of de facto human rights? Or is it that countries with worse human rights records are more likely to amend their constitutions to include more rights? This article discusses an experiment that examines the existence and direction of a causal effect between setting overly ambitious goals and achieving outcomes and the potential mechanisms underlying it. The main finding is that setting overly ambitious goals may not only be counterproductive in the domains in which such goals are set but may also have a negative spillover effect to other domains.


ABSTRACT Seaweeds are increasingly seen as an alternative to land-grown products in food and feed applications. Interest in production of seaweeds in temperate waters is rising, in particular in combination with offshore wind energy generation. This article reports an investigation of the economic feasibility of seaweed production in the North Sea using economic modelling. Often, an overly positive picture of the costs and benefits of seaweed production is sketched. Based on current available information, offshore seaweed production in the North Sea is not economically feasible. Sensitivity analysis shows that revenues would have to increase by roughly 300%, all other things equal, to make a profit. A number of opportunities to improve the economic feasibility of a North Sea seaweed value chain are identified. Technical innovation and the design of systems that enable multiple harvests per year can reduce production costs. Successful marketing of seaweed as human food, and the development of biorefinery concepts can increase the value of the produced seaweed.


Abstract Learners' monitoring judgments during reading are based on a variety of cues, and the roles of task features in promoting and constraining judgment accuracy are beginning to be understood. This work examined task and item characteristics influencing adults' monitoring of performance during reading and study tasks. In Study 1a, adults (N = 242) read an expository text, provided text ratings, completed comprehension items, and provided confidence judgments during testing. Readers' text complexity ratings predicted their item-level confidence, while their ratings of interest and cohesion predicted their bias scores. In Study 1b, the roles of linguistic features in predicting item-level monitoring estimates were examined using the comprehension items (item n = 23) from Study 1a. Selected item features, including length, ease, density, concreteness, and meaningfulness, were examined. Item ease significantly predicted item-level bias, while ease, density, concreteness, and meaningfulness predicted item-level confidence. Study 2 (N = 68) applied similar procedures to examine the effect of item feedback on the contributions of item features to learners' monitoring. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two item feedback conditions. Item density emerged as a significant predictor of item-level confidence, but only for those who first received item-by-item correctness feedback followed by massed feedback. Implications for future research are discussed.


A change of Federal Law in Germany in 1994 required the registration of premature infants with birthweights between 500 and 1000 g the previous limit being 1000 g. The data of the National Bureau of Statistics (Statistisches Bundesamt) indicate that as a consequence overall perinatal mortality increased slightly with a clear increase in premature infants with a birthweight of less than 2500 g. In all other birthweight-specific subgroups, a further decrease in perinatal mortality was observed. Overall perinatal mortality in 1996 was 0.68%.


Summary 1. Herbivores that forage on resources that change over time may be strongly affected by environmental factors that alter their temporal overlap with host plants. The magnitude of these effects may be mediated by the availability of alternative hosts and by behavioural adaptations for foraging on temporal food resources. 2. This study examines the temporal interaction of a butterfly species and its two host plants to determine how larvae utilize their host resources and are affected by conditions of accelerated host senescence. By changing host use over time, this butterfly may track temporal declines in host quality and buffer the impacts of environmental variation and change. At the same time, it is hypothesized that host declines and changes in the host environment affect larval survivorship and hence butterfly population size. 3. With three sets of field and greenhouse experiments, the following were examined: (i) larval host plant use and the dependence of larval diet on oviposition, (ii) nutritional differences between hosts, and (iii) the impact of conditions that accelerate host plant death (i.e. temperature) on larval survivorship and growth. 4. Larvae were observed to forage widely, vary their diet through time, and use hosts independently of their natal plant. Larvae tracked changes in host quality by steadily increasing their use of the longer-lasting, but nutritionally variable, host plant. Temperature conditions that accelerated host death actually conferred a survivorship advantage when larvae were able to utilize this host. 5. These results suggest that larval diet choice and movement may be an adaptive strategy for foraging on declining food resources. It also suggests that the net effect of environmental extremes on larvae is strongly mediated by host plant use. Differences in larval survivorship when one or both hosts are available suggest that the long-lasting host is essential to butterfly population persistence. By comparing this mobile taxa to species with fewer host-switching opportunities, we better understand the diversity of foraging strategies of food-limited insects and the effects of environmental change.


The effect of the inclusion of Mytilus edulis shell collected from the Lagos Lagoon front, University of Lagos, in diets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) on the haematology of the fish was investigated in the Marine Research Laboratory of the University. Ten fingerlings each of O. niloticus were placed in plastic tanks and fed for 12 weeks with feed containing milled M. edulis shell substituted for Di calcium phosphate (DCP), in other to utilize locally available and abundant non conventional food materials. The substitutions were at the rate of 100% (T4), 75% (T3), 50% (T2), 25% (T1) and 0% (T0) the control diet. Each feeding regime was in triplicates. The mean water parameters during experimental period were within the normal range for tropical fishes, and were: mean temperature (27.78±0.57 28.17±0.570C); pH(4±0.07 7.49±0.10) and dissolved oxygen (6.19±0.633 6.46±0.633mg/l). The proximate analysis of M. edulis shell showedhigher crude protein content compared to DCP; this probably had a positive effect on the growth of the fish fed M. edulis shell. Fish fed with M. edulis shell showed a remarkable significant decrease (P>0.05) amongst diet in haematological parameters (Hb, WBC and RBC). However, the PCV values was highest in T3 (0.363±0.465) and lowest in the control diet (T0) (0.133±0.015). In conclusion, 75% level of substitution of Di calcium phosphate with M. edulis shell in the diet O. niloticus yielded a better haematological parameter


Issues of wilderness and wetlands preservation, clean air and clean water, and the sustainable use of natural resources have figured prominently in American political debate of the twentieth century. Presidents since Theodore Roosevelt have addressed these issues, rhetorically in their public addresses and pragmatically in their policies and appointments to pertinent positions. Green Talk in the White House gathers an array of approaches to studying environmental rhetoric and the presidency, covering a range of administrations and a diversity of viewpoints on how the concept of the "rhetorical presidency" may be modified in this policy area. Tarla Rai Peterson's introduction to the book discusses both methodological and substantive issues in studying presidential rhetoric on the environment. In subsequent chapters, noted scholars examine various aspects of half a dozen modern presidencies to shed light not only on those administrations but also on the study of environmental rhetoric itself. The final section of the book then directs attention to the future of presidential rhetoric and environmental governance, with looks "in" at state-level environmental issues and looks "out" at the international context of environmentalism.


The success of aspect-oriented programming (AOP) raises and falls with user-friendly tool support. With AspectJ1 the first complete and powerful language extension for AOP has been created. With this paper we intend to extend the AspectJ approach to C/C++. We will present and discuss a proposal for a set of language extensions we call AspectC++ to facilitate aspect-oriented programming with C/C++ and we will illustrate our prototype implementation of a compiler for this new language. 1. MOTIVATION While there is currently a heavy focus on aspect-oriented programming (AOP) with Java2, other languages like C and C++ experience far less attention in the effort of creating and establishing extensions for aspect-oriented programming. This is especially dissatisfying as a large fraction of applications is still being developed in C and C++. These applications cannot simply be considered as legacy, as for a number of domains specific features of the C/C++ language like minimal requirements in terms of run-time support are crucial. To be able to exploit the advantages of aspect-oriented programming (AOP) also with C/C++, it is inevitable to provide an AOP framework. A key component of such a framework is a set of language extensions to support the independent implementation of aspects. AspectJ [6] is an example for such a set of language extensions for the Java language. The popularity of AspectJ was supported by the fact that a working AspectJ compiler is publicly available and many programmers already gathered experience with aspectoriented programming using AspectJ. As C++ and Java have gramThis work has been partly supported by the German Research Council (DFG), grant no. SCHR 603/1-1 and SCHR 603/2. 1AspectJ is a trademark of Xerox Corporation. 2Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. matically and semantically a lot in common, it seems natural to use AspectJ as foundation when creating a set of extensions for the C/C++ language to support aspect-oriented programming. In this paper we will present such an extension to the C++ language, called AspectC++. While AspectC++ is conceptually very similar to AspectJ, it was also necessary to adopt and streamline what we learned from AspectJ accordingly to the specific peculiarities of the C/C++ syntax and semantics. The outline of this paper is as follows: In section 2 we will describe in detail the AspectC++ language and the differences to AspectJ. Following in section 3 the architecture of our prototype implementation of an AspectC++ compiler is explained. Related work is discussed in section 4, followed by the conclusions and a road map of our future work in section 5. 2. THE ASPECTC++ LANGUAGE AspectC++ is a general-purpose aspect-oriented extension to the C++ language. We will use a simple example (figure 1) we have taken from the AspectJ introduction to illustrate the features of AspectC++.


To meet the ever increasing requirements in the areas of performance, fuel economy and emission, more and more subsystems and control functions are being added to modern engines. This leads to a quick increase in the number of control parameters and consequently dramatic time and cost increase for engine calibration. To deal with this problem, the automotive industry has turned to model-based calibration for a solution. Model-based calibration is a method that uses modern Design of Experiments (DoE), statistical modeling and optimization techniques to efficiently produce high quality calibrations for engines. There are two major enablers for carrying out this method - fully automated engine control and measurement system, and advanced mathematical tools for DoE, modeling and optimization. This paper presents a case study of adopting this methodology for the determination of optimum steady state calibrations of ignition timing, air-fuel ratio and intake cam phasing for a gasoline engine. ORION automated engine control and measurement system is used for testing data collection. EasyDoE Toolsuite is used for DoE, engine response modeling and control parameter optimization. Major features of these tools are described. Each step in performing this process, including definition of factors and responses, DoE, automatic measurement on engine test bench, creation of engine models of sufficient accuracy, and generation of control maps using optimization techniques, is covered. The results demonstrate that the model-based approach is a well suited method for engine calibration, and the integrated system provides an effective solution for implementing model-based calibration.


Study Design Systematic review. Clinical Questions (1) What is the comparative efficacy of unilateral instrumentation compared with bilateral instrumentation in spine surgery? (2) What is the safety of unilateral instrumentation compared with bilateral instrumentation in spine surgery? Methods Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles were searched up to September 30, 2014, to identify studies reporting the comparative efficacy and safety of unilateral versus bilateral instrumentation in spine surgery. Studies including recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 as adjunct therapy and those with follow-up of less than 2 years were excluded. Results Ten randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria: five compared unilateral with bilateral instrumentation using open transforaminal or posterior lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF/PLIF), one used open posterolateral fusion, and four used minimally invasive TLIF/PLIF. There were no significant differences between unilateral and bilateral screw instrumentation with respect to nonunion, low back or leg pain scores, Oswestry Disability Index, reoperation, or complications. Conclusions The existing literature does not identify significant differences in clinical outcomes, union rates, and complications when unilateral instrumentation is used for degenerative pathologic conditions in the lumbar spine. The majority of published reports involve single-level lumbar unilateral instrumentation.


This book brings together 50 of the articles given at the Topical Meeting of the OSA in 1996, where recent advances in the biomedical optics field were extensively discussed. The field of biomedical optics, which has grown dramatically in the past 10 years, is now beginning to be accepted as having the potential to be applied to clinical medicine. By glancing at this book, the reader may easily understand the present status of current problems, and also the possible further applications of various optical techniques to medical science. The contents can be roughly divided into two parts: the first is concerned with optical absorption measurements in turbid media, and the second deals with tissue spectrophotometry, which leads the application to clinical diagnosis. The former is the main subject in this field, including near-infrared oximetry and optical imaging. Photon migration in turbid media is analysed experimentally and theoretically, with the pulsed light techniques of the time-domain and the modulation techniques of the frequency-domain employed. The latter, tissue spectrophotometry, including light scattering, fluorescence, phosphorescence and the Raman effect, is also discussed, where the optical characteristics of normal and cancer tissues are studied. Typical of the future trends combining advanced optical techniques and molecular biology is the optical probe of bioluminescent protein from marine bacteria incorporated into the specific gene of transformed bacteria causing the variors infection. An example is given on the front cover of the book showing that the distribution and degree of infection of animals can be monitored noninvasively by luminescence. Various other optical diagnoses and therapies are discussed. In conclusion, this book covers the broad area of biomedical optics, and the reader can easily see the importance and feasibility of this new field. Since this book is the proceedings of the OSA meeting, there are limitations on detailed description where one might have expected to gain a fuller understanding of each subject. For obtaining further information, thus, the references are very helpful. I recommend this book to students and young scientists for a broad overview of the rapidly growing new field of biomedical optics.


We describe nef vector bundles on a projective space with first Chern class three and second Chern class eight over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero by giving them a minimal resolution in terms of a full strong exceptional collection of line bundles.


We use an infinite-dimensional Lotka–Volterra model to analyze production, accumulation, and redistribution of wealth in an economy. We show that, if the amount of wealth produced in the economy is small relative to the amount redistributed, the eventual distribution of wealth will be extremely unequal, with all of it being concentrated in single hands in the limit case. The winner's identity is determined by his ability to redistribute and produce wealth. Similar outcomes are observed in some physical processes. Article is published in the authors' wording.


An increase in the growth of data as a result of the widely use of applications as well as information systems has made data mining an important task in knowledge discovery field of research. Several methods in data mining such as classification has been proposed based on renowned learning methods such as decision tree or neural network. Few studies explored the topic of classification combined with another task in data mining such as association and sequential pattern. Several algorithms that combine classification with other data mining tasks are Classification Based on Associations (CBA) that combines classification with association rules and Classify by Sequence (CBS) algorithm which combines classification with sequential patterns. However, none of studies analyzes the comparison between these two algorithms. In this paper, we explore and compare the performance of CBA algorithm and CBS algorithm in term of accuracy and running time. To do so, we use meteorological data for rain or dry season classification with average temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and air pressure set as our parameters. Based on our experimental evaluation, the CBS algorithm results in high accuracy than of the CBA algorithm. In term of runtime, the CBS algorithm is more efficient than the CBA algorithm.


: The aim of the study was to study the phytase synthesis capability of Aspergillus niger L-4 strain. The method for determining phytase activity is based on establishing the content of inorganic phosphates as a result of the action of phytase on the substrate under certain standard conditions by binding them with a vanadium-molybdenum reagent to form a coloured complex. The use of phytases for the hydrolysis of phytates in animal feed is important from the point of view of preserving the environment: when phytate complexes are destroyed, phosphorus is released, which performs an important structural and regulatory function, ensuring the normal development of bone and dental tissues and supporting their safety and integrity. Phosphoric acid is involved in the synthesis of kinases responsible for the normal course of chemical reactions in cells, in fat metabolism, as well as in the synthesis and breakdown of starch and glycogen. This reduces the release of undigested phosphorus into the environment. The object of the study consisted of native solutions obtained by culturing an industrial strain of acid-forming A. niger L-4 on various carbohy-drate-containing media. The A. niger L-4 strain, previously selected at the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Food Additives for fermentation of molasses, has the ability to synthesise extracellular phytase. This paper presents the results of studies of phytase activity during the cultivation of A. niger L-4 on carbo-hydrate-containing media. It was found that in order components of the sucrose-mineral medium provide an elevated level of low-molecular-weight sugars necessary for increasing the productivity of phytase biosynthesis. Phytase activity in the native solution was shown to increase over 72 hours of fermentation to reach a value of 25.8±0.1 units/cm 3 . The phytase activity was 1.5 times higher than the fermentation process of a corn starch hydrolysate with a dextrose equivalent DE = 21±1 %, ensuring the productive biosynthesis of citric acid.


The author's experience in the use of chymopapain for the lysis of ruptured disc indicates that the drug is a valuable alternative to surgery.


Purpose To evaluate perioperative changes in fibrinolysis in patients undergoing retinal detachment surgery under general or local anesthesia. Patients Prospective study of 81 patients (43 male, 38 female), aged from 15 to 82 (mean 50.7 SD = 17.8) years, undergoing retinal detachment surgery (encirclement with scleral buckling) under general anesthesia (group A), and 14 patients (6 male, 8 female) aged from 15 to 78 (mean 52.9, SD =19.8) years, operated under local anesthesia (group B). Excluded were patients with venous or arterial disease or other factors that could change the parameters investigated. Methods Blood was sampled from a cubital vein one day before surgery, immediately after induction of anesthesia but before surgery, immediately after completion of the operation but before the termination of anesthesia and after the operation (on days 1 and 4). In patients' citrated plasma, tissue plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA-Ag), plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 antigen (PAI-1 Ag) and activity (PAI-1), fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) and euglobulin lysis time (ELT) were measured. Results The pattern of changes in perioperative fibrinolytic activity was similar in both groups. Intraoperative levels of FDP were significantly higher and ELT shorter than preoperatively. In both groups t-PA Ag concentration was significantly increased on the first postoperative day. There were no changes in PAI-1 in both groups. Postoperatively, the FDP concentration was reduced and ELT prolonged. Conclusions Retinal detachment surgery induces intraoperative activation of fibrinolysis in the systemic circulation regardless of the type of anesthesia.


Abstract Transposition of the great arteries combined with totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection is extremely rare outside of heterotaxy syndrome. Most reported cases have been treated by a modified atrial switch operation. We report the successful treatment of a neonate with this rare association, repaired by arterial switch operation and connection of the pulmonary venous return to the left atrium.


Abstract Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu disease is a rare autosomal dominant condition causing vascular dysplasia. Cerebral abscess formation, secondary to paradoxical septic emboli via HHT-derived pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (pAVMs) in this context is well documented. Herein, we present the first case of subdural empyema with this aetiology.


A version of the permanent income model is developed in which the bliss point of the agent is stochastic. The bliss point depends on realizations of the stochastic process generating labor income and a random shock. The model predicts consumption and labor income share a common trend and that a linear combination of current consumption, current labor income, and once lagged consumption is stationary. Empirically, consumption appears more serially correlated than the model is capable of supporting. Further, the volatility of consumption appears sensitive to time variation in real interest rates.


The results of an investigation of the broadband dielectric properties of onion‐like carbon (OLC)/polyurethane (PU) composites over a wide temperature range (300–450 K) are presented. The onset of the percolation threshold reached at 10 vol% of OLC is accompanied by drastically increased microwave absorption. The broadband dielectric properties of the composites at low loading of OLC, below the percolation threshold, are mainly governed by the α relaxation, the dynamics of the "soft" molecular segment of the PU chain. With increased OLC concentration, the glass‐transition temperature decreases and the α relaxation completely vanishes for the composite with 5 vol% OLC. As the α relaxation vanishes rapid enhancement of the mobility of the soft molecular segments in PU chains occurs and a decrease of the activation energy of electrical conductivity follows.Keywords: composites; dielectric properties; onion‐like carbon


How to provide quality of service (QoS) guarantees in routing and switching systems has become one of the key research topics in the areas of routing and switching technologies. Differentiated services architecture (DiffServ) is known as a promising way for supporting QoS in a high-speed backbone network scenario. However, the measurement indexes for realtime multimedia traffic, which plays very important roles in next generation internet, are not so clearly defined. In this paper, a new service architecture called SOQG (Service Orient QoS Guarantees) aiming at providing QoS guarantees for multimedia traffic is first proposed. SOQG classifies the internet traffic into five classes: EF, JCC, BCG-H, BCG-L and BE. Then, Based on this architecture, we propose a new switch called load balanced differentiated universal service support switch (LBDU). LBDU consists of three modules: BCU (Bandwidth Control Unit), LBS (Load Balanced Scheduling) and XOS ( Cross-point Output Scheduling). We evaluate LBDU by comprehensive simulations. As expected, LBDU can provide delay and bandwidth guarantees for both EF and JCC traffic.


The minimum requirement for the documentation of the structure of vascular epiphyte communities comprises information on the number of co-occurring species and their abundance and distribution. Using subsampling from a comprehensive census of the epiphytes on more than 1000 trees with a diameter at breast height > 1cm in 0.4 ha of lowland rainforest in Panama as a reference, this study investigates the minimum sampling effort necessary to obtain reliable information on essential community attributes (species numbers, α-diversity, and evenness). Large trees host the majority of all vascular epiphytes and therefore only the largest trees were sampled. Comparing the resulting community attributes deduced from a sample of epiphytes on 1-12 of the largest trees with those of the entire 0.4-ha study plot indicates that a sample size of about 6-8 trees is already sufficient to obtain a representative description of this epiphyte community. Accepted 6 March 2011.


The PeduliLindungi app has supported the government in controlling the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this research is to explore new user needs and create design prototypes for the latest features of the PeduliLindungi application. Design thinking is used to know empathizing, define, ideate, and prototype. Figma Tools was chosen to develop a prototype that visualizes the latest features of the PeduliLindungi application. The results of this research are information about pain points from application users, problem statements, problem solving ideas, and user interface features for the new PeduliLindungi application. Based on the results of user pain points, the features developed are covid-19 event advertisements, Online Registration, Night Mode, Covid-19 educational videos, Tourist Visits, and Vaccine History. Based on the evaluation results using the Single Easy Question (SEQ), it is found that advertising, registration, night mode, and vaccine history are worth 7, meaning that the level of use is basic to use. Tourist visits and educational videos are worth 5.75, which means that improvements need to be made by taking into account notes from respondents during the testing process.


The Bachelor of Education In-service Teachers Programme (BEITP) is a program
of accelerated increase in teachers' academic qualifications into a Bachelor Degree. The
Bachelor Degree of Elementary School Teacher Education Program, the distance learning
system, known as ICT-based BEITP is used. The problem in this study were: 1) What level
of success BEITP graduated Bachelor Degree, and 2) what factors be the determinant?
This factors were involved: Curriculum, Course Materials, Devices lectures, teaching and
learning process, facilities and infrastructure, Assessment, Qualifications Lecturers, and
Program Management. This study was conducted based on the assessment of alumni who
had attended BEITP. The data source is 32 graduate alumni of BEITP Satya Wacana
Christian University (SWCU). Data were collected through a self- rating scale consisting
of 32 items that have been proven valid and reliable; Data analysis was descriptive
analysis and stepwise multiple regression models aided by SPSS for windows version 20.
Performance BEITP graduated bachelor degree are at high level. The high success is
determined by three factors, namely: the course material, faculty qualifications, and
learning tools; This gives the effect of a variable 60.40% - 83.30%. 5 Other variables,
namely: curriculum, teaching and learning, facilities and infrastructure, assessment and
program managers have no effect, therefore, distance learning institutional development
should focus on the lecturer, teaching materials and learning tools.
Keywords: Distance Learning, Performance, Cources Content, Teacher Qualification,
Learning Tools.


Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a new local therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the risk factors associated with local recurrence of HCC after single-session RFA with a single electrode insertion. From April 2003 to December 2007, we treated 138 HCC lesions by single-session RFA with a single electrode insertion using the Cool-tip RFA, RTC 2000 and RTC 3000 Systems. Risk factors for the local recurrence of these lesions and complications after RFA were analyzed. The mean size of the 138 lesions was 16.9±5.4 mm in diameter (range 7-33 mm). Local recurrence rates were 6.6 and 22.0% at 1 and 2 years, respectively, during the mean follow-up period of 16.4 months. Univariate analysis showed that tumor diameter (≥20 mm), tumor location, pre-treatment AFP-L3 fraction level and ablation pattern were significant variables. Multivariate analysis of these four variables identified only the tumor diameter as an independent risk factor for local recurrence. Complications occurred in 2.2% of the lesions (3/138). Single-session RFA is an effective treatment for HCC in that it reduces serious complications. This study demonstrated that a tumor size ≥20 mm influenced the local recurrence of single-session RFA with a single electrode insertion.


The management of ureteroenteric strictures in patients who have undergone urinary diversion can be challenging. In those patients with an orthotopic neobladder, anastomotic ureteral strictures can be treated endoscopically using a retrograde or antegrade approach. The availability of small (7.5F) flexible ureteroscopes, as well as the use of the Holmium laser has facilitated the ability to precisely incise the stricture under direct endoscopic visualization (endoureterotomy). We describe our technique for laser endoureterotomy in patients with ureteroenteric strictures following orthotopic urinary diversion.


Tropical deforestation and forest degradation driven by agricultural commodity production remains one of the important sustainability challenges of our times. The responses to tropical deforestation so far have not managed to reverse global trends of forest loss, reigniting the discussion about more robust and systemic measures. The concept of deforestation risk is highly relevant for current debates about policy and trade, and likely to increase in importance in the context of the proposed EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products and EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement. We argue that deforestation is a systemic risk that permeates through different economic sectors, including production, manufacturing, service and control sectors. International trade, investment and economic policies thus act as a systemic trap that cause the production sector to continue with nature's destruction. This article seeks to more clearly define deforestation risk and uses the case of bovine leather from Brazil to illustrate how pressures for deforestation accumulate across economic sectors towards production, while deforestation risk is dispersed in an opposite trajectory. The article draws on multiple datasets and an extensive literature review. Included are quantitative data sources on annual slaughter, bovine hide/leather registry and annual deforestation, slaughterhouse and tannery locations. We argue that the EU banning unsustainable products from entry and putting incentives for more sustainable agricultural production in the tropics addresses deforestation risks that are currently visible and relatively easy to identify. These response mechanisms are conditioned upon traceability of deforestation risk across supply chains, which is prone to falsifications, leakage and laundry. Although proven to be essential, the proposed EU responses still miss out deeper leverage points to address the systemic drivers of deforestation coming from the manufacturing, service and control sectors that make production through deforestation profitable in the first place.


Simulated positive blood cultures with 84 known stock strains of streptococci were used to comparatively evaluate the direct identification of these organisms by fluorescein-tagged antibody staining (immunofluorescence [IF]) and latex agglutination (LA). IF was not evaluated for Lancefield group D strains (a total of 81 strains tested) and had 89% sensitivity and 91% specificity. IF was least sensitive for the identification of Lancefield group F, in which three of seven strains showed no fluorescence with the group F reagent. Since LA was more convenient and revealed comparable sensitivities and specificities on 84 simulated cultures, we tested this procedure using an additional 29 fresh positive clinical blood cultures, for a total of 113 cultures tested by this technique. Of 11 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, 9 reacted with the LA group C reagent, a problem not observed with IF. However, all these strains were identified by a rapid modified bile solubility test. Of the 12 Streptococcus faecalis strains, 4 were falsely negative with the group D reagent, but all were correctly identified by a rapid litmus milk reduction test. Of 12 group A strains, 1 was not detected. Of all 113 strains tested by LA, eliminating S. faecalis and S. pneumoniae, the sensitivity and specificity were 97 and 98%, respectively. LA was simple and reliable in the rapid identification of streptococci from blood cultures and appeared to be preferable to IF. When LA is used, the group D reagent should not be used, and all samples reacting with the group C reagent should be tested by a modified rapid bile solubility test to exclude S. pneumoniae.


PURPOSE
This in vitro study evaluated the accuracy of multiple-unit dental implant casts obtained from splinted or nonsplinted direct impression techniques using various splinting materials by comparing the casts to the reference models. The effect of two different impression materials on the accuracy of the implant casts was also evaluated for abutment-level impressions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A reference model with six internal-connection implant replicas placed in the completely edentulous mandibular arch and connected to multi-base abutments was fabricated from heat-curing acrylic resin. Forty impressions of the reference model were made, 20 each with polyether (PE) and polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) impression materials using the open tray technique. The PE and PVS groups were further subdivided into four subgroups of five each on the bases of splinting type: no splinting, bite registration PE, bite registration addition silicone, or autopolymerizing acrylic resin. The positional accuracy of the implant replica heads was measured on the poured casts using a coordinate measuring machine to assess linear differences in interimplant distances in all three axes. The collected data (linear and three-dimensional [3D] displacement values) were compared with the measurements calculated on the reference resin model and analyzed with nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney).

RESULTS
No significant differences were found between the various splinting groups for both PE and PVS impression materials in terms of linear and 3D distortions. However, small but significant differences were found between the two impression materials (PVS, 91 μm; PE, 103 μm) in terms of 3D discrepancies, irrespective of the splinting technique employed.

CONCLUSIONS
Casts obtained from both impression materials exhibited differences from the reference model. The impression material influenced impression inaccuracy more than the splinting material for multiple-unit abutment-level impressions.


A novel approach for inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of three-dimensional (3-D) rotation target is presented in this study. It is based on the assumption that the manoeuverability is not too severe, and the received signal in a range bin can be characterised as multi-component linear frequency modulated (LFM) signal. The two-order match Fourier transform (TMFT) is used to estimate the parameters of the LFM signal, and the asymptotic statistical performance is analysed simultaneously. Combined with the Range-instantaneous-Doppler (RID) algorithm, the high-quality instantaneous ISAR images can be obtained. The results of simulated and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of the method proposed.


Understanding which elements affect a company's value is one of the main goals for the board of directors and senior management. By understanding these, they can make appropriate decisions to ensure a beneficial business for them and their shareholders. In recent time, the amount of reported security incidents has radically increased, and the affected companies are being held more accountable than ever. Justification for investing in information security controls has proven to be a challenging task. Still, in an age where new legislation, for instance the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, an ever-evolving threat landscape, and the general increased availability of information, is demanding more transparency and commitment by companies to secure information, measuring the cost efficiency of an information security investment proves difficult. Since there is no clear scientific method for assessing the actual financial impact of a security event, different approaches are used to estimate the loss. The stock value of a company decides the monetary worth of a company. If a security event should lead to decline in stock value, the company needs to evaluate whether investing in information security can affect this change. In this thesis I therefore explores the possibility that there is a correlation between the monetary worth of a company and a public disclosure of information security incidents. Using event study methodology, I investigate this by analysing the fluctuation of the stock price in a predefined time window around the announcement of the incident. In order to answer this hypothesis, I have analysed 57 security events occurring over the span of 13 years from 52 companies. The results show that announcing a breach can have an effect on the value of the company in certain situations. In addition, I have elaborated on different ways for security professionals to use this research to communicate the need for investments in information security more efficiently to senior management. Stock price value: Using event study analysis on the effect of information security incidents to your advantage


A bilateral filter has high noise removal properties. However, estimation of suitable parameters using an input image is required to obtain a fine denoised image. A method of parameter estimation that uses the distribution distance has been proposed. This method enables optimal parameter estimation of a bilateral filter using the distribution distance and an assumed noise distribution. The parameters are estimated based on the differences between input and output images. However, input images with several small edges present difficulties. In this paper, we propose a method for estimation of parameters the standard deviation of the prior probability noise distribution. We also present the experimental results of the proposed method.


Communication networks are nowadays crucial in our lives and the study of its traffic features yields important advantages. In both network and traffic design the understanding of the relationship between the traffic on a node and its fluctuations plays a key role. In this paper we investigate the relationship between the mean traffic flow experienced by a node and its standard deviation via numerical simulations and real data analysis. In particular, we show the great influence that the degree heterogeneity of real communication systems has on the patterns of flow fluctuations observed across complex communication networks. To this end, we derive an analytical law connecting the standard deviation of flows and their mean values, we prove it via extensive numerical simulations and by means of a realistic internet traffic simulator software: NS-3. We also show that our results are robust under different assumptions regarding: network topology, routing strategy and packets injection distributions.


The purpose of the research is to describe the plan, realization and evaluation of industrial working practice at Public Vokational High School Number 1 Ketahun. The method used desriptive qualitative. Subject of this research were headmaster, vice head master, teacher, students and industry instructours. The data collection technique was document, interview and quetioners. The results of the research show that : (1) the plan of industrial working practice in general has followed the guidelines, (2) the realization of industrial working practice in general has followed the planes, (3) the evaluation of industrial working practice the meeting was done through between the teachers, commitee and head master. Keywords: management, industrial working practice


Many climate models predict that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions may cause a threshold response of the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC). These model predictions are, however, uncertain. Reducing this uncertainty can have an economic value, because it would allow for the design of more efficient risk management strategies. Early information about the MOC sensitivity to anthropogenic forcing (i.e., information that arrives before the system is committed to a threshold response) could be especially valuable. Here the focus is on one particular kind of information: the detection of anthropogenic MOC changes. It is shown that an MOC observation system based on infrequent (decadal scale) hydrographic observations may well fail in the task of early MOC change detection. This is because this system observes too infrequently and the observation errors are too large. More frequent observations and reduced observation errors would result in earlier detection. It is also shown that the economic value of information associated with a confident and early prediction of an MOC threshold response could exceed the costs of typically implemented ocean observation systems by orders of magnitude. One open challenge is to identify a feasible observation system that would enable such a confident and early MOC prediction across the range of possible MOC responses.


OBJECTIVES
The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) for postpartum women was developed and validated in the US in 2006. The aim of the research was to analyse the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) for subjective assessment of the bio-psycho-physical status of women after childbirth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
After the preparation of the Polish-language version of the questionnaire, the study was conducted among 168 postpartum women on the day they were discharged from the hospital. For the analysis of the reliability of the questionnaire, the Cronbach Alpha test was used, where the index of values above 0.7 was assumed to mean the correct reliability of the scale.

RESULTS
Statistical analysis using the Alpha Cronbach test for the questions presented amounted to: 0.835, which indicates that the results are correctly aligned with one another.

CONCLUSIONS
The conducted analysis confirms that the Polish-language questionnaire in its current form has high reliability for the assessment of readiness to discharge in postpartum women and may be used in Polish conditions.


Photoconductivity spectra temperature dependence combining with transmission measurements have been formed on hydrogenated amorphous silicon. After exposure by AM1 light a reversible increase of 6% of the Urbach parameter E0(T,X) has been observed. This is a direct evidence for the fact that photo-induced changes in a-Si:H create not only metastable defects but also affect the topological disorder.


AIM: To evaluate the possibilities of flow detection using high resolution flow (HR Flow) and Glazing Flow technique in patients with liver parenchymal changes and flow changes in comparison to color-coded Doppler sonography (CCDS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All examinations were performed using a multi frequency matrix convex probe with high resolution technique (SC6-1U/Resona7, Mindray, Shenzhen, China) by one experienced examiner to evaluate the venous, portal venous and arterial liver flow with digital documentation of the dynamic flow parameters like peak systolic flow, end-diastolic flow and resistance index. For liver parenchymal stiffness changes shear wave elastography was performed with at least 10 measurements. By two independent readers an elevation was performed to evaluate the image quality and the degree of flow artefacts, from 0 = not available to 5 points with excellent image quality without flow artefacts. RESULTS: All 40 patients (24 men, 16 women, age 27–83 years, mean 56±5 years) showed morphology changes from B-Mode of the liver parenchyma to inhomogeneous tissue with higher stiffness evaluated by the shear wave elastography (1.45 m/s up to 2.79 m/s±1.79 m/s, considering F1 up to F4 fibrosis) and in 15 cases histopathologically proven liver cirrhosis. In 9 cases after non-acute thrombosis flow reduction of the portal vein was the reason for the diameter less than 5 mm. Flow parameters for the venous flow were between 8 cm/s up to 29 cm/s, mean 14±4 cm/s, for the hepatic portal vein 5 cm/s up to 57 cm/s, mean 17±5 cm/s, for the hepatic artery systolic flow between 50 cm/s up to 127±33 cm/s, end-diastolic flow from 22 cm/s up to 47±8 cm/s. Resistance index for the hepatic artery was between 0.41 up to 0.73, mean 0.67±0.25. The image quality for CCDS over all cases was evaluated for CCDS between 1 up to 4. The mean quality was 2.5±0.5, for HR Flow in combination with Glazing Flow 3±0.5, with significant differences for the 2 readers (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Combination of HR Flow with Glazing Flow could be helpful to evaluate morphological und hemodynamic changes of liver arterial flow, portal venous and venous flow. Reduction of flow artefacts in combination with a higher image quality could be helpful for optimizing the digital measurements also for follow up examinations.


In the normal menstrual cycle, the functional integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis requires the pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. This hypothalamic hormone, also known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, stimulates pituitary gonadotropin (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone) secretion, promoting ovarian follicular maturation, ovulation, and corpus luteum function. 1,2 When the hypothalamus fails to provide an appropriate GnRH stimulation of the pituitary gland, anovulatory infertility often occurs. Recent advances in neuroendocrine physiology demonstrate that pulsatile GnRH replacement therapy can restore ovulation and fertility. Infertility specialists are learning how to provide pulsatile GnRH therapy for the treatment of hypothalamic hypogonadism in both men and women. 3-5 Recent evidence also suggests that higher-dose pulsatile GnRH treatment may be used to achieve multiple follicular growth for in vitro fertilization therapy, when the collection of several mature oocytes is desired. 6


A series of palladium(II) dithiocarbamate complexes [Pd(S2CNRR′)2]·n(py) [where py = pyridine; RR′ = Bz, n = 1 (1); Cy, n = 1 (2); nHex, n = 0 (3) and MeCy, n = 0 (4)] have been synthesized and characterized using various physicochemical techniques and their single crystal structures have been established. The decomposition modes and potential of the complexes as single source precursors (SSPs) for the development of palladium sulphide (PdS) thin films were investigated by thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetric (TGA/DTG) analyses. The PdS thin films were deposited on FTO conducting glass substrates at 400, 450 and 500 °C by the aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) reveal that the deposit has a tetragonal structure with a 1 : 1 ratio of Pd : S. The shape and size of PdS crystallites and the texture of films depend on the deposition temperatures and the precursor type used. The direct band gap energy of 1.56 eV was estimated from UV-Vis spectroscopy of the PdS films fabricated from precursor (2) at 450 °C. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of PdS films were studied by recording the current–voltage plots under alternating dark and illumination conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of PEC studies of photoactive PdS thin films fabricated using the AACVD technique using palladium(II) dithiocarbamate complexes as precursors.


The principal object of this investigation was to devise a convenient and rapid method for the purification of the alpha-toxin of Clostridium perfringens type A. Previous workers had experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining this factor free of the variety of extracellular toxins and enzymes produced by this organism. Despite the fact that it was the first toxin to have its mode of action defined in biochemical terms, many features remain in doubt in particular its physical characterisation. Moreover in light of the findings of Johnson and Bonventre (1967) with Bacillus cereus toxin, it was decided to re-investigate the possibility that the lecithinase, hot-cold haemolytic and lethal activities of this toxin were manifestations of a single moiety. In 1967 and 1968 Vesterberg and Wadstrom published a series of studies on the use of a new electrophoretic technique termed isoelectric focusing, in the purification and characterisation of the extracellular products of Staphylococcus aureus. Not only was the resolving power of this technique clearly demonstrated for a complex mixture of factors, but several of the staphylococcal products were shown to exist in multiple forms. Using isoelectric focusing, investigations were undertaken into the reported occurrence of multiple forms of Cl. perfringens alpha-toxin and their possible role in the unitarian concept of the biological activities of alpha-toxin. Moreover, a study of alpha-toxin was merited on the basis of the increasing use of alpha-toxin from commercial sources as a biochemical probe of membrane structure. As with many investigations avenues of research presented themselves as a by-product of these primary objectives. Indeed the simultaneous purification of collagenase, hyaluronidase and alpha-toxin of this organism as well as the alpha-toxin, to be investigated.


DNA methylation at CpG sites is both heritable and influenced by environment, but the relative contributions of each to DNA methylation levels are unclear. We conducted a heritability analysis of CpG methylation in human CD4+ cells across 975 individuals from 163 families in the Genetics of Lipid-lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN). Based on a broad-sense heritability (H2) value threshold of 0.4, we identified 20,575 highly heritable CpGs among the 174,445 most variable autosomal CpGs (SD > 0.02). Tests for associations of heritable CpGs with genotype at 2,145,360 SNPs using 717 of 975 individuals showed that ~74% were cis-meQTLs (< 1 Mb away from the CpG), 6% of CpGs exhibited trans-meQTL associations (>1 Mb away from the CpG or located on a different chromosome), and 20% of CpGs showed no strong significant associations with genotype (based on a p-value threshold of 1e-7). Genes proximal to the genotype independent heritable CpGs were enriched for functional terms related to regulation of T cell activation. These CpGs were also among those that distinguished T cells from other blood cell lineages. Compared to genes proximal to meQTL-associated heritable CpGs, genotype independent heritable CpGs were moderately enriched in the same genomic regions that escape erasure during primordial germ cell development and could carry potential for generational transmission.


Half a century apart, two American women caught the attention of British tabloids for marrying British celebrity men: Linda Eastman, a rock photographer from New York wed Paul McCartney, the last bachelor Beatle in 1969. In 2018, actor Meghan Markle joined the royal rank when she tied the knot with Prince Harry Windsor in front of millions of tv-watchers. By the act of marriage, the women became subjects of extensive tabloid coverage in Britain. This paper looks at how one tabloid -- the Daily Mirror has approached covering Linda and Meghan. It examines how tabloid reporters constructed the life stories of the women for audiences and how the women have reacted to it in interviews. Spanning across decades from late 1960's to early 2020's, the paper analyzes how the Mirror has approached foreign women married to British celebrity men and questions the reasoning behind the tabloid's choices.


Present study describes the synthesis of a novel series of 3,5-diiodo-4-(5-nitro-1H-2-imidazolyl)benzoyl amino acids and di/tri/tetrapeptides using diisopropylcarbodiimide/dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DIPC/DCC) as coupling agents and N-methylmorpholine/triethylamine (NMM/TEA) as bases. Structure elucidation of all the newly synthesized compounds was done by elemental analysis and IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral data. Synthesized imidazolopeptides were screened for their anthelmintic activity and found to possess moderate to good bioactivity against earthworms Megascoplex konkanensis, Pontoscotex corethruses and Eudrilus eugeniea when compared to reference drugs - albendazole and mebendazole at dose level of 2 mg mL−1.


In eight patients with delayed union or nonunion after 3 degrees open fracture of the tibia, a minimally invasive technique of autologous bone grafting was performed. Bone harvesting from the iliac crest and debridement of the fracture side were done percutaneous by using a 5.5 mm acromionizer without complications. In seven of eight patients complete fracture healing could be achieved (88%). Percutaneous autologous bone grafting can be recommended on limited bone defects in patients with nonunion or delayed union of the tibia and severe soft tissue damage in the lower leg.


Grammatical gender and the related concept, 'social gender', are important linguistic categories which, in this article, are used to illustrate that the translation process is not only a 'cross-cultural transfer' but also a cross-ideological transfer. By departing from the view that different languages reflect different ways of perceiving reality, it is argued here that the linguistic structure of languages with regard to gender (i.e. grammatical vs. pronominal gender), as well as different connotations of gender, have a considerable influence upon the translation process and, hence, on how the reader of the target language is meant to perceive reality. The article emphasizes the importance of the translator's role in analyzing gender aspects in the source text and determining the ideological impact gender connotations may have in both the source and the target text.


Chlorthalidone inhibition of the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of p-nitrophenyl acetate by bovine erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase was used as a basis for chlorthalidone determination in plasma and urine. For urinary samples, a completely automated, continuous flow system was developed to extract the samples and perform the enzymatic reaction. Over 100 samples per day could be assayed by one person. The assay had a sensitivity of 0.5 micrograms/ml and thus could determine urinary concentrations after a therapeutic chlorthalidone dose. To determine plasma concentrations after a therapeutic dose, a manual extraction procedure was used in combination with a second continuous flow system for the enzymatic reaction. This system was optimized to detect the lowest chlorthalidone concentration allowed by the enzymatic inhibition constant and could detect 25 ng/ml.


In this work we propose a system for visual question answering. Our architecture is composed of two parts, the first part creates the logical knowledge base given the image. The second part evaluates questions against the knowledge base. Differently from previous work, the knowledge base is represented using hyper-dimensional computing. This choice has the advantage that all the operations in the system, namely creating the knowledge base and evaluating the questions against it, are differentiable, thereby making the system easily trainable in an end-to-end fashion.


Mr Brown is 41 years old. He is an economic analyst. His wife is a tax lawyer. They do not have children.
He has come to see to see Dr Do-a-lot on account of a rash that he has developed over the past few months.
He describes the rash as raised, red itchy wheals (hives) that appear unexpectedly, mostly on his abdomen, upper thighs and upper arms. They seem to change shape and migrate. They last for a few hours at a time before disappearing spontaneously. At first the symptoms were mild, short-lived and localised to two small patches on either side of his abdomen. Over a period of 3 months the symptoms have increased in severity and frequency to such a degree that they are interfering with his work, his exercise regimen, his relationship with his wife and his sleep. He is at his wits' end.


The effect of recombinant human GM-CSF on the cytostatic activity of the two cell cycle specific antileukaemic drugs, hydroxyurea and cytarabine, in HL-60 human myeloid leukaemic cells was studied in an agar capillary clonogenic micro assay. The ED90 concentrations which are the concentrations of hydroxyurea and cytarabine inducing a 90% maximum inhibition of colony formation and colony growth on day 7 in HL-60 cells were calculated from the logarithmic regression analysis of each dose response curve using the cricket graph version 1.3 program on an Apple Macintosh computer. Recombinant human GM-CSF significantly enhanced the cytostatic effect of hydroxyurea and cytarabine, and consequently reduced their ED90 concentrations. The present in vitro results provide a rationale for investigating the efficacy of combined recombinant human GM-CSF and hydroxyurea or cytarabine treatment in myeloid leukaemic patients.


A sialic acid-specific lectin was isolated from the albumin glands of the garden snail Cepaea hortensis by affinity chromatography on fetuin-Sepharose following gel filtration on Superdex 200. The purified native lectin showed a molecular mass of about 95 kDa by gel filtration and 100 kDa by SDS electrophoresis. It was cleaved by boiling in buffer containing SDS in three serological identical bands corresponding to molecular masses of about 24, 20 and 16 kDa, respectively. From these three fragments, only the 24- and the 20-kDa bands were found to be glycosylated. Only the three sugars mannose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine could be detected in a molar ratio of 3:8.6:2. The oligosaccharide moieties seem to be N- and partially O-glycosidic bound. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of the purified lectin revealed a heterogeneous pattern with bands in the pH range of 4.3-5.0. Isolated bands of different isoelectric points showed in SDS electrophoresis the same three fragments with molecular masses of 24, 20 or 16 kDa. The heterogeneity of the lectin was revealed either by IEF or amino acid sequencing of internal tryptic peptides.


The three-dimensional crystal structure of rotationally disordered illite/smectite (I/S) in K-bentonite samples from the Appalachian basin and neighboring areas is described using the parameters of 1) P0, the proportion of zero-degree layer stacking rotations, such as in the polytype series 1Md-1M 2) Pcv, the proportion of 2:1 layers with cis-vacant (cv) octahedral sites that are randomly interstratified with trans-vacant (tv) layers; and 3) P60 the proportion of layers with n·60° rotations (as opposed to n·120°) in the rotated layers. These parameters were determined by computer modeling of experimental randomly oriented powder X-ray diffraction patterns.The proportion of cv interstratification in the I/S increases with A1 and decreases with Mg and Fe content. The proportion of n·60° rotations in the rotated layers increases with Mg and Fe content. The cv 120° disordered structure correlates with tetrahedral A1 for Si substitution and increasing tetrahedral charge. The tv n·60° disordered structures correlate with octahedral Mg for A1 substitution. The data indicate that the type of unit cell and nature of rotational disorder in I/S is controlled by the octahedral Mg content. The three-dimensional structures do not show any systematic correlation with Reichweite and percent expandability as determined from diffraction patterns of oriented sample preparations.


Waste sugarcane Bagasse-ash and graphite with different percentages are utilizing as reinforcing material along with Aluminium 7075 matrix material. The selection of bagasse-ash as reinforcement has one of the most significant criteria for the fabrication of Aluminium matrix hybrid composites. Stir casting technique is one of the liquid metallurgical route is used for fabricating the Aluminium 7075 at 800°C. The effect of reinforcement on hardness was measured. Experimentation have been carried out based on standard L9 orthogonal array design with three process parameters namely type of material, load, speed. Optimum parameters were noted for attaining the minimum wear rate of hybrid composites by the application of Taguchi's technique. Keywords— Al 7075, Bagasse-Ash, Graphite, Taguchi, Wear, Hardness


Why are some countries able to defend their currencies when there are speculative attacks, while others fail to do so and devalue their currencies? This article suggests that intragovernment factors as well as government-legislature relations should be considered because many of the policy responses to speculative attacks do not require legislative acquiescence, so that intragovernment attributes will have more substantial effects on the policy responses than those of government-legislature relations. This article suggests that cleavages within government and its instability have a negative effect on decisiveness. Data regarding speculative attacks in developed countries from the 1970s to the 1990s and the Heckman selection model show that governments with many veto players and with less durability have had difficulty in defending their currencies in the face of speculative attacks. The article also finds that governmental institutional effects can be constrained by central bank independence. The effects become substantially smaller and statistically insignificant when central banks are very independent. The overall results imply that policy indecisiveness induced by some political factors makes governments less able to adopt a new policy equilibrium that is necessary to respond to an exogenous shock such as speculative attack.


A quantitative palynofacies study was performed on upper Tithonian-Berriasian, open-marine, fine-grained carbonates outcropping at Berrias (Berriasian stage stratotype), Broyon, and Angles in the Vocontian basin of southeast France. Organic constituents are subdivided into a relatively autochthonous marine fraction (mainly dinocysts and secondarily foraminiferal linings) and an allochthonous land-derived fraction (higher plant debris and sporomorphs). Fluorescent amorphous organic matter is absent throughout these organic-lean carbonates. Within a precise biostratigraphic framework based on ammonites and calpionellids, the three studied sections are interpreted in terms of sequence stratigraphy, using field observations, micro- and macrofacies analysis, and palynofacies data. Within this sequence stratigraphy framework, trends in the distribution of organic matter bear the imprint of sea level fluctuations. Moreover, a model of an idealized palynofacies sequence in open marine carbonates is proposed for each systems tract: -- The lowstand systems tract (LST) is dominated by large-scale, angular, and/or degraded terrigenous fragments; -- The transgressive systems tract (TST) is marked by the upward decrease in abundance, size, and angularity of terrigenous fragments, and by the upward increase in blade-shaped black humic fragments (approx. inertinite) and in dinocysts diversity and abundance, which peak at the maximum flooding surface (mfs); -- The highstand systems tract (HST) shows reversed trends, both dinocysts and blade-shaped black humic fragments decreasing, and terrigenous fragments increasing. End_Page 49------------------------- The outlined methodology has a definite application in petroleum geology. It can be used in different depositional environments, notably in more organic-rich sediments, where the potential presence of fluorescent amorphous organic matter, particularly abundant in transgressive episodes, provides an extra palynofacies parameter.


The time domain has been identied as one of the most important areas of astronomical research for the next decade. The Virtual Observatory is in the vanguard with dedicated tools and services that enable and facilitate the discovery, dissemination and analysis of time domain data. These range in scope from rapid notications of time-critical astronomical transients to annotating long-term variables with the latest modelling results. In this paper, we will review the prior art in these areas and focus on the capabilities that the VAO is bringing to bear in support of time domain science. In particular, we will focus on the issues involved with the heterogeneous collections of (ancilllary) data associated with astronomical transients, and the time series characterization and classication tools required by the next generation of sky surveys, such as LSST and SKA.


Nb and Mn were doped, respectively, to 0.8Pb(Sn0.46Ti0.54)O3–0.2Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PST–PMN) to improve electrical properties for meeting the requirement in various fields. The additions of Nb and Mn influence in a pronounced way the structure, and improve the densities of the ceramics. Nb-doped PST–PMN increased the piezoelectric coefficient d33, planar electromechanical coupling kp, and relative dielectric constant e, indicating "soft" piezoelectric behavior. Mn doping played a "hard" part, which significantly enhanced the mechanical quality factor Qm without deteriorating other piezoelectric properties. The most excellent properties of Nb-doped PST–PMN were obtained with doping amount of 0.75 mol%, specifically d33, kp, being on the order of 455 pC/N, 57.5% and 3560, respectively. The addition of 0.75 mol% Mn for PST–PMN presented the optimum electrical properties, with Qm of 554, d33 of 430 pC/N, kp of 57.0%, e of 2770. It was proposed that the addition of Nb, Mn generated different defect dipoles involved in the domain walls motion and intrinsic piezoelectric responses, leading to different effects on electrical properties.


The influence of oral atropine or hyoscine on the absorption of oral diazepam administered at the same time was studied in eight volunteers using a three-way crossover randomized double-blind design. No difference was found in the timing of sedation or in the degree of sedation after diazepam alone or in combination with the anticholinergics. Diazepam serum concentrations were not significantly different after the three regimens. It is concluded that the anticholinergics can be given with diazepam for oral premedication without interfering with diazepam absorption.


Traditionally, Germany has had a segmented elite with little interchange between economic, cultural, political and military elites. Although borderlines have become somewhat more permeable (except for military elites), the professionalisation of politics as a career has led to a political class in a static sense, that is, when it comes to securing common privileges. Political decisions, however, are not controlled by a unified political class but are the result of a complex decision making process involving a wide range of elites extending beyond the political class.


Become a Bitcoin Developer today. What you'll learn ? Setup and configure Bitcoin server Interacting with Bitcoin server through JSON-RPC libraries Using bitcoin-cli Testing Bitcoin applications on testnet Working with Bitcoin -regtest mode Working with accounts and addresses Keypool and change addresses base58check encoding and decoding Creating Multi-Signature M-of-N addresses Understanding Bitcoin Transaction Funding and spending funds received on multi-sig address Using raw transaction API Transaction verification using scriptSig and scriptPubKey Transaction Fees Replacement Transactions How to get notifications of transactions, blocks and errors Working with wallets How to lock, unlock, dump, import and backup wallet Getting public key from private key Getting address from public key hash Wallet import format WIF from/to private key Compressed private/public keys Address and WIF checksum checking Bitcoin.conf options and command-line arguments JSON-RPC error codes


Objective: To assess the value of conventional echocardiographic measurements for quantification of pulmonary regurge and right ventricular function in comparison to Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR) after surgical repair of Tetralogy Of Fallot (TOF).
Methods: Twenty five asymptomatic children after TOF repair (9.2 ± 4 years) were compared to twenty five age matched healthy children. Echocardiographic quantification of pulmonary regurge was assessed by (1) pulmonary regurge jet width/pulmonary artery diameter, (2) pulmonary pressure half time, (3) pulmonary regurge index; pulmonary regurge duration to diastole duration, (4) no flow time; diastole duration - pulmonary regurge duration and (5) diastole/systole velocity time integral ratio. Measurements derived from conventional echocardiography were compared to pulmonary regurgitant fraction, right ventricular volumes and ejection fraction by CMR.
Results: On CMR, the pulmonary regurgitant fraction was 28.64 ± 10.2%. By conventional echocardiography, pulmonary regurge index and no flow time were found to offer the best prediction for severity of pulmonary regurge. Pulmonary regurge index of 64 msec has sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 100% (AUC=0.894) in identifying significant pulmonary regurge. Compared to controls, patients after TOF repair showed significantly lower right ventricle myocardial velocities, higher E/ E' ratio and prolonged MPI. Among the TOF patients, right ventricular MPI showed significant negative correlation (r=-0.402; P=0.008) with tricuspid valve annulus peak systolic velocity (S') and significant positive correlation (r= 0. 413; P=0.04) with right ventricle stroke volume by CMR.
Conclusion: Conventional echocardiography can offer a simple, readily available and accurate tool for quantification of pulmonary regurge and right ventricular function during mid- term follow up after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot.


A project to establish an Austria-wide health-monitoring system for cattle was launched in 2006. Veterinary diagnostic data subject to documentation by law [Law on the Control of Veterinary Medicinal Products (Tierarzneimittelkontrollgesetz)] are standardized, validated, and recorded in a central database. This Austria-wide project is a collaboration among agricultural and veterinary organizations as well as universities, and is also supported by the Austrian government. In addition to providing information for herd management and preventive measures, further objectives of the project include estimating breeding values for health traits and monitoring the overall health status of Austria's cattle. To ensure a high level of participation from farmers and veterinarians, data security issues are extremely important. Valid data are the prerequisite for the efficient use of health records. The challenge hereby is to distinguish between farms with low frequencies of diseases and incomplete documentation and recording. Measures were undertaken to establish a routine monitoring system for direct health traits. A routine genetic evaluation for direct health traits as part of the joint breeding value estimation program between Germany and Austria was introduced for Fleckvieh in December 2010, based on diagnostic data from 5,428 farms with 147,764 Fleckvieh cows. In 2010 to 2011, the reporting of direct health traits as a compulsory part of performance recording and the breeding program was introduced as well. The overall challenge is the availability of sufficient valid direct health data for reliable breeding values. Practical experience gained in Austria in setting up a health registration system, focusing mainly on the availability of direct health data for breeding purposes with its successes and difficulties, is described.


Banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is known as vector of Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) that threatening production of banana worldwide. It was reported recently that P. nigronervosa and P. caladii is "cryptic species".  A good and proper identification is necessary to verify the correct species and its status. Research was conducted to identify and to find the host range of banana aphids in Java. Aphid collection was conducted in several locations in West Java, Central Java, and East Java. Eleven morphometric characters were analyzed to assess the morphometric variations among banana aphids. Morphological identification and principle component analysis (PCA) approach were conducted for accurate identification of banana aphids. Two species of aphids were found during the survey in Java, i.e. P. nigronervosa and P. caladii . P. nigronervosa mostly infested bananas ( Musa spp.), and a few was found on heliconia ( Heliconia sp.) and banana traveler ( Ravenala madagascariensis). In contrast, P. caladii generally infested taro ( Colocasia esculenta ), turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), costus ( Costus sp.), dumbcane ( Dieffenbachia sp.), but rarely on bananas.


D2D communications are considered as effective means to achieve vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, which can be used to improve the performance in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). In this paper, we investigate the resource allocation and interference management based on clustering mechanism in the D2D communications under-laying VANETs aiming to optimize resource utilization efficiency. Firstly, given the transmission resources of intra-cluster for D2D communications, we design a vehicle clustering algorithm to improve intra-cluster resource efficiency and nullify the intra-cluster interference. Secondly, by analyzing the wireless service in VANETs, a cooperative communication scheme with optimized resource utilization is proposed to maximize intra-cluster spectral efficiency. Thirdly, when uplink spectrums are shared, an interference neutralization (IN) model is developed to manage inter-cluster interference, while each vehicle is equipped with one antenna and there is no extra antenna for interference cancellation. In accordance with the IN model, a cross-layer optimization frame for multi-hop VANETs is proposed to maximize the end-to-end throughput of multiple coexisting communication sessions. To evaluate the performance, we select the method without cooperative communication and IN as a benchmark and compare it against the method with cooperative communication only and the method with both cooperative communication and IN. The simulation results show that the method that uses cooperative communication and IN can dramatically increase the throughput. Furthermore, the throughput gains increase along with vehicle density growing in VANETs.


Otitis media is a multifactorial disease. It represents a major public health burden, as it is the most common diagnosis in children and is characterized by both immediate and long-term morbidity. For years the knowledge about risk factors and microbiology of otitis media has been relatively stable. In recent years new data have been gathered regarding different microbiological aspects of otitis media. This new knowledge may contribute toward the development and implementation of therapeutic and preventive strategies.


1. The properties of large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (BK channels) were investigaed in neocortical infragranular pyramidal neurons by the use of inside-out patch recordings. Neurons were acutely isolated from slices of newborn to 28-day-old rats (P0-P28) by using minimal protease exposure followed by trituration with a vibrating glass probe. Two types of BK channels, slow-gating and fast-gating, were observed in immature neurons (P0-P5), whereas only slow-gating BK were found in more mature neurons. Fast-gating BK channels differed in conductance, voltage dependence, and kinetics from the slow-gating ones. 2. The properties of fast-gating channels included a conductance of 145 +/- 12.9 (SE) pS; frequent openings with short mean open times that were relatively voltage-independent, mean closed times that showed a voltage-dependent increase, a voltage-dependent decrease in open probability (Po). The properties of slow-gating channels contrasted with those of the fast-gating ones, in that the former had a conductance of 181 +/- 3.9 pS, longer mean open times that showed a voltage-dependent increase, mean closed times that showed a marked voltage-dependent decrease, a voltage-dependent increase in Po, and slight inward rectification. The significance of these developmental variations in channel properties is discussed.


The effects of sodium butyrate, which has been shown to act as a differentiation promoting agent in several different tumor cell lines, were studied in a rat liver nonparenchymal epithelial cell line. Exposure of these cells to 3.75 mM butyrate resulted in an inhibition of cell proliferation and, at the same time, an increase in cell diameter (2- to 6-fold) and size of the nuclei (approximately 2-fold) after 3 days in culture. Binucleated cells arose, comprising approximately 12% of the cells investigated, and the number of cells with an abnormal set of chromosomes was increased. Intercellular communication, measured by dye transfer of Lucifer Yellow, was unchanged. From the various xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities measured, only those of glutathione S-transferases were significantly altered (increases of 4- to 9-fold) by butyrate treatment. These increases were mainly due to the predominant rise in the pi class isoenzyme which is a well-known tumour marker in rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Thus, our results cannot be interpreted as being either due to promotion of differentiation or due to transformation. The state and type of cell under study has to be considered and investigations of further differentiation parameters are needed to obtain a deeper insight into the biological activity and the underlying mechanisms of cell state modifying agents like butyrate.


We investigate mean-field effects in two-component trapped Fermi gases in the superfluid phase, in the vicinity of s-wave Feshbach resonances. Within the resonance superfluidity approach (Holland et al 2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 120406) we calculate the ground state energy and the heat capacity as functions of temperature. Heat capacity is analysed for different trap aspect ratios. We find that trap anisotropy is an important factor in determining both the value of heat capacity near the transition temperature and the transition temperature itself.


Infants communicate their emotions to their caregivers through cries and laughter. Recent work suggests that adaptive parenting requires cognitive regulation of intuitive behaviors toward infants' signals. In this study, we examined the effects of cognitive regulation on mothers' unconscious behavioral and cardiac responses to infant cries and laughs. In all, 55 mothers took part in this study. To manipulate cognitive load, mothers were asked to memorize alphabet characters (two letters in the low cognitive load condition and eight in the high cognitive load condition). Then, they heard infant vocalizations (cries or laughs) for 6 s. During this time, we measured mothers' behavioral (center of pressure, an index of approach-avoidance behavior) and physiological (heart rate) responses. Regardless of vocalization type (infant cries or laughs), high cognitive load increased mothers' forward movement toward the infant sounds as well as mothers' heart rate. These findings advance our understanding of the link between executive function and maternal response to infant signals by utilizing postural and physiological measures of maternal response during memory tasks that require cognitive resources.


Merely calling a system "Web-based" doesn't necessarily imply that its software design differs much from that of a traditional system. When Web-based systems assume hypermedia functionality they become substantively different from a design perspective. Hypermedia technologies support much richer user interfaces, more complex navigation mechanisms, and more varied forms of information than traditional computer systems. In recent years, hypermedia systems (particularly Web-based ones) have grown in complexity and scope as they've begun to involve critical organizational activities such as customer support, sales and marketing, and technical support.


Foci of increased excitability were created by means of weak strychnine and penicillin dilutions in experiments on cats. These foci worked at individual regimens. Creation with acetylcholine and proserine of a hyperactive focus led to increase of the amplitude and frequency of convulsive discharges at first in the nearest activity foci, and then in the ones remote from the hyperactive focus. The next stage was attended by qualitative changes in the activity pattern of strychnine and penicillin foci (the appearance of acetylcholine activity in them) and by the formation of a single functional focal complex working in the regimen of acetylcholine focus. Thus, the latter played the role of a determinant structure. Suppression of the determinant focus activity led to disappearance of the acetylcholine activity in all the other foci, restoration of the initial (penicillin and strychnine) activity, and to the epileptic complex decay.


The numerical integration of an analytical function $f(x)$ using a finite set of equidistant points can be performed by quadrature formulas like the Newton-Cotes. Unlike Gaussian quadrature formulas however, higher-order Newton-Cotes formulas are not stable, limiting the usable order of such formulas. Existing work showed that by the use of orthogonal polynomials, stable high-order quadrature formulas with equidistant points can be developed. We improve upon such work by making use of (orthogonal) Gram polynomials and deriving an iterative algorithm, together allowing us to reduce the space-complexity of the original algorithm significantly.


At the present time there is no well accepted test for determining whether or not robust regression parameter estimates are significantly different than least squares estimates. Thus. we propose and demonstrate the efficacy of two Wald-like statistical tests for the above purposes using MM-estimators for robust regression. The two tests have corresponding appropriate null and alternative hypotheses, the latter of which allows for bias in both least squares and robust estimates. The tests are designed to detect significant differences between least squares and robust estimates due to both inefficiency of least squares under fat-tailed non-normality and large biases of least squares relative to robust regression coefficient estimators under bias inducing distributions. The asymptotic normality of the test statistics is established and the finite sample level and power of the two tests are evaluated by Monte Carlo, which yields promising test performance results. Our simulation studies focus on the choice of two well-known MM-estimator loss functions, the bisquare loss function due to J. W. Tukey as introduced in Beaton and Tukey (1974) and an optimal bias robust loss function due to Yohai and Zamar (1997). While one of the two tests is preferred if only one test is used, we show that use of both tests can be useful in diagnosing the reason for rejection of a null hypothesis.


Objectives: Specific and sensitive detection of ovarian cancer using non-invasive or intraoperative imaging approaches holds great promise for improving survival of the cancer patients through early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and image-guided surgery. In this study, we have developed Near infrared (NIR) dye labeled HER2 targeted magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) that enable detecting orthotopic ovarian cancers in nude mice using five imaging approaches, including 2D optical imaging, 3D-fluorescence tomography, MRI, spectroscopic imaging, and photoacoustic imaging.Methods: HER2 affibodies (ZHER2:342) were labeled with a NIR-dye 830 and then conjugated to a 10 nm core size IONP coated with amphiphilic polymer. Sensitivity of different imaging approaches in cancer detection was determined by direct injection of 5 x 103 to 3 x 106 of the nanoparticle probe-labeled tumor cells into the ovary of the mice and then imaged using 2D Kodak in vivo optical imaging system, MRI, and three new intraoperative hand-held imaging devices, including Spectroscopic, 3D-fluorescent tomography and photoacoustic imaging. Specificity of targeted tumor imaging was demonstrated by system delivery of the NIR830-ZHER2:342-IONP imaging probes in orthotopic human ovarian cancer xenograft models in nude mice. Histological examination of tumor and normal tissues further confirmed tumor targeting specificity.Results: HER2 affibody conjugated IONPs are excellent imaging probes for 2D-NIR optical, 3D-fluorescence tomography, spectroscopic device, photoacoustic and MR imaging of HER2 positive ovarian cancer lesions. Both 2D-optical imaging and MRI were able to detect ovarian tumors as small as 2 mm in size non-invasively. Photoacoustic imaging showed 5-times higher NIR signal in the tumor bearing mice injected with HER2 targeted IONPs than that of non-targeted IONP injected mice. However our handheld spectroscopic device result illustrated a high sensitivity in detection of small metastatic tumor lesions in the peritoneal cavity intra-operatively . Prussian blue staining revealed the presence of HER2 targeted IONPs in the tumor lesion as well as distant metastases lesions. Similarly all the above imaging systems were sensitive to detect at least 104 tumor cells labeled with HER2 affibody conjugated IONPs and implanted into the ovary for 24h. The ability of multi-modality tumor imaging following systemic delivery of single targeted nanoparticle platform make it possible for taking advantages of different imaging methods to increase sensitivity and specificity of tumor targeting and imaging. Conclusion: Based on the above results, the NIR dye-labeled and HER2 targeted IONPs developed by our group have great potential for development of multimodality imaging approaches that can be applied to ovarian cancer detection, image-guided and targeted therapy, and image-guided surgery. Citation Format: Minati Satpathy, Weiping Qian, Rafal Zielinski, Liya Wang, Lei Xi, Jacek Capala, Andrew Wang, Malgorzata Lipowska, Brad A. Kairdolf, Huabei Jiang, Shuming Nie, Hui Mao, Lily Yang. Multimodality imaging of ovarian cancer using HER2 affibody conjugated nanoparticles. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2671. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2671


This book is based on qualitative study of Polish construction workers in Olso county and their recepction of labour unions activity. Author shares a conviction that integration, between labour immigrants, starts (and often ends) at the workplace. Study shows problems in cooperation between - Polish labour union members employed in temporary work agencies and union structures. On the basis of voiced needs study shows what kind of activities are expected from unions that decided to focus on gaining foreign members. Study shows that picture of Poles that doesn't want to organize themselves in host country (very common in Norway) is simply false.


Abstract Mental health professionals must critically examine appropriate ways to serve the increasingly significant and sizable Latino population in the United States. To this end, this article reviews the available literature on Latino practice outcome studies to advance the level of discourse about what constitutes meaningful and effective psychotherapeutic treatment with Latinos, and to make available a more systematic knowledge base for practitioners to draw from. A call for increased and more rigorous research on practice outcomes with the Latino population is made.