BACKGROUND/AIMS
Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is defined as short stature of unknown origin. Responses to growth hormone (GH) in children with ISS are highly variable and dose-dependent, and the optimal treatment is controversial. This study was performed to compare the effects of GH treatment in prepubertal children with ISS versus growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

METHODS
This retrospective study was conducted at Ajou University Hospital, Korea. Children with GHD (n = 38) or ISS (n = 22) were treated with GH (0.23 mg/kg/week, 6 times a week) for 2 years. All subjects were prepubertal during the study period. The auxological parameters and growth outcome of the two groups were compared. The association of initial clinical characteristics and first-year height standard deviation scores (Δ height SDS) was analyzed.

RESULTS
No differences were observed in the baseline auxological parameters between the ISS and GHD groups. Growth outcomes in the first and second years were similar in both groups. Age was negatively associated with first-year change in Δ height SDS in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS
GH treatment was effective in both children with ISS and those with GHD. Early intervention with GH is the most appropriate therapeutic option in both ISS and GHD.


This Paper uses panel data on household consumption and income to evaluate the degree of insurance to income shocks. Our aim is to describe the transmission of income inequality into consumption inequality. Our framework nests the special cases of self-insurance and the complete markets assumption. We assess the degree of insurance over and above self-insurance through savings by contrasting shifts in the cross-sectional distribution of income growth with shifts in the cross-sectional distribution of consumption growth, and analyse the way these two measures of household welfare correlate over time. We combine panel data on income from the PSID with consumption data from repeated CEX cross-sections in a structural way, i.e. using conventional demand analysis rather than reduced form imputation procedures. Our results point to some partial insurance but reject the complete markets restriction. We find a greater degree of insurance for transitory shocks and differences in the degree of insurance over time and across education. We also document the importance of durables and of taxes and transfers as a means of insurance.


In electrical installations with TN-C-S system distribution with unsymmetrical or unfullphase load occurs return current, which is the point of connection of neutral (N), protective (PE) and protection-neutral (PEN) conductors industries. One part of this current over the protection-neutral (PEN) conductor returns to the substation, while the other part is distributed over protective (PE) conductors, conductors bonding (PA) and metal constructions in the building, and then through the earth back to the substation. The aim of this paper is to point out the dangers to information and communication technology by stray currents in their passing through various metal constructions in an object, such as: water pipes, gas pipes, heating pipes, steel reinforcement in concrete constructions building, lightning installation, metal casings of energy and information and communication cables etc.


The evolution of technology and biomaterials has permitted a parallel development of renal replacement therapies in the acute, critically ill patient. From the original continuous artero-venous hemofiltration method new techniques such as continuous veno-venous hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration and high-flux dialysis have been developed and are clinically used. Similar progress has been made with artificial membranes. We investigated the possibility of using a modified cellulosic membrane for continuous therapies, assessing the hydraulic characteristics and clearance performances of high-flux cellulose triacetate hemodiafilter (0.7 m2) in vitro and in vivo. The flowdynamic characteristics of the filter suggest its optimal use in veno-venous pump-drive techniques. Efficiency was excellent, with urea daily clearances as high as 50 liters or more. The high permeability and porosity of the membrane also increased the clearances of larger solutes such as creatinine and inulin. No side effects occurred during treatment and we conclude that cellulose triacetate may be considered a good alternative to synthetic membranes in continuous renal replacement therapies.


Cynoglossum officinale L. (family Boraginaceae), hound's-tongue, is a medicinal plant whose roots are used for their astringent and healing properties and for their sedative, calming, and slightly narcotic effects. This species, originating from Europe where it grows wild in mountainous fields, is cultivated only for its medicinal properties. Epidemiological surveys performed in the Emilia Romagna Region of northern Italy in the spring and autumn of 2001 revealed the presence of virus-like symptoms on C. officinale cultivated in two different locations. In the Botanical Garden of the University of Bologna, the plants showed stunting, interveinal chlorotic spots, midrib necrosis, and scarce or no seed production. In the experimental field of the Agriculture Faculty of Bologna (Imola), the plants exhibited stunting, interveinal chlorotic spots, and reduction of leaf lamina. Mechanical inoculations of sap from symptomatic leaves caused typical symptoms of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AlMV) on Chenopodium amaranticolor Coste & Reyn. (local chlorotic, necrotic lesions and systemic chlorotic vein streaking), Vigna unguicolata (L.) Walp., and Phaseolus vulgaris L. (local necrotic lesions). Using an electron microscope, examination of leaf sap obtained from infected plants stained with uranyl acetate and phosphotungstic acid did not show the presence of elongated virus particles. Serological tests, such as immunoelectron microscopy, gold-labeled decoration, and protein A sandwich indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using antiserum to AMV (PVAS 92, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, and AlMV-Vinca minor L., from the DiSTA collection, Bologna, Italy as a control), gave positive reactions, indicating that the virus in question was AlMV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of virus infection on C. officinale, a new natural host of AlMV.


Problems associated with the possibility of the stipulation of preemptive rights by contract and their effective protection are researched in this article. Based on the examples of German, French and Swiss civil legislation, we establish that contractual preemption is widely used in Europe as a convenient instrument to formalize the interests of the participants in a civil turnover. In this connection, in Russian civil doctrine, the widespread idea that preemptive rights may be stipulated only by law, not by contract, should be revised.We state that the essence of the institution of preemptive rights predetermines its remedy. Historically Russian civil law provides specific remedy in case of breach of the most spread statutory preemptive rights. It is a claim by the entitled person (holder of preemption) against a third party (counterparty of obliged person whose contract breached the preemption) to transfer from the third party to the entitled person the rights and duties that arose under the contract between the third party and the obliged person. This remedy is more efficient for the entitled person than damages. In accordance with the principle of good faith, it may be used only in cases in which the third party knew or should have known about preemption. However, this requirement is complied in relation to protection of statutory preemptions only. As far as both contractual preemptive rights and contracts stipulated the latter are not recognized and not registered in Russia, such suit will be dismissed by court. The lack of effective protection of contractual preemptions impedes the creation of full-fledge system of preemptive rights in Russian civil law.In order to create effective mechanism of protection of contractual preemptive rights by giving the participants of a civil turnover the opportunity to ascertain if there is a contractual preemptions, we suggest that Russian civil legislation should be added by two registration systems. The first is a system for the registration of contracts that stipulate preemptions over immovable property (or registration of the preemptions itself which is better) provided by the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography of the Russian Federation. The second is a system for the registration of notifications on the conclusion of contracts that stipulate contractual preemptive rights over movable things that could be established by an expansion of the existing system for the e-registration of notifications оf pledges of movable things under the jurisdiction of the Federal Chamber of Notaries of the Russian Federation.


Radiocarbon dates from eastern Melville Peninsula indicate that deglaciation of western Foxe Basin occurred about 6900 years ago, although late ice persisted in an area northwest of Hall Lake and on the central plateau. Relative sea level was as high as 144 m above present at that time. Two new well-controlled sea level curves depict emergence as an exponential decay function. Marine limit elevations and nested curves indicate a major ice-loading centre in south-central Foxe Basin. These data and archaeological dates suggest a secondary recent rebound centre in the northern part of the basin. Flights of raised beaches, prevalent in the area, are composed of angular limestone fragments and suggest that frost-riving occurs in shallow foreshore environments. The prominent wash line near the marine limit suggests that Foxe Basin had less sea ice cover prior to 6000 years ago but that coastal processes have been similar to present since that time. Key words: Arctic, coasts, archaeology, radiocarbon dating, glacial history, emergence, sea level, geomorphology


The paper proposes a three phase, two switch buck type converter with high power factor.The key feature of the proposed converter is that a switch in the converter has a lower peak voltage stress than a switch in a conventional threephase, single-switch buck-converter. A switch in the converter sees a line to neutral voltage across it rather than a line to line voltage which is the case for the switch in the conventional converter. The voltage stress in the proposed converter is limited to the peak value of the phase voltage of the input capacitors rather than the peak value of the line-to-line voltage, as is the case in the conventional converter. Since a switch in the proposed converter sees a line to neutral voltage instead of a line to line voltage the peak voltage stress is almost half than that of the switch in the conventional converter as this stress is reduced by a factor of sqrt(3). This reduces switching losses and allows lower rated standard devices to be used in converters. In the paper, the operation of the proposed converter is given and general considerations that should be taken into account when trying to design it are discussed. The feasibility of the converter is confirmed with results obtained from computer simulation and from an experimental prototype.


The complexities of the property development process involving numerous different professionals and the expenditure of large amount of money have resulted in different attitudes to property development especially in the face of inevitable uncertainty. Feasibility appraisal is concerned with the fundamental question of the practicability or possibility of the proposed decision, or development scheme while viability appraisal is concerned with the equally important and second question of the worthwhileness of the proposed decision. Thus, in the process of ascertaining the worthwhileness or not of a project, various viability appraisal techniques available to an appraiser from which the most appropriate one that meets the investors' objective(s) is chosen so as meet the objective of the investor which is to maximize profit while also minimizing risk. The study focused on the assessment of the reliability of techniques employed in feasibility and viability appraisal by Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Akure. Questionnaires were administered to 22 practicing Estate Surveying and Valuation firms out of which only 16 were retrieved and valid for analysis. Findings revealed that 43.75% of the respondents rarely secure instructions to carry out feasibility and viability appraisal on most developmental projects, while NPV ranked 1 st as the most adopted and reliable appraisal technique whenever feasibility appraisal is being executed. It was also revealed that most of the Estate Surveyors and Valuers are aware of the availability of other modern appraisal techniques that incorporates risk but cannot use it as a result of its sophisticated nature. The study therefore recommended that the feasibility and viability appraisers should embrace modern techniques that incorporate risks to further enhance the accuracy of appraisals in line with global best practice and also to upgrade themselves by ensuring that the tools employed for investment analysis should be able to cope with modern day technology and situation. Keywords: Appraisal, Feasibility, Modern techniques, Risk, Uncertainty, Viability


Outdoor positioning is one of the important applications in the Internet of things (IoT). The usage of GPS is unsuitable for low-power IoT devices. Alternatively, it can use the LoRa devices. This research aims to find a better method as the fingerprint algorithm for determining the outdoor position using RSS LoRa. The methods used as the fingerprint algorithm were two artificial neural network models, i.e. backpropagation (BP) with four types of training methods and learning vector quantization (LVQ) with two types of training methods. The experiment results show the performance of LVQ1 better than those of LVQ2. Besides, the LVQ1 was also better than the BP method. However, both BP and LVQ2 have a performance that is almost similar to about 70 %. Both of the artificial neural network models, BP and LVQ, can be used as a fingerprint algorithm to determine quite accurate the outdoor object position.


As June 30, 1982, drew to a close and the Equal Rights Amendment expired unratified, American women did not riot in the streets. They did wipe the asses of children and put them to bed, lurk on streetcorners warily until a car circled and slowed and they got in, finish typing the last page of transcription for the following day, begin the night shift sewing plastic handbags or cleaning downtown offices, fight for their lives as fist met face and lay their lives down as penis sliced in and out and in and out, scurry across the street with their eyes down to avoid the man coming the other way, and give up on covering June's bills. Not noticing as the shadows disappeared over TVs in mental hospitals and IVs in nursing homes, they removed their mascara, locked their doors if they had them, set their alarm clocks, and let the day go, largely unmarked. A few went to well-behaved demonstrations, largely unreported. In the noise and in the silence, some picked up pens and wrote. Why an explicit guarantee of women's equality was rejected as part of the constituting document of the United States is a good question, one it takes some courage to ask. The answers are bound to be as unnerving, challenging, even anguishing as they are crucial and urgent for law and politics. The ERA came to mean the equal-


Pathological narcissism represents the dominant form of subjectivity in post-industrial society and its consumerist ideals. The fear one feels in connection with one's death, fear that is typical of pathological narcissism, frequently manifests itself as absolute denial of the idea of a mortal Self. According to Freud, primary narcissism prevents one from imagining or even thinking about one's own death. In the realm of the Unconscious, death does not exist. Death is absent from cyberspace in much the same manner and in this sense, cyberspace has become a fitting metaphor for the Unconscious. It is pathological narcissism that makes cyberspace and all actions that take place within it possible, reasonable and justifiable. It is what transforms all our cyber-actions into more than merely a waste of time. Upon entering cyberspace the subjects are given the chance to leave their mortality, their corporeity behind and embark upon a journey that offers countless possibilities and realities. Yet they have thus also entered the realm of digital death. The anthropological supposition that culture is our "natural environment" can now, when cyberspace and digital technologies function as a "natural environment" for pathological narcissism, be reconsidered and reinterpreted.


Abstract In this article the mastic level structure of asphalt concrete containing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials is investigated using the principles of micromechanics. Locally sourced RAP material was screened and sieved to separate the coated fines (smaller than 0.075 mm) from the remaining sizes. These binder coated fines were mixed with virgin filler at proportions commensurate with 0, 10, 30, 50 and 100% RAP dosage levels. Asphalt mastics were prepared with these blended fillers and a PG 64-22 binder at a filler content of 27% by volume. Temperature–frequency sweeps were conducted on the resulting composites as well as the constituents, virgin binder, solvent extracted RAP binder. The results from the experiments showed an expected increase in stiffness with increase in dosage levels. These results were also used to model the hypothesised structure of the composite. The study presented discusses the applicability of Herve and Zaoui model to predict the blended mastic composite and to quantify the amount of blending between RAP binder and newly added asphalt binder. It is found that as the RAP dosage level increases the amount of blending that occurs, as a proportion of the total RAP binder decreases.


The MPB64 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is an important structural and functional protein, which has been known to be involved in the virulence, pathogenesis as well as proliferation of the pathogen, however, how MPB64 protein interaction with host protein is still unclear. To identify cellular proteins that interact with the MPB64 protein and to elucidate the possible involvement of MPB64 protein in M.tb pathogenesis, a human lung cDNA library was screened using a yeast two-hybrid system assay. HSP40, a molecular chaperone facilitating protein the folding and assembly, was found to interact specifically with the MPB64 protein. The interaction between MPB64 and HSP40 was verified by colocalization experiment and coimmunoprecipitation of HeLa cell lysates expressing both proteins. The mapping studies localized the critical MPB64 sequences for this interaction to amino acid 171-206. Based on these results, we speculate that HSP40 is a functional target of M. tuberculosis MPB64 protein in cells. This is the first report demonstrating the interaction of HSP40 with a structural protein of M. tuberculosis,indicating a new drug target for M.tb.

 Key words: MPB64 protein, HSP40 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation, protein-protein interaction.


Schizophrenia elevates the risk for aggressive behavior, and there is a need to better understand the associated variables predicting aggression for treatment and prevention purposes. The aim of the present study is to determine the relationship between alexithymia, sense of coherence and aggressive behavior in a sample of schizophrenic outpatients. Using a correlational research design, standardized self-report questionnaires assessed aggression (brief aggression questionnaire—BAQ), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale—TAS) and sense of coherence (sense of coherence questionnaire—SOC) in a sample of 100 schizophrenic outpatients in clinical remission. Participants reported high levels of aggression and alexithymia along with reduced sense of coherence. Significant negative correlations were evidenced among scores on the SOC scale (p < 0.001) with both the TAS as well as with the BAQ scales. However, a positive correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between the TAS and BAQ scales. Regression indicated that 27% of the variation in the BAQ rating was explained by the TAS, while an additional 17.8% was explained by the sense of coherence. The difficulty identifying feelings of alexithymia and the comprehensibility and manageability components of sense of coherence significantly predicted anger, hostility and physical aggression. Sense of coherence mediated the relationship between alexithymia and aggression. From the path analysis, comprehensibility emerged as the key factor counterbalancing alexithymic traits and aggressive behaviors, and manageability effectuated higher anger control. The findings hold practical implications for the treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients.


Introduction: Genetic factors affecting warfarin maintenance dose have been well established, but patient acceptance is a necessary consideration for the successful clinical implementation of warfarin pharmacogenetic testing (WPGT). In this study, we aimed to determine the attitudes toward WPGT among Singaporean Chinese. Methods: A total of 194 warfarin patients and 187 members of the public completed a structured survey on paper and the Internet, respectively. Attitudes were expressed as willingness to undergo WPGT (single item with 5-point response) and expectations and concerns about WPGT (two multi-item scales). Relationships between attitudes and socio-demographic and clinical variables were explored using Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, one-way analysis of variance or Pearson's correlation. Results: Majority of respondents were willing to or neutral about undergoing WPGT. Both patients and public had relatively high expectations (mean [SD]: 3.77 [0.63], and 3.97 [0.55], respectively) and moderately high concerns (mean [SD]: 3.30 [0.69] and 3.33 [0.68], respectively) about WPGT. Willingness to undergo WPGT was associated with gender, educational status, length of warfarin treatment, and number of chronic diseases among warfarin patients, and with history of adverse drug reactions and number of chronic diseases among the public. Higher expectation of WPGT was associated with higher willingness (p < .001 in both populations), while higher concern was associated with lower willingness to undergo WPGT among the public (p = .004) but not among patients (p = .072). Conclusion: Patient acceptance is not a major barrier to clinical implementation of WPGT but patient education is necessary and the ethical, social, and legal issues should be addressed.


The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) searches for planets transiting bright and nearby stars using high-cadence, large-scale photometric observations. Full frame images provided by the TESS mission include a large number of serendipitously observed main-belt asteroids (MBAs). Due to the cadence of the published full frame images, we are sensitive to periods as long as of order tens of days, a region of phase space that is generally not accessible through traditional observing. This work represents a much less biased measurement of the period distribution in this period range. We have derived rotation periods for 300 MBAs and have partial lightcurves for a further 7277 asteroids, including 43 with periods of P > 100 hr; this large number of slow rotators is predicted by theory. Of these slow rotators we find none requiring significant internal strength to resist rotational reshaping. We find our derived rotation periods to be in excellent agreement with results in the Lightcurve Database for the 55 targets that overlap. Over the nominal two-year lifetime of the mission, we expect the detection of around 85,000 unique asteroids with rotation period solutions for around 6000 asteroids. We project that the systematic analysis of the entire TESS data set will increase the number of known slow-rotating asteroids (period > 100 hr) by a factor of 10. Comparing our new period determinations with previous measurements in the literature, we find that the rotation period of asteroid (2320) Blarney has decreased by at least 20% over the past decade, potentially due to surface activity or subcatastrophic collisions.


National conversations about gun deaths are largely framed as community violence or mass shootings. However, gun suicides disproportionately contribute to the increase of gun deaths. Pennsylvania's gun deaths and suicides outpace national rates, with rural communities disproportionately bearing the burden. Laws reducing gun access (e.g., ERPOS and Child Access Prevention) reduce gun suicides and overall gun deaths. Despite the evidence, Pennsylvania lawmakers fail to pass gun safety laws due to special interest pressures, ideology, and incorrect perceptions of the problem and corresponding solutions. The purpose of the study was to explore Pennsylvania lawmakers' perceptions and understanding of gun suicides, if/how they use science to identify solutions, and their perceptions of legislative impasse. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample (n=9) of members of the Judiciary Committees from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate. Rural and suburban lawmakers identified suicide as a top concern in their districts. Few lawmakers relied on injury scientists to identify solutions or use it for framing the issue to colleagues and constituents. Some lawmakers relied on news stories or special interest groups, very few reported contacting researchers, despite robust local/regional expertise. Participants identified two roadblocks to law passage: 1) key colleagues captured by the NRA, and 2) rural constituents' lack of understanding of the issue. They identified the need to message to constituents on gun suicides. Regardless of party, all lawmakers wanted to address this pressing health issue, with Republicans searching for answers outsides of scientific communities due to fears of bias. Moving the impact out of journals and into the hands of constituents and lawmakers is critical. Researchers can build relationships with news agencies and lawmakers to translate the science and build trust. Additionally, targeting messaging to rural lawmakers and constituents is critical to build support for evidence-based laws.


In the power system, state estimation (SE) is important monitoring task for the reliable operation of the system. The optimal estimate from the SE is delivered to all EMS application such as fault analysis, automatic generation control. Hence, it is crucial to have good estimation before taking any critical actions. However, the SE problem is challenging problem due to nonconvexity of power flow equations in the nonlinear AC power flow model, which give us a usually local solution. To deal with this nonconvexity, some recent literatures applied the convex semidefinite (SDP) relaxation technique to relax the SE problem attaining or approximating a global solution. In this paper, we investigate the rank of this technique, which is critical to yield a physically meaningful solution with the five-bus test system and propose new approach to possibly reduce the rank by complementing the traditional set of measurement with PMU data. Numerical tests on the standard IEEE 14, 30, 57, 118-bus test system are presented for the demonstration.


Virtual humans are often presented as mixed reality characters projected onto screens that are blended into a physical setting. Stereo loudspeakers to the left and right of the screen are typically used for virtual human audio. Unfortunately, stereo pairs can produce an effect known as precedence, which causes users standing close to a particular loudspeaker to perceive a collapse of the stereo sound to that singular loudspeaker. We studied if this effect might degrade the presentation of a virtual character, or if this would be prevented by the ventriloquism effect. Our results demonstrate that from viewing distances common to virtual human scenarios, a movement equivalent to a single stride can induce a stereo collapse, creating conflicting perceived locations of the virtual human's voice. Users also expressed a preference for a sound source collocated with the virtual human's mouth rather than a stereo pair. These results provide several design implications for virtual human display systems.


Using 947 acquisitions during 1970-89, this article finds a relationship between the postacquisition returns and the mode of acquisition and form of payment. During a five-year period following the acquisition, on average, firms that complete stock mergers earn significantly negative excess returns of -25.0 percent whereas firms that complete cash tender offers earn significantly positive excess returns of 61.7 percent. Over the combined preacquisition and postacquisition period, target shareholders who hold on to the acquirer stock received as payment in stock mergers do not earn significantly positive excess returns. In the top quartile of target to acquirer size ratio, they earn negative excess returns. Copyright 1997 by American Finance Association.


Objectives: Increased mesangial cell proliferation and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) are the major pathological features of early-stage diabetic nephropathy. This study was sought to investigate the inhibitory effects of rhein (RH) on high glucose (HG)-cultured mesangial cells. Specially, we focus on the analysis of proliferation rate, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and the expression of collagen IV and laminin. Materials and Methods: The established rat renal mesangial cell (RMC) line was cultured in medium with different concentrations of glucose (5.6 mM or 25 mM) and RH (40 μM, 20 μM, and 10 μM). Pro-treated cells were collected at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h for cell proliferation analysis and after 24 h for the experiments of flow cytometry, transmission electron microscope, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. Results: Our data shows HG can promote the proliferation of RMCs and RH has an inhibitory effect on HG-induced RMC proliferation and expression of ECM. Based on our data, we hypothesize this inhibitory effect might be a result of cell cycle regulation and the induction of cellular apoptosis. Conclusion: RH can inhibit cellular proliferation and downregulate the expression of ECM under the circumstance of HG. The mechanism of growth suppression may be due to cell cycle arrest at G1phase, induction of cell apoptosis, and upregulation of apoptotic mediators bax and caspase-3. SUMMARY Rhein (RH) has an inhibitory effect on high glucose-induced rat mesangial cells proliferation RH has an inhibitory effect on the expression of extracellular matrix RH has a growth-suppression effect RH can upregulate the expression of apoptotic mediators bax and caspase-3 All above shows RH is one of the main active ingredient in Shenkang injection. Abbreviations used: RH: Rhein, ECM: Extracellular matrix, DN: Diabetic nephropathy, RMC: Renal mesangial cell, SKI: Shenkang injection, MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol–2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide Siwang Wang


Process mining provides a rich set of techniques to discover valuable knowledge of business processes based on data that was recorded in different types of information systems. It enables analysis of end‐to‐end processes to facilitate process re‐engineering and process improvement. Process mining techniques rely on the availability of data in the form of event logs. In order to enable process mining in diverse environments, the recorded data need to be located and transformed to event logs. The journey from raw data to event logs suitable for process mining can be addressed by a variety of methods and techniques, which are the focus of this article. In particular, techniques proposed in the literature to support the creation of event logs from raw data are reviewed and classified. This includes techniques for identification and extraction of the required event data from diverse sources as well as their correlation and abstraction.


We investigate how different active learning (AL) query policies coupled with classification uncertainty visualizations affect analyst trust in automated classification systems. A current standard policy for AL is to query the oracle (e.g., the analyst) to refine labels for datapoints where the classifier has the highest uncertainty. This is an optimal policy for the automation system as it yields maximal information gain. However, model-centric policies neglect the effects of this uncertainty on the human component of the system and the consequent manner in which the human will interact with the system post-training. In this paper, we present an empirical study evaluating how AL query policies and visualizations lending transparency to classification influence trust in automated classification of image data. We found that query policy significantly influences an analyst's trust in an image classification system, and we use these results to propose a set of oracle query policies and visualizations for use during AL training phases that can influence analyst trust in classification.


In Malaysia the School Dental Service (SDS) provides comprehensive dental treatment with the aim of rendering the child dentally fit before leaving primary school at 12 years. Hence the purpose of this study was to investigate I) the prevalence and treatment needs of traumatised permanent incisors and 2) to assess their relationship to the degree of incisor overjet amongst 12-13 year-old schoolchildren. The sample comprised of 1519 schoolchildren attending 20 secondary government and government-aided schools in Klang district. There were 772 boys and 747 girls. The sampling procedure involved a multistage, clustered and stratified random sampling. The prevalence of traumatic injuries in permanent incisors was 2.6% which confirmed the results of a previous local study. Boys suffered more trauma than girls with a ratio of about 1.5:I. A majority (77.5% ) of the children had one tooth affected. The most commonly affected teeth were the upper central incisors (91.8%) followed by the lower central incisors (4.1%). A high percentage (57.5%) of children with traumatised anterior teeth had increased overjet (>3mm). Almost all cases (93.9%) required two or more surface fillings. However the majority of affected children (56%) were satisfied with their appearance. It is concluded that traumatic dental injuries should be incorporated as part of the treatment plan for the SDS and appropriately managed soon after occurrence or not later than 12 years after which they leave the SDS. Future epidemiological studies should also give due emphasis to the relative importance of traumatised teeth in children.


Eight samples of size 16 and three samples of size 15 consisting of replicate determinations of aflatoxin in peanut subsamples were considered. These data were analyzed to decide whether the samples could have arisen from two-parameter normal or lognormal parents. The method of analysis consisted of first transforming the individual samples in such a way that the transformed values had uniform distributions on the unit interval under the null hypothesis. The transformed values were then pooled and tested for uniformity. Results of the analysis indicated that the normal model fitted the data quite well and definitely better than the lognormal model.


We consider a gossip network, consisting of $n$ nodes, which tracks the information at a source. The source updates its information with a Poisson arrival process and also sends updates to the nodes in the network. The nodes themselves can exchange information among themselves to become as timely as possible. However, the network structure is sparse and irregular, i.e., not every node is connected to every other node in the network, rather, the order of connectivity is low, and varies across different nodes. This asymmetry of the network implies that the nodes in the network do not perform equally in terms of timelines. Due to the gossiping nature of the network, some nodes are able to track the source very timely, whereas, some nodes fall behind versions quite often. In this work, we investigate how the rate-constrained source should distribute its update rate across the network to maintain fairness regarding timeliness, i.e., the overall worst case performance of the network can be minimized. Due to the continuous search space for optimum rate allocation, we formulate this problem as a continuum-armed bandit problem and employ Gaussian process based Bayesian optimization to meet a trade-off between exploration and exploitation sequentially.


From mid-July through September, 10 000 to 30 000 Long-tailed Ducks ( Clangula hyemalis ) use the lagoon systems of the central Beaufort Sea for remigial molt. Little is known about their foraging behavior and patterns of habitat use during this flightless period. We used radio transmitters to track male Long-tailed Ducks through the molt period from 2000 to 2002 in three lagoons: one adjacent to industrial oil field development and activity and two in areas without industrial activity. We found that an index to time spent foraging generally increased through the molt period. Foraging, habitat use, and home range size showed similar patterns, but those patterns were highly variable among lagoons and across years. Even with continuous daylight during the study period, birds tended to use offshore areas during the day for feeding and roosted in protected nearshore waters at night. We suspect that variability in behaviors associated with foraging, habitat use, and home range size are likely influenced by availability of invertebrate prey. Proximity to oil field activity did not appear to affect foraging behaviors of molting Long-tailed Ducks.


The purpose of this paper is to call attention to the necessity of using proper techniques and instrumentation in ultrasonography if the full value of this important diagnostic and research tool is to be realized. The value of ultrasonography lies in its ability to yield high resolution cross-section views of the light-opaque portions of the eye and orbit. Cross-section views with high information content are obtainable only with techniques and equipment equivalent to those which we have reported. 1,2 The authors have taken the position that permanently recorded cross-section views of the highest possible resolution and information content are mandatory for accurate diagnosis and for critical research investigations. Recently this position has been challenged by reports describing a wide range of ocular diagnoses, using a technique which yields data that is nearly impossible to interpret accurately and using equipment of poor resolving power. 3-8 We feel that it is imperative


This LibGuide contains information and resources to support SUA graduate students as they work to complete their EDU 517 course assignments. This page has links to other LibGuides and online resources at Ikeda Library.


Genetic Algorithms (GA) fall within the large family of Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) and are valuable tools for optimization problems in engineering applications. In Genetic Algorithms, large populations containing genetic information (in our case, parameters for our optimization problem) interact in a reproductive process to pass on new genetic traits to subsequent generations [1]. One particular class of GA is Differential Evolution (DE) [2] where new generations have traits based on the difference in traits between randomly selected parents from the previous generation. The concept essential to the success of such methods is fitness, where some known function is employed to define the genetic quality of individuals. Previous application of GA to engineering problems employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to obtain the fitness of indivuals is prohibitively computationally expensive. Presented is a new form of DE combined with the Quiet Direct Simulation (QDS) method [3]. The QDS algorithm requires significantly less computational expense when compared to traditional Euleran flows solvers, making it ideal for application within a GA optimization problem. Results are presented for various blast wave mitigation scenarios, demonstrating the applicability of the hybrid method.


In the past few decades, significant advancement has been made towards the development of automated microfluidic platforms because of their unique advantages such as integration of different functions, minimum consumption of samples/reagents, low cost, and quick sample analysis. Various components of an instrument e.g. detectors, flow cell, pumps etc., are usually customised in order to improve instrument performance in terms of analysis time, liquid sample and reagents consumption, and reliability through automation. 3D printing, a rapidly growing manufacturing technique, is an attractive alternative to traditional manufacturing techniques (e.g. subtractive manufacturing) because of its ability to print almost any structure on demand with minimal time and cost. The focus of this study was to fabricate and characterise key components of the microfluidic systems including detectors, flow cell, and pumps, and potentially integrate them to produce automated analytical instrument for application in microfluidics.
First, this study explored the potential of a commonly available low cost FDM 3D printer to manufacture a photometric detector body consisting of integrated slit and hollow structures, to position a LED and photodiode, on either side of capillary tubing (Chapter 2). The spatial orientation for printing was investigated to facilitate the printing of a narrow size slit suitable for capillaries and tubing (i.d. 50 μm to 10 mm). A slit of 70 μm was printed when the slit was positioned in the XY plane in parallel with the print direction. The detection body with integrated slit showed satisfactory performance for both large diameter tubing and narrow capillaries. The performance of the 3D printed housing with a 70 μm slit was compared with a commercial CE interface for the CE separation of Zn\(^{2+}\) and Cu\(^{2+}\) complexes with PAR.
The second aim of this study was to develop a flow cell with an integrated channel to avoid the need for external capillaries and tubing. Chapter 3 describes the use of multi-material 3D printing technology for the fabrication of a complex photometric detector flow cell with integrated channel and slit. Multi material 3D printing allowed the fabrication of detection window using transparent material, and channel and flow cell body using an opaque material, all printed in one piece. The flow-cell was optimised by varying the design features including slit dimension and optical path-length. The performance of the printed flow cell devices was characterised with a standard dye solution by determining the stray light %, effective path-length and the signal to noise ratio. A device consisting of 500 μm slit with 10 mm optical path-length showed best performance.
Third, the use of multi-material FDM 3D printing to manufacture an electroosmotic pump (EOP) with multiple functionalities was investigated as fluid pumping is a key feature of a microfluidic system and usually requires a micro pump manipulate liquid flow at a smaller scale (≤ 1 mm). Chapter 4 presents the first use of this technology for the fabrication of an EOP with integrated electrodes in a single piece. The key component of the EOP is a multiple channel (mesh) and integrated 3D printed electrodes. The novel design feature, mesh was used to create the first asymmetrical surface-area EOP. The EOP was printed by using a non-conductive Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and a conducting ABS material was used for printing of the three electrodes around the pumping channel. These three electrodes were printed to provide an electrode for applying the voltage and two electrodes to ground the liquid within the EOP by decoupling the electric field in the pump channels from the other parts of the device. The newly developed EOP was characterised by calculating current, flow rate and pressure at various voltages ranging from 0.1- 0.5 kV. The satisfactory performance of the 3D printed EOP showed the potential of multi-material 3D printing as an alternative
approach for the fabrication of low-cost microfluidic pumping devices. Repeatability and accuracy of the fabrication method is critical for the manufacturing of reliable devices and instruments. Chapter 5 describes the repeatability and accuracy experiments conducted to investigate the repeatability and accuracy of the printing method for the manufacturing of newly developed devices presented in this thesis.


A new effective liquid-phase method for preparation of triptorelin (agonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone) was developed. This method based on buserelin production and allows the collaborative process of producing two products using the same peptide blocks.


We design parallel concatenated convolutional coding (PCCC) schemes ("turbo codes") suitable for wireless applications requiring short latencies. Particular attention is devoted to the comparison of different solutions for the code interleaver. A new algorithm is applied to the evaluation of the distance spectrum of the overall PCCC, and several interleaver alternatives are analyzed and compared using analytical upper bounds at low BER and simulation through the iterative decoding algorithm at high BER. The choice of the PCCC rate and of the interleaver length are based on the GSM system, so as to be able to compare the new solution with the results obtainable by the present channel coding standard, which, for TCH/FS GSM (full rate speech traffic channel), consists of a (53,50) parity check code followed by a 16-state rate 1/2 binary convolutional code.


We propose a linear predictive coding technique for multichannel electromyographic (EMG) recordings. The signals are acquired using two-dimensional grid of electrodes which generate strongly correlated signals. Previous work only considered spectral redundancy across the signal matrix. In this paper we exploit the correlation present in the residual signals, i.e., the signals after the short term prediction. The proposed technique achieves a compression ratio of about 1divide9, i.e., slightly better than spectral-only decorrelation methods, but with a strong increase of approximately 3.2 dB SNR in the quality of the reconstructed waveform.


This study investigated the process by which small-scale multifunctional in-home nursing care has been established in Nagasaki City to elucidate problems of the public recruitment system of business operators related to establishment of community-based services. Results show that the system has been difficult to establish as a city project until recently because few business operators in Nagasaki City applied to open recruitment for the small-scale multifunctional in-home nursing care. Many operators that had entered it withdrew. Low motivation of business operators to participate in projects limits the capabilities of municipal planning of the community-based service supply system. To enhance municipal planning effectiveness, it is important for local governments to offer unique incentives to encourage more operators to enter the market for community-based services and to stabilize their businesses at their own discretion.


We propose a change point approach based on the segmented regression technique for testing the constancy of the regression parameters in a linear profile data set. Each sample collected over time in the historical data set consists of several bivariate observations for which a simple linear regression model is appropriate. The change point approach is based on the likelihood ratio test for a change in one or more regression parameters. We compare the performance of this method to that of the most effective Phase I linear profile control chart approaches using a simulation study. The advantages of the change point method over the existing methods are greatly improved detection of sustained step changes in the process parameters and improved diagnostic tools to determine the sources of profile variation and the location(s) of the change point(s). Also, we give an approximation for appropriate thresholds for the test statistic. The use of the change point method is demonstrated using a data set from a calibration application at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


W e read with avid interest, the paper by De Bonis et al, regarding functional outcomes of the treatment of odontoid fractures in elderly patients. Their attempt at answering the question, ''Conservative or operative treatment, which is better?'' was really commendable. We also appreciate their judicious use of validated measures of functional outcome for objective assessment of patient disability and functional status. However, we have some concerns pertaining to this article that merit discussion. First, it is notable that in their study, fracture characteristics other than fracture gap of more than 2 mm, anteroposterior displacement of more than 5 mm and odontoid angulation of more than 118 ''played no role in setting treatment strategy.'' It is of concern that age of the fracture has not been considered in defining a treatment strategy. There is sufficient evidence from literature to suggest that for a fracture of more than 18 weeks duration, anterior odontoid screw fixation is not useful and leads to a higher rate of nonunion of fracture fragments. In addition, the authors remain silent regarding the role of magnetic resonance imaging and transverse alar ligament injury in modifying their treatment strategy, which could be an important concept in the surgical decision making in odontoid fractures. Second, in the paper by De Bonis et al, the authors observed fall with low energy impact as a cause of injury in about 71% of cases. This could suggest the preponderance of osteoporosis in their study population, which itself predisposes to instrumentation failure and has been considered a relative contraindication for anterior odontoid screw placement. Third, the exclusion of patients requiring crossover of treatment modality is questionable. There is a high likelihood that the patients who were initially started on conservative treatment later needed surgery in view of worsening symptoms, disability, or poor functional outcomes. In our opinion, these patients exhibit a failure of initial treatment modality and cannot be excluded. Vaccaro et al, in their multicenter, prospective cohort study including 159 geriatric patients with type-II odontoid fractures, demonstrated a significant benefit of surgical treatment over conservative treatment with respect to functional and quality of life outcomes, a finding that is in contrast to that of De Bonis et al. Interestingly, they retained the patients crossing over to the other treatment group (from nonoperative to operative) within the original treatment group for functional outcome analysis. We believe that the exclusion of this group of patients may have significantly affected the results observed in the study by De Bonis et al. In conclusion, evidence in favor of conservative treatment in the management of unstable odontoid fracture is still scarce. Prospective, randomized studies conducted in an unbiased manner are required in future before any concrete conclusions can be made in this regard.


Toughness testing of a quenched and tempered AISI 4340 steel has been carried out by precracked Charpy(instrumentedandslow-bend)and fracture toughness test techniques. Results show that the toughness values, as a functionof heat treatment, follow similar trends for identical heat-treatment schedules in each type of testing. Fractographic observations also indicate the same fracture initiation mode in all the tests for identical heat treatments, including an intergranular fracture mode associated with the temperembrittlement of the steel in question. It indicates that, in this particular application, mechanical testing variables such as specimen dimensions, crack length, crack length to width ratio, and strain rate have no effect on the fracture initiation process.


Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients experience significant physical and psychological morbidity during radiotherapy (XRT) which contributes to treatment interruptions and poor quality of life. Although spouses/partners can help by encouraging patient self-management (e.g., self-care) during XRT, they often experience high psychological distress rates, lack basic healthcare knowledge/skills, and report increased marital conflict regarding patient self-management. This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a six-session telephone-based intervention called SHARE (Spouses coping with the Head And neck Radiation Experience), which teaches self-management, communication, and coping skills to HNC patients and their spouses. Treatment effects of SHARE relative to usual medical care (UMC) in controlling patient physical symptoms and improving patient/spouse psychological and marital functioning were also examined. METHODS: Thirty patients initiating XRT and their spouses (N = 60 participants; 40% racial/ethnic minorities) were randomized to SHARE or UMC, and pre- and post-intervention assessments were completed. RESULTS: Solid recruitment (70%) and low attrition rates (7%) demonstrated feasibility. Strong program evaluations and homework completion rates (72%) supported acceptability. Significant treatment effects (medium in magnitude) were observed for SHARE relative to UMC with regard to HNC-specific physical symptom burden (Cohen's d = −0.89) and symptom interference (d = −0.86). Medium-to-large effects favoring SHARE were also found for patient and spouse depressive symptoms (d = −0.84) and cancer-specific distress (d = −1.05). CONCLUSION: Findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of SHARE. They also suggest that programs that empower HNC couples with the necessary skills to coordinate care and manage the challenges of XRT together hold great promise for controlling patient physical symptoms and improving both partners' psychological functioning.


This article presents a new resistive random access memory (RRAM)-based average 7T1R nonvolatile static random access memory (nvSRAM). This multiple sharing (MS) 7T1R uses MS schemes in which some of the transistors play various roles. Therefore, the MS-7T1R can perform a decoupled read, enhance write capability, and improve the restore yield with a small area cost. Furthermore, the MS-7T1R can offer two alternative modes, i.e., a high speed and a stable mode. Compared with existing technologies, such as the previous 6T-based nvSRAMs, the results show that the proposed architecture provides a remarkable restore yield and ~154% improvement in the read static noise margin (at TT corner and stable mode). In addition, the read delay improves by ~23% (at TT corner and high-speed mode). The write "1" problem of the single bitline is effectively resolved with our proposed write strategy. The static write margin of "1" is improved by ~88.6% compared with the conventional 6T ( $\beta =4$ ) at a power of 1.2 V. In addition, dynamic power is effectively reduced by the use of the single bitline and sub-word-line driver technology.


Background Based on its viral-associated or UV-associated carcinogenesis, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly immunogenic skin cancer. Thus, clinically evident MCC occurs either in immuno-compromised patients or based on tumor-intrinsic immune escape mechanisms. This notion may explain that although advanced MCC can be effectively restrained by treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), a considerable percentage of patients does not benefit from ICI therapy. Biomarkers predicting ICI treatment response are currently not available. Methods The present multicenter retrospective study investigated clinical and molecular characteristics in 114 patients with unresectable MCC at baseline before treatment with ICI for their association with therapy response (best overall response, BOR). In a subset of 21 patients, pretreatment tumor tissue was analyzed for activation, differentiation and spatial distribution of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Results Of the 114 patients, n=74 (65%) achieved disease control (BOR=complete response/partial response/stable disease) on ICI. A Bayesian cumulative ordinal regression model revealed absence of immunosuppression and a limited number of tumor-involved organ systems was highly associated with a favorable therapy response. Unimpaired overall performance status, high age, normal serum lactate dehydrogenase and normal serum C reactive protein were moderately associated with disease control. While neither tumor Merkel cell polyomavirus nor tumor PD-L1 status showed a correlation with therapy response, treatment with anti-PD-1 antibodies was associated with a higher probability of disease control than treatment with anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry demonstrated the predominance of CD8+ effector and central memory T cells (TCM) in close proximity to tumor cells in patients with a favorable therapy response. Conclusions Our findings indicate the absence of immunosuppression, a limited number of tumor-affected organs, and a predominance of CD8+ TCM among TIL, as baseline parameters associated with a favorable response to PD-1/PD-L1 ICI therapy of advanced MCC. These factors should be considered when making treatment decisions in MCC patients.


The nutcracker syndrome refers to compression of the left renal vein between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, which results in renal vein and left gonadal vein varices. Herein, we report our experience with left renal vein transposition for treatment of the nutcracker syndrome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the left renal vein transposition for treatment of the nutcracker syndrome in Iran.


Two approaches have been employed in the preparation of hierarchical composite laminates with a carbon nanotube (CNT) phase. Glass fibers were coated with CNTs using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) prior to infusion with epoxy resin. The CNTs were functionalized using an ultrasonicated-ozone process followed by reaction with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to enhance CNT to fiber and matrix adhesion. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was also used to grow CNTs onto quartz fibers, prior to infusion with an epoxy resin modified with a thermoplastic nanophase. The mechanical performance of the two CNT laminates types were similar, however, the fracture surfaces indicated distinct differences. The EPD laminates showed fracture in the CNT-rich interphase region, whereas, the CVD laminates showed that strength was limited by adhesion failure at the CNT-fiber interface. The electrical conductivity of CVD laminates was 100 times higher than EPD laminates. For the EPD laminates the PEI functionalization increases the CNT-CNT distance resulting in reduced conductivity, while the high CNT packing density and residual iron catalyst on the fiber surface in the CVD laminates creates conducting pathways resulting in higher conductivities.


In this paper, a novel approach for coding nominal data is proposed. For the given nominal data, a rank in a form of complex number is assigned. The proposed method does not lose any information about the attribute and brings other properties previously unknown. The approach based on these knew properties can been used for classification. The analyzed example shows that classification with the use of coded nominal data or both numerical as well as coded nominal data is more effective than the classification, which uses only numerical data.


INTRODUCTION
Interventions aimed at increasing comfort of patients treated with Helmet Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (H-CPAP) increase its endurance and the duration of treatment.

AIM
To assess the effect of nursing interventions on factors of discomfort for H-CPAP patients.

METHODS
The fixing method of the helmet (5 subjects), the noise generated by the gas source and the level of humidity in the helmet were assessed. Fixing method: pain measured with Numeric rating scales (NRS) and Stress detector after the application of armpit straps or counterweights. Noise: level of noise (decibel measurement) in the helmet and the interventions to reduce it. Humidity: level of humidity with different models of active humidifiers.

RESULTS
The armpit straps increase the pain measured with the stress detector of 0.206 microSiemens and of 4.8 points of the NRS after 5 minutes. The system with counterweights does not increase pain. The Heath and Moisture Exchangers (HME) Filters and tubes with smooth inner surface decrease the level of noise in the helmet from 70 to 48 decibel, with a gas flow of 30 l/min. The humidification and warming of gases (26 degrees C (-2 gradient) and warmed tubes) delivers a relative humidity of 33.9 +/- 1.9 mgH2O/l thus avoinding the steaming of the helmet.

CONCLUSIONS
The use of counterweights, HME filters, tubes with smooth surface, ear plugs to reduce the noise level and active humidification and warming of gases reduce the discomfort associated to H-CPAP.


[1] Solar fluxes at the Earth's surface calculated in General Circulation Models (GCMs) contain large uncertainties, not only in the presence of clouds but, as shown here, even under clear-sky (i.e., cloud-free) conditions. Adequate observations to constrain the uncertainties in these clear-sky fluxes have long been missing. The present study provides newly derived observational clear-sky climatologies at worldwide distributed anchor sites with high-accuracy measurements from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM). These data are used to systematically assess the performance of a total of 36 GCMs with respect to their surface solar clear-sky fluxes. These models represent almost 2 decades of model development, from the atmospheric model intercomparison projects AMIP I and AMIP II to the state of the art models participating in the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR4). Results show that earlier model versions tend to largely overestimate the surface insolation under cloud-free conditions. This identifies an overly transparent cloud-free atmosphere as a key error source for the excessive surface insolation in GCMs noted in previous studies. Possible origins are an underestimated water vapor absorption and a lack of adequate aerosol forcing. Similar biases remain in a number of current models with comparatively low atmospheric clear-sky solar absorption (around 60 Wm−2 in the global mean). However, there are now several models participating in IPCC-AR4 with higher atmospheric clear-sky absorption (70 Wm−2 and up, globally averaged) and more realistic aerosol treatment, which are in excellent agreement with the newly derived observational clear-sky climatologies. This underlines the progress made in radiative transfer modeling as well as in the observation and diagnosis of solar radiation under cloudless atmospheres and puts the most likely value of solar radiation absorbed in the cloud-free atmosphere slightly above 70 Wm−2.


Background: Total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are becoming an increasingly standard procedure in the whole world. In conjunction with an aging population and increased prevalence of osteoporosis, proper management of periprosthetic, and interprosthetic fractures is of great interest to orthopedic surgeons. This study aims to report the clinical and radiographic outcomes, complications and reoperations of IFFs in geriatric patients. Methods: A retrospective single-institution case series study was conducted. Between 2011 and 2019, 83 patients underwent surgical treatment for periprosthetic femoral fractures. Thirteen fractures were identified as IFFs. Patient demographics and comorbidities were collected preoperatively, and fractures were classified with the Vancouver and AO unified classification system (AO-UCS). Results: We included 12 patients (13 hips) with IFFs (AO-UCS type IV.3 B (2/13) type IV.3 C (3/13), type IV.3 D (8/13)). The average patient age was 86.54 (range, 79-89) years. There were 10 females and 2 males. Perioperative morbidity has been identified in 10 of the 12 patients, and the 3-month and 1-year mortality were reported in 2 and 3 patients, respectively. Cerclage cables were used in 9 of 12 patients. One of 12 patients showed a local complication, with no documented implant failure or revision. Patients achieved complete union and returned to their preoperative ambulatory status, and full weight-bearing at an average of 5 (range, 2 to 7) months later. Conclusion: Management of IFF can be challenging because these fractures require extensive surgical expertise. Locking plate seems to be a valuable treatment option for geriatric patients with IFFs. Despite the complexity of this type of fracture, the overall complication and revision rate, as well as the radiographic outcome are good to excellent. Level of Evidence: Level III, Therapeutic study.


ABSTRACT A strain of an unknown coryneform bacterium was repeatedly isolated in pure culture from the blood of a patient affected by endocarditis. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that this isolate represented a new subline within the genus Corynebacterium. This new taxon can be identified by the presence of corynomycolic acids and its enzymatic activities and fermentation of sugars. Acid production from glucose and maltose, pyrazinamidase and alkaline phoshatase activities, and hippurate hydrolysis were the most characteristic phenotypic features of the bacterium. On the basis of both phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that this isolate be classified as a novel species, Corynebacterium tuscaniae sp. nov. The type strain, ISS-5309, has been deposited in the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC BAA-1141) and in the Culture Collection of the University of Göteborg (CCUG 51321).


Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is gaining rapid traction following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for diagnostic indications. Contrast-enhanced mammography is an alternative form of mammography that uses a dual-energy technique for image acquisition after the intravenous administration of iodinated contrast material. The resulting exam includes a dual set of images, one that appears similar to a routine 2D mammogram and one that highlights areas of contrast uptake. Studies have shown improved sensitivity compared to mammography and similar performance to contrast-enhanced breast MRI. As radiology groups incorporate CEM into clinical practice they must first select the indications for which CEM will be used. Many practices initially use CEM as an MRI alternative or in cases recommended for biopsy. Practices should then define the CEM clinical workflow and patient selection to include ordering, scheduling, contrast safety screening, and managing imaging on the day of the exam. The main equipment requirements for performing CEM include CEM-capable mammography equipment, a power injector for contrast administration, and imaging-viewing capability. The main staffing requirements include personnel to place the intravenous line, perform the CEM exam, and interpret the CEM. To safely and appropriately perform CEM, staff must be trained in their respective roles and to manage potential contrast-related events. Lastly, informing referring colleagues and patients of CEM through marketing campaigns is helpful for successful implementation.


Factual and anecdotal evidence confirms that investments in projects are inherently risky, as most large projects fail to meet their on-time and on-budget objectives. In one KPMG survey, 67% of the companies said that their project management function was in need of improvement. To address this issue, we examine two currently used procedures for crashing the project completion time by additional budget and develop a new stochastic procedure for this purpose. We consider projects with various patterns of activities, where the randomness of their duration derives from external uncertainty, internal uncertainty or both and where the correlation between their actual cost and random duration is known. The objective is to optimize the budget allocation among project activities, i.e. to determine the optimized activity execution speeds. We aim to minimize the project budget or any chance-constrained project cost, subject to any chance-constrained project completion time. We conduct Monte Carlo comparisons of the relative efficiency of the alternative procedures for crashing the project completion time on PERT-type projects. Broad Monte Carlo simulations confirm that the newly developed procedure can be an efficient tool for project management.


We prove that Donaldson-Thomas type invariants are equal to weighted Euler characteristics of their moduli spaces. In particular, such invariants depend only on the scheme structure of the moduli space, not the symmetric obstruction theory used to define them. We also introduce new invariants generalizing Donaldson-Thomas type invariants to moduli problems with open moduli space. These are useful for computing Donaldson-Thomas type invariants over stratifications.


The attitudes and practices of dentists regarding the implementation of all the strategic variables in the marketing mix is examined. Factor analysis is used to reduce the data to five factors which are used to describe the attitudes and practices of dentists. The importance of using other marketing variables besides promotion is pointed out along with the implications for influencing dentists to take a broader strategic perspective in the development of their practice.


The overall image of giftbooks remains very negative for much of their critical history,and their contents are frequently depicted as unworthy of further attention. As a result, little is known about the social influences literary annuals triggered. By analysing the mediations between annuals and the context in which these books evolved, this thesis firstly tries to demonstrate their high popularity. As a social phenomenon of the nineteenth century, literary annuals cannot longer be ignored. To validate this proposition, advertisements published in periodicals of the years 1827, 1828, 1829, 1832, 1835 and 1838 have been analysed and some critical reviews written by several contemporary critics, especially William M. Thackeray and Christian Isobel Johnstone have been explored. Even though annuals were very popular with the reading public in the early nineteenth century, their negative reputation persists. Therefore, by examining the Keepsake from 1829 until 1839, in terms of numbers of male and female contributors, this project seeks to show that although male writers felt threatened by female authors their fears were groundless. However, the bad perception of annuals affected works by canonical authors such as Mary Shelley, whose tales have often been excluded from the recognised canon. This thesis is therefore focusing on the short stories Mary Shelley has provided for the Keepsake, in order to show that the techniques (frame narratives, first person narratives and the introduction of Gothic elements), she used, permitted her to write stories dressed up for the Keepsake audience by including moral behaviour. That annuals were sources of morality and public education cannot only be seen in these writings but also in the engravings and themes depicted. In addition, this project will contribute to future research on literary annuals as it reveals both the importance of tales over poetry, and the importance of Gothic and Oriental writing in the culture of the 1820s and 30s.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and their healthcare providers frequently use the term 'flare' to describe periods of worsening disease activity. The term is not well defined and reflects a continuum of clinical experiences that is highly dependent on individual contextual factors.1,–,5 What constitutes a flare for one patient may not be the same as for another; what patients describe as a flare may be quite different from what a clinician considers significant; and the level at which symptoms become unmanageable may also vary from patient to patient and even in the same patient over time depending on disease activity, treatment effects and coping strategies. And while 'flare' is a commonly used term in English, it is not necessarily easily translated into other languages.2 With advances in RA treatment and improved outcomes, a careful study of the manifestations of flare is needed to identify patient-relevant elements that may encompass features beyond our current core set of outcome measures.

Early intensive treatment strategies that include combinations of non-biological and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are used to reach a treatment goal of remission or a very low disease activity state.6,–,10 By moving more patients to states of low disease activity, we now face new questions in clinical practice, namely how to taper therapy to maintain efficacy, to improve longer-term safety and potentially to lower costs. There is a limited evidence base from clinical practice and clinical trials to guide such decisions, partly because there is no standardised measure to assess significant disease worsening, or flare. By convention, an inversion of improvement criteria (driven predominantly by physician-assessed variables) has often been adopted,11 12 with an assumption that the magnitude of relevant change for worsening and improvement will be similar, although studies suggest …


Glutamate is released from presynaptic nerve terminals in the central nervous system (CNS) and spreads excitation by binding to and activating postsynaptic iGluRs. Of the potential glutamate targets, tetrameric AMPA receptors mediate fast, transient CNS signaling. Each of the four AMPA subunits in the receptor channel complex is capable of binding glutamate at its ligand-binding domains and transmitting the energy of activation to the pore domain. Homotetrameric AMPA receptor channels open in a stepwise manner, consistent with independent activation of individual subunits, and they exhibit complex kinetic behavior that manifests as temporal shifts between four different conductance levels. Here, we investigate how two AMPA receptor-selective noncompetitive antagonists, GYKI-52466 and GYKI-53655, disrupt the intrinsic step-like gating patterns of maximally activated homotetrameric GluA3 receptors using single-channel recordings from cell-attached patches. Interactions of these 2,3-benzodiazepines with residues in the boundary between the extracellular linkers and transmembrane helical domains reorganize the gating behavior of channels. Low concentrations of modulators stabilize open and closed states to different degrees and coordinate the activation of subunits so that channels open directly from closed to higher conductance levels. Using kinetic and structural models, we provide insight into how the altered gating patterns might arise from molecular contacts within the extracellular linker-channel boundary. Our results suggest that this region may be a tunable locus for AMPA receptor channel gating.


There is a consolidated empirical literature providing evidence of the fact that financial literacy, human capital, savings and stock market participation are interconnected decisions. However, to the best of our knowledge, a theoretical explanation of such connections is missing. In this paper we aim at filling this gap, by building a framework that includes all these decisions in an encompassing model. The results of our model provide a theoretical foundation for the role and the determinants of financial literacy and are able to explain several stylized facts on literacy and stock market participation.


The aim of the study was a  comparative analysis of reading preferences of elementary school younger learners in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland. A questionnaire of own design was used, based on an initial exploration by means of focus interviews. Respondents were divided by their reading levels. The research sample consisted of 693 Slovak, 254 Czech and 248 Polish learners. Findings indicated similarities, but also considerable differences offering a possibility to draw knowledge on international research of learners' reading preferences. The most important finding was the difference of the Polish sample correlating with the best results of Polish learners in international measurements.


An approach combining maps of wood morphology and digital image correlation was developed to investigate the drying of Eucalyptus nitens wood. Maps of morphological features (vessel and ray distribution) and cell cross-section dimensions were acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Shrinkage maps were generated using digital image correlation. There were statistically significant correlations between shrinkage/collapse and wood morphology at two levels. Firstly, there were positional relationships, with for example, both radial and tangential shrinkage increasing with increasing distance from vessel elements. Secondly, there were dimensional relationships, such as, cells with large perimeters (relative to their wall thickness) on average showing greater shrinkage. Generally, the positional relationships dominated the dimensional relationships. Detailed analysis over large areas allows for a fuller analysis of the interrelationship between wood morphology and drying shrinkage and collapse.


CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has revolutionized cell engineering and promises to open new doors in gene and cell therapies. Despite improvements in the CRISPR-editing molecular toolbox in cell lines and primary cells, identifying and purifying properly edited clones remains slow, laborious and low-yield. Here, we establish a new method that uses cell manipulation on a chip with Opto-Electronic Positioning (OEP) technology to enable clonal isolation and selection of edited cells. We focused on editing CXCR4 in primary human T cells, a gene that encodes a co-receptor for HIV entry. T cells hold significant potential for cell-based therapy, but the gene-editing efficiency and expansion potential of these cells is limited. We describe here a method to obviate these limitations. Briefly, after electroporation of cells with CXCR4-targeting Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), single T cells were isolated on a chip, where they proliferated over time into well-resolved colonies. Phenotypic consequences of genome editing could be rapidly assessed on-chip with cell-surface staining for CXCR4. Furthermore, independent of phenotype, individual colonies could be identified based on their specific genotype at the 5-10 cell stage. Each colony was split and sequentially exported for immediate on-target sequencing and validation, and further off-chip clonal expansion of the validated clones. We were able to assess single-clone editing efficiencies, including the rate of monoallelic and biallelic indels or precise nucleotide replacements. This new method will enable identification and selection of perfectly edited clones within 10 days from Cas9-RNP introduction in cells based on the phenotype and/or genotype.


Because granitic plutons usually show negative density contrasts with country rocks, they cause moderate to large negative gravity anomalies whose interpretation yields quantitative estimates of subsurface shape. Gravity anomalies suggest that many postkinematic granites extend to depths of about 10 km, which is one third the average continental crustal thickness, whereas some are much thinner. Granite contacts characteristically slope outward, and some granites show strong internal variations in density. Some granites, such as the Mull and Skye granites of Great Britain, are associated with large mafic plutons.

Observable structural accommodation appears to be too small to explain emplacement of many large, thick postkinematic granites primarily by forcible intrusion. Stoping may, therefore, be the effective mechanism.

Gravity profiles observed across granite batholiths are compared with computed profiles across a large number of hypothetical mass distributions. Negative gravity anomalies show that mass has been removed during the emplacement of most granitic plutons and indicate that the displaced mass of country rocks is neither immediately beneath the pluton nor around its margins. The gravitational effect of displaced country rocks is not apparent in observed gravity profiles. This creates a serious problem for emplacement by magmatic sloping or by granitization which may be overcome: (1) if the displaced material has sunk to great depths, (2) if it is dispersed during emplacement, or (3) if its gravitational effect is negated by a low-density root beneath the granites. Magma could originate: (1) in a granitic layer in the crust, (2) by partial fusion of the lower crust, or (3) in the mantle. Gravity profiles are computed for mass distributions which might represent each of these hypotheses, and the hypotheses are evaluated on the basis of the gravity profile.

Gravity interpretation demonstrates that some areally large granitic plutons are thick (Dartmoor Granite), that some large plutons are thin (Fla Granite), and that some plutons are associated with large volumes of mafic rock (Skye granites). Gravity interpretation is a necessary approach to petrologic studies and can lead to a quantitative petrologic interpretation.


Belt conveyors constitute an efficient and economical way for minerals and heavy-load transportation from mines to their destination, serving vital process units whose success depends on continuous operation. To meet important operational requirements, modern high-capacity conveyor systems are equipped with medium-voltage variable-speed induction motor drives. The reliability and service continuity of such drives play a critical role in the entire conveyor availability. This paper proposes an alternative to significantly improve the availability of the conveyor systems by using fault-resilient medium-voltage ac drives. Based on recent studies and the authors' experience, it is shown in this paper how the conveyor drive downtime can be dramatically reduced after an internal short circuit, keeping the overall cost to repair to a minimum and avoiding financial losses that can reach several million dollars.


Purpose

Accessing freshwater resources becomes more complex in arid and semi-arid areas due to increased demands and declining water quality. Alternative water sources for agriculture such as saline and recycled water are currently being used. A better understanding of roots' response to irrigation with saline water is crucial for future agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas.
Methods

Three grapevine (Vitis) rootstocks were examined, and their roots' responses to salinity were studied. The rootstocks were planted in pots filled with sand and were grown in a commercial net house subjected to two salinity treatments: 10 mM and 30 mM NaCl (EC = 2 and 4 ds m-1, respectively). We measured root morphologic and anatomic properties at the end of the experiment.
Results

The specific root area increased in response to salinity due to reduced root tissue density. In addition, a reduction in the average root diameter also affected the specific root area by increasing the surface area to volume ratio. Plant biomass was allocated primarily to the shoot in all three rootstocks, reducing the root to shoot ratio. At the same time, the bottom part of the root zone was more affected by salinity. SO4 showed improved chloride and sodium exclusion, concomitant with a significant increase in its narrow roots' contribution to the surface area.
Conclusion

Narrow roots play a more prominent role in the acquisition of water and nutrients as salinity increases. Furthermore, a decrease in root tissue density and average diameter may contribute to salt exclusion from the roots.


We performed lumbar unilateral epidural anesthesia in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and evaluated the reproducibility of the technique, pain control and incidence of adverse effects in comparison with a control group. Seventy-five patients scheduled for ACLR were randomized to either an intentional laterally-directed epidural catheter (IUEC, n 40) or a classic (midline) epidural catheter (CMEC, n 35). In the IUEC group the patient lied in a lateral decubitus with the affected limb downwards. After identification of the epidural space the Tuohy needle was rotated 45° in the direction of the affected side. The epidural catheter was then introduced for 4 cm in the epidural space and a light paresthesia was researched. In the CMEC group the patient was in the sitting position, the catheter was inserted in a cephalad direction. Any paresthesia elicited by the epidural catheter was registered. After a negative aspiration test and a test dose, a start dose of 5 ml of the anesthetic mixture was administered in the lateral decubitus position for the IUEC group or the supine position for the CMEC group. The dosing schemes and anesthetic mixture was equal to both groups (ropivacaine 1%, clonidine 60 g and sufentanil 15 g in 11 ml of solution). If adequate anesthesia to the affected side was not obtained the volume of the anesthetic mixture injected was increased of 2 ml each time. Both limbs were assessed for sensory blockade to cold and pin-prick and motor blockade. During surgery and postoperatively data were registered regarding pain intensity, motor blockade and hemodynamic parameters. Postoperative epidural analgesia consisted of an infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h containing ropivacaine 0.2% plus sufentanil 0.2 mcg/ml which included also PCEA boluses of 5 ml each. Need for supplemental ketorolac as well as PCEA boluses and any adverse effects were also registered. In the IUEC group 80% of patients reported a light paresthesia of the affected side during catheter insertion. Conversely in the CMEC group 71% of patients reported no paresthesia. The two groups differed also on the amount of anesthetic used (IUEC: 6.18 0.81, CMEC: 8 1.91 ml p 0.001). Bromage scale scores of the controlateral limb showed a positive and highly significant correlation with the epidural technique (r 0.683, p 0.001). No differences were recorded regarding VAS, verbal scale scores, ketorolac rescue doses or PCEA boluses with the exception of VAS scores at 12 hours postoperatively which were significantly higher in the CMEC group (CMEC: 10 (range: 0-80) vs IUEC: 0 (0-60), p 0.01). Urinary retention was significantly more frequent in the CMEC group (19/35 vs 5/40, p 0.001). We conclude that the IUEC technique described above is a feasible, reproducible, and efficient technique for providing surgical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia after ACLR. The technique is associated with a lower consume of anesthetics which account also for the lower incidence of urinary retention encountered in the IUEC group. 193. Abducent nerve palsy after spinal puncture: a centennial review of the literature


The aim of the research was to know the effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and rhizobacteria on the soil physic properties and yield of Chilli (Capsicum annum L.). A fieldpolybag trial had been carried out at 750 m above sea level using a randomized block design two factors with factorial pattern and three replications. The first factor was the type of AMF (control, Glomus sp, Gigasporasp, Acaulospora sp. Glomus sp+ Gigasporasp+ Acaulosporasp). The second factor was the type rhizobacteria (control, Pseudomonas diminuta, Bacillus alvei). The results showed that AMF and rhizobacteria independently did not influenced soil bulk density, soil water content, and soil aggregate stability index. Gigasporasp increased harvest index and fruit fresh


Business process reengineering (BPR) is not just the program of business process improvement, but it improves the operations of the business process as a whole. Workflow Reengineering Methodology (WRM) is comprehensive, covering the process improvement effort from the identification of a need for change to the final implementation and maintenance of the improved workflow. Our research has proposed an enhanced methodology of WRM to suit small and medium enterprise (SME). A conceptual model of BPR for SMEs has been proposed and applied in a case study collaborated with a cargo company di Malaysia. The architecture of the integrated system was designed to proof the practicality of the model specifically for SMEs environment. In this case study, the priorities of the company were the improvement in administration, customer services and operations divisions. Improvement of the operation in these three divisions was implemented by introducing a computerized system that focuses on the improvements in the effectiveness of the speed of processing time, cost efficiency and human resources as well as an increase in level of customer service. The case study shows the proposed enhanced WRM is appropriate and practical for SMEs.


Variable length codes (VLCs) exhibit loss of synchronization problems when transmitted over noisy channels. Trellis decoding techniques based on Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) estimators are often used to minimize the error rate on the estimated sequence. If the number of symbols and/or bits transmitted is known by the decoder, termination constraints can be incorporated in the decoding process. All the paths in the trellis which do not lead to a valid sequence length are suppressed. This correspondence presents an analytic method to assess the expected error resilience of a VLC when trellis decoding with a sequence length constraint is used. The approach is based on the computation, for a given code, of the amount of information brought by the constraint. It is then shown that this quantity is not significantly altered by appropriate trellis states aggregation. This proves that the performance obtained by running a length-constrained Viterbi decoder on aggregated state models approaches the one obtained with the bit/symbol trellis, with a significantly reduced complexity. It is then shown that the complexity can be further decreased by projecting the state model on two state models of reduced size


Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most frequent endocrine disease in infants, affects about 1 in 3,000 newborns and is characterized by elevated levels of thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) as a consequence of reduced thyroid function. It is also one of the most common preventable causes of cognitive and motor deficits. Prevention of CH is based on carrier identification, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. In neonates a complete diagnosis of CH should include clinical examination, biochemical thyroid tests, thyroid ultrasound, radioiodine or technetium scintigraphy and perchlorate discharge test (PDT). In the last two decades, considerable progress has been made in identifying the genetic and molecular causes of CH. Knowing the prevalence of mutations in each population will facilitate greatly the molecular genetic testing. The classification based on the genetic alterations divides CH into two main categories caused: (a) by disorders of thyroid gland development (dysembriogenesis or thyroid dysgenesis group) or (b) by defects in any of the steps of thyroid hormone synthesis (dyshormonogenesis group) [1]. The dysembryogenesis or thyroid dysgenesis group, which accounts for the 80-85% of the cases, results from a thyroid gland that is completely absent in orthotopic or ectopic location (agenesis or athyreosis), severely reduced in size but in the proper position in the neck (orthotopic hypoplasia) or located in an unusual position (thyroid ectopy) at the base of the tongue or along the thyroglossal tract [1]. In only 5% of the patients, the CH is associated with mutations in genes responsible for the development or growth of thyroid cells: NKX2.1 (also known as TTF1 or T/EBP), FOXE1 (also known as TTF2 or FKHL15), paired box transcription factor 8 (PAX-8), NKX2.5, and TSHR genes [1]. Consequently, the genetic mechanisms underlying the defects in thyroid organogenesis in the majority of the cases remain to be elucidated. Epigenetic mechanisms leading to stochastic variations in the expression of multiple loci could be responsible for the sporadic characteristic of thyroid dysgenesis. Dyshormonogenesis, which accounts for the remaining 15-20% of the cases, has been linked to mutations in the SLC5A (Na+/I_ symporter, NIS) [2], SLC26A4 (Pendrine, PDS) [3], thyroperoxidase (TPO) [4], dual oxidase2 (DUOX2), DUOX maturation factor 1 and 2 (DUOXA1 and DUOXA2) [5-7], iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1 (DEHAL1) [8] and thyroglobulin (TG) [1] 27 genes. These mutations produce a heterogeneous spectrum of congenital hypothyroidism, with an autosomal recessive inheritance. Thereafter, the patients are typically homozygous or compound heterozygous for the gene mutations and the parents, carriers of one mutation.


Objectives: China is the country most afflicted by hepatocellular carcinoma in the world. However, little is known about the epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in China. This study aimed to examine the trends of the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma in China, and to investigate the effects of age, period, and birth cohort on the epidemiological trend. Methods: The data were obtained from the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance claims database (2003–2017) in Tianjin, China, which covers 5.95 million individuals. The average annual percentage change of the prevalence, incidence, and mortality were accessed using joinpoint regression. Age-period-cohort models were produced to quantify the effects of age, period, and cohort. Results: The hepatocellular carcinoma prevalence rate increased by 5.13% annually from 20.12/100,000 in 2008 to 30.49/100,000 in 2017, and the incidence rate was almost unchanged, from 13.91/100,000 in 2008 to 14.09/100,000 in 2017, but mortality decreased by 1.80% annually from 8.18/100,000 in 2008 to 7.34/100,000 in 2017. The age-period-cohort analysis revealed that the prevalence rate was remarkably increased from age 25, peaked in age 60, and decreased at age 70 and over. In the period index, the prevalence rate increased gradually from 2008 to 2016, and decreased a little in 2017. In the cohort index, the prevalence rate decreased approximately linearly from the 1925 cohort to the 1990 cohort. The result for the incidence was similar to the prevalence. The mortality rate increased approximately linearly from age 45 to 85, decreased from the 1925 cohort to the 1990 cohort, but it changed a little with the change of period. Conclusions: The findings of this study could inform the necessity of conducting earlier screening for high-risk individuals and improving the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, which may also help to predict future changes in hepatocellular carcinoma epidemiology.


This thesis examines the building activity of the landed Nobility in the affluent province of Scania, Southern Sweden between 1840 and 1900. The new and rebuilt country houses were often created by the modernisation of previous buildings at the same location. They are referred to as 'New Palaces' in this thesis, a term chosen in order to emphasise the strong historical influence on this process. The stylistic changes of exteriors, interiors and ground plans are described and analysed. The thesis focuses in particular on the main buildings of the estates at Jordberga, Sofdeborg, Kulla Gunnarstorp, Trolleholm and Kronovall. These New Palaces were built in a variety of styles with marked differences between early and late examples.

The study is based on a combination of source material encompassing letters, diaries, drawings, newspaper articles, autobiographies and photographs as well as still surviving palace buildings. The material is analysed from a variety of perspectives, to reveal possible motivations behind the projects, and the relationship in the building process between the architect and client, as well as those between man and woman.

The ambitious (and occasionally ostentatious) architecture of the New Palaces is traditionally interpreted by many scholars as having served a symbolic purpose. It is seen as a natural reaction by a Swedish nobility stripped of their historical privileges in a new era; an attempt to compensate for the loss of their social and legal status.

This study reveals several other motivations and driving forces behind the use of historical architecture by the Scanian nobility of the time. One theme that emerges is that, over the course of the 19th century, architecture increasingly became a project for the individual. At the same time, however, it becomes clear that there were limits to the acceptance of individual expression in a culture that was traditionally homogeneous and whose fundamental and unifying force consisted of a common expression shared by its representatives ? buildings and people alike.

Today most of the New Palaces are seen as typically Scanian and this thesis also discusses whether they were an attempt to build a regional identity through architecture, examining claims that 19th-century nobles used historical styles, consciously or unconsciously, to express associations with Scania or the Swedish nation, or to express their past associations with neighbouring Denmark.


Until the seventh week of human embryonic development of both sexes have very similar primordia of genitalia represented by two undifferentiated gonads two mesonephric ducts, which originate the male genital tract and two paramesonephric ducts develop the female genital tract. Genital tubercle, two labiouretrales folds and two labioscrotal folds: Externally the same basic elements that are distinguished in both sexes. From SRY gene expression that occurs during the eighth week a series of morphophysiological events leading establishing a clear sexual dimorphism starts. If the resulting gonad is a testis produced hormones induce masculinization of internal and external genitalia, as well as outline the breast. However, if an ovary is formed or not formed gonads, internal and external genitalia develop in female sense. Genetic sex is not always related to the differentiation of external genitalia or genital tract that is why we consider separately each. This article explores the morphological differentiation into male and female connection, as well as the molecular regulation of the gonads, genital tract and external genitalia.