Background Internationally, there is increasing emphasis on early support for pregnant women to optimize the health and development of mothers and newborns. To increase intervention reach, digital and app-based interventions have been advocated. There are growing numbers of pregnancy health care apps with great variation in style, function, and objectives, but evidence about impact on pregnancy well-being and behavior change following app interaction is lacking. This paper reports on the qualitative arm of the independent multicomponent study exploring the use and outcomes of first-time mothers using the Baby Buddy app, a pregnancy and parenting support app, available in the National Health Service App Library and developed by a UK child health and well-being charity, Best Beginnings. Objective This study aims to understand when, why, and how first-time mothers use the Baby Buddy app and the perceived benefits and challenges. Methods This paper reports on the qualitative arm of an independent, longitudinal, mixed methods study. An Appreciative Inquiry qualitative approach was used with semistructured interviews (17/60, 28%) conducted with new mothers, either by telephone or in a focus group setting. First-time mothers were recruited from 3 study sites from across the United Kingdom. Consistent with the Appreciative Inquiry approach, mothers were prompted to discuss what worked well and what could have been better regarding their interactions with the app during pregnancy. Thematic analysis was used, and findings are presented as themes with perceived benefits and challenges. Results The main benefit, or what worked well, for first-time mothers when using the app was being able to access new information, which they felt was reliable and easy to find. This led to a feeling of increased confidence in the information they accessed, thus supporting family and professional communication. The main challenge was the preference for face-to-face information with a health care professional, particularly around specific issues that they wished to discuss in depth. What could have been improved included that there were some topics that some mothers would have preferred in more detail, but in other areas, they felt well-informed and thus did not feel a need to seek additional information via an app. Conclusions Although this study included a small sample, it elicited rich data and insights into first-time mothers' app interactions. The findings suggest that easily accessible pregnancy information, which is perceived as reliable, can support first-time mothers in communicating with health care professionals. Face-to-face contact with professionals was preferred, particularly to discuss specific and personalized needs. Further studies on maternal and professional digital support preferences after the COVID-19 global pandemic and how they facilitate antenatal education and informed decision-making are recommended, particularly because digital solutions remain as a key element in pregnancy and early parenting care. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1017/S1463423618000294


Introduction: Acute appendicitis is one of the most prevalent differential diagnosis for acute abdomen. Ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic procedure that does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation.We intended to compare ultrasound findings as a diagnostic tool with pathology findings in patients with appendicitis who had undergone appendectomy in this study. Methods and Materials: A total of 150 patients with abdominal pain were studied in this research. Following confirmation of the diagnosis, these patients underwent surgery. SPSS Version 26 software was used to record and evaluate all demographic information, kind of underlying disease (if any), and duration of symptoms, clinical findings, pre-operation sonography findings and type of treatment and surgery. Results: The study included 150 patients, with 53.3 percent of them being female and the rest being male. Pathologically positive patients made up 78 percent of the cases analyzed. The highest sonographic finding was 6mm Appendix in terms of sonographic data (37.3 percent). The retrocecal type of the appendix was the most frequent anatomical form, accounting for 63.3 percent of all appendixes. Pathology results and sonography observations of peri-appendiceal fluid collection and peri-appendiceal fat inflammation differ significantly. The pathology findings and the ultrasonography observation of 6mm > Appendix were not significantly different. Conclusion: Inflammation of the appendix wall without necrosis and an increase in the size of the appendix (>6 mm) are the key ultrasound findings in support of a diagnosis of uncomplicated appendicitis. Keywords: Ultrasonography, Appendicitis, diagnostic imaging, Surgery, pathology


This paper analyses geometry of intra-thoracic organs from computed tomography (CT) scans performed on 20 children aged from 4 months to 16 years. A set of two measurements on lungs and heart were performed by the same observer. A third set was performed by a second observer. Thus, the intra- and inter-observer relative deviation of measurements was analysed. Multiple regressions were used in order to study the relationship between the CT properties (scanner, voltage, dose, pixel size, slice increment) and the relative deviation of measurements. There is a very low systematic intra- and inter-observer bias in measurements except for the volume of the heart. None of the CT data properties has a significant influence on the relative deviation of measurement. In the present paper, the measurements and 3D reconstruction protocol described can be applied to characterise the growth of the intra-thoracic organs.


The Test de Mots dans le Bruit (TMB) is a Canadian-French word recognition in noise test recorded on CD-ROM. Preliminary data (Lagace, 2010) revealed an effect of age on TMB performance. This article presents a summary of the progress in the development of normative data at the Audiology department of the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre (Moncton, NB) for both children (6-12 yearsold) and adults (21-45 years old). As regional linguistic differences can influence scores on this type oftest, performances measured with adults from Moncton (NB) were compared to those obtained in adults from Ottawa (ON). Results suggest that, in addition to age, regional linguistic characteristics can influence one's ability to recognize monosyllabic words presented in background noise. Thee stablishment of normative data applicable to different age groups and Francophone communities across Canada contributes to improving the lack of available standardized clinical tools for this population.


Near-Field Communication (NFC) is being used in a variety of security-critical applications, from access control to payment systems. However, NFC protocol analysis typically requires expensive or conspicuous dedicated hardware, or is severely limited on smartphones. In 2015, the NFCGate proof of concept aimed at solving this issue by providing capabilities for NFC analysis employing off-the-shelf Android smartphones.
In this paper, we present an extended and improved NFC toolkit based on the functionally limited original open-source codebase. With in-flight traffic analysis and modification, relay, and replay features this toolkit turns an off-the-shelf smartphone into a powerful NFC research tool. To support the development of countermeasures against relay attacks, we investigate the latency incurred by NFCGate in different configurations.
Our newly implemented features and improvements enable the case study of an award-winning, enterprise-level NFC lock from a well-known European lock vendor, which would otherwise require dedicated hardware. The analysis of the lock reveals several security issues, which were disclosed to the vendor.


Natural and intuitive human-computer interfaces, while striving for immersive experience, often suffer from relatively cumbersome input methods. Mice and keyboards are widely accepted yet limited to point-and-click and basic textual editing operations, distancing the user from the world presented to them. Touch-screen based gestures have introduced a partial solution to this problem. However, they are constrained due to size, weight and positioning and currently provide limited gesture-based operations. In this paper, we propose a gesture model by meta-action formulation based on observations of existing touch gestures as experienced from different perspectives such as type, multiplicity, stage-of-control and control space. We then propose a kernel gesture set which forms the basis of a unified user experience across a large variety of applications and devices. In order to show the effectiveness, intuitiveness and adaptability of the proposed kernel gesture set, a user study is given. We further implement and extend the kernel gesture set through a case study in a very practical domain: garment modeling.


Introduction: Mechanical Neck pain is evoked by sustained poor neck posture, movement of neck, and on palpation. Patient experiences pain in cervical muscles with absence of any pathology. Previous studies found that Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) as well as yoga asana is effective for treatment of mechanical neck pain. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of neck PNF, Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting and its combination approach on neck Range Of Motion (ROM) and quality of life of people suffering from subacute mechanical neck pain. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of Ardh Matsyendrasana, OM chanting and PNF and its combined approach on neck ROM and quality of life of patients suffering from bilateral subacute mechanical neck pain. Materials and Methods: This randomised controlled trial was conducted in Amity Institute of Physiotherapy Out Patient Department (OPD), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was conducted between January 2019 to January 2021. A total of 103 subjects of bilateral mechanical neck pain were randomised into four groups (group 1-4): PNF group (n=27), yoga group performed Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting (n=25), combined group performed both PNF, Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting (n=26) and control group (n=25) performed bilateral active stretching of neck muscles. Interventions were given for four weeks with five sessions per week. Outcome measures were Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) assessed using digital cervical goniometer and health related quality of life assessed using SF- 36v2 tool. Data were assessed at baseline and four weeks post intervention. Within group analysis was done using paired t-test with p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Both CROM measurements as well as health related quality of life parameters showed statistically significant improvement for all four groups from baseline to four weeks postintervention (p<0.05). Improvement scores showed that the group performing Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting and combined PNF neck patterns with Ardh Matsyendrasana and OM chanting showed better improvement in neck flexion, extension, right and left lateral flexion and right and left rotation ROM as well improved mental and physical component scores of quality of life parameter for bilateral subacute mechanical neck pain cases. Conclusion: In this study, neck PNF patterns, Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting, combined PNF, Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting and active stretching exercise of neck muscles specifically sternocleidomastoid and rhomboids, all interventions were found to be effective in improving neck ROM and quality of life in bilateral subacute mechanical neck pain post four weeks of intervention. But yoga group (Ardh Matsyendrasana with OM chanting) and combined group which performed combined PNF neck pattern with Ardh Matsyendrasana and OM chanting proved them to be an effective treatment for improving CROM and health related quality of life in bilateral subacute mechanical neck pain.


This study examined the off-campus experiences of negative racial encounters among first-year students at York University in Ontario (Canada). Focus groups were conducted with 48 Black students, 26 students of Chinese origin, and 33 students of Italian or Portuguese origin in 1993-94. In descending order of frequency, students identified stores, jobs, schools, buses/trains, restaurants, encounters with police, everyday activities, offices, and media as sites in which they had negative racial encounters. In contrast to the frequency with which various sites were identified by students, articles dealing with "visible minorities" published by the Toronto (Ontario) "Globe and Mail" since 1977 focused overwhelmingly on sites in which the police were involved and, to a lesser extent, jobs. The focus group discussions indicated that students of all racial backgrounds may have negative racial encounters, that students of certain races/origins may have negative encounters in some sites while students of other races/origins may have similar experiences in other sites, that students felt that negative racial encounters were more prevalent off-campus than on-campus, and that some students talked about their negative experiences, particularly in stores and jobs, in a way that suggests an organization of experience in terms of systemic racism. (MDM) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** GLOBE AND MAIL REPORTS, STUDENT EXPERIENCES AND NEGATIVE RACIAL ENCOUNTERS


This paper presents a low noise low power neural recording amplifier that occupies a very small silicon area and is suitable to integrate with multielectrode arrays in cortical implants. We analyze main problems in neural recording systems processed in modern submicron technologies, i.e., leakage currents, ability to obtain very large and precisely controlled MOS based resistances and spread of the main system parameters from channel to channel. We also introduce methods allowing to mitigate them. Finally, we present methods allowing to calculate optimal channel dimensions of the recording channel's input transistors in order to obtain the lowest Input Referred Noise (IRN) for given power and area requirements. The proposed methodology has been applied in the 8-channel integrated recording ASIC dedicated to the broad range of neurobiology experiments. Each of the recording channels is equipped with the control register that enables to set main channel parameters independently. Thanks to this functionality, the user is capable of setting lower cut-off frequency within the range of 300 mHz-900 Hz. The upper cut-off frequency can be switched either to 30 Hz-290 Hz or 9 kHz, while the voltage gain can be set either to 260 V/V or 1000 V/V. A single recording channel is supplied with 1.8 V and consumes only 11 μW of power, while its input referred noise is equal to 4.4 μV resulting in NEF equal to 4.1.


We experimentally studied the second-harmonic generation from 5 and 25 nm-sized gold nanoparticles positioned 5-75 nm away from a thick silver layer. While known theories fail, a proposed model that takes into account the quasi-static interaction of the particles with the underlying silver layer shows good agreement with measured data. This agreement points to the possibility of nonlinear optics based on the interaction between extreme nanoscaled particles, rather than emanating from the particles themselves.


Eight patients with refractory Hodgkin's disease received intensive combination chemotherapy conditioning with cyclophosphamide, carmustine (BCNU), and etoposide (VP 16-213), and allogeneic marrow transplants. All patients achieved complete responses. Three patients relapsed; two died of Hodgkin's disease and one of chronic graft-v-host disease (GVHD) and infection. In all, four patients died due to transplant-related toxicity. One patient developed a fatal B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder soon after transplantation, and died without evidence of Hodgkin's disease. One patient is alive and free of progression 29 months after transplantation. These data indicate that allogeneic marrow transplantation may be considered as therapy for selected patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease and, despite substantial toxicity, will occasionally result in long-term responses. Better patient selection would likely improve results.


The use of semicrystalline polymers as structural polymers is spreading in the industry. The mechanical behaviour of these polymers is difficult to grasp, highly dependent on time and temperature, and particularly sensitive to chemical ageing, an important point when evaluating the time life of structures. The development of constitutive equations which can describe the evolution of the mechanical memory of semicrystalline polymers and their insertion in a computer code employing the finite element method are preferential means for improving structural design. The quality of these complex computation techniques must be assured by a methodology adapted to the development of constitutive equations of semicrystalline polymers. This methodology may be pictured by the steps of the life cycleof a model: from the design of the model up to the validation on typical structuresrepresenting the structure in operation. These steps are detailed in the paper by using, as an example, a new model of the behaviour of semicrystalline polymers.


In the European chemical industry, there is a strong drive to shift from fossil to renewable resources in the pursuit of sustainability. Sophorolipids, a class of biosurfactants, are interesting renewable resources, since they combine a complex structure with divergent biological and physico-chemical properties. The microbially produced lactonic sophorolipids were used for the production of a broad range of innovative sophorolipid amines 1 and sophorolipid quaternary ammonium salts 2. These sophorolipid quaternary ammonium salts were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial test strains. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined for the active compounds. Values of 5-8 µM results were obtained for the derivatives containing an octadecyl chain attached to the nitrogen atom, compared to values of 10-52 µM for the antibiotic gentamicin sulfate. These results shows great promise for modified sophorolipids in the medical sector, for example for the inhibition of biofilm formation.


The relatively brief history of the Socialist Enlightenment - which played such an important role by realizing the idea of equality, wbile tragically enforcing dictatorship - has come to an end. As Norbert Ehas' analysis of the civilizational process in France and Germany eloquently shows, the idea of freedom in the West is closely related to its cultural traits, that is, to the culture of the court and bourgeois culture. The development of freedom is therefore the flip side of the coin of Western class society, elements of which endure under contemporary conditions. The idea of equality has taken root within this Western societal context. Centered in the majority of classes in Western civilizational development, this idea was realized in the socialist transformation that began within revolutionary Russia of 1917, at the periphery of Western Civilization, and spread over Eastern Europe. Historically speaking, the modern idea of freedom has developed whenever the idea of equality was negated in class society; the idea of equality, on the other hand, has flourished where freedom lacked a base and where a collective orientation was dominant, particularly in the non-Protestant regions of the Occident. However, both ideas - the idea of freedom and its negation, the idea of equality - have the same origin in the identity principle of European Christian civilization. The transition from the identity principle also engendered the idea of "World history" through the world-historical development of the European Christian civilizational process since Columbus: it is a profound closure, because the Soviet Socialistempire has ended. The identity principle - the idea of the assimilation of all civilizations centered on Christianity - presupposes the idea of progress, which can be traced to Sir Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes, and illustrates the development of modern natural science. Thus, both enlightenments, the modern Enlightenment and the Socialist Enlightenment, are the subject of a critique of modernity. The difference principle is currently gaining recognition with reference to anticolonialism, anti-imperialism, anti-ethnocentrism, and anti-cultural chauvinism. The following antitheses are becoming increasingly evident and are being emphasized both theoreticar, and practically: republicans versus federalists, centralism versus regionalism, center versus periphery, and system versus the living world. The Decline of Real Socialism: An End to History or Modernity? Elsewhere, I have discussed the significance of the decline of real socialism for the history of civilization.(1) The decline of real socialism led to a chaotic world situation followed by worldwide economic, social, and political crises, including the deepening economic crisis in the European Community, the rise of racism there, nationalist and religious confrontations in Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union, and the upsurge in Islamic dogmatism. Following the capitalist-oriented revolutions throughout Russia and Eastern Europe, the possibility of a "revival of communism" has arisen, with two notable events in September and October 1993, in Poland and Russia. In Poland, the former Communist received almost 70% of the vote in a free election and Russia temporary had two presidents and an intense conflict between a populist presidential leader, Boris Yeltsin, and parliamentary power dominated by former Communists. The decline of real socialism has been variously interpreted, including as part of the end of history. Yet what does the concept of an "end of history" connote today? Francis Fukuyama's well-known thesis regarding "the end of history" first appearect in an article by that title (1989) and was fully developed in his exceptional book, The End of history and the Last Man (1992). My thesis on "the end of modernity" first appeared with the publication of my second book, Vers une critique du [urlogos] moderne (in Japanese, 1992b) and the theme is enlarged in Social Justice for the first time in English. …


To improve the efficiencies and benefits of distribution network investments, a investment allocation method of distribution network based on big data is proposed in this paper. Firstly, considering the corporate responsibility, user perception and power grid development demands, the index systems for power grid development level and investment direction are established, and then the coupling relationship between these two index systems is calculated based on big data. Considering the differences in the current power grid development level, planning objectives and indexes of different regions, a correcting coefficient is proposed to modify the above model and the priorities of power grid investment directions are achieved eventually. The above model is further verified by the actual data of a region in Hebei province.


Introduction: Pediatric urolithiasis is a morbid condition that is often associated with underlying metabolic disorders. It is essential to diagnose and manage the underlying metabolic disorder along with management of urolithiasis to prevent stone recurrence and decrease the morbidity. Materials and Methods : This retrospective observational study was conducted in 50 patients below 15 years of age with urolithiasis. Urine collection was done for 24 hours in toilet-trained children and spot samples were taken from younger children. The urinary parameters that were evaluated included calcium, oxalate, citrate, uric acid, and total urine volume. The serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, uric acid, electrolytes, parathormone, and albumin were also measured. Stone analysis was done whenever possible. Results: There were 32 males and 18 females. Sixty-two percent of the patients had a low calcium intake and 70% of the children had a history of low water intake and had a low urine volume over 24 hours. Half of the children had serum metabolic abnormalities, including hypocalcaemia (n=19,38%), hypocalcaemia with hyperphosphatemia (n=2, 4%), hypercalcemia (n=2, 4%), and hyperuricemia (n=2,4%). Urinary abnormalities were detected in 42% of the children (n=21). These abnormalities included hypocitraturia in 11 patients (50%), hypercalciuria in 7 patients (30%), hyperoxaluria in 1 patient (6%), and hyperuricosuria in 2 patients (12%). Stone analysis was done in 18 patients. Fifteen patients (30%) had calcium oxalate stones, two patients (4%) had uric acid stones, and one patient had a mixed stone. Conclusions: It is important to maintain an optimal blood calcium level and increase fluid intake to prevent stone formation in children. Keywords : Urolithiasis; Pediatric; Metabolic Disorders.


The technological developments in mobile network and mobile computing underpin the dominance of mobile games in the global games market. Extant literature has enriched our understanding on the antecedents of playing mobile games, yet we still lack a comprehensive portrait of this unique gaming context that is distinguished from the context of traditional computer or console gaming. In response, we conduct a literature review to review research gaps on extant mobile gaming literature. Through a review of 181 works, we propose a framework based on the environmental psychology theory to guide future research to investigate the mobile gaming context. Drawing on this framework, we elaborate a research agenda that proposes potential research questions for future research to study the impacts of 1) mobile game design features and mobile application usability, 2) the use context more broadly, and 3) subjective individual differences, on mobile game player's gaming experience, continued playing intention and in-game purchasing.


The clinical-epidemiological characteristics of the Down syndrome that have effects on the oral cavity are treated in this work. This non inherited irreversible congenital condition results from the trisomy 21 due to the meiotic, mitotic non disjunction, or due to unbalanced translocation of this pair; with a frequency of 1 in 800 000 inhabitants and it is increased with the maternal age. People that suffer from this condition usually present certain anomalies in the craneofacial shape and in the oral cavity; these last ones affect either the hard or soft structures: tongue, mucous membrane of mouth, lips, salivary glands, soft palate and eruption of teeth (as for size, shape, number, position and delay in the time of the eruption).This clinical and stomatological manifestations, characteristic of this systemic condition, facilitate the emergence of other oral diseases.


Abstract. The accurate determination of the location, height, and loading of sulfur dioxide (SO2) plumes emitted by volcanic eruptions is essential for aviation safety. The SO2 layer height is also one of the most critical parameters with respect to determining the impact on the climate. Retrievals of SO2 plume height have been carried out using satellite UV backscatter measurements, but, until now, such algorithms are very time-consuming. We have developed an extremely fast yet accurate SO2 layer height retrieval using the Full-Physics Inverse Learning Machine (FP_ILM) algorithm. This is the first time the algorithm has been applied to measurements from the TROPOMI instrument onboard the Sentinel-5 Precursor platform. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of the FP_ILM algorithm to retrieve SO2 plume layer heights in near-real-time applications with an accuracy of better than 2 km for SO2 total columns larger than 20 DU. We present SO2 layer height results for the volcanic eruptions of Sinabung in February 2018, Sierra Negra in June 2018, and Raikoke in June 2019, observed by TROPOMI.


A new neolignan, paniculignan (1), and a known lignan, tetracentronside B (2), were isolated from Panicum turgidum. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods including ID and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. The relative configuration of 1 was determined on the basis of circular dichroism spetroscopy, optical rotation, and NOESY correlations.


OF THE THESIS Antibiotic Activity of Pre-Oxidized Ciprofloxacin by Melissa Nicole Faber Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a Concentration in Environmental Engineering San Diego State University, 2012 The frequent detection of antibiotics in the environment is causing great concern in scientific communities and public health agencies due to the potential adverse health effects the chemicals may have on aquatic life, animals and possibly humans. The major concern associated with this contamination is related to the selection and development of resistance and its implications for human medicine. Ciprofloxacin (CIP), the focus of this research, is an antibiotic frequently detected in aquatic environments. It has been detected in surface waters from 9 ng/L up to 30 ng/L and in hospital effluents from 0.7 μg/L to 125 μg/L. Previous studies have shown that ozonation is an effective treatment method to remove antibiotics from water and wastewater. However, there is limited data on the potential development of resistance in microorganisms from exposure to reaction-intermediates formed during ozonation. The objective of this research was to investigate the possibility and rate of development of resistance in E. coli exposed to CIP solutions pre-oxidized at different levels. Analysis of the potential for the development of resistance was organized around the ozonation of 1000 μg/L CIP solution to various degrees of oxidation and exposing the preoxidized solution to initially non-resistant E. coli. Five oxidation levels at 98.03, 98.84, 99.22, 99.93, and 100% CIP removal were used. The equivalent concentrations of these five oxidation levels were 19.5, 11.7, 7.81, 0.7, and 0 μg/L residual CIP. Three non-oxidized CIP exposures were conducted at concentrations comparable to three pre-oxidized CIP at 19.5, 11.7, and 7.81 μg/L to compare the effects of non-oxidized CIP and pre-oxidized CIP exposures on initially non-resistant E. coli. The mean Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) were determined for 12, 24, 48, and 72-hour exposures and compared to MIC of the control (0 μg/L) to evaluate the potential for the development of resistance in E. coli. The results showed that the pre-oxidized CIP resulted in higher MICs than the control at all exposure times. This may indicate the development of a novel resistance by mutation of the bacteria or an up-regulation of an existing dormant gene. Some pre-oxidized CIP and non-oxidized CIP exposures showed to be significantly different from the control. As the exposure time increased, the MICs of both the pre-oxidized and non-oxidized CIP solutions became significantly different from the control, indicating an increased potential for development of resistance. The results comparing the pre-oxidized CIP and the non-oxidized CIP solutions showed little to no significant difference for the 12, 24, and 72-hour exposures. However, the 48-hour exposure results showed a significant difference between the preoxidized CIP at 98.03% removal (19.5 μg/L residual CIP) and the non-oxidized CIP at 19.5 μg/L.


and squamous eddies. The pathophysiology behind FI in the various previously reported associations is unclear. In general, the prevailing theory is that there is a release of cytokines from mesenchymal tissue that induce epidermal differentiation of adnexal structures. Induction of other adnexal structures, particularly sebaceous differentiation, is very common in association with dermatofibromas. Park et al recently summarized the spectrum of etiologies that have been proposed to date for induction of follicular differentiation in the assorted observed cutaneous pathologies. Interestingly, a recent study suggests that, although the normal embryologic development of hair follicles is dependent on molecular crosstalk between the dermis and epidermis, FI is triggered by an initial epidermal signal. It is unclear how epidermal signaling and regeneration change in the setting of abnormal, dermal cellular proliferations such as dermatofibromas and other intradermal tumors. In the case of an intradermal melanocytic nevus, it is possible that there are some unidentified characteristics that melanocytes, as normal epidermal cells, possess that may result in an ability to induce the molecular crosstalk to enable follicular differentiation. The association of an intradermal nevus with overlying FI has not previously been reported in the literature. The present case calls into question the mechanism of FI and the role of melanocytes in the molecular crosstalk between the epidermis and dermis in the differentiation of adnexal structures. Many authors have also called into question whether tumor of FI might represent a spectrum of reactive changes associated with other tumors (as nearly 25% of cases occur in association with other neoplasms). Additionally, dermatopathologists should consider follicular differentiation overlying intradermal nevi in the differential diagnosis of collision lesion of nevus with basal cell carcinoma or follicular tumors.


Author(s): Trautenberg, Ezekiel Edward | Advisor(s): Cortinez, Veronica | Abstract: Between 2005 and 2015, a distinctly cosmopolitan form of art cinema flourished in Chile. Alberto Fuguet, Pablo Larrain, Alicia Scherson, and Sebastian Silva, who released their first feature-length films between 2005 and 2007, are markedly cosmopolitan filmmakers who exemplify this strain of cinema. Four films by these filmmakers—Fuguet's Se arrienda (2005), Larrain's Tony Manero (2008), Scherson's Il Futuro (2013), and Silva's Nasty Baby (2015)—are emblematic of the cosmopolitan and porous qualities of early-21st-century Chilean art cinema. The defining features of these four films are the cosmopolitan profiles of their filmmakers; their creators' use of transnational strategies of production, distribution, and exhibition; their circulation at film festivals; their affiliation with the genre of art cinema; and their depiction of cinephilia and filmmaking as quintessentially cosmopolitan practices.The release of these Chilean productions and co-productions coincides with the beginning of the post-Transition to Democracy period as well as the expansion and maturation of the country's film industry. From 2005 through 2015, the number of new Chilean productions and co-productions released in local theaters increased significantly over the preceding Transition to Democracy period (1988-2005). Many of these films were exhibited at some of the world's most prestigious film festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, and Venice. This decade-long series of success at film festivals culminated at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, where Larrain's El club and Silva's Nasty Baby won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and Teddy Award, respectively. Notwithstanding its accumulation of awards and prestige at film festivals, contemporary Chilean art cinema has received limited attention from scholars, especially outside of Chile. This dissertation contributes to the conversation about Chile's art cinema and film industry in the early-21st century.This dissertation is divided into two parts. In the first two chapters, I focus on the structural factors shaping the development of this cinema between 2005 and 2015. In the first chapter, I analyze Chile's film industry with a focus on production output, audiences, legislation, and organizations involved in the production, distribution, and exhibition of Chilean cinema. In the second chapter, I examine film festivals' multifaceted roles as exhibitors, curators, producers, and distributors of Chilean art film. The second half of the dissertation, chapters three through six, offers close analyses of Se arrienda, Tony Manero, Il Futuro, and Nasty Baby and their representation of cosmopolitanism through the interrelated practices of cinephilia and filmmaking.


Three ganglioside molecular species, HLG-1 (1), HLG-2 (2), and HLG-3 (3) have been obtained from the lipid fraction of the chloroform/methanol extract of the sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota. The structures of these gangliosides have been determined, on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence, as 1-O-[(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-ceramide (1), 1-O-[(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->4)-(N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-ceramide (2) and 1-O-[alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1-->11)-(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-neuraminosyl)-(2-->4)-(N-aetyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-ceramide (3). The ceramide moieties were composed of heterogeneous phytosphingosine, sphingosine and 2-hydroxy fatty acid units. Compounds 2 and 3 represent new ganglioside molecular species. These three ganglioside molecular species showed neuritogenic activity toward the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC-12 cell, in the presence of NGF (nerve growth factor).


Reversible data hiding (RDH) is just an approach where secret Data is stuck right into a cover picture in an opposite way. Generally RDH spatial-domain photographs are encrypted. The planned system encrypts the JPEG bit stream in to an adequately arranged structure. Then it embeds personal information in to the secured bit stream by gently adjusting the JPEG stream. Helpful bits ideal for knowledge hiding are then identified. It will help to effectively rule the protected bit stream holding key data. To have an ideal knowledge removal and picture recovery, error modification codes are utilized in coding the key message. Encryption and embedding keys are utilized in encryption and embedding processes. The secrete message bits are encoded with R and embedded into the encrypted bit stream by altering the appended bits. Utilizing the encryption and embedding keys, the recipient may remove the embedded information and completely recover the initial image. Once the embedding key is missing, the initial picture could be approximately recovered with adequate quality without removing the hidden data.


3 Abstract. 5-fluoro-1-(tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione also known as tegafur, is an important component of Tegafur-uracil (UFUR), a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of cancer. The equilibrium geometries of "Tegafur" and 5-fluoro- uracil (5-FU) have been determined and analyzed at DFT level employing the basis set 6-311+G(d, p). The molecular electrostatic potential surface which displays the activ- ity centres of a molecule, has been used along with frontier orbital energy gap, electric moments, first static hyperpolarizability, to interpret the better selectivity of prodrug tegafur over the drug 5-FU. The harmonic frequencies of prodrug tegafur have also been calculated to understand its complete vibrational dynamics. In general, a good agreement between experimental and calculated normal modes of vibrations has been observed.


Lower extremity diabetic wounds have been a challenge to clinical surgeons because of the higher risk of limb ischemia, soft-tissue infection, and soft-tissue loss caused by the pathology of the disease. In the published data, the most commonly used reconstruction techniques include pedicled flaps, microsurgical muscle or musculocutaneous flaps, and microsurgical fasciocutaneous or perforator flaps. However, there is still no consensus about which type of flap should be preferred among various reconstructive options. It is therefore the aim of this study to review current articles describing distal lower extremity flap reconstruction in patients with diabetes to survey reported results from the literature.


The term "wireless world" has been used in the literature to describe a state where wireless mobile communication devices become a dominant part of our working and non-working lives. This article adopts the term "wireless world" to contain all the components of a society where electronic communication no longer depends on the availability of wired connections. To be sure, moving toward a wireless world certainly depends on what technology can give us. But more than technology, a combination of forces influence the direction and speed at which people adopt and use wireless modality. Current literature investigating this area is dominated by technology, and each entity that owns the technology actively pushes for its market adoption and invokes technological determinism to justify its merit. But moving toward a wireless world involves more than technology. It is driven by a confluence of forces and affected by a myriad of issues. What this article intends to do is to survey those driving forces and important issues. In doing so, the article reviews literature in both research- and practitioner-oriented journals and considers the motivation and major issues in studying and moving toward a wireless world. In addition, it explores and categorizes major dependent variables worthy of further study.


The taxonomic identification of the Phlebotominae associated with the epidemiological cycle of leishmaniasis is based on morphological characters of the adult insect. Teratologic changes in anatomic structures of taxonomic importance may eventually induce to errors in the species identification. Herein, we described the morphologic anomalies found in three species of the subgenus Micropygomyia Barretto, 1962. Insects were collected by using suction devices in the urban area of Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia. Five spines were observed in males of Lutzomyia cayennensis cayennensis (Floch y Abonnenc, 1941), Lu. atroclavata (Knab, 1913), and Lu. micropyga (Mangabeira, 1942), and three spines in one male of Lu. cayennensis cayennensis.


There are different views on the way legislated secularism is exercised nowadays. Hence almost all researches are concerned with application of legal norms. The authors think that relevance of the subject is conditioned by present day religious and state and interfaith relations in the Russian society. Therefore there is need to reflect on the essence of secularism and its place in society. The analysis of the secularism concept in terms of social philosophy is presented. Some concepts, levels, and basic attributes of secularism presenting certain interest are considered. Secularism is viewed in such perspectives as: counter-religious, non-religious, and anti-religious. Viewing secularism as counter-religious there is some kind of opposition or even adversarial position. This conception was more characteristic of early understanding of secularism. The non-religious here means that this area is free from religion influence. The position that secularism is lack of religious is adhered to in the paper, and opinion of traditional denominations in Russia are given to substantiate the authors' view. Basic models of secular state as well as its particular features and triggering conditions are also considered. The essence of secular state isn't clearly understood today. It can be claimed however that a secular state guarantees no dominance of religion in political matters. A state of this kind asserts independence of religious associations and various social groups. Though secularity is formalized in legislation in Russia the principle is not always observed. The authors come to a conclusion that equality of all religious associations as a basic requirement for secularism is significant. In view of this, in the context of contemporary society with miscellaneous interfaith space, in the age of rapid globalization and modernization, secularism adherence is necessary to avoid conflicts.


Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a cutaneous T cell lymphoma, clinically characterized by patches, plaques and tumors occurring in successive stages of the disease. In early MF, an infiltrate consisting of mainly reactive T cells is seen in the papillary dermis while tumor cells are mostly confined to the epidermis. By contrast, later stages show nodular infiltrates formed mostly of tumor cells in the dermis while the epidermis is relatively devoid of tumor cells; however, knowledge of the localization of clonal T cells has been based on histomorphologic features and immunohistochemical stainings visualizing certain V-beta subfamilies of the T cell receptor (TCR). As these techniques do not allow for an unequivocal identification of clonal tumor cells, we used micromanipulation and single cell PCR amplifying the TCR chain gene rearrangement. A total number of 387 single T cells was isolated from six skin biopsies in five patients in patch, plaque, and tumor stages. Of these, 180 T cells were picked from the epidermis and 207 from the dermal infiltrate. The rearranged TCR-gamma DNA could be sequenced from 181 of 387 T cells. In three of six patients representing all three stages, epidermal T cells with a clonal rearrangement could be amplified. In early plaque stage a higher degree of epidermal T lymphocytes was found than in initial patch, later plaque, and tumor stages with an inverse distribution found for reactive T lymphocytes. In two patients a biallelic rearrangement was demonstrated that had not been detected in prior PCR analysis from blood and skin samples. These data show that clonal (neoplastic) and non-clonal (reactive) T lymphocytes in MF preferentially infiltrate different microanatomical compartments of the skin, depending on the stage of disease. The microanatomically distinct localization of reactive and clonal T cells suggests that the absence of direct contact between tumor and host-defense lymphocytes may contribute to tumor persistence and progression in epidermis, peripheral blood, and deep dermal tumor cell nests, respectively.


Abstract Background Although a substantial decline in overall vaccine serotype invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence has been observed following immunization with PCV7 and subsequently PCV13, the reported effectiveness for individual vaccine serotypes has varied. Reported effectiveness of PCV13 for serotype 3 (ST3) disease has differed by study design and geography, with a wide range of estimates including zero. We assessed the impact of PCV13 on ST3 IPD cases and nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage in Massachusetts' children. Methods Cases of ST3 IPD in children <18 years were identified via enhanced passive surveillance in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health from 2002 to 2016. NP Carriage of ST3 in children aged 3 months to <7 years was identified via an active surveillance network of pediatric practices in Massachusetts from 2007 to 2014. Annual incidence rates of ST3 IPD were calculated using US Census estimates as population denominators. Annual prevalence rates of carriage were calculated using the surveillance population. We compared age distribution, clinical syndromes, presence of comorbidities and vaccination status for IPD cases and age distribution of children with ST3 carriage before and after PCV13 implementation. Results Overall 47 cases of ST3 IPD were identified from 2002 to 2016; the incidence of ST3 IPD before and after PCV13 was 0.23 and 0.20 per 100,000 children respectively (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.13, 95% CI 0.62–2.05). There were no differences in age distribution, clinical syndrome or presence of comorbidities among ST3 IPD cases before and after PCV13. The majority (9/13) of post PCV13 ST3 IPD cases occurred among children who were fully vaccinated. No association was seen between date of last PCV13 dose and time of IPD to suggest waning immunity. Prevalence of ST3 carriage among children aged 3 months to <7 years before and after PCV13 implementation was 0.19 and 0.64 respectively (Prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.3, 95% CI 0.11–0.83). Conclusion Six years after PCV13 implementation, no significant changes in ST3 IPD incidence, age distribution, clinical syndrome or presence of comorbidity among cases in children <18 years of age were observed. An increase in NP carriage in children <7 years of age was observed. Disclosures K. M. Shea, Pfizer, Inc: Consultant and Grant Investigator, Consulting fee and Grant recipient; S. I. Pelton, Pfizer: Board Member and Grant Investigator, Consulting fee, Research grant and Speaker honorarium; Merck vaccines: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium; GSK: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium; Sequiris: Board Member, Consulting fee and Speaker honorarium


What are the common characteristics among radicalized individuals, willing to justify attacks targeting civilians? Drawing on information on attitudes toward extreme violence and other characteristics of 30,787 individuals from 27 developing countries around the world, and employing a variety of econometric techniques, this paper identifies the partial correlates of extremism. The results suggest that the typical extremist who supports attacks against civilians is more likely to be young, unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, relatively uneducated, and not as religious as others, but more willing to sacrifice own life for his or her beliefs. Gender and marital status are not found to explain significantly the individual-level variation in attitudes toward extremism. Although these results may vary in magnitude and significance across countries and geographic regions, they are robust to various sensitivity analyses.


The European Union aims at being an ethical actor on the global arena and the EU development-policy is directed towards achieving long-term socio-economic development, with a specific focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, where development is showing little progress, and food security and agricultural development is at the top of the agenda. The EU is both the biggest market
and the biggest aid-donor for African countries.
In this thesis the focus is on to what degree the Unions approach to this can be argued to be ethical. The theoretical frame is that of Darrel Moellendorf's approach to institutional justice, and to be able to state whether or not the EU approach is just, one need to establish the receiving ends perception of this, and the power-relations embedded in this. The method for doing this is a singlecase study, namely with justice as the dependent variable, where the EU's documents on food security as well as the African Union's documents on the same will be analysed.
The analysis shows that to a certain extent institutional justice is present, but that the powerrelations embedded in the global trade-system, hinders full institutional justice in this area.


X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) are obtained for Mg in MgO using high quality (purity 99.999%) Mg films prepared and oxidized under pressures of 10-6 ~ 10-8 torr and measured on an ESCA-36 spectrometer at a pressure of 10-8 torr. AlKα line source was used for excitation, and the minimum of Au valence band at 5.0 eV was chosen for calibration. With increased oxidation the valence band shifts about 1.0 eV towards the Fermi level, but with extreme contamination it disappears completely. Accurate measurements of binding energies have been made of Mg in pure Mg, and Mg in MgO. The average shift resulting from oxidation is 1.1 eV for Mg(2s) and 1.5 eV for Mg(2p) core levels. It is also observed that the contamination effect due to oxygen decreases with increasing film thickness. The present results are compared with the previous results, and a new interpretation is offered by postulating the formation of two kinds of oxides, stoichiometric and chemisorbed layers in Mg on oxidation


As in many other countries, Québec is not immune to healthcare reforms, which can unfortunately hinder quality of care as well as induce some dehumanization, both for the patients and the healthcare professionals. Thus, the « Humanistic Model of Nursing Care - UdeM » (HMNC-UdeM) aspires to offer an innovative perspective that aims at improving the quality and the safety of care, in addition to satisfaction and well-being for both patients and nurses. While respecting their theoretical influences, the authors present their vision of the central concepts of the discipline and the Model's key concepts, seeking to make them more understandable, accessible, and applicable in nurses' daily practice. Therefore, the aim of this article is to raise awareness of the Model into the nursing community, to promote its implantation in nursing's spheres of activities, in addition to demonstrate its applicability and impact in nursing research. It appears that this model is promising for the renewal and the development of humanistic interventions for patients' care.


While research identifies spirituality and inclusion in a community of faith as key factors contributing to quality of life for many individuals in our society, people with disabilities are often not able to access this aspect of everyday life if they wish. To change this, four groups must come together: (1) individuals with disabilities; (2) faith communities; (3) families of people with disabilities; and (4) support service providers. Current research describes the efforts of faith communities and people with disabilities and their families relative to spiritual inclusion; however, little is known about how support service systems are addressing this topic. This study surveyed direct support professionals to examine their beliefs, perceptions, and practices regarding spirituality and its role in the person-centered planning process for people with disabilities. Results indicate professionals have a high level of support for including spirituality in person-centered planning; however, this attitude does not consistently transfer to their practices. Overcoming identified barriers and meeting the needs of professionals are discussed in the context of better inclusion of this quality of life aspect for people with disabilities.


In this paper, we set out the drivers and patterns of adoption of new product development (NPD) tools in small high-technology firms. Despite previous findings that using NPD tools can improve NPD performance outcomes, surveys of large firms show reluctance to make full use of such tools. Our study is the first to look at NPD tool adoption in small high-technology firms. We draw on survey data from 99 firms in New Zealand, covering 76 NPD tools, including both functional and support tools, and tools from nontechnical aspects of NPD, such as the market perspective. The firms in our sample adopted fewer tools overall than studies report for larger firms, and fewer complex tools, but adopted just as many simple tools such as brainstorming, competitor analysis, project management, and alpha prototype. The firms typically did not have formalized NPD processes, but those that did also adopted more NPD tools. We found no significant differences in tool adoption by the level of project novelty to the firm or between industrial and consumer products. We conclude by discussing the case for small firms to formalize their NPD processes and to adopt a greater number and range of NPD tools.


Abstract Situational factors may facilitate or frustrate the translation of entrepreneurial intentions into subsequent actions. In this study, we use data from two waves of a large-scale cross-country study of student entrepreneurship, the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey (GUESSS), conducted in 2011 and 2013/2014 (n = 1434 students from 142 universities in nine countries), in order to investigate the impact of country-level institutions (financial market institutions and legal institutions) on the link between entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent start-up activities. We find that the quality of legal institutions has a significant positive impact on the translation of intentions into actions, whereas the quality of the national financial system does not influence the intentions-actions link. Theoretical and public policy implications are discussed.


Erythromycins have been part of our armamentarium against selected bacterial infections since they were discovered in 1952 and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1964. In 1991, two newer, long-acting erythromycin analogues, azythromycin (brand name: Zithromax) and clarithromycin (brand name: Biaxin) were approved by the FDA. They were joined a few years later by a third long-acting form, dirithromycin (brand name: Dynabac).


Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of modified Qianjin Weijing decoction on acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary heart disease, and the changes of blood soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) over time during the therapy phase. Methods 60 patients experienced acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary heart disease were assigned randomisation to receive either routine medicine based on the guideline only in the control group or combined with modified Qianjin Weijing decoction in the treatment group. The clinical magnificent, analysis of blood gas and sTM were recorded in all patients before and 10 days after treatment respectively. Results The effective rate in treatment group (70.00%) was higher than control group (23.33%, p<0.01). The sTM, partial pressure of oxygen in artery (PaO2) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) were significantly improved in both groups after treatment compared with before treatment (p<0.01). Conclusions These results demonstrate that Modified Qianjin Weijing decoction is a good alternative for patients who suffered acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary heart disease, protect vascular endothelial system effectively associated with routine medicine.


PURPOSE: To develop a new topographic index that quantifies corneal surface micro irregularities. METHODS: One hundred and fifty five eyes from 128 patients, with a mean age of 29,2 years were evaluated by corneal topography and divided into three groups. One group was composed of 50 eyes from patients with regular corneas, a second group included 45 eyes with corneal macro irregularities, and a third group included 60 eyes with corneal micro irregularities. With the values of the radii of curvature obtained in the numeric map of the corneal topography, we calculated an algorithm that could quantify differences in dioptric power between points that were very near each other. We used descriptive statistics to analyze each group, and Scheffe multiple comparison of means to compare between the different groups. RESULTS: The mean irregularity index was in group I below 1, in group II between 3 and 4, and in group III eyes with corneal micro irregularities higher than 7. CONCLUSIONS: The new index that we have developed is able to quantify corneal micro irregularities of the corneal surface and its value increases in the presence of corneal micro irregularities.


Hispanic adults represent a significant proportion of the lowliterate population in the United States and are thus a group of great potential concern to educators. Attempts to increase the English literacy levels of this group are limited by lack of empirical data regarding variables that affect Hispanics' participation in educational programs. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to gather information about barriers to participation in ESL programs for these adults. Data were obtained from 200 Hispanic ESL students with the Deterrents to Participation Scale-Form LLS (adapted from Hayes & Darkenwald, 1988). Four orthogonal factors were identified through principal components analysis of the data: Self/School Incongruence, Low Self-Confidence, Lack of Access to Classes, and Situational Constraints. Through disjoint cluster analysis, five types of low-literate Hispanic adults were identified according to their scores on the four deterrent factors. These findings provide information that can be used as the basis for developing strategies and programs to meet the ESL needs of specific subgroups of the adult Hispanic population.


DOGWOOD ANTHRACNOSE CAUSED BY DISCULA DESTRUCTIVA ON CORNUS SPP. IN CANADA Mihaela Stanescu, Advisor: University of Guelph, 2013 Professor T. Hsiang The most important fungal disease of dogwoods in North America is anthracnose caused by Discula destructiva. This disease affects Cornus florida (flowering dogwood), C. nuttallii (Pacific dogwood), and C. kousa (kousa dogwood). It has not been well studied in Ontario nor anywhere in Canada. In this study, over 2,500 fungal isolates were obtained from symptomatic samples of C. alba, C. alternifolia, C. amomum, C. kousa, C. florida, C. nuttallii, C. racemosa and C. sericea. To help distinguish between foliar symptoms of different etiologies, a "Dogwood Disease Symptom Guide" was produced. Isolates were divided into 13 fungal morphotypes, of which D. destructiva accounted for 39% of all isolates. Pathogenicity testing of Discula destructiva on C. florida satisfied Koch's postulates, and this fungus was confirmed as the causal agent of dogwood anthracnose in southwestern Ontario (C. florida) and southwestern British Columbia (C. nuttallii). Wounds and leaf trichomes may provide a point of entry and help the pathogen survive endophytically without producing symptoms on "non-host" plants such as oak, maple and pear. The pathogen was found to survive for over 12 weeks at -20 °C, and the optimal growth temperature was found to be between 20-25 °C, but temperatures as high as 30 °C inhibited the growth, and the fungus died after one week incubation at 40 °C. The finding of only one mating type within D. destructiva populations (122 isolates) explains the lack of sexual reproduction of this fungus in North America, and along with the SSR results, reconfirms the low genetic variability within its populations.


Background: Emerging data suggest that chemotherapy and anti-HER2 agents can change HER2 status in HER2+ BC and that this may have prognostic implications. The findings suggest a role for post-treatment (tx) retesting of HER2 status in surgical specimens. However, few studies have specifically examined this phenomenon, and direct comparisons of post-tx HER2 testing modalities are lacking. Furthermore, the biologic basis for HER2 alterations remains poorly understood. The aims of this study were to systematically evaluate the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAT) including anti-HER2 agents on HER2 protein expression (P-EXP) and gene amplification (G-AMP), and to examine the potential prognostic impact of HER2 alterations on outcomes in HER2+ BC. Design: We retrospectively identified 129 patients with HER2+ BC who received NAT at our institution. HR (ER and PR) and HER2 P-EXP were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and HER2 G-AMP by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in pre- and post-tx samples. Pathologic tumor responses were categorized as no residual disease (RD; no invasive or in situ cancer), residual ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) only, and residual invasive carcinoma. Pathologic complete response (pCR) was defined as DCIS only or no RD. Association between groups was determined by Fisher exact test. For survival analysis, Kaplan Meier curves were constructed and significance in curve separation was assessed by log rank test. Results: Mean follow-up was 52.6 months (range 6-162). Eighty-four (65%) cases had residual invasive cancer, 21 (16%) residual DCIS only and 24 (19%) no RD. Post-tx HER2 status was available in 70 cases with residual invasive cancer, and 27 (39%) of these showed reduced HER2 P-EXP (staining intensity 0, 1+, 2+) by IHC. Twenty-one (78%) of 27 cases with reduced HER2 P-EXP retained HER2 G-AMP (IHC-/FISH+), and 6 (22%) were negative for both HER2 P-EXP and G-AMP (IHC-/FISH-). The subset of IHC-/FISH- patients showed 100% 5-year recurrence free survival (RFS), whereas IHC-/FISH+ and IHC+ (intensity 3+) cases demonstrated similarly decreased 5-year RFS of 67% and 71%, respectively. There was a trend towards reduced HER2 expression in HR+ versus HR- cases (46% vs 26%, p=0.19). HR-HER2+ tumors were more likely to achieve pCR than HR+HER2+ cases (48% vs 26%; p=0.014, OR=0.375). In the HR- subset, RFS was significantly better in patients with no RD compared to those with residual invasive cancer (p=0.047); this relationship was not observed in the HR+ group (p=0.693). Conclusion: A significant fraction of pre-tx HER2+ BC demonstrate reduced HER2 P-EXP following NAT. In a subset of these, post-tx decreased HER2 P-EXP is associated with retained HER2 G-AMP, suggestive of HER2 protein downregulation. In another subset, decreased HER2 P-EXP with associated lack of HER2 G-AMP indicates selection for HER2 non-amplified clones in HER2 heterogeneous tumors. Array comparative genomic hybridization studies are in progress to further elucidate these mechanisms. Lastly, our results suggest that post-tx evaluation of HER2 status by FISH in addition to IHC may have prognostic and/or predictive value in HER2+ BC. Further studies in larger prospective study populations are needed to confirm our findings. Citation Format: Dianna Ng, Gregor Krings, Christina Yau, Kristie White, Jie Hou, Anthony Chua, James P Grenert, Yunn-Yi Chen. Alterations in HER2 status and outcome following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-28.


SUMMARY Nosocomial infection in intensive care unit (ICU) practice is a common problem and is associated with abnormal carriage of Gram-negative aerobic bacilli in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in endogenous infections. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) is a regimen aimed at preventing or eradicating this abnormal carriage. A large number of trials examining SDD in ICU practice have been published, the vast majority showing a significant reduction in the incidence of nosocomial, Gram-negative infection. However, the impact on morbidity and mortality is much less certain. A recent meta-analysis has suggested a 10–20% reduction in mortality (3–6% absolute difference) with SDD. A discussion of these results is presented together with potential criticisms of SDD.


This guide is designed for students and faculty of the UNIV 101 class. This guide provides students with the locations of class readings and other resources to assist with course study.


Activating mutations in PIK3CA, the gene coding for the catalytic subunit (p110α) of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), are the most frequent oncogenic alterations in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer and are also prevalent in other tumor types. PI3Kα inhibitors including alpelisib have recently been shown to be clinically active in ER+ PIK3CA mutant breast cancer. To characterize determinants of sensitivity to these agents, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of PIK3CA mutant cancer genomes and observed the presence of double PIK3CA mutations in 12-15% of breast cancer and other tumor types. These double PIK3CA mutations are clonal, located in cis on the same allele, and are composed of a single hotspot mutation combined with a recurrent second-site mutation. Double PIK3CA mutations in cis result in increased PI3K activity and downstream signaling together with enhanced cell proliferation and tumor growth compared to single hotspot mutations. The biochemical mechanisms underlying this increased oncogenicity include increased disruption of p110α binding to the inhibitory subunit p85α, which relieves its catalytic inhibition, and increased membrane lipid binding. Finally, these double PIK3CA mutations predict for increased sensitivity to PI3Kα inhibitors compared to single hotspot mutations (e.g. E545K or H1047R) in experimental models and in patients with ER+ PIK3CA mutant metastatic breast cancer from the SANDPIPER randomized phase III clinical trial. These findings implicate double PIK3CA mutations in cis as a novel mechanism of oncogene addiction relative to single hotspot mutations, providing a rationale to develop PI3Kα inhibitors for the therapy of double PIK3CA mutant cancers. Citation Format: Neil Vasan, Pedram Razavi, Jared L Johnson, Hong Shao, Timothy Wilson, Frauke Schimmoller, Hardik Shah, Alesia Antoine, Erik Ladewig, Alexander Gorelick, Ting-Yu Lin, Eneda Toska, Guotai Xu, Abiha Kazmi, Matthew T Chang, Barry S. Taylor, Maura N. Dickler, Komal Jhaveri, Sarat Chandarlapaty, Raul Rabadan, Ed Reznik, Melissa L Smith, Robert Sebra, Lori Friedman, Lewis C Cantley, Maurizio Scaltriti, Jose Baselga. Double PIK3CA mutations in cis drive oncogene addiction and enhance sensitivity to PI3K alpha inhibitors in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-03-01.


Punarnava matured whole plant of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn. (Fam Nyctaginaceae), trailing herb found throughout India and collected after rainy season, herb is diffusely branched with stout root stock and many long slender, prostrate or ascending branches. The name says "pun-nava" means new again; Punarnava can rejuvenates the dying cells and helps to revive the dying organs of the body. Kidneys are the organs that have numerous biological roles. They maintain the homeostatic balance of body fluids by removing waste out of body. Chronic Kidney disease (CKD) or Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) refers to an irreversible deterioration in renal function, which develops over a period of years. The conventional approach of management includes dialysis and renal transplantation, which are involving the high costs and complexity so very few patients are able to obtain adequate treatment for kidney disorders because of financial limitation. Therefore, exploration of a safe and alternative therapy is needed, which proves to be helpful in reducing the requirement of dialysis and in postponing the renal transplantation. The use of herbal drugs for the prevention and treatment of various diseases is constantly developing throughout the world. In present study a case was taken of chronic kidney disease with chronic nephritis. He was Punarnava swaras daily with orally. This treatment approach has significantly improved condition of patient eliminating dialysis requirement.


A male premature infant presented with slow development and congenital camptodactyly of both hands. Chromosome analysis showed a 48,XXYY karyotype. As far as we know, this is the first report describing congenital camptodactyly associated with the 48,XXYY syndrome.


Widefield fluorescence microscopy is a highly used tool for visually assessing biological samples and for quantifying cell responses. Despite its widespread use in high content analysis and other imaging applications, few published methods exist for evaluating and benchmarking the analytical performance of a microscope. Easy‐to‐use benchmarking methods would facilitate the use of fluorescence imaging as a quantitative analytical tool in research applications, and would aid the determination of instrumental method validation for commercial product development applications. We describe and evaluate an automated method to characterize a fluorescence imaging system's performance by benchmarking the detection threshold, saturation, and linear dynamic range to a reference material. The benchmarking procedure is demonstrated using two different materials as the reference material, uranyl‐ion‐doped glass and Schott 475 GG filter glass. Both are suitable candidate reference materials that are homogeneously fluorescent and highly photostable, and the Schott 475 GG filter glass is currently commercially available. In addition to benchmarking the analytical performance, we also demonstrate that the reference materials provide for accurate day to day intensity calibration. Published 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.


Streptozotocin-diabetic rats were treated with di-isopropylammonium dichloroacetate (DIPA) via an orogastric tube in doses of 25 or 50 mg./l kg. twice daily for one week. In nonketotic animals, mean blood glucose concentration decreased significantly during treatment with either DIPA or its acid moiety, sodium dichloroacetate. Neither di-isopropylammonium hydrochloride nor saline reduced hyperglycemia in the diabetic rats. There was no change in the blood glucose of nondiabetic rats in response to DIPA. In ketotic diabetes produced by streptozotocin, 63 per cent of DIPA-treated animals survived after one week, compared to 24 per cent of those given saline. DIPA did not influence glucose absorption in isolated everted jejunal sacs from diabetic and normal rats, while phenformin inhibited transport by more than 50 per cent Thus DIPA, which only partially mimics insulin in its actions and does not stimulate insulin release as do the sulfonylureas, also fails to duplicate the effects of phenformin and appears to have a unique mode of action. DIPA is an effective oral hypoglycemic agent in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.


The issue of concern is the impact of forward model nonlinearity on the nonlinearity of the inverse model. The question posed is, "Does increased nonlinearity in the head solution (forward model) always result in increased nonlinearity in the inverse solution (estimation of hydraulic conductivity)?" It is shown that the two nonlinearities are separate, and it is not universally true that increased forward model nonlinearity increases inverse model nonlinearity.


This study answers the following question: What is effect of knowing "bayani" techniques in
understanding the Holy Quran, and how does it unlock the wonders of Holy Book? I have shown the
way the Holy Quran utilizes the "bayani" methods in transforming the information to the minds of
the audience, through selecting some methods, such as "alzekr and alhazf", the method of "taqdeem
and taikheer", and method of "alayjaz and alitnab".


Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Surgical resection is the standard treatment for primary lung cancer. However, the critical morbidity after surgical resection, especially in patients with octogenarian, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or pulmonary fibrosis, is problematic. In chest surgery, minimal invasiveness, especially video-assisted thoracic surgery and a less radical resection is an important topic. Perioperative respiratory rehabilitation is useful for preventing postoperative complications. We discuss about recent topics of treatment in patients with lung cancer.


From the earliest times, the heart has been one of the most studied organs. We can find records about this organ dating from the very beginning of written history, and we understand that different beliefs have been associated with it before. Very early on, people have noticed that the heart occupies a central place in the body, that the cessation of its work means death in both humans and animals, and that excitement changes the rhythm and the manner of its functioning. However, in addition to the physiological function of this organ, throughout history, the heart has been given various magical and religious meanings. In today's world, the heart has overcome the notion of a sign and has become a symbol of love, connection between people and affection. In this paper, different meanings of this symbol throughout history to the present day are presented, with the aim of understanding it in a cultural context.


This article describes the use of biofeedback interventions with PGA golfers, professional baseball players, and college athletes. The author advocates applying the optimal performance framework beyond the field of sport, to high performers in other areas, including business and medicine. Physicians are in many ways athletes and peak performers, and the outcome of their performance is life or death, recovery or disability. Physicians rarely participate in conventional employee assistance programs or stress debriefing, and would benefit from a wider application of a peak performance approach to their optimal wellness for themselves and their families.


Broadband noise reduction has been investigated by embedding a high-density thin-film decoupling capacitor as much as 1 μF in a laminate package. A complex programmable logic device (CPLD) was mounted on the laminate package instead of bare chip as a noise generating circuits. Then, the package was mounted on an evaluation board. Eight output buffer circuits of the CPLD were simultaneous switched. Switching noise between the power and ground pads on the package has been dramatically reduced by the existence of highdensity thin-film decoupling capacitance inside the package.


The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) celebrated its centenary at this meeting, which aimed to appeal to an audience with diverse microbiological interests. The program comprised six colloquia, division lectures and award sessions, division sessions, poster and special interest sessions, as well as pre-meeting workshops. The colloquia topics, selected by the ASM members advisory committee, were: pathogenesis; microbes and public health; microbial diversity; beyond the recombinant RNA revolution; molecular dissection of complex biological processes; and, host defenses. The divisional groups were: diagnostic microbiology and epidemiology; pathogenesis and host response mechanisms; general microbiology; and, molecular microbiology, physiology and virology. Each group highlighted a topic of importance to scientists from all divisions within that group and the divisional lecture was given by a distinguished scientist within one of the division's sessions.


We present textural and mineral compositional analyses of samples from previously published experiments examining the behaviour of partially molten silicates in a thermal gradient and/or at a compositional interface. Textural and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses demonstrate that, when new minerals grow within a temperature gradient, they develop elongation and in some cases a preferred orientation parallel to the gradient; however, reaction of existing randomly oriented crystals in a thermal gradient does not produce a preferred orientation. For example, amphibole and magnetite crystals growing within the melt-rich hotter end of a thermal migration experiment develop elongate habits. Similarly, when basaltic andesite is juxtaposed with gabbro in a thermal gradient, newly formed crystals of olivine have a preferred crystallographic orientation, whereas the minerals that existed before the reaction remain in their original, random orientation. Compositional analyses and imaging show that olivine crystals in a melt that is slowly increasing in its MgO concentration by diffusion across a compositional interface develop normal zoning patterns, with the cores having overly forsteritic compositions (higher Mg compositions than could have existed in equilibrium with the melt). This finding parallels previous work showing that diffusion across a compositional interface leads to normally zoned plagioclase having overly anorthitic cores. These observations document an alternative process whereby solid solution mineral grains develop normal zoning without ever being exposed to a melt at lower temperature or to a melt having a larger concentration of a lower-temperature component. These alternative processes for producing fabric and mineral zoning could be important in situations where plutons are assembled incrementally by top-down underplating of sills. We use a coupled thermodynamic transport model to show that the mineralogy and compositional stratification of layered mafic intrusions could be produced by such a top-down process of sill injection, followed by compositional differentiation in a moving temperature gradient.


The escape probability method has been used to treat transfer of optically thick lines in laser-produced plasmas in plane-parallel geometry. The effect of self-absorption on the ionization balance and ion-level populations has been anticipated, and the effect on the laser gains in an exploding foil target heated by an optical laser has been calculated. Due to the large ion streaming motion in laser-produced plasmas, absorption of an emitted photon occurs only over the length in which the Doppler shift is equal to the linewidth. The escape probability calculated with the Doppler shift is larger than for a static plasma. Therefore, the ion streaming motion contributes significantly to the line transfer process in laser-produced plasmas. The method has been applied to both ablating slab and exploding foil targets under irradiation of a high-power optical laser. In both calculations the effect of absorption of the resonance lines on the level populations and gains is relatively large. However, the effect on the temperature and density is negligible because the radiative loss is small compared to the other losses, such as thermal transport and hydrodynamic expansion.<<ETX>>


A conceptual graph (CG) is a graph representation for logic based on the semantic networks of artificial intelligence and the existential graphs of Charles Sanders Peirce. Several versions of CGs have been designed and implemented over the past thirty years. The simplest are the typeless core CGs, which correspond to Peirce's original existential graphs. More common are the extended CGs, which are a typed superset of the core. The research CGs have explored novel techniques for reasoning, knowledge representation, and natural language semantics. The semantics of the core and extended CGs is defined by a formal mapping to and from ISO standard 24707 for Common Logic, but the research CGs are defined by a variety of formal and informal extensions. This article surveys the notation, applications, and reasoning methods used with CGs and their mapping to and from other versions of logic. This is a preprint of Chapter 5 of the Handbook of Knowledge Representation, ed. by F. van Harmelen, V. Lifschitz, and B. Porter, Elsevier, 2008, pp. 213−237. It has been updated with some recent references and an Appendix with the CGIF grammar. 1. From Existential Graphs to Conceptual Graphs During the 1960s, graph-based semantic representations were popular in both theoretical and computational linguistics. At one of the most impressive conferences of the decade, Margaret Masterman (1961) introduced a graph-based notation, called a semantic network, which included a lattice of concept types; Silvio Ceccato presented correlational nets, which were based on 56 different relations, including subtype, instance, part-whole, case relations, kinship relations, and various kinds of attributes; and David Hays presented dependency graphs, which formalized the notation developed by the linguist Lucien Tesnière (1959). The early graph notations represented the relational structures underlying natural language semantics, but none of them could express full first-order logic. Woods (1975) and McDermott (1976) wrote scathing critiques of their logical weaknesses. In the late 1970s, many graph notations were designed to represent first-order logic or a formallydefined subset (Findler 1979). Sowa (1976) developed a version of conceptual graphs (CGs) as an intermediate language for mapping natural language questions and assertions to a relational database. Figure 1 shows a CG for the sentence John is going to Boston by bus. The rectangles are called concepts, and the circles are called conceptual relations. An arc pointing toward a circle marks the first argument of the relation, and an arc pointing away from a circle marks the last argument. If a relation has only one argument, the arrowhead is omitted. If a relation has more than two arguments, the arrowheads are replaced by integers 1,...,n. Figure 1: CG display form for John is going to Boston by bus. The conceptual graph in Figure 1 represents a typed or sorted version of logic. Each of the four concepts has a type label, which represents the type of entity the concept refers to: Person, Go, Boston, or Bus. Two of the concepts have names, which identify the referent: John or Boston. Each of the three conceptual relations has a type label that represents the type of relation: agent (Agnt), destination (Dest), or instrument (Inst). The CG as a whole indicates that the person John is the agent of some instance of going, the city Boston is the destination, and a bus is the instrument. Figure 1 can be translated to the following formula: (∃x)(∃y)(Go(x) Person(John) City(Boston) Bus( ∧ ∧ ∧ y) Agnt( ∧ x,John) Dest( ∧ x,Boston) Inst( ∧ x,y)) As this translation shows, the only logical operators used in Figure 1 are conjunction and the existential quantifier. Those two operators are the most common in translations from natural languages, and many of the early semantic networks could not represent any others. For his pioneering Begriffsschrift (concept writing), Frege (1979) adopted a tree notation for representing full first-order logic, using only four operators: assertion (the "turnstile" operator ), negation (a short vertical line), implication (a hook), and the universal quantifier (a cup containing the bound variable). Figure 2 shows the Begriffsschrift equivalent of Figure 1, and following is its translation to predicate calculus: ~(∀x)(∀y)(Go(x) (Person(John) (City(Boston) (Bus( ⊃ ⊃ ⊃ y) ⊃ (Agnt(x,John) (Dest( ⊃ x,Boston) ~Inst( ⊃ x,y))))))) Frege's choice of operators simplified his rules of inference, but they lead to awkward paraphrases: It is false that for every x and y, if x is an instance of going then if John is a person then if Boston is a city then if y is a bus then if the agent of x is John then if the destination of x is Boston then the instrument of x is not y. Figure 2: Frege's Begriffsschrift for John is going to Boston by bus. Unlike Frege, who rejected Boolean algebra, Peirce developed the algebraic notation for first-order logic as a generalization of the Boolean operators. Since Boole treated disjunction as logical addition and conjunction as logical multiplication, Peirce (1880) represented the existential quantifier by Σ for repeated disjunction and the universal quantifier by Π for repeated conjunction. In the notation of Peirce (1885), Figure 1 could be represented ΣxΣy (Go(x) • Person(John) • City(Boston) • Bus(y) • Agnt(x,John) • Dest(x,Boston) • Inst(x,y)) Peano adopted Peirce's notation, but he invented new symbols because he wanted to mix mathematical and logical symbols in the same formulas. Meanwhile, Peirce began to experiment with relational graphs for representing logic, as in Figure 3. In that graph, an existential quantifier is represented by a line of identity, and conjunction is the default Boolean operator. Since Peirce's graphs did not distinguish proper names, the monadic predicates isJohn and isBoston may be used to represent names. Following is the algebraic notation for Figure 3: ΣxΣyΣzΣw (Go(x) • Person(y) • isJohn(y) • City(z) • isBoston(z) • Bus(w) • Agnt(x,y) • Dest(x,z) • Inst(x,w)) Figure 3: Peirce's relational graph for John is going to Boston by bus. Peirce experimented with various graphic methods for representing the other operators of his algebraic notation, but like the AI researchers of the 1960s, he couldn't find a good way of expressing the scope of quantifiers and negation. In 1897, however, he discovered a simple, but brilliant innovation for his new version of existential graphs (EGs): an oval enclosure for showing scope. The default operator for an oval with no other marking is negation, but any metalevel relation can be linked to the oval. Sowa (1984) adopted Peirce's convention for CGs, but with rectangles instead of ovals: rectangles nest better than ovals; and more importantly, each context box can be interpreted as a concept box that contains a nested CG. A nest of two negations indicates a implication, as in Figure 4, which shows an EG and a CG for the sentence If a farmer owns a donkey, then he beats it. Figure 4: EG and CG for If a farmer owns a donkey, then he beats it. To enhance the contrast between negative areas (nested in an odd number of ovals) and positive areas (nested in an even number of ovals), Peirce would shade the negative areas. As Figure 4 illustrates, the primary difference between EGs and CGs is the interpretation of the links: in EGs, each line of identity represents an existentially quantified variable, which is attached to the relations; in CGs, the concept boxes represent existential quantifiers, and the arcs merely link relation nodes to their arguments. Another difference is that the CG type labels become monadic relations in EGs. Unlike EGs, in which an unmarked oval represents negation, the symbol ~ marks a negated CG context. Both the EG and the CG could be represented by the following formula: ~(∃x)(∃y)(Farmer(x) Donkey( ∧ y) Owns( ∧ x,y) ~Beats( ∧ x,y)) In order to preserve the correct scope of quantifiers, the implication operator cannot be used to ⊃ represent the English if-then construction unless the existential quantifiers are moved to the front and converted to universals: (∀x)(∀y)((Farmer(x) Donkey( ∧ y) Owns( ∧ x,y)) Beats( ⊃ x,y)) In English, this formula could be read For every x and y, if x is a farmer who owns a donkey y, then x beats y. The unusual nature of this paraphrase led Kamp (1981) to develop discourse representation structures (DRSs) whose logical structure is isomorphic to Peirce's existential graphs (Figure 5). Figure 5: EG and DRS for If a farmer owns a donkey, then he beats it. Kamp's primitives are the same as Peirce's: the default quantifier is the existential, and the default Boolean operator is conjunction; negation is represented by a context box, and implication is represented by two contexts. As Figure 5 illustrates, the nesting of Peirce's contexts allows the quantifiers in the antecedent of an implication to include the consequent within their scope. Although Kamp connected his boxes with an arrow, he made exactly the same assumption about the scope of quantifiers. Kamp and Reyle (1993) went much further than Peirce in analyzing discourse and formulating the rules for interpreting anaphoric references, but any rule stated in terms of the DRS notation can also be applied to the EG or CG notation. The CG in Figure 4 represents the verbs owns and beats as dyadic relations. That was the choice of relations selected by Kamp, and it can also be used with the EG or CG notation. Peirce, however, noted that the event or state expressed by a verb is also an entity that could be referenced by a quantified variable. That point was independently rediscovered by linguists, computational linguists, and philosophers such as Davidson (1967). The CG in Figure 6 shows a representation that treats events and states as entities linked to their participants by case relations or thematic roles. Figure 6: CG with case relations shown explicitly The type labels If and Then in Figure 6


Understanding attitudes and behaviors at workplace develop organizational knowledge and capabilities to increase quality of services and help in retaining competent and skillful employees. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction (JS), affective commitment (AC), and turnover intentions (TI) among front desk staff working as customer service representatives in Pakistani banks. Data was collected through questionnaire from 106 front desk customer representatives in 5 different banks located in Rawalpindi district of northern Punjab, Pakistan. Correlation and regression analysis concluded that both, JS and AC, were significantly related to the TI with negative associations. Based on the conclusions of this study, the implications for future studies are discussed.


Nowadays, all the world face to the global warming problems due to the emission of CO₂. From the previous studies, recycled aggregates were used as an alkali activator in blast furnace slag to achieve zero-cement concrete, and favorable results of obtaining strength were achieved. In this study, gypsum and incineration waste ash were used as the additional alkali activation and effects of the gypsum and incineration waste ash to enhance the performance of the mortar were tested. Results showed that although the replacement ratio of 0.5% of incineration waste ash and 20% of anhydrous gypsum resulted in the low of mortar at the early age, while it improved the later strength and achieved the similar strength to that of conventional mortar (at 91 days).


Background: COVID-19 remains a major public health threat globally, and has challenged healthcare systems and services including oral health
Objective: This study examines the key public health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in low resource settings. While healthcare services are learning to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, dental care services, in particular restorative dental practice have been adversely impacted because of the closeness of caregivers to the patient's mouth as well as the generation of aerosols during most restorative procedures. This presents a challenge for low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nigeria where weak and poor governance structures characterize healthcare systems in addition to paucity of economic resources. Another challenge in the form of COVID-19 conspiracy theories has threatened to undermine public health efforts designed to control the pandemic.
Conclusion: The implementation of optimal guidelines and safety protocols for effective COVID -19 infection prevention and control is a major challenge for restorative dental care practice in low resource settings owing to paucity of key material resources and inappropriate behaviour associated with lingering doubts about COVID-19 reality among the majority of the populace. The Safer Aerosol-Free Emergent Dentistry concept offers a viable practical approach for restorative dental practice in LMICs during and in the post COVID-19 pandemic era. There is a need to deploy all resources, human and material, in the education and enlightenment of the populace regarding the reality of COVID-19.
, COVID-19 pandemic


In a pathological mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) 1-42 plays a crucial role. However, the detailed pathological mechanism remains unclear. This elucidation is hampered by handling difficulties of Abeta1-42 due to its poor water-solubility and uncontrollable aggregation. These properties prevent reproducing neurotoxicity-related assembly events of Abeta1-42 in the experiments, leading to discrepant study outcomes. Namely, such properties of Abeta1-42 are serious obstacles to establish an experiment system that clarifies the pathological mechanism of Abeta1-42 in AD. To solve these problems, we developed "click peptide" of Abeta1-42 based on the "Omicron-acyl isopeptide method". The click peptide, which contains an Omicron-acyl instead of N-acyl residue at Gly(25)-Ser(26) of Abeta1-42, is converted to Abeta1-42 via an Omicron-to-N intramolecular acyl migration upon being triggered by pH-change (pH-click) or photo-irradiation (photo-click). The click peptide was 100-fold more water-soluble than Abeta1-42 and clearly adopted a monomeric random coil structure due to the Omicron-acyl moiety in the peptide backbone. The click peptide was quickly converted to monomer Abeta1-42 with a random coil structure under physiological conditions upon an action (click). The obtained Abeta1-42 underwent both self-assembly and conformational changes with time. Because the in situ production of intact Abeta1-42 from the water-soluble and non-aggregative precursor could overcome the handling problems of Abeta1-42, this click peptide strategy would provide a reliable experiment system to investigate the pathological functions of Abeta1-42 in AD.


This article presents eight critical points that can aid the ongoing and early development of antitrust policy relating to common ownership. These points touch on some of the most salient issues concerning the relationship between common ownership and competitive harm and have important implications on how regulators should craft antitrust policy as it relates to common ownership. The article's eight points collectively show that rather than per se prohibitions, safe harbors, or wide-scale investigations, regulators should evaluate the competitive effects of common ownership on a case-by-case basis, just as they currently evaluate other potential sources of competitive harm.


Students differ in the ways that they think about problems and how they learn. Thinking style is the term used to describe the individual differences among students in how they think and learn. This study was designed to determine the relationship between thinking styles and academic achievement of secondary school students. The population in this study consisted of science students at grade 9 from male and female secondary schools of Tehsil Rawalpindi. Random sampling technique was used to select the sample. In the present study, two research instruments were used. The Convergent and Divergent Test was used to identify the thinking styles of the secondary school students and the Achievement Tests of Chemistry were used to identify the academic achievement of the students. The collected data was analyzed to calculate means, T-statistics, and Pearson product-moment correlations. Male students were mostly convergent thinkers and female students were mostly divergent thinkers. The relationship between thinking styles and academic achievement of secondary school students was positive and significant.


The degree of substitution (DS) of highly acetylated cellulose acetate (CA) was quantitatively evaluated by FTIR. Seven standard samples, the DS ranging from 1.80 to 2.85, prepared by mixing appropriate amounts of commercial cellulose triacetate and commercial cellulose were analyzed for their DS by a FTIR method, and the relationship between the DS and the ratios of specific peak absorbance intensity or integral area calculated from FTIR spectra was confirmed to be a polynomial fitting of the second degree. The DS values of CA prepared by heterogeneous acetylation under different conditions determined by FTIR based on the resulting quadratic polynomial equations were compared with those determined by a titration method. The results showed that the DS value was well predicted by FTIR spectra and the average percentage errors were lower than 2.31%. The specific peak parameter ratio can effectively evaluate and monitor the acetylation process. Additionally, the results of dynamic analysis indicated that the heterogeneous acetylation reaction followed a second-order kinetic model when the DS value exceeded 2.0.