Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Background: The ACTS-CC trial is a randomized, controlled phase III study designed to validate the noninferiority of S-1 to UFT/leucovorin as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer and rectosigmoid cancer. Recurrence-free survival, the primary endpoint, is scheduled to be reported in 2013. A biomarker search was performed as an additional study of the ACTS-CC trial, using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens obtained from 892 patients. The gene expression status of 5-FU metabolizing enzymes and folate metabolizing enzymes in tumor was reported (2012 Annual Meeting of AACR). In the present study, we performed cluster analysis of gene expression data from all patients to extract the characteristics of each cluster.

Methods: Among the intratumoral expression of 11 genes related to 5-FU and folate metabolism (TS, DPD, TP, OPRT, FPGS, GGH, DHFR, MTHFR, MTHFD, FOLRA, and GART), the mean logarithmic values of DPD and TP (both nucleases, Rs = 0.68) and of TS, OPRT, DHFR, and MTHFD (DNA synthetases and folate-metabolizing enzymes: Rs = 0.39 to 0.55, median, 0.49), genes that showed strong correlations, were calculated and defined as Score 1 (S1) and Score 2 (S2). The K-means method was used to calculate clusters on the basis of S1 and S2 in each patient.

Results: All colorectal cancers could be classified into 6 apparent clusters, designated A to F (A: both S1 and S2 high, 75 cases; B: only S2 high, 133 cases; C: both S1 and S2 low, 20 cases; D: only S2 low, 115 cases; E: only S1 low, 184 cases; and F: others, 261 cases).

Conclusions: Six distinct clusters in patients with stage III colorectal cancer could be calculated on the basis of the gene expression status of 5-FU metabolizing enzymes and folate metabolizing enzymes. Correlations of the mRNA expression of each gene or herein elucidated clusters to clinicopathological findings are being studied.

View this table:

Average gene expression levels (normalized value, log2)

Citation Format: Hiroyuki Uetake, Toshiaki Ishikawa, Megimi Ishiguro, Kenta Murotani, Shigeyuki Matsui, Kenichi Sugihara, ACTS-CC study group. Biomarker search using gene expression databases in a phase III, controlled clinical trial (ACTS-CC) of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer: Results of cluster analysis. [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 4684. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4684


The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the self-perceived proficiency level of Commissioners of Agriculture in six leadership skill areas. Major findings noted their proficiency in these areas. Researchers recommend providing professional development opportunities and software training for Commissioners at their annual conference.


Postherpetic shoulder paresis is a rare complication of the herpes zoster disease. Motor deficit can include root, plexus or peripheral nerves. We had a 71 year old female patient who presented with pain in her left shoulder and skin eruption. At the end of an electromyography (EMG) acute-subacute findings belonging to the superior truncus of brachial plexus were observed. The patient's pain decreased after physical therapy combined with acyclovir and gabapentin treatment, but no improvement was observed in her paresis.


Abstract: The pervasiveness of low bone mass (LBM) in β‐thalassemia (Thal) patients (pts) is escalating as the average life expectancy of these pts increases. Adolescence is a period of substantial bone accrual, which is crucial for future bone strength. Studies of LBM are prevalent among adults with Thal. However, limited information exists about bone accrual and LBM in adolescents with the disease. Thirty‐one pts with β‐Thal (26 Thal major [TM], 5 Thal intermedia [TI]), aged 9‐20 years (mean: 15.3 years), 14 males and 17 females, underwent measurement of spinal bone mineral density (BMD) by DEXA (Lunar, Prodigy). Height, weight, body mass index, and Tanner stage were assessed at the time of the BMD measurement. A total of 16.1% of the patients had normal bone mass (Z≥−1), 22.6% had reduced bone mass (Z=−1 to −2), and 61.3% had low bone mass (Z≤−2). BMD Z correlated with height and weight Z scores. Some 53.9% of subjects had normal gonadal function and 46.1% had induced puberty with gonadal steroids. BMD Z significantly worsened with age (P < .0001). However, there was no difference in the LBM prevalence between subjects with normal versus those with induced puberty: BMD Z was −2 or less in 71.4% of subjects with normal puberty versus 66.7% in those with induced puberty. Our results indicate a high prevalence of LBM among adolescents with Thal regardless of adequate transfusion and chelation regimens. Bone accrual was found to be suboptimal in adolescents with normal or induced puberty. Thus, calcium and vitamin D supplementation with antiresorptive therapies should be evaluated in the adolescent Thal pt with close monitoring of growth and sexual development.


It is a curious detail that may stimulate a moment's reflection for a reader of Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections , or alternatively pass unnoticed. Naaman, the Syrian general whose healing and apparent conversion is recounted in 2 Kings 5, is used by Edwards as an example of counterfeit affections. Modern Bible readers are unlikely to be accustomed to this reading of the Naaman story, which is customarily taken as a remarkable example of the conversion of an Old Testament Gentile to the worship of Yahweh. But far from being an isolated comment, this exegetical judgement on and practical use of the character of Naaman was maintained by Edwards throughout his life, and even seems to have been a favourite example in his sermons. This paper traces Edwards' consistent approach to this biblical text through his works, and then delves back further to investigate its ancestry in the commentarial and devotional sources which formed the environment in which his engagement with Scripture took place.


In applied ethics, and in medical treatment and research, the question of how we should treat others is a central problem. In this paper, I address the ethical role of assent in research involving human beings who lack capacity. I start by thinking about why consent is ethically important, and consider what happens when consent is not possible. Drawing on the work of the German philosopher Honneth, I discuss the concept of reification—a phenomenon that manifests itself when we fail to observe or respond to our fellow humans' need for recognition. I suggest that assent is a way of responding to this moral need for recognition, which exists independently of cognitive capacity. I will look at the circumstances in which consent cannot be obtained from human beings, and ask whether some of the same ethically important considerations that underpin the need for consent might be achieved through seeking assent. I discuss the ways in which this might be beneficial for researchers, for prospective research participants and for society at large.


Gomez-Piriz, PT, Jiménez-Reyes, P, and Ruiz-Ruiz, C. Relation between total body load and Session-RPE in professional soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 25(8): 2100-2103, 2011—The aims of this study were to assess (a) the validity of total body load (TBL)-obtained from the global position system (GPS) devices-to quantify soccer training load, assessing its relationship with session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) and (b) to analyze the differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE among defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Twenty-two professional soccer players (Spanish first division, season 2007-2008; 26.74 ± 4.2 years; height 179.74 ± 4.04 cm; weight 73.7 ± 3.35 kg) participated in the study. During 13 training sessions composed predominantly of small-sided games, TBL and RPE multiplied by the minutes of session duration were determined using GPS and the 21-point scale, respectively. In each session, data from 10 players randomly selected and classified according to player position (defenders, midfielders, and forwards) were collected. Although session-RPE was a significant predictor of TBL (β = 0.23, p < 0.05), this method only accounted for 5% of the variance in TBL. No significant differences in terms of TBL and session-RPE were found regarding player position. The results of this study suggest that TBL is not a valid measure to quantify training load because it is not strongly correlated with session-RPE. Furthermore, TBL and session-RPE in small-sided soccer games do not vary according to player positions.


Background Epidemiological data have shown that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in Korea. Genetic factors influencing vitamin D deficiency in humans have been studied in Europe but are less known in East Asian countries, including Korea. We aimed to investigate the genetic factors related to vitamin D levels in Korean people using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Methods We included 12,642 subjects from three different genetic cohorts consisting of Korean participants. The GWAS was performed on 7,590 individuals using linear or logistic regression meta- and mega-analyses. After identifying significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we calculated heritability and performed replication and rare variant analyses. In addition, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis for significant SNPs was performed. Results rs12803256, in the actin epsilon 1, pseudogene (ACTE1P) gene, was identified as a novel polymorphism associated with vitamin D deficiency. SNPs, such as rs11723621 and rs7041, in the group-specific component gene (GC) and rs11023332 in the phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B) gene were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency in both meta- and mega-analyses. The SNP heritability of the vitamin D concentration was estimated to be 7.23%. eQTL analysis for rs12803256 for the genes related to vitamin D metabolism, including glutamine-dependent NAD(+) synthetase (NADSYN1) and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), showed significantly different expression according to alleles. Conclusion The genetic factors underlying vitamin D deficiency in Korea included polymorphisms in the GC, PDE3B, NADSYN1, and ACTE1P genes. The biological mechanism of a non-coding SNP (rs12803256) for DHCR7/NADSYN1 on vitamin D concentrations is unclear, warranting further investigations.


Given the constrains imposed by European Monetary Union membership, flexibility in the labor market is crucial for countries and regions belonging to it. The paper adresses this issue empirically and analyses the real wage flexibility in Spain over the 1985-1999 period. Previous studies have examined wage flexibility by means of parametric methods. However, this paper analyses it within the framework of a semiparametric panel data model. The results point to a high degree of wage rigidity in Spain , because national and regional wage setting are closely linked. However, semiparametric estimation allows us to find some signs of flexibility; first, wages responds to regional unemployment rate growth for high levels of regional productivity growth; second, productivity increases at regional level have positive effects on wage growth, especially when regional unemployment growth is negative.


Propanil is one of the major herbicides used on rice-paddies and is thought to produce adverse health effects through the action of its metabolite 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA). T he feasibility of monitoring human exposure to propanil on the basis of 3,4-DCA adducts to haemoglobin (Hb) was investigated. We developed a method based on gas chromatography negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (NICI-GC-MS) to quantify 3,4-DCA released from human Hb after alkaline hydrolysis of the protein. 3,4-DCA-Hb adducts were identified in agricultural workers exposed to propanil and were detectable even 4 months after the last herbicide application. Urine samples collected at the same time had no measurable level of 3,4-DCA. 3,4-DCA-Hb adducts might be useful for monitoring human exposure to 3,4-DCA from agricultural sources.


ABSTRACT Non-drug strategy targeting adipocyte differentiation is critical for alleviating visceral obesity and its related diseases. However, whether and how low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) could be used for inhibiting visceral adipocyte differentiation is not fully understood. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect and associated mechanism of LIPUS on primary visceral preadipocyte differentiation and explore its potential role for clinical visceral obesity management. The preadipocytes were daily exposed to LIPUS (0.5 MHz, 1.2 MPa) for 10 min. Adipogenic differentiation was estimated by the formation of lipid droplets and the levels of adipogenic transcriptional factors and representative markers. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) member proteins and histone acetylation-related molecules were measured by western blotting. LIPUS stimulation with an average acoustic pressure of 1.2 MPa led to a prominent inhibition of adipogenic differentiation and expression of adipogenic markers. As a mechanism, LIPUS treatment increased the nuclear levels of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and decreased the acetylation of histone 3 and histone 4. Meanwhile, the inhibition of the HDAC1 could block the inhibitory effect of LIPUS on adipogenic differentiation via increasing AcH3 and AcH4 levels. Our study may provide an ultrasound-based promising strategy for clinical visceral obesity control.


Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the composition of medium for the production of resistomycin by Streptomyces aurantiacus AAA5 in submerged fermentation. Cassava pulp, soybean meal and potassium nitrate were found to have significant effects on resistomycin production by Plackette Burman followed by Box Behnken design. A mathematical model was developed to identify the optimum concentration of key nutrients for higher resistomycin production. A quadratic model was found to fit the resistomycin production. The analysis revealed that the optimum values of the tested factors were 1.54g soybean meal, 10.39% cassava pulp and 1.3g potassium nitrate yielded 193.4 mg/L of resistomycin. A production of 194.3 mg/L which was in agreement with the prediction was observed in verification experiment. In comparison to the original production level, 3.7 fold increase had been obtained.


Pharmacoeconomics plays a vital role in the treatment of a disease. Patients are affected by the high prices of medicines. As the symptoms improve, error of compliance sets in, particularly so, if the regimen is heavy on the pocket of the patient. One of the major causes of the high cost of medicines is prescription by brand names. For some medicines, the difference in cost between the branded and generic product varies from less than twofold to more than 100-fold. The overall savings owing to prescribing the least expensive generic preparation has been reported to be approximately 5%. Savings in individual situations can be very much higher. Generic names are also less confusing. In the "therapeutic jungle", the prescriber can help the society by using generic names while prescribing. However, prescribers often do not follow this and even prescribe branded medicines over-enthusiastically. Health professionals have an important role to play in promoting quality use of medicines through good treatment choices and good communication with the patients by explaining to them about the low cost generic medicines. The doctors, therefore, must be trained during the formative years of their learning, so that they are not allured by the marketing gimmicks of pharmaceutical companies and develop a habit of prescribing by generic names. We tried this by sensitizing the students of second year professional MBBS course. The present students were first given the concept of generic and branded medicines. They were asked to collect the prices of the same medicine in branded and generic form for some common ailments such as rhinitis, insomnia, anxiety, diabetes, low backache, fever, diarrhea, acid peptic disease and upper respiratory tract infection with the help of instituCorrespondence


To fabricate mass and resistive sensors based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO), we investigated the functionalization of RGO by tetra tert-butyl phthalocyanine (PcH2tBu), which possesses a macroring and tert-butyl peripheral groups. Herein, we present the gas sensor responses of the functionalized RGO toward benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) vapors. The RGO was obtained by the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using citrate as a reducing agent, while the functionalization was achieved non-covalently by simply using ultrasonic and heating treatment. The sensor devices based on both QCM (quartz crystal microbalance) and resistive transducers were used simultaneously to understand the reactivity. Both the GO and the RGO showed less sensitivity to BTX vapors, while the RGO/PcH2tBu presented enhanced sensor responses. These results show that the p-network plays a very important role in targeting BTX vapors. The resistive response analysis allowed us to state that the RGO is a p-type semiconductor and that the interaction is governed by charge transfer, while the QCM response profiles allowed use to determine the differences between the BTX vapors. Among BTX, benzene shows the weakest sensitivity and a reactivity in the higher concentration range (>600 ppm). The toluene and xylene showed linear responses in the range of 100–600 ppm.


OBJECTIVES
We examined the efforts of the US network of AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs) to increase HIV testing capacity across a variety of clinical settings.

METHODS
We used quantitative process data from 8 regional AETCs for July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, and qualitative program descriptions to demonstrate how AETC education helped providers integrate HIV testing into routine clinical care with the goals of early diagnosis and treatment.

RESULTS
Compared with other AETC training, HIV testing training was longer and used a broader variety of strategies to educate more providers per training. During education, providers were able to understand their primary care responsibility to address public health concerns through HIV testing.

CONCLUSIONS
AETC efforts illustrate how integration of the principles of primary care and public health can be promoted through professional training.


Background Cognitive decline significantly contributes to disability in older individuals. We previously demonstrated cross-sectionally that arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] was associated with memory loss independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and of neuroimaging findings in older individuals without prior stroke. The present study aimed to evaluate PWV as a predictor of longitudinal changes in cognitive function in older individuals reporting memory problems. Participants and methods We studied 102 older individuals (mean age 79 ± 6 years; 31 men, 71 women) reporting memory problems. PWV was measured noninvasively by Complior. Traditional cardiovascular risk factor levels were measured. Global cognitive function was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (maximum score = 30) at baseline and at follow-up visit. Cerebral computed tomography evaluated the presence of microvascular damage or cortical atrophy. Individuals with prior stroke or atrial fibrillation were excluded. Results The baseline MMSE was 22.9 ± 5.5; 61% were hypertensive, 26.8% diabetic, 9.4% smokers, 10.5% taking statins, and 21.1% taking nitrates. The average PWV was 13.5 ± 2.2 m/s. After a median follow-up of 12 months, the average per-year decline in MMSE was 2.9 points or 12.1%. Multiple regression models showed that PWV independently predicted cognitive decline (model R2 = 0.50). PWV was the single strongest predictor of cognitive decline, explaining 15.2% of the total variance (each 1 m/s increase in PWV was associated with an average 0.74 per-year decrease in MMSE score, P < 0.001). Conclusion In older individuals, arterial stiffness (PWV) is a strong predictor of loss in cognitive function, independent of age, sex, education, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.


The price of health care is rising faster than most other prices; the increasing number of employer-financed health insurance plans means that insurance premiums are a significantly growing expense. Some companies might save money without sacrificing the quality of care by building or buying health care facilities. The authors analyze hospital costs and corporate experience with in-house care.


1497 The development of drug resistance is a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. Most attempts to circumvent resistance have involved the use of agents to reverse resistance after it has arisen. We have suggested an alternative approach: the use of agents to prevent the development of resistance during chemotherapy, and we have been investigating the use of selenium compounds as preventive agents [Frenkel, G.D. and Caffrey, P.B., A prevention strategy for circumventing drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Current Pharmaceutical Design 7: 1595-1614 (2001)]. The prevention approach is particularly relevant in ovarian cancer where the majority of tumors are chemosensitive at diagnosis, but treatment often fails nevertheless, due to the development of resistance during initial chemotherapy. Since platinum-based chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for ovarian cancer, we have examined the ability of selenite to prevent the induction of drug resistance by carboplatin in human ovarian tumor xenografts (derived from A2780 cells). The sensitivity/resistance of a tumor to platinum compounds was determined by measuring tumor growth after a single high dose of carboplatin (50 mg/kg ip) or cisplatin (5.2 mg/kg ip). The growth of control tumors was completely (although temporarily) stopped by these doses; however, pre-treatment with a single low dose of carboplatin (15 mg/kg ip) resulted in the rapid development of resistance to these high doses. Pre-treatment with selenite (3 x 1.5 mg/kg ip) prevented this carboplatin-induced resistance. We also have examined the effectiveness of selenite in combination with these platinum compounds in inhibiting tumor growth during a 3-week course of treatment. The combinations of selenite (1.5 mg/kg, 3 x weekly) with cisplatin (5.2 mg/kg, 2 x weekly) or with carboplatin (20 mg/kg, 2 x weekly) were significantly more effective than either platinum drug alone, despite the fact that selenite itself had no effect on tumor growth. These findings have led to the initiation of a clinical trial on the prevention of carboplatin-induced resistance by selenite and its effect on the chemotherapy of ovarian cancer. The current status of this ongoing Phase I trial at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is described in another presentation [Gounder, M. et al] at this meeting. This research was supported in part by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research.


In the Bondi formulation of the axisymmetric vacuum Einstein equations, we argue that the surface area coordinate condition determining the radial coordinate is part of the initial data and can be chosen in a way that gives information about the physical problem whose solution is sought. We suggest a coordinate choice that follows from interpreting the radial coordinate, near infinity, as the (inverse of the) Newtonian potential. In this way, physical quantities that specify the problem (mass moments) enter the equations from the very beginning and play the role of source terms. A natural identification of the news function in terms of these source terms is suggested, leading to an expression for the radiated energy that formally differs from the standard quadrupole formula. We consider ways to reconcile this conclusion with the classical result.


As an attempt to reduce reliance on fossil fuels to satisfy electricity demand, the penetration of renewable sources like wind or solar power has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Due to their intermittent nature, the exact contribution of renewable sources to electricity supply is at least partly unknown. In order to be able to accommodate this uncertainty in real-time, sufficient capacities in the form of thermal and hydro power plants must be available. On that account, power system operators solve the so-called unit commitment problem after bidding in the day-ahead market closes to derive schedules for their power plants which can ensure system reliability at low costs. In literature, two approaches have mainly been studied in this context: Robust and stochastic unit commitment. Being a worst-case formulation, robust unit commitment puts its focus on reliability. A common drawback of this approach is that it tends to deliver over-conservative schedules. Stochastic unit commitment on the other hand creates more cost-effective schedules by preparing for the expected case, but either fails to guarantee system reliability or puts a high workload on the CPU. The limitations of known formulations have sparked interest in so-called hybrid approaches, which aim at combining the ideas of robust and stochastic unit commitment in a favorable way. This paper reports a novel hybrid approach to solve the unit commitment under uncertainty, which yields both robust and cost-efficient schedules. The new method respects the continuous nature of uncertainties and is thus in particular favorable for applications in power systems with high penetration of volatile renewable sources. By merging the ideas of robust and stochastic unit commitment, the proposed hybrid formulation minimizes the expected worst-case dispatch costs. Our method relies on partitioning the continuous range of the uncertainties into subsets. By means of the number of partitions, the solution can be adjusted between the conservative robust and the cost-efficient stochastic unit commitment in a user-friendly manner. A Benders decomposition algorithm is derived to solve the hybrid unit commitment efficiently. Finally, a case study confirms the superior performance of the proposed method.


In the field of electronic noses (e-noses), it is not very usual to find many applications to wine detection. Most of them are related to the discrimination of wines in order to prevent their illegal adulteration and detection of off-odors, but their objective is not the identification of wine aromas. In this paper, an application of an e-nose for the identification of typical aromatic compounds present in white and red wines is shown. The descriptors of these compounds are fruity, floral, herbaceous, vegetative, spicy, smoky, and microbiological, and they are responsible for the usual aromas in wines; concentrations differ from 2-8/spl times/ the threshold concentration humans can smell. Some of the measured aromas are pear, apple, peach, coconut, rose, geranium, cut green grass, mint, vanilla, clove, almond, toast, wood, and butter. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis show that datasets of these groups of compounds are clearly separated, and a comparison among several types of artificial neural networks has been also performed. The results confirm that the system has good performance in the classification of typical red and white wine aromas.


Airway and tracheal surgery represent one of the main branches of general thoracic surgery. However, it is a relatively new field, as surgical procedures on this district have only been undertaken in the last 70 years, but in the meantime, it has undergone a rapid evolution. Indeed, in the early 1960s, it was thought that no more 2 cm of trachea could be removed. By the end of the decade, the better knowledge of airway anatomy and blood supply, tension-releasing maneuvers, particularly with the fundamental contributions of pioneers like Dr. Grillo and Dr. Montgomery, and the improved anesthetic techniques challenged this limit and now about half of the trachea may be resected with limited morbidity and mortality.


Among the various acute infectious diseases in which the study of the function of the liver is of great importance in the beginning and during the further course of the disease, scarlet fever takes a prominent place. During the acute fever stage of this condition there are generally several clinical indications of disorder of this function. After this acute stage of the fever involvement of different organs may occur, and though some organs may be especially preferred one may say that all parenchymatous organs can be affected, including the liver. In consultation with Dr. Herderschee, chief of the department of infectious diseases of the Wilhelmina Hospital, I therefore decided to make a further study of the function of the liver in scarlet fever, not only during the acute stage of the fever, as has been done until now, but during the further course of the disease when nearly all of


A 91-year-old woman presented with an acute anterior dislocation of the shoulder which could not be reduced by closed manipulation. Open reduction demonstrated a fresh dislocation which could not be reduced until the subscapularis muscle was divided. Only 2 previous cases of irreducible anterior dislocation of the shoulder seem to have been reported in the recent or readily available literature.


Cardiorespiratory activity is controlled by a network of neurons located within the lower brainstem. The basic rhythm of breathing is generated by neuronal circuits within the medullary pre-Bötzinger complex, modulated by pontine and other inputs from cell groups within the medulla oblongata and then transmitted to bulbospinal pre-motor neurons that relay the respiratory pattern to cranial and spinal motor neurons controlling respiratory muscles. Cardiovascular sympathetic and vagal activities have characteristic discharges that are patterned by respiratory activity. This patterning ensures ventilation–perfusion matching for optimal respiratory gas exchange within the lungs. Peripheral arterial chemoreceptors and central respiratory chemoreceptors are crucial for the maintenance of cardiorespiratory homeostasis. Inputs from these receptors ensure adaptive changes in the respiratory and cardiovascular motor outputs in various environmental and physiological conditions. Many of the connections in the reflex pathway that mediates the peripheral arterial chemoreceptor input have been established. The nucleus tractus solitarii, the ventral respiratory network, pre-sympathetic circuitry and vagal pre-ganglionic neurons at the level of the medulla oblongata are integral components, although supramedullary structures also play a role in patterning autonomic outflows according to behavioural requirements. These medullary structures mediate cardiorespiratory reflexes that are initiated by the carotid and aortic bodies in response to acute changes in PO2, PCO2 and pH in the arterial blood. The level of arterial PCO2 is the primary factor in determining respiratory drive and although there is a significant role of the arterial chemoreceptors, the principal sensor is located either at or in close proximity to the ventral surface of the medulla. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of central chemosensitivity as well as the neural basis for the integration of central and peripheral chemosensory inputs within the medulla remain challenging issues, but ones that have some emerging answers.


We study both empirically and theoretically the consequences of introducing a conditional cash transfer scheme for the distribution of program impacts. Intuitively, if the conditioned-on good is normal, then better-offhouseholds tend to receive a larger positive impact. I formalize this insight by means of a simple model of child labor, applying the Nash-Bargaining approach as the solution concept. A series of tests for heterogeneity in program impacts are developed and applied to Progresa, an anti-poverty program in Mexico. It can be concluded that this program exhibits a lot of heterogeneity in treatment effects. Consistent with the model, and under the assumption of rank preservation, program impacts are distributionally regressive, although positive, within the treated population


Speed of delivery is critical for the success of e-commerce platforms. Faster delivery promise to the customer results in increased conversion and revenue. There are typically two mechanisms to control the delivery speed - a) replication of products across warehouses, and b) air-shipping the product. In this paper, we present a machine learning based framework to recommend air-shipping eligibility for products. Specifically, we develop a causal inference framework (referred to as Air Shipping Recommendation or ASPIRE) that balances the trade-off between revenue or conversion and delivery cost to decide whether a product should be shipped via air. We propose a doubly-robust estimation technique followed by an optimization algorithm to determine air eligibility of products and calculate the uplift in revenue and shipping cost. We ran extensive experiments (both offline and online) to demonstrate the superiority of our technique as compared to the incumbent policies and baseline approaches. ASPIRE resulted in a lift of +79 bps of revenue as measured through an A/B experiment in an emerging marketplace on Amazon.


Electromagnetic signals which propagate through strongly disturbed regions of the ionosphere can experience angular scattering, causing appreciable amplitude and phase scintillation and angle-of-arrival fluctuations. The performance of a space based radar (SBR) subject to degradation due to signal propagation through a highly disturbed ionospheric channel is considered here. Pertinent characteristics of the disturbed channel and the received radar signal are described. The effects of the propagation path are investigated and the differences between monostatic and bistatic operation are presented. Results are presented which show the effect of severe scintillation on the coherent target detection performance of an SBR. It is shown that coherent detection performance can be seriously degraded in a scintillation environment if scintillation effects are not considered in the radar design.


In this study, we analyzed physical properties of granites and their correlation with rock mass classification methods. The granite samples were obtained from field survey, in-situ borehole tests and laboratory tests for a design phase of various roads, railways and other civil engineering works in Korea. Among the measured physical properties, the results of unit weight, compressive strength, tensile strength, seismic velocity, cohesion, friction angle, elastic modulus and deformation modulus were introduced. We also correlated these properties with the compressive strength. The results of different rock classification method of RQD, RMR, and Q-system against the granites in Korea were compared with each other, and the correlation equations were proposed in a more simplified form. We also derived RMR values using the compressive strength as well as the RQD values of in-situ drilled cores, and estimated the deformation modulus of in-situ rock mass in terms of the RMR values.


For the unhoused, the criminalization of their existence amplifies their entanglement with the state. Drawing on interviews and over 200 hours of ethnographic observations in Southern California, US, this paper focuses on everyday interactions between street-level bureaucrats and unhoused residents to examine when and how discretion is exercised and how unhoused residents experience these actions. It elucidates the 'performative productivity' employed by street-level bureaucrats to perpetuate 'the myth' that housing is available and that the central reason we still have homelessness is that unhoused individuals are service resistant. Performative productivity is a set of practices employed by actors including frontline government workers, non-profit workers, and interfaith and other volunteers as the terms of service. They include setting up meetings, filling out countless forms that require invasive sharing of information, signing up for waitlists that go nowhere, and surrendering rights and often accepting an externally imposed moralistic framework. If a person wants any services at all the terms are non-negotiable, thus compelling the unhoused to participate in the performance or risk loss of eligibility for any housing and non-housing services they have been able to attain, as minuscule or limited as these may be. I contend that this is tantamount to state violence. To make salient this point, I include a series of vignettes that present the street-level presence of the state in the lives of unhoused individuals and places it in a global context to highlight the ways in which the system is arbitrary, unhelpful, and potentially fatal.


The layer-polarized anomalous Hall effect (LP-AHE), derived from the coupling between the Berry curvature and the layer degree of freedom, is of importance for both fundamental physics and device applications. Nonetheless, the current research paradigm is rooted in topological systems, rendering such a phenomenon rather scarce. Here, through model analysis, we propose an alternative, but general, mechanism for realizing the LP-AHE in valleytronic van der Waals bilayers by interlayer sliding. The interaction between out-of-plane ferroelectricity and A-type antiferromagnetism gives rise to the layer-locked Berry curvature and thus the long-sought LP-AHE in bilayer systems. The LP-AHE can be strongly coupled with sliding ferroelectricity, rendering it ferroelectrically controllable and reversible. The mechanism is demonstrated in a series of real valleytronic materials, including bilayer VSi2P4, VSi2N4, FeCl2, RuBr2 and VClBr. The new mechanism and phenomena provide a significant new direction to realize the LP-AHE and explore its application in electronics.


Developing data‐driven approaches to understanding urban structures is important for urban planning. However, it is still challenging to combine different transport datasets into a unified framework and reveal the dynamics of urban structures with the emergence of shared mobility. In this study, we propose two empirical multilayer networks to infer and profile urban structures. First, a temporal network is constructed using traditional taxi data over years to reveal the urban structures. Second, a multimodal network is constructed using shared mobility and traditional taxi data over a year to reveal the urban structures. The proposed networks are tested in New York City using a large volume of shared bike, shared vehicle, and traditional taxi data. The multilayer network centralities and community detection enable us to profile the characteristics of the urban flows and urban structure. The analytical results allow us to acquire a better understanding of urban structures from a multilayer perspective, and also provide a geocomputation framework that is useful for urban and geographic researchers.


In cold climates batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles need to be preheated to achieve desired performance and life cycle of the energy storage system and the vehicle. Several approaches are available: internal core heating; external electric heating of a module; internal electric heating in the module around each cell, internal fluid heating around each cell; and external fluid heating around each module. To identify the most energy efficient approach, we built and analyzed several transient thermal finite element models of a typical battery. The thermal transient response of the battery core was computed for the first four heating techniques, which were compared based on the energy required to bring the battery to the desired temperature in a given time. Battery core heating was the most effective method to warm battery quickly with the least amount of energy. Heating the core by applying high frequency alternating currents through battery terminals is briefly discussed.


In the vision of pervasive computing smart everyday objects communicate and cooperate to provide services and information to users. Interoperability between devices and applications not only requires common protocols but also common context management. In this paper we discuss requirements on the context management based on the Georgia Tech's Aware home environment and the global context management perspective of the Nexus project. Our experiences with integrating the aware home spatial service into the Nexus platform show how federation concepts and a common context model can provide applications with uniform context information in different administrative and application domains.


Prepaid charging, an essential option for the accounting of cloud services, provides effective financial control for both service providers and customers. However, it has to be supported by real-time credit checking and cost calculation. These real-time actions consume resources of the providers' network and impose high overhead. To tackle this issue, we present a scalable accounting solution in which an accounting component is hosted in every cluster constituting a cloud system. Each of our accounting component supervises service consumptions based on a calculated interval of a service bundle that is composed of all services hosted in a cluster and consumed by one customer simultaneously. Credit will be re-allocated when a customer's credit in one cluster is not enough to compensate further usage, and the allocation is performed based on service consumptions. This work is intended to reduce the cost of prepaid services and to ensure service provision is not hampered by the charging part. Additionally, we perform theoretical and experimental analyses that indicate this work can provide an inexpensive accounting solution for the long-lived services in storage clouds.


This is an introduction to the special section on neurobiological and neurocognitive factors in parenting. The collection of 11 papers are published in 2 serial subsections of consecutive issues of the journal. The science they present captures the leading edge of work examining the interface of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physiological self-regulation in parenting and how these operate to protect or increment risk for poorer parenting among families who face chronic stressors (e.g., poverty, single parenthood, homelessness, mood disorders). Samples span the poor to the affluent, many ethnicities, several nationalities, and a wide variety of geographic locations. The studies also are diverse in the methods employed, spanning behavioral and questionnaire indicators of executive function and effortful control, attentional and social-cognitive biases, and psychophysiology. Taken together, the papers present clear and compelling evidence for the crucial role of parental neurobiological and neurocognitive deficits and strengths in the etiology of distressed and resilient parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record


In today's electrical engineering curriculum, the use of the circle diagram as a teaching and analytical tool is all but forgotten. It has been neglected by the majority of recent textbooks on electromagnetic devices and electric circuits. Yet there are electrical devices whose behavior can easily be understood and analyzed by the use of circle diagrams. In fact, in some cases the use of circle diagrams makes the solution almost a trivial exercise. The graphical and constructional procedures of circle diagrams are presented, and then the circle diagram is employed to analyze two problems: 1) the variation of the mutual and net coil fluxes of a two-winding transformer with varying secondary load impedance, and 2) the study of the variation of the secondary and load voltages of an autotransformer whose load varies from open to short circuit.


Objective To understand the integrated ability of parasitic disease prevention and control of professional personnel of Jiangsu Province through the contest. Methods Totally 56 players from the whole province were selected, and all the players participated in the contest. The theory knowledge and skill scores were collected and the statistical analyses were conducted. Results The average theoretical score of the participants was 88.86±15.56 and the passing rate was 91.1%. The average skill operating score was 69.16±16.01 and the passing rate was 67.9%. The average Plasmodium microscopy score was 16.54±8.09 and the passing rate was 50%. The average helminth egg microscopy score was 34.27±10.66 and the passing rate was 67.9%. There were statistical differences among the age groups and different levels of schistosomiasis endemic situation (F = 5.10, 6.39, both P < 0.01). The theoretical knowledge including schistosomiasis, malaria, hydatid disease and others and the score rates were 91.07%, 90.94%, 85.83% and 90.93%, respectively. The hydatid disease score rate was lower (χ2 = 19.17, P < 0.01). The radar chart displayed that the score rates of tabletting and microscopy test in Kato-Katz film production, malaria blood film production and microscopy test were all low. Conclusion In Jiangsu Province, the participants have higher score in the theory test. However, they have lower skill test score, especially in the parasite species identification. The operational skills still need to be strengthened for center for disease control (CDC) participants.


The Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) electric motor is typically powered by a battery pack through power electronics. The fuel consumption in HEV is already lower compared to conventional vehicle. However, there will be a need to control the distribution of torque between the engine and electric motor to further minimize the fuel consumption. With reference to this issues, the purpose of this project is to create a complete HEV using a MATLAB/Simulink tool. From the model created, it will be equipped with a controller for energy management system. The method used is by taking the driver command, the state of charge (SOC) of the battery, the vehicle speed, percentage of throttle and engine efficiency as inputs, a fuzzy logic control for parallel HEV has been developed in a controller to effectively control the torque distribution between Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and electric motor which is known as In-Wheel Motor (IWM). This research also discusses the methodology for designing a base vehicle model using MATLAB/Simulink. Prior to modelling HEV model, the base vehicle model was validated in terms of the fuel consumption to verify the model. The verified built base model will then be modified to become HEV model by virtually installing IWM at the rear wheels together with a controller inside the trunk. The proposed energy management strategy is implemented on a parallel HEV model and it is then simulated to a selected drive cycles. Since the distribution of torque in HEV model is varied according to the rules set, the fuel consumption is reduced significantly as compared with conventional base vehicle model. The simulation results reveal that, the HEV model built from conventional vehicle model has a significant improvement of 23% in terms of fuel economy as well as maintaining battery SOC within its operation range.


A method for the generation of high-order harmonics in two interfering waves is proposed. It is shown that phase matching is possible in such a method and its consequence is a considerable increase in the efficiency of conversion of radiation to a harmonic with a given number. The increase is particularly large when harmonics are generated in a low-density (subcritical) plasma. The conditions are found under which the increase is about four orders of magnitude. The use of two interfering beams makes it possible to separate angularly the generated harmonics without recourse to spectroscopic devices.


Instabilities of plasma spray jets have been a source of inconsistencies in coating properties. These instabilities can be minimized through the use of central injection torches or torches with fixed anode attachment. However, any low density ( < ~0.7) jet is globally unstable to small disturbances. Globally unstable jets are characterized by a short potential core, rapid spreading, and high entrainment, all of which are present in a plasma jet. Plasma jets have ratios of jet density to density of the surrounding gas on the order of 0.01, as well as rather low Reynolds numbers and thick boundary layers. In the present work, the instabilities are investigated through analysis of the disturbance growth in the shear layer between the plasma and the cold surrounding gas. These investigations are using two types of experiments, one consisting of a SG 100 spray torch with several optical diagnostic methods being applied to the shear layer analysis. The other experiment simulates the plasma jet at low temperatures by using a helium core jet exhausting into a sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) environment. The simulated plasma jet (SPJ) has a density ratio of 0.03. The simulated plasma jet (SPJ) allows controlled variation of the boundary layer through different fluid dynamic arrangements. It further allows use of diagnostics such as hot wire anemometry and PIV to clearly characterize the shear layer. Some of the characteristics of the shear layer are presented and comparisons between the plasma jet and the simulated plasma jet, and initial results on controlling the jet instability, are discussed. Abstract only; no full-text paper available.


Using autocorrelation analysis and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling, we analysed a time series of the monthly number of 1° grid squares infested with desert locust Schistocerca gregaria swarms throughout the geographical range of the species from 1930-1987. Statistically significant first- and higher-order autocorrelations were found in the series. Although endogenous components captured much of the variance, adding rainfall data improved endogenous ARIMA models and resulted in more realistic forecasts. Using a square-root transforma- tion for the locust data improved the fit. The models were only partially successful when accounting for the dramatic changes in abundance which may occur during locust upsurges and declines, in some cases successfully predicting these phenomena but underestimating their severity. Better fitting models were also produced when rainfall data were added to models of an equivalent series for desert locust hoppers (nymphs) that incorporated lagged data for locust swarms as independent vari- ables, representing parent generations. The results are discussed in relation to predicting likely changes in desert locust dynamics with reference to potential effects of climate change.


Filler-bitumen ratio has obvious influence to performance of asphalt pavement,a proper filler-bitumen ratio will be the key for asphalt mixture design and construction control.By analyzing high temperature, low temperature,anti-water damage and anti-fatigue performance of asphalt grout and asphalt mixture under different filler-bitumen ratio,this paper suggests the suitable range of filler-bitumen ratio for Chongqing expressways.


Several Silicon on Insulator (SOI) wafer manufacturers are now offering products with customer-defined cavities etched in the handle wafer, which significantly simplifies the fabrication of MEMS devices such as pressure sensors. This paper presents a novel cavity buried oxide (BOX) SOI substrate (cavity-BOX) that contains a patterned BOX layer. The patterned BOX can form a buried microchannels network, or serve as a stop layer and a buried hard-etch mask, to accurately pattern the device layer while etching it from the backside of the wafer using the cleanroom microfabrication compatible tools and methods. The use of the cavity-BOX as a buried hard-etch mask is demonstrated by applying it for the fabrication of a deep brain stimulation (DBS) demonstrator. The demonstrator consists of a large flexible area and precisely defined 80 µm-thick silicon islands wrapped into a 1.4 mm diameter cylinder. With cavity-BOX, the process of thinning and separating the silicon islands was largely simplified and became more robust. This test case illustrates how cavity-BOX wafers can advance the fabrication of various MEMS devices, especially those with complex geometry and added functionality, by enabling more design freedom and easing the optimization of the fabrication process.


Obese (ob) is a recently identified gene involved in the regulation of energy balance in the mouse. We report here that AD-5075, a potent thiazolidinedione which lowered plasma glucose and triglyceride in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and db/db mice, decreased the expression of the ob gene in these animal models of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The level of adipose ob mRNA in ZDF rats was 3-fold greater than that detected in the Zucker lean littermates. Chronic treatment with AD-5075 elicited a 67 and 70% reduction of ob mRNA in ZDF and control lean rats, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of adipose ob mRNA in db/db mice was 7 times higher than that detected in lean littermates. Treatment of db/db mice with AD-5075 resulted in a 78% reduction of the level of ob mRNA with parallel changes in circulating level of the ob gene product, leptin. The reduction of the ob mRNA in the Zucker lean rats was accompanied by significantly greater food intake and weight gain. However, in ZDF rats and db/db mice, there was profound increase in body weight without hyperphagia. The results demonstrate that the expression of the ob gene is up-regulated in these two rodent models of diabetes compared to their lean counterparts and that such overexpression is attenuated by treatment with an agent that improves insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in vivo.


Pomegranate production with Darakshak and conventional chemical use in Karnataka (2017-18) revealed that per acre annual cost of cultivation of pomegranate was less in Darakshak users (`1,10,347) than conventional chemical users (`1,21,342 ). Fruit yield increased by 13.5 percent to the Darakshak users (6.750 tonnes) compared to conventional chemical users (5.838 tonnes). Darakshak improved the fruit quality and reduced the fruit cracking problem. Hence, Darakshak users received higher returns than chemical users. The majority of the farmers expressed that bacterial blight was the major production problem followed by irrigation, and decreasing yield. Pomegranate producers opined that Darakshak is more effective on blight disease besides improving the crop health, and quality of the fruit. Conventional chemical users expressed that the usage of chemicals harmed human health followed by the incidence of water pollution. It contaminated in the soil and reduced soil fertility.


The families of homeless young people are most often portrayed as a precipitating factor in their homelessness. However, recent studies, particularly those taking a longitudinal approach, have drawn attention to the enabling role of family members and their positive influence on the housing trajectories of homeless youth. Drawing on selected findings from an ongoing longitudinal qualitative study of homeless young people in Dublin, Ireland, this paper aims to build on this relatively fertile area of research. We demonstrate the supportive role of the families of young people who experience homelessness (often as a consequence of difficult family environments) and specifically examine how family re-engagement is negotiated and achieved. The findings highlight a number of dimensions of transition and change. Prominent among these is the importance of renewed trust and communication. Young people and their parents also had to accept responsibility for areas of life that previously served to undermine their relationships and were implicated in the circumstances surrounding a young person's premature home-leaving. Tensions and resistances on the part of young people are highlighted, demonstrating the adaptive mechanisms at work as they attempt to re-engage with family members. The implications of the findings for social work intervention with homeless youth are discussed.


In 2014, AIIDE will host the Fifth Annual StarCraft AI Competition. Participants are given the task of building the best performing AI system for the popular real-time strategy game StarCraft Brood War (Blizzard Entertainment). The goals of the competition are to provide a testbed for real-time AI systems and to promote game AI research by ex- hibiting AI techniques such as scripting, planning, optimization, spatial reasoning, and opponent modeling in a fast-paced popular video game.


Lung cancer is the second most common malignancy. Unfortunately, despite advances in multimodality therapeutics for the disease, the overall five-year survival rate among newly diagnosed lung cancer patients remains in the range region of 15%. In addition, although immune checkpoint inhibitors are increasingly being incorporated into lung cancer treatment protocols, the proportion of patients that respond to these agents remains low and the duration of response is often short. Therefore, novel methodologies to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in lung cancer are highly desirable. Chemokines are small chemotactic cytokines that interact with their 7 transmembrane G-protein–coupled receptors, to guide immune cell trafficking in the body under both physiologic and pathologic conditions. Tumor cells highjack a small repertoire of the chemokine/chemokine receptor system and utilize it in a manner that benefits local tumor growth and distant spread. The chemokine receptor, CXCR4 is expressed in over 30 types of malignant tumors and, through interaction with its ligand CXCL12, was shown exert pleotropic pro-tumorigenic effects. In this review, the pathologic roles that CXCL12/CXCR4 play in lung cancer propagation are presented. Furthermore, the challenges and potential benefits of incorporating drugs that target CXCL12/CXCR4 into immune-based lung cancer therapeutic protocols are discussed.


Background Morphine is a major risk factor in the development of functional disorder of several organs. Falcaria vulgaris is a vegetable that contains antioxidant ingredients. Objective This study was designed to evaluate the effects of F. vulgaris against morphine-induced damage to the prefrontal cortex of rats. Materials and methods In this study, 64 Wistar male rats were randomly assigned to eight groups: sham group, morphine group (20 mg/kg once daily in the first 5 days and double per day in the following 5 days; on the 11th to 20th day, 30 mg/kg, doubles each day), F. vulgaris groups (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg), and morphine+F. vulgaris groups (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg). Treatments were administered intraperitoneally daily for 20 days. Ferric reducing/antioxidant power method was applied to determine the total antioxidant capacity. The number of dendritic spines was investigated by Golgi staining. Cresyl violet staining method was used to determine the number of neurons in prefrontal region. Moreover, Griess technique was used to determine serum nitrite oxide level. Results Morphine administration increased significantly nitrite oxide level and total antioxidant capacity and decreased the number of neuronal dendritic spines and neurons compared with the sham group (P<0.05). In the F. vulgaris and morphine+F. vulgaris groups, in all dosages, the number of neurons and neuronal dendritic spines increased significantly whereas nitrite oxide level and total antioxidant capacity decreased compared with the morphine group (P<0.05). Conclusion It seems that F. vulgaris administration improves brain's prefrontal region injury in rats due to morphine.


Introduction : Leishmaniasis is a geographically widespread severe disease, with an increasing incidence of two million cases per year, and 350 million people from 88 countries at risk. The causative agents are species of Leishmania , a protozoan flagellate. Visceral leishmaniasis, the most severe form of the disease, lethal if untreated, is caused by species of the Leishmania donovani complex. These species are morphologically indistinguishable but have been identified by molecular methods . This study aimed to explore intra specific diversity among Sudanese L. donovani strains and compare it to Ethiopian and Indian strains. Methods: In this study Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to detect intra specific diversity for the Leishmania donovani in ninety five L.donovani isolates collected from eastern Sudan. Results& Discussion: this study found three different genotypes of Sudanese strains. The similarity between Sudanese strains and Ethiopian and Indian reference strains was measured. Diversity among Sudanese genotypes and the detection of one genotype closely related to the Indian and Ethiopian genotype: led to an evolutionary hypothesis for the origin and dispersal of the species. This proposes that the genus Leishmania may have originated in eastern Sudan. Conclusion: Leishmania donovani isolates from Sudan are genetically diverse. This parasite could be the ancestor of the leishmania parasites, and its distribution started from Sudan to all of the worlds.


PurposeFostering diversity in health leadership is imperative as that not only enhances the quality of health care itself, but improves an organization's effectiveness and responsiveness to address the needs of a diverse population. Inequitable structures entrenched in health care such as sexism, racism and settler colonialism undermine efforts made by women from diverse backgrounds to obtain leadership roles. This paper identifies leading practices which support diverse health leadership.Design/methodology/approachA multi-methodological approach involving a targeted published and gray literature search undertaken through both traditional means and a systematic social media search, focused particularly on Twitter. A literature and social media extraction tool was developed to review and curate more than 800 resources. Items chosen included those which best highlighted the barriers faced by diverse women and those sharing tools of how allies can best support the diverse women.FindingsFour core promising practices that help to disrupt the status-quo of health leadership include (1) active listening to hear and amplify voices that have been marginalized, (2) active learning to respond to translation exhaustion, (3) active observing and noticing microaggressions and their consequences and (4) active bystanding and intervention.Social implicationsWhen implemented, these practices can help to dismantle racism, sexism, ableism and otherwise challenge the status-quo in health leadership.Originality/valueThis paper provides an original and value-added review of the published literature and social media analysis of heretofore disparate practices of allyship, all while amplifying the voices of health leaders from marginalized communities.


Abstract Identifying relationships between depression severity and clinical factors may help with appropriate recognition and management of neuropsychiatric conditions in persons with epilepsy (PWE). Demographic characteristics, epilepsy variables, and medical and psychiatric comorbidities were examined from a baseline randomized controlled trial sample of 120 PWE. Among demographic characteristics, only inability to work was significantly associated with depression severity (p = 0.05). Higher 30-day seizure frequency (p < 0.01) and lower quality of life (p < 0.0001) were associated with greater depression severity. Comorbid bipolar disorder (p = 0.02), panic disorder (p < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (p < 0.01) were correlated with worse depression severity. The literature supports our findings of correlations between worse depression, seizure frequency, and lower quality of life. Less well studied is our finding of greater depression severity and selected psychiatric comorbidities in PWE.


Abstract This work aims to evaluate Sustainable Land-use Management (SLM) through bio-physics elements (productivity, security and protection) and socio-economic elements (economic viability and social acceptability). The investigated area, 27000 hectares, lies between 31O15² and 32O 00² E and latitudes 31O30² and 30O00² N. To assess SLM, geomorphology and associated soils were identified, the land degradation processes were recognized, then a Sustainable Land use Management Spatial Model (SLMSM) was built and used to assess the sustainable land use management in the study area. The area included three landscapes; fluvio-lacustrine plain, marine plain and flood plain. Four SLM classes were outlined; the relatively high decantation basins representing 62.4% of the agricultural area, the relatively low decantation basins (Class II) occupying 22.5% of the agricultural area, overflow basins (Class III) covering 9.5% of the agricultural area, and Class IV that found in clay flats, sandy remnants, overflow mantle and river terraces occupying 5.6% of the agricultural area.


Purpose and/or objectives : The primary objective of this study is to empirically test Kotler's (2003) high-performance model which ensures an increase in sales growth. More specifically, the study explores the influence of process variables (as measured by marketing strategies), resources management (as measured by the management of labour, materials, machines, information technology and energy) and organisational variables (as measured by TQM and organisational culture) on sales growth in the food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing industries. Problem investigated Various research studies suggest that the managers of firms are continuously challenged in their attempts to increase their sales (Morre, 2007; Pauwels, Silva Risso, Srinivasan & Hanssens, 2004: 142-143; Gray & Hayes, 2007: 1). Kotler (2003) suggests a model that leads to a high performing business. The question is posed as to whether this model can be used to increase sales growth in all businesses. This study seeks to develop a generic model to increase sales growth across industries by using an adapted version of Kotler's (2003) high-performance model. The study investigates the application of this adapted model on the food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing industries. Design and/or methodology and/or approach: An empirical causal research design that includes 770 marketing and product development practitioners from multinational food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing firms, was used in this study. A response rate of 76.1% was achieved as only 571 useable questionnaires were returned. The internal reliability and discriminant validity of the measuring instrument were assessed by the calculation of Cronbach alpha coefficients and the conducting an exploratory factor analysis respectively. Structural Equation Modelling SEM) was used to statistically test the relationships between the independent variables (marketing strategies, resource management, TQM and organisational culture) and the dependent variable (sales growth). Findings and/or implications: As the achievement of increased sales, profits and market share is important to all industries, companies spend large amounts of money on research and development to increase sales and market share. The study's empirical results lead to a proposed model that shows the factors influencing sales growth. These factors include distribution channel development, third-party agreements, e-business, e-savings and a market-oriented organisational culture.


We present for the first time a functional planar SiN-nanoneedle system for intracellular mass transport and in vivo electrophysiological measurements on-chip. Though several micro- or nanoneedles for cell research have been described in literature, no needles of this small size equipped with nanosized inner channels or electrodes have been reported. A propidium iodide assay verifies the excellent penetration performance of the nanoneedles with diminished leakage from the cell after insertion and release of the needle from HL60- cells. Hollow needles connected to on-chip sub-picoliter electrochemical dosing systems are in development.


Sir During my recent appointment at the Accident and Emergency Department of Craigavon Area Hospital I have observed the results of two cases of non-penetrating injury to the abdomen inflicted by animals. In each case the patient had little apparent external injury but the smaller animal caused the worst damage. In one case a man had been hit by a bull on the left side of his chest and abdomen. Xray examination showed undisplaced fractures of 7th-lOth ribs but no pneumothorax. Over the next few days he gradually recovered and on review 2 weeks later he was well. The second case was an injury to the same area but on this occasion caused by a goat. The patient did not consult his general practitioner until 2 days after the accident. He was now vomiting 'coffee grounds' and complaining of severe constant backache. On examination he was not shocked and X-rays showed no signs of a perforated viscus. Later that day after admission to hospital he deteriorated and a laparotomy was performed. This revealed avulsion of the left kidney and severe bleeding from a tear in the posterior wall of an aortic aneurysm. He had a nephrectomy and a Dacron graft to the aorta. He was transferred to the intensive care unit where he was resuscitated from two cardiac arrests. Unfortunately, he continued to deteriorate and died later that evening. These cases highlight the need for frequent observations and re-examination in all cases of blunt abdominal trauma even when the history might suggest a less severe injury.


Recently network coding has become popular for distributing content over Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and other networks. The reason behind this is that the network coding makes content distribution in large networks easier. However it is vulnerable to attacks when it is applied directly and recursively as adversaries can inject dummy data to spoil the process of content distribution. Unnecessary content might cause the wastage of network resources. For this reason content verification must be employed while using network coding for content distribution. The existing solutions for content verification are computationally high and cause much communication overhead as well. Recently Li et al. employed new methods to reduce the communication overhead and high computational cost. In this paper we implement those methods and build a prototype application that demonstrates the proof of concept. The empirical results revealed that the proposed methods can reduce the communication overhead and computational cost. Index Terms–Network coding, content distribution, verification, security


This paper examines the present role of AIS in assisting Libya's development needs. A unified accounting system which is responsive to global influences can have a positive effect on economic development. The provision of accurate and timely Information is considered one of the main factors that assists economic development in general and industrial development in particular. With its direct relationship with technology, industry is believed to be the biggest producer and consumer of information, as well as the essential stimulator for comprehensive development. The information sector in Libya, as well as in other developing countries, faces significant problems. Decision makers complain that they are not obtaining required and needed information. They argue, as shown later in this paper, that neither the quality nor the quantity of information that is provided to them is satisfactory. Producers of information are complaining too. They argue that numerous agencies and governmental bodies ask repeatedly for information, some of which they have already been given. In addition to the problem of asking for the same information again and again, managers of industrial companies are complaining that neither the type of information nor the users of such information are well defined. The main objective of this paper is to examine the present and potential role of accounting in meeting the development needs of Libya and to examine the influence of culture on accounting needs. Specifically, the users of information about Libyan industrial companies are to be determined. The aim of this paper is to discuss the meaning of information and to identify the objectives of accounting systems in Liberal Market Economies (LMEs).


An integrated routing and distributed scheduling approach for fast deployable IEEE 802.16e networks is presented where distributed base stations with dual radios form a mesh backhaul and subscriber stations communicate through these base stations. The mesh backhaul is formed via an IEEE 802.16e mesh mode radio on each base station, while the subscriber stations communicate with base stations via PMP mode radios. The proposed routing scheme divides the deployed network into several routing zones. Each routing zone contains several base stations that form the mesh backhaul with one base station equipped with either a fiber, satellite or any other point-to-point backhaul link to reach a gateway on the core network (for example, Internet or Enterprise Network). Traffic from the subscriber stations is routed by the serving base station through the mesh to the gateway-connected base station using min-hop routing metric. Mobile IP scheme is used to assign a care-of address to a subscriber station that moves from one routing zone to the other, thereby avoiding a change in IP address for network layer applications. The scheduling approach consists of two phases. In the first phase, a centralized mesh scheduling algorithm is applied with collected information on network topology, radio parameters, and initial QoS provisioning requirements. At the same time, each base station derives a PMP schedule for actual demands from associated subscriber stations constrained by the initial mesh schedule. In the second phase, each base station monitors its carried PMP traf-


Purpose: Superficially spreading (SS) early gastric cancer (EGC) is characterized by wide horizontal extension without deep vertical invasion. It is a relatively rare form of EGC, and it's clinicopathological (C-P) characteristics are not evident. This study aimed to clarify their C-P characteristics. Materials and Methods: We defined SS EGC as invading less than the submucosal layer that measured more than 60 mm in diameter or wider than in width. The C-P characteristics and prognosis were compared between 69 patients with SS EGC and 319 patients with the common type EGC (EGC except SS type). Results: For SS EGC lymph node metastases, Lauren's diffuse type, lymphatic invasion were significantly higher than in common type EGC. In patients with SS EGC, all of the metastatic lymph nodes were anatomically distributed within the paragastric region, with fewer along the left gastric artery and common hepatic artery. In 6 cases of SS EGC with resection marqins less than 10 mm, there was no death during the follow-up period (4 to 13 years after operation) if margins were not involved. Age (>58 yrs), tumor site (upper 1/3), lymph node metastasis, submucosal invasion were statistically significant poor prognostic factor in univariate survival analysis. In multivariate survival analysis, age and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. However, tumor diameter or width was not a significant prognostic factor. Conclusion: Although SS EGC has histologically distinct properties, gastrectomy with free surgical margins and appropriate lymph node dissection could be a suitable treatment.


This article surveys the literature on human–robot object handovers. A handover is a collaborative joint action, where an agent, the giver, gives an object to another agent, the receiver. The physical exchange starts when the receiver first contacts the object held by the giver and ends when the giver fully releases the object to the receiver. However, important cognitive and physical processes begin before the physical exchange, including initiating implicit agreement with respect to the location and timing of the exchange. From this perspective, we structure our review into the two main phases delimited by the aforementioned events: a prehandover phase and the physical exchange. We focus our analysis on the two actors (giver and receiver) and report the state of the art of robotic givers (robot-to-human handovers) and the robotic receivers (human-to-robot handovers). We report a comprehensive list of qualitative and quantitative metrics commonly used to assess the interaction. While focusing our review on the cognitive level (e.g., prediction, perception, motion planning, and learning) and the physical level (e.g., motion, grasping, and grip release) of the handover, we also discuss safety. We compare the behaviors displayed during human-to-human handovers to the state of the art of robotic assistants and identify the major areas of improvement for robotic assistants to reach performance comparable to human interactions. Finally, we propose a minimal set of metrics that should be used in order to enable a fair comparison among the approaches.


Association rule mining allows discovering of patterns in large data repositories, and benefits diverse application domains such as healthcare, marketing, social studies, etc. However, mining datasets that contain data about individuals may cause significant privacy breaches, and disclose sensitive information about one's health status, political orientation or alternative lifestyle. Recent research addressed the privacy threats that arise when mining sensitive data, and several techniques allow data mining with differential privacy guarantees. However, existing methods only discover rules that have very large support, i.e., occur in a large fraction of the dataset transactions (typically, more than 50%). This is a serious limitation, as numerous high-quality rules do not reach such high frequencies (e.g., rules about rare diseases, or luxury merchandise). In this paper, we propose a method that focuses on mining high-quality association rules with moderate and low frequencies. We employ a novel technique for rule extraction that combines the exponential mechanism of differential privacy with reservoir sampling. The proposed algorithm allows us to directly mine association rules, without the need to compute noisy supports for large numbers of itemsets. We provide a privacy analysis of the proposed method, and we perform an extensive experimental evaluation which shows that our technique is able to sample low- and moderate-support rules with high precision.


Li2O-Al2O3-P2O5glasses mixed with Nd2O3 have yielded useful applications in laser industry. Li2O-Al2O3-P2O5glasses mixed with Nd2O3have been prepared by melt quenching method and the systematic studies like optical absorption behavior of Li2O-Al2O3P2O5 pure glass and Li2O-Al2O3-P2O5 glass doped with 1.0 mol% of Nd2O3 systems have been carried out. The existence of Nd3+in these glasses is expected to influence their physical properties to a large extent since these ions exist in different valence states. The optical absorption spectra of Li2O-Al2O3-P2O5 glass doped with 1.0 mol% of Nd2O3 is recorded at room temperature in the wavelength region 300-2000 nm exhibited all from the ground state I9/2; these levels are assigned to the appropriate electronic transition.


In this paper we posit that the lack of consensus about empirical tests of resource based view (RBV) could be the result of endogenous resource picking on the part of firms. If resources are endogenously selected, regression based methods that examine their connection to firm performance will be mis-estimated. We show that traditional remedies for endogeneity do not resolve this problem when returns to resources are heterogeneous (as theorized under RBV) and when managers act with at least partial knowledge of the expected, idiosyncratic return (as theorized under the strategic factor market hypotheses). As such, we develop a Bayesian approach that solves this endogeneity problem by directly incorporating resource picking into the modeling framework. We illustrate the validity of our approach through the use of a comprehensive simulation study and show that our proposed approach outperforms traditional linear models (including traditional cures of endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity) under a variety of conditions. Our findings suggest that: (1) research in strategy requires a more careful and deeper understanding of potential sources of endogeneity and (2) the use of Bayesian methods in management can help develop more theoretically motivated empirical approaches to hypothesis testing.


A classic question about democratic elections is how much they are able to influence politician behavior by forcing them to anticipate future reelection attempts, especially in contexts where voters are not paying close attention and are not well informed. We compile a new dataset containing roughly 780,000 bills, combined with more than 16 million roll-call voting records for roughly 6,000 legislators serving in U.S. state legislatures with term limits. Using an individual-level difference-in-differences design, we find that legislators who can no longer seek reelection sponsor fewer bills, are less productive on committees, and are absent for more floor votes, on average. Building a new dataset of roll-call votes and interest-group ratings, we find little evidence that legislators who cannot run for reelection systematically shift their ideological platforms. In sum, elections appear to influence how legislators allocate their effort in important ways even in low-salience environments but may have less influence on ideological positioning.


The effects of boron doping on the nucleation behavior and the characteristics of nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) films were investigated. NCD films were prepared by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and were grown on mirror-polished p-type Si(100) substrate by bias enhanced growth technique. The morphologies and bonding structures of the films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The increase in proportion of sp/sup 2/-bonded grain boundaries in finer grain NCD films is assumed to be the main modifying factor in the electron field emission of the film.


The present work provides details about a novel experience involving the development of a health information system focused on supporting evidence-based management at the primary health care (PHC) level. The process of structuring public health programs and policies is often developed without access to the best available scientific evidence. In this context, the proposed system (Sistema Integrado de Informações Mais Médicos, SIMM) materializes the effort to bridge the information gap for health management. Created with the aim of integrating data from the main information sources associated with the Cooperation Project between the Brazilian federal government and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) for provision of physicians for the More Doctors Program, SIMM strove to optimize the generation and consolidation of information to support decision-making, in addition to providing support for administrative and financial control. The experience illustrates the development of an ancillary solution that can be expanded to monitor human resources for health parameters across the entire PHC setting, far beyond the More Doctors Program. The resulting expertise created conditions for the system to be configured as a public asset, rather than being restricted to providing managerial support for a specific project. SIMM may be adapted and replicated in other American countries to improve the availability and quality of the information used by decision makers.


The remarkable rise of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria poses a significant threat to human health. Nanoparticles (NPs) have recently emerged as novel strategies for conquering fatal bacterial diseases. Furthermore, antibiotic-functionalized metallic NPs represent a viable nano-platform for combating bacterial resistance. In this study, we present the use of vancomycin-functionalized gold nanoparticles (V-GNPs) to battle pathogenic bacterial strains. A facile one-pot method was adopted to synthesize vancomycin-loaded GNPs in which the reducing properties of vancomycin were exploited to produce V-GNPs from gold ions. UV–Visible spectroscopy verified the production of V-GNPs via the existence of a surface plasmon resonance peak at 524 nm, whereas transmission electron microscopy depicted a size of ~24 nm. Further, dynamic light scattering (DLS) estimated the hydrodynamic diameter as 77 nm. The stability of V-GNPs was investigated using zeta-potential measurements, and the zeta potential of V-GNPs was found to be −18 mV. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the efficient loading of vancomycin onto GNP surfaces; however, the loading efficiency of vancomycin onto V-GNPs was 86.2%. Finally, in vitro antibacterial studies revealed that V-GNPs were much more effective, even at lower concentrations, than pure vancomycin. The observed antibacterial activities of V-GNPs were 1.4-, 1.6-, 1.8-, and 1.6-fold higher against Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, compared to pure vancomycin. Collectively, V-GNPs represented a more viable alternative to pure vancomycin, even at a lower antibiotic dose, in conquering pathogenic bacteria.


A 25-year-old gentleman presented with multiple small ulcerations and papules covering a large portion of his face and neck, associated with general malaise. He was HIV seropositive with a total CD4 count of 78 cells/µl. A diagnosis of Molluscum contagiosum was made and the patient discharged. He re-presented 3 weeks later with a 2-day history of progressively worsening headache associated with photophobia and diarrhoea. The generalised skin eruption had worsened, now involving his torso and upper limbs. Cerebrospinal fluid examination was highly positive for cryptococcal antigens and the patient was started on amphotericin B. Skin biopsy confirmed cutaneous Cryptococcus neoformans. After 4 days, the headache and photophobia resolved. A mild improvement in his skin was seen after completing 14 days of treatment. He was discharged with lifelong fluconazole therapy.


E-textiles is a new hybrid field developed with the help of the integration of electronic components into our daily usage of textile products. These wearable e-textiles provide user-defined applications as well as normal textile clothing. The medical field is one of the major leading areas where these new hybrid products are being implemented, and relatively mature products can be observed in the laboratory as well as in commercial markets. These products are developed for continuous patient monitoring in large-scale hospital centers as well as for customized patient requirements. Meanwhile, these products are also being used for complex medical treatments and the replacement of conventional methods. This review manuscript contains a basic overview of e-textile systems, their components, applications, and usages in the field of medical innovations. E-textile systems, integrated into customized products for medical needs, are discussed with their proposed properties and limitations. Finally, some recommendations to enhance the e-textile system's integration into the medical field are argued.


The mining and drilling industry has a need for highly wear resistant large diameter drill heads. The manufacturing of such drill heads takes place by near net shape infiltration of a powder matrix using tungsten carbides with copper based infiltration alloys. The drill heads are ex-posed to different geologic formations which triggers a desire for very flexible design parame-ters resulting in a complex need for both high wear resistance, but also high bending strength as well as good repair-ability. Such contradictory needs have to be solved using adjusted car-bide compositions. The paper covers an area where only little information has been published so far. It is written from an Industry point of view and presents the industrial production rou-tine for the drill heads as well as the current state of the art material solutions. The influences of different types of carbides, particle sizes and compositions on the resulting properties will be discussed. Additionally, the paper will show recent challenges of the drilling industry resulting from the shale gas boom.


A novel technique of visual-speech signal representations on X-ray motion films is proposed. The graphic implementation of the dynamic model is reconstructed from videotaped midsagittal X-ray motion films of the articulators during natural speech production of standard Chinese. An intelligent image processing technique is presented for quantizing the articulatory space and for describing the articulatory movements. The authors process separately counters of the motion picture by means of an edge detection and edge displacement analysis, which leads to a new class of intelligent coding methods capable of achieving compression ratio as high as 64:1. Based on this model a computer-aided instruction system of standard-Chinese language is established, in which the amount of data for 107 syllables is as low as 5 kbytes. The CAI system is briefly introduced.<<ETX>>


This paper presents a method of diagnosing variance components of process error sources in singular manufacturing systems. The singularity problem is studied and the cause examined in the context of fixture error diagnosis in multi-station assembly processes. The singularity problem results in nondiagnosable fixture errors when standard least-squares (LS) estimation methods are used. This paper suggests a reformulation of the original error propagation model into a covariance relation. The LS criterion is then applied directly to the sample covariance matrix to estimate the variance components. Diagnosability conditions for this variance LS estimator are derived, and it is demonstrated that certain singular systems that are not diagnosable using traditional LS methods become diagnosable with the variance LS estimator. Modified versions that improve the accuracy of the variance LS estimator are also presented. The various procedures are thoroughly contrasted, in terms of accuracy and diagnosability. The results are illustrated with examples from panel assembly, although the application of the approach and the conclusions extend to more general discrete-part manufacturing processes where fixtures are used to ensure dimensional accuracy of the final product. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1644549#


To obtain comprehensive information regarding the correlation between genomic changes and clinicopathological parameters such as disease stage, metastases, and survival, we investigated genomic changes by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) in 73 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and assessed the associations of such charges with clinicopathological parameters. Gains of 8q21-22, 13q21-31 and 20q12-qter and loss of 17p12-pter were detected in >50% of stage I tumors. Gain of 8q23-qter and losses of 8p12-pter and 18q12-qter were observed more frequently in stage III/IV tumors than in stage I tumors (all P<0.05). Loss of 8p12-pter and gain of 8q23-qter were linked to nodal metastasis (all P<0.05). Loss of 18q12-qter and gain of 8q23-qter were associated with distant organ metastasis at diagnosis and/or recurrence after surgery (all P<0.05). Moreover, losses of 8p12-pter and 18q12-qter and gains of 8q23 and 8q24-qter were associated significantly with unfavorable prognosis (all P<0.05). Furthermore, combined examination of the above four changes can provide a more accurate assessment for patient's prognosis. Specifically, 11 of 19 patients with these four changes died, but only 1 of 21 cases without these four changes died during the follow-up period (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that loss of 18q12-qter is an independent prognostic marker (P=0.031). Our findings indicate that genetic aberrations detected by CGH may predict outcome in patients with CRC.


The effective use of ragi husk powder for the removal of lead from waste water has been investigated. Influences of parameters like initial lead concentration (VI) (20-100 mg/L), pH (8-10), and adsorbent dosage (3-5 g/L) on lead adsorption were examined using Box Behnken Design (BBD) in response surface methodology. The BBD design in response surface methodology was used for designing the experiments as well as for full response surface estimation and 15 trials as per the model were run. The optimum conditions for optimum removal of lead from waste water of 20 mg/L were as follows: adsorbent dosage (4.1639 g/L), pH (9.0354) and initial lead concentration (21.7848 mg/L). The high correlation coefficient (R2 =0.996) between the model and the experimental data showed that the model was able to predict the removal of lead (VI) from waste water using ragi husk powder efficiently.


Purpose The cornea is the major refractive component of the eye and serves as a barrier to the external environment. Understanding how the cornea responds to injury is important to developing therapies to treat vision disorders that affect the integrity and refractive properties of the cornea. Thus, investigation of the wound healing responses of the cornea to injury in a cost-effective animal model is a valuable tool for research. This study characterizes the wound healing responses in the corneas of White Leghorn chicken. Methods Linear corneal wounds were induced in post-natal day 7 (P7) chicks and cellular proliferation, apoptosis and regulation of structural proteins were assessed using immunohistochemical techniques. We describe the time course of increased expression of different scar-related markers, including vimentin, vinculin, perlecan and smooth muscle actin. Results We find evidence for acute necrotic cell death in the corneal region immediately surrounding cite of incision, whereas we failed to find evidence of delayed cell death or apoptosis. We find that the neuronal re-innervation of SV2-positive axon terminals within the corneal stroma and epithelium occurs very quickly after the initial scarring insult. We describe an accumulation of cells within the stroma immediately underlying the scar, which results, at least in part, from the local proliferation of keratocytes. Further, we provide evidence for scar-induced accumulations of CD45-positive monocytes in injured corneas. Conclusions We conclude that the chick cornea is an excellent model system in which to study wound healing, formation of scar tissue, and neuronal re-innervation of sensory endings.


A method was developed for the analysis of faecal sterols in sediment samples by ultrasound-assisted extraction and quantification by HPLC with a UV detector. A reversed-phase C18 column was used to develop the method and optimal conditions were employed for elution under isocratic conditions using a methanol/THF/water (83 : 9 : 8) as the mobile phase. Direct detection of sterols by HPLC is difficult, so a derivatization procedure using benzoyl chloride was performed. A sample treatment using ultrasound-assisted extraction with 40 mL of methylene chloride–methanol (1 : 1) for 30 min without a clean up step was developed. The recoveries obtained ranged from 65 to 89% for the sample spike and from 67 to 101% for the blank spike. The detection limits ranged from 1.90 mg L−1 for β-sitosterol to 4.17 mg L−1 for epicoprostanol. Seven streams of Juiz de Fora city were analysed and the concentrations of coprostanol in the sediment samples varied between 0.01 and 14.48 μg g−1. Except for the farm forest sample stream, all others were considered contaminated by faeces using the parameters and evaluation criteria for this type of contamination.


Premature birth (prior to 37 weeks of gestation) is a big medical and socioeconomic problem. It accounts for 8 - 12% of the total number of births, and apart from causing increased mortality of newborns, it is also the cause of increased morbidity. Fifteen million babies per year are born preterm. Despite the frequency, consequences and costs of premature delivery, very little has been done for preventing it, especially for preventing extremely premature deliveries (before the 28th gestation week). Etiology of premature labor is multifactorial, and includes pathophysiology, genetic and environmental factors. Recent scientific research shows that genetic factors, mostly present in the mother's genome, account for up to 40% of variation in the delivery time. It is believed that premature birth exhibits the same cascade of events like a normal birth, only it starts sooner. This process is controlled by a series of hormonal effects between the fetus, the placenta and the mother. One of the key signaling pathways in this series is the progesterone signaling pathway. PROGINS allele is a progesterone receptor gene modification. It is made of three variants: V660L, H770H and alu insertion. Progesterone receptors with PROGINS mutation are less susceptible to progesterone activity, and it seems that the withdrawal of progesterone causes the beginning of birth cascade. Mutation of +331 G/A progesterone receptor is a newly discovered mutation. It is believed that this mutation leads to a PR-A and PR-B receptor quantity disorder before the delivery term. The aim of this review is to summarize all recent knowledge about PROGINS and +331 G/A mutation of progesterone receptors and to estimate whether this genetic mutation has a value in modulation of risk of preterm birth. Keywords: premature birth, progesterone, progesterone receptors, +331 G/A progeterone receptor mutation, PROGINS mutation