Hospital biscuit snacks offered to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients may adversely affect glycaemic control. This study investigated the effect of lupin mid-meal biscuit snacks, compared to spelt or standard hospital biscuits, on interstitial glucose levels in post-operative T2DM inpatients. In a pilot cross-over pragmatic study, 20 patients (74 ± 12 years) consumed, in order, lupin biscuits (20% lupin), wholemeal spelt and standard plain sweet biscuits as mid-meal snacks (2 biscuits each for morning and afternoon tea) on three consecutive days. Continuous glucose monitoring, appetite perceptions and bowel motions were recorded. Glucose levels were not significantly different in the first 90 min after mid-meal biscuit consumption at morning and afternoon tea, irrespective of type. However, after consuming the lupin biscuits only, glucose levels were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced 90 min postprandially after dinner, indicating a potential second-meal effect. Patients also reported improved satiety after lupin biscuit consumption on day 1, compared to days 2 and 3 (p = 0.018). These findings suggest that lupin-enriched biscuits may improve both glycaemic control and satiety in hospitalised T2DM patients, potentially contributing to reduced length of stay. Larger controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings and inform potential revision of hospital menu standards for T2DM patients.


Calcium is a universal second messenger. The temporal and spatial information that is encoded in Ca(2+)-transients drives processes as diverse as neurotransmitter secretion, axonal outgrowth, immune responses and muscle contraction. Ca(2+)-release from intracellular Ca(2+) stores can be triggered by diffusible second messengers like Ins P (3), cyclic ADP-ribose or nicotinic acid-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP). A target has not yet been identified for the latter messenger. In the present study we show that nanomolar concentrations of NAADP trigger Ca(2+)-release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. This was due to a direct action on the Ca(2+)-release channel/ryanodine receptor type-1, since in single channel recordings, NAADP increased the open probability of the purified channel protein. The effects of NAADP on Ca(2+)-release and open probability of the ryanodine receptor occurred over a similar concentration range (EC(50) approximately 30 nM) and were specific because (i) they were blocked by Ruthenium Red and ryanodine, (ii) the precursor of NAADP, NADP, was ineffective at equimolar concentrations, (iii) NAADP did not affect the conductance and reversal potential of the ryanodine receptor. Finally, we also detected an ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity in the sarcoplasmic reticulum fraction of skeletal muscle. This enzyme was not only capable of synthesizing cyclic GDP-ribose but also NAADP, with an activity of 0.25 nmol/mg/min. Thus, we conclude that NAADP is generated in the vicinity of type 1 ryanodine receptor and leads to activation of this ion channel.


Increasing the intensity of competition requires that every organization always pay attention to the dynamics of customer needs, wants and preferences and try to fulfill them in a way that is more effective and efficient compared to its competitors. The results of research on organizations that implement SERVQUAL (Service Quality) dimensions are proven as organizations that have sustainable competitiveness. LPD as a financial service institution should strive to provide quality services to its customers, but empirical data shows that in 2015 and 2016, around 28% of LPDs in Bali are still performing poorly. Performance is influenced by various factors, one of which is service quality. Filling in the gap, the SERVQUAL training is very necessary for the LPD. The purpose of this training is to motivate LPDs to intensively implement the SERVQUAL (Reliability, Tangiable, Responsiveness, Assurance, Emphaty) dimensions so that they become the LPD's organizational culture. Achieving these objectives is done through training with lecture methods, question and answer and demonstration. The implementation of this training went well and smoothly, and was able to motivate the management and LPD employees to implement the SERVQUALdimension.


: Relay technology is necessary for Power Line Carrier communication because of the harsh characteristics of the power line channel, including time-variance, strong noise and high attenuation. The Ant Colony Algorithm is a promising approach for implementing relay technology. However, the execution time for the conventional Ant Colony Algorithm is very long. This paper provides a novel approach to speed up the search process using a database together with Dijkstra ' s algorithm. The experimental results show that the new algorithm can decrease the convergence time signi fi cantly in most types of topologies. In addition, robustness and invulnerability properties of the algorithm are also improved.


Free space gradient force traps are hugely versatile experimental systems. Their realisation opens up new avenues for the exploration of various areas of fundamental physics, including both quantum physics and thermodynamics. Their high levels of sensitivity also have attractive implications for force sensing. In this thesis a novel experimental setup will be presented, along with experimental protocols, as a framework upon which such studies can be built. Using a paraboloidal mirror to create a diffraction limited, gradient force optical trap, the motion of nanoparticles ranging from 18 nm to 312 nm in diameter was detected via a single photodiode. Several properties of the levitated particles were measured, including: the mass, radius, oscillation amplitude (via the use of a volts to metre conversion factor) and the damping experienced at various pressures. This was done via two methods. The first, widely established, method required fitting a power spectral density, derived using the kinetic theory of gases, to the motion of the particle. The second, novel method, involved scanning the wavelength of the trapping laser. Using this method, it was possible to determine the mass of a levitated particle without assuming the kinetic model and material density. From the wavelength scan, the sensitivity of the experimental system was measured to be 200 fm/√Hz. Within this optical setup, the ability to control the trap frequencies of all three motional degrees of freedom, through varying the power of the trapping laser, was demonstrated. The ability to independently control and separate the transverse trapping frequencies from one another, as well as from the z axis, was also shown to be possible, using elliptically polarized light. The effect of changing the pressure inside the chamber in which a levitated nanoparticle is trapped is also explored. Trapping of nanoparticles at pressures as low as 10-5 mbar, without any active feedback, was achieved. A method for measuring the internal temperature of levitated particles was then demonstrated. This was done through measuring and fitting the Planck equation to the emitted thermal spectrum of a levitated silica nanoparticle. It was then shown that the temperature of levitated particles can be controlled via the intensity of the laser light as well as the pressure within the chamber. Over a pressure range of 1000 mbar to 0.04 mbar, an increase of temperature from 388 K to 480 K was measured. In the range of trapping laser intensities between 0.21 TW/m2 and 0.4 TW/m2, the resulting change of a particle's temperature, from 367 K to 463 K, was observed. To control the centre of mass motion of levitated particles within the optical trap, parametric feedback cooling was implemented via modulation of the trap depth. Using this technique, the effect different feedback parameters have on particle motion was explored. The combination of optimizing the feedback parameters, alongside reducing the pressure, resulted in temperatures of Tz = 14 ±1 mK, Tx = 5 ±1 mK and Ty = 7 ±1 = mK. The observed Q factors on the order of 107 with predicted Q factors on the order of 1012 hold great promise for the realisation of ultrasensitive force detection. The system presented here has a force sensitivity on the order of 10-20 N pHz. Theoretical considerations show that, with some improvements to the experimental system, it would be possible to achieve centre of mass temperatures, and thus low phonon numbers, close to the quantum ground state. The second method to control the centre of mass motion of a levitated nanoparticle used squeezing pulses to classically squeeze its mechanical motion. This quadrature squeezing was achieved via non-adiabatic shifts of the nanoparticle's trap frequency and was carried out on a number of particles. The squeezing pulses implemented consisted of a rapid reduction in the trap frequency, followed by a brief period in time where the system was allowed to evolve, before the trapping frequency was rapidly returned to its original value. The effect of using single and multiple pulses to control this was explored and the optimal duration for a squeezing pulse characterized. For a single pulse, the maximum amount of squeezing was found to be λ = 3.2 ± 0.2 dB. To further increase the amount of squeezing applied to the levitated nanoparticle, a multiple pulse scheme was implemented. The effect of varying the time between pulses was investigated and the optimal time was found. The maximum amount of squeezing achieved in the system, occurred after 5 pulses, giving a squeezing factor of λ 9.4 ± 0.1 dB. The multiple pulse scheme was then applied to parametrically feedback cooled nanoparticles. The effect on the phase space, including its decay to a thermal state, after the application of squeezing pulses was characterized. The squeezing on parametricaly cooled particles. after the application of 5 pulses, was measured and the squeezing factor found to be λ = 8.4 ± 0.1 dB.


Panic disorder (PD) is a common, persistent and disabling mental disorder. It is often associated with agoraphobia. The present article reviews the current status of pharmacotherapy for PD with or without agoraphobia as well as the current status of treatments combing pharmacotherapy with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The review has been written with a focus on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and reviews that have been published over the past few years. Effective pharmacological treatments include tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and various benzodiazepines. Treatment results obtained with CBT compare well with pharmacotherapy, with evidence that CBT is at least as effective as pharmacotherapy. Combining pharmacotherapy with CBT has been found to be superior to antidepressant pharmacotherapy or CBT alone, but only in the acute-phase treatment. Long term studies on treatments combining pharmacotherapy and CBT for PD with or without agoraphobia have found little benefit, however, for combination therapies versus monotherapies. New investigations explore the potential additional value of sequential versus concomitant treatments, of cognitive enhancers and virtual reality exposure therapy, and of education, self management and Internet-based interventions.


Local anesthetics injected into the epidural space during a uterine contraction are commonly believed to produce a higher than usual level of anesthesia. This was evaluated in 34 parturients undergoing continuous lumbar epidural labor analgesia. The patients were divided into two equal groups. In group A, the inducing dose (2% chloroprocaine, 8 ml) was injected during an active uterine contraction and the top-up dose was injected between contractions. In group B, the injection sequence was reversed. Irrespective of the time of injection, in relation to uterine contractions, approximately 16 dermatomal segments were blocked in both groups. It is concluded that uterine contractions do not affect spread of local anesthetic solution in the epidural space.


Metal nanoparticles have been intensively studied within the past decade. Nano-sized materials have been an important subject in basic and applied sciences. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have received considerable attention due to their unique antibacterial, antifungal, and UV filtering properties, high catalytic and photochemical activity. In this study, microbiological aspects of scale formation in PVC pipelines bacteria and fungi were isolated. In the emerging issue of increased multi-resistant properties in water borne pathogens, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle are being used increasingly as antimicrobial agents. Thus, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum fungal concentration of ZnO nanoparticles towards pathogens microbe were examined in this study. The results obtained suggested that ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a good anti fungal activity than bactericidal effect towards all pathogens tested in in-vitro disc diffusion method (170 ppm, 100 ppm and 30 ppm). ZnO nanoparticles can be a potential antimicrobial agent due to its low cost of production and high effectiveness in antimicrobial properties, which may find wide applications in various industries to address safety issues. Stable ZnO nanoparticles were prepared and their shape and size distribution characterized by Dynamic light scattering (35.7 nm) and transmission electron microscopic TEM study for morphology identification (20 nm), UV-visible spectroscopy (230 nm), X-ray diffraction (FWHM of more intense peak corresponding to 101 planes located at 36.33° using Scherrer.s formula), FT-IR (Amines, Alcohols, Carbonyl and Nitrate ions), Zeta potential (-28.8). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated against Bacteria and Fungi present in drinking water PVC pipelines biofilm. In these tests, Muller Hinton agar plates were used and ZnO nanoparticles of various concentrations were supplemented in solid medium.


Electrodermal activity during passive and active listening tasks of 18 children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 49 healthy school children was studied. The procedure included baseline recording, a passive listening task, instructions, and both simple and discriminative active-listening tasks. ADHD subjects tended to exhibit lower arousal as indicated by the decrease in amplitude of the skin conductance response. Present findings confirm classical observation that ADHD children have shorter attention spans.


The advent of the COVID-19 vaccine signified a historic milestone in the field of vaccinology, showcasing remarkable scientific collaboration and global solidarity. However, the most prominent hurdle in maximizing the global public health impact of vaccines remains the absence of comprehensive and inclusive health systems in both high- and low-resource settings. Our discussion centers around the major contributing factors that played a key role in formulating the rapid and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines. Simultaneously, we illuminate the disparities that have marred the vaccine delivery process throughout the pandemic. In particular, we highlight the case scenarios of two minority and vulnerable communities from the Global South and North—the undocumented migrants in Thailand and the Roma community in Europe—who continue to experience inequitable vaccine access regardless of their location. We note that a crucial programmatic solution that is rooted in inclusive and equitable global public health policy, characterized by empathy and trust and bolstered by digital innovation, is lacking. These examples underscore the significance of establishing a comprehensive and integrated health system at multiple levels across countries and the entire world. Furthermore, we highlight the need for both local and global actors to collaboratively engage in vaccine distribution efforts. By gaining a concise grasp of these intricacies, the global community will be better poised to effectively combat future pandemics and emerging health challenges.


Copper is an ubiquitous essential element but also toxic to aquatic organisms, Environmental Quality Standards being 1 µg.L-1 for surface water (annual mean concentration). Rivers and estuaries are mainly concerned by copper accumulation in sediments and in organisms. Copper can originate from various manufactured products (antifouling painting, vineyards fungicides, brake linings….) and anthropic activities (industrial, landfills…). As a result, copper French median concentration in oysters is about 200 mg.kg-1 DM (Ifremer, 2017).

Transportation, especially road transport, is the main French source of copper air emissions (92% of total emissions) (CITEPA, 2019). Then, urban areas, mainly impervious, constitute a major non-point source of copper from abrasion of brake pads and tires, and fuels. This contaminant is released from the road surfaces through stormwater runoff directly to water bodies or after collection in sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). As the epuration performance of SUDS for copper was shown to be low, this study is carried out to evaluate if copper mobility can be explained by its physical speciation. The distribution of copper among dissolved, colloidal and particulate fractions is studied by size fractionation, assuming that the mobility of copper is related to a high dissolved and colloidal occurrence.

The study site is a retention-infiltration basin collecting the runoff waters of the main bridge of Nantes (France; about 90 000 vehicles/day), and overflowing to the Loire river . Size fractionation by in series filtration and ultrafiltration was performed on stormwater runoff and surface waters sampled within the basin. Five fractions were analyzed for major and trace elements: ] ; 8µm ], ] 8µm ; 1,2µm ], ] 1,2µm ; 0,45µm ], ] 0,45µm ; 5kDa ] and ] 5kDa. Among these fractions ] ; 8µm ] correspond to particulate copper, ] 8µm ; 1,2µm ], ] 1,2µm ; 0,45µm ], ] 0,45µm ; 5kDa ] to colloidal copper and ] 5kDa ; [ to dissolved copper. Size fractionations were implemented for 8 samples with 2 replicates for each sample and over 1 year. 0.45 µm filtrations were also conducted as a reference.

The total copper concentration in runoff was around 100µg.L-1, which is in the upper part of the concentrations observed in the area of Nantes in SUDS. The results of the size fractionation are as follows : 1) for the stormwater runoffs, particulate copper is about 70% of the total amount, colloidal copper is present for 20% and 10% of dissolved copper is measured. Thus 30 % of copper are mobile; 2) for the surface waters in the basin, the distribution of copper among the dissolved, colloidal and particulate fractions, is respectively 20 %, 70 % and 10 %.

We concluded that 1) the concentration of copper is 100 times higher the regulation value for natural environment, and 2) particulate fractions of copper are trapped at the entrance of the basin, and an high content of mobile copper (dissolved and colloidal fractions) is observed in the basin that could either be overflowed or infiltrated in the sub-soil of the basin.


The development of the first clinical simultaneous Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system was carried out within the INSERT project. The INSERT scanner was constructed under the initial project, but its performance was not fully evaluated; here we have reconstructed the first images on the SPECT system. Calibration and acquisition protocols were developed and used to establish the clinical feasibility of the system. The image reconstruction procedures were implemented on the first phantom images in order to assess the system's imaging capabilities. This study solved issues involving incomplete data sets and pixel failure in the prototype detector system. The final images determined a measure of trans-axial image resolution, giving average values of 9.14 mm and 6.75 mm in the radial and tangential directions respectively. The work carried out on the complete system produced several clinical phantom images which utilized the capabilities of both SPECT and MRI.


Organic solar cells must separate strongly bound electron-hole pairs into free charges. This is achieved at interfaces between electron donor and acceptor organic semiconductors. The most popular electron acceptor is the fullerene derivative PCBM. Electron-hole separation has been observed on femtosecond timescales, which is incompatible with conventional Marcus theories of organic transport. In this work we show that ultrafast charge transport in PCBM arises from its broad range of electronic eigenstates, provided by the presence of three closely spaced delocalised bands near the LUMO level. Vibrational fluctuations enable rapid transitions between these bands, which drives an electron transport of $\sim$3 nm within 100 fs. All this is demonstrated within a realistic tight binding Hamiltonian containing transfer integrals no larger than 8 meV.


A large actuation voltage is required to produce a desired mechanical deformation in dielectric elastomers. To reduce the amount of the actuation voltage, several mechanisms can be applied and the inclusion of high dielectric permittivity fillers in the matrix material in the uncured stage is one of them. Moreover, to obtain a maximum advantage from the high dielectric permittivity fillers, an electric field is applied during the curing process which helps the particles to align in a preferred direction. The stiffness gaining during curing is modelled by an appropriate constitutive relation where the temporal evolution of the material parameters is considered. In this paper we present a phenomenologically‐inspired large strain framework for simulating the curing process of polymers that can work under the use of an electro‐mechanically coupled load. (© 2015 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


ABSTRACT: There is extensive evidence for decrements of gene expression in AD, at several levels in the process. There is also evidence for increments of expression of some genes. Message for the amyloid precursor protein (APP), for example, is elevated in surviving neurons of certain subcortical populations in AD. We evaluated expression of message for APP as well as for certain neuronal and glial cytoskeletal proteins in the cortex of six cases of AD. Neuronal mRNAs, including that for APP, were significantly decreased when compared with control cortex, whereas the glial mRNA was increased. We have projected studies to determine the evolution of these mRNA decrements in Alzheimer-type degeneration. The rationale for these studies and preliminary findings are discussed.


Gum Arabic from Acacia senegal (Wild) has been fractionated by a foaming method into two fractions, high protein fraction (HPF) that represents 30% of the gum and a low protein fraction (LPF) which represents 70% of the gum. A comparative study between the crude gum and the two fractions carried out in the scope of their physio-chemical properties. A proximate analysis of the crude gum and the two fractions(HPF and LPF respectively) revealed that, the moisture content(10.11,10.04 and 10.05) and specific rotation( -31,-30 and -30) were insignificantly different whereas ash%(3.7,3.33 and 3.03), acid insoluble ash%(0.3,0.135 and 0.145), acid insoluble matter% (0.18, 0.55 and 0.58) and pH ( 4.49, 4.47 and 4.25) were significantly different . The nitrogen (0.28, 1.51 and 0.007) and protein content (1.85, 10.01 and 0.05) and the intrinsic viscosity (17, 44.5 and 6 cm-3/g) were, highly, significantly different. Mineral composition of crude gum, fractions HPF and LPF revealed that LPF had the highest content of calcium (17590) whereas HPF had the highest potassium and magnesium composition(4417 and 1717 respectively).


The publication of this book in 1968 marked the first comprehensive examination of the history and culture of native Americans. Today this work continues to stand as one of the major summaries of the indigenous societies of North America with its explication of such universal subjects as monotheism, war, capitalism, and sex.


Localizing several potentially synchronous brain activities with low signal-to-noise ratio from ElectroEncephaloGraphic (EEG) recordings is a challenging problem. In this paper we propose a novel source localization method, named CoRE, which uses a Cosparse Representation of EEG signals. The underlying analysis operator is derived from physical laws satisfied by EEG signals, and more particularly from Poisson's equation. In addition, we show how physiological constraints on sources, leading to a given space support and fixed orientations for current dipoles, can be taken into account in the optimization scheme. Computer results, aiming at showing the feasability of the CoRE technique, illustrate its superiority in terms of estimation accuracy over dictionary-based sparse methods and subspace approaches.


There is growing international debate about the so-called "right to health" and the likely content of such a right as it is gradually defined by international bodies such as the UN committee on economic, social, and cultural rights. Although some countries, such as Mexico, have incorporated the right of access to basic treatment into their national constitution, practical implications generally remain to be fully articulated. Lawyers have been trying to do this by developing internationally accepted indicators which can be used to measure a nation's progress towards compliance with social, economic and cultural rights. Clearly, compliance can only be judged against the yardstick of resources. Restructuring of health services and the need to contain spiralling health costs have led many countries to focus on developing a basic health care package as a "right". The USA, in the Clinton era, had inconclusive discussions about this and basic packages have been implemented by governments as diverse as Brazil, Germany, Israel, and the Netherlands. As the BMA has discussed, the prime responsibility for ensuring that rights are fulfilled rests with governments who are signatory to international human rights declarations. Nevertheless, hospitals and other health facilities may logically be deemed to have some obligations, by delegation from government, to respect the rights of people needing urgent treatment. The question of what this right means to health professionals needs exploring. Access to health care, particularly in a life-threatening emergency, appears to be a fundamental component of any such postulated right. Also, individual health professionals are generally perceived as having an ethical duty to respond to "need" when they are able to help. In July 2001, the potential legal consequences of failing to do so were highlighted by a case in India where the medical administrator of a Delhi hospital refused emergency treatment to an accident victim whose family were unable to pay. The Indian Medical Association pointed out that such cases were not unknown but the fact that the doctor was charged with "culpable homicide" made this an exceptional case which raises many questions.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of teacher's psychological empowerment between school leadership style and teachers' work-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach
A total of 711 teachers from 31 Estonian schools were surveyed with a questionnaire measuring four dimensions of psychological empowerment (competence, meaning, self-determination and impact), school leadership characteristics (leadership style, leader's empowering behavior and trust in leader) and teacher's work-related outcomes (job satisfaction and workplace attachment). AMOS path analysis was used to investigate the direct and indirect relations between the teachers' perceptions of school leadership, their psychological empowerment and their workplace attachment and job satisfaction.

Findings
This study found that psychological empowerment (subscales meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership empowerment behavior and teachers' work-related outcomes. Also, the psychological empowerment (meaning and impact) mediates the relationship between perceived leadership style and teachers' work-related outcomes. Trust in the principal has direct and indirect effect (through psychological empowerment) on job satisfaction, whereas there only seems to be indirect effect on workplace attachment through two components of psychological empowerment.

Practical implications
The mediating role of psychological empowerment includes an important message for school principals – in order to empower employees it is not sufficient to merely delegate formal power and decision-making rights. To facilitate the development of psychological empowerment, it is important to provide employees with an opportunity to experience agency, to experience that their voice and opinions are taken into account (perceived impact) and the purpose and targets of the whole organization are discussed with the employees and formulated in collaboration with them (perceived meaning).

Originality/value
Psychological empowerment as a mediating variable has not been widely researched, especially in school environment. The results will provide important signals for school principals, where and how to find leverage to improve teachers' job satisfaction and workplace attachment.


Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the reproductive characteristics and sexual functions in bipolar patients monitored in a specialized mood disorder clinic, identify their potential relationship with the use of psychotropics, and investigate gender differences.
Method: The study included 193 patients (100 men, 93 women) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of bipolar disorder being followed at Ege University Affective Disorders Outpatient Unit. Reproductive characteristics of the patients were examined at the evaluation. Sexual dysfunctions were evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function in men and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale in women.
Results: There was no significant difference between men and women regarding age, duration of marriage, duration of illness, duration of mood stabilizer and antipsychotic drugs use and dosage of antipsychotic drugs. Age at pubarche in men was 13.8±1.2 years, age at menarche in women was 13.2±1.3 years. Current menstrual cycle irregularities were found in 15.1% (n=14) of women. Prevalence of lifetime menstrual irregularities was 38.7% (n=36). 60.4% (n=67) of patients having an active sexual life were using an effective contraception method. 31.7% (n=26) of female patients had sexual dysfunction whilst 52% (n=39) of male patients had erectile dysfunction. In both men and women, no significant difference was found between groups using mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs in terms of sexual dysfunction. There was no correlation between sexual function scores and usage and duration of mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs in either sex.
Conclusions: This cross-sectional study with a relatively large bipolar sample group concluded that the patients' reproductive and sexual functions were not as much affected by bipolar disorder and psychotropic drug use as had been assumed. However, these results should be supported with prospective and controlled trials.


Planning of development of area coordinated by a body namely BAPPEDA, below Regent head as regional leader holding highest chairmanship run development and governance. Problems ofthis research is how role ofBAPPEDA in compiling wisdom planning of development in Sub-Province of Tanggamus. Approach taken is approach of empiric and normatif, using primary data and of sekunder, data analysis done with analysis qualitative. Planning of development conducted by BAPPEDA represent activity of decision making from a number of assessment choice exactly to the goal and way ofwhich is executed utilize to reach the target of development. Role Of BAPPEDA Sub-Province of Tanggamus is to compile elementary pattern and development program, compilation ofplan ofAPBD, research and development oftown, monitoring and evaluation.


The following study examined predictors of cyber dating abuse. Early life factors including attachment style, history of bullying as well as relationship attributes (trust, jealousy and frequency of communication) were examined. The primary goal was to test the relative strength of one's early life factors, peer experiences and current relationship qualities. The first hypothesis proposed that early life factors would be more significant variables than relationship attributes in predicting cyber dating abuse. The secondary hypothesis tested for potential moderating effects of attachment style on trust and jealousy predicting cyber dating abuse. A total of 110 undergraduate students from 18-25 years (M = 20.73, SD = 1.86), who were in a current romantic relationship completed a series of self-reports. Using multiple regression, avoidant attachment style, bullying perpetration, relationship trust and emotional jealousy were all significant predictors of Cyber Dating Abuse (CDA). The study showed no interaction between avoidant attachments with other predicting variables. These findings can be added to the limited body of research on cyber dating abuse in hopes to stimulate further investigation on the possible risk factors of cyber dating abuse. THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS 3 The Use of Technology in Dating Relationships Technology has become an essential in our everyday life with its main advantage of keeping us connected to our loved ones. The benefits of technology are furthermore appreciated for those in romantic relationships. Technology has allowed couples to constantly stay connected through its various forms such as text messages, phone calls and emails, despite geographical barriers. Although technology can be very rewarding, it is not a surprise that it also has its limitations. In extreme cases, technology can be used as a tool to abuse a partner. Cyber dating abuse is a phenomena characterized by one's intent to humiliate, harass, stalk or control their partner through the use of technology (Zweig, Lachman, Yahner & Dank, 2013). The prevalence of cyber dating abuse is especially prevalent in younger demographics with 15% of 6 graders involved in cyber dating abuse perpetration (Peskin et al., 2017). This form of abuse also occurs in young adults with 50% of college students reporting to have experienced cyber dating abuse at least once (Borrajo, Galmez & Calvete, 2015). In response to these alarming rates, researchers are interested in investigating the risk factors in perpetration. Studies show that cyber dating abuse occurs under the context of jealousy, reciprocity, anger and humour (Borrajo, Galmez & Calvete, 2015). In addition, individual factors such as being a female, having poor problem solving skills and psychological issues influence cyber dating abuse perpetration (Peskin et al.,2017). To date, studies on cyber dating abuse is still in its preliminary stages. The purpose of this study is to further investigate potential factors that may influence the perpetration of cyber THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS 4 dating abuse. This will be done by exploring the role of attachment style, history of bullying, trust, jealousy and frequency of communication. Furthermore, I aim to see if attachment style and bullying experiences pose a greater influence on cyber dating abuse perpetration than relationship qualities. Attachment and Cyber Dating Abuse Attachment Theory, a concept developed by John Bowlby (1973), emphasizes the importance of parenting as a model for secondary relationships whether platonic or romantic. According to Bowlby the level of attachment a child adopts in the future depends on the degree to which a child's needs were met by their caregiver (Shieh, 2000). Someone with a secure attachment views their caregiver as reliable and protective. In contrast, those with an insecure attachment such as anxious attachment, had parents who were inconsistent in meeting their needs while children who grow to have an avoidant attachment had parents who were rejecting, cold and critical (Shieh, 2000). Bowlby hypothesized that the type of bond established between the child and parent will not only influence the type of relationship the child will have in later life, but will also create an internal working model that will dictate how the child perceives one's self and others. Good parent-child relationships result in a securely attached individual viewing themselves and others as competent, lovable and worthy (Shieh, 2000). In contrast, poor early life interactions leads to an insecure attachment style paired with negative evaluations of the self and others known as "early maladaptive schemas". Early maladaptive schemas are distorted truths one carries, such as feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem or fear of abandonment. Studies have shown that children insecure attachments are associated with higher rates of early maladaptive schemas against those THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS 5 with secure attachments (Simard, Moss & Pascuzzo, 2011). These toxic beliefs can influence the development of personality traits deemed threatening to a relationship and in turn affect overall relationship satisfaction. For instance, people with an anxious or avoidant attachment show lower levels of trust, stability, relationship satisfaction (Marshall et al. 2013) and jealous tendencies (Hazan & Shaver, 1987) making them more likely to exhibiting problematic or abusive behaviour in relationships. Several studies also outline the link between insecure attachment and cyber dating abuse. A study by Fox & Warber (2014) demonstrates how partner surveillance is most often endorsed by those with preoccupied and fearful attachments. In another study, Facebook jealousy is seen to be positively correlated to those with anxious attachments in comparison to other attachment styles. In addition their pessimistic schema allows them to interpret cryptic information as threatening (Marshall et al., 2013). Overall, a dysfunctional upbringing and maladaptive schema can make one with an insecure attachment more likely to experience jealousy, interpersonal conflicts and abuse in relationships in comparison to those with secure attachment styles. History of Bullying and Cyber Dating Abuse Studies have shown how parent-child attachment predicts one's behaviour with peers. It is evident that differences in attachment styles also produce distinct experiences in friendships. Those with secure attachments have closer connection with their peers, experience lower anxiety and exhibit effective conflict resolution skills (Zimmerman, 2004). In contrast, those with preoccupied attachments were more hostile in their friendships, possess poor conflict resolution skills and were more socially anxious (Zimmerman, 2004). Finally avoidant attached people are emotionally independent and do not place much importance in their relationships (Zimmerman, THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS 6 2004). Studies have also shown how parenting styles can vary the likelihood of bullying experiences in children. Children of overprotective, cold or rejecting parents are more likely to be perpetrators of bullying whereas parental permissiveness is associated with bullying victimization in girls (Van der Watt, 2014). Furthermore avoidant and anxious attached children are more likely to be the aggressive towards peers in comparison to securely attached individuals. For example, relational aggression is most often seen in girls who develop an anxious attachment toward their mother. Physical aggression is most often seen in males with an anxious attachment toward their father (Williams & Kennedy, 2012). Unfortunately, aggressive behaviour displayed by those with insecure attachments is not only limited to peer relationships. As of now, many studies have shown the link between bullying and physical dating violence. A longitudinal study sampling grade 6 children show that physical bullying was a significant predictor of physical dating violence (Foshee et al., 2014). In addition, group membership may also serve as a predictor to dating violence. Adolescents who associate with peer groups who engage in high levels of relational aggression are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of dating violence (Ellis, Chung-Hall & Dumas, 2013). Moreover, aggression and violent behaviour may further be reinforced and justified for youths who associate with others who also show aggression in peer group context (Ellis, Chung-Hall & Dumas, 2013).To date, only a few studies show the relationship between traditional bullying and cyber dating abuse. Victims and perpetrators of bullying are twice as likely to become perpetrators of cyber dating abuse than those who have never experienced any form of bullying (Yahner, Dank, Zweig & Lachman, 2015). It is important to note as well that the relationship between bullying and cyber dating abuse can be explained by a traumatic or abusive upbringing. Children exposed to harsh discipline or abuse were more likely to view their parents' behaviour as normal. This increases THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS 7 the likelihood of a child repeating or expecting this behaviour in future relationships (Smith & Wilson, 1998). This study will investigate the influence of bullying perpetration and victimization online and offline on the onset of cyber dating abuse perpetration. Relationship Attributes and Cyber Dating Abuse In general, romantic relationships characterized by abusive behaviours are lower in overall quality (Ellis, Chung-Hall & Dumas, 2013). Studies have also shown the link between relationship attributes, jealousy and trust, and the occurrence of cyber dating abuse. Jealousy can be explained by one's emotional or cognitive response to a perceived threat. Both cognitive and emotional appraisal of jealousy can lead to abusive behaviours in a relationship. The cognitive aspect of jealo


Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and economics of levetiracetam (LEV) for epilepsy. Materials and methods: PubMed, 44 per seizure-free day gained in Korea. Conclusion: LEV is as effective as CBZ, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital and LTG and has an advantage for pregnant women and in cognitive functions. Limited evidence supports its cost-effectiveness.


The purpose of the study was to investigate whether or not Icelandic horses are
less severely affected in clinical symptoms of cough or decreased performance
than other breeds of horses. A breed variation in chronic respiratory disease
severity was suspected based on clinical experience at the Institution for surgery &
medicine, large animal, SLU Uppsala. A retrospective journal study of 17
Icelandic horses and 17 Swedish Standardbred horses with chronic problems with
cough and/or decreased performance compared several measurements of disease
severity.

The clinical signs, physical examination and laboratory testing results compared
were respiratory rate, abdominal breathing, lung auscultation, endoscopy results,
broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) results and the blood gases pO2 and pCO2. All
parameters were available for all 34 individuals except for the blood gases, which
were analysed, in only four Icelandic horses and four Swedish Standardbred
horses.
The only parameters that appeared different between the two groups were
respiratory rate and pO2. The four Icelandic horses, which had blood gases
analysed, had more severe hypoxemia. But all had a greater inflammatory process
in the lower airways as shown by the increased neutrophils in the BAL results
compared to the 4 Standardbred horses. There was no difference between the 2
breeds of horse in the number of neutrophils in the BAL tests when all 17 horses in
each group were compared, therefore it is likely that if one compared Icelandic
horses with Standardbred horses having similarly severe inflammation there may
not have been a difference. We did not have the opportunity to compare blood
gases among individuals with equally severe inflammation as good controls. The
difference in hypoxemia in only 4 horses with especially severe disease was thus
not considered good proof of a difference between the 2 breeds.
The mean respiratory rate was different between the two groups. Mean respiratory
rate among the 17 Icelandic horses were 31,0 ± 9,7 compared with 16,8 ± 4,3
among the 17 Swedish Standardbred horses. In order to further consider this
difference, the respiratory rate was measured in 23 clinical healthy Icelandic
horses housed outside. The mean result was 16,4 ± 3,6. This is above than range
accepted as the normal respiratory rate for horses of 8-16 per minute. This suggests
Icelandic horses appear to have a higher respiratory rate normally and this may be
exaggerated when they are examined inside where it is warmer. The higher
respiratory rate among the 17 Icelandic horses in this study may only be mainly a
breed variation and not necessarily indicate that they are more severely affected
during chronic respiratory problems.
Our conclusion was that there was insufficient proof found in a more controlled
study to indicate that Icelandic horses are less severely affected by chronic
respiratory disease that appeared as the clinical problems of cough or decreased
performance. Further studies on respiratory rate and blood gas analysis may be
useful in understanding the two differences noted in our study.


In every society, the goals of the education system are translated into a plan of action which achieves these goals, that is, the school curriculum. Curriculum planning, development and implementation are of major concern to educators since the quality of education is dependent, to a large extent, on the quality of instruction being delivered. Curriculum development, therefore, should not take place in a vaccum, but should be influenced by present day trends in educational reform which reflect the purpose of education in the society. The paper explores the nature of conceptions of excellence in secondary education in Trinidad and Tobago. A descriptive survey method probed the opinions of a panel of educators and a group of non-educators to reveal their conceptions of excellence and the conditions which give rise to it. The survey data revealed four indigenous conceptions of excellence: intellectual supremacy; character development; self-actualization, and social consciousness, each belonging to a particular conception of education. The majority of participants in the study expressed faith in the conception of excellence as self-actualization and the conception of education as the holistic development of the individual.


In mobile robotics, area exploration and coverage are critical capabilities. In most of the available research, a common assumption is global, long-range communication and centralised cooperation. This paper proposes a novel swarmbased coverage control algorithm that relaxes these assumptions. The algorithm combines two elements: swarm rules and frontier search algorithms. Inspired by natural systems in which large numbers of simple agents (e.g., schooling fish, flocking birds, swarming insects) perform complicated collective behaviors, the first element uses three simple rules to maintain a swarm formation in a distributed manner. The second element provides means to select promising regions to explore (and cover) using the minimization of a cost function involving the agent's relative position to the frontier cells and the frontier's size. We tested our approach's performance on both heterogeneous and homogeneous groups of mobile robots in different environments. We measure both coverage performance and swarm formation statistics that permit the group to maintain communication. Through a series of comparison experiments, we demonstrate the proposed strategy has superior performance over recently presented map coverage methodologies and the conventional artificial potential field based on a percentage of cell-coverage, turnaround, and safe paths while maintaining a formation that permits short-range communication.


Although the role of vitamins as prosthetic groups of enzymes is well known, their participation in the regulation of their genetic expression has been much less explored. We studied the effect of biotin on the genetic expression of rat liver mitochondrial carboxylases: pyruvate carboxylase (PC), propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC), and 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC). Rats were made biotin-deficient and were sacrificed after 8 to 10 weeks, when deficiency manifestations began to appear. At this time, hepatic PCC activity was 20% of the control values or lower, and there was an abnormally high urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, a marker of biotin deficiency. Biotin was added to deficient primary cultured hepatocytes. It took at least 24 h after the addition of biotin for PCC to achieve control activity and biotinylation levels, whereas PC became active and fully biotinylated in the first hour. The enzyme's mass was assessed in liver homogenates from biotin-deficient rats and incubated with biotin to convert the apocarboxylases into holocarboylases, which were detected by streptavidin blots. The amount of PC was minimally affected by biotin deficiency, whereas that of the alpha subunits of PCC and of MCC decreased substantially in deficient livers, which likely explains the reactivation and rebiotinylation results. The expression of PC and alphaPCC was studied at the mRNA level by Northern blots and RT/PCR; no significant changes were observed in the deficient livers. These results suggest that biotin regulates the expression of the catabolic carboxylases (PCC and MCC), that this regulation occurs after the posttranscriptional level, and that pyruvate carboxylase, a key enzyme for gluconeogenesis, Krebs cycle anaplerosis, and fatty acid synthesis, is spared of this control.


OBJECTIVES
To assess sleep characteristics of adolescents infected by HIV, and to ascertain whether psychosocial aspects are associated to the quality of sleep.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study assessing 102 HIV-infected adolescents of both genders, aged between 10 and 20 years-old and 120 Controls. Data collection was performed by applying the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory.

RESULTS
A sleep disturbance prevalence of 77.4% was found in patients, and a 75% prevalence in controls, and there was correlation between quality of sleep and of life. HIV-infected adolescents scored higher for sleep breathing disorders and had higher prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness.

CONCLUSIONS
HIV-infected adolescents had similar quality of sleep compared to healthy adolescents. This may be explained by the steady improvements in daily living as a result of successful anti-retroviral therapy, and by the vulnerability that affects Brazilian adolescents living in major urban centers.


Summary Present study has been evaluated in vitro and in vivo acaricidal activity of some indigenous plants under organized and farmer flock. The expeirment of in vivo and in vitro effect of adulticidal activity of crude extract of arand, yellow kaner and pudina in natural tick infestation have done. The results indicate that all these extracts had quite similar in vivo adulticidal activity on tick population. However, in vitro results revealed that the mortality percentage was higher as the concentration of extract increased and the time interval progresses. Statistical analysis of data further revealed that mortality was significantly different (p<0.5) at 4 and 24 hrs interval in case of crude extract of arand, yellow kaner and Pudina.


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In the United States, lung cancer accounts for ∼160,000 deaths per year while the five-year survival rate remains stagnant at ∼15%. A better understanding of the pathobiology for this disease is imperative for development of novel therapeutics to improve mortality rates. One of the most common activating mutations in lung cancer is K-ras. Our group previously showed that K-ras activation generates an inflammatory response in lung tumors, mediated largely through the increased production of neutrophil chemokines by tumor cells. The corresponding increase in neutrophil recruitment in this model increased tumor growth, which was associated with degradation of the intracellular protein insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). A study of non-small cell lung cancer demonstrated that IRS-1 was low or absent in 46% of cases. To further dissect the role of IRS-1 in tumor growth we generated LSL-K-ras/IRS-1 fl/fl mice and subjected them to adenoviral cre. LSL-K-ras/IRS-1-/- mice displayed early mortality and increased tumor burden when compared to LSL-K-ras/IRS-1+/+ controls. Surprisingly, IRS-1 loss in tumor cells generated a robust immune response. The bronchial alveolar lavage fluid of LSL-K-ras/IRS-1-/- mice showed increased infiltration of macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes. Further examination of the chemokine profiles of LSL-K-ras/IRS-1-/- and LSL-K-ras/IRS-1+/+ mice showed a significant increase in many immune cell-recruiting chemokines in the LSL-K-ras/IRS-1-/- mice including CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCl12. Many cancers are able to manipulate the host immune response through signaling pathways that interface with IRS-1, including: phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), extracellular signal regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT). As some cytokines can activate IRS-1 via JAK/STAT signaling, we suspected that IL-17 and IL-22 might function in this regard. Loss of IRS-1 increases pSTAT3 production, which triggers chemokine release and the generation of a pro-tumor immune response. Preliminary data to support this hypothesis include: 1) presence of IL-17 and IL-22 producing cells (e.g. Th17) at sites of tumor in LSL-K-ras mice, 2) induction of pTyr-IRS-1 upon IL-17 and IL-22 stimulation in A549 cells, and 3) increased CC and CXC chemokines in IRS-1 deficient cells upon IL-17 and IL-22 stimulation. Experimentation is ongoing to further elucidate the mechanism behind this phenotype. Citation Format: Heather E. Metz, Stephanie E. Busch, Mark L. Hanke, Julia Kargl, Kyoung-Hee Kim, A McGarry Houghton. Insulin receptor substrate-1 regulates immune cell content in lung adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4860. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4860


The designation "activated macrophage" was originally introduced to describe the state of macrophages that have an enhanced ability to phagocytize microorganisms and exert antimicrobial activity. This effect was found to be dependent upon particular infections and involves the participation of lymphocytes (1, 2). "Activation" has a specific immunologic basis, but its expression is nonspecific. Mackaness has written lucidly about activated macrophages and has referred readers back to the concepts of Lurie in tuberculosis, and further to the fons et origo of thinking in this context, i.e., to concepts of Metchnikoff (3). The latter's oft quoted phrase regarding a "perfecting of the phagocytic and digestive powers of the leukocytes" might well be, broadly speaking, synonymous with "activation." Once it was determined that macrophages taken from animals at some appropriate time after infection, for example, with Listerria or Bacillus Calmette-Guérin2 (BCG), were superior to control cells with respect to their antimicrobial powers, it was natural for inquiry to be made into the differences between such cells and normal (control) cells, in terms of their morphology, cellular chemistry, and biochemical attributes.


Abstract The Department of Mammalogy of the American Museum of Natural History houses over 300 specimens of African colobus monkeys (genera Colobus and Procolobus). The collection consists of red, olive, and black-and-white colobus (Procolobus badius, P. verus, Colobus angolensis, C. guereza, C. polykomos, C. satanas, and C. vellerosus). Taxonomic notes, pelage descriptions, and range are noted for each species and subspecies. For each specimen, the following data are given: catalog number, date collected or recorded, sex, age, nature of specimen, locality, name of collector, and measurements.


Background: The Paracoccus sp. strain (KDSPL-02) isolated from sludge was identified and evaluated for catalytic activity in the degradation of penicillin G. Results: High degradation efficiency and synergistic catalytic effects of the whole cell and visible light without additional catalysts were observed. The key factors influencing the degradation and kinetics of penicillin G were investigated. The results showed the phenylacetic acid, which was produced during penicillin G biodegradation, exhibited stronger inhibiting effects on KDSPL-02. However, this effect was reduced by visible light irradiation without any additional photocatalyst; furthermore, the rate of penicillin G biodegradation was accelerated, reaching a 100% rate in 12 h at a penicillin G concentration of 1.2 g/L. Four key intermediates produced during penicillin G degradation were isolated and identified by LC–MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. Enzymes involved in the PAA pathway were proposed from a genomic analysis of paracoccus sp. KDSPL-02. Conclusions:These results provide a new method for bio-degrading of penicillin or other antibiotic pollutants using photoaccelerating biocatalysts with greater efficiency and more environmentally friendly conditions.


Glucocorticoids inhibit the growth hormone (GH) response to a variety of stimuli, including GH‐releasing hormone (GHRH) in vivo, but they increase GHRH‐stimulated GH secretion when added, in vitro, to animal and human pituitary cells. This discrepancy has led to the hypothesis that glucocorticoids act in vivo by increasing somatostatin secretion from the hypothalamus. To examine this hypothesis, we used a cholinergic drug, pyridostigmine (PD), which reduces hypothalamic somatostatin secretion. Eight normal volunteers were studied. They underwent four tests: (1) GHRH test; (2) Dex + GHRH (GHRH test after treatment the night before, with dexamethasone (Dex)); (3) PD + GHRH; (4) Dex + PD + GHRH. Dex significantly inhibited the GH response to GHRH expressed as area under the GH/time curve (AUC, μug/1/ min) (mean ± SEM = 895‐2 ± 196‐6 vs 1970‐9 ± 600‐1, P < 005). PD significantly increased the AUC of GH secretion in PD + GHRH compared with GHRH alone (3541‐2 + 571‐3 vs 1970‐9 + 600‐1, P<001) but by no means restored completely the normal GH response to GHRH, when given to Dex‐pretreated subjects. Furthermore, the mean AUC of Dex + PD + GHRH was significantly lower than that of PD + GHRH (1621‐7±500‐6 vs 3541‐2 + 571‐3, P<0–01), demonstrating that Dex continues to exert its inhibitory effect on GH secretion in the presence of PD. These results suggest that glucocorticoid‐induced GH inhibition does not act solely through an increase in hypothalamic somatostatin secretion.


Publish-subscribe systems are a powerful abstraction to build distributed applications. This paper addresses the problem of reducing subscription latency in reliable publish-subscribe systems. In most systems that offer reliability guarantees, a subscriber needs to wait until its subscription has been propagated throughout the entire system, and known by all relevant publishers, before starting to receive events. Interestingly, this may happen even when a previously deployed subscription covers a new one. In this paper, we study the properties that need to be satisfied to reduce the subscription latency and propose a new publish-subscribe system that leverages causal order multicast to offer low subscription latency when these conditions are met.


Dedifferentiated parosteal osteosarcoma (DPOS) is a variant of osteosarcoma in which a high‐grade sarcoma coexists with a conventional parosteal osteosarcoma (c‐POS), either at presentation (synchronous type) or at the time of recurrence (metachronous type). Only approximately 60 patients have been reported in the literature. The objective of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic and radiographic features of a relatively large number of patients with DPOS in an attempt to define further the histologic and biologic behavior of this rare entity.


The aim of this study was to estimate the components of (co)variance and genetic parameters for birth weight (BW, n = 16 806), weaning weight adjusted to 240 d of age (WW240, n = 9 011), yearling weight (YW, n = 6 516), age at first calving (AFC, n = 5 974) and calving interval (CI, n = 8 873) of Brown Swiss cattle from Mexico. Retrospective data from 1982 to 2010 were used from 86 ranches, spread across the country, which belonged to the Mexican Association of Registered Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders. Two trivariate analyzes were used considering BW- WW240-YW and YW-AFC-CI traits. The animal model included the contemporary group, direct additive, maternal additive, permanent environmental effects and the error term, plus age of cow at calving, parity and purebred degree as covariates. In general, direct heritabilities ranged from 0.03 to 0.35 and maternal heritabilities from 0.02 to 0.10. Correlations between direct and maternal additive genetic effects for BW, WW240 and YW ranged from -0.29 to -0.70. The direct genetic correlations for BW-WW240, BW-YW and WW240-YW were 0.51, 0.44 and 0.84, respectively, whereas for YW-AFC, YW-CI and AFC-CI they were -0.34, 0.14 and -0.26, respectively. In conclusion, selection for yearling weight could reduce the age at first calving without altering the calving interval.


The running generation of world, cloud computing has become the most powerful, chief and also lightning technology. IT based companies has already changed their way to buy and design hardware through this technology. It is a high utility which can also make software more attractive. Load balancing research in cloud technology is one of the burning technologies in modern time. In this paper, pointing various proposed algorithms, the topic of load balancing in Cloud Computing are researched and compared to provide a gist of the latest way in this research area. By using Genetic Algorithm the balance is most flexible which is represented here.


According to the NCTM reform suggestions, when teachers are orchestrators of student interactions, students adopt a more active role in explaining and learning mathematics. This research, which mapped the nature and role of meaningful mathematical discourse, provides insights into discursive practices that lead to rich mathematical interactions. We observed, coded, and analyzed middle school algebra, number, and data lessons using a grounded theory approach. We organized the observed paths that emerged into a map depicting actual paths for mathematics discourse. The results indicated that communication pathways between the teacher and students occur in many ways, and certain student-initiated questions may trigger predictable teaching patterns. Conversation that originates with the teacher often results in dialogue that is one-dimensional, mostly provides factual information, and rarely results in rich, meaningful mathematical dialogue. However, when students engage in the teacher's conversation or they are persistent in their own questioning, teachers tended to provide more detailed explanations, and teachers often embellished with new examples and representations using nuanced solution methods. Although results seem to indicate that teaching children to be persistent with their questioning will enhance understanding, this behavior may be interpreted as threatening to some teachers. Therefore, caution is warranted when attempting to turn these findings into action. It is important that, before instructing students about being persistent with questions, teachers understand the students' intentions. Although participants did not have negative reactions to persistent student questioning, some children might experience negative responses without proper professional development for teachers.


RNA Editing
Posttranscriptional modifications, including changing an adenosine (A) to an inosine (I), may affect the translation of RNA transcripts into proteins. Yu et al. examined the extent and conservation or divergence of A-to-I editing across the genomes of seven Drosophila species. Editing occurred most commonly as nonconserved events observed only in a single gene from a gene family within a species. Positive selection was identified in cases where multiple genes within a gene family were edited across species; these also showed enrichment for function in the neural system. This suggests that editing may be selected for developmental variation.

PLOS Genet. 10.1371/journal. pgen.1006191 (2016).


An experimental model of Joule-Thomson micro-cooler has been fabricated on silicone wafer of 39mm×15.5mm in size. The micro-cooler uses ethylene as the refrigerant and it works in the pressure range between 2.3MPa and 0.1MPa. The micro-cooler consist of condenser, evaporator and capillary tube. Flow passage of the refrigerant was fabricated by etching process. Peltier device was used to pre-cool and condense the refrigerant. Temperature decrease by 3K was obtained at maximum flow rate of 3mg/s.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


This study examine the influence of firm size, firm risk, capital intensity, leverage, tax, litigation, ownership structure, and growth opportunity for accounting conservatism.The study population was 129 manufacturing companies listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange between 2009 and 2011. Based on purposive sampling method, 38 manufaturing companies was selected (or 114 observations). Data was selected from the companies' financial reports and analysed by using multiple linear regression. This study uncovered that. the firm size, firm risk, capital intensity, leverage, tax, litigation, ownership structure, and growth opportunity have influence for accounting conservatism collectively. But, only firm size, firm risk, capital intensity, ownership structure and growth opportunity affect accounting conservatism individually in the studied companies


Studying the process of population restoration is helpful for managing and preserving endangered species. A population of Oryza rufipogon (wild rice), an endangered species, was reintroduced in 1993 into Huli Marsh. We conducted a detailed survey over a 5‐year period (1997–2001) to evaluate the present status of the population and to further our understanding of its habitat requirements and the population model. The population was surveyed using 2 × 2–m quadrats in mid‐September of each year. In total, 2,683 quadrats were surveyed covering the whole O. rufipogon reserve during each survey. The population's spatial distribution was mapped, and the maps were used to examine the relationship between patch replacement and water depth. The individual number of O. rufipogon increased steadily from 1993 to 2001. The patch number, patch area, mean patch size, and largest patch size increased over this time period, and Korcak patchiness exponents decreased. On average, 83% of the patches persisted from one year to the next. There was a significant positive correlation between the initial patch size and the size the following year. The probability of patch disappearance decreased as patch size increased. Fifty‐eight percent of the patches were located at water depths between 20 and 30 cm. Water depth had no significant effect on the patch transition from O. rufipogon to other species. The loss and gain of O. rufipogon patches were statistically correlated with the patch areas in different water depths. Our results show that the population of O. rufipogon can successfully be reintroduced to the original habitat after appropriate environmental conditions have been restored. We recommend the following transplantation practices: transplant many smaller patches rather than a few larger patches, use transplant patch sizes of at least 20 m2, and transplant into sites vegetated with species with different regeneration niches from the transplanted species.


Although nineteenth century English companies law proved remarkably serviceable to the British empire, like all good things, it ultimately neared the end of its useful life and underwent a major rethinking earlier this decade, culminating in the Companies Act of 2006. Elsewhere though, throughout what had been the old empire, commercial expediency had already forced reconsideration of English companies law concepts, most notably in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong. This report is the starting point for the ongoing renewal of companies law in Hong Kong, and itself provided the catalyst for the recent reforms of U.K. companies law. The report has also served as a companies law primer for transitional economies such as Vietnam. The executive summary, which is also available in Chinese, outlines the structure and issues associated with a modern corporate law.


The search for low-noise switched reluctance motor designs has encouraged this research to focus on the effects of different lamination shapes on vibration. Five different shapes are considered, with one emerging as the best candidate for the 12/8-pole combination considered. The implications of using different phase numbers in the design are also explored from a vibration and noise point of view. A prototype motor is manufactured and used for a force hammer test. The test result validates the finite-element calculations of resonant frequencies.


This paper presents a salient method to find an optimal bandwidth for low noise phase-locked loop (PLL) applications by analyzing a discrete-time model of charge-pump PLLs based on ring oscillator VCOs. The analysis shows that the timing jitter of the PLL system depends on the jitter in the ring oscillator and an accumulation factor which is inversely proportional to the bandwidth of the PLL. Further analysis shows that the timing jitter of the PLL system, however, proportionally depends on the bandwidth of tile PLL when an external jitter source is applied. The analysis of the PLL timing jitter of both cases gives the clue to the optimal bandwidth design for low noise PLL applications. Simulation results using a C-language PLL model are compared with the theoretical predictions and show good agreement.


Trusts provide for the disposition of gifts according to the terms of the trust instrument and confer upon trustees the authority to administer the trust. This report reviews the statutory and common law against which proposals to effect the terms of a trust and amend the powers of trustees operate. The law in this area has been left largely untouched since 1968 and is in need of reconsideration.This report embodies a number of recommendations to modernize this area of the law. The principal recommendation is that the law needs to be revised to allow trust instruments to be amended more effectively and efficiently than is possible under the present law. Recommendations for reform also address: the scope of the court's power to approve proposals to vary and terminate trusts; the persons on whose behalf the court is empowered to give approval; and, the application of trust variation legislation to charitable corporations and trusts.This Report is the sixth of a series of reports that form part of a larger project on the Trustee Act and related laws. This project is being carried forward on behalf of the British Columbia Law Institute by the Trustee Act Modernization Committee.


The extreme shear stresses with the corresponding planes, which play the important role in some well known yielding criteria, are established. In the first part the extreme shear stresses and the corresponding planes are obtained with the help of the elementary inequalities, strictly avoiding any usage of differential calculus, so the undergraduate students of technical studies can easily follow the proof. In the second part the characters of the stationary points obtained by the method of Lagrangian multipliers are explained in an easily understandable way using the some well known computer graphics tools like gnuplot, SAGE, R, MATLAB and Mathematica.


Abstract. Semantic 3D city models play an important role in solving complex real-world problems and are being adopted by many cities around the world. A wide range of application and simulation scenarios directly benefit from the adoption of international standards such as CityGML. However, most of the simulations involve properties, whose values vary with respect to time, and the current generation semantic 3D city models do not support time-dependent properties explicitly. In this paper, the details of solar potential simulations are provided operating on the CityGML standard, assessing and estimating solar energy production for the roofs and facades of the 3D building objects in different ways. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates how the time-dependent simulation results are better-represented inline within 3D city models utilizing the so-called Dynamizer concept. This concept not only allows representing the simulation results in standardized ways, but also delivers a method to enhance static city models by such dynamic property values making the city models truly dynamic. The dynamizer concept has been implemented as an Application Domain Extension of the CityGML standard within the OGC Future City Pilot Phase 1. The results are given in this paper.


The presence of histamine H1-receptors in the bovine retinal blood vessels was studied with a [3H]mepyramine binding assay. The membranes of purified vessels obtained from bovine retinas showed specific [3H]mepyramine binding sites with a dissociation constant (KD) of 2.78 +/- 0.32 nM. This was similar to values obtained from the retinal neuronal fractions. The binding capacity (Bmax) was 53.8 +/- 1.7 fmol/mg protein, which was about a half that of the retinal neuronal fractions (108.9 +/- 3.1 fmol/mg protein). Some H1-antagonists proved to be potent competitors for [3H]mepyramine binding sites in bovine retinal blood vessels. These results indicate that histamine H1-receptors exist in the retinal blood vessels which may be involved in the physiological and the pathological responses of blood circulation in retinas.


The 21st century is identified in the country's strategic documents as a century of rapid technological, climatic and economic change, and countries must not be afraid of innovation and knowledge of the world through information technology. According to strategic documents, the education of gifted children is also one of the country's priorities. Gifted pre-school children need to develop and continuously improve their abilities, and the stimulation of these abilities can be enhanced by information and communication technologies. The article analyses the educational possibilities for gifted pre-school children using information communication technology, the characteristics of gifted pre-schoolers, and the possibilities for the identification of gifted pre-schoolers. The study suggests that gifted pre-school children are educated in an individualised way according to their needs, they are identified by their abilities which stand out from their peers, information communication technologies are used to diversify the education of gifted pre-school children, and that the biggest problem educators face while developing gifted children is the lack of information and the lack of communication tools.


This work presents a continuous and differen- tiable approximation of a Tantalum oxide memristor model which is suited for robust numerical simulations in soft- ware. The original model was recently developed at Hewlett Packard labs on the basis of experiments carried out on a memristor manufactured in house. The Hewlett Packard model of the nano-scale device is accurate and may be taken as reference for a deep investigation of the capabilities of the memristor based on Tantalum oxide. However, the model contains discontinuous and piecewise differentiable func- tions respectively in state equation and Ohm's based law. Numerical integration of the differential algebraic equation set may be significantly facilitated under substitution of these functions with appropriate continuous and differentiable ap- proximations. A detailed investigation of classes of possible continuous and differentiable kernels for the approximation of the discontinuous and piecewise differentiable functions in the original model led to the choice of near optimal can- didates. The resulting continuous and differentiable DAE set captures accurately the dynamics of the original model, delivers well-behaved numerical solutions in software, and may be integrated into a commercially-available circuit sim- ulator.


Factors such as the standards-based education movement, mandated participation in statewide testing, and inclusion have forced an increased focus on improving outcomes for students with disabilities. There are many determinants of postschool success for students with disabilities; however, teachers primarily have control over only one, teaching practices and programs. As a result, it is important that teachers choose and implement practices that have proven successful for secondary students with disabilities. This article guides teachers through the process of navigating the evidence-based practice maze to identify evidence-based practices and programs for secondary students with disabilities. Particularly, it addresses the need to (a) follow a research-based framework (i.e., Kohler's Taxonomy), (b) use practices with the best available research evidence to support effectiveness, and (c) use data-based decision making to guide use of evidence-based practices.


OBjectIve: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in patients with endstage renal disease. Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is increased in conditions associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. We aimed to examine the association between severity of coronary stenosis and the ADMA levels in a group of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1 to 3. MAterIAl and MethOdS: Eighty-eight (88) consecutive patients with decreased renal function (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 90 and 30 ml/min), undergoing cardiac catheterization for proven or clinically suspected coronary artery disease were enrolled at the study. Serum levels of creatinine, ADMA, nitric oxide (NO), calcium, phosphate, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL fractions, triglycerides were determined using measurement techniques. The Gensini scoring system was used for the detection of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. reSultS: The mean serum values were 81.48 ± 13.8 micromol/l for ADMA and 3.7 ± 1.7 mmol/L for NO. The mean Gensini score in the study group was 30.4 ± 40.1. All patients were classified into tertiles of Gensini score level. Patients in the highest tertile had statistically significantly lower GFR values. The ADMA values increased statistically significantly in the third tertile compared with the first tertile. The Gensini score values significantly correlated in univariate analysis with the GFR, ADMA and presence of hypertension. In a multivariate regression model, ADMA was the only statistically significant independent predictor of Gensini score. cOncluSIOn: ADMA appears to be one of the strongest risk markers for atherosclerosis in patients with mild and moderate CKD.


This article explores the unexpected relationship that working-class children had with doll's houses in the late nineteenth century. Placing texts by children's author Frances Hodgson Burnett alongside historical material concerning the manufacture of doll's house furniture by students in London's Ragged Schools under the supervision of housing reformer Octavia Hill, I argue that both women understood the educational or formative value of the doll's house as deriving from the object's ability to teach lessons in temporality. I examine this object and its deployment in contemporary object lessons to show that the spatial divisions of these miniature homes operate in relation to both short- and long-term cycles of time. This article also demonstrates that apparently universal models of selfhood and development were in fact contingent on class structures (both authors, for instance, connect developmental abnormalities in poor children to the fact that they grow up in one-room homes).


SiO2/Ge nanocrystals/SiO2 trilayer memory structure has been fabricated by oxidizing and subsequent annealing of self assembled SiGe nanoislands grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The optical and charge storage characteristics of trilayer structures have been studied through Raman spectroscopy and capacitance-voltage measurements, respectively. An anti-clockwise hysteresis in the C-V characteristics indicated the net electron trapping in the floating gate containing Ge nanocrystals. Frequency dependent measurements of device characteristics indicate that neither interface defects nor deep traps are dominant for the charging or discharging processes of nanocrystal floating gates.


We recognise printed digits in greyscale images by Zernike or Orthogonal Fourier-Mellon moments. We consider image preprocessing for calculation, the selection of appropriate moments for recognition, the validity of Gaussian models for classification, and resistance to noise.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine development and administration have become global priorities since the beginning of the pandemic, particularly for special populations at higher risk of complications and mortality, such as patients with haematologic and solid organ malignancies. This review aims to summarise the current data for COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in patients with cancer, suggest priority areas for future research and look at potential disparities at a global level. Although patients diagnosed with or receiving therapy for cancer were excluded from the initial vaccine trials, emerging evidence now supports vaccine safety with potentially diminished immune response in this group. Several studies that evaluated antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination found that patients with solid malignancies had lower serologic response rates compared to healthy controls, but better than patients with haematologic malignancies, who had the lowest seroconversion rates and antibody titres. As anticipated, poor serologic responses have been particularly observed among patients receiving B-cell depleting therapies. The data on cellular response are scarce and conflicting since not all studies have showed a difference between patients with malignancies and healthy subjects. Several questions concerning vaccination remain unanswered and require further exploration, such as response duration, need for response monitoring and rates of breakthrough infections.


Capital structure choice is vital in corporate financial management due to its effect on both return and risk to investors. As such, the objective of this research is to analyse the capital structure of listed shariah compliant plantation companies in Bursa Malaysia. The factors that influence the level of debt in this research are profitability, tangibility and liquidity respectively. The research is conducted by observing financial data of 34 listed shariah compliant plantation firms in Malaysia from period 2006 to 2016. The study has used panel data and the regression analysis is based on ordinary least square (OLS). Capital structure is the dependaple variable referring to debt ratio of the companies, decomposed into total debts over total assets. The independent variables are profitability, liquidity and tangibility. Three theories of capital structure have guided this study i.e. the Trade-Off Theory, Asymmetric Information and the Pecking Order Theory. The study shows that profitability and tangibility have significant positive relationship capital structure. Nevertheless, liquidity does not have any significant relationshipwith the debt ratio. It is most likely that liquidity is not taken into account by listed plantation companies in Malaysia in making their capital structure decision. Since profitability and tangibility have significant relationship with the level of debt, the Theory of Capital Structure such as Trade Off Theory is applicable to plantation shariah compliant firms listed in Bursa Malaysia.


Kaempferiaparviflora (Zingiberaceae family) has a potency to be developed for a new medicinal plants in Indonesia. One of problems in its cultivation is the lack of planting material availability due to the long dormant period. The objectives of this research were to study the effect of various concentrations of BAP and ethephon, and also the effect of the prior growing condition to the dormancy breaking and shoot growth of K.parviflora rhizome. Two separate experiments were applied for two lots of rhizomes namely Cikabayan and Pasir Sarongge lots. Each experiment was arranged in completely random design with 2 factors. Experiment-1 used 4 concentrations of BAP (0, 50, 100, and 150 ppm) as the first factor. While, experiment-2 used 5 concentrations of ethephon (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 ppm) as the first factor. The second factor in both experiments were prior shade condition at 55% artificial shading and natural shading. A rhizome without soaked application (control) and a rhizome with soaked by aquadestilata without PGRs (0 ppm) were used as compared items. Data was analyzed with ANOVA. Combined Analysis of Variance and ttest were performed in order to compare between 2 lots. Result showed that concentration of BAP until 150 ppm and concentration of ethephon until 800 ppm were not effective to stimulate bud induction time. Meanwhile, rhizome from 55% artificial shading had a shorter periode of dormancy than the natural shading. In the addition, plants from Pasir Sarongge rhizomes lot had more plant number, plant height, leaf number, leaf length, and leaf width than Cikabayan rhizomes lot.


Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the temporal changes in electrophysiological parameters in untreated patients with CTS. Methods: Patients were recruited among those with the symptoms of CTS who were referred to the electrophysiology laboratory of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Bor Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital in Niğde, Turkey. Forty-nine patients (78 hands) who had not received any sort of treatment for CTS and had prior electrophysiological examination postive for CTS were included. Laboratory records were reviewed retrospectively. Recent electrophysiological parameters of the patients were compared to their prior examinations using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and sign test was used to compare the change in the electrophysiological severity of the study hands between two examinations. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare individual parameters of the median NCS among electrophysiological change groups (improved, deteriorated, and same). Results: The mean age was 50 ± 11 years, and 43 (88%) patients were female. The mean duration of time between the two electrophysiological examinations was 37 ± 20 months. Median sensory peak latency and median motor distal latency increased significantly in the second evaluation (p=0.005 and p=0.004, respectively). Median sensory conduction velocity decreased in the second examination (p=0.002). However, CTS severity determined electrophysiologically did not differ significantly in the two examinations (p=0.286). Conclusion: Although there was a deterioration in electrophysiological parameters during a mean follow-up period of 37 months, the electrophysiological severity of the patients did not worsen.


Background: It is of critical importance to improve and maintain the quality of chest radiography (CXR) to avoid faulty diagnosis of respiratory diseases. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of a training program in improving the quality of CXR among radiological technologists (RTs) in Laos. Design: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted through on-site investigation of X-ray facilities, assessment of CXR films in Laos, both before and after a training course in November 2013. Methods: Each RT prospectively selected 6 recent CXR films, taken both before and within approximately 6 months of attending the training course. Consequently, 12 CXR films per RT were supposed to be collected for assessment. The quality of the CXR films was assessed using the "Assessment Sheet for Imaging Quality of Chest Radiography." Results: Nineteen RTs from 19 facilities at 16 provinces in Laos participated in the training course. Among them, 17 RTs submitted the required set of CXR films (total: 204 films). A wide range of X-ray machine settings had been used as tube voltage ranged from 40 to 130 kV. The assessment of the CXR films indicated that the training was effective in improving the CXR quality regarding contrast (P = 0.005), sharpness (P = 0.004), and the total score on the 6 assessment factors (P = 0.009). Conclusions: The significant improvement in the total score on the 6 assessment factors, in contrast, and in sharpness, strongly suggests that the training course had a positive impact on the quality of CXR among a sample trainees of RTs in Laos.


Mobile  and wireless  (M&W)  technologies have great  potential  to  improve  process  efficiency  and effectiveness within  retail  stores, but  their application  is still very limited. One of the main reasons explaining this situation is considered to be the lack of confidence in the actual  benefits  and,  therefore,  in  the  return  on investment. As a matter of facts, activities  in this context are  characterised by great variety  and non‐standardised execution  and  as  such  the  assessment  of  the  costs  and benefits of M&W solutions  is more difficult  than  for  the upstream tiers of the fast moving consumer goods supply chain  (e.g., distribution  centres). This paper  attempts  to provide  a  contribution  for  researchers  and  practitioners by  presenting  an  analytical  model  to  assess  the profitability  related  to  investments  in  multiple  M&W solutions  for  retail  stores,  thus  supporting  the decision‐ making process.


Despite their small size, some insects, such as crickets, can produce high amplitude mating songs by rubbing their wings together. By exploiting structural resonance for sound radiation, crickets broadcast species-specific songs at a sharply tuned frequency. Such songs enhance the range of signal transmission, contain information about the signaler's quality, and allow mate choice. The production of pure tones requires elaborate structural mechanisms that control and sustain resonance at the species-specific frequency. Tree crickets differ sharply from this scheme. Although they use a resonant system to produce sound, tree crickets can produce high amplitude songs at different frequencies, varying by as much as an octave. Based on an investigation of the driving mechanism and the resonant system, using laser Doppler vibrometry and finite element modeling, we show that it is the distinctive geometry of the crickets' forewings (the resonant system) that is responsible for their capacity to vary frequency. The long, enlarged wings enable the production of high amplitude songs; however, as a mechanical consequence of the high aspect ratio, the resonant structures have multiple resonant modes that are similar in frequency. The drive produced by the singing apparatus cannot, therefore, be locked to a single frequency, and different resonant modes can easily be engaged, allowing individual males to vary the carrier frequency of their songs. Such flexibility in sound production, decoupling body size and song frequency, has important implications for conventional views of mate choice, and offers inspiration for the design of miniature, multifrequency, resonant acoustic radiators.


Despite the many features that ground Antigone in the particular political ideology of fifth-century Athens, Sophocles' Antigone has "spoken more to the modern imagination than any other Greek tragedy except perhaps his Oedipus the King." (1) It may not therefore seem surprising that of all Greek plays Antigone is the most often revived, revised, or rewritten for performance in African and Caribbean countries. (2) Clearly the play exposes the nexus of the personal and the political as a fault line, calling into question the conventional verity that places loyalty to the state above family relationships and private conscience. (3) The Island represents a new intercultural approach to writing South African performance, finding common ground between indigenous African modes of storytelling and ritual performance and European approaches to postdramatic performance in a hybrid theater piece that inscribes Sophocles' text within a South African context. In 1973 the three leading members of Port Elizabeth's multiracial Serpent Players created a revolutionary piece of theater that, together with Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1972), ushered in a new era of South African political protest theater and constituted a new paradigm for postcolonial South African performance. By working together to Africanize the narrative content of Sophocles' tragedy as a subversive tribute to Nelson Mandela's endurance of what had then been a nine-year incarceration on Robben Island, the writers defied apartheid laws that prohibited blacks and whites from collaborating as theater artists; while by showing two black political prisoners playing the roles of Antigone and Creon as representatives, respectively, of the ANC martyrs and their apartheid oppressors, they exploded the conventions of the well-made drama that had previously colonized the theatrical imagination of black and white South African writers. The radical deconstruction of the Greek text made the play an overt symbol of the liberation movement, while the subtle and spare deployment of African storytelling conventions decolonized South African drama, providing a new form of "protest" theater that influenced South African dramatists for over thirty years. Throughout the twentieth-century South African drama had been dominated by an English model of the well-made play whose late-Victorian form propagated British imperialist values in the colonies. Afrikaans theater was lively but, between 1948 and 1992, proscribed by the hegemony of National Party race ideology. The growth of English-language theater was stunted by a colonial subservience to the home culture typical of settler societies. British actors regularly toured South Africa in Shakespeare and modern plays, and local English-language productions slavishly mimicked dated styles of acting, production, and writing that were once considered appropriate for the Old Vic and London's West End, but which stunted the development of indigenous forms of performance and writing. (4) South Africa's first major black playwright, the Zulu writer Herbert Dhlomo (1903-1956), had written a series of plays in English based on the lives of the Zulu chiefs Dingane, Ceteswayo, Moshoeshwe, and the tribal prophet Mtsikane. But as adventurous as Dhlomo's plays were in their time they were also to a large extent constricted by the paradigm of the "well-made" West End play. In the fifties, English-language South African playwrights did make sporadic attempts to tackle local subjects, but their plays tended to be straitjacketed by the forms of West End dramas and could not compete with the more ambitious development of prose fiction in works such as Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country (1947) and Nadine Gordimer's The Lying Days (1953), (6) both reflecting the injustice of race discrimination immediately before and after the advent of apartheid. Perhaps the most innovative uses of theater forms were made by the musical King Kong (1959) and the revue Wait a Minim (1962), but these were subject to the typical constraints of commercial theater, so while they attempted to be authentic and topical could hardly be expected to exemplify radical changes in theatrical convention. …


Background Objectives Objective of this study was to present characteristics of Ankylosing spondilitis (AS), not initiated as genuine (i.e. initiating as a reactive arthritis-ReA). Methods The study is a retrospective 20-year analysis of 144 patients treated for ReA. Results Spondylitis occurred after either urinary or intestinal infection in 87%; in 53%- following mono- or oligoarthritis. Syndesmophytes of one or more segments were massive, nonmarginal; sacroiliitis-asymmetrical. After the period of 10,6 years, in 25% of diseased, the total spinal column was involved by AS type, with symmetrical sacroiliitis. Some discs presented with calcification resulting from discitis. Some i.v. spaces were reduced including some vertebral bodies which underwent a cuneiform transformation. Postural transformation was less frequent, lumbar lordosis was recorded in 83% with lower frequency of TH kyphosis than in AS. There were cases of interspinal arthrosis and other secondary degenerative transformations. Neurological and/or motorial deficit was recorded in 85% (damage of sensibility, tendon reflexes or motoricity). Function of the spinal column was preserved for the period of 10,5 years on average if the process was of segment character, which referred also to the respiratory function in which the abdominal type of breathing was predominant after 15,5 years. Conclusion The presented differences occur for slow process of development of Sp in ReA, because of the involvement of either one or a small number of vertebral units of the spinal column and the presence of discitis, whereas in AS, the course of ossification of the fibres of annulus fibrosus is faster than the destruction of the discus, inner fibres of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus being preserved, in this way the i.v. spaces remain unreduced, not allowing neither discovertebral conflict nor the resulting neurological damage.