Crop residue is a valuable resource in Great Plains dryland agroecosystems because it aids in water conservation and soil erosion control. The objectives of our research were to (i) determine the effect of cropping intensity, climate gradient, and soil depth on levels and changes in soil C, soil N, and residue parameters after 8 yr of no-till management in dryland cropping systems and (ii) relate soil and residue parameters to soil C and N levels. Surface soil properties and residue parameters were compared in two cropping systems, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow (WF) and wheat-corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]-proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.)-fallow (WCMF). The effects were examined on the summit position of a catenary sequence of soils across three environments representing an evapotranspiration (ET) gradient. Soils at the low- and medium-ET sites are classified as Argiustols, and the soil at the high-ET site is an Ustochrept. There was 3.0 Mg ha -1 of residue in the surface 10 cm of soil compared with 2.7 Mg ha -1 of residue on the soil surface averaged over ET gradient and cropping systems. About 90% of the residue in the soil was found within the 2.5-cm soil depth. The highest soil organic C (SOC) and soil organic N (SON) were observed in the surface 0- to 2.5-cm depth. There was a trend (P ≤ 0.16) for the more intense WCMF cropping system to have higher SOC and SON contents than the traditional WF system (C = 6.6 g kg -1 for WF compared with 7.5 g kg -1 for WCMF and N = 0.70 g kg -1 for WF compared with 0.74 g kg -1 for WCMF). From 1985 to 1993, gains in SOC (967 kg ha -1 ) and SON (74 kg ha -1 ) occurred in the surface 0- to 2.5- and 2.5- to 5-cm depths while losses were observed in the 5- to 10-cm depth (SOC = -694 kg ha -1 ; SON = -44 kg ha -1 ). Climate strongly modified these effects but did not reflect a clear ET gradient effect. The results suggest that higher levels of surface SOC and SON can be attained by increasing cropping intensity under no-till management.


Barack Obama's election as US president gave rise to hopes of radical reform. Indeed, comparisons were drawn with 1932 and there were references to 'realignment'. Many on the left were quickly disappointed by the limited character of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the abandonment of proposed reforms, and the concessions that were made to ensure the passage of healthcare legislation. Some explained these failures through agency-based accounts and pointed to what they saw as personal weakness. Others stressed the structural constraints imposed by the asymmetric character of partisan polarisation, the political weight of capital, and the institutional character of the American state. The article argues that the character of the 'Obama coalition' should also be considered. It has been relatively narrow particularly when compared with the 'Roosevelt coalition'. In particular, it failed to draw business fractions into its ranks.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the sleep patterns of nursing students using self-report questionnaire and physiologic measurement, to examine the factors influencing sleep patterns in based on Spielman's model. Methods: Participants were 119 nursing students who were in the clinical practice period. Self-report questionnaires and actigraphy were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression by the SPSS/WIN 21.0 programs. Results: When sleep was measured by self-report questionnaire, 84 students (70.6%) showed poor sleep quality. The mean sleep efficiency was 82.6%, and 67 students(56.3%) showed low sleep efficiency (less than 85.0%). The factors affecting subjective sleep pattern measured by KMLSEQ were circadian sleep type (β= .28, ρ= .003) and alcohol (β= .20, ρ= .031). The factors affecting total sleep time were sedentary behavior (β= -.27, ρ= .003) and daytime sleepiness (β= -.33, ρ< .001). Conclusion: Many nursing students in their clinical practice period expressed sleep disturbance. Factors affecting the perceived sleep measured by the self-report questionnaire and objective sleep evaluated by physiologic measures were different. The evening type of students perceived poor sleep quality, however, sedentary life style and daytime sleepiness resulted in short sleep time. Therefore, more studies measuring the objective sleep characteristics are needed using subjective and objective characteristics.


This paper analyzes the appropriateness of certain statistical techniques in technology adoption studies, and suggests following empirical evidence, that a two –stage probit model may most times be more useful. The model allows for a flexible specification of the process of technology adoption from one stage to two stages, facilitates the modeling of non-adopters and puts right the violation of full information. An application of the model to the adoption of improved maize varieties in Imo state revealed that the two-stage probit model is superior to the univariate probit model having produced a better maximum log- likelihood value and more significant variables. It is therefore recommended for modeling adoption studies. Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol.1(1) 2005: 91-96


This paper describes the approach adopted for the evaluation both of the odour impact and of the non-carcinogenic health effects relevant to odours in the city of Terni, Italy. The first part of the study focused on the quantification of emissions by means of dynamic olfactometry and chemical analyses. Dispersion modelling was then applied for the evaluation of citizens' exposure both to odours and to their non-carcinogenic toxicity. The results show that, on one hand, the odour impact is considerable, actually affecting almost the whole city of Terni. On the other hand, the toxic impact, expressed in terms of the Hazard Index (HI), is about three orders of magnitude lower than the level that is expected to bring adverse effects, over a lifetime exposure, for human health.


Objective We characterized the epilepsy features and contribution to cognitive regression in 47 patients with MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) and reviewed these characteristics in over 280 MDS published cases. Methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective review of medical records and case histories of patients with MDS. Results The average age at enrollment was 10 ± 7 years. Patients with epilepsy were older (13 ± 7 years vs 8 ± 5 years, p = 0.004) and followed for a longer time (11.8 ± 6.5 years vs 6.3 ± 4.2 years, p = 0.003) than patients without a seizure disorder. Epilepsy affected 22/47 (47%) patients with MDS. It was treatment-refractory and consistent with epileptic encephalopathy in 18/22 (82%) cases. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) was present in 12/22 (55%) patients and manifested between late childhood and adulthood in 83% of cases. The emergence of neurologic regression coincided with the onset of epilepsy. The MECP2 duplication size and gene content did not correlate with epilepsy presence, type, age at onset, or treatment responsiveness. Conclusion Epilepsy in MDS is common, often severe, and medically refractory. LGS occurs frequently and may have a late onset. Developmental regression often follows the onset of epilepsy. The MECP2 duplication extent and gene content do not discriminate between patients with or without epilepsy. Our findings inform clinical care and family counseling with respect to early epilepsy recognition, diagnosis, specialty referral, and implementation of aggressive seizure therapy to minimize detrimental effect of uncontrolled seizures on cognitive functions or preexisting neurologic deficits.


While Zongos have become a permanent abode for many people, especially migrants in urban Ghana, the dynamics of these communities are quite poorly understood. This paper provides a geographic analysis of the formation of Zongos, drawing heavily on a complex systems approach to explore how various variables, including space, ethnicity, class, citizenship, migration and environmental processes intersect to form and sustain Zongos in Ghana. Essentially, the paper throws more light on the key factors that contribute to the spatial concentration of the urban poor in Zongos and concludes with the consequences of having the urban poor living in highly segregated and economically depressed neighbourhoods in Ghanaian cities. The paper argues that the formation of Zongos is not solely attributable to the fondness of migrants from northern Ghana to live among people of like background while in southern cities, but also because of the exclusionary machinations of the majority and their housing gatekeepers.


Metal-on-metal hip resurfacing prostheses are a relatively recent intervention for relieving the symptoms of common musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis. While some short term clinical studies have offered positive results, in a minority of cases there is a recognised issue of femoral fracture, which commonly occurs in the first few months following the operation. This problem has been explained by a surgeon9s learning curve and notching of the femur but, to date, studies of explanted early fracture components have been limited. Tribological analysis was carried out on fourteen retrieved femoral components of which twelve were revised after femoral fracture and two for avascular necrosis (AVN). Eight samples were Durom (Zimmer, Indiana, USA) devices and six were Articular Surface Replacements (ASR, DePuy, Leeds, United Kingdom). One AVN retrieval was a Durom, the other an ASR. The mean time to fracture was 3.4 months. The AVNs were retrieved after 16 months (Durom) and 38 months (ASR). Volumetric wear rates were determined using a Mitutoyo Legex 322 co-ordinate measuring machine (scanning accuracy within 1 micron) and a bespoke computer program. The method was validated against gravimetric calculations for volumetric wear using a sample femoral head that was artificially worn in vitro. At 5mm3, 10mm3, and 15mm3 of material removal, the method was accurate to within 0.5mm3. Surface roughness data was collected using a Zygo NewView500 interferometer (resolution 1nm). Mean wear rates of 17.74mm3/year were measured from the fracture components. Wear rates for the AVN retrievals were 0.43mm3/year and 3.45mm3/year. Mean roughness values of the fracture retrievals (PV = 0.754nm, RMS = 0.027nm) were similar to the AVNs (PV = 0.621nm, RMS = 0.030nm), though the AVNs had been in vivo for significantly longer. Theoretical lubrication calculations were carried out which found that in both AVN retrievals and in seven of the twelve cases of femoral fracture the roughening was sufficient to change the lubrication regime from fluid film to mixed. Three of these surfaces were bordering on the boundary lubrication regime. The results show that even before the femoral fracture, wear rates and roughness values were high and the implants were performing poorly.


Structural optimization is a popular method for designing objects such as bridge trusses, airplane wings, and optical devices. Unfortunately, the quality of solutions depends heavily on how the problem is parameterized. In this paper, we propose using the implicit bias over functions induced by neural networks to improve the parameterization of structural optimization. Rather than directly optimizing densities on a grid, we instead optimize the parameters of a neural network which outputs those densities. This reparameterization leads to different and often better solutions. On a selection of 116 structural optimization tasks, our approach produces the best design 50% more often than the best baseline method.


ABSTRACT The positions and intensities of 1936 lines observed in the range 7400– of two absorption spectra of ammonia recorded at high resolution using Fourier transform spectroscopy are reported. The accuracy of these line positions is estimated to range from 0.001 to from the lower to the upper limits of the spectral range considered, while the accuracy of the line intensities is estimated to be around 10% or better. Also reported are less-accurately measured positions and intensities of 1985 lines retrieved from these two spectra or from only one of them. These results are compared with the data measured recently in a spectrum recorded in 1980 at the Kitt Peak National Solar Observatory [Barton et al., J. Mol. Spectrosc. 325, 7 (2016)] and provided in HITRAN 2016, as well as line positions and intensities measured in this work in the same Kitt Peak spectrum. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the potential role of IL-1A gene variations in pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) with familial history.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We investigated the IL-1A-889C>T polymorphism in 335 patients with CAD and 335 healthy individuals for case-control association analysis. In this study, we also investigated the heritability of the susceptible allele from 130 trio families with CAD-affected offspring. We performed genotyping using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.

RESULTS
The IL-1A-889 C/T polymorphism was significantly associated with CAD in patients compared with healthy controls. The minor allele T at -889 was more prevalent in cases vs controls. The results of a transmission disequilibrium test revealed a significant association between the IL-1A-889 polymorphism and CAD. The mutant genotype CT+TT was significantly associated with high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and other relative markers from patients with CAD.

CONCLUSION
For the first time in the literature, to our knowledge, we demonstrate a significant association of the IL-1A-889 functional polymorphism with CAD.


Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs throughout the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) have been linked to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia and water‐quality problems throughout the MARB. To describe N and P loading throughout the MARB, SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were previously developed based on nutrient inputs and management similar to 1992 and 2002. In this study, refined SPARROW models were developed with higher resolution basin delineation, updated (2012) source inputs, improved calibration (load) targets, and additional statistical techniques than used in the previous SPARROW models. Based on the refined models, consistent with past models, N and P loads/yields were the highest from the central part of the MARB (Corn Belt) and along the Mississippi River. Agricultural activities remained the most important N and P source, but more so for N because its input, which could now be distinguished from atmospheric deposition, could be estimated. Natural loss of P from geologic material throughout the MARB was an important source, contributing about 23% of the total P from the MARB, and resulted in specific areas, such as Kentucky and Tennessee, being larger sources of P than previously estimated. This information can help managers decide where efforts will have the largest effects (highest ranked areas) on reducing nutrient loading to the Gulf hypoxia and what are the most important sources of N and P in these areas.


Based on the concept of adiabatic invariant, the perturbation to Lie–Mei symmetry and adiabatic invariants for Birkhoffian systems are studied. The definition of the perturbation to Lie–Mei symmetry for the system is presented, and the criterion of the perturbation to Lie–Mei symmetry is given. Meanwhile, the Hojman adiabatic invariants and the Mei adiabatic invariants for the perturbed system are obtained.


Manufacturing grid serves as a distributed platform for integrating manufacturing resources and offering shared service. The state knowledge of the manufacturing resources is recorded efficiently. Thus resource exceptions can be timely noticed and removed to ensure reliable service. Given the features of manufacturing grid and the strategy of failure detector in the mode of PULL, this paper proposes a new mode of state detection algorithm for manufacturing grid. This algorithm is capable of meeting various demands of all kinds of manufacturing resources, and supporting the strategy of scheduling priority of local resources demanding no clock synchronization. Data from a manufacturing grid test bed shows that the algorithm can accurately and dynamically record the resource state, and it can meet the demands of resource detection in the manufacturing grid.


The past has left a huge variety of traces in material form. If historians could figure out how to make use of them to create accounts of the past, a far greater range of histories would be available than if historians were to rely on written sources alone. People who do not appear in writings could come into focus; as could the concerns of people that have escaped writing but whose material things belie their desires and actions. This book explores various ways in which aspects of the past of peoples in many times and places otherwise inaccessible can come alive to the material culture historian. It is divided into five thematic sections that address history, material culture, and—respectively—cognition, technology, symbolism, social distinction, and memory. It does so by means of six individually authored case studies in each section that range from pins to pearls, Paleolithic to Punk.


Discussion of coming out within lesbian and gay academic literature has focussed primarily on the individual process and consequences of disclosing a lesbian/gay identity. Drawing upon data from a qualitative research study of 20 lesbian parent families in the UK, who had planned and had their first child together, this paper considers dimensions of coming out that arise for lesbian parents having children in an openly lesbian relationship. To date little attention has been paid to these dimensions. Women identified how having children revealed new layers of being out as parenthood brought them into contact with a whole new range of people, settings and networks. Negotiating recognition of their parental and familial status involves making decisions about when, where and how to come out in these new settings and women also faced renegotiations of an acceptance of their lesbian identity and parenthood with family members. This paper utilises stigma theory to examine some of the additional complexities related to the decisions and negotiations involved in being out as lesbian parent families.


The epidemic of opioid crisis started getting recognised as a public health emergency in view of increasing opioid-related deaths occurring due to undetected respiratory depression. Prescribing opioids at discharge has become an independent risk factor for chronic opioid use, following which, prescription practices have undergone a radical change. A call to action has been voiced recently to end the opioid epidemic although with the pain practitioners still struggling to make opioids readily available. American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) has called for reducing patient exposure to opioids in the surgical setting. Opioid sparing strategies have emerged embracing loco-regional techniques and non-opioid based multimodal pain management whereas opioid free anesthesia is the combination of various opioid sparing strategies culminating in complete elimination of opioid usage.The movement away from opioid usage perioperatively is a massive but necessary shift in anesthesia which has rationalised perioperative opioid usage. Ideal way moving forward would be to adapt selective low opioid effective dosing which is both procedure and patient specific while reserving it as rescue analgesia, postoperatively. Many unknowns persist in the domain of immunologic effects of opioids, as complex interplay of factors gets associated during real time surgery towards outcome. At present it would be too premature to conclude upon opioid-induced immunosuppression from the existing evidence. Till evidence is established, there are no recommendations to change current clinical practice. At the same time, consideration for multimodal opioid sparing strategies should be initiated in each patient undergoing surgery.


Improvements in identification procedures for yeasts lag behind recent developments in taxonomy. Sophisticated genetical and biochemical methods cannot be used in routine identification of yeasts. In foods representing specific and often selective ecological niches for yeasts, usually a restricted number of species are present, and for these a simplified identification key has been devised based only on 10 to 15 tests. Yeasts representing 215 species reported to be present in foods are included in a key, and methods of simplified identification are described.


Mobility on demand (MOD) provides improved mobility options to all travelers with the use of on-demand information and real-time data. Several alternatives, such as Demand Responsive Transit Systems (DRTS) services, have been introduced around the world. Early DRTS provide on-demand service for areas of low-density population. Nowadays, DRTS are mostly used to provide door-to-door services, and this specific type of DRTS is called Dial-a-Ride Problems (DARP). In this study, a multi-objective model with three objectives, including travel cost, service quality, and eco-efficiency, is formulated. Travel cost is estimated through vehicle travel time, service quality is measured as customer waiting time, and eco-efficiency is measured through consumed fuel. A speed-level variable is introduced in the DARP model to describe travel time, waiting, and consumed fuel simultaneously. For each objective, a single objective model is constructed and implemented. Then, the weighting method with normalization (WMN) is applied for the multi-objective model to solve three objectives. The proposed model is solved through the Gurobi optimizer. Numerical experiments are conducted based on real geometric data in Kaohsiung City. The results show that the proposed model not only provides compromise solutions, but also improves the total performance in meeting three objectives. Pareto front is analyzed with many different combinations of weights to provide more information about the trade-offs between the three objectives. The results can be applied in practice to design vehicle routes for operators and to design DARP evaluation criteria for official agencies.


© 2018 The Author(s). The primary goals of the STRong lensing Insights into the Dark Energy Survey (STRIDES) collaboration are to measure the dark energy equation of state parameter and the free streaming length of dark matter. To this aim, STRIDES is discovering strongly lensed quasars in the imaging data of the Dark Energy Survey and following them up to measure time delays, high resolution imaging, and spectroscopy sufficient to construct accurate lens models. In this paper, we first present forecasts for STRIDES. Then, we describe the STRIDES classification scheme, and give an overview of the Fall 2016 follow-up campaign. We continue by detailing the results of two selection methods, the outlier selection technique and a morphological algorithm, and presenting lens models of a system that could possibly be a lensed quasar in an unusual configuration. We conclude with the summary statistics of the Fall 2016 campaign. Including searches presented in companion papers (Anguita et al.; Ostrovski et al.), STRIDES followed up 117 targets identifying 7 new strongly lensed systems, and 7 nearly identical quasars, which could be confirmed as lenses by the detection of the lens galaxy. 76 candidates were rejected and 27 remain otherwise inconclusive, for a success rate in the range of 6-35 per cent. This rate is comparable to that of previous searches like SDSS Quasar Lens Search even though the parent data set of STRIDES is purely photometric and our selection of candidates cannot rely on spectroscopic information.


In the present work we theoretically investigate density-wave propagation in a superconducting medium, consisting of a finite number of layers. An electromagnetic wave interacts with superconducting electrons to set up charge-density gradients within the superconducting electron plasma. We use the London equations and a two fluid approach along with a Kronig-Penney model to describe the layered medium, in order to investigate the density wave behaviour by deriving a linear dispersion relation. It is shown that the charge density wave dissipates gradually. We numerically investigate the dependence of the complex Bloch-wave number on the propagation frequency using the standard boundary conditions of the Kronig-Penney model. Expressions of reflectivity and transmissivity are derived for a periodic layered structure consisting of a finite number of superconducting layers; these quantities are investigated numerically for a high temperature superconductor and their dependence on background parameters is discussed.


This study examines the nature and role of Psychological Contract Violation (PCV) in online marketplaces, a critical factor that has been largely overlooked by previous research. Applied to buyer-seller relationships, PCV is defined as a buyer's perception of having being treated wrongly regarding the terms of an exchange agreement with an individual seller. PCV with individual sellers is proposed as a formative first-order construct driven by the occurrence of fraud, product misrepresentation, contract default, delivery delay, and failure to follow product guarantees and payment policies. PCV with an individual seller is proposed to prompt a generalized perception of PCV with the entire community of sellers in a marketplace.

PCV with the community of sellers is hypothesized to negatively affect buyer transaction behavior in a marketplace by directly impacting transaction intentions, price premiums, trust, perceived risk, and the perceived effectiveness of institutional structures. PCV is also hypothesized to act as a moderator, transforming the buyers' initial trust-based mindset to one more centered on perceived risk. Finally, PCV is hypothesized to attenuate the positive impact of trust on transaction intentions, while reinforcing the negative impact of perceived risk on transaction intentions. It is also proposed to attenuate the impact of the perceived effectiveness of institutional structures on trust, while strengthening its negative effect on perceived risk. As a means of preventing PCV, the buyers' positive experience and the sellers' favorable past performance are hypothesized to make PCV with the community of sellers less likely.

A combination of primary and secondary longitudinal data from 404 buyers in eBay's and Amazon's online auctions support the proposed hypotheses, validating PCV as a central element of buyer-seller relationships in online marketplaces. Interestingly, ex post facto results show that buyers with higher perceptions of PCV with the community of sellers are less likely to experience PCV with an individual seller in the future.

Implications for buyer-seller relationships in online marketplaces and the PCV literature are discussed. Also discussed is how the increasing number of buyers who experience PCV in online marketplaces extends the literature that has been largely developed based on buyers who had not experienced PCV.


In the present study, we compared cytotoxicity and cell uptake of silica nanoparticles with four different surface coatings generated through layer-by-layer self-assembly. Rabbit mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) were labeled with silica nanoparticles of different coatings including poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), poly(anetholesulfonic acid, sodium salt) (PAS), and dextran sulfate. The MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide] test was performed to quantify the cell biocompatibility. The cellular uptake of those silica nanoparticles was determined by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that all examined silica nanoparticles were stable in aqueous phase with high monodispersity. Labeled rMSCs are unaffected in their viability, apoptosis, and differentiation capacities. The silica nanoparticle-coated synthetic polycations such as PEI or PAH have higher cell internalization than negatively charged polyelectrolytes. The ability to control cell uptake of different particles may have applications in cell labeling, cell separation, and other biomedical applications.


The three most important components in the sediments of modern north temperate lakes are detrital material, organic matter, and calcium carbonate. The detrital material is derived from whatever materials are available in the drainage basin, with modifications by weathering and diagenesis. Organic matter is a mixture of both allochthonous material (pollen grains, seeds, needles, organic detritus, etc) from the drainage basin and autochthonous organic matter (largely debris from planktonic algae and aquatic macrophytes). Recent studies of sedimentary pigments in lake sediments indicate that most of the organic matter in sediments of productive (eutrophic) lakes is derived from algae. Sediments in these lakes usually are olive gray and contain more than 20% dry weight organi matter (10% organic carbon). High concentrations of organic matter also accumulate in meromictic lakes in which organic matter is protected from oxidation by permanently anoxic bottom waters. Low-magnesian calcite is the most common carbonate mineral in those lakes that are saturated with respect to calcium and/or magnesium carbonates. Dolomite and high-magnesian calcite can form even under humid, temperate conditions if the Mg:Ca ratio in the water is greater than about 8. Aragonite is mostly derived from mollusk debris, but may form as a primary precipitate if the Mg:Ca ratio in the water is greater than about 12. Assimilation of carbon dioxide by phytoplankton photosynthesis is an important aspect of carbonate precipitation in hard-water lakes. In some lakes, the rate of precipitation of calcium carbonate from waters that are supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate is directly proportional to rates of assimilation of calcium carbonate by plankton. End_of_Article - Last_Page 825------------


Silencing of T cell activation and function is a highly efficient strategy of immunosuppression induced by pathogens. By promoting formation of membrane microdomains essential for clustering of receptors and signalling platforms in the plasma membrane, ceramides accumulating as a result of membrane sphingomyelin breakdown are not only essential for assembly of signalling complexes and pathogen entry, but also act as signalling modulators, e. g. by regulating relay of phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signalling. Their role in T lymphocyte functions has not been addressed as yet. We now show that measles virus (MV), which interacts with the surface of T cells and thereby efficiently interferes with stimulated dynamic reorganisation of their actin cytoskeleton, causes ceramide accumulation in human T cells in a neutral (NSM) and acid (ASM) sphingomyelinase–dependent manner. Ceramides induced by MV, but also bacterial sphingomyelinase, efficiently interfered with formation of membrane protrusions and T cell spreading and front/rear polarisation in response to β1 integrin ligation or αCD3/CD28 activation, and this was rescued upon pharmacological or genetic ablation of ASM/NSM activity. Moreover, membrane ceramide accumulation downmodulated chemokine-induced T cell motility on fibronectin. Altogether, these findings highlight an as yet unrecognised concept of pathogens able to cause membrane ceramide accumulation to target essential processes in T cell activation and function by preventing stimulated actin cytoskeletal dynamics.


The aim of this study was to provide information on the levels of heavy metals (lead and cadmium) in edible specimens around the Tagarades landfill after a big fire.A total of 49 fruit, vegetable and milk samples were collected, according to the Directive 2001/22/EC. The sampling areas were: < 2.5, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 km around landfill, as well as, 35-40 km away which served as a blank area that was not affected by the landfill. Care was taken to get samples of the same varieties from different selected sites. The samples were wet digested using concentrated nitric and perchloric acid. Cadmium was analyzed using a Flame Atomic Spectrometer and lead an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry with graphite furnace atomization. Our results indicate that there was no apparent effect from the landfill fire on lead and cadmium levels found in the tested food samples. These specimens were safe for consumption according to the Draft Commission Regulation on Setting Maximum Limits for Certain Contaminants in Foodstuffs.


Introduction few studies have been conducted to evaluate pharmacists´ knowledge and practice of the asthma guidelines. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) report was developed to reduce practice variability and to improve the quality of asthma care. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of the GINA report among community pharmacists in a Nigerian State. Methods this cross-sectional survey was conducted among community pharmacists in Enugu State, Nigeria (May to July, 2018). Data were collected with a 39-item structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the IBM SPSS Version 21.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Inferential statistics utilized the Pearson Chi-Square test where applicable, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results a total of 89 community pharmacists in Enugu State participated in the study (76.7% participation rate). More than half of them were less than 40 years old (60.7%), male (59.6%) and only had the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree (83.1%). About a tenth of the community pharmacists (10.1%) reported that they stock the peak flow meter. Few of them (2.2%) utilized the Asthma Control Test™ in their practice. After categorization, less than half of the community pharmacists had good knowledge of asthma (34.8%) and demonstrated good practice of the GINA report (11.2%). Conclusion the community pharmacists had poor knowledge of asthma and demonstrated poor practice of the GINA report. With adequate knowledge of the guidelines, community pharmacists can assist patients with making informed decisions and proffer appropriate recommendations to physicians.


Beginning with the publication in 1959 of Herman Feifel's The Meaning of Death (containing the proceedings of a similarly named landmark symposium), the medical literature dealing with a medical subspecialty, thanatology, began to proliferate. Those concerned with the morals and ethics of health care for the 1970s and beyond have been made aware of the taboo status accorded to dying, death, and bereavement. A model technique not only for interviewing the dying patient but also for impressing on those in the allied health fields the lessons to be taught by those facing death was developed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. The dying were teaching the living how to cope. While on the medical scene these studies were being literally forced on professionals, the public was still being overprotected from contact with the facts of death and dying—by hospital rules limiting visiting hours, by physicians who demanded that the nature of a patient's


Two hundred and forty-five endoscopically proven or surgically treated duodenal ulcers were retrospectively evaluated to see if the site of ulcer has any influence on the clinical presentation, and healing and relapse rates. Anterior wall ulcer was present in 42%, posterior wall in 33%, lesser curve side of the cap in 12% and greater curve side in 13% cases. Ulcer site showed no correlation to age, sex, duration of illness, analgesic intake or smoking habits. Bleeding (116 cases) and perforation (15 cases) were the major complications encountered; of these perforation was invariably found on the anterior wall, while bleeding was more frequent in ulcers present on the lesser curve side of the cap. Better healing and high relapse rates were seen in ulcers situated on the greater curve, and low healing and relapse rates in lesser curve duodenal ulcers.


From January 1987 till February 1992, a total of 203 consecutive patients with gastric carcinoma were evaluated with endosonography before operation. Endosonographic findings were categorized according to the TNM classification and compared with the histology of the resected specimen (n = 165). The overall accuracy rate of EUS in the assessment of the depth of tumor infiltration was 78%. The sensitivity and specificity of EUS in the detection of regional involved nodes were 82% and 84% respectively. Microscopic tumor invasion and indistinguishable inflammatory changes were the most frequent causes of misinterpretation by EUS. Tumor stenosis was a clear limitation for endosonography in 14% of the cases.


Abstract We study how pension fund (out)performance is influenced by a) a pension fund's activity, i.e., how much the pension fund deviates in its stock allocation from typical pension fund behavior, and b) whether the pension fund is patient in exploiting investment opportunities (measured by stock holding duration). We do not find that high activity or higher holding duration, separately, lead to higher risk adjusted returns on average. However, if high activity is paired with long-term holdings, the pension fund's performance increases. Quantitatively, if an active pension fund increases its duration by one standard deviation, annual returns tend to increase by 2.3%. Our findings indicate that some pension funds are patient enough to exploit long-term investment opportunities.


This paper studies the optimization of control parameters for single-axis attitude control of a rigid satellite using thrusters. It is desired to tune the control parameters to minimize the number of thruster firings. The motion task is defined as an attitude pointing maneuver from arbitrary initial condition to the rest. To this end, a control loop with pulse-width pulse-frequency modulator is suggested. The control actuators are pairs of identical non-ideal thrusters which each one produces torque in one direction around the control axis. A novel approach is proposed to model the dynamics of thruster with a design parameter which shapes the response of the actuator. Nine parameters of the control loop, e.g. feedback gains, modulator parameters, and thruster dynamics, are selected as decision variables. Genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal values of the variables such that the firing is minimized. It is shown that firing minimization requires a sluggish thruster. Moreover, to study the effect of deviation from optimal value on number of thruster firings and fuel consumption, a sensitivity analysis is performed. Based on sensitivity analysis, an optimal range is suggested for each parameter where both number of firing and fuel consumption are minimized.


There is a paucity of knowledge of one key aspect of diversity in and around international organizations: national identity. This is especially the case with research on multinational corporations (MNC) that has focused on cultural differences instead of processes of national identification or national identity construction. Drawing on a critical discursive approach, this paper offers four perspectives that can help to advance this area of research. First, MNCs can be viewed as sites of identity politics, within which one can study 'us vs. them' constructions and the reproduction of inequalities. Second, MNCs can be seen as actors engaged in identity building and legitimation vis-à-vis external stakeholders, and the analysis of the discursive dynamics involved illuminates important aspects of identity politics between the organization and its environment. Third, MNCs can be viewed as part of international relations between nations and nationalities, and analysis of discursive dynamics in the media can elucidate key aspects of the international struggles encountered. Fourth, MNCs can be seen as agents of broader issues and changes, which enables us to comprehend how MNCs advance neocolonialism or promote positive change in society.


Type 2 diabetes is associated with cognitive impairment and a twofold increased risk of dementia compared to age-matched individuals without diabetes. Given that the eye and the brain share similar embryologic origin and anatomical features the retina offers a unique "window" to the brain. In this study we wanted to determine whether there was a difference in retinal imaging-based neuronal and vascular markers in individuals with type 2 diabetes with or without minimal cognitive impairment (MCI). We included 134 persons with type 2 diabetes. Based on neuropsychological tests the prevalence of MCI was 28%. We performed 7-field color fundus photos, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-Angiography and retinal oximetry in order to analysis retinal markers. In a multivariable cluster analysis, persons with MCI had significant thinner macular retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell layer, and less venular oxygen saturation in the nasal quadrant compared to those without MCI. There were no differences in retinal vessel density, fractal dimension, width, tortuosity or OCT-A markers. People with type 2 diabetes and MCI demonstrate alterations in retinal structure and metabolism, suggesting non-invasive retinal markers may be useful to detect those at risk of cognitive dysfunction in people with type 2 diabetes.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the effect of three cannulated screws and dynamic hip screw (DHS) combined with antirotation screw in treating patients with comminuted fractures of femoral neck.

METHODS
From January 2008 to December 2012,67 patients with comminuted fractures of femoral neck were treated with three cannulated screws or DHS combined with antirotation screw. Among them, 36 patients were treated with DHS combined with antirotation screw including 24 males and 12 females with an average of 43.7 years old ranging from 22 to 58 years old; 31 patients were treated with three cannulated screws including 22 males and 9 females with an average of 43.0 years old ranging from 24 to 56 years old. The incision size, operation time, blood loss, blood transfusion rate, postoperative hospital stay, walking time, weight-bearing time, union time, incidence of complication were recorded and compared between two groups, and functional outcomes were evaluated by Harris scoring.

RESULTS
All incision healed at stage I. The differences in operation time, blood loss, blood transfusion rate and postoperative hospital stay between two groups were not significant (P > 0.05). Incision size of DHS group (5.00 ± 0.86) cm was larger than that of cannulated screw group (3.30 ± 0.57) cm (P < 0.01). All patients were followed up more than one year, and the follow-up time showed no significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). Walking time of DHS group (19.0 ± 3.5) d was less than that of cannulated screw group (37.0 ± 6.3) d (P < 0.01. Partial and full weight-bearing time of DHS group (23.0 ± 7.0) d and (138.0 ± 13.0) d was less than that of cannulated screw group (38.0 ± 5.7) d and (164.0 ± 12.0) d (P < 0.01). Union time of DHS group (151 ± 11) d was less than that of cannulated screw group (162 ± 11) d (P < 0.01). Harris hip score of DHS group (91.0 ± 5.7) was higher than that of cannulated screw group (85.0 ± 12.0) (P < 0.01). No significant differences were found in the incidence of postoperative complications between two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The DHS combined with antirotation screw is superior to three cannulated screws for treatment of comminuted fractures of femoral neck due to earlier weight-bearing, faster fracture healing and better hip function


Background Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis (JPsoA) is a subtype of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) present in 7% of JIA patients (1). Psoriasis is present in 0.5–1% of children. Diagnosis is often difficult, with the articular manifestations often preceding skin disease by years. Data is scarce in the Spanish population. Objectives Describe demographical and clinical caracteristics of our cohort of JPsoA. Methods Descriptive, transversal study of patients attended from 1/2012–12/2016. Included were all complyers with ILAR Criteria (2) for JPsoA (Edmonton 2001). We also included the Wallace Criteria for clinical inactive disease (3) as a variable and endpoint. Data were included and analyzed using SPSS MAC 20. Results 31 patients were included: 18 (59%) girls, 13 (41%) boys. All Caucasian. They comprised 5% of all our JIA patients in that period. Mean age at diagnosis was 7.4 years. All were RF-; 9 (29%) ANA+; 4 (12.9%) HLA-B27+; articular onset 17 (55%) and cutaneous onset 14 (45%). 9 (29%) had Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) symptoms: 5 (16%) had pain and 4 (12.9%) had a positive MRI for TMJ synovitis. Plaque psoriasis 14 (45%), guttata 3 (9.6%) and 3 (9.6%) had both. Dactylitis 8 (26.6%); enthesitis 6 (19.35%). Joint disease was mainly oligoarticular 15 (48%), monoarticular 14 (45%) and polyarticular 1 (3.2%). Axial disease 4 (12.9%) at follow-up. 7 (22.5%) uveitis; 5 (77%) were ANA +. 3 (9.6%) onicodistrophia and 6 (19.3%) enthesitis. All patients received NSAIDs; 30 (96%) methotrexate; 6 (19.3%) switched to leflunomide. 16 (51.6%) received biologic treatment and 9 (29%) more than one. Articular debutants 10 (32.2%) received biologic treatment more than the those with cutaneous onset 6 (19.35%). We report 3 (9.6%) anti-TNF/paradoxal psoriasis events. Wallace Inactivity Criteria were achieved in 25 (80.6%), with no differences between the biologic and DMARDS groups in time up to Achieving Wallace Criteria (TimeWall). TMJ positive MRI did have a negative effect on TimeWall with 2 (66.6%) ≥8 yr (8, 11y) to TimeWall. Conclusions We describe the clinical features and demographics of a series of spanish JPsoA patients. We found more oligoarticular and monoarticular involvement and an important presence of enthesitis and dactylitis; higher frecuency of uveitis than published data (22.5% vs. 10–15%). Some were ANA-, reinforcing the need for screening. More than half required biologic treatment, and several cases we needed to switch drugs. Almost 60% of the patients were girls. Articular onset was associated with more active, harder to treat disease. TMJ positive RMI was associated with longer TimeWall. However, Wallace Criteria were not achieved globally. References T.R.Southwood, R.E. Petty, P.N. Malleson, et al. Psoriatic arthritis in children, Arthritis Rheum. 32 (1989) 1007–1013. Petty RE, Southwood TR, Manners P, et al. ILAR Classification of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: second revision, Edmonton 2001, J. Rheumatol. 31 (2004) 390–392. Wallace CA, Giannini GH, Et Al. American College of Rheumatology provisional criteria for defining clinical inactive disease in select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Jul;63(7):929–36. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The internet presence has become crucial for the success of many companies in the digital era we live in today. Therefore, the company's online presence has to be outstanding in order to retain customers and remain compatible. With the increases of available consumer data to be analyzed, new insight can be gathered, thus creating value. Most of the gathered data is unused due to lack of knowledge and technological capabilities. Artificial Intelligence represents a solution to this problem since it can enable companies to tap into this unused data. The objective of this paper is to elaborate upon one type of A.I. technology currently used online, namely Natural Language Processing and Chatbots in particular, how those are integrated on websites and what effect those systems have on the perceived Online Customer Experience of the induvial. This was done by conducting a survey assessing Online Customer Experience from a new, holistic point of view while also measuring the intentions of people to use chatbots on websites. The results indicate that people using chatbots are having a better experience online than those who do not. The results suggest that companies with an online presence should consider using such technology in order to increase the experience of the customer and optimize the usage of resources in regard to the operations required to sustain a good website.


During suprapubic cystostomy using standard technique, there always remains a chance of accidental migration of foley catheter through bladder neck into prostatic urethra. We herein present a point of technique in which by keeping the direction of cannula slot toward umbilicus and making it vertical or slightly tilting its tip toward umbilicus during foley placement, prevents the inadvertent migration of catheter into prostatic urethra and further complications.


Tennis is a dynamic, explosive sport that requires a wide range of skills - multi-directional speed, agility, hand-eye co-ordination and a high level of fitness. SAQ Tennis provides a complete conditioning programme that will help players at all levels develop and improve their game to bring about real performance gains. Featuring techniques developed over many years by some of the world's leading coaches and players, as well as the latest practical and technical innovations, this essential resource takes you from the fundamentals - warming up, running form, warming down etc. - through to tennis-specific and shot-specific drills. It contains easy-to-follow and clearly illustrated throughout.


Introduction

The Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) are characterized by a recurrent point mutation of JAK2 gene ( JAK2 V617F). This mutation, which usually affects only one of the JAK2 gene alleles in Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), frequently becomes homozygous in Polycythemia Vera (PV) and Myelofibrosis (MF) due to homologous mitotic recombination. A JAK2 V617F-mutated disease is strongly associated with a specific constitutional JAK2 haplotype, designated 46/1(GGCC), (Nat Genet 2009; 41:446) with complete linkage disequilibrium although the risk of developing MPNs is independent of the 46/1 haplotype. Furthermore, JAK2 V617F specifically arises on the 46/1 allele in most cases, thus predisposes to the development of MPN (Leukemia 2010; 24:1533; Nat Genet 2009; 41:446) . These observations suggest that it is possible to define the JAK 2V617F clonal architecture starting from 46/1 SNP allele burden and the homologous recombination frequency.

Aim and Methods The aim of the study was to investigate changes in the JAK2 V617F clonal structure in patients affected by PV, ET or MF and treated with ruxolitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor recently approved for MF and PV and under investigation in ET pts intolerant of or resistant to hydroxyurea. We used a recently described methodology (Leukemia 2014;28:460) combining allele burden evaluations of both 46/1 and JAK2 and the frequency of mitotic recombination to derive the percentages of JAK2 V617F clones in MPN patients in 46/1 heterozygous patients for rs12343867 polymorphism (C/T). The JAK2 allele burden values were confirmed independently by two RTQ-PCR methods, according to Lippert (sensitivity, 0.8%) and to Larsen (sensitivity, 0.08%) method.

Results We analysed 40 patients (pts) affected by MPNs (12 PV, 1 ET and 27 MF) treated with ruxolitinib over 1 to 5 years (yrs) of follow up (FU); 13 patients (32.5%) presented a reduction of at least 10% of JAK2 V617F allele burden values at latest FU: 7/12 PV (58.3%), 1/1 ET (100%), 6/27 PMF (22.2%). Among these, 9 pts with at least two years of FU were eligible for the study. A quantification of JAK2 homozygous (V617F/V617F), heterozygous ( JAK2 V617F/wt) and wild type (wt/wt) clones was obtained using the methodology described above. We found a median reduction of JAK2 V617F/V617F and JAK2 V617F/wt clones of 32.31 % and 8.82 %, respectively, in PV (n.4); 12.22% and 17.86%, respectively, in MF (n.4); 35.99% and 100%, respectively, in ET (n.1). Furthermore, an almost complete molecular remission (CMR) was seen in two PV patients with 4 and 5 yrs of FU respectively and in one ET patient after 5 years of treatment. In these patients we observed reduction of homozygous clones of 99.60%, 86.91% and 100%, respectively, and the residual JAK2 allele burden was due to the persistence of JAK2 V617F/wt clones (Figure). Conversely, in one patients with an increase in JAK2 allele burden from 39% to 45% after 1,5 yrs under ruxolitinib, we observed an increase in JAK2V617F/wt but not in JAK2 V617F/V617F clones.

Conclusion. Taken together, these results showed that ruxolitinib may preferentially target the homozygous clones inducing in some cases an almost complete molecular remission with prolonged treatment. Future analysis will be performed to study the clonal architecture in an increased number of patients treated with JAK inhibitors as single agent or in combination with other drugs.

![Figure 1.][1]

Figure 1.

Disclosures Vannucchi: Shire: Speakers Bureau; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Baxalta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

 [1]: pending:yes


OBJECTIVES
Autoantibodies directed against Ro52/TRIM21 are common in systemic sclerosis (SSc) but their clinical significance remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical correlates and survival of subjects with monospecific anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies, i.e. anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies in the absence of other SSc-related antibodies.

METHODS
A tri-nation (Canada, Australia, USA) cohort of 1574 SSc subjects was formed, demographic and clinical variables were harmonised and sera were tested using a common diagnostic platform. Statistical analyses were performed to determine associations between the presence of monospecific anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies and outcomes of interest, including interstitial lung disease (ILD) and survival.

RESULTS
103 (6.5%) had monospecific anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies, 324 (20.6%) had anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies overlapping with other SSc-related antibodies and 1147 (72.9%) were negative for anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies. Monospecific subjects were less likely to be White compared to negative subjects (68% vs. 82%, odds ratio (OR) 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30-0.75, p=0.0011). ILD was the only clinical variable significantly associated with monospecific anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies compared to negative subjects (adjusted OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.75-4.14, p<0.0001). Subjects with monospecific anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies were at significantly increased risk of death compared to subjects without anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies (log rank p=0.0003; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.87, 95% CI 1.24-2.82, p=0.0029).

CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained from this unique tri-nation cohort represent the strongest evidence to date that anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies are independently associated with the presence of ILD and poor survival in SSc. These data provide strong support for the predictive and prognostic value of this serological biomarker in SSc.


In this paper we are proposing a new approach of Detecting Network Anomalies using improved ID3 with horizontal portioning based decision tree. Here we first apply different clustering algorithms and after that we apply horizontal partioning decision tree and then check the network anomalies from the decision tree. Here in this paper we find the comparative analysis of different clustering algorithms and existing id3 based decision tree.


The problem of unsupervised learning and segmentation of hyperspectral images is a significant challenge in remote sensing. The high dimensionality of hyperspectral data, presence of substantial noise, and overlap of classes all contribute to the difficulty of automatically clustering and segmenting hyperspectral images. We propose an unsupervised learning technique called spectral-spatial diffusion learning (DLSS) that combines a geometric estimation of class modes with a diffusion-inspired labeling that incorporates both spectral and spatial information. The mode estimation incorporates the geometry of the hyperspectral data by using diffusion distance to promote learning a unique mode from each class. These class modes are then used to label all the points by a joint spectral-spatial nonlinear diffusion process. A related variation of DLSS is also discussed, which enables active learning by requesting labels for a very small number of well-chosen pixels, dramatically boosting overall clustering results. Extensive experimental analysis demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed methods against benchmark and state-of-the-art hyperspectral analysis techniques on a variety of real data sets, their robustness to choices of parameters, and their low computational complexity.


Simulation of two-phase flow through highly heterogeneous porous media results in ill-conditioned large systems of linear equations for the pressure when using, e.g., sequential procedures. Solving the resulting linear system can be particularly time-consuming. Therefore, there have been extensive efforts to find ways to address this issue effectively. Iterative methods, together with preconditioning techniques [1, 2], are the most commonly chosen techniques to solve these problems. In the literature, we can also find Reduced Order Models (ROM) [3–5] and deflation methods [6, 7], where system information is reused to find a good approximation more quickly. For the deflation techniques, an optimal selection of deflation vectors is crucial for a good performance. The construction of deflation vectors based on information captured with ROM, in particular, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), was recently presented for a single-phase flow problem [8, 9]. The goal of this work is to further explore and develop the possibilities of combining POD and deflation techniques for a two-phase flow simulation. We propose selecting deflation vectors from a POD basis in two different ways. In the first one, we obtain the basis on-the-fly during the simulation, to accelerate the upcoming time steps. For the second one, the basis is obtained off-line in a training phase, and it is used later to solve slightly different problems. The convergence properties of the resulting POD-based deflation method is studied for an incompressible two-phase flow problem in heterogeneous porous media, presenting a contrast in permeability coefficients of O(107). We compare the number of iterations required to solve the above-mentioned problem using the Conjugate Gradient method preconditioned with Incomplete Cholesky (ICCG), against the deflated version of the same method (DICCG). The efficiency of the method is illustrated with the SPE 10 benchmark, our largest test case, containing O(106) cells. For this problem, the DICCG method requires only 20% of the number of ICCG iterations.


Introduction: We aimed to take a snapshot of breast units in the European Union 9 years after the publication of the European Society of Mastology (EUSOMA) position paper. Methods: In order to obtain information on breast units throughout the European Union, we designed a questionnaire comprising 5 questions on certification, audit frequency and number of breast units in each country. Our primary contacts were national cancer societies, breast cancer study groups, breast cancer organizations, national associations and societies of breast treatment, as well as experts in the field of breast cancer. Results: Information on characteristics of the certification process and number of breast units was obtained for 9 countries of the European Union. 7 of the 9 countries (78%) have a certification process of the breast units. Certification is carried out by public authorities in 4 (57%) countries and by private companies in 3 (43%) countries. Information on frequency of auditing was reported in 4 countries and varied between annual audits (Austria, Ireland and Germany) and audits once every 3 years (United Kingdom). Conclusions: The current study suggests that the European breast unit landscape is a heterogeneous field. 9 years after the EUSOMA position paper, we do not have any standard European guidelines, neither for the development nor for the mandatory prerequisites of a breast unit. The development and operation of breast units are still country specific.


Various methods have been developed to achieve the most suitable solution in the face of challenges of constantly changing living conditions. Fuzzy logic is one of these methods and frequently preferred by researchers in recent years. Fuzzy logic is based on artificial intelligence modeling the information that includes uncertainty in the most appropriate mindset of people, especially in the decision making process. It also offers flexible and realistic perspectives to people. In this study, a fuzzy logic-based decision support system designed using reproduction and milk yield records of Holstein Friesians. Inputs of designed system are 305-day milk yield (305 DMY), calving interval (CI), service period (SP), artificial insemination (AI), dry period (DP). Output of the system is determined as classification decision. Similarities between expert and system decisions were investigated. Kappa statistics were used for this purpose and fitting value was found as 92.6% (P<0.05).


One of the well-known artists in the world, Yayoi Kusama, successfully hypnotizes the visitors of Museum Macan with the works shown. From her artworks, there is a contemporary installation that is the hallucination of the mental disorder suffered. She named its work as Infinity Mirrored Room. The room atmosphere made has been copyrighted by museums all over the world; one of them is Museum Macan in Jakarta. The management party not only promotes this installation to the media but also makes it as the city branding of Museum Macan. The research is interested in conducting by using a qualitative method through a description of process and analysis. through interview techniques directly in the museum to the visitors, museum assistants, and security officers and documenting it in the form of photos. The result of this research shows that the implementation of the atmosphere by using Barry and Evan's theory can realize the City Branding Image of Museum Macan based on Anholt theory.


We describe the speech recognition systems we have created for MGB-3, the 3rd Multi Genre Broadcast challenge, which this year consisted of a task of building a system for transcribing Egyptian Dialect Arabic speech, using a big audio corpus of primarily Modern Standard Arabic speech and only a small amount (5 hours) of Egyptian adaptation data. Our system, which was a combination of different acoustic models, language models and lexical units, achieved a Multi-Reference Word Error Rate of 29.25%, which was the lowest in the competition. Also on the old MGB-2 task, which was run again to indicate progress, we achieved the lowest error rate: 13.2%. The result is a combination of the application of state-of-the-art speech recognition methods such as simple dialect adaptation for a Time-Delay Neural Network (TDNN) acoustic model (−27% errors compared to the baseline), Recurrent Neural Network Language Model (RNNLM) rescoring (an additional −5%), and system combination with Minimum Bayes Risk (MBR) decoding (yet another −10%). We also explored the use of morph and character language models, which was particularly beneficial in providing a rich pool of systems for the MBR decoding.


0bjective:To study the gastric secretory changes induced by antiulcer property of captopril and the role of prostaglandins in them.

Methods: The effect of single dose of captopril and famotidine on different gastric parameters like ulcer index, pH. total acidity, mucopolysaccharide content and surface tension of gastric juice was studied by pyloric ligation alone and after pretreatment with ibuprofen.

Results: Captopril and famotidine caused significant reduction in ulcer index and gastric acid secretion (p<0.01) when compared to saline control group. Both of them did not show any effect on mucus content and surface tension of gastric juice. Concurrent administration of ibuprofen reduced the anti-ulcer effect of captopril significantly (P<0.01) and nullified the acid secretion inhibitory effect of captopril. However, the anti-ulcer and acid secretion inhibitory effects of famotidine were not altered by pretreatment with ibuprofen.

Conclusion: Captopril may act through prostaglandins to inhibit gastric acid secretion and this effect of captopril on acid secretion may be the mechanism involved in its anti-ulcer effect.


We present UBVIc CCD photometry of the young open cluster Stock 8 with the aim of studying its basic properties such as the amount of interstellar extinction, distance, age, stellar contents and initial mass function (IMF). We also studied the star formation scenario in this region. From optical data, the radius of the cluster is found to be ∼6 arcmin (∼3.6 pc) and the reddening within the cluster region varies from E(B − V) = 0.40 to 0.60 mag. The cluster is located at a distance of 2.05 ± 0.10 kpc. Using Hα slitless spectroscopy and Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) near-infrared (NIR) data we identified Hα emission and NIR-excess young stellar objects (YSOs), respectively. From their locations in the colour‐magnitude diagrams, majority of them seem to have ages between 1 and 5 Myr. The spread in their ages indicate a possible noncoeval star formation in the cluster. Massive stars in the cluster region reveal an average age of 2 Myr. In the cluster region (r 6 arcmin) the slope of the mass function (MF), � , in the mass range ∼1.0 M/M� < 13.4 can be represented by a power law having a slope of −1.38 ± 0.12, which agrees well with Salpeter value (−1.35). In the mass range 0.3 M/M� < 1.0, the MF is also found to follow a power law with a shallower slope of � =− 0.58 ± 0.23 indicating a break in the slope of the IMF at ∼ 1M � . The slope of the K-band luminosity function for the cluster (r 6 arcmin) is found to be 0.31 ± 0.02, which is smaller than the average value (∼0.4) obtained for embedded star clusters. A significant number of YSOs are distributed along a Nebulous Stream towards the east side of the cluster. A small cluster is embedded in the Nebulous Stream. The YSOs lying in the Nebulous Stream and in the embedded cluster are found to be younger than the stars in the cluster Stock 8. The radio continuum, MSX, IRAS mid- and far-infrared maps and the ratio of [S II]/Hα intensities indicate that the eastern region of Stock 8 is ionization bounded whereas the western region is density bounded. The morphology seems to indicate that the ionization/shock front caused by the ionizing sources located in the Stock 8 region and westwards of Stock 8 has not reached the Nebulous Stream. It appears that star formation activity in the Nebulous Stream and embedded cluster may be independent from that of Stock 8.


The essentials of EBM clinical guidelines has been presented. The need of the epidemiological interpretation of statistical analysis was pointed out. Choosen guideline systems as NICE, NGC, DynaMed has been discussed, as well as existing organisational and legal regulations. EBM converts into atificial intelligence through-out application of ontology, semantic web, statistical modelling, decision making theory.


Ragogna and co-workers recently (2009 and thereafter) reported the syntheses and structures of a family of remarkably stable tridentate dications (Ch = S, Se and Te). We present a theoretical study of these fascinating compounds. For a better understanding of the extraordinary robustness of these dications, the analogous monocations and neutral species are also explored. The dications with C2v symmetries are genuine minima; for the monocations the equilibrium structures have Cs symmetry, with three distinct Ch–N distances; the neutral molecules have C1 symmetry, with one Ch–N bond effectively broken. Our theoretical results, including the natural charges, Wiberg bond indices (WBIs), and HOMO–LUMO gaps, provide reasonable explanations for their remarkable stability. The global minima of the monocations (with Cs symmetry) lie lower in energy than the corresponding C2v structures by 3.4, 1.1, and 0.3 kcal mol−1, respectively, for S, Se, and Te. The global minima of the neutrals (with C1 symmetry) lie lower in energy than their C2v structures by 23.7, 14.9, and 6.9 kcal mol−1 for the S, Se, and Te compounds, respectively. From our theoretical investigations, the viabilities for the dications, monocations, and the neutrals of these chalcogen(II) compounds fall in the order of S > Se > Te.


The paper applies simple statistical screens to a bid-rigging cartel in Switzerland, and shows how well the screens detect it by capturing the impact of collusion on the discrete distribution of the bids. In case of bid rigging, the support for the distribution of the bids decreases involving a lower variance, illustrated by the coefficient of variance and the kurtosis statistic. Furthermore, when firms rig bids without side-payment, the difference between the first and the second lowest bids increases whereas the difference between the losing bids decreases, involving a negatively skewed distribution of the bids, highlighted by the relative distance and the skewness statistic. Finally, the collusive interaction screen shows that the behaviour of firms changed radically between the cartel and post-cartel periods. Therefore, the simple statistical screens proposed in this paper purpose to screen large dataset and to detect bidrigging cartels by using only information on bids.


Heterogeneous catalyst containing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was prepared by direct precipitation of collagen of type I as the stabilization reagent. The composite is fibrous and the AuNPs are found to form patterns of long wires, short wires, and dispersed patterns on collagen. The catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by NaBH 4 in the presence of the composite was satisfactory.


Existing deep neural network based salient object detection (SOD) methods mainly focus on pursuing high network accuracy. However, those methods overlook the gap between network accuracy and prediction confidence, known as the confidence uncalibration problem. Thus, state-of-the-art SOD networks are prone to be overconfident. In other words, the predicted confidence of the networks does not reflect the real probability of correctness of salient object detection, which significantly hinder their real-world applicability. In this paper, we introduce an uncertaintyaware deep SOD network, and propose two strategies from different perspectives to prevent deep SOD networks from being overconfident. The first strategy, namely Boundary Distribution Smoothing (BDS), generates continuous labels by smoothing the original binary ground-truth with respect to pixel-wise uncertainty. The second strategy, namely Uncertainty-Aware Temperature Scaling (UATS), exploits a relaxed Sigmoid function during both training and testing with spatially-variant temperature scaling to produce softened output. Both strategies can be incorporated into existing deep SOD networks with minimal efforts. Moreover, we propose a new saliency evaluation metric, namely dense calibration measure C, to measure how the model is calibrated on a given dataset. Extensive experimental results on seven benchmark datasets demonstrate that our solutions can not only better calibrate SOD models, but also improve the network accuracy.


Seaweeds or macroalgae are important primary producers that serve as a habitat for functioning ecosystems. A sustainable production of macroalgae has been maintained by a diverse range of life cycles. Reproduction is the most dynamic change to occur during its life cycle, and it is a key developmental event to ensure the species' survival. There is gradually accumulating evidence that plant hormones, such as abscisic acid and auxin, have a role on the sporogenesis of brown alga (Saccharina japonica). Recent studies reported that 1-aminocylopropane-1-carboxylic acid, an ethylene precursor, regulates sexual reproduction in red alga (Neopyropia yezoensis) independently from ethylene. In addition, these macroalgae have an enhanced tolerance against abiotic and biotic stresses during reproduction to protect their gametes and spores. Herein, we reviewed the current understanding on the regulatory mechanisms of red and brown algae on their transition from vegetative to reproductive phase.


Community college students, more often than not, face challenges not typical to those of traditional-aged students. They are more likely to attend part-time, tend to be the least academically prepared, more financially challenged, often working, and have a greater likelihood of being single parents. What drives these students to not only graduate from the community college, but go on to continue at four-year institutions? Also, how do these students define, or come to "make meaning" of the force that drives their persistence in higher education? The purpose of this study examines the relationship between spirituality and persistence of Illinois community college students who matriculate to the baccalaureate degree granting institution. The research questions ask the following: (1) How is spirituality defined by community college students who persist?, (2) For community college students who persist, how do they come to "make meaning" of their educational journey?, and (3) What is the relationship between spirituality and community college student persistence? The study utilized qualitative case study methodology employing three separate phases: (1) Survey Questionnaire, (2) Guided Focus Group Discussion, and (3), Face-to-Face Interviews. Responses from the survey questionnaire were coded, further segmented and used to determine those survey participants who would receive invitations for the guided focus group discussion. The guided focus group discussion was recorded and conversation transcribed so that the researcher might establish recurring patterns and emerging themes. From those focus group discussion participants, three participants were selected to take part in the face-to-face interview portion of the study. Through the course of these three phases of data collection, the researcher was able to establish valid conclusions about the relationship between spirituality and community college student persistence.


Vein-type, greisen-related cassiterite deposits occur at the Uljin, Yuchang, and Dongseog mines in eastern Korea within a Precambrian pegmatite dike swarm, and locally, within granite gneiss and metasedimentary rocks. Paragenetic stages of mineralization and alteration are as follows: greisen I, albitization, K feldspathization, and greisen II. A late-stage of quartz-fluorite vug filling is present locally. K-Ar age dating of muscovite from the greisen I stage mineralization indicates a crystallization age of 158 to 179 + or - 6 Ma, in close agreement with previously determined ages of 151 to 179 Ma (Chon et al., 1993). Two samples of muscovite from the pegmatites give ages of 696 + or - 15 and 778 + or - 14 Ma. Greisen-related tin mineralization occurred during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and is much younger than either the pegmatite (Late Proterozoic) or the granite gneiss (Early Proterozoic based on Rb/Sr studies of Hong, 1985, and Lee, 1988).Temperatures of greisen I stage mineralization, determined from fluid inclusion homogenization studies, arsenopyrite composition, and quartz-muscovite delta 18 O values, range from 450 degrees to 600 degrees C. The coexistence of sulfide and oxide minerals suggest that during ore deposition f (sub S 2 ) increased and f (sub O 2 ) was constant or decreased slightly. Fluid inclusion analyses indicate that the ore fluid was of low to moderate salinity (2.89-8.55 wt % NaCl equiv), with variable CO 2 content. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope values of quartz and muscovite decrease along a distance of 1,500 m from the northeast (Uljin mine) to the southwest (Dongseog mine) and suggest that fluid delta 18 O and delta D values decreased from approximately 11 to 9 permil, and -55 to -61 per mil, respectively. A similar decrease in fluid delta 18 O and delta D values is recorded temporally with the paragenetic stage at the Uljin mine. Sulfur isotope values of arsenopyrite and molybdenite range from -1.2 to 1.2 per mil.A genetic model of fluid derivation from an underlying Mesozoic granitic pluton, accompanied with the involvement of meteoric water in later stages, is proposed. Isotopic data are consistent with temporal and spatial variations in fluid delta D and delta 18 O values caused either by tapping of a magmatic fluid during various stages of chemical and isotopic evolution, or by reaction and isotopic exchange with high 18 O sedimentary rocks along a fluid flow path. Variations in delta 18 O values of carbonate country rocks from 19.3 to 12.3 per mil are suggestive of selective fluid transport through particularly permeable units in the limestone. Low delta 18 O values of vug-filling quartz suggest the involvement of low-temperature meteoric water in the latest hydrothermal stages of mineralization.


The article is devoted to consideration of basic models of choice of marketing competition and business strategy directed on forming of set of competitive advantages of railway transport, providing and defense of competitively attractive positions at the market of transport services for population. The practical aspects of these problems are represented in the article too.


The blogosphere has grown to be a mainstream forum of social interaction as well as a commercially attractive source of information and influence. Tools are needed to better understand how communities that adhere to individual blogs are constituted in order to facilitate new personal, socially-focused browsing paradigms, and understand how blog content is consumed, which is of interest to blog authors, big media, and search. We present a novel approach to blog subcommunity characterization by modeling individual blog readers using mixtures of an extension to the LDA family that jointly models phrases and time, Ngram Topic over Time (NTOT), and cluster with a number of similarity measures using Affinity Propagation. We experiment with two datasets: a small set of blogs whose authors provide feedback, and a set of popular, highly commented blogs, which provide indicators of algorithm scalability and interpretability without prior knowledge of a given blog. The results offer useful insight to the blog authors about their commenting community, and are observed to offer an integrated perspective on the topics of discussion and members engaged in those discussions for unfamiliar blogs. Our approach also holds promise as a component of solutions to related problems, such as online entity resolution and role discovery.


In this significant contribution to Hegel scholarship, Robert Williams develops the most comprehensive account to date of Hegel's concept of recognition (Anerkennung). Fichte introduced the concept of recognition as a presupposition of both Rousseau's social contract and Kant's ethics. Williams shows that Hegel appropriated the concept of recognition as the general pattern of his concept of ethical life, breaking with natural law theory yet incorporating the Aristotelian view that rights and virtues are possible only within a certain kind of community. He explores Hegel's intersubjective concept of spirit (Geist) as the product of affirmative mutual recognition and his conception of recognition as the right to have rights. Examining Hegel's Jena manuscripts, his Philosophy of Right, the Phenomenology of Spirit, and other works, Williams shows how the concept of recognition shapes and illumines Hegel's understandings of crime and punishment, morality, the family, the state, sovereignty, international relations, and war. A concluding chapter on the reception and reworking of the concept of recognition by contemporary thinkers including Derrida, Levinas, and Deleuze demonstrates Hegel's continuing centrality to the philosophical concerns of our age.


Combination chemotherapy by means of two or more drugs is prone to suppressing or discouraging the inception of multidrug resistance, exploiting the fact that diverse drugs act in different points of the cellular cycle of amplifying tumor cells. For example, the combination of gemcitabine (GMC) with quercetin (QCT) showed a synergistic effect in inhibiting the migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Consequently, herein GMC and QCT have been loaded within biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) based on poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid), externally decorated with hyaluronic acid (HA; viz., PPHA NPs), which plays a major role in drug targeting to tumors due to its ability to specifically interact with CD44 receptor, that is overexpressed in many tumors. The produced HA‐decorated NPs loaded with GMC and QCT showed an improved cytotoxicity and cellular uptake toward two cell lines of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, namely Mia‐PaCa‐2 and PANC‐1, compared with both the bare drugs and the drugs loaded in NPs which do not expose HA on the surface. HA‐decorated NPs were also able to improve the anti‐inflammatory properties of QCT, therefore leading to a decrease of interleukin cellular levels in both cell lines, preliminarily stimulated with lipopolysaccharides. This result is of special interest also considering the crucial role of interleukins in progression, metastatic processes, and drug resistance of human pancreas cancer cells.


ObjectiveCraniopharyngiomas are rare histologically benign but clinically challenging neoplasms.The aim of this study is to explore the effect and significance of PI3K signal pathway on papillary craniopharyngioma cell growth and survival.MethodsWestern blotting (WB) was used to evaluate expression of the PI3K / AKT protein in Craniopharyngiomas tissues relative to health controls. Primary tumor cells were obtained from fresh papillary craniopharyngioma samples by primary cell culture and determined by cell morphology, immunofluorescence staining and specific cell markers expression. In this study, PCPs cell lines, isolated from fresh papillary craniopharyngioma samples, were treated with different concentrations of LY294002, a specific inhibitor of the PI3K / AKT signaling pathway, in order to evaluate their proliferation, migration and invasion. The proliferation effects was determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry. Furthermore, cell migration and invasion levels were detected by wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively.ResultsThe expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT were obviously higher in human craniopharyngioma tissue relative to their corresponding normal control. PCPs primary cells were isolated and detected by immunofluorescence, and PCPs cytokeratin (pan CK) and vimentin protein (VIM) were detected.The inhibition of PI3K / AKT signaling pathway can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of PCPs primary cells.ConclusionsLY294002 effectively inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of PCPs cells through the PI3K / AKT signaling pathway.


The wide adoption of electronic medical records and subsequent availability of large amounts of clinical data provide a rich resource for researchers. However, the secondary use of clinical data for research purposes is not without limitations. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we conducted a systematic review to identify current issues related to secondary use of electronic medical record data via MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. All articles published until June 2018 were included. Sixty articles remained after title and abstract review, and four domains of potential limitations were identified: (1) data quality issues, present in 91.7% of the articles reviewed; (2) data preprocessing challenges (53.3%); (3) privacy concerns (18.3%); and (4) potential for limited generalizability (21.7%). Researchers must be aware of the limitations inherent to the use of electronic medical record data for research and consider the potential effects of these limitations throughout the entire study process, from initial conceptualization to the identification of adequate sources that can provide data appropriate for answering the research questions, analysis, and reporting study results. Consideration should also be given to using existing data quality assessment frameworks to facilitate use of standardized data quality definitions and further efforts of standard data quality reporting in publications.


The emerging new order in Northeast Asia in the 21st century is attributable to a few factors. First, the relative decline of the United States as the hegemonic power contributes to it. Second, the rise of China is also responsible. Buttressed by remarkable economic growth over the past 20 plus years, China is eager to regain its traditional influence and status as the regional hegemon. Third, the relative decline of Japan leads to Northeast Asian power restructuring. Fourth, North Korea is another major factor leading to instability in Northeast Asia. Finally, the rise of South Korea is also responsible for Northeast Asian power restructuring. In the intermediate and long-run, the US policy toward Northeast Asia will be centered on China, and its China policy will be characterized by engagement and/or hard balancing. To pursue the goal, the United States should further develop close ties with its allies, such as South Korea and Japan, and pursue improved relations with Vietnam and the Philippines. At the same time, the United States should persuade China that cooperating with its neighboring countries would be in its intermediate and long-term interests. In other words, the United States should firmly and persistently pursue the policy of the "Asianization of China."


The simplest linkages arc investigated as driving mechanisms of constant load·pressure type horizontal oscillatory conveyors. Conveyance is optimized, subject to necessary constraints and permitting limited back-slip. Ihe off·set slider-crank is found to give only marginal improvement over the centric slider-crank and that only when the transmission angle permitted is not high. Prefixing a double-crank with optimized dimesions to a centric slider-Crack is found to more than double the conyance, with good transmission angles. Numerical results are for a particular stroke and friction coefficient. Enough information is provided to enable computation under different conditions.


Dear Editors, Pityriasis lichenoides (PL)-like mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare variant of MF, presenting clinical findings of PL but histological features of MF. It was first reported by Ko et al. (1) and only a few cases have been reported since (2-5). Herein we report the case of a boy with PL-like MF and review the related literature. A 9-year-old boy presented with a 1-year history of multiple pruritic crusted erythematous papules and scaly pink maculopatches on the face, trunk, and extremities (Figure 1, a and b). Histologic examination of a papule revealed lymphocytic epidermotropism and lymphocytes tagging the dermoepidermal junction. The nuclei of the lymphocytes were hyperchromatic and irregular (Figure 1, c and d). Immunohistochemically, the infiltrating lymphocytes revealed positivity for CD2, CD3, CD5, CD7, and CD8, but were negative for CD4, CD20, CD30, CD68, and CD163 (Figure 1, e-g). T-cell receptor gene rearrangement analysis (TCR-GRA) demonstrated the rearrangement of the gamma chain (Figure 1, h). PL-like MF was diagnosed. The patient was started on narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB) phototherapy. The skin lesions markedly improved after 6 months of treatment. There was no recurrence during the 2 years of follow-up. There has long been a controversy regarding whether PL is just an inflammatory dermatosis or a genuine T-cell lymphoproliferative disease. Wang et al. (2) proposed three categories for the relationship between PL and MF: (A) PL with a dominant T-cell clone, (B) PL subsequently progressing into MF, and (C) PL-like MF. In the first category, PL is a monoclonal T-cell-mediated inflammatory disorder, in which T-cell clones were found in about 50% of patients (6,7). The second category involves progression from long-term PL to MF (8,9). The average time-to-progression is about 8 years. It has been speculated that the PL-related immunologic microenvironment is favorable for developing a tumoral clone. Our patient presented with PL-like lesions clinically, while biopsy findings, results of immunohistochemistry, and TCR-GRA all suggested that this case was MF. Due to the short duration (only one year) of his lesions, we established the diagnosis of PL-like MF de novo, rather than evolution from PL to MF. The features of previously reported cases of PL-like MF and those of our patient are summarized in Table 1 (1-5). Men were predominant (18:7) among the total of 25 patients. Most patients were children or young adults (mean age of 23.4 years).The interval between presence of lesions and diagnosis varied from 1 month to 10 years. The cutaneous eruptions were all PL in appearance and almost all involved both the trunk and extremities. Pruritus was reported by approximately half of the patients. Histologically, the scaly papules were usually indistinguishable from classical MF, showing epidermotropism, haloed lymphocytes, lymphocytes aligning along the dermoepidermal junction, and Pautrier's microabscesses. Immunohistochemically, all tested cases demonstrated positivity for CD3 but were negative for CD20 and CD30. Cases with predominantly CD8-positive cells were twice as prevalent as cases with predominantly CD4-positive cells. TCR-GRA was performed in 20 cases, 15 of which revealed monoclonality. Most patients received psoralen combined with ultraviolet A or NBUVB phototherapy, and demonstrated either a complete or partial response. Recurrence was reported in only 2 cases (5). In summary, PL-like MF is a rare variant of MF. It has some features distinct from classic MF, such as a higher incidence in young men and predominantly CD8-positive T-cells infiltration. Phototherapy can be used as the first line of treatment. A good response and a favorable prognosis can be expected.


came to greet them. I-Ie shook hands with Mr. and Mrs: Stanley and then knelt beside little Pete and began to speak the beautiful language Pete had been tausht in his Italian home. Little Pete threw his arms around the doctorand began in a very excited voice to plead with the doctor to explain to his new parents that he could never have another leg. The doctor silencecl the excited child and ask him in his beautiful Italian tongue, "Little Pete, clo you remember me?" Little Pete was stunned but he shook his head and searched the doctor's face for some feature that he might remember. There did seem to be something familiar about this man, but he could not remember him. The doctor said, "Little Pete, I am the doctor who was with the American Medical Unit in your home in Italy. I am the doctor who took your torn leg from you. Now, do you remember me and will you trust me ?" The whole process of making little Pete a brand new leg took about two months, the time it took little Pete to learn all over again those things like running, skipping, hopping or jumping was just a matter of days. Neighbors were amazed as they watched little Pete skip and run on his wonderful new leg. They are still talking about the afternoon when the little boy from Italy won the annual sack race for five-year olds.


This book is about how American religious parents approach the handing on of their religious practices and beliefs to their children. We know a lot about the importance of parents in faith transmission and factors that influence its effectiveness. But we know much less about the actual beliefs, feelings, and activities of the parents themselves when it comes to the intergenerational transmission of religious faith and practice....


Purpose

Additive manufactured (AM) skull models are increasingly used to plan complex surgical cases and design custom implants. The accuracy of such constructs depends on the standard tessellation language (STL) model, which is commonly obtained from computed tomography (CT) data. The aims of this study were to assess the image quality and the accuracy of STL models acquired using different CT scanners and acquisition parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

Images of three dry human skulls were acquired using two multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) scanners, a dual energy computed tomography (DECT) scanner and one cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner. Different scanning protocols were used on each scanner. All images were ranked according to their image quality and converted into STL models. The STL models were compared to gold standard models.

Findings

Image quality differed between the MDCT, DECT and CBCT scanners. Images acquired using low-dose MDCT protocols were preferred over images acquired using routine protocols. All CT-based STL models demonstrated non-uniform geometrical deviations of up to +0.9 mm. The largest deviations were observed in CBCT-derived STL models.

Practical implications

While patient-specific AM constructs can be fabricated with great accuracy using AM technologies, their design is more challenging because it is dictated by the correctness of the STL model. Inaccurate STL models can lead to ill-fitting implants that can cause complications after surgery.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that CT imaging technologies and their acquisition parameters affect the accuracy of medical AM constructs.


From the viscera of a marine snail, Turbo argyrostoma, two acetone-soluble toxins were newly obtained besides the previously known toxins. These new toxins were purified by acidic alumina and by silicic acid column chromatography. The main component, tentatively named toxin A, was eluted from the silicic acid column with chloroform-methanol (1:1) and the minor one, named toxin B, with methanol. Each toxin was purified by subsequent paper or thin-layer chromatography and gel-filtration. Both toxins were soluble in dilute acids, methanol, ethanol, and aqueous acetone, and insoluble in chloroform and diethyl ether. They showed no absorption maxima in the UV region and possessed tertiary or quaternary nitrogen and sulfur functions in the molecules. Symptoms in mice caused by i. p. injection of these new toxins were distinctly different from those induced by the previously found water-soluble and diethyl ether-soluble toxins, consisting of strong paralysis in limbs and death from respiratory failure within 20 min.


In vivo induction of cytokines by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta and the protective effect induced by the mAb on a lethal infection with Listeria monocytogenes were studied. Injection of anti-TCR alpha beta mAb induced rapid production of endogenous tumour necrosis factor in the spleens, and gamma interferon and interleukin-6 in the blood streams and spleens of mice. Administration of anti-CD4 mAb, anti-CD8 mAb, or anti-Thy1.2 mAb resulted in suppression of anti-TCR alpha beta mAb-induced endogenous cytokine production. Mice were protected against lethal L. monocytogenes infection when treated with anti-TCR alpha beta mAb. The protective effect was not demonstrated in CD4+ cell- or CD8+ cell-depleted mice. These results suggest that anti-TCR alpha beta mAb shows a protective effect on a lethal infection with L. monocytogenes in mice and that the mAb-induced endogenous cytokines might be involved in the effect of anti-TCR alpha beta mAb.


This paper investigates the nature of the causal relationships among interbank market interest rates and corporate loans interest rates in four countries from the euro area (Austria, Belgium, France and Italy), and in the Czech Republic. The paper also estimates a development of bank credit margin in banking industries of these countries in period from January 2004 to March 2010. Using Johansen cointegration and Granger causality tests on monthly data we investigate long-term as well as short-term causalities between the interest rates. The results suggest that interest rate relationships differ in all selected countries, and also that foreign majority owners of the Czech banks could affect interest rate policy of the subsidiaries to offset losses realized by the parent banks.


In order to adapt current subjects to the ECTS credits system, it is necessary to estimate how much time a student has to invest in learning a subject. The Polytechnic Engineering School of the University of the Basque Country has made an initial study to investigate this matter in several subjects. A weekly questionnaire design was used for all the students in the class, supplemented, when necessary, by an individual interview, with student collaboration. The results indicate that the study rhythm and the number of hours are strongly conditioned by the evaluation system.


Investors in any new technology are concerned to protect their investment, a key part of such protection being the availability of patent protection. Stem cells, human embryonic stem cells in particular, are a highly controversial area, and this controversy extends to the patenting of stem cells. In this article, the legal issues affecting patenting of stem cell technology in the USA and Europe are reviewed. The types of patents that have been granted are also considered, as an illustration of the protection that can be obtained. Finally, the overall trends in patent filings are discussed, to identify key aspects of the patent landscape.