Background:Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are simple and easy to calculate biomarkers. They have been reported as a predictor of severity and prognosis in adult patients with bacteremia. However, there is a paucity of literature examining the use of NLR and PLR as a diagnostic biomarker in pediatrics. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of the NLR and PLR for identifying serious infections (SI) and serious bacterial infections (SBI) in febrile young infants <90 days old. Methods: A retrospective review of neonates and infants who were admitted for evaluation of fever between 1st July 2018 and 31st December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients aged less than 90 days of life admitted for fever from the emergency department were included. Patient age, gender, comorbidities, body temperature, clinical findings and initial laboratory results including white blood cell (WBC) count, NLR, PLR, serum levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were assessed, and the microbiological investigations and final clinical diagnoses were evaluated. Results: There were 561 patients identified for inclusion. SI and SBI were diagnosed in 166 (29.6%) and 98 (17.5%) patients. Mean absolute neutrophil count, NLR were significantly higher in the SI group compared to the non-SI group (1.39±1.04 vs 1.09±0.87, p=0.001). The NLR was also significantly different in the SBI compared to the non-SBI group (1.38±0.88 vs 1.13±0.94, p=0.019). PLR did not show statistical significance in differentiating SI or SBI from non SI or SBI group. For SI and SBI, the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve value of NLR was 0.57 (95 % CI 0.46-0.69) and 0.61 (95% CI 0.48-0.73), respectively. Although we found significantly higher NLR values in infants with SI and SBI, our results indicate that CRP was more accurate at detecting SI and SBI. Conclusion: Our study provided initial evidence on the use of the NLR in combination with other biomarkers in the diagnosis of serious infection and serious bacterial infection in young infants < 90 days' of life. Prospective evaluation of this finding is needed to assess further its clinical value in the evaluation of young febrile infants for SI and SBI.


Control of large-scale networked systems often necessitates the availability of complex models for the interactions amongst the agents. While building accurate models of these interactions could become prohibitive in many applications, data-driven control methods can circumvent model complexities by directly synthesizing a controller from the observed data. In this paper, we propose the Data-Driven Distributed Policy Iteration (D3PI) algorithm to design a feedback mechanism for a potentially large system that enjoys an underlying graph structure characterizing communications among the agents. Rather than having access to system parameters, our algorithm requires temporary"auxiliary"links to boost information exchange of a small portion of the graph during the learning phase. Therein, the costs are partitioned for learning and non-learning agents in order to ensure consistent control of the entire network. After the termination of the learning process, a distributed policy is proposed for the entire networked system by leveraging estimated components obtained in the learning phase. We provide extensive stability and convergence guarantees of the proposed distributed controller throughout the learning phase by exploiting the structure of the system parameters that occur due to the graph topology and existence of the temporary links. The practicality of our method is then illustrated with a simulation.


We present comparative data from studies of natural populations and experimental manipulations addressing the control of clutch size, egg size, and egg shape among three populations of side-blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana. On a geographic basis, females from northern populations located in the Coast Range of California produced small clutches of large eggs compared to populations from more southern locations (as little as 60 km farther south). A similar tradeoff between clutch size and egg size was observed among individuals within a population, females that lay large eggs tend to produce small clutches; on a seasonal basis, females laid smaller clutches consisting of larger eggs later in the reproductive season.

Injections of ovine follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) into vitellogenic females increased the mean clutch size (from 4.2 to 6.0 eggs) with a concomitant decrease in egg mass (from 0.43 to 0.33 g). By contrast, a surgical reduction of clutch size (yolkectomy of two follicles) caused an increase in egg mass (from 0.43 to 0.53 g)—egg shape changed (elongation) with egg hypertrophy. This increase in egg mass was due largely to increased yolk; hatchlings from these hypertrophied eggs were proportionately heavier than those from control eggs. Egg size was independent of the time course of follicular development (time to oviposition from the onset of yolking averaged 29 days).

These complementary manipulations indicate that (1) the number of eggs in the clutch is under the control of circulating plasma gonadotropin concentrations, and (2) the size of eggs is set by the number of follicles undergoing vitellogenesis and finally ovulated. Moreover, the effect of manipulations was dependent on the stage of vitellogenesis: production of large clutches of small eggs did not occur in females if administration of FSH commenced when follicles were above 4–5 mm in diameter (ovulation normally occurs at 8 mm), and some females undergoing yolkectomy during early vitellogenesis recruited new follicles.


A novel thia-Prins bicyclization approach has been developed for the first time for the synthesis of hexahydro-2H-thieno[3,2-c]thiopyran derivatives from the coupling of homoallylic mercaptans such as hex-3-ene-1,6-dithiol with various aldehydes using 10 mol % InBr3 in dichloromethane with high selectivity. In addition, the coupling of (E)-N-(6-mercaptohex-3-enyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide with aldedydes affords the corresponding N-tosyloctahydrothiopyrano[4,3-b]pyrrole derivatives in good yields. This reaction is a stereoselective affording trans-fused product from E-homoallyllic mercaptan and cis-fused product from Z-homoallyllic mercaptan.


Indolinic nitroxides derived from 2,2-diphenyl-3-phenylimino-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yloxyl (DPAIO) nitroxide were designed to improve the bulk polymerization of methacrylate derivatives. The corresponding alkoxyamines were prepared by reacting alkyl halide and nitroxide in the presence of tin hydride and PbO2. The replacement of one phenyl ring at the C-2 position on the nitroxide by either a neopentyl or an isopropyl group led to compounds with faster decomposition kinetics and better selectivity for the C–ON bond homolysis. The alkoxyamines derived from these two nitroxides were used to control the polymerization of methyl methacrylate and were also tested for the polymerization of styrene as a model for mono-substituted monomers. The shift of the molar mass distribution during the NMP of styrene showed for the first time that pure homopolymerization of styrene and methacrylate derivatives could be controlled by the same nitroxide, thus opening the way to a universal nitroxide for NMP.


This paper discusses main issues in Gadamer's conception of understanding. On the basis of Heidegger's view on the holistic-anticipative and historical-factical character of understanding, Gadamer emphasizes the productivity of distance and historical mediation as conditions of possibility for every genuine appropriation of sense. Understanding involves essentially a critical aspect, because appropriation of sense and self-questioning go always together.


The cyclopropanation reactions of (1a) with ethyl and t-butyl (dimethylsulfuranylidene)acetate proceeded with good diastereoselectivity and resulted in the formation of three diastereoisomeric products. The major diastereoisomeric product ((2a) and (2b), respectively) could be isolated in pure form by simple recrystallization. The stereochemistry of the major cyclopropane product (2b) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray structural analysis. These cyclopropanation products were susceptible to ring opening of the cyclopropane ring upon reduction with sodium borohydride or acid hydrolysis. The reaction of (1b) with ethyl (dimethylsulfuranylidene)acetate gave a mixture of four diastereoisomeric cyclopropanation products. The reactions of (1a) and (1b) with the sulfur ylide derived from 3-methoxycarbonylallyldimethylsulfonium bromide were less successful in terms of product diastereoselectivities.


Abstract models of system-level behaviour have applications in design exploration, analysis, testing and verification. We describe a new algorithm for automatically extracting useful models, as automata, from execution traces of a HW/SW system driven by software exercising a use-case of interest. Our algorithm leverages modern program synthesis techniques to generate predicates on automaton edges, succinctly describing system behaviour. It employs trace segmentation to tackle complexity for long traces. We learn concise models capturing transaction-level, system-wide behaviour—experimentally demonstrating the approach using traces from a variety of sources, including the x86 QEMU virtual platform and the Real-Time Linux kernel.


Pilot monetary ecosystem accounts were compiled for KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, in order to highlight any data, methodological or process issues in their compilation and to contribute towards charting a strategy for ecosystem accounting. The Province is highly diverse, with eight biomes, large proportions under communal, private and state tenure, globally important biodiversity, variable landscape condition and encompassing catchment areas of nine river systems. We accounted for the supply and use of wild biomass, reared animal production, cultivation (including silviculture), nature-based tourism, property value, carbon storage and sequestration, pollination, flow regulation (maintenance of base flows), sediment retention, water quality amelioration and flood attenuation. For each ecosystem service, we devised conceptually valid methods that were suitable for the existing data to produce values consistent with the System of National Accounts. These were then summed to estimate total annual flows from each 100 x 100 m spatial unit and its asset value. Challenges encountered included lack of data on small-scale and subsistence production, mismatches in the classification of landcover and government production statistics, unreliable measures of ecosystem condition, the large scale of hydrological modelling and lack of centralised data organisation relating to hydrological services. There was heavy reliance on past empirical research and on global datasets. The combined value of the annual flow of the ecosystem services valued was R52.5 billion in 2011, equivalent to 12% of the provincial GDP. However, the values of many of the services have decreased over the accounting period, due to a combination of changes in demand and ecosystem condition. Asset value was undermined to some extent by unsustainable use of provisioning services. Some areas will require careful messaging, particularly in regard to the contentious issue of valuing carbon retention and the use of exchange values rather than welfare values that are used in economic analysis.


Multilateral teleoperation is an extension of bilateral/haptic teleoperation framework to multiple operators/robots and finds applications in haptic training. As in bilateral teleoperation, time delay is an important problem, and stability and transparency, which quantifies the performance of the teleoperation system, are critical in the design of multilateral control systems. This paper proposes a novel three-channel-based multilateral control architecture with damping injection to guarantee delay-independent L 2 stability and high transparency in multilateral teleoperation systems. The theoretical and computational analyses are verified with experiment results.


Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and often lethal cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy with a tendency for early and frequent locoregional and distant metastasis and relapses. It is a tumor of the elderly and immunosuppressed, which most often appears on sun‐exposed areas of the body. There is growing interest in characterization of the disease and the best approach to its management. Despite the lack of prospective randomized clinical trials, treatment is evolving.


Aiming at a comprehensive assessment of energy-saving retrofitting effect on existing buildings,a calculation method is developed to adjust energy-saving quantity in standard condition for comparison under the same conditions. A mathematical model,method theory and calculation steps are given. Error analysis results show that this method can be applied accurately to practical engineering projects. In a case study of energy-saving quantity assessment before and after retrofitting on a certain hospital in Shanghai,with energy simulation software TRNSYS,detailed application of this method is introduced and analyzed. The method is applied to the case of energy-saving quantity assessment to a hospital in Shanghai before and after retrofitting with the energy simulation software TRNSYS.


Graphene growth and etching are reciprocal processes that can reach a dynamic balance during chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Most commonly, the growth of graphene is the dominate process, while the etching of graphene is a recessive process often neglected during CVD growth of graphene. We show here that through the rational design of low-pressure CVD of graphene in hydrogen-diluted methane and regulation of the flow rate of H2, the etching effect during the growth process of graphene could be prominent and even shows macroscopic selectivity. On this basis, etching-controlled growth and synthesis of graphene with various morphologies from compact to dendritic even to fragmentary have been demonstrated. The morphology–selection mechanism is clarified through phase-field theory based on simulations. This study not only presents an intriguing case for the fundamental mechanism of CVD growth but also provides a facile method for the synthesis of high-quality graphene with trimmed morphologies.


Rhinoviruses (RV) are a global burden on respiratory health, particularly for those with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma. The lack of treatments for RV-induced diseases inspires further studies into immune mechanisms of disease. IL-15 and NK cells are critical for defence against many viruses, but their role during RV infections has not been defined. Hypothesis IL-15, induced by type I interferons (IFNs), is critical for NK cell responses in the lungs during RV infection. Aims Use mouse models of RV infection with modulation of IL-15 and/or type I IFN signalling and assess airway inflammation. Results RV-1B infection induced upregulation of IL-15 gene and protein expression at day 1 in lung tissue (2.5-fold P<0.001) and was proceeded by an activated (increased CD69, GranzymeB and IFN-γ expression) NK cell response in the lungs at days 2-4; neutralisation of airway IL-15 with a monoclonal antibody impaired NK and CD8+ T cell responses. RV-induced IL-15, NK and CD8+ T cell responses were deficient (P<0.01) in type I IFN receptor knockout (IFNAR1-/-) mice; however, intranasal administration of IL-15c at the time of infection restored these responses in IFNAR1-/- mice and boosted them in wild type (WT) mice. IL-15c also significantly increased IFN-γ expression in WT and IFNAR1-/- mice and IFN stimulated genes PKR, OAS and IP-10 in WT mice during infection. This study demonstrates the necessity of type I IFN signalling for RV-induced IL-15, which is important for NK cell, CD8+ T cell and IFN-mediated antiviral responses. These data identify type I IFNs and IL-15 as potential therapeutics to prevent/treat RV-induced diseases such as asthma exacerbations.


The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of various types of treatment such as glibenclamide and insulin on plasma lipids and lipoprotein concentration in diabetics. Treatment of diabetes mellitus was reevaluated from the standpoint of high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. Twenty-one diabetic patients (6 men and 15 women) who have been admitted in the hospital and kept on Japanese standard diet for diabetes mellitus, have been studied. Changes of plasma lipoprotein in diabetic patients were followed up before and after treatment with glibenclamide or insulin. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased and HDL was increased with insulin treatment. However, glibenclamide induced a significant decrease in HDL- cholesterol (Ch). Relationship between triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins and HDL metabolism was studied. A significant negative correlation was found between pretreatment VLDL-TG and changes of VLDL-TG with insulin treatment, indicating an accelerated catabolism of VLDL-TG with possible increase of triglyceride lipases. There was a significant negative correlation between VLDL-TG and HDL-Ch before insulin treatment, but not after treatment. There was no negative correlation between changes of VLDL-TG and changes of HDL-Ch with insulin therapy. These results indicate that an increment of HDL with insulin treatment can not be explained solely by increased HDL formation from TG-rich lipoprotein and that insulin might increase synthesis and secretion of HDL in liver and/or intestine.


A lymphocytic alveolitis is a common stage in a number of types of interstitial pneumonia where the lymphocytes accumulate in the alveoli and play a major pathogenic role by the regulation or activation of the inflammatory reaction, controlling the outcome either to healing, chronicity or fibrosis. A study of lymphocytes obtained by broncho-alveolar lavage enables the study of different parameters whose functional value is discussed from information derived form in vitro models. These models show the need for activating signals acting in a sequential manner on cells whose function and mode of response are remarkably varied. Three successive phases may be defined during activation: first a "membrane" stage with changes in the lipid (in the metabolism of arachidonic acid) and kinetic framework, a second phase corresponds to the beginning of "blastic transformation" with the production of lymphocytes, an increase in the protein content and RNA (phase G1), then a third stage of DNA synthesis (phase S-G2) preceding cell division; it is necessary to have new markers of differentiation. The joint study of the phases of cell cycles and the antigenic expression of differentiation, identified by monoclonal antibodies within a heterogeneous population nowadays benefit from techniques of cytofluorimetry. The methods combined with a measure of mediators produced (interleukins) or the non-specific markers of activation by macrophages ought to lead to a definition of initial stages of the clinical immunology of alveolitis. Finally these methods permit the development of cellular immunopharmacology which to open the possibilities of new forms of treatment.


Background: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death in the US among men. Although overall incidence and mortality has decreased over time, disparities still exist among racial/ethnic groups. Strategies to reduce disparities in cancer detection, treatment, and outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities and low-income patients have been gathering momentum with the introduction of patient navigation (PN) initiatives. The current advancement of medical knowledge and technology spurs a widening gap in healthcare delivery for racial/ethnical minorities and medically underserved populations for certain emerging state-of-the-art treatments. The controversy around the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE) as screening tools was cited as a possible reason for this information void, but research suggests that African American males rely on their physicians to recommend all needed tests/screenings. The study examined the current and potential roles of PN in the improvement of prostate cancer screenings among disadvantaged populations.

Methods: A Longitudinal study design was conducted on males over 35 years of age to examine the role of patient navigation on equity of access to prostate cancer screening among disadvantaged populations since 2008 (n=1602). Patient's demographics, geographical location, PSA scores, and DRE scores, and the array of event types in which community engagement occurred were collected. Data were analyzed using comparison analyses.

Results: Patient navigation allowed for greater utilization of health services among populations of rural origins (Urban: n=747; Rural: n=833). Mean PSA scores were within normal range, although mean PSA scores for non-whites residing in rural areas (1.45ng/mL) was slightly higher than non-whites in urban areas of the state (1.36ng/mL; p=0.03). The mean age was 54 years (Urban: 51 years; Rural: 56 years; p=0.001).

Conclusions: Equity of access to cancer screenings among disadvantaged populations may be achieved with the utilization of patient navigation programs. Access to the health care system is a strong barrier which fosters disparities among disadvantaged populations. PN allows rural disadvantaged populations entry into the health care system at earlier stages, considering PSA as a proxy for disease. Health care reform lays the foundation for preventative programs such as patient navigation.

Citation Format: Michael A. Preston, Katherine Glover-Collins, Dale Gray, Sharla Smith, Ronda Henry-Tillman. Healthcare reform: Closing the health disparities gap. Where does patient navigation belong? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A91.


Cognitively speaking, bilingualism has witnessed so many challenges and developments in practical and theoretical parts. The aim of this article is to describe and study bilingualism from different perspectives of social, individual, cognitive, psychological and political issues. To this end, this article will go through the following stages: What is Bilingual and Bilingual Education and Cognitive Processing? There are several factors which indicate what kind of decision (selective or nonselective) might be made. These include L2 proficiency, language intermixing, task demands, and instruction. Language intermixing refers to whether an experiment contains exclusively items that belong to one language (block presentation) or items from two languages (mixed presentation). Therefore, (1) lexical codes from different languages are activated in parallel on the basis of an input string; (2) selection of the lexical candidate that is identified appears to take place rather late in the recognition process; and (3) several factors affect the ultimately arising result patterns, the most important of which are a participant's L2 proficiency level, the requirements of task, and the blocked or mixed presentation of items from different languages.


Background: The HER family consists of four tyrosine kinase receptors designated as EGFR, HER2, HER3 and HER4. Numerous new studies now indicated that HER3 plays a critical role in cancer development since it 1) heterodimerizes with EGFR or HER2, 2) is a critical link to the PI3K/AKT axis, and 3) can mediate resistance to HER1/2-targeted therapeutics. Resistance to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as gefitinib and lapatinib, are associated with overexpression of HER3 ultimately leading to activation of the PI3K/AKT axis. Thus, it is a logical approach to combine agents capable of down modulating HER3 with TKIs. To this end, we have used an RNA antagonist of HER3, EZN-3920, to explore its ability to inhibit tumor growth and enhance the activity of HER1/2-directed therapeutics. Methods: Tissue culture cells were treated with EZN-3920, a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based oligonucleotide complementary to HER3. EZN-3920 was either added to tissue culture media (i.e. no transfection) in vitro or prepared in saline and given IV in vivo. Endpoints were measured by qRT-PCR, MTT, Western Blot analysis, Immunohistochemistry, and tumor size. Results: EZN-3920 down modulated HER3 mRNA, protein expression, PI3K/AKT signaling, and inhibited tumor cell proliferation. In vivo systemic administration of EZN-3920 resulted in specific down-modulation of HER3 mRNA and protein expression, as well as blockade in PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in tumors derived from HCC827 lung carcinoma cells that was associated with tumor growth inhibition. Interestingly, the combination of EZN-3920 at 30 mg/kg (biweekly for 4 weeks, i.v.) and gefitinib at 15 mg/kg (5 times a week for two weeks, p.o) completely shrank established HCC827 tumors while either treatment alone only delayed tumor growth by 40–60%. Similarly, in BT-474-M1 breast carcinoma xenograft models, EZN-3920 in combination with lapatinib resulted in superior antitumor effect than either agent alone. Conclusions: The studies suggest that the antitumor effects of gefitinib or lapatinib can be enhanced by HER3 down modulation in NSCLC and breast tumors, respectively. On-going studies will determine if tumors that are resistant to HER1/2 therapeutics will still respond to EZN-3920 alone or its combination with standard HER1/2 therapeutics. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A147.


A recent trend in most developed countries has been a move toward greater reliance on renewable or "green" energy sources. This is especially true in the residential sector, where voluntary green power is offered by many electric utilities. Using a choice-based, experimental survey, this paper investigates how information nudges regarding the energy efficiency, production cost, and environmental impacts of different sources of power generation impact consumers' preferences for adopting voluntary green-power plans. We systematically vary whether respondents receive positive and/or negative information about either the green plan or the gray plan, or neutral information as a control. As part of the design, we also vary the price premium of the green plan across choice scenarios. Based on two different participant samples totaling over 1,800 respondents and 21,000 plan choices, our results suggest that information nudges significantly impact respondents' choice of plan. In particular, promoting the advantages of the green plan significantly increases green plan adoption, while promoting the disadvantages of the gray plan also significantly increases green plan adoption, and to a similar extent. Moreover, the documented effects of information nudges are robust across different price premiums for the green plan. Lastly, we show that the magnitudes of the information nudges are sizable and roughly equivalent to a change in the price premium of $5/month. Our results have clear energy policy and green power marketing implications of a plausible, economical, and effective mechanism to increase residential adoption of green-power plans.


One of the important steps towards constructing an appropriate mathematical model for the real-life data is to determine the structure of dependence. A conventional way of gaining information concerning the dependence structure (in the second-order case) of a given set of observations is estimating the autocovariance or the autocorrelation function (ACF) that can provide useful guidance in the choice of satisfactory model or family of models. As in some cases calculations of ACF for the real-life data may turn out to be insufficient to solve the model selection problem, we propose to consider the autocorrelation function of the squared series as well. Using this approach, in this paper we investigate the dependence structure for several cases of time series models.


Male to female transsexuals frequently seek feminizing vaginoplasty for "below the waist" conformation, enhancement of sexual identity, and interactive sexual function. The author shares his experience with his first 250 primary surgical procedures. Included is a brief historical background, the patient selection process, some guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (standards of care), preoperative evaluation and instructions, surgical technique, postoperative regimen, risk factors, results, complications and management. The patients all underwent feminizing vaginoplasty at the author's ambulatory surgical facility, which includes an overnight stay. The author's results suggest that feminizing vaginoplasty when performed vigilantly on a select group of patients is feasible.


Tissue testing was studied in field experiments between 1979 and 1985 to predict when sulfur (S) fertiliser was required for pastures in high rainfall (>650 mm annual average) areas of south-western Australia. The pastures comprised about half subterranean clover and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.), the major pasture species in the region. Tissue testing was done for each species, using: (i) whole shoots, the present method used by commercial laboratories in Western Australia; (ii) youngest open leaves (legumes, YOLs) or youngest expanded blades (grass, YEBs); (iii) old leaves and blades (leaves that were not YOLs or YEBs); and (iv) stems (left after removal of YOLs, YEBs, old leaves and blades). Dried tissue was measured for total S, sulfate S, the total nitrogen : total S ratio and the sulfate S : total S ratio. For each pasture species, tissue test values were related to yield of dried herbage of that species measured for plants cut at ground level. Fertiliser nitrogen was not applied in the experiments. Annual ryegrass showed no significant yield responses to applied fertiliser S for all harvests in all experiments. Subterranean clover showed significant yield responses for most harvests of all experiments. At each site in each year, yield responses to applied S tended to become larger as the growing season progressed. For subterranean clover critical S values related to 90% of the maximum (relative) yield varied for different harvests of the same experiment within and between years, and for different experiments in the same and different years. As determined from all data, critical S values were similar for all plant parts (whole shoots, YOLs, old tissue, stems), with no consistent, systematic trend with plant age, and were: total S, range 0.10–0.30% S, mean 0.23%; sulfate S, range 0.01–0.14%, mean 0.04%; total N : total S ratio, range 11–30, mean 19; sulfate S : total S ratio, range 0.01–0.48, mean 0.27. The exception was that total S was lower for clover stems, the range being 0.06–0.20%, and mean 0.13%. Therefore, % total S in clover shoots can continue to be used as an indicator of sulfur deficiency in subterranean clover in the region.


This is an explanatory case study that uses a mixed method research design to investigate the social impact of migration on the country of origin. While recognizing that the effects of labor migration on the sending country vary greatly depending on the size of flows and type of migrants, the study reveals issues that result from migration particularly for small developing states. Aside from the positive effects of migrant remittances, which are rather substantial in solving problems in the short-term, the study considers the long-term effects of labor migration on the families left behind. Factors considered include health, education, and social that often produce negative effects in the communities of the home country.


Background: Lung cancer is one of the refractory malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although prognosis of lung cancer was improved by the anticancer drugs and molecular targeted therapies, the results are not sufficient. Cellular senescence is irreversible cell cycle arrest. The drug-dependent induction of cellular senescence in neoplastic cells is considered an important tumor suppressive mechanism. 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) causes cellular senescence in solid tumors. Hypermethylation of CpG islands is well known as a major inactivation mechanism of tumor suppressor genes such as E-cadherin. Loss of E-cadherin confers a poor prognosis in lung cancer patients and is associated with in vitro resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. This study was designed to assess the relationship of E-cadherin expression cellular senescence induced by 5-aza-dC in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. Materials and Methods: We investigated two NSCLC cell lines; H1299 and A549 reported they have hypermethylation in promoter lesion of E-cadherin. There are two clinically approved DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi), 5-aza-dC and 5-azacytidine (5-aza-CR). We also used Sodium Butyrate (NaB). We treated them with each drug for 120 hours. Flow cytometry analysis, immunofluorescence staining for E-cadherin and senescence associated beta-galactosidase assays and immunoblotting for senescence related proteins assessed NSCLC cell outgrowth and morphology. Results: Both cell lines with 5-aza-dC or NaB treatment changed morphology and increased size but decreased cell numbers. 5-aza-CR causes apoptosis in both cell lines. In A549, E-cadherin expression increased after 5-aza-dC treatment. There is no E-cadherin expression in H1299 with or without treatment. Both cell lines with 5-aza-dC were positive for Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining, H3K9me3 and gamma-H2AX. Conclusion: Taking together these findings strongly suggest the ability of 5-aza-dC to induce cellular senescence in NSCLC cells. The cellular senescence induced by a 5-aza-dC approach has to be considered a therapeutic option for NSCLC and an important phenomenon to further investigate in the next future. Citation Format: Masashi Furukawa, Yuka Mimura, Hiroyuki Tao, Yusuke Mimura, Kazunori Okabe. 5-aza-2'-Deoxycytidine induces cellular senescence in non-small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2842.


A coaxial driven planar slot antenna resonant in the microwave regime was used to detect changes in protein conformation induced by temperature modulation. Simultaneous dielectric and UV/VIS spectroscopy measurements were obtained by attaching the slot antenna to a fused-quartz UV/VIS sample holder. Similar thermodynamic parameters (midpoint temperature and enthalpy) were obtained from both techniques over a wide concentration range and under a variety of pH condition. Here we demonstrate that a near-field antenna can be used to detect changes in conformation at very low protein concentrations, and that the protein is not destabilized by the presence of microwave power.


Objectives: Partin tables are widely used to select and counsel patients prior to radical surgery for prostate cancer. However, Partin tables have been developed in the USA which has a different ethnic mixture from that of North Wales. We aimed to assess Partin tables' predictive ability in a Welsh population. Materials and Methods: 193 patients underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized carcinoma of the prostate between April 1993 and July 2004 in a single institution in North Wales. Complete preoperative clinical staging information was available in 177 patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used. Results: The mean patient age was 64 (48–73) years. Preoperative clinical staging distribution was: T1c 46.6% and T2 53.4%. 75% had organ-confined disease (TNM 1992). Extracapsular extension without seminal vesicle or lymph node involvement was seen in 13.5%. Nine percent had seminal vesicle invasion without lymph node involvement. Lymph node metastasis was found in 2.2%. The predictive effectiveness of the Partin table was high with an area under ROC curve of 0.733 for organ confinement, 0.738 for seminal vesicle invasion and 0.780 for lymph node involvement (CI 95%). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the predictive ability of Partin tables for prostate cancer is also applicable to a Welsh population.


Paraquat-resistant biotype of Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. was determined by chlorophyll loss and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and the resistant mechanism was investigated with respect to absorption, translocation, and binding constant. RAPD analysis for paraquat resistant (R) and susceptible (S) biotypes found in a pear orchard revealed that the biotypes possessed remote genetic relationship. Chlorophyll loss, as an indication of paraquat toxicity, of S biotype was 7.8-fold greater than that of R biotype. There were no differences in contents of epicuticular wax and cuticle and amounts of [14C]paraquat penetrating the cuticle between the two biotypes. Little translocation of the herbicide out of the treated leaf was observed in either biotype. Binding constants of paraquat to the cell wall and thylakoid membrane were 7.4-fold and 16.9-fold, respectively, higher in R biotype than in S biotype. The results suggest that the resistance mechanism of C. canadensis biotype is due partly to high binding affinity of paraquat to the cell wall and thylakoid membrane.


ABSTRACT The authors investigated the effect of blood lead (BPb) and its relationship with calcium and phosphorus in the development of preeclampsia in Nigeria. Blood samples were collected from 59 preclamptics, 150 normal pregnant, and 122 nonpregnant women. Blood lead and serum Ca and P were determined. Blood lead was significantly higher (p < .001), whereas serum Ca and P were significantly lower (p < .001) in preclamptics than in normal pregnant women (60.2 ± 12.8 vs 26.3 ± 8.0 μg/dL for Pb, 1.39 ± 0.33 vs 2.03 ± 0.22 mmol/L for Ca, and 0.76 ± 0.10 vs 0.99 ± 0.13 mmol/L for P, respectively). There was significant increase (p < .05) in BPb and decreases (p < .01) in serum Ca and P in pregnant women than in nonpregnant women (35.7 ± 18.0 vs 13.1 ± 6.4 μg/dL for Pb, 1.85 ± 0.33 vs 2.33 ± 0.20 mmol/L for Ca, and 0.93 ± 0.38 vs 1.24 ± 0.26 mmol/L for P). Also, BPb was negatively correlated with serum Ca and, P, and positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures in pregnancy (r = −.804 for Ca, r = −.728 for P, r = .908 for SBP, and r = .842 for DBP) and preeclampsia (p < .01). It appears that increase in blood lead, which parallels decreases in serum calcium and phosphorus, may be related to the development and progression of preeclampsia in this environment.


The percentage of fat-cell areas in bone marrow particles from 22 patients with untreated myelomatosis was estimated. In only 1 patient was the mean fat cell area below 25% of the bone marrow area measured. A negative correlation was found between the area of fat cells and plasma cells, indicating a displacement of the fat cell area by the plasma cells. 28% of the patients had empty bone marrow deposits of iron. However, based on a normal iron saturation of S-transferrin and a normal sideroblast count in the bone marrow, the supply of iron to the erythropoiesis was considered sufficient. All patients but one had normoblastic bone marrows. Using a deoxyuridine suppression test in 10 patients, no biochemical defect could be demonstrated. To judge from the correlation coefficient a minor degree (9-14%) of the variation in Hb values could be predicted from the cellularity in the bone marrow while a major degree (70%) could be predicted from the renal glomerular filtration rate. The results do not support a displacement of blood-forming elements, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency to be of general significance in the pathogenesis of anaemia, but agrees with a causal relationship between anaemia and renal failure.


Crashworthiness analysis, a type of large deformation transient dynamics, has been an important and active area of researches and engineering applications. Several shell elements have been implemented in the finite element software for crashworthiness analysis. Among them, the 4-node quadrilateral Belytschko-Tsay element, using lower order integration technique is most commonly employed, due to its efficiency, robustness and overall accuracy. However, the lower order integration brings in some uncertainty. This paper is to conduct an engineering evaluation on performance of various shell elements, including Belytschko-Tsay, Belytschko-Leviathan (QPH), Bathe-Dvorkin, discrete Kirchhoff triangular elements, available in the commercial explicit finite element software. The study uses several linear and nonlinear benchmark examples and high-speed impact examples, to investigate the performance of these elements. Results of engineering interest and efficiency of computation are reported. Also, the behavior of finite element convergence, observed from the results by a sequence of refined meshes is investigated.© 2004 ASME


As a large number of issues in contemporary biology are controversial, science teachers in so-called 'faith' schools need to know what their employers regard as 'doctrinal correctness'. Any effective response to the rise of fundamentalism and atheism needs to answer challenges, take scientific knowledge into consideration and re-think traditional beliefs, expressing them in new and more accurate ways. Nevertheless, in an attempt to achieve such ends, these schools should not be permitted to resort to teaching a biased version of mainstream science, especially biology, omitting or distorting facts and theories not in accord with their principles or religious beliefs. Here, Darwin's reasons for becoming an agnostic are outlined. If I were to teach again in a school with a strong Christian bias, could I give an intellectually honest account of evolution and other biological processes that did not infringe any Church doctrines or biblical statements? Frankly, even with the best will in the world, and after searching high and low for theories that fit, it would be difficult to do so without steering clear of some important issues and stifling open-ended discussions.


Two patients with antrochoanal polyps with pseudosarcomatous changes noted on histologic examination of the specimens are reported. The bizarre cellular structure of the lesions initially caused confusion of these benign polyps with sarcomas. The surgeon and pathologist are alerted to the occurrence of these changes, and caution is recommended in readily accepting a diagnosis of malignant neoplasm in otherwise typical-appearing antrochoanal polyps.


We appreciate the interest and comments on our paper entitled "Differences in Hemodynamics and Rupture Rate of Aneurysms at the Bifurcation of the Basilar and Internal Carotid Arteries." There are a few points that we would like to clarify. In our models, we do not use the same flow conditions for all patients. The inflow boundary conditions are scaled with the size of each person's anatomy based on a relationship determined experimentally with MR measurements and consistent with flows reported in other studies. In the absence of direct patient-specific measurements, this is, in our opinion, a reasonable approximation. In addition, our sensitivity analyses lead us to believe that relatively small variations in the boundary conditions (of approximately 30%) do not have an important effect on the conclusions drawn from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis that we are doing. We agree that our results should be confirmed with studies that use direct patient-specific flow conditions and large sample sizes. On the other hand, using mirror aneurysms, as suggested, would not solve the problem because in those cases, the aneurysms are located at the same anatomic location on each side. In our study, we compared basilar tip and internal carotid terminus aneurysms, which are fed by different arteries. Furthermore, even if only patients with aneurysms at the basilar tip and the internal carotid bifurcation were considered, there is still the uncertainty of the relative flow conditions in the feeding arteries. Only in ipsilateral multiple aneurysms fed by the same parent artery one can be sure that the inflow conditions are the same. In fact, we are submitting a new paper entitled "Hemodynamic Characteristics of Ruptured and Unruptured Multiple Aneurysms at Mirror and Ipsilateral Locations" that focuses on this issue. The results of that paper are consistent with the results presented in the current article. We look forward to further discussions and exchanges of ideas.


1. The subcellular distribution of β-glucuronidase and other hydrolases in rabbit liver was investigated. β-Glucuronidase was found in both microsomal and lysosomal fractions. 2. Multiple forms of β-glucuronidase were present in extracts of microsomal and lysosomal fractions. All forms were common to both fractions. 3. A specific antiserum against β-glucuronidase was raised, and characterized by immunoprecipitation and affinity-chromatography procedures. 4. The immunological identity of the multiple forms in the pure β-glucuronidase preparation, and the immunological identity of the β-glucuronidase complement of lysosomal extracts with that of microsomal extracts, were demonstrated by means of the antiserum. The presence of inactive enzyme in various enzyme preparations was shown.


Background: Breast cancer (BC) represents the highest incidence of malignancy in women throughout the world. Medicinal fungi can stimulate the body, reduce side-effects associated with chemotherapy and improve the quality of life in patients with cancer. Aim: To evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Agaricus sylvaticus on clinical and nutritional parameters in BC patients undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial was carried out at the Oncology Clinic, Hospital of the Federal District-Brazil from September 2007 to July 2009. Forty six patients with BC, Stage II and III, were randomly assigned to receive either nutritional supplement with A. sylvaticus (2.1 g/day) or placebo. Patients were evaluated during treatment period. Results: Patient supplemented with A. sylvaticus improved in clinical parameters and gastrointestinal functions. Poor appetite decreased by 20% with no changes in bowel functions (92.8%), nausea and vomiting (80%). Conclusion: Dietary supplementation with A. sylvaticus improved nutritional status and reduced abnormal bowel functions, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia in patients with BC receiving chemotherapy.


A stakeholder in an organization is (by its definition) any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization's objective. Freeman, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach , (1984: 25) The social strategy decision Thanks to Professor Freeman's considerable efforts, the term stakeholder is now a standard part of the business lexicon. Unfortunately, despite Freeman's insistence that shareholders and stakeholders are on the same side, the term stakeholder is used most often in an adversarial context: shareholders and their CEO hired guns are pitted against the stakeholders – i.e., everybody else. Freeman's core argument – that in the long term the firm's success depends on satisfying legitimate non-economic as well as economic stakeholders – has not convinced microeconomists and strategic management scholars. Legitimacy is the crux of the issue. In a series of Academy of Management Review articles, Thomas Jones (Jones, 1995; Jones and Wicks, 1999; Jones et al ., 2007) has made a laudable effort to reconcile normative and instrumental stakeholder management theory by demonstrating that both are necessary and possible. In his most recent paper, he builds on Phillips' (2003) work on normative and derivative legitimacy to defend, via the former, meeting the ethical demands of stakeholders, and, by the latter, acceding to the demands of powerful stakeholders that may harm the organization and/or other legitimate stakeholders (Jones et al ., 2007: 142). Nonetheless, there still remains the quarter-century-old problem of stakeholder theory when it comes to navigating conflicting normative (ethical) and instrumental objectives. In response, Jones et al . (2007) define a typology of organizational ethical cultures and provide propositions on how each type will respond to stakeholder groups under different conditions of stakeholder salience. The model is descriptive, predicts when a particular type of ethical culture will pay attention to specific types of stakeholders, but it cannot claim to advance the prospect of firm ethical behavior or of stakeholders benefiting from firm responsiveness to their needs. As has often been the case in stakeholder research, the authors suggest that creating trust through ethical behavior will redound to the firm's benefit. However, they cannot make an economic case for ethical stakeholder management, nor explain how stakeholder management creates competitive advantage and economic value.


Executive Overview Intimate partner violence (IPV) is not traditionally regarded as a workplace concern. Recent research, however, demonstrates that IPV has significant effects on both employees and on organization-related outcomes. In this paper, we discuss current knowledge regarding the ways that IPV is manifested in the workplace, its prevalence at work, and its costs. Then, using a case study format, we trace the development of an IPV program in one company, Liz Claiborne, Inc. Finally, we discuss best practices for managers interested in addressing the IPV-related issues that may affect their workplaces.


Background Falls and fall-related injuries are a major public health issue among older adults worldwide. Causes and prognostic indicators of death in older patients with fall are lacking in Asian countries, especially in local older population. We aimed to assess the disease burden of fall and the usefulness of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and male sex as risk adjusted hospital mortality predictors in older Asian patients with fall using hospital administrative database. Methods: Historical cohort study of hospital discharge database from 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2015 to identify cases with fall and comorbidity using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-9/10-AM) codes. Results Over the study period, 16346 patients met the criteria of fall with hospital mortality rate of 4.3%. The hospital mortality rates (2.3%, 4.9%, 6.5%, and 10.9% respectively, P < 0.001) and hospital length of stay (geometric mean, 5.3, 6.1, 7.3, and 6.7 days, respectively, P < 0.001) increased consistently for patients with CCI ranging from none, low, moderate to high grade, respectively. Logistic regression model analysis showed that CCI (odds ratio, OR 5.7 high vs. none, p < 0.001) and male sex (OR 2.1, p < 0.001) were significant and independent predictors of hospital mortality. Similar results were also seen with hospital length of stay by zero-truncated negative binomial regression model analysis. Conclusion: The burden of fall is high in this older Asian population. Comorbidities and male sex were some of the most important contributors to hospital mortality and resource utilisation.


Pretransplant blood transfusion has been shown to significantly affect the outcome of renal transplantation. Evidence regarding the association of blood transfusions with growth or recurrence of solid tumors is still conflicting both in clinical and in experimental studies, although diminished survival has been suggested in several studies. To determine the influence of blood transfusions and hypovolemia, as separate or combined factors, on tumor growth, we evaluated the weight of a subcutaneously implanted sarcoma (methylcholanthrene-induced) in 35 rats. After reaching 1% tumor burden (day 0), the animals were separated into two groups: hypovolemia (shed volume, 15 ml/kg) or normovolemia. These groups were further divided according to resuscitation: OO (no resuscitation), BL (receiving syngeneic blood stored in citrate phosphate dextrose for 4 days, 15 ml/kg), SL (receiving 0.9% sodium chloride, 45 ml/kg). Tumor dimensions were determined daily by external measurement, and tumor weight was calculated. Hypovolemia exerted a significant influence on tumor growth, independent of the resuscitation modality. The rats that received blood transfusions showed an increased rate of tumor growth, compared to the animals that received saline solution or no treatment. No interaction was noted between the effects produced by hypovolemia and blood transfusion. We conclude that the hypovolemic event enhanced tumor growth independently of the resuscitation, and transfusion of citrate phosphate dextrose-blood stored for 4 days did influence tumor growth in this model. We suggest that the effect of blood transfusion in patients with cancer has to be redefined to account for the influence of possible hypovolemic events.


The ANGUSTIFOLIA (AN) gene regulates the width of leaves by controlling the diffuse growth of leaf cells in the medio-lateral direction in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the genome of the moss Physcomitrella patens, we found two normal ANs (PpAN1-1 and 1-2). Both PpAN1 genes complemented the A. thaliana an-1 mutant phenotypes. An analysis of spatiotemporal promoter activity of each PpAN1 gene, using transgenic lines that contained each PpAN1-promoter GUS gene, showed that both promoters are mainly active in the stems of haploid gametophores and in the middle to basal region of the young sporophyte that develops into the seta and foot. Analyses of the knockout lines for PpAN1-1 and PpAN1-2 genes suggested that these genes have partially redundant functions and regulate gametophore height by controlling diffuse cell growth in gametophore stems. In addition, the seta and foot were shorter and thicker in diploid sporophytes, suggesting that cell elongation was reduced in the longitudinal direction, whereas no defects were detected in tip-growing protonemata. These results indicate that both PpAN1 genes in P. patens function in diffuse growth of the haploid and diploid generations, but not in tip growth. To visualize microtubule distribution in gametophore cells of P. patens, transformed lines expressing P. patens α-tubulin fused to sGFP were generated. Contrary to expectations, the orientation of microtubules in the tips of gametophores in the PpAN1-1/1-2 double knockout lines was unchanged. The relationships among diffuse cell growth, cortical microtubules, and AN proteins are discussed.


The conventional theory of convective stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in inhomogeneous plasmas is generalized for arbitrary coupling and angle of incidence of the pump wave. Taking into account the SBS growth rate in a homogeneous plasma through the numerical solution of the dispersion relation, a general expression for the convective SBS gain coefficient G in the directly backward direction of the obliquely incident laser light with arbitrary coupling in an expanding and inhomogeneous laser plasma is derived. The expressions for G in the weak- and strong-coupling limits, which incorporate the corresponding analytical expressions for , are also obtained. It is observed from the numerical results that the values of and G under the condition of arbitrary coupling are significantly smaller than those in the weak- and strong-coupling limits for the pump wave intensities where is comparable to the ion-acoustic frequency . The results show the importance of the use of the generalized theory for adequate interpretation of SBS data of laser-plasma interaction experiments where .


Background: At Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust uncomplicated primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) are managed as outpatient using a normal seldinger drain attached with pneumostat valve as opposed to standard British Thoracic Society guidelines. We conducted a retrospective service evaluation of the new outpatient model looking at the safety and health economic impact.

Methods:

A retrospective data of all patients presented with PSP between was 1 January 2011 to 30 December 2012 was compiled. Data was collected for length of stay (LOS); complications such as pain, infection, bleeding, drain falling out and the ability for patients to self manage.

Inclusion criteria – uncomplicated PSP requiring chest tube insertion.

Exclusion Criteria – any secondary pneumothorax or complicated primary PSP and significant co-morbidities.

The cost of acute medical bed was calculated from our hospital finance department.

Results:

Data for 84 patients with pneumothorax was collected.

39 patients met the above inclusion criteria- 23 Inpatients: 16 Outpatient.

Of the 23 inpatient (15 Male: 8 Female), age range was 17 - 36 years. Mean LOS was 7 days (range of 1 to 12 days).

16 outpatients (11 Male: 4 female) age range 16.5 to 33 years. LOS for this group was less than 1 day.

No significant difference was noted in terms of complications between the 2 groups. None of the patients had problems managing the drain out of hospital.

The average total bed day cost was £225. Mean cost saving was £1575 (£225 - £2700).

Conclusions:

This study clearly demonstrates outpatient management of uncomplicated PSP is safe with significant reduction in LOS to less than 1 day with significant health economic impact.


The earlier-suggested generalized Gibbs distribution approach to the configurational kinetics of non-equilibrium alloys is extended to the case of many-component alloys and the realistic vacancy-mediated atomic exchange mechanism is incorporated. Exact and approximate equations for the temporal evolution of atomic distributions as well as for the free energy of a non-equilibrium alloy are presented. It is shown that the evolution of the main alloy component distribution for the nearest-neighbour vacancy exchange model can usually be described in terms of an equivalent direct exchange model. This conclusion is illustrated with the computer simulation of decomposition and ordering via the vacancy exchange mechanism for a two-dimensional alloy model. The simulation also reveals the localized ordering phenomenon at very early stages of ordering, in agreement with previous experiments and Monte Carlo simulation, but with no interfacial vacancy trapping which was suggested in previous works in order to explain this phenomenon.


Insufficiency  in  the  production  of  food  crops  in  Nigeria  has  been  linked  with  variation  in  rainfall  features.  This  paper  examined  the  impacts  of  variation in rainfall onsets, cessations and length of growing season on yam yield  in  Kwara  State,  Nigeria  to  proffer  a  solution  to  the  problem  of  food  insecurity in the state. Rainfall data were collected monthly for six stations in  Kwara  State  between  1961-2017  (57  years).  Yam  yield  data  were  also  collected  for  the  same  period.  Since  no  separate  record  of  yam  is  kept  for  each climatic station, mean climatic data were calculated to match the yam yield record obtained from the above stations. Rainfall onset, cessation and Length  of  Growing  Season  (LGS)  were  calculated  from  monthly  values.  Decadal  partitioning  of  both  the  crop  and  rainfall  features  was  made  to  show  variations.  Time  series  analysis  was  employed  to  study  trends.  The  strength  of  the  relationship  between  the  length  of  the  growing  season  and  yam  yield  was  also  conducted  using  correlation  analysis.  The  result  showed  an  upward  trend  of  onset  of  rain  coupled  with  a  downward  trend  in late cessation of rain and a decline in the length of the growing season. On a decadal basis, increasing frequency of delayed onset of rain and late cessation was observed. Length of growing season exhibits a positive (r = 0.455**)  relationship  with  yam  yield.  Suggestions  were  made  on  how  to  attain sustainable efficient yam cropping in the study area.


This paper is a reflective examination of literature, theory and recent news media to explore how one's social position impacts patient-provider interactions in Canadian healthcare. I argue that the compounding factors of racism, classism and gender bias influence the way patients' symptoms are perceived and treated by healthcare providers; due to the intersectional nature of this phenomenon, low-income racialized women are disproportionately impacted. The multiple forms of stigma these patients face can affect the way providers view their credibility, the seriousness of their symptoms and their 'worthiness' to receive diagnostic testing and treatment. I provide evidence that patients' comfort, safety and health outcomes are directly impacted by such experiences, and have even resulted in cases of death in Canada. I suggest that these findings cannot be separated from the White male identity and rigid biomedical framework, which continues to dominate medicine. I conclude with reflections regarding the need for change and propose that in order to address the root of these issues, we must deconstruct the prolific nature of racism, classism and sexism in our society more generally.


Portland cement is generally made of clay, lime, iron sand, silica sand and alumina sand, In this research, the
manufacture of cement by using the material in the form of Sidoarjo mud because it has a clay content that resembles
that of 2,34% CaO, 6,52% Al2O3, SiO2 Fe2O3 67,63% and 4,88%, making it possible to make an manufacture of
Portland cement with addition of CaO and through the combustion process, Research done by mixing mud in Sidoarjo
in chalk in some variation ratio of 40:60; 37,5:62,5; 35:65; 32,5:67,5 and 30:70, After a homogeneous mixture and
then baked in the furnace at a temperature variation 1200o
C with the time allowed is 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes,
Cement is then the compressive strength test and analyzed levels of the chemical, Retrieved best conditions on a
comparison between proportion of Sidoarjo mud and lime 30:70, 3 hours burning time and compressive strength value
of 13,00 kg / cm2
 for ages 3 days and 15,08 kg / cm2
 to age 7 days,


Materials used for the past 30 years as immunoadjuvants induce suboptimal antitumor immune responses and often cause undesirable local inflammation. Some bacterial lipopeptides that act as Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 2 ligands activate immune cells as immunoadjuvants and induce antitumor effects. Here, we developed a new dendritic cell (DC)‐targeting lipopeptide, h11c (P2C‐ATPEDNGRSFS), which uses the CD11c‐binding sequence of intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 to selectively and efficiently activate DCs but not other immune cells. Although the h11c lipopeptide activated DCs similarly to an artificial lipopeptide, P2C‐SKKKK (P2CSK4), via TLR2 in vitro, h11c induced more effective tumor inhibition than P2CSK4 at low doses in vivo with tumor antigens. Even without tumor antigens, h11c lipopeptide significantly inhibited tumor growth and induced tumor‐specific cytotoxic T cells. P2CSK4 was retained subcutaneously at the vaccination site and induced severe local inflammation in in vivo experiments. In contrast, h11c was not retained at the vaccination site and was transported into the tumor within 24 hr. The recruitment of DCs into the tumor was induced by h11c more effectively, while P2CSK4 induced the accumulation of neutrophils leading to severe inflammation at the vaccination site. Because CD11b+ cells, but not CD11c+ cells, produced neutrophil chemotactic factors such as macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐2 in response to stimulation with TLR2 ligands, the DC‐targeting lipopeptide h11c induced less MIP‐2 production by splenocytes than P2CSK4. In this study, we succeeded in developing a novel immunoadjuvant, h11c, which effectively induces antitumor activity without adverse effects such as local inflammation via the selective activation of DCs.


In the paper the strategic priorities of budget policy of Ukraine under current conditions are examines The global COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in the resilience of financial systems The purpose of the article is to assess the adequacy of strategic priorities of Ukraine's budget policy and its adaptability to global challenges In these conditions, the importance of the state and the development of new strategic priorities of fiscal policy will only increase Using monthly statistics from the State Treasury Service of Ukraine, the State Statistics Service and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine from January 2018 to September 2020, the article hypothesizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the amount of money spent by the State Budget of Ukraine, health care expenditures, economic activity and tax revenues The authors believe that the fight against COVID-19 affects the monetary expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine, as well as the consumer price index and other indicators of economic efficiency in Ukraine In addition, based on the results of the regression, the consumer price index is the most influential factor in the monetary expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine At the same time, COVID-19 affects the expenditures of health care, but does not affect the expenditures of economic activities and local budget expenditures This means that the main goal of Ukraine's economic policy is to limit the spread of the virus among the population to prevent the economy from stopping Much of the research on strategic fiscal policy priorities, their changes, and compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic is relatively low Previous studies have not used the influence of currently unique exogenous factors of a global nature Adherence to the priorities of budget funding in a pandemic, taking into account the phases of its development will assess the effectiveness of fiscal policy in accordance with existing conditions The authors of the article propose the main strategic priorities of Ukraine's budget policy in terms of COVID-19


Background Interleukin (IL)-1 and metalloproteinases (MMP) are thought to play a crucial role in the cartilage degradation of osteoarthritis (OA). Recently it has been proposed that CRP may be useful index of OA activity and severity. Objectives We studied the relationships between synovial fluid (SF) IL-1b, MMP1 and MMP3, and serum levels of CRP in patients with OA of the knee (KOA) to investigate the role of CRP in KOA. Methods In the SF from 25 patients with KOA (Altman criteria, Kellgren and Lawrence score of 2 or greater on X-ray plan films) we determined the levels of IL-1b, MMP-1 and MMP-3 (ELISA), along with WBC number. In the same patients serum concentration of CRP was analysed by ultrasensitive rate nephelometry. No patients were taking NSAIDs or other antirheumatic drugs. Results In SF, MMP1 was correlated with MMP3 (r = 0.61, p = 0.0009), and MMP3 with IL-1b (r = 0.67, p = 0.0002). In turn, serum CRP was correlated with MMP3 (r = 0.76, p < 0.0001) and, at lower level, with MMP1 (r = 0.49, p = 0.01) and IL-1b (r = 0.49, p = 0.01). Conclusion The correlations found between serum CRP and SF levels of substances believed to be crucial in OA cartilage degradation, such as MMPs and IL-1, confirm the role of marker of disease severity recently proposed for this acute phase protein.


The aim of this paper is to explore the motivation of monetary transfers received by Italian household heads. The financial transfers may be motivated by altruism or by the expectation of future services. For this reason, we select a sample of Italian families from the 2006 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) dataset. First, we consider the transfer decision and try to account for the factors that affect the probability that the household head will receive a transfer. Next, we restrict our analysis to those families who did receive a positive transfer and examine the factors that affect the size of the transfer. The positive relationship between recipient's income and transfer amount received is consistent with exchange theory: recipients with higher income ask for higher payments in exchange for services provided. We also explore the relationship between private and public financial transfers. In particular, we choose Italy for its peculiar institutional features. The results imply that the hypothesis about a crowding-out process cannot be rejected. The main contribution of the paper to the existing literature is to investigate the social motivation of private transfers and their implications in terms of policy in a unified framework.


The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different rooting media [perlite, perlite+sand (1:1), perlite+sand+soil (1:1:1)], different indole butyric acid (IBA) doses (control, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 ppm) and different cutting thicknesses [thin (4-7 mm), medium (8-10 mm) and thick (10-12 mm)] on rooting and root qualities of 41B, 5BB and 420A American grapevine rootstocks adapted to Van region of Turkey. Within the scope of the study, rooting ratios (%), number of roots, root lengths (cm) and root weights (g) were determined.The differences in rooting ratios, number of roots, root lengths and root weights of rootstocks were found to be significant (P<0.05). Rooting ratios and root quality parameters of cuttings significantly varied with rootstocks, IBA doses, rooting media and cutting thicknesses. With regard to rooting ratios, number of roots and root weights, 5BB rootstock yielded better outcomes than 420A and 41B rootstocks. Compared to control treatment, IBA treatments increased rooting ratio, number of roots, root length and root weight of all three rootstocks. Among the rooting media, the best outcomes for rooting ratio, root length and root weight were obtained from perlite medium and the best results for number of roots were obtained from perlite+sand+soil medium. With regard to cutting thickness, thick cuttings were prominent and they were closely followed by medium ones


We exactly determine the integral solutions to a previously untreated infinite family of cubic Thue equations of the form $F(x,y)=1$ with at least $5$ such solutions. Our approach combines elementary arguments, with lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms and lattice-basis reduction.


Bangladeshi people, as other South Asians, have high susceptibility to ischemic heart disease (IHD) but population-based data are lacking in Bangladesh. We investigated for IHD burden in a rural population of Bangladesh in 2001. Information was sought on use of medications for IHD and electrocardiogram was done in 447 adults (157 men and 290 women) aged 20 years or older (mean 40 years). Prevalence of IHD defined by presence of pathological Q wave on electrocardiogram or current medication for IHD is 3.4% (95% confidence interval, 1.7% to 5.1%). Prevalence in men (4.6%, 1.3% to 7.9%) was almost twice than in women (2.7%, 0.8% to 4.6%). However, this sex-difference should be cautiously interpreted because of small sample size for men. It appears that IHD is an important problem even in this traditional rural population of Bangladesh.


The present study evaluated the clinical response of periodontal pockets in beagle dogs after treatment with a biodegradable delivery system containing 10% doxycycline hyclate (ABDS-D). Eight adult, female beagle dogs had generalized, severe periodontitis with plaque and calculus-laden pockets. In each animal, 3 teeth with multiple pocket sites > or = 4 mm (mean depth = 6.0 mm) associated with attachment loss (mean = 5.4 mm) and which bled on probing (mean score = 2.5) were treated with a single application of either ABDS-D (experimental group) or the delivery system alone without the doxycycline (control group). Residual polymer was removed at day 7. Bioassay of doxycycline in gingival crevicular fluid associated with presence of ABDS-D gave mean levels of bioactivity of approximately 250 micrograms/ml. Levels of bioactive doxycycline were detected for approximately 7 days after ABDS-D removal. Periodontal maintenance consisted of thrice-weekly toothbrushing the treated sites. Clinical responses were evaluated at 2 weeks, and at bi-weekly intervals thereafter for 4 months. Analyses of the data from the control group showed that there was only slight clinical improvement. In contrast, in the experimental group, bleeding on probing and probing depths were significantly reduced from baseline at all post-treatment time points. At 1 month, mean probing depth reduction was 2.4 mm and this was maintained at 4 months (mean reduction = 2.5 mm). These probing depth reductions occurred primarily through gain of clinical attachment which was 2.0 mm at 4 months. Bleeding had been virtually eliminated (mean = 0.2). It was concluded that, for the beagle dogs with severely infected periodontal pockets in this study, treatment with subgingival doxycycline using the delivery system resulted in substantial improvement in periodontal health.


Data augmentation methods enrich datasets with augmented data to improve the performance of neural networks. Recently, automated data augmentation methods have emerged, which automatically design augmentation strategies. The existing work focuses on image classification and object detection, whereas we provide the first study on semantic image segmentation and introduce two new approaches: SmartAugment and SmartSamplingAugment. SmartAugment uses Bayesian Optimization to search a rich space of augmentation strategies and achieves new state-of-the-art performance in all semantic segmentation tasks we consider. SmartSamplingAugment, a simple parameter-free approach with a fixed augmentation strategy, competes in performance with the existing resource-intensive approaches and outperforms cheap state-of-the-art data augmentation methods. Furthermore, we analyze the impact, interaction, and importance of data augmentation hyperparameters and perform ablation studies, which confirm our design choices behind SmartAugment and SmartSamplingAugment. Lastly, we will provide our source code for reproducibility and to facilitate further research.


Muscular dystrophies are a group of more than 160 different human neuromuscular disorders characterized by a progressive deterioration of muscle mass and strength. The causes, symptoms, age of onset, severity, and progression vary depending on the exact time point of diagnosis and the entity. Congenital myopathies are rare muscle diseases mostly present at birth that result from genetic defects. There are no known cures for congenital myopathies; however, recent advances in gene therapy are promising tools in providing treatment. This review gives an overview of the mouse models used to investigate the most common muscular dystrophies and congenital myopathies with emphasis on their potentials and limitations in respect to human applications.


Abstract Observations at the San Juan, Puerto Rico international airport show that the annual mean temperature has increased by about 2.1°C (3.8°F) from 1956 to 1983. The chief contributors to the increase are an increase in daily minimum temperature from 1956 to about 1970 and an increase in daily maximum temperature from about 1970 to 1983. In addition, there is evidence for veering of the wind direction so that overland trajectories are more frequent. No comparable temperature change has been measured at a cooperative station 8 km to the southwest in the city of San Juan nor at other stations in Puerto Rico. thus ruling out a synoptic-scale phenomenon. It is hypothesized that as the airport expanded in size and the vegetation diminished, a mini heat island evolved. The heat island combined with the development of adjacent residential and commercial areas and a changing wind direction account for the observed annual mean temperature increase.


I the comprehensive review of hyperprolactinemia by Omar Serri and associates the answers to some important questions remain unclear. Fig. 2 of the article recommends MRI of the pituitary if pathologic hyperprolactinemia is identified on repeat measurement of prolactin, but there is no definition of what constitutes pathologic hyperprolactinemia. It appears that the authors are suggesting MRI of the pituitary if the prolactin level remains elevated on repeat measurement, but what extent of elevation should lead to consideration of MRI? For example, should the physician perform imaging studies if the prolactin level is marginally elevated but still less than 100 μg/L? In clinical practice, patients with marginally elevated levels on 2 or 3 occasions often undergo imaging studies of the pituitary gland, but is this practice justified? Consideration of MRI of the pituitary is one of the most important clinical decision-making points in the management of hyperprolactinemia, so it would be helpful to have some guidance in this regard. In addition, to what extent does nipple or breast stimulation cause elevation in prolactin levels, and how long should the patient avoid such stimulation before the repeat measurement of prolactin is performed? Turning to the causes of this condition, Fig. 1 of the article lists anti-ulcer agents, specifically H2 antagonists, as medications causing elevation of prolactin levels. However, other medications, metoclopramide and domperidone (motility agents commonly used in patients with gastroesophageal reflux), are dopamine antagonists and are more likely than H2 antagonists to cause elevated prolactin levels. These drugs should be considered as causative agents and should be discontinued before further investigations are undertaken.


Acrylamide is an important industrial chemical which is neurotoxic to experimental animals as well as humans and recently has been shown to be mutagenic and carcinogenic. Despite much research it is still unclear whether the parent compound or a metabolite is responsible for the observed toxic effects. Contradictory results as to the role of cytochrome P-450 mediated metabolism of acrylamide in the induction of neurotoxic effects prompted us to investigate the possible formation of glycidamide, a reactive epoxide metabolite. The formation of this epoxide was strongly indicated by the identification by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of derivatized S-(2-carboxy-2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine in hydrolyzed hemoglobin samples from rats treated with acrylamide in vivo and in microsomal suspensions of acrylamide with cysteine in vitro. This amino acid was found to be present in uninduced and phenobarbital-induced Sprague-Dawley rats and absent in controls, but occurred in lower amounts than the adduct derived from the parent compound, S-(2-carboxyethyl)cysteine. This finding suggests that the possible role of glycidamide in the neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity of acrylamide should be evaluated further.


Facial expression interpretation, recognition and analysis is a key issue in visual communication and man to machine interaction. In this paper, we present a technique for extracting appearance parameters from a natural image or video sequence, which allow reproduction of natural looking expressive synthetic faces. This technique was used to perform face synthesis and tracking in video sequences as well as facial expression recognition and control.


ABSTRACT Creative industries are those industries who have potency to contribute in economic growth, reflected in the increase of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Creative Industry component. Therefore, the analysis of factors affect GDP in creative industries component is needed in order to contribute optimally in the increase of it. The purpose of the research is analyzing labor, export value, import value, and company number as the factors affect GDP in creative industries component in Indonesia 2002-2008. This research uses secondary data with panel dataanalysis tool that consists of time series data 2002-2008 and cross section data of 10 subsectors of creative industries in Indonesia. The mothod uses is linear regression analysis panel data with Ordinary Least Square method (OLS). The result shows that labor and import value variabel have positive and significant impact on GDP in creative industries while expo rt value and company number have negative and significant impact on GDP in creative industries.


Physical characteristics of 15 posterior chamber lenses from 15 companies were examined for residual ethylene oxide gas; the content varied from 13 ppm to 78 ppm. Seven lenses met the FDA regulation of less than 25 ppm. Scanning electron microscopic study revealed that molded-type lenses had the smoothest optic surface and cast-molded lenses had a less smooth surface than the plano side. The lathe-cut lens with barrel polishing also had a smooth optic surface. Neodymium: YAG laser shots were delivered to the optic and the spots were examined by phase contrast microscopy. The lenses made of high molecular weight polymethylmethacrylate were more resistant to YAG laser damage. It was concluded that lathe-cut posterior chamber lenses with barrel polishing made of high molecular weight polymethylmethacrylate would be preferable but further studies of polishing compounds are necessary.


Due to the multiple imperfections during the signal acquisition, Electrocardiogram (ECG) datasets are typically contaminated with numerous types of noise, like salt and pepper and baseline drift. These datasets may contain different recordings with various types of noise [1] and thus, denoising may not be the easiest task. Furthermore, usually, the number of labeled bio-signals is very limited for a proper classification task.


In this paper, we propose a road-to-vehicle visible communication system for ITS. In this system, a LED traffic light is used as transmitter and a photodiode is used as receiver. There are several problems associated with applying visible light communication to the field of ITS. It is necessary to receive information from long distance. And tracking the transmitter for a certain moving distance of the vehicle is also important. We applied an imaging optics to receive information over long distance, and two cameras are used to solve the relationship between the transmitter and the receiver position changes with time, and vibrational correction technique is also fixed to the system to minimize vibrational affections. We developed algorithms to track the transmitter. The experiments were conducted to confirm the proposals.


Child abuse and neglect is a public health problem, attributed to multiple factors that may be related to characteristics of the child, the caregivers, the family or the broader community. It entails both direct and long-term consequences on individual and social level, especially causing physical and mental health issues, but also leading to social and economic implications. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, States Parties should take all appropriate measures for the prevention of the phenomenon, as well as for the protection of the child-victim, including procedures of identification, reporting, investigation, judicial involvement, treatment and follow-up of the cases. However, no such standardized procedures have been developed by the Greek authorities; as a result, the services provided are fragmented, often leading to secondary victimization of the child. The Prochild EU-funded project aims to create an interdisciplinary model of cooperation among stakeholders involved in child protection cases. Two surveys, one addressed to professionals and one addressed to children victims, as well as seven consultation meetings with professionals from the sectors of social welfare, health, education, law enforcement and justice have taken place, in order for major shortcomings of the system to be identified, and for an integrated protocol to be developed. The main conclusions from the aforementioned actions are that a) all professionals need to follow national or regional procedures regarding detection, reporting, investigation and intervention, b) it is necessary for child abuse and neglect victims to undergo only one forensic interview by an appropriately trained professional, in a child-friendly setting, c) all professionals involved in a specific case should share relevant information among them, in order for the child to be supported in the best way possible, d) when several professionals are to be involved, they should form a team early on, and handle the case cooperatively, and e) it is useful for one service/professional to undertake the role of the coordinator in each case, depending on the type of abuse. Taking all the above suggestions, among others, into account, the Institute of Child Health is currently developing an interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration protocol to effectively address all reports of child abuse or neglect.


INTRODUCTION
To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utility in intratesticular and extratesticular scrotal diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed images of patients who underwent ultrasound followed by MRI, categorizing them as intratesticular or extratesticular and malignant, benign, indeterminate, or inadequate study. For patients who underwent surgical excision, pathologic results were also correlated to the presurgical ultrasound and MRI diagnoses.

RESULTS
Of 69 cases, 38 were intratesticular lesions and 31 were extratesticular lesions. MRI and ultrasound diagnoses were discordant in 21 (55.32%) intratesticular and 19 (61.3%) extratesticular lesions. MRI diagnosis was malignant after an indeterminate ultrasound in 0 and 4 (12.9%) intratesticular and extratesticular lesions, respectively. MRI diagnosis was benign after an indeterminate ultrasound in 18 (47.43%) and 14 (45.2%) intratesticular and extratesticular lesions, respectively. A malignant ultrasound diagnosis was reversed to benign MRI diagnosis in one (2.6%) intratesticular and one (3.2%) extratesticular lesion. In no case was a benign lesion on ultrasound read as malignant on MRI in either group. The cohort of patients with intratesticular lesions received a mean clinical and radiographic follow up of 2.49 ± 1.97 and 1.85 ± 1.46 years, respectively. The patients with extratesticular lesions received a mean clinical and radiographic follow up of 1.30 ± 1.08 and 2.00 ± 1.28 years, respectively. In no case did repeat imaging change the diagnosis after initial MRI and ultrasound evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS
MRI was effective at characterizing both intratesticular and extratesticular lesions in the majority of cases.


In a RC framed structure, beam-column joints are highly vulnerable to failure when subjected to seismic loads. RC framed structures constructed in accordance to pre-seismic codes will have deficiencies at the beam-column region, resulting in poor performance of the same when subjected to large lateral loads. In this study, six scaled down models of the beam-column joint of a non-seismically designed structure was prepared. Retrofit in the form of ferrocement jackets were applied on the con-trol specimen. Two types of ferrocement jacketing schemes were used, first one is the conventional square jacketing and the second is the advanced jacketing scheme in which the beam and column corners were rounded prior to the application of jackets. All the specimens were subjected to quasi static reverse cyclic loading. The experimental re-sults showed that there is an improvement in ultimate load carrying capacity, ultimate deflection, energy dissipation capacity and ductility for jacketed specimens compared to that of control specimens. The advanced ferrocement jack-eting technique was found to have slightly better performance compared to the conventional square jacketing.


Background. COVID-19 has revealed the diversity of cultural characteristics and mentalities of different countries: every people living through the pandemic interprets the means of overcoming the crisis in their own way, in accordance with their historical experience and cultural traditions. Objective. The purpose of this study (April 2 - May 2, 2020) was to identify the influence of cultural factors and the context of residence (living in their own country or in another culture as a migrant) on how people perceive and experience a pandemic. Design. The study involved 605 people: 402 Russian-speaking respondents (221 migrants living outside their countries) and 203 representatives of other cultures (165 Spaniards and 38 migrants from different countries).The main research method was a survey using a specially prepared questionnaire (in four languages  – Spanish, English, German, and Russian). Results. Cultural factors had a strong influence on how a people experienced a pandemic. Respondents from European and other cultures (non Russian speakers) were very intolerant of dissent in the fight against the pandemic; showed an increase in patriotism; and demonstrated increased readiness for an operational response to the situation through a change of activity. Russian-speaking respondents showed great loyalty to different positions and different behaviors during pandemic situation; expressed the desire to wait out the pandemic and quickly return to their usual way of life; their main preventive measure was self-isolation, which was considered an opportunity for the development of something new. The perception of a pandemic by migrants differed from its perception by the indigenous population. Conclusion. Common to all representatives of the international sample were the ideas of necessary international cooperation and universal responsibility to overcome the pandemic. But the cultural factors and having a migrant's status had a strong influence on the perception and experience of the pandemic, which depends on the mentality and historical experience in different countries.


Spin-orbit coupling in a gate-controlled In0.53Ga0.47As/InP quantum well is investigated in the presence of a large Zeeman effect. We develop a Fourier-transform fitting procedure to extract the zero-field spin-splitting Rashba parameter ?. The bare g factor value is found to be of the order of 3 from magnetotransport measurements in tilted magnetic fields. It is found that both Zeeman splitting and Rashba splitting play important roles in determining the total spin splitting in In0.53Ga0.47As.


As a promising route for large-scale H2 production, the water-gas-shift reaction (WGS, CO + H(2)O-->CO(2) + H(2)) on ceria-supported Au catalysts is of enormous potential in efforts to move towards a hydrogen economy. Recent research suggests that this reaction is in fact catalyzed by Au cations instead of the conventionally regarded metallic Au particles. Here density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the presence of empty localized nonbonding f states in CeO2 permits the oxidation of Au, enabling subsequent CO adsorption. A feasible reaction pathway leading to H2 production is identified, and it is concluded that four to six atom Au clusters at the O-vacancy sites of ceria catalyze the WGS reaction.


Abstract.
 The Cambrian Yanwangbian assemblage (Series 2, Stage 4) in South Shaanxi, China, is one of the Burgess Shale-type faunas as it represents the only relatively diverse Cambrian biota from the north margin of the Yangzte Platform, South China. The paleoscolecids (Cycloneuralia) illustrated herein are one of the major components of the fauna, although they appear to be much less abundant than skeletonized fossils, according to available collections. A new taxon, Shaanxiscolex xixiangensis new genus new species, is described based on the scleritome pattern: each annulus has two rows of alternating Hadimopanella-type plates positioned close to the borders, and a mosaic pattern of microplates occurs between the plates and within intersegmental furrows. The occurrence of the new taxon confirms a fairly diversified and widespread distribution of paleoscolecidan worms recognized in the early Cambrian of South China. Moreover, the ecology of paleoscolecids is reappraised based on burial position of the S. xixiangensis and gut contens of Cambrian taxa from South China, hinting that paleoscolecids (at least some taxa) were both deposit feeders and carnivores, as well as active bioturbators in the substrates of the Cambrian sea, which sheds new light on the 'Cambrian Substrate Revolution.'


Summary Potassium–argon age-determinations on 10 basic igneous rocks from the English Midlands indicate two distinct episodes of magmatic intrusion. Geological evidence and Permo-Carboniferous isotopic age data from Britain confirm the well-known close relationship between magmatism and earth-movements. It is concluded that the paroxysmal phase of the Variscan orogeny in England occurred in the early Stephanian (Asturic phase), and that late-tectonic granitic magmatism in the active zone was penecontemporaneous with basaltic magmatism on the foreland around 295 m.y. A further period of basaltic magmatism close to 265 m.y. is equated with Saalic movements, and it is suggested that a primary mineralization event at 225 m.y. is of widespread occurrence and might be used to fix the Permo-Triassic boundary in Britain.


BACKGROUND
Allergic rhinitis is a common chronic childhood disease with a low diagnosis rate, causing poor quality of life, absenteeism, decreased school performance and significant healthcare cost. However, data on the prevalence of allergic rhinitis is sparse in preschoolers of rural geography, especially in developing countries.

AIM
To describe the epidemiology of allergic rhinitis in preschoolers from a rural geography of a developing country.

METHODS
A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka using the WHO-30 cluster methodology with probability proportionate to size sampling. The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaire was used to assess symptomatology.

RESULTS
The response rate was 91.8%, with 548 (51.7%) male and 512 (48.3%) female participants. The mean age was 4.4 (± 0.7) years. Allergic rhinitis was reported in 123 (11.6%; 95% CI 9.7-13.5), and eye symptoms were reported in 41 (3.9%; 95% CI 2.8-5.2) children. Activities of daily living were disturbed due to nasal symptoms in 113 (10.7%; 95% CI 8.8-12.5). Allergic rhinitis was independently associated with severe asthma (OR 6.26; 95% CI 3.54-11.06), sleeping on the floor (OR 4.79; 95% CI 1.33-17.25) and having cats in the households (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.18-2.91). Nasal symptoms were more common in January and August to October months. The standardized local highest monthly temperature, lowest monthly temperature, highest monthly humidity and dew point strongly predicted allergic rhinitis symptom exacerbation (F=4.8, p=0.036, adjusted R square=57.8%, VIF≤2.259, DW=2.1).

CONCLUSIONS
Allergic rhinitis affects 1 in 10 preschool children of rural Sri Lanka. The factors associated and environmental factor model developed to predict symptom exacerbation could be used to prevent allergic rhinitis exacerbations.


In order to stimulate new understandings on paradox and discursive contradictions, this research examines how identity is formed and transformed in and around organization settings. It develops a conceptual scheme in which identity is constructed and reconstructed from perceived and evoked images, texts, affects, judgments and situations expressing something about ourselves and people we interact with. It also provides an illustration of the framework based on fictional events inspired by the study of a company in the furniture sector. Broadly, this examination assumes that identity in organizations can be better understood if we pay more attention to the identity (re)construction process at an individual and interpersonal level of analysis. Our research suggests that a better understanding of identity (re)construction at this level may profitably (a) challenge the way identity in organizations has been (traditionally and theoretically) approached; (b) illuminate processes of identity reflexivity, regulation and intervention by organizational members in everyday life at work and (c) stimulate new understandings on how some common paradox and discursive contradiction, appearing in organizational life, are related to identity.


The early results of surgical treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip by complex Dega method in children aged from 18 to 30 months has been presented. The reduction of the hip after all the obstacles and the elements of dysplasia has been removed was very stable. Derotation osteotomy of the femur in the hips of less than 50 degrees anteversion was not necessary. Avascular necrosis after surgical treatment alone was not observed, however its presence after previous conservative management worsened the results after the operation.