Background: Massive obstetrical hemorrhage, a leading contributor towards maternal fatality in economically developing countries, is occasionally related with the passive and apathetic management of the third stage of labor. The increasing frequency of anaemia among pregnant women in developing countries, mild to moderate blood loss during labour necessitates massive transfusions with associated complications. Aim: Recent studies claimed that prophylactic tranexamic acid can significantly reduce the mean blood loss during 3rd stage of labour and advocated it in future practice. Methods: The research was conducted as randomized controlled trial carried out from February 2021 to October 2021 in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department, Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. A total of 116 pregnant women aged between 18-35 years presenting in labor at term (37-42 weeks of gestation as per dating scan) which were randomly allocated into two groups. Patients in Group-A were given additional tranexamic acid at the end of 2nd stage of labor while those in Group-B received conventional treatment alone. Results: Patients were 28.33±4.77 years with the mean age while the mean gestational age at delivery was 39.39±1.69 weeks. 30(25.9%) women were primiparas and 86 (74.1%) were multiaparas. The mean BMI of these patients was 27.50±3.90 Kg/m2 while the average duration of 3rd stage of labor was 4.69±1.83 minutes. Patients taking prophylactic tranexamic acid lost significantly less blood in the third stage of labors than controls (244.83±21.47 vs. 354.09±22.36 ml; p-value<0.001). Conclusion: In the present study, prophylactic tranexamic acid was found to significantly reduce the mean blood loss during 3rd stage of labor which along with low cost, widespread availability and oral administration advocates the routine use of tranexamic acid (during 3rd stage of labor) in future obstetric practice to minimize blood loss with subsequent decreased need for blood transfusion and better patient's recovery. Keywords: Third Stage of Labor, Blood Loss, Tranexamic Acid


The Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) and the Functional Cognitive Assessment Scale (FUCAS) examine the cognitive performance of patients with dementia. ADAS has been widely used as a clinical instrument, mainly in clinical trials. FUCAS is a useful tool in diagnosing early dementia since it examines executive skills. Moreover, it is sensitive to the subtle changes that occur during the progress of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the possible correlations between FUCAS and ADAS. The 2 neuropsychological scales were administered to 32 patients with dementia residing in long-term care. They were 12 men and 20 women, 65 to 90 years old, with 4 to 12 years of education. Twenty-four patients were reassessed 3 months after the first assessment, with the same scales. Pearson's correlation showed that the total score of FUCAS correlated significantly with the total score of ADAS: r = 0.80 (P < .01). The t test showed that changes over the 3 months for FUCAS were more significant than ADAS, suggesting that FUCAS is a more sensitive tool.


Primary endoscopic hemostasis for bleeding gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is rarely reported. Herein, we report the case of a patient with a bleeding GIST that was treated with endoscopic obturation with tissue adhesive. A 46-year-old man presented with hematemesis and tarry stool for 1 day. Upper GI endoscopy revealed a bleeding submucosal tumor at the stomach fundus and an exposed pulsatile vessel was seen at the defect. Endoscopic obturation with tissue adhesive was performed to treat the defect and the bleeding was successfully stopped. No recurrence of bleeding was observed through a gastric tube, and 6 days after endoscopic obturation, the patient underwent laparoscopic partial gastrectomy. Endoscopic obturation with tissue adhesive is a feasible and effective method to treat bleeding GIST.


Allied health community college students have not been characterized according to their intentions to pursue a health careers ladder. This paper describes an analysis of the demographic-biographic, cognitive, psychomotor, and affective profiles of 326 female second-year MLT students contrasted with their articulation interests. The articulation categories included AAS termination, delayed MT transfer, immediate MT transfer, and non-MT continuation. Chi-square analysis and analysis of variance revealed few statistical differences between such articulation interests and test outcomes. Results are interpreted and directions for future study are presented.


The objectives of this study were to calculate genetic correlations between health traits that were recorded in on-farm herd management software programs and to assess relationships between these traits and other traits that are routinely evaluated in US dairy sires. Data consisted of 272,576 lactation incidence records for displaced abomasum (DA), ketosis (KET), mastitis (MAST), lameness (LAME), cystic ovaries (CYST), and metritis (MET) from 161,622 cows in 646 herds. These data were collected between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003 in herds using the Dairy Comp 305, DHI-Plus, or PCDART herd management software programs. Binary incidence data for all disorders were analyzed simultaneously using a multiple-trait threshold sire model that included random sire and herd-year-season of calving effects. Although data from multiple lactations were available for some animals, our genetic analysis included only first parity records due to concerns about selection bias and improper modeling of the covariance structure. Heritability estimates for the presence or absence of each disorder during first lactation were 0.14 for DA, 0.06 for KET, 0.09 for MAST, 0.03 for LAME, 0.04 for CYST, and 0.06 for MET. Estimated genetic correlations were 0.45 between DA and KET, 0.42 between KET and CYST, 0.20 between MAST and LAME, 0.19 between KET and LAME, 0.17 between DA and CYST, 0.17 between KET and LAME, 0.17 between KET and MET, and 0.16 between LAME and CYST. All other correlations were negligible. Correlations between predicted transmitting abilities for the aforementioned health traits and existing production, type, and fitness traits were low, though it must be noted that these estimates may have been biased by low reliability of the health trait evaluations. Based on results of this study, it appears that genetic selection for health disorders recorded in on-farm software programs can be effective. These traits can be incorporated into selection indices directly, or they can be combined into composite traits, such as "reproductive disorders", "metabolic disorders", or "early lactation disorders".


This paper reports a behavioral evaluation of touch interface techniques intended for use with highly interactive, graphical, windowing software environments, previous research (Mack and Lang, 1989), indicated that touch interface techniques can produce levels of task performance in such environments comparable to that obtained using conventional mouse pointing devices. In the Mack and Lang study, touch interactions emulated mouse techniques such that single and double taps (contact and lift-off), and tap, hold and drag corresponded to mouse clicks and double-clicks, and dragging with the mouse. While the results were encouraging, problems with the touch techniques remain. The purpose of this study was to compare two alternatives to direct mouse emulation for controlling the interpretation of touch interactions using a stylus or finger as input devices. This study also evaluated two touch-tailored interface techniques: gesture-based commands and pop-up (display) keyboard. Finger performance improved to levels comparable to those for stylus when an alternative protocol for controlling interaction modes was employed. Gestures led to performance comparable to conventional menu bar and pull-down menu techniques. The pop-up keyboard significantly slowed performance.


Before I started training to be a nurse, I had no experience of caring. Other than my nephew, I'd never washed someone, nor helped them to the toilet or fed them.


Floods are triggered by water overflow into drylands from several sources, including rivers, lakes, oceans, or heavy rainfall. Near real-time (NRT) flood mapping plays an important role in taking strategic measures to reduce flood damage after a flood event. There are many satellite imagery based remote sensing techniques that are widely used to generate flood maps. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images have proven to be more effective in flood mapping due to its high spatial resolution and cloud penetration capacity. This case study is focused on the super cyclone, commonly known as Amphan, stemming from the west Bengal-Bangladesh coast across the Sundarbans on 20 May 2020, with a wind speed between 155 -165  gusting up to 185 . The flooding extent is determined by analyzing the pre and post-event synthetic aperture radar images, using the change detection and thresholding (CDAT) method. The results showed an inundated landmass of 2146 on 22 May 2020, excluding Sundarban. However, the area became 1425 about a week after the event, precisely on 28 May 2020 . This persistency generated a more severe and intense flood, due to the broken embankments. Furthermore, 13 out of 19 coastal districts were affected by the flooding, while 8 were highly inundated, including Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Satkhira, Khulna, Barisal, Jhalokati, Patuakhali and Barguna. These findings were subsequently compared with an inundation map created with a validation survey immediately after the event and also with the disposed location using a machine learning-based image classification technique. Consequently, the comparison showed a close similarity between the inundation scenario and the flood reports from the secondary sources. This circumstance envisages the significant role of CDAT application in providing relevant information for an effective decision support system.


The quality of risk assessment instruments has improved greatly during the last 40 years. While assessing protective factors has become common practice, with some instruments now devoted entirely to such assessments, little is known about the effect of risk and protective factors on recidivism. The present study investigates the effects (promotive or buffering protective) of protective factors captured by the LS/CMI for a sample of 18,031 convicted adult males under the supervision of provincial services in Canada. Effects of protective factors and possible interactions between risk and protective factors were investigated using moderation analyses. Results indicate that protective factors can be both promotive and buffering protective for risk and that the benefits of protective factors are related to the risk to which people are exposed. Patterns of protective effects appear to differ for general and violent recidivism. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.


Large tax–transfer microsimulation models can play a key role in guiding tax–transfer analysis and reform. This article discusses the Treasury's microsimulation model of the tax–transfer system (the Tax and Welfare Analysis (TAWA) model), including how it is used and the standard outputs it produces. The article also considers whether these standard outputs continue to be fit for purpose. This includes a discussion of different ways of estimating poverty impacts, the role reporting should give to financial incentives to work, and the opportunities provided by improved data. This final point is particularly important for understanding take-up and the prospect for extending the model to cover non-financial measures.


This paper aims at the measurement of surface uniformity, thermally-bonded points, distribution of fibers orientation and local displacement in tensile testing for spunbonded nonwoven polypropylene fabrics. For this purpose, an image processing method was used to produce clustered images based on the k-means clustering algorithm along with Davies-Bouldin index and the PSNR image quality evaluation method. Then, the quadrant method for surface uniformity, an image processing method based on morphological operators for uniformity of thermally-bonded points, the regionprops function (RF) method for distribution of fiber orientation and the digital image correlation (DIC) method for local displacement were used to calculate the parameters of nonwoven samples. Also, the relationships between image processing and the experimental results of tensile tests were studied. The results indicated that the structural properties of a fabric, such as surface uniformity, bonded structure, distribution of fiber orientation and critical points, have great impacts on its tensile properties at the selected weights and non-uniformity levels. Hence, a sample with a higher level of uniformity and, consequently, more regular bonding points with a higher bonding percentage, better distribution of fiber orientation and less critical points offers the best tensile


Elastic liposoxy1mes (ELs) are biocompatible bilayer vesicular systems commonly used in the transdermal delivery of drugs. Compared with conventional liposomes (CLs), the strong deformation ability conferred by edge activators (EAs) is one of the most critical properties of ELs. However, due to limited research methods, little is known about the effect of EAs on the deformation abilities of vesicles. In this study, taking sodium cholate as an example, a multiscale study was carried to study the effect of EAs on the deformability of ELs, including in vitro diffusion experiment at macroscale, "vesicle-pore" model experiment at the microscale and flat patch model experiment at the molecular scale. As a result, it was found that sodium cholate could decrease the kc of DPPC bilayer, which enabled it to remain morphologically intact during a strong deformation process. Such kind of differences on deformation ability made pogostone ELs (contain sodium cholate) present a better permeation effect compared with that of pogostone CLs. All of these provide a multiscale and thorough understanding of the effect of sodium cholate on the deformation ability of ELs.


Let B be the unit ball in C n with respect to the euclidian norm. In this paper we will give a sucient condition such that a holomorphic mapping defined on B can be extended to a quasiconformal homeomorphism of R 2n onto itself.


Weakly electric freshwater fish use self-generated electric fields to image their worlds and communicate in the darkness of night and turbid waters. This active sensory/communication modality evolved independently in the freshwaters of South America and Africa, where hundreds of electric fish species are broadly and abundantly distributed. The adaptive advantages of the sensory capacity to forage and communicate in visually-unfavorable environments and outside the detection of visually-guided predators likely contributed to the broad success of these clades across a variety of Afrotropical and neotropical habitats. Here we consider the potentially high and limiting metabolic costs of the active sensory and communication signals that define the gymnotiform weakly electric fish of South America. Recent evidence from two well-studied species suggests that the metabolic costs of electrogenesis can be quite high, sometimes exceeding one-fourth of these fishes' daily energy budget. Supporting such an energetically expensive system has shaped a number of cellular, endocrine, and behavioral adaptations to restrain the metabolic costs of electrogenesis in general or in response to metabolic stress. Despite a suite of adaptations supporting electrogenesis, these weakly electric fish are vulnerable to metabolic stresses such as hypoxia and food restriction. In these conditions, fish reduce signal amplitude presumably as a function of absolute energy shortfall or as a proactive means to conserve energy. In either case, reducing signal amplitude compromises both sensory and communication performance. Such outcomes suggest that the higher metabolic cost of active sensing and communication in weakly electric fish compared with the sensory and communication systems in other neotropical fish might mean that weakly electric fish are disproportionately susceptible to harm from anthropogenic disturbances of neotropical aquatic habitats. Fully evaluating this possibility, however, will require broad comparative studies of metabolic energetics across the diverse clades of gymnotiform electric fish and in comparison to other nonelectric neotropical fishes.


The Argentinean historian Hernan H. Taboada refers to the words of Angel Rama in reviewing the directions of Latin American studies on this continent. starting from the tight link between the academic and the intellectual. A relationship not given in other fields has, in our case, been impelled by the migratory condition of many of our figures. Newspapers, journals, magazines, universities, congresses and academic boards continue to be the spaces in which today's Latin American specialists express their ideas, which are, where do they come from and where are they going?


Blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are widely used as a model system for bulk heterojunction active layers developed for solution-processable, flexible solar cells. In this work, vertical concentration profiles within the P3HT:PCBM active layer are predicted based on a thermodynamic analysis of the constituent materials and typical solvents. Surface energies of the active layer components and a common transport interlayer blend, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), are first extracted using contact angle measurements coupled with the acid-base model. From this data, intra- and interspecies interaction free energies are calculated, which reveal that the thermodynamically favored arrangement consists of a uniformly blended "bulk" structure capped with a P3HT-rich air interface and a slightly PCBM-rich buried interface. Although the "bulk" composition is solely determined by P3HT:PCBM ratio, composition near the buried interface is dependent on both the blend ratio and interaction free energy difference between solvated P3HT and PCBM deposition onto PEDOT:PSS. In contrast, the P3HT-rich overlayer is independent of processing conditions, allowing kinetic formation of a PCBM-rich sublayer during film casting due to limitations in long-range species diffusion. These thermodynamic calculations are experimentally validated by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy XPS depth profiling, which show that the actual composition profiles of the cast and annealed films closely match the predicted behavior. These experimentally derived profiles provide clear evidence that typical bulk heterojunction active layers are predominantly characterized by thermodynamically stable composition profiles. Furthermore, the predictive capabilities of the comprehensive free energy approach are demonstrated, which will enable investigation of structurally integrated devices and novel active layer systems including low band gap polymers, ternary systems, and small molecule blends.


The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of mutual funds —pension plans— whose managers simultaneously manage the assets belonging to pension plans —mutual funds— with that achieved by mutual funds —pension plans— whose managers only manage the assets belonging to mutual funds —pension plans—. To do this, we present a sample consisting of data corresponding to 115 Spanish equity pension plans and 336 Spanish equity mutual funds in relation to such aspects as risk-adjusted return, management and custodial fees, asset size, creation date, number of participants, name of the asset management companies for the period between February 2007 and June 2011. On this data, we propose a model using the bootstrap technique. The results obtained show no significant relationship between side-by-side management and financial performance in the mutual fund and pension plan industries. Therefore, we do not find evidence that pension plan investors are being exploited.


A 2D model of the eddy current interaction problem that consists of an inhomogeneity in a conductive half space is presented. The applied analytical method of solution is the transition (T) matrix method. This involves use of the free space Green's function to generate a system of boundary integral relations. In this way, it is easy to identify the contributions to the total solution from each different scattering surface. The different parts are separated also in the computation of the impedance. This leads to low cost simulations in terms of computation time and qualify the method to be used to obtain probability of detection (POD) curves. The T matrix method is a building block method and the possibility to extend the geometry with several inhomogeneities and extra layers will be discussed. The model is compared with a Finite Element (FE) model and numerical examples for the case with a cylindrical inhomogeneity are given.


1. It may give clearness to what I have to say with respect to History if I begin with some remarks on what seems to me a less desirable view of History, and of the method of treating it, than that which, I venture to think, should more distinctively, perhaps, than hitherto guide the proceedings of the Royal Historical Society. The less desirable view of History, as I think, is that of the literary man; the more desirable view of History is that of the man of science. And I shall introduce what I have to say with respect to the scientific view of History by some remarks on the literary view of it as set forth by Mr. Carlyle and Mr. Froude, and recently defended with much brilliancy by Mr. Augustine Birrell. Deprecating even the attempt to view History as a series of phenomena of which the laws, and hence the purport, may be discovered, Mr. Carlyle counsels us to 'aim only at some picture of the things acted, which picture itself will at best be a poor approximation, and leave the inscrutable purport of them an acknowledged secret;' and to be content if but 'here and there an intelligible precept, available in practice, be gathered.' And so Mr. Carlyle's most distinguished disciple, Mr. Froude, declares that the History of Man 'seems to him like a child's box of letters with which we can spell any word we please;' and therefore, with equal truth or falsehood, either progress or the reverse, or anything else whatever.


Enterprise growth is generally considered as a key driver of competitiveness, employment, economic development and social inclusion. As such, it is perceived to be a highly desirable outcome of entrepreneurship for scholars and decision makers. The huge academic debate resulted in the multitude of theoretical frameworks focused on explaining growth stages, determinants and future prospects. It has been widely accepted that enterprise growth is most likely nonlinear, temporal and related to the variety of factors which reflect the individual, firm, organizational, industry or environmental determinants of growth. However, factors that affect growth are not easily captured, instruments to measure those factors are often arbitrary, causality between variables and growth is elusive, indicating that growth is not easily modeled. Furthermore, in line with heterogeneous nature of the growth phenomenon, there is a vast number of measurement constructs assessing growth which are used interchangeably. Differences among various growth measures, at conceptual as well as at operationalization level, can hinder theory development which emphasizes the need for more empirically robust studies. In line with these highlights, the main purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly, to compare structure and performance of three growth prediction models based on the main growth measures: Revenues, employment and assets growth. Secondly, to explore the prospects of financial indicators, set as exact, visible, standardized and accessible variables, to serve as determinants of enterprise growth. Finally, to contribute to the understanding of the implications on research results and recommendations for growth caused by different growth measures. The models include a range of financial indicators as lag determinants of the enterprises' performances during the 2008-2013, extracted from the national register of the financial statements of SMEs in Croatia. The design and testing stage of the modeling used the logistic regression procedures. Findings confirm that growth prediction models based on different measures of growth have different set of predictors. Moreover, the relationship between particular predictors and growth measure is inconsistent, namely the same predictor positively related to one growth measure may exert negative effect on a different growth measure. Overall, financial indicators alone can serve as good proxy of growth and yield adequate predictive power of the models. The paper sheds light on both methodology and conceptual framework of enterprise growth by using a range of variables which serve as a proxy for the multitude of internal and external determinants, but are unlike them, accessible, available, exact and free of perceptual nuances in building up the model. Selection of the growth measure seems to have significant impact on the implications and recommendations related to growth. Furthermore, the paper points out to potential pitfalls of measuring and predicting growth. Overall, the results and the implications of the study are relevant for advancing academic debates on growth-related methodology, and can contribute to evidence- based decisions of policy makers.


Reinforcement learning usually uses the feedback rewards of environmental to train agents. But the rewards in the actual environment are sparse, and even some environments will not rewards. Most of the current methods are difficult to get good performance in sparse reward or non-reward environments. Although using shaped rewards is effective when solving sparse reward tasks, it is limited to specific problems and learning is also susceptible to local optima. We propose a model-free method that does not rely on environmental rewards to solve the problem of sparse rewards in the general environment. Our method use the minimum number of transitions between states as the distance to replace the rewards of environmental, and proposes a goal-distance gradient to achieve policy improvement. We also introduce a bridge point planning method based on the characteristics of our method to improve exploration efficiency, thereby solving more complex tasks. Experiments show that our method performs better on sparse reward and local optimal problems in complex environments than previous work.


To identify the diagnostic accuracy of imaging, fine need aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and core needle biopsy (CNB) in identifying papillary lesions in the setting of a population based mammographic screening program. A retrospective analysis of mammographic screening detected lesions diagnosed as papillary lesions on surgical excision at Breast Screen Sydney West between 1993 2010 was performed. Imaging, FNAB and CNB diagnoses were correlated with surgical excision pathology to determine the performance indicators. Two hundred and seventeen papillary lesions were identified with imaging and corresponding excision pathology with a final total of 153 FNAB and 105 CNB performed on these. ImagingOf the 143 designated benign/ equivocal 27 (19%) were upgraded to malignant. Thirty two (43.2%) of 74 image-designated suspicious or malignant were benign on excision. FNABFourteen (12.4%) of the 113 designated benign/atypical were upgraded to malignant. Eleven (27.5%) of 40 malignant FNAB were downgraded to benign on excision. CNBThree of 43 benign lesions were malignant on excision (upgrade rate 7%). One of 24 (4%) suspicious/ malignant was downgraded to benign. Complete sensitivity was high for FNAB and CNB95.2% and 91.7%, respectively. Absolute sensitivity was 42.8% for FNAB and 50% for CNB. Specificity for imaging, FNAB and CNB was 37.25%, 89.6% and 100% with accuracy rates of 60.4%, 85.5% and 95.0%, respectively. CNB has high complete sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, indicating a benign CNB diagnosis is highly predictive of a benign papillary lesion on surgical excision.


The effect of the interplane and intraplane anisotropies on the energy gap for odd number of coupled quantum spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic anisotropic Heisenberg planes is investigated using a linear spin wave theory. However, in the isotropic case, such system exhibits a long range order, and no energy gap. In the anisotropic case, the energy gap opens above a critical anisotropic value. The known results of a single plane have been obtained.


The United States is about to embark on the most thorough reconsideration of its ocean policy in more than three decades. With 1998 designated as the International Year of the Ocean by the United Nations, and with both the executive branch and the Congress currently working toward developing new approaches to formulating and implementing ocean policy, a comprehensive overview of key issues and concerns is essential."The Future of U.S. Ocean Policy" provides such an overview, with an in-depth analysis of the evolution of U.S. ocean policy and a timely discussion of the most important ocean and coastal issues facing the nation. The book assesses the current status of ocean policy, examines national and international trends, and considers choices for policymakers in the 21st century. Following an introductory chapter that reviews national ocean policy and the process by which it is made, the authors: review the history of development of U.S. ocean and coastal policy examine the major ocean laws enacted in the 1970s and review and assess their record of implementation examine factors that will affect U.S. ocean policy in the coming decade discuss the need to make policy more coherent, and to develop institutional mechanisms that can foster more effective guidance and oversight present a set of policy options for improving U.S. ocean policy"The Future of U.S. Ocean Policy" is the only recent book that focuses on national ocean policy in its entirety, and will play an important role in upcoming debates concerning the future direction of policy initiatives. Agency personnel, members and staff of nongovernmental organizations, industry groups, Congressional staffers, state and local governmentofficials, academics, and concerned citizens will find the book an invaluable guide, as will students and faculty in courses in marine and coastal management and in environmental management.


Coccolithophores are one of the major contributors to the pelagic production of calcium carbonate and their fossilized remains are a key component of the biogeochemical cycles of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and other divalent cations present in the intracellular precipitated calcitic structures (coccoliths). The geochemical signature of coccoliths (e.g., Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios) is used as paleoproxy to reconstruct past environmental conditions and to understand the underlying physiological precipitation kinetics. Here, we present the elemental fractionation of Sr and Mg in calcite of the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa oceanica from controlled laboratory experiments applying an extended temperature gradient (12 to 27°C). The physiological reaction norm of G. oceanica, in terms of growth rate, exhibited optimum behavior while the partition coefficient of Sr (DSr) was linearly correlated with temperature and DMg indicated no specific trend. Our results indicate: (1) a presumably secondary physiological control of DSr, and (2) the importance of calibrating coccolithophore-based proxies using experiments that include the full physiological reaction norms (i.e., a possible non-linear response) to environmental drivers (e.g., temperature, salinity, and pH, etc.). The presented results contribute to an improved understanding of the underlying physiological kinetics involved in regulating coccolith elemental fractionation and give additional implications for designing future laboratory experiments to calibrate and apply coccolithophore based paleoproxies on the fossil sediment record.


In the absence of a genuine solution to the sign problem, lattice studies at imaginary quark chemical potential are an important tool to constrain the QCD phase diagram. We calculate the values of the tricritical quark masses in the Roberge-Weiss plane, $\mu=\imath\pi T/3$, which separate mass regions with chiral and deconfinement phase transitions from the intermediate region, for QCD with $N_\text{f}=2$ unimproved staggered quarks on $N_\tau=6$ lattices. A quantitative measure for the quality of finite size scaling plots is developed, which significantly reduces the subjective judgement required for fitting. We observe that larger aspect ratios are necessary to unambiguously determine the order of the transition than at $\mu=0$. Comparing with previous results from $N_\tau=4$ we find a $\sim50$% reduction in the light tricritical pion mass. The heavy tricritical pion mass stays roughly the same, but is too heavy to be resolved on $N_\tau=6$ lattices and thus equally afflicted with cut-off effects. Further comparison with other discretizations suggests that current cut-off effects on the light critical masses are likely to be larger than $\sim100$%, implying a drastic shrinking of the chiral first-order region to possibly zero.


Ecg investigation of skeletal myopathies showed in the approximate half of cases mono- and bifascicular blocks (left anterior, left posterior, RBBB). In view of the possibility of development of complete AV-block, whose prognosis will not be the best, cardiological observation is recommended for life.


ABSTRACT The nucleotide sequence of the pathogenic spirocheteBrachyspira hyodysenteriae bit (for "Brachyspira iron transport") genomic region has been determined. The bit region is likely to encode an iron ATP-binding cassette transport system with some homology to those encountered in gram-negative bacteria. Six open reading frames oriented in the same direction and physically linked have been identified. This system possesses a protein containing ATP-binding motifs (BitD), two hydrophobic cytoplasmic membrane permeases (BitE and BitF), and at least three lipoproteins (BitA, BitB, and BitC) with homology to iron periplasmic binding proteins. These periplasmic binding proteins exhibit lipoprotein features. They are labeled by [3H]palmitate when tested in recombinantEscherichia coli, and their signal peptides are typical for substrates of the type II secretory peptidase. The FURTA system and Congo red assay indicate that BitB and BitC are involved in iron binding. The Bit system is detected only in B. hyodysenteriae and is absent from B. innocens andB. pilosicoli.


A project concerned with investigating the potential fall in attainment by pupils at the beginning of secondary school, the 'key stage 3 dip', is described. Matched data sets (approx. 140) were built comparing pupil performance at the end of year 7 in a commercially published science test with their key stage 2 year 6 national tests. A high correlation was found when raw scores were compared, and regression scatter plots revealed pupils who were significantly away from the line of best fit. The fall was in attainment relative to the rest of the cohort, not national standards. These pupils received additional assistance prior to their year 8 examinations and, in the most part, rose in their relative attainment.


Background: Patients seek treatment for substance use disorders because of certain reasons that they consider significant and important, but on the other hand, they do have various fears or apprehensions about the treatment, which act as barriers for treatment-seeking. In this study, we aim to assess their reasons for seeking treatment, the associated fears about treatment, their social support and locus of control, and also to find the relationship among these variables. Materials and Methods: One hundred subjects attending the Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) were prospectively recruited, with purposive sampling from 15 June to 14 July, 2011. The sociodemographic and clinical variables were ascertained through a semi-structured performa. The PGI Locus of Control Scale, Social Support Scale, and Reasons of Help-seeking and Fear Questionnaire were applied. Results: The common reasons for seeking treatment were — having become a habitual user, taking substance for a long time, and a need to take it every day. The common fears about treatment were the fear of disappointing others, loss of secrecy of substance use, and being considered a failure in life. The locus of control was primarily internal. Certain reasons like taking substance for a long time, feeling ill, and feeling sad were associated with a lower social support. Social support was not associated with the locus of control. The most affected areas of impairment were finance and health. Conclusions: Certain reasons and fears regarding treatment are more common than others. It is important to look into reasons and fears that are related to better treatment outcomes.


In this paper, the impact of Lazear contracts with defined-benefit pensions on aggregate technology composition and the aggregate risk premium is examined. In the presence of capital market constraints affecting workers, defined-benefit pensions bias the economy towards risk-free production. Leveraging the risky technology relaxes the constraints and results in more risky production and a fall in the aggregate risk premium. This effect holds with risky debt and low pension shortfall risk but breaks down with high pension shortfall risk. A key prediction is that as Lazear contracts become less common, risky production will increase and the aggregate risk premium will fall.


Novel qubits with intrinsic noise protection constitute a promising route for improving the coherence of quantum information in superconducting circuits. However, many protected superconducting qubits exhibit relatively low transition frequencies, which could make their integration with conventional transmon circuits challenging. In this work, we propose and study a scheme for entangling a tunable transmon with a Cooper-pair parity-protected qubit, a paradigmatic example of a low-frequency protected qubit that stores quantum information in opposite Cooper-pair parity states on a superconducting island. By tuning the external flux on the transmon, we show that non-computational states can mediate a two-qubit entangling gate that preserves the Cooper-pair parity independent of the detailed pulse sequence. Interestingly, the entangling gate bears similarities to a controlled-phase gate in conventional transmon devices. Hence, our results suggest that standard high-precision gate calibration protocols could be repurposed for operating hybrid qubit devices.


This article suggests that fact checking is a useful but incomplete framework for delivering an epistemically healthy public sphere. Through a brief history of the fact/value distinction, it is argued that there is no secure justi fi cation for limiting interventions aimed at improving the emergent digital public sphere only to factual claims. On this basis, the heuristic principle of ' value checking ' is outlined, as a complement to fact checking in the epistemic regulation of democratic discourse. Value checking would accept that more sophisticated and deliberative communication is a vital requirement for a well-functioning public sphere, and that this can be promoted through new forms of epistemic regulation. However, it would reject the notion that fact checking is suf fi cient to achieve this, suggesting that the promotion of healthy political communication should also extend to value-based reasoning. The principle of value checking could be added to the fact-checking paradigm as a means of further enriching the public sphere in the ' post-truth ' age.


An algorithm for constructing minimal linear finite-dimensional realizations (a minimal partial realization) of an unknown (possibly infinite-dimensional) system from an external description as given by its Markov parameters is presented. It is shown that the resulting realization in essence models the transient response of the unknown system. If the unknown system is linear, this technique can be used to find a smaller dimensional linear system having the same transient characteristics. If the unknown system is nonlinear, the technique can be used either 1) to determine a useful nonlinear model, or 2) te determine a linear model, both of which approximate the transient response of the nonlinear system.


Objectives. To analyze virological and immunological features of AIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencepalophathy (PML) and their association to disease prognosis. Methods. In HIV-infected patients with virologically confirmed PML, JC virus (JCV) DNA load and levels of Macrophage Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-1 were determined in cerebrospinal fluid. JCV genotypes, rearrangements and JCV DNA binding sites for cellular transcription factors were analyzed by sequencing the viral VP1 region and regulatory region (RR). Results. 45 patients were analyzed: 60% were exposed to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) after PML and 24% before the disease onset. JCV DNA load in cerebrospinal fluid was a strong predictor of patients survival. Lower levels of JCV DNA in cerebrospinal fluid were associated with the following virologic factors: viral genotype 4 (p = 0.043), more rearrangements in the RR (p = 0.046), duplication of RR block B (p = 0.028), and duplication of binding sites for cellular transcription factor NF-1 (p = 0.060). In patients with prior antiretroviral exposure there was a trend towards a higher number of binding sites for cellular transcription factors (p = 0.068). Lower JCV load was also predicted by exposure to HAART (p = 0.010), higher baseline CD4 counts (p = 0.009) and higher cerebrospinal fluid MCP-1 levels (p = 0.036). In a multiple regression model, MCP-1 levels were independently associated with JCV load. Conclusion. HAART leads to a partial immune-mediated control of JCV replication; the virus may tend to escape through the selection of rearrangements in the RR, some associated with enhanced viral replication efficiency, other resulting in multiplication of binding sites for cellular transcription factors.


OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE
Posttraumatic spinal epidural hematoma is an uncommon entity. We present the first report of spinal epidural hematoma occurring after chiropractic manipulation in a healthy young adult without preexisting cervical disease or any obvious predisposing factors.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION
The patient presented with radicular and myelopathic symptoms that developed 15 minutes after chiropractic manipulation. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. They revealed a cervical epidural hematoma.

INTERVENTION
The hematoma was evacuated, and all of the patient's neurological symptoms improved over the course of the next 3 days.

CONCLUSION
Although cervical spinal epidural hematoma is a rare clinical entity, it must be considered in patients with pain or neurological deficit after cervical trauma.


BACKGROUND
There are few reports in the literature describing musculoskeletal complaints among endoscopists, and none are specific to those who perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

PURPOSE
To examine the current practices of ERCP endoscopists and the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries.

METHODS
A self-report survey was sent to physicians practising ERCP across Canada identified through a pre-existing database. A second mailing was sent six weeks later to those who did not respond to the first mailing.

RESULTS
Of 162 surveys sent, 122 responses were received, with five respondents indicating that they no longer performed ERCP and three declining to participate. Of the 114 participants, 67% reported at least one musculoskeletal complaint, and 58% reported two or more complaints. Seventy-four per cent attributed their symptoms to endoscopy and/or ERCP, and 79% reported that their condition was aggravated by performing ERCP. The most frequently reported pain symptoms were back pain (57%), neck pain (46%) and hand pain (33%), which are all consistent with the physical risks involved in performing ERCP. Only 51% reported taking regular breaks, and only 25% reported having fluoroscopy tables with adjustable heights. The room designs of the respondents' ERCP facilities were analyzed for ergonomic considerations: 67% had poor ergonomics and 33% had good ergonomics. Sixty-four per cent reported that they were interested in learning preventive strategies.

CONCLUSIONS
Physicians who perform ERCP develop musculoskeletal injuries and are interested in learning about risk factor modification.


In the 1980s epidemiology was rediscovered by health policy makers and health target setting was introduced. Although it brought back the populations' health as the central goal in health policy, some problems were also identified with the use of targets. First, of course, the political risk of being so explicit in a field where one does not control all the relevant determinants. Secondly, problems were encountered in terms of epidemiological methodology and data availability. However, the fact that in some countries targets could be sustained over several cabinets shows that they may also help to keep health policy on a steady course. In addition, public health epidemiology and public health models have since provided many of the tools necessary to set realistic targets and to translate the results of epidemiological research adequately into estimates of the potential health benefits of alternative interventions. Not long ago the World Health Organisation (WHO) presented its new generation of targets, in its policy 'Health for All in the 21st Century'. With these targets the WHO has once again chosen to put social justice and the public's health high on the health policy agenda. It is to be hoped that the progress which has been made with the methodology of public health epidemiology and the necessary data for the member states in the next Global Burden of Disease project will allow for the use of these targets in the core of policy making, the priority setting of resource allocation.


CONTEXT
Intracellular lipid partitioning toward storage and the incomplete oxidation of fatty acids (FA) have been linked to insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE
To gain insight into how intracellular lipid metabolism is related to insulin signal transduction, we examined the effects of severe obesity, excess FA, and overexpression of the FA transporter, FA translocase (FAT)/CD36, in primary human skeletal myocytes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS
Insulin signal transduction, FA oxidation, and metabolism were measured in skeletal muscle cells harvested from lean and severely obese women. To emulate the obesity phenotype in our cell culture system, we incubated cells from lean individuals with excess FA or overexpressed FAT/CD36 using recombinant adenoviral technology.

RESULTS
Complete oxidation of FA was significantly reduced, whereas total lipid accumulation, FA esterification into lipid intermediates, and incomplete oxidation were up-regulated in the muscle cells of severely obese subjects. Insulin signal transduction was reduced in the muscle cells from severely obese subjects compared to lean controls. Incubation of muscle cells from lean subjects with lipids reduced insulin signal transduction and increased lipid storage and incomplete FA oxidation. CD36 overexpression increased FA transport capacity, but did not impair complete FA oxidation and insulin signal transduction in muscle cells from lean subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
Cultured myocytes from severely obese women express perturbations in FA metabolism and insulin signaling reminiscent of those observed in vivo. The obesity phenotype can be recapitulated in muscle cells from lean subjects via exposure to excess lipid, but not by overexpressing the FAT/CD36 FA transporter.


Background: Breast cancer outcomes in both pre- and postmenopausal women are negatively impacted by obesity, but the reversibility of these pro-cancer effects via weight loss has not been well established. We examined how weight loss via four different dietary interventions affects mammary tumor progression in a mouse model of chronic obesity and pre-menopausal basal-like breast cancer. Methods: Six week old C57BL/6 mice were randomized to a control (Con, 10% kcal from fat) or diet-induced obesity (DIO, 60% kcal from fat) regimen and maintained on these diets for 15 weeks. DIO mice were then randomized to remain on DIO diet (Obese) or begin one of four weight loss regimens: low-fat control (formerly obese, FOb), high-carb 30% calorie-restricted (HCCR), low-carb 30% CR (LCCR), or intermittent energy restriction (IER). IER mice received a 14% CR diet 5 days/week and a 70% CR diet on 2 non-consecutive days/week, such that their average daily kcal intake and macronutrient distribution was equivalent to the LCCR group. The Con mice received the same control diet through the end of the study to maintain a normal weight. Mice were orthotopically injected with E0771 mouse mammary tumor cells at week 25. All mice were euthanized when one tumor reached 1.5 cm in diameter. Results: At study endpoint, Obese mice had a higher average body weight and body fat percentage in comparison to all other diet groups. These phenotypic measures were statistically equivalent in Con and FOb mice, indicating that the FOb mice had returned to a normal weight and body fat percentage, but they were significantly lower in the 3 CR groups. The CR mice all lost and then maintained an equivalent amount of weight following the diet switch at 15 weeks, regardless of the diet timing or macronutrient distribution. Tumor volume and weight at sacrifice were significantly greater in the Obese mice relative to Con mice and all CR mice, but not FOb mice, despite their weight loss to Con levels. In contrast, tumors in the HCCR and IER, but not LCCR, mice were significantly smaller than Con. Serum insulin and leptin levels were statistically equivalent in Con, FOb, HCCR, LCCR, and IER, but serum insulin-like growth factor 1 remained significantly elevated in FOb mice, with levels statistically equivalent to Obese mice. Conclusions: These results suggest that weight normalization via a low-fat control diet does not reverse the mammary tumor-promoting effects of chronic obesity. However, severe weight loss through various forms of calorie restriction successfully reverses these effects. An improved understanding of the energy responsive mechanisms mediating the anticancer effects of calorie restriction in obese mice may lead to the identification of new intervention targets and strategies to reduce the impact of obesity on breast cancer outcomes. Citation Format: Laura W. Bowers, Emily L. Rossi, Meghana G. Shamsunder, Stephen D. Hursting. The pro-tumorigenic effects of obesity are reversed by severe weight loss via chronic or intermittent calorie restriction but not weight normalization via a low-fat diet. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4321.


Colonic volvulus (CV) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition with unclear etiopathogenesis. To date, less than 80 pediatric cases have been described. Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is associated with CV in 17% of cases, representing a significant risk factor. Non-HD CV is an even more complex entity. The aim of this study is to describe a series of patients with CV to accentuate some peculiar aspects of this disease. We performed a retrospective study (period: 2012–2021) collecting information of patients with CV. Data analyzed included: demographics, medical history, presenting symptoms and radiological and surgical details. Eleven patients (12.5 ± 2.8 years; 7F/4M) had CV (eight sigmoid, two transverse colon, one total colon). Five patients had associated anomalies and three had HD. A two-step approach with volvulus endoscopic/radiological detorsion followed by intestinal resection was attempted in eight cases (one endoscopic approach failed). Three patients required surgery at admission. At follow-up, two patients developed recurrent intestinal obstruction, one of whom also had anastomotic stenosis. Colonic volvulus is a challenging condition that requires prompt patient care. A missed diagnosis could lead to severe complications. The evaluation of the patient should include a careful histological examination (searching for HD and alpha-actin deficiency), immunologic and metabolic screening, neurological tests and detection of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). Lifelong follow-up is mandatory for the early recognition and treatment of progressive diseases involving the proximal gastrointestinal tract.


Abstract Delivery of iron (Fe) to most cells occurs following the binding of diferric transferrin (Tf) to its cognate receptors on the cell membrane following which the Tf-receptor complexes are internalized via endocytosis. Iron is then released from Tf within endosomes by a combination of Fe3+ reduction by Steap3 and a decrease in pH (~ pH 5.5). Subsequently, Fe2+ is transported through the endosomal membrane by DMT1. In erythroid cells, more than 90% of Fe has to enter mitochondria where ferrochelatase, the final enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway that inserts Fe2+ into protoporphyrin IX, resides. The intracellular path of iron from endosomes to ferrochelatase is still obscure or, at best, controversial. The prevailing opinion is that Fe, after its export from endosomes, spreads into the cytosol, from where the metal mysteriously finds its way into mitochondria. An opposing view is that the highly efficient transport of Fe toward ferrochelatase in erythroid cells requires a direct interaction between transferrin-endosomes and mitochondria ("kiss-and-run" hypothesis;Ponka Blood 89:1, 1997). Despite the longevity of the prevailing opinion, experimental evidence (Richardson et al. Blood 87:3477, 1996; Zhang et al. Blood 105:368, 2005; Sheftel et al. Blood 110: 125, 2007) only supports the latter hypothesis, which sees favorable reception among Cell Biologists (McBride BMC Biology 13:8, 2015). Our laboratory has demonstrated, using both 2D and 3D live confocal imaging, that the intracellular Fe pathway in erythroid cells indeed involves a transient interaction of endosomes with mitochondria. To furtherdemonstrate the contact between these organelles, we have developed a novel method based on flow cytometry analysis ("flow sub-cytometry") of lysates obtained from reticulocytes with fluorescently labeled mitochondria (MitoTracker Deep Red; MTDR) and endosomes (Alexa Green Transferrin; AGTf). Using this strategy, we have identified three distinct populations: endosomes, mitochondria, and a population double-labeled with both fluorescent markers representing endosomes interacting with mitochondria. The size of the double-labeled population increases with the incubation time and plateaus in approximately 20 min. In this study, we examined whether reticulocyte mitochondria interact with Tf in a cell-free system. Lysates obtained by freeze-thawing of reticulocytes previously labeled with MTDR were incubated with AGTf for various time intervals. Examination of lysates by 2D confocal microscopy has revealed a time-dependent increase in the number of mitochondria being in contact with Tf-endosomes (fig 1: Images of mitochondria and endosomes; 20 min incubation with AGTf). This can be prevented by Fe2-Tf, but not by albumin, added to lysates. Moreover, the addition of unlabeled Fe2-Tf to reticulocyte lysates removed AGTf from mitochondria. We conclude that mitochondria from freeze-thawed reticulocyte lysates are associated with TfR that can reversibly bind Tf. We have also embarked on uncovering molecular partners involved in the endosome-mitochondria interactions. Using co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down strategies, we have attempted to detect proteins interacting with the intracellular loops of DMT1 that could be candidates for interactions with mitochondria. The co-immunoprecipitated proteins were separated based on their molecular weights, stained using Coomassie and/or Silver gel and identified by mass spectrometry followed by western blotting. We co-immunoprecipitated (from murine eryhroleukemia [MEL] cells and reticulocytes lysates) proteins that were pulled down with DMT1. One of the proteins that we have recognized is the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), which is located at the outer membrane of the mitochondrion (Graham, et al. Curr Top Dev Biol. 59: 87, 2004). The identity of DMT1 was confirmed by western blotting using specific antibodies against VDAC. These results further support the concept of the physical interaction between endosomes and mitochondria. To examine a possible role of DMT1-VDAC interactions in iron trafficking, we silenced the expression of VDAC in MEL cells followed by the measurement of 59Fe incorporation from 59Fe-Tf into heme. Our finding of decreased 59Fe incorporation into heme of MEL cells with silenced VDAC supports the idea that this outer-membrane mitochondrial protein is involved in the interaction with endosomes. Download : Download high-res image (87KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


We derive a measurement-independent asymptotic continuity bound on the observational entropy for general positive operator valued measures measurements, making essential use of its property of bounded concavity. The same insight is used to obtain continuity bounds for other entropic quantities, including the measured relative entropy distance to a convex set of states under a general set of measurements. As a special case, we define and study conditional observational entropy, which is an observational entropy in one (measured) subsystem conditioned on the quantum state in another (unmeasured) subsystem. We also study continuity of relative entropy with respect to a jointly applied channel, finding that observational entropy is uniformly continuous as a function of the measurement. But we show by means of an example that this continuity under measurements cannot have the form of a concrete asymptotic bound.


Community-based Fresh Start courses have been running at local community centres throughout Victoria since February 1983. This paper describes the key features of this program and identifies the factors which relate to smoking cessation. Data were collected from 3298 participants who attended a program between February 1983 and June 1988. All participants were asked to complete three short questionnaires: on arrival at the course, at the conclusion of the course and a year after finishing the course. Although most participants had made previous unsuccessful quit attempts and perceived quitting to be difficult, attendance at the course had a major impact on their reported smoking. At the conclusion of the course at least 51% of participants had quit smoking and the remaining participants had reduced their smoking by an average of 50%. At the 1 year follow-up, at least 23% of participants were non-smokers and the remaining participants had reduced their smoking by an average of 21%. Successful quitting at the end of the course and at the 12 month follow-up was positively related to the number of sessions attended and the perceived likelihood of quitting, and negatively related to initial cigarette consumption.


Results from studies in several cancers on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) suggest that DNA repair capacity may have prognostic implication for disease recurrence, survival, and responses to treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the potential prognostic value of SNPs as biomarkers in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) treated with platinum. Analysis of SNPs from peripheral blood cells was performed by polymerase chain reaction. Excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1)-Asn118Asn, excision repair cross-complementing group 2 (ERCC2)-Lys751Gln, X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1)-Arg399Gln, and tumor protein 53 (TP53)-Arg72Pro polymorphisms were evaluated in conjunction with clinical and pathological parameters, and survival. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 145 patients were 5.1 months and 30.9 months, respectively. In the univariate analysis ERCC1 genotype, XRCC1 genotype, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) were significant parameters for OS. In the multivariate analysis ERCC1 genotype, XRCC1 genotype, and ECOG-PS retained their significance. The median OS was 45.2 months for the ERCC1 normal (CC) and heterozygote (CT) genotypes, and 25.5 months for the ERCC1 mutant (TT) genotype. The median OS was 31.4 months for the XRCC1 normal (AA) and heterozygote (AG) genotypes, and 23.1 months for the XRCC1 mutant (GG) genotype. The median OS was 30,7 months for ECOG-PS≤ 1 and 10.2 months for ECOG-PS≥ 2. ERCC1 and XRCC1 genotypes, and ECOG-PS independently predicted OS in mNSCLC patients. Additional studies are needed for the further evaluation of potential prognostic SNPs in mNSCLC.


The study of British attitudes to the French Revolution continues to attract substantial scholarly attention. In recent years, this has resulted not only in the excavation of a substantial volume of new detail, but also in increasing attention being paid to the political experiences of members of the middling and lower orders during the revolutionary and Napoleonic decades. While historians have been interested in radicals and reformers from these social strata since the publication of E. P. Thompson's The making of the English working class in 1963, it is only more recently that their loyalist and less partisan counterparts have been examined by scholars to the same extent. This article begins by summarizing the recent publication of large collections of primary sources and of major biographies in this area. It then discusses recent historiographical advances and debates in the following areas : the British debate over the French Revolution ; the political participation of members of the middle and working classes in patriotic and loyalist activities ; the culture of popular politics ; and the question of national identity.


The 92nd Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America was held on April 9–11, 1997 at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii. The meeting was hosted by the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Patricia Cooper was the meeting chairperson, and Gerard Fryer and Neil Frazer chaired the program committee. Over 200 presentations were made at the meeting, which had a registration of 250. The meeting venue was comfortable and attractive, and both the poster sessions and the talks were well attended. The annual luncheon featured several notable events. The SSA Medal was awarded to Jim Brune of the University of Nevada at Reno. Bruce Bolt (University of California at Berkeley), David Boore (U.S. Geological Survey) and Tom McEvilly (University of California at Berkeley), all former BSSA editors, were named as honorary members of the SSA. Finally, Steve Wesnousky delivered the presidential address. Local television and newspapers covered...


In order to identify the desiccation tolerance of E. edulis seeds, four fruitlots were collected from the Campinas Agronomic Institute Palmae collection, located at Ubatuba, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and taken in moisture-proof containers to the College of Agriculture in Botucatu, state of Sao Paulo, There, the fruits were shelled and the seeds were dried, either under siliea gel conditions or in a drying chamber. The effects of dehydration were evaluated by measurements of the germination, embryo protrusion, germinative button plumule, speed of emergence, seedling length, seed dry matter and water content. Differences among seedlots and between harvest season for most of the traits were observed. Euterpe edulis seedlots seem to tolerate water content reductions until 39% without significant reduction in germination and vigor. Below this value, most of the evaluated traits were negatively affected. Total loss of germination was observed whenever seed water content was reduced to values below 21%.


ABSTRACT This typological account of the urban morphology of shopping presents a diagrammatic genealogy of urban retail types from traditional markets, streets and plazas through various adaptations and mutations into the contemporary shopping mall and power centre. This genealogy shows an increased car-dependency, privatized and centralized control, and disintegration from urban life. Many cities have been transformed by contemporary retail types that are less walkable, equitable, productive and resilient than those from which they were derived. The challenge lies in the invention of new retail types with potential for re-integration into more resilient forms of urban development.


The Azores bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina Godman, 1866) is a rare Passeriformes endemic from the eastern part of São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal. This bird was almost considered extinct in the first half of the 20th century, but due to recent conservation measures, it has experienced a recovery since the beginning of the 2000s. Despite the attention given to this bird, the size of its population is still controversial, and the most recent studies present significant divergences on this behalf. The purpose of the present study is to present data from the long-term monitoring and results of the third single-morning survey of the Azores bullfinch to update information about the population size and range of this species. In addition, we performed a literature review to highlight the limitations and advantages of the different approaches for monitoring this species. The Azores Bullfinch records during the single-morning survey indicated a reduction in the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of this species in comparison with the previous studies, despite the increase in bird detection. However, we suggest that the distribution range of this species needs further analysis concerning its area to exclude non suitable habitats from this analysis. In this study, we conclude that the most likely size of the Azores bullfinch population is 500 to 800 couples, with a slow population growth tendency and an area of distribution of 136.5 km2.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) on proliferation and malignant phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG-2.

METHODS
HepG-2 cells were cultured by routine method, and then treated with different concentrations of GABA. The proliferation of HepG-2 cells was measured through MTT, doubling time and cell cycles by flow cytometry. The malignant phenotypes were investigated by soft agar colony formation assay.

RESULTS
Compared with the control group, GABA efficiently stimulated the proliferation of HepG-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner and affected the distribution of cell cycles of HepG-2 cells. The doubling time of the control group and the GABA-treated group were 39.0, 30.6, 30.0, 27.3, 26.6, and 38.2 h, respectively. The colony formation rates were 3.2%, 4.2%, 5.4%, 6.6%,6.5%, and 3.5%, respectively. Tumorigenicity testing showed that the average weights of tumor was 1.382 g, and 0.285 g for the 2 groups. The difference between the control group and the GABA-treated groups was significant (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION
GABA can enhance the proliferation and malignant phenotypes of HepG-2 cells.


ATTITUDES TOWARD SOCIAL ACTIVISM BY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES by Aaron M. Flores Many professional athletes have raised awareness about and publicly protested social injustices. Athlete activism research has generally supported that such activism results in harsh backlash against the athletes, stemming from beliefs that politics and social justice protests do not belong in sports; patriotic/nationalistic values leading individuals to view such protests as un-American; and racial beliefs and attitudes, especially towards African American athletes. While robust, much of this research is theoretical or qualitative in nature and mainly examined reactions towards Black football players, with less focus on White athletes or those in different sports. To address these gaps, the current research used quantitative methods to examine attitudes towards a Black or White athlete who advocates for social justice. Social Identity Theory was applied to explore the relationships between fans' own patriotic beliefs, level of sports identification, and their athlete activist attitudes. Participants' scores on the Modern Racism Scale were assessed to examine the influence of these racial beliefs on athlete activist evaluations. Results yielded no impact of athlete's race, sports league, or their interaction on participants' athlete attitudes. However, consistent with hypotheses, relationships were found between social justice beliefs, level of sports fandom, patriotic beliefs, and Modern Racism beliefs. Implications of these findings, limitations, and future research directions were discussed.


As a necessary part of our daily life, choose what dishes to cook that is a problem and troubles many people every day. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of multimedia recipe data on the Web 2.0 communities. To assist people to navigate and search on from large amounts of recipes, a suitable recipe model is crucial and indispensable. However, recipes have some distinct characteristics that conventional data models are inadequate to represent them for such data. For example, it is unreasonable and insufficient to measure how similar the cooking procedures of two dishes are only through text descriptions and/or their extracted terms. The main reason is that this raw data (or low-level features extracted from the raw data, e.g. term for text, color for image) do not map to the high-level semantics readily. In this paper, we argue that a recipe model should be semantic-based and behavior-oriented, preferably with domain knowledge support. A hybrid semantic item (HSI) model is next presented for addressing this problem. Based on HSI model, we devise a corresponding approach for recipe search by example. The experiment on our multimedia recipe retrieval system demonstrates that our HSI approach outperforms baseline methods.


OBJECTIVES
The incidence of percutaneous coronary intervention following bypass surgery(coronary artery bypass grafting: CABG) is not low, but the outcomes of patients requiring percutaneous coronary intervention after CABG are not well known.

METHODS
From June 1970 to June 2000, 2,981 patients underwent CABG at our institute using 6,747 grafts including 2,875 saphenous vein graft(SVG), 3,042 internal thoracic artery(ITA), 706 gastro-epiploic artery(GEA), 122 radial artery(RA), and 2 others. Three hundred twenty-seven patients underwent subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention in 520 lesions(104 SVG, 97 ITA, 12 GEA, 8 RA, 299 native artery). The initial results and long-term outcome following percutaneous coronary intervention in these 520 consecutive procedures were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTS
Percutaneous coronary intervention to arterial grafts were performed mainly within the early post-operative period, whereas percutaneous coronary intervention to vein grafts had two periodic peaks in the early post-operative period and at 7 years after CABG. Procedural success rate of percutaneous coronary intervention was 90% for SVG, 81% for ITA, 58% for GEA, 88% for RA, and 87% for native arteries. Restenosis rate was 56% for SVG, 30% for ITA, 83% for GEA, 83% for RA, and 49% for native arteries. Cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention with previous CABG were greater in cases of ITA, followed by native arteries, SVG, GEA and RA(p = 0.0046). In the early post-operative period, there was no significant difference between ITA and SVG. In the chronic stage, the prognosis of cardiac events after PCI for SVG was worse than for ITA.

CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous coronary intervention after CABG requires strategic consideration based on target-specific initial results and long-term outcome.


A basis for the reorganization of the bilayer structure in biological membranes is the different aggregate structures formed by lipids in water. The phase equilibria of all individual lipids and several in vivo polar lipid mixtures from acyl chain modified membranes of Acholeplasma laidlawii were investigated with different NMR techniques. All dioleoyl (DO) polar lipids, except monoglucosyldiglyceride (MGDG), form lamellar liquid crystalline (L alpha) phases only. The phase diagram of DOMGDG reveals reversed cubic (III), reversed hexagonal (HII), and L alpha phases. In mixtures of DOMGDG and dioleoyldiglycosyldiglyceride (DODGDG), the formation of an III (or HII) phase is enhanced by DOMGDG and low hydration or high temperatures. For in vivo mixtures of all polar DO lipids, a transition from an L alpha to an III phase is promoted by low hydration or high temperatures (50 degrees C). The phospholipids are incorporated in this III phase. Likewise, III and HII phases are formed at similar temperatures in a series of in vivo mixtures with different extents of acyl chain unsaturation. However, their melting temperatures (Tm) vary in an expected manner. All cubic and hexagonal phases, except the III phase with DOMGDG, exist in equilibrium with excess water. The maximum hydration of MGDG and DGDG is similar and increases with acyl chain unsaturation but is substantially lower than that for, e.g., phosphatidylcholine. The translational diffusion of the lipids in the cubic phases is rapid, implying bicontinuous structures. However, their appearances in freeze-fracture electron microscope pictures are different. The III phase of DOMGDG belongs to the Ia3d space group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The evolution of scholarly communications has accelerated in recent years, and 2020 for obvious reasons put even more pressure on the sector to evolve and adapt. By opening up access to research publications, by simplifying or customising the digital experience, or by improving the speed of publishing – the focus is firmly placed on the need for publishers to work more in partnership with each other, with institutions, funders, and new players in the market to develop solutions that meet the evolving needs of researchers and the wider community. Partnerships between different actors in the research process address challenges in practice and help advance open science, publishing, and the research system as a whole.


Various Markov encoding and decoding techniques are often proposed for specific channels, e.g., the multi-access channel (MAC) with feedback, the relay channel, the MAC with cribbing encoders [1], [2], [3]. The goal of this report is to summarize the basic ideas of some block Markov coding techniques and present them using two simple channels, namely the point-to-point channel and the relay channel. Transmission using block Markov coding operates over a number of blocks. In each block, with the exception of the first or the last block, a new message is sent. However, the codeword to send at each block depends on not only "fresh" information but also "past" information from one or more previous blocks. Hence the name "Markov encoding". The information from previous blocks can be refined information for the previous message or cooperative information for other users, etc. At the receiver, since the channel output at each block is related with messages from previous blocks, different decoding schemes have been proposed. The rest of this summary is organized as follows. Section II discusses the application of Markov coding in the point-to-point, discrete memoryless channel (DMC). Block Markov coding is unnecessarily complicated for a simple point-to-point DMC, but studying this setting allows for a simplified treatment of the scheme's mechanics. To illustrate the benefits of block Markov coding in multi-user information theory, Section III applies block Markov coding techniques to prove an achievable rate for the relay channel. Section IV concludes the paper.


The rebound of online public opinion is an important driving force in inducing a secondary crisis in the case of public emergencies. Effective risk-information communication is an important means to manage online public opinion regarding emergencies. This paper employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to discover which conditions are combined and may result in the rebound of online public opinion. Five conditions were selected: the type of public emergency, messengers, message attributes, audience, and information feedback. The study used a sample of 25 major public emergencies that occurred between 2015 and 2020 in China. The type of public emergency, audience, and information feedback emerged as critical influencing factors. Message attributes promote the rebound of online public opinion regarding public health emergencies, while messengers play a traction role in the rebound of online public opinion on other types of public emergencies. This study extends risk-information communication theory from the perspective of the type of emergency, explores the causes of rebounded online public opinion regarding public emergencies, and provides policies and suggestions for risk-information communication and online public-opinion governance during emergencies.


In this paper, the performance of a new design of a piezoelectric Inertial Measurement Unit system (EMU) is evaluated through FEM simulations. This paper compares performance of a new proposed design with a previously reported one. The proposed sensor relies on Coriolis Effect for angular velocity detection and on direct piezoelectric Effect for acceleration measurements. This work addresses the detection improvement of both angular velocity and acceleration motions through a new proposed design. Compared to the reported design, the new structure produces an increase of 37.5% in the output voltage for a z-axis acceleration of 10 g. Similarly, for an angular velocity of 180 deg/s, an output voltage of 1 V is obtained from the new design compared to 200 mV from the reported one.


The joule balance, an approach for precisely measuring the Planck constant at the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), China, is currently limited by the self-heating of the coil when the measuring current flows. To solve this heating problem, a superconducting coil has been built to replace the existing fixed coil wound with enameled copper wire. The movable coil set is formed by two enameled coils connected oppositely for easy alignment in air. However, the large self-inductance of the superconducting coil brings new challenges for the a mutual inductance measurement. Mutual inductance measurement of superconducting coil based on standard square wave compensation method is presented and discussed in this paper.


In this report we give the documentation for LAKONT, a multi-trophic level model for energy flow and population dynamics in the neighborhood of the Nine Mile Point and Fitzpatrick nuclear power stations. The model contains equations from models reviewed from the literature and is designed to compare the behavior of models put together with different combinations of the reviewed equations. Here we give the equation forms and rationale, a description of the biotic and spatial structure of the models, a list of notation and parameter values and reference to the sources of data used to estimate parameter values and run the model.


Management strategies for ventricular arrhythmias are guided by the risk of sudden death and severity of symptoms. Patients with a substantial risk of sudden death usually need an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Although ICDs effectively end most episodes of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation and decrease mortality in specific populations of patients, they have inherent risks and limitations. Generally, antiarrhythmic drugs do not provide sufficient protection from sudden death, but do have a role in reducing arrhythmias that cause symptoms. Catheter ablation is likewise important for reducing the frequency of spontaneous arrhythmias and is curative for some patients, usually those with idiopathic arrhythmias and no heart disease. Arrhythmia surgery is now infrequent, offered by only a few specialised centres for refractory arrhythmias. Advances in understanding of genetic arrhythmia syndromes and in technology for mapping and ablation of ventricular arrhythmias, and enhanced algorithms in implantable devices for rhythm management, have contributed to improved outcomes.


The optical properties of tungsten oxide thin films prepared by a reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique were investigated. The influences of O 2 flow rates (15 and 18 sccm) and DC sputtering powers (5, 15 and 25 W) on the optical properties of 200 nm-thick tungsten oxide films on indium tin oxide substrates (WO 3 /ITO/glass) were investigated using UV-visible spectrophotometer. The results indicated that the transmission modulation in visible region between colored state and bleached state of the films increased significantly with decreasing DC sputtering power and increasing O 2 flow rate. The results corresponded with the increase of film roughness and density which promoted the intercalation and deintercalation. The diffusion coefficient of the films was extracted from anodic peak current of cyclic voltammogram to determine the charge intercalation across the films. With the deposition power of 5 W and the O 2 flow rate of 18 sccm, the films showed the highest transmission modulation and differential optical density in visible region of 23.35% and 0.223, respectively. This information provided an advantage for developing high performance of electrochromic devices.


The estuary of the Palmones River is a shallow fluvial catchment area, which had suffered major hydrodynamic changes over the last decade related to the construction of a dam. The estuary acts as a nutrient sink, and its catchment area shows high eutrophication (Perez-Llorens, Fernandez and Niell, 1989; Clavero, Niell and Fernandez, 1997). Nutrient concentration, salinity and evolution of current speed were monitored at the mouth of the estuary during a complete tidal cycle in the spring of 1997. The authors found strong water- column stratification, which enabled them to determine the input and output estuarine fluxes, using a two-box model. The deepest water mass, with a relatively constant composition, is responsible for the nutrient input into the estuary. Surface waters export nutrients to adjacent coastal zones, although this phenomenon has an obvious seasonal component. Net balance reveals a silicate, phosphate and ammonia output and frequent nitrogen forms (nitrite and nitrate) inputs.


The appearance of undesirable bitter taste in Ragusano cheese was investigated by comparing the composition of 9 bitter cheeses with that of 9 reference cheeses of good quality by means of chemical, electrophoretic, and chromatographic analyses. Rates of proteolysis were significantly affected in cheeses of different quality. Primary proteolysis, as measured by pH 4.6-soluble N, was significantly greater in bitter cheeses compared with reference samples. Urea-PAGE profiles showed an almost complete breakdown of caseins in bitter cheeses and the further degradation of primary peptides into smaller compounds not detectable by this technique. Cheeses with defects had significantly lower levels of secondary proteolysis as reflected by the percentage of pH 4.6-soluble N soluble in 12% trichloroacetic acid and the amounts of total free amino acids. Peptides separated by reversed phase-HPLC revealed that the large and significant differences in peptide profiles of the soluble fractions between bitter and reference cheeses were mainly due to a much higher proportion of hydrophobic peptides in the former. The occurrence of bitterness in Ragusano cheese was therefore attributable to unbalanced levels of proteolysis and peptidolysis. Extensive degradation of caseins and primary peptides by activities of proteases produced large amounts of small- and medium-sized hydrophobic peptides that were not adequately removed by peptidases of microflora and therefore accumulated in cheese potentially contributing to its bitter taste. The presence of these compounds in bitter cheeses was related to high salt-in-moisture and low moisture contents that limited the enzymatic activities of microflora important in secondary proteolysis. Combining salt-in-moisture and the ratio of hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic soluble peptides resulted in the best logistic partial least squares regression model predicting cheese quality. Although bitterness is known to be rarely encountered in cheese at salt-in-moisture levels >5.0, all of the bitter cheeses analyzed in this study had salt-in-moisture levels much greater than this value. According to the logistic model, a risk of bitterness development may exist for cheeses with a midrange (5 to 10%) salt-in-moisture content but with an inadequate level of secondary proteolysis.


Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been the subject of ongoing debate regarding its indication, techniques and impact on offspring. The intention of this article is to review newer progress in the field of performing ICSI technique, presentation of literature outcome data as well as data of follow up studies children conceived after IVF/ICSI procedure.


【Objective】 The effects of mixed phosphate,soybean protein isolate and k-carrageenan on yield of chicken sausage were studied to provide a reference for the processing of chicken sausage.【Method】 To optimize the best ratio,mixed phosphate,soybean protein isolated,k-carrageenan were used as the independent variables,yield of chicken sausage as response value,the maximum yield as target,then a predictive polynomial quadratic model was set up by means of central composite design.【Result】 Results showed that mixed phosphate and a-carrageenan have significant impact on the yield of chicken sausage(P0.01),while soybean protein isolate has effect(P0.05).【Conclusion】 The best ratio of additives for producing chicken sausage was optimized:mixed phosphate 3.4 g/kg,soybean protein isolate 69.3 g/kg,k-carrageenan 5.0 g/kg.Under these conditions,the yield of chicken sausage is up to 100.87%.


The variability of species under local ecosystems, particularly in response to temperatures during endodormancy, permits adaptation of temperate fruit trees to subtropical climates. Information about the behavior of endodormant fruit trees and seeds is based on a narrow genetic base from higher latitudes. This work was conducted to generate information about responses of endodormant seeds from several subtropical peach (Prunus persica L.) genotypes, as a basis for breeding and selection in these regions. Samples of peach seeds were collected from genotypes originating at a range of altitudes in tropical-subtropical regions to evaluate their responses to different temperatures and lengths of stratification periods. When seeds were stratified at 7 °C, some genotypes with very low-chilling requirement registered a high percent germination in <40 days, and all accessions studied reached 95% germination before day 80. When seeds were stratified at warmer temperatures (10 and 14 °C), germination started earlier and was high at 10 °C for most accessions. Although seeds of some late-blooming accessions germinated earlier at 10 or 14 °C than at 7 °C, percent germination was lower and time-response curves were flatter. This contrasts with previous reports on genotypes with high-chilling requirement, where no germination was registered at 14 °C. These observations provide a background for screening seedlings for adaptation to local conditions, and suggest that endodormancy models should be based on information generated from local genotypes when applied in subtropical regions.


In addition to buprenorphine monotherapy tablets, film and tablets combining 4 parts buprenorphine and 1 part naloxone (a mu opioid antagonist) are also being used in maintenance treatment for opioid dependence (Chiang and Hawks, 2003). (The original manufacturer of the combination tablets stopped supplying them but generic versions and new brand, Zubsolv®*, are now available.) In fact, the buprenorphine/naloxone combination is preferred over buprenorphine monotherapy in almost all situations because the combination tablets are less liable to be abused (Johnson et al., 2003.) Combination buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual film is also available, marketed under the brand name Suboxone®.


Background/Aims: Conservative management of traumatic epidural hematomas is being recognized as a safe alternative to surgical treatment in asymptomatic children. There is still debate about the maximal size of epidural hematoma that should be tolerated before deciding for surgery. Methods: We report - through a retrospective cohort study from a single institution - a series of 16 conservatively managed traumatic epidural hematomas of more than 15 mm thickness. Results: 14 patients (88%) were successfully treated using conservative management. Two patients required surgery. These 2 patients had the only 2 documented high-velocity injury mechanisms. All patients had a Glasgow Outcome Scale of 5/5 on follow-up. Conclusion: Conservative management with close observation is a safe alternative even in this population of voluminous hematomas. Injury velocity may be a contributing factor for failure of conservative management in this population.


We find that risk sharing in the European Union (EU) has been increasing over the past decade due to increased cross-ownership of assets across countries. Industrial special- ization has also been increasing over the last decade and we conjecture that risk sharing plays an important causal effect by allowing countries to specialize without being subject to higher income risk even though the variability of output may increase. We believe that lower trade barriers may not have played a dominant causal role during this decade be- cause the effect of lower trade barriers has probably already played itself out. We further find that the asymmetry of GDP fluctuations in the EU has declined steeply over the last two decades. This may be due to economic policies becoming more similar as countries were adjusting fiscal policy in order to meet the Maastricht criteria, but a similar result was found for U.S. states so the finding may be due to a different nature of the shocks to the world economy in the 1990s. We expect to see a further rise in risk sharing between EU countries, accompanied by more specialization. However, the resulting increase in GDP asymmetry should be minor and will have small welfare costs because increased risk sharing should lower income (GNP) asymmetry.


Three different containment transport processes of fleas were evaluated as an approach to the bacteriologic isolation of Yersinia pestis. The three methods employed were: live fleas in glass tubes containing pieces of wrapped filter paper; dead fleas in saline solution; and macerated fleas in Cary-Blair culture medium. The two latter methods were almost equal and superior to the first method. A total of 29512 flea pools, from plaque foci in Northeast Brazil collected during 1966 to 1982 were evaluated by the three methods. Among these samples, 236 (0.80%) flea pools were positive with regard to bacteriological cultivation and/or infection of susceptible animals.


With over fifty years of oil industry operation in Nigeria, the sector is still largely foreign-technology driven. The national government's involvement has been classified into three distinct era: (1) The Era of Royalty (1956-1970) when government played passive facilitative role limited to the collection of royalties, rents, taxes and other forms of dues from the oil companies; (2) the Era of Shareholding (1971-2004) when petroleum was established as a strategic rational resource which meant that ownership, control and exploitation should be vested in the Federal Government and (3) the Era of Active Involvement (2004-date) in which government seeks greater indigenous involvement through the encouragement of indigenous participation in upstream operations (Marginal Fields Development Programme) and the internalization of input in the industry by increasing the quantum of composite value added or created in the Nigerian economy through the utilization of Nigerian human and material resources (Local Content Development Programme). The latter programme is thus an attempt at circumventing both the capitalist and the critical social theories of technology transfer and developing an indigenous technology initiative. Physical infrastructure and social macroeconomic environment, institutional framework as well as attitudinal changes are identified as critical to the successful Nigerianization of oil industry in Nigeria. Keywords: Technology transfer, challenges, local content development, capitalist and critical social theories.


Jin-Taur Shih (1997) Sex steroid-like substances in the ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of female Mictyris brevidactylus. Zoological Studies 36(2): 136-145. This study was designed to determine if certain tissues of the soldier crab Mictyris brevidactylus contain sex steroid-like hormones. Ethanol extracts were prepared from ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of female crabs. A progesterone-like substance was detected by HPLC and RIA in the steroid residues of all 3 tissues. High levels of the progesterone-like substance were found in the prereproductive season (September-December) and low levels in the reproductive (egg-carrying, January-April) and nonreproductive seasons (May-August). An estradiol-like substance was detected by RIA only in ovaries, hepatopancreases, and body fluid of the prereproductive season. Ovaries had high levels of progesterone-like and estradiol-like substances in November, or December, while these 2 hormones reached their peak phases in the hepatopancreases and body fluid at least 1 to 2 months before in the ovary. The possible role of sex steroids in this crab is discussed.


Objective: High on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) was associated with an increased risk of ischemic events in clopidogrel-treated patients. Cigarette smoking was considered as an inducer of CYP1A2, and may theoretically enhance the biological effects and clinical efficacy of clopidogrel through facilitating the conversion of clopidogrel into its active metabolite. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cigarette smoking on the platelet response to clopidogrel. Design and Method: A total of 713 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were selected from Beijing Shijingshan Hospital and assigned to treatment with a loading 300 mg dose of clopidogrel. All patients are Han ethnicity from local community in Beijing. ADP-induced platelet aggregation inhibition was measured by thrombelastography (TEG). Results: For both previous smokers and nonsmokers, significantly lower ADP-induced platelet aggregation inhibition were found compared with current smokers (69.16 ± 26.57 vs. 75.92 ± 22.76, p = 0.017 and 65.55 ± 23.85 vs. 75.92 ± 22.76, p = 0.006, respectively). Yet, previous smokers had higher ADP-induced platelet inhibition than nonsmokers, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.996). During clopidogrel therapy, ADP-induced platelet aggregation inhibition trended higher in current smokers whose length of smoking was more than or equal to 25 years than whose length of smoking was less than 25 (p = 0.045). Similarly, current smokers of 11–20 and > 20 cigarettes per day displayed greater platelet inhibition compared with nonsmokers (75.68 ± 23.30 vs. 65.55 ± 23.85, p = 0.027 and 77.22 ± 22.23 vs. 65.55 ± 23.85, p = 0.035, respectively). In a multivariate logistics regression analysis, cigarette smoking was an independent influencing variable for high on-treatment platelet inhibition (OR = 1.550, p = 0.004). Conclusions: In our study, cigarette smoking was positively associated with enhanced response to clopidogrel. The study also demonstrated that the length of smoking and amount of cigarettes smoked appeared to affect the response to clopidogrel in Chinese patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.


We report N and He isotopic and relative abundance characteristics of volatiles emitted from two segments of the Central American volcanic arc. In Guatemala, δ15N values are positive (i.e., greater than air) and N2/He ratios are high (up to 25,000). In contrast, Costa Rican N2/He ratios are low (maximum 1483) and δ15N values are negative (minimum –3.0 per mil). The results identify shallow hemipelagic sediments, subducted into the Guatemalan mantle, as the transport medium for the heavy N. Mass balance arguments indicate that the subducted N is efficiently cycled to the atmosphere by arc volcanism. Therefore, the subduction zone acts as a "barrier" to input of sedimentary N to the deeper mantle.