While many aspects of the growth of maize are well understood, the role of cell wall feruloylation particularly during internode elongation has not been firmly established, but results so far indicate that it has significant implications for both biofuel feedstock conversion and for crop yield. The growth of the cell wall is achieved by synthesis, integration and cross-linking between wall polymers. As ferulate oxidative coupling of arabinoxylan side chains constitutes a significant type of cross-link in grass cell walls, it is expected to have a crucial role in plant growth. Making use of plants expressing an apoplast targeted Aspergillus niger FAEA under the control of either a constitutive or an inducible promoter, the role of cell wall feruloylation in maize internode expansion was investigated. Analysis of FAEA expressing plants showed that where FAEA was targeted to the apoplast under a constitutive promoter, plants varied in stature either from semi-dwarf plants with a 40–60% height reduction, to extreme dwarf mutants with over 90% reduction in plant heights compared to controls. Results indicate that disruption of cell wall feruloylation by FAEA occurs before the start of rapid internode expansion is initiated and affects the normal course of internode elongation, resulting in short internodes and dwarfed plants. In contrast, when under the inducible Lm See1 senescence promoter, FAEA activity was found to be low up to the VT stage of development but increased significantly at the VR stage as plants began to senesce, strongly suggesting that normal cell wall feruloylation is required for the process of internode expansion. In addition, with apoplast targeted expression of FAEA under control of the senescence enhanced promoter it was possible to demonstrate decreased cell wall feruloylation without affecting internode expansion or other aspects of plant development.


The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are mesenchymal derived "pacemaker cells" of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that generate spontaneous slow waves required for peristalsis and mediate neuronal input from the enteric nervous system1. Different subtypes of ICC form distinct networks in the muscularis of the GI tract 2,3. Loss or injury to these networks is associated with a number of motility disorders4. ICC cells express the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase on the plasma membrane and KIT immunostaining has been used for the past 15 years to label the ICC network5,6. Importantly, normal KIT activity is required for ICC development5,6. Neoplastic transformation of ICC cells results in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), that frequently harbor gain-of-function KIT mutations7,8. We recently showed that ETV1 is a lineage-specific survival factor expressed in the ICC/GIST lineage and is a master transcriptional regulator required for both normal ICC network formation and for of GIST tumorigenesis9. We further demonstrate that it cooperates with activating KIT mutations in tumorigenesis. Here, we describe methods for visualization of ICC networks in mice, largely based on previously published protocols10,11. More recently, the chloride channel anoctamin 1 (ANO1) has also been characterized as a specific membrane marker of ICC11,12. Because of their plasma membrane localization, immunofluorescence of both proteins can be used to visualize the ICC networks. Here, we describe visualization of the ICC networks by fixed-frozen cyrosections and whole mount preparations.


While there has been a distinct evolution in how middle managers participate in change, from resistors to facilitators, they often remain ineffective due to executive constraints. Emphasizing the crucial role middle managers play in shaping systems during change, a lack of empowerment to fill an interstitial role is presented as a central source of change failure. A qualitative case study theoretically underpinned by a practical rationality approach of a failed change initiative at a large financial services firm is presented to explore the interstitial nature of middle managers. Findings indicate that this failure can be attributed to the evolution of closed executive and rank-and-file systems, leaving middle managers powerless and resulting in the firm being bought-out. Pulling from this case and research on middle managers, a key contribution of this study is the presentation of empowering interface as a focal lens through which micro and macro gaps in change can be captured and addressed. Empowering interface reveals how standard lists of variables depicted as undermining change (i.e. poor climate, involvement, communication) are often manifestations of broader systemic problems. Embracing an interstitial role allows middle managers to establish a shared discourse, promoting cascading empowerment, opening systems, and cultivating successful change. Concrete steps are presented detailing how empowering interface can be used by middle managers to bridge closed systems and save organizational changes. Using the derived model, practical implications are provided for middle managers wishing to develop empowering interface, executives designing functional change, and scholars striving to improve change success.


Basal serum thyroxine (T4) concentration and the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test were used to assess thyroid function in 36 critically ill cats examined between July 1996 and October 1998. Of the 36 cats. hyperthyroidism (as underlying or complicating disease) was suspected in 22 based on clinical signs, palpable thyroid nodules, and abnormal thyroid gland histology (study group). Hyperthyroidism was not suspected in the remaining 14 cats, which served as the control group. Based on serum T4 concentrations, suppression of thyroid function was documented in 14 (64%) cats of the study group and in 10 (71%) cats of the control group. The TRH stimulation test revealed an increase in serum T4 of less than 50% of the baseline concentration in 18 (82%) cats of the study group, and in 6 (43%) cats of the control group. In conclusion, based on the results of serum T4 determinations and the TRH stimulation tests, it was not possible to differentiate between cats with clinical and histologic evidence of thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism) and cats with severe nonthyroidal illnesses.


The present study discusses epistemological foundations of intercultural constructions of the New Testament in Africa. Before embarking on this discussion, it documents the history and procedures of this interpretive tool. In Africa, the intercultural method emanates from the paradigm of inculturation coupled with reconstruction. It has already embraced biblical exegesis, translation studies, canonical criticism and ecological hermeneutics. Contribution: The insights of the article 'Intercultural constructions of the New Testament: Epistemological foundations' pertain firstly to the description of the method of intercultural constructions, taking stock of its emergence, development, procedures, and epistemological foundations in both African and international theological circles. Secondly, the study has specifically established the following epistemological foundations of the intercultural method: interculturality as the cradle of the New Testament corpus, an existential mode, an interpretive paradigm, and interaction with a triple hexagonal dimension. The latter includes a triple pitfall (to avoid), a triple frame of reference, a triple epistemological privilege, a triple epistemological value, a triple ethical value, and a triple cultural position.


Corylus avellana is a hard-to-root species, thus hazelnut cultivar propagation by stem cuttings is considered difficult. The rooting of cuttings is influenced by many exogenous and endogenous factors such as hormones, cutting quality, and environmental conditions. In particular, rooting success of soft wood cuttings could be enhanced by the application of additive light during rooting due to the possible increase of photosynthetic activity of the cutting leaf and of the consequent increase of the carbohydrate content of the cutting. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of additive light during the rooting process on cutting physiology and rooting success. Results showed that additive light (PAR ~300 μmol m-2 s-1), applied in 2014 on cuttings of 'Tonda di Giffoni', increased cutting leaf photosynthesis and cutting non-structural carbohydrate content. This resulted in a consistent increase of the percentage of rooted cuttings and of the quality of the roots. Furthermore, plants obtained from rooting under the additive light condition suffered a reduced amount of mortality in comparison with control plants. The experiment was repeated in 2015 on a pre-commercial scale using 'Tonda di Giffoni' and 'Tonda Romana' cuttings. Results confirmed the observation of the previous year. In conclusion, additive light during leafy cutting rooting is a technique able to increase cutting propagation success in hazelnut.


Antibiotics are an important group of pharmaceuticals used in human and animal health care. Most of the antibiotics are prone to release to the environment due to improper usage. This has resulted in bacterial resistance development and toxicity in aquatic communities. Present study reports the biodegradation of amoxicillin (AMX) and sulfanomide (SUF) by Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter ludwigii and Enterobacter sp. strains which were previously reported as crude oil degraders. Different concentrations of AMX and SUF (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420 ppm) were used to detect minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) by standard pour plate method. AMX and SUF degradation kinetics were studied by introducing 0.5 ml of overnight starved bacterial suspensions into sterile antibiotic medium in triplicate at final concentration of 60 and 120 ppm respectively. The samples were incubated at 280 C shaking at 100 rpm and 0.5 ml sub-sample aliquots were removed at two days interval for a period of 14 days. Analyses of antibiotics were performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MIC values for SUF and AMX were detected as 240, 420 ppm for B. cereus, 120, 360 ppm for E. ludwigii and 180 and 300 ppm for Enterococcus sp. respectively. After 14 days of incubation complete removal of AMX and 80% degradation of SUF was recorded by bacterium B. cereus. E. ludwigii showed 75% degradation of AMX and 60% degradation of SUF where Enterobacter sp. showed degradation of both AMX (80%) and SUF (70%) respectively. Thus, the present study illustrate antibiotics degradation potential of microbial community is important to understand their role in removal of antibiotics from the natural environment. Keywords: Biodegradation, Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs), Amoxicillin, Sulfanomide, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter ludwigii, Enterobacter sp.


ABSTRACT Required auditing of on-farm broiler welfare in the United States has increased; however, a lack of validated tools exists for assessment of enrichment. National Chicken Council (NCC) guidelines were used on a subset of 300 Ross 308 broilers out of 1200 to validate and adapt welfare measures. Half of the broilers were exposed to environmental enrichment, hence these measures were used to evaluate the enrichment within the context of behavior and welfare, although the nature of the enrichment is not described in detail here as the aim is to serve solely as a description and validation of methods using a subset of example data. Birds were recorded in repeated 4-min periods to quantify behavior and walking distance. Outcomes were categorized to improve auditing and make recommendations to producers and researchers. Bone mineral density, content, and breaking strength were successful in determining numerical differences. Quantifying lameness using an enclosed walkway and measuring footpad dermatitis weekly are recommended on-farm. We recommend including additional measures not required by the NCC: monitoring breast condition in the flock and including a behavior component with a scoring ethogram.


Wilson's disease is a autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. Clinical phenotypes include hepatic, haemolytic, neurologic and psychiatric diseases. Wilson's disease is caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene. ATP7B encodes a hepatic copper-transporting protein, which is important for copper excretion into bile. Neurological symptoms in Wilson's disease include variable combinations of dysathria, ataxia, parkinsonism, dystonia and tremor. Wilson's disease is lethal if untreated. This review discusses the epidemiology, genetics, clinical features, etiopathophysiology, diagnostic tests, and treatment of Wilson's disease. (Turkish Journal of Neurology 2013; 19:122-127)


Chemical leavening involves the action of an acid on bicarbonate to release carbon dioxide gas for aeration of a dough or batter during mixing and baking. The aeration provides a light, porous cell structure, fine grain, and a texture with desirable appearance along with palatability to baked goods. There are essentially two components in a chemical leavening system: bicarbonate that supplies carbon dioxide gas and an acid which triggers the liberation of carbon dioxide from bicarbonate upon contact with moisture. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is the primary source of carbon dioxide gas in practically all chemical leavening systems. The prevalent baking acids in modern chemical leavening systems are sodium or calcium salts of ortho, pyro, and complex phosphoric acids. Baking soda determines the amount of carbon dioxide evolved, whereas the type of acid controls the speed of liberation. By far, the greatest use of leavening in the home is in preleavened mixes. Pancake mixes, biscuit mixes, and cake mixes have long been established as commercial products. Sales of frozen or refrigerated doughs and batters have increased rapidly in recent years. This trend is attributable to increased refrigeration and freezer capacity in stores and to the development of new and improved ingredients. Practically all of the leavening acids used in the mix industry today are of the phosphate type. The blending of baking powder is essentially a physical mixing of the various components in a large-scale batch mixer and is often carried out in automated plants.

Keywords:

Leavening agents;
Characteristics;
Composition;
Preleavened mixes;
Preleavend doughs;
Baking powder;
Phosphates;
Sulfates;
Chemical leavening agents;
Sodium bicarbonate


Haematin in concentrations of 1 /l,OOO,OOO-1/2,000,000 inhibited the growth of a number of bacteria most of which were aerobic sporing bacilli. Deuterohaematin and mesohaematin were also inhibitory, but not haematohaematin, urohaematin and a number of iron-free porphyrin derivatives. In a few cases whole blood was inhibitory, but generally only trypsin-digested laked red cells. The mechanism of the antibacterial activity is not understood.


Using an experiment with material incentives, this paper investigates the violation of composite dominance relationships, viz. absolute Pareto dominance, Pareto rank dominance, transfer dominance, Lorenz dominance, and generalized Lorenz dominance. Moreover, we test tail independence. The experiment consists of two treatments, a self-concern mode (in which each subject expects payoffs according to her own choices), and a social-planner mode (in which subjects form their preferences without any chance of receiving payoffs when they became effective). The main focus of this paper centers on the behavioral shifts between the self-concern and the social-planner modes. We show, first, that subjects' behavior is different under the two treatments. Second, we show that there are less violations of the two Pareto dominance relations and of generalized Lorenz dominance and more violations of Lorenz dominance and of transfer dominance under the self-concern mode than under the social-planner mode. Within these groups, behavior is more similar under the self-concern mode than under the social-planner mode. Tail independence is widely rejected.


A relationship between lifestyle, diet, and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. Except for alcohol consumption, AF guidelines do not differentiate specific advice for this rhythm disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between adherence to healthy dietary patterns and the presence of AF, among 104 low risk participants from the 1:1 matched case–control AFHRI (Atrial Fibrillation in High-Risk Individuals) study. Dietary data were obtained using a three-day food record. Adapted German versions of the validated 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS) and the validated eight-item Healthy Eating Index (HEI) from the Epic Study served as the basis for data derivation. The median age of the study participants was 63.0 years, 73.1% were men. In multivariable adjusted binary logistic regression analyses, we found inverse associations between both dietary indices (MEDAS: Median = 3, HEI: Median = 54.9) and the presence of AF (odds ratio for MEDAS: 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47–0.91, odds ratio for HEI: 0.60, 95% CI 0.39–0.95). Further clinical studies are needed to confirm the extent to which high quality dietary patterns such as a Mediterranean diet influence the onset and natural history of AF, in order to provide dietary counselling.


Introduction: Aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), sodium (Na), selenium (Se), and silicon (Si) are considered as beneficial elements for plants. They are not required for all plants but they can improve the growth and development of some plant species. Selenium is an essential element for human with antioxidant and antivirus functions but is not considered essential for higher plants. Selenium is reported to be protective against cancer and more than 40 types of diseases are associated with Se deficiency. The amounts of selenium in food also depend on the amount of the element in the soil. However, its beneficial role in improving plant growth and stress tolerances is well established. Plants revealed different physiological reactions into the Se levels, some specious accumulate it unlike some which are sensitive and Se is a toxic element for them. Some studies showed that Se can reduce adverse effects of salinity, drought, high and low temperatures and also heavy metal stress by enhancing antioxidant defense and MG detoxification systems. Pepper is one of the most important vegetable crops which have strong antioxidant properties. The effect of Se on vegetable especially on hot pepper is not well documented.
Materials and Methods: Present experiment was designed in order to study the effects of different concentrations of selenium on vegetative growth and physiological trait of hot pepper (Capsicum annum cv. kenya) in hydroponic conditions in the greenhouse at the Department of Horticulture Science, Islamic Azad University of Shiraz (Iran) under natural light with a day/night average temperature of 25/17 °C, relative humidity of 50±8.5% and photoperiod 14/10 (day/night). This experiment was carried out based on completed randomized design (CRD) with 5 Se levels at (0 as control, 3, 5, 7 and 10 µM) with 3 replications. 30 days old seedling with uniform size were selected and transplanted into 4 L pot containing a mixture of peat moss and perlite (1:1). The nutrient solution was a modified Hoagland's solution and each plant received 400 mL nutrient daily. Selenium concentrations were added by 0, 3, 7 µM Na2SeO3 (Merck, Germany) 10 days after transplanting. Leaf number (by counting), leaf area (with leaf area meter), relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), chlorophyll and carotenoids content were determined one month after treatment applications. All data were subjected to one-way ANOVA by Statistix 8 (Tallahassee FL, USA) and the means were compared for significance by the least significant difference (LSD) test at p < 0.05.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that selenium supplement at 5 µM significantly increased relative water content by 12.8% compared to control. Se increased root growth and thus absorbed more water and increased RWC in present experiment. Selenium at 7 and 10 µM Se increased membrane stability index by 33.61 and 80.06, respectively, compared to control which may be due to increasing potassium by Se application. Selenium at 3 and 5 µM increased leaf area by 24.6% and 25.1% relation to plants which were grown without Se supplementation. Leaf number increased by application of 5 µM Se about 15.14% and chlorophyll a, b and total increased by 64.67%, 38.5% and, 55.8%, respectively, in comparison with plants grown without Se application. Carotenoid content was not affected by different Se concentrations. Se increase chlorophyll content by increasing Mg and Fe absorption, or protect of chlorophyll content against chloroplast enzymes. The highest leaf area was observed at 3 µM Se in comparison with other treatments. Se at 5 µM is beneficial for growth, photosynthesis pigments, and leaf area and leaf number. Se application had no beneficial influence on lateral shoot. The highest starch concentration was observed at 5 µM Se in comparison with other treatments and control (by about 60% in comparison with plants were grown without Se application).
Conclusion: In general, the result of present study indicated that selenium at low concentrations improved plant growth (such as leaf area and leaf number), physiological trait (relative water content and membrane stability index) and photosynthesis pigments (chlorophyll a and b) of hot pepper in hydroponic conditions. Also, it is suggested that this experiment should be repeated on some other important vegetable during growth and reproductive stages in hydroponic and soil condition and also on hot pepper quality and quantity of fruit.


This study aimed at testing how active and inactive enamel caries lesions differ by their degree of resin infiltration, and whether the choice of acid pretreatment plays a crucial role. Four examiners assessed 104 human molars and premolars with noncavitated enamel lesions and classified them as 'active' or 'inactive' using the Nyvad criteria. Forty-five teeth were included in this study after independent unanimous lesion activity assessment. Lesions were cut perpendicularly into 2 halves. Each half lesion was pretreated with either 15% hydrochloric acid or 35% phosphoric acid. The lesions were infiltrated after staining with rhodamine isothiocyanate. Thin sections of 100 µm were prepared and the specimens were bleached with 30% hydrogen peroxide. The specimens were then counterstained with sodium fluorescein, subjected to confocal laser scanning microscopy and analyzed quantitatively. Outcome parameters were maximum and average infiltration depths as well as relative penetration depths and areas. In active lesions no significant difference of percentage maximum penetration depth and percentage average penetration depth between lesions pretreated with hydrochloric or phosphoric acid could be observed. In inactive lesions, however, phosphoric acid pretreatment resulted in significantly lower penetration compared to hydrochloric acid pretreatment. Surface conditioning with hydrochloric acid led to similar infiltration results in active and inactive lesions. Moreover, inactive lesions showed greater variability in all assessed infiltration parameters than did active lesions. In conclusion, caries lesion activity and acid pretreatment both influenced the infiltration. The use of phosphoric acid to increase permeability of the surface layer of active lesions should be further explored.


Mustard (Brassica juncea) meal (MM) was incorporated at the levels of 80, 160 and 245 g/kg of rabbit diets in replacement of soybean meal (SBM) and compared with a SBM based diet. The three levels of incorporated MM contributed total glucosinolate (TGLS) 3.6, 8.0 and 11.5 g/kg DM respectively. Forty-four weaning rabbits (4 weeks old, 314 + 24 g live weight) of Soviet Chinchilla and White Giant breed comprising 24 males and 16 females were balanced for weight and sex, and randomly allocated to the four experimental diets. The feed intake and growth of the rabbits were monitored in an 8-week long growth study. The nutrient utilization was determined at the middle of the study. The MM used in the experimental diets contained 58 g TGLS/kg. MM incorporated diets had higher ME content ranging from 11.05 to 11.48 MJ/kg DM. The replacement of SBM protein at 33% amounting to incorporation of 8% MM in diet increased (P<0.05) the apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, ADF and GE. Quadratic increase was observed for nutrient digestibility except for GE, which showed both linear and quadratic increase. The MM incorporation in growing rabbit diets linearly reduced protein and increased fat content in muscle. The liver weight increased due to MM incorporation. Rabbits fed MM diets reduced feed intake whereas feed conversion efficiency was improved, which showed linear and quadratic effects. Average daily gain of rabbits reduced linearly (P<0.05) on MM diets. Further, rabbits in the present experiment tolerated up to 3.6 g TGLS/kg diet DM during active growth phase without any apparent effect on health and growth performance. It is concluded that MM cannot replace SBM in growing rabbit feeding due to growth and feed intake depression which could be attributed to the TGLS presence, depressing the liver function and affecting the muscle nutrient accretion pattern. However, partial replacement of SBM amounting to 80 g MM/kg diet could not have apparent adverse effects on growth and health of growing rabbits.


Background : «iMirame!» program was launched in Chile in 1993, to promote a healthy life style at school age. Aim: To evaluate cost-effectiveness of this program. Material and methods: Fifth and sixth grade school children, from 5 selected municipalities of the Metropolitan Region were studied. The design was a quasi-experiment with an intervention (IP, 1,435 children) and reference population (RP, 1,246 children). Tobacco (T-C) and alcohol (OH-C) consumption were the indicators. A baseline survey was done in 1993 and repeated in 1996 in both groups. The criterion of Net Change was applied to assess effectiveness. For cost evaluation, an institutional perspective was considered. Direct municipal administration and «iMirame!» program costs were analyzed and incremental costs were calculated, using reference municipalities as controls. A univariate sensitivity analysis was done based on the beneficial discount rate and cost discount rate. Cost effectiveness coefficient was calculated. Results: The incremental cost per each boy and girl prevented from OH-C was US$ 112 (103.6-114.3) and US$ 132 (129.9-133.3) respectively. The figures for each boy and girl prevented from T-C was US$ 154 (142.7-157.4) and US$ 130 (122.5-135.2) respectively. The program caused an additional cost per child, for the city hall of US$ 11.7 in two years. Conclusions: It is possible to apply health promotion interventions in schools with a good cost effectiveness in the short run (Rev Med Chile 2004; 132: 361-70).


Quality by Design (QbD) refers to a new approach to product development that could increase efficiencies, provide regulatory relief and flexibility, and offer important business benefits throughout the product life cycle. It supports both industry and FDA to move towards a more scientific, risk based, holistic and proactive approach to pharmaceutical development. During designing and development of a product in QbD, a company needs to define desire product performance profile [Target Product Profile (TPP), Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP)] and identify critical quality attributed (CQA). The company then designs the product formulation and processes to meet the product attributes. This leads to understanding the impact of raw materials [Critical Material Attributes (CMA)], on the CQAs and identifies and control sources of variability. This systematic approach to product development and manufacturing has received a great deal from the traditional approach, which was extremely empirical. QbD is necessary in regulatory requirement, and to implement new concepts such as design space, International Conference on Harmonization"s guidelines i.e. Q8 pharmaceutical development, Q9 quality risk management, and FDAs process analytical technology (PAT).


in august 2009, the german Parliament passed a law that allows for plea bargaining, a fundamental change in the german code of criminal Procedure. Whilst the german practice of plea bargaining is harshly criticized by academic discourse, there is little empirical knowledge on the concrete course of plea bargaining negotiations. this study seeks to provide an insight into the precise course of plea bargaining negotiations in an effort to reveal the normative order that underlies plea bargaining proceedings in corporate criminal trials. interviews with the participants of major german corporate criminal proceedings show that trust and diplomacy characterize the beginning of plea bargaining negotiations. these negotiations mostly take place secretly, but in major corporate criminal proceedings, the general public is informed about the plea bargaining, because the legal practitioners want to maintain the public's trust in the justice system. Plea bargaining can be seen as an effort to maintain basic tenets of criminal procedure and to enforce principles of criminal law even in complex corporate criminal cases.


All bilateral U.S. trade agreements ratified since 2001 have included labor provisions within the main body of the agreement, though the scale, scope, and appropriateness of such provisions – and their enforcement mechanisms – have varied slightly between different FTAs. But little has been written on whether such agreements have, in the short time before and after their passage, tangibly transformed labor legislation and respect for workers' rights within partner countries. By examining the successes and failures of trade-labor linkage within four bilateral U.S. FTAs, I attempt to demonstrate that tying increased market access with minimum labor standards can foster improved and updated foreign labor legislation and greater respect for workers' rights. I also argue that the primary concerns over trade-labor linkage at the multilateral level have far less relevance at the bilateral level, where the scope of the provisions can be tailored to each particular trading partner, and the leverage of the United States allows it to exert significant influence during the negotiating process. Recent bilateral U.S. FTAs have shown that incremental improvements in labor standards can be achieved through the combined efforts of negotiating trade partners, the International Labor Organization, and domestic and international NGOs. Ultimately, it is argued, the effectiveness and viability of labor provisions at the bilateral level is most dependent on the political will of the negotiating countries to adequately address labor issues during trade negotiations and within signed agreements. With the U.S.-Jordan FTA, the U.S. demonstrated its commitment to "hard" labor standards by including sufficiently enforceable and appropriate labor provisions within the body of the agreement. Since Jordan, however, the labor provisions in U.S. FTAs, including those with Morocco, Bahrain, and Oman, have been relaxed, as "soft" trade-labor linkage – or the linking of trade and labor issues in the negotiating process – has played a more significant role.


Predicted promoter regions of Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV) components (C1–C11) were isolated and fused with a b-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and the characteristics of the promoters were examined. In transgenic tobacco calli, promoters of MDV C4 (encoding a cell-cycle link protein), C5 and C7 (both encoding unknown proteins), C6 (encoding a nuclear-shuttle protein) and C8 (encoding a movement protein) generated a stronger level of GUS expression than the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter (P35S). In leaves of transgenic tobacco plants, the promoters of C5 and C8 conferred a level of GUS activity comparable to that of P35S. Histochemical GUS analysis showed that the promoters of C4–C9, the latter encoding a capsid protein, were active in phloem and meristematic tissue. The promoter of C8 was also active in mesophyll and cortex cell types. A low level of activity was found for the promoters of C11, which encodes a master replication-initiator protein (Rep), and C1, C2, C3 and C10, which encode additional Reps, in both transgenic tobacco calli and plants.


This study is aimed at assessing the impacts of Third National Fadama Development Project (NFDP III) on provision of Small-scale Community-owned Infrastructures (SCIs) for poverty reduction. The sector goal of NFDP III was to reduce poverty by improving the living conditions of the rural poor; contribute to food security and increase access to rural infrastructure. The study made use of questionnaires to generate primary data from 245 respondents whilst Project Implementation Manuals, Appraisal Reports, Baseline and Midline Surveys, etc constituted the secondary data. The study found out that outcomes of NFDP III had profound impacts on the incidence of poverty of the beneficiaries. For example in Kaduna State, incomes of Crop farmers increased by 199% and Livestock owners by 221%. In Sokoto State, the incomes of Crop farmers increased by 225% and Livestock owners by 315%. The food security situation of about 84.4% and 98.3% of the beneficiaries had improved, greatly and the socio-economic conditions of 74.2% and 95.7% of the beneficiaries had been promoted, significantly. The study recommends that to further sustained the impetus created by NFDP III on poverty reduction in Nigeria, the Federal, States and Local Governments should as a matter of concern, extend their commitments beyond those of facilitating the provision of rural infrastructure to those of scaling-up the levels of provision, maintenance and management and poverty reduction should ever remain part of national development goals.


The sleep in young adults with severe isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) was examined by polysomnography. There was a significant decrease in delta sleep time (= stages 3 + 4, slow wave sleep, 'deep sleep'), especially in stage 4. The total sleep time was significantly increased compared to age- and sex-matched normal subjects. The increase in total sleep time was related to an increase in stage 1 and stage 2 sleep. There was no significant difference in total rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time, but when correcting for the very long sleep time in the IGHD subjects, the cumulated REM time within the first 390 min of sleep was significantly less than in the normal subjects.


In this paper, we present an experimental case for the course of "Network Storage and Security," which benefited from an improved learning outcome for our students. The newly designed experiments‐based contents are merged into the current course to help students obtain practical experiences about network storage. The experiments aim to build a network storage system based on available resources instead of any specialized network storage equipment. Technically, students can learn general practical knowledge of network storage on iSCSI (a network storage protocol based on IP technology) and also the technologies of embedded system. Through the experimental case, we found that it could fully enhance students' comprehensive and practical abilities, develop students' teamwork spirit and creativity, and especially improve the learning outcome of network storage curriculum. These learning and thinking methods can also be generalized and applied to other computer science related courses. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 24:186–194, 2016; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21696


A simple protective antigen (PA)-reactive mAb dot-ELISA was standardized for confirmation of toxin-producing strains of Bacillus anthracis. Twenty-seven clinical isolates were collected from patients clinically suspected of having anthrax. PA was elaborated from these isolates using Casamino acids medium and the culture medium was boiled to kill the cells. PA in boiled culture supernatants was detected using a dot-ELISA. Of the 27 clinical isolates tested, PA was detected in 24 isolates. This was further confirmed by amplifying the PA gene by PCR. This testing procedure is simple to perform, specific and safer than existing procedures, which are added advantages over existing methods of identification of B. anthracis. This test system could be a valuable tool in confirming clinical and environmental isolates of B. anthracis.


The V-groove angle of the machine is considered as one of important factors affecting the processing and the ball's precision. To study its effect, the three-dimensional model of RDP lapping machine is built and a series of simulations at different V-groove angles are carried out, using the software ADAMS based on the RDP principle. The influence of three parameters including spin angle, spin angular velocity and revolution angular velocity are discussed by observing and analyzing the simulation results. It is concluded that some optimized V-groove angles can improve the sphericity of ball; some ones can induce the balls to move back and roll during some periods of the processing.


Gyrate atrophy (GA) of the choroid and retina with hyperornithinaemia is a rare inherited autosomal recessive metabolic disease. It is due to a mitochondrial enzymatic deficiency in ornithine-amino-transferase (OAT), leading to hyperornithinaemia. Most frequently, ocular findings are clinically isolated and spread to blindness. Associated muscular weakness is rare.

The present case is that of a patient, from a consanguineous Turkish marriage and the third of seven brothers and sisters, who developed, at age 15 years, loss of night vision with bilateral retinopathy, myopia and cataract. Ophthalmological symptoms progressively worsened. At the age of 18 years, mild proximal weakness appeared in the right arm and slowly spread to the four limbs. At the age of 33 years, he had proximal muscular atrophy of the lower limbs without pain. Clinical examination showed marked bilateral atrophy and mild weakness of the gluteus maximus, and detachment of the shoulder blades. There was no sensitive symptom, reflexes were normal, and there was no sign of central nervous system involvement.

Visual acuity was estimated to be 6/30 (right eye) and 6/15 (left eye). Fundoscopy revealed …


In the presence of Sendai virus inactivated with ultraviolet light, nucleated chick erythrocytes can be fused with several types of human cells to form heterokaryons. Although chick erythrocytes alone cannot be stimulated by Sendai virus to produce interferon, fusion with a human cell (AH-1) which itself may produce human interferon results in heterokaryons in which the erythrocyte genome is activated and chick interferon is produced. When nucleated chick erythrocytes are fused with another type of human cell (HeLa clone S-3) which does not produce human interferon when stimulated, no chick interferon is detectable, despite morphologic changes suggestive of activation of the erythrocyte nuclei.


Developmental health is governed by biology and the societal culture that shapes family planning. This context should not be ignored in epidemiologic studies that address the effect of parental exposure from environmental and occupational agents on prenatal development, growth and survival, on adverse birth effects, or on postnatal events. It is important to have a thorough basic knowledge of developmental health in the population under study and to consider this basis in study design and performance. One way of accomplishing this task is to combine strengths of population-based cohort studies and nested case-control studies. Sibship-based cohorts and case-control studies that make use of biomarkers may provide particular advantages. Future research on the impact of parental exposure should be more strongly based on biological knowledge about the genetic, immune, and endocrine regulation of prenatal growth and development.


In order to connect the block cipher into stream cipher mode, the middleware about output of the block cipher was designed according to flexible and scalable principle. The byte wise operation can be paralleled to more large scale such as 32 bit wise or 16 bit wise. Secure of this design was demonstrated by the block cipher algorithm itself and the complexity of mask algorithm. The middleware model and the block cipher algorithm model are seamless connected because of standardized block size and output size. Furthermore, such standardized size can be actively changed with the application environments. The approach of this paper is that a kind of complex mask was used in block cipher algorithm when embedded it into stream operation mode such as Cipher Feedback Mode, Output Feedback Mode and Counter Mode.


Two new species of Eunice from coastal islands of the state of Sao Paulo are described, both of them living in colonies of the coral Mussismilia hispida . One species was also collected from a sandy beach. Eunice insularis has short palps and antennae in a horseshoe, without articulations; most of the specimens studied are abranchiate, but some have one branchial filament in a few parapodia. Eunice marconii also has palps and antennae without articulations, in a horseshoe, and 1-3 long slender branchial filaments from the anterior to posteriormost chaetigers. These new species are compared with the morphologically closest congeners.


Gallium has been labeled as a critical metal due to rapidly growing consumption, importance for low-carbon technologies such as solid state lighting and photovoltaics, and being produced only as a byproduct of other metals (mainly aluminum). The global system of primary production, manufacturing, use and recycling has not yet been described or quantified in the literature. This prevents predictions of future demand, supply and possibilities for efficiency improvements on a system level. We present a description of the global anthropogenic gallium system and quantify the system using a combination of statistical data and technical parameters. We estimated that gallium was produced from 8 to 21% of alumina plants in 2011. The most important applications of gallium are NdFeB permanent magnets, integrated circuits and GaAs/GaP-based light-emitting diodes, demanding 22-37%, 16-27%, and 11-21% of primary metal production, respectively. GaN-based light-emitting diodes and photovoltaics are less important, both with 2-6%. We estimated that 120-170 tons, corresponding to 40-60% of primary production, ended up in production wastes that were either disposed of or stored. While demand for gallium is expected to rise in the future, our results indicated that it is possible to increase primary production substantially with conventional technology, as well as improve the system-wide material efficiency.


Archival institutions heavily influence the historical record and cultural memory. With the exponential increase in digital materials comes the even greater importance of digital preservation, especially in the case of digital cultural heritage. This paper focuses on the digital preservation of collections related to indigenous and other historically marginalized communities. Looking back at archival theory, there are both theoretical and practical grounds for adopting participatory models in digital preservation. For archivists to provide true long-term access to materials, they must work in partnership with source communities. Archival institutions will gain enhanced contextual knowledge, and communities will benefit from the institutional resources necessary for preservation.


The long-term results after total meniscectomy in 60 patients have been reviewed with an average follow-up period of 16.1 years (10 to 33 years) and 58.3% excellent and good results were demonstrated. Statistical analysis showed that the late results were related to the time of follow-up and not associated with the length of history before operation. Radiological degeneration of the knee was seen in 87.5% of the patients, while no relationship between the degeneration and the clinical results was found. It is indicated from this retrospective study that the menisci are of so great importance in biomechanics that total meniscectomy should be as far as possible avoided.


Drawing on the search experience, the study investigates the impact of Over-the-top Services on their intention to continuous subscription. It investigates the mediation of search experience on the linkage between Over-the-top Services (OTT) and intention to continuous subscription. Moreover, study examines the Moderated Mediation effect of screen watching time (first moderator) and device (second moderator) in the relationship of Over-the-top Services, Intention to Continuous Subscription, and Search Experience. An online survey was used to collect the responses and 405 responses were considered for the study. The analysis shows that OTTservices has a significant impact on its user search experience which in turn also has strong and positive impact on the intention to continuous subscription by its users. It was also discovered that the screen watching time as its role of two way interaction has significant moderating effect between OTTservice and search experience relationship and search experience and intention to continuous subscription relationship. The three-way interaction between device and screen watching time in the mediation model was analysed & found strong support in the relationship between OTTservices and search experience and search experience & intention to continuous subscription. This is one of the few paper to check the inter-relationship between OTTservices, intention to continuous subscription and search experience. The three-way interaction between mediation model and screen watching time (first moderator) and device (second moderator) is studied for the first time in the literature therefore the findings will originate the value with novelty and important implications to the OTTconsumers, and content providers.


OBJECTIVE
To highlight the possible association between infertility and treatment with long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). NSAIDs act mainly through the inhibition of cyclooxygenase, the enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are essential mediators of ovulation, implantation and placentation of the conceptus.

METHODS
Case reports of four women suffering from severe arthritis, on long-term NSAIDs and undergoing extensive investigation and treatment for infertility.

RESULTS
During the last 2 yr, four out of five women with severe arthritis and difficulty conceiving were counselled to stop NSAIDs, and they successfully conceived shortly after the withdrawal of NSAIDs.

CONCLUSION
NSAIDs, used largely for the treatment of rheumatological conditions, may be responsible for some cases of infertility.


Non-destructive and accurate measurement of zero-dispersion wavelength variation in concatenated dispersion shifted fiber link by improved four-wave-mixing technique has been proposed. The improved technique utilizes the characteristics of the four-wave-mixing efficiency that the efficiency always takes the peak value when a pump wavelength meets the zero-dispersion wavelength, independent of the a probe wavelength, and that the period of the power oscillation is different for different probe wavelengths. The validity has been verified by numerical calculations and the experiment using this technique has been successfully demonstrated.


Background: In the field of biomechanical analysis of pedaling motion, researchers studied the relationship between cost energy and cycling technique for optimal use of the force applied to the pedals, to improve cycling velocity for minimal energy cost or to compute the joint powers according to the resistive load. For that, numerous measuring devices have been developed and investigated to evaluate resultant torque and/or power output. Recently, new pedal sensors I-Crankset (ICS) are sold to measure the forces applied to the pedals and to calculate the torque and/or power output produced during cycling. These pedals' sensors were calibrated and certificated, but it was essential to check if these devices still measured accurately after their integration on an ergometer. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare dynamically this new device for measuring crankset's resultant torque, mechanical power and work outputs.   Methods: A subject (Male, 75 kg, 1.82 m, trained rider) took part to this study conducted ethically according to international standards. The rider adjusted the cycle ergometer according to its personal settings. Figure 1 described the test bench. It was composed of: a chainring (A) was used to connect the ergocycle to the bench through a chain and a flywheel (D) associated with a mechanical braking device (E) composed of a tray with additional masses. The evaluation protocol was implemented to achieve three pedaling conditions and so to cover the usual torque and power ranges (Table 1). For each condition, the subject produced a pedaling torque to overcome that resistive load during one trial of 90 seconds. Feedback of cadence was displayed on the "Power Control" SRM bicycle computer. The torque reference sensor (model 1641/1648, Lebow) named RTSL (C) was installed on the axis (B). The scientific version SRM sensor was mounted on the crankset of the ergocycle. The ICS sensors were fixed at each pedal. The relative pedal to crank and the crank to ergometer angles were measured using encoders.   Analyzed parameters: As all the signals are acquired at 200 Hz and synchronized, for each cycle and for each acquisition system, we had the same number of acquisitions samples. According to the sample rate and protocol used, more than 12 000 instantaneous measures will be available for the comparison of several devices. Three power outputs were computed through these equations: (1)  with , k is the reduction coefficient between SRM and bench chainrings, ratio of the two diameters. (2) SRM:,  is the average angular velocity of the crankset over the cycle. (3) ICS: ,   is instantaneous angular velocity of the crankset computed from encoders measures. The mechanical work outputs  were given by integration over the time of the power outputs. By design, the SRM only measures an average angular velocity, so we computed mechanical work firstly considering this constant angular velocity () and secondly considering instantaneous angular velocity provided by ICS encoders (). Statistical analysis: For each condition, the same analysis was performed on torque, power and work outputs obtained from the different sensors. These instantaneous parameters, once pedaling cycles normalized, were compared using a coefficient of multiple correlation inter-protocol (CMC ip ) to appreciate the similarity of the instantaneous measures waveforms given by various sensors in a single acquisition of the same parameter. For each condition (n=30 cycles) and for all conditions (n=90 cycles), the averaged torque and power output were computed over each cycle and then these values were compared pairwise of sensors (A Bland-Altman analysis). A global normalized averaged torque evolution over cycles was also computed for condition 1 and for each sensor using.   Results: Mechanical power output comparisons: Table 2 reports all the data for the comparison of the averaged power output measured by the three sensors, for the each condition and all conditions. Especially for condition 3, we note an increase for the power output of the mean bias and error range between SRM and RTSL against those computed for the torque [mean bias: -4.4 ±2.3% for the power vs -1.20 ±0.53% for the torque; error range: 29 W (9.2%) for the power and 0.79 Nm (1.9%) for the torque]. This is not the case for ICS. The figure 3 confirms these results with a 95% limits of agreement larger for the SRM than ICS [respectively -1.81; 7.37 W and -20.70; 9.48 W for ICS and SRM]. Mechanical work output comparisons: Table 3 shows the difference of cumulative output work over thirty cycles between ICS and RTSL then SRM and RTSL for each condition. The differences are also expressed as the percentage of the total cumulated work. To analyze the influence of the angular velocity, we integrated power output over time to compute the work output in using i) the torque and angular velocity measured by SRM (W SRM ) and ii) the SRM torque multiplied by ICS angular velocity (W SRM* ). These results are presented at the last lines of table 4. The relative error is under 2% whatever the conditions, excepted for condition 3 between SRM and RTSL (5.26%). This error can be reduced by using I‰ ICS provided by ICS to compute the W SRM* (1.44 %).   Discussion: Power output discussion. For the power output, we note high values of  between ICS and RTSL (Table 3). For the steady state condition (C1: 210 W), ICS power mean relative error (0.1 ±0.5%) is better than [1] when comparing Velotron cycle ergometer (-0.8% for constant 250 W trial) with a test bench. For condition 2 (150 – 250 W, 80 rpm), ICS results (1.8 ±0.5%, Table 2) are closed to power mean relative error reported by [4] when comparing Powertap (-1.5 ±0.6% for 50-1000 W at 100 rpm trial) with a test bench. As SRM is considered as a gold standard [5], we will try to position ICS against SRM. Before that, we check that SRM results are consistent with literature. The mean relative errors reported by [1] (0.18%) and [4] (0.1 ±1.1%) are lower than errors of the present study (respectively 0.8 ±1.2% for condition 1 and -0.8 ±2.1% for condition 2). These differences can be related to the possibility of the test bench used by [6] to maintain a constant pace along all the cycle unlike the protocol of this study (mean cadence: 8.3 ±0.2 rad/s for conditions 1 and 2). Indeed, it's difficult for a rider to produce a constant crankset angular velocity like the motorised test bench used by [1] and [3]. [1] shows that a rapidly increasing angular velocity results in a more inaccurate power measurement (mean relative error: -3.3 %; CI = -8.1 to 1.5 %). This is closer to the results for condition 3 (-4.4 %; CI = -9 to 0.2 %). This condition accentuates the inability of the SRM to record, by design, instantaneous crankset angular velocity. For a similar pedaling cadence and power output, the relative mean error (1.2 %) between Powertap ergometer and SRM reported by [2] is comparable with the relative error between ICS and SRM computed for condition 1 (0.9%, Table 3). However, ICS seems to be more accurate than SRM when looking at the individual results obtained for SRM (-2.4%) and ICS (1.2%) against RTSL for all conditions. Consequently, as for the torque, ICS can be considered sufficiently accurate. Work output discussion: Table 3 show the requirement to precisely measure the instantaneous values of crankset angular velocity to calculate the work as part of an energy study of the pedaling motion. Thus, when pedaling with constant angular velocity, the power output computed by SRM () is enough accurate to calculate the work output (). For the conditions 1 and 2, the error respectively equal to 0.98% and 1.16% is acceptable. But when the angular velocity is variable, the error becomes equal to 5.26% for the SRM while it is still under 2% for ICS. This result confirms those obtained by [1] which indicates that a rapidly increasing angular velocity causes an inaccuracy in calculating the SRM power. This error is reduced to 1.44% when the torque measured by SRM () is multiplied by the instantaneous angular velocity measured by ICS (). So, ICS should be preferred for power and work outputs investigations.   Conclusions: The study showed that ICS sensor was an accurate powermeter comparable to a standard reference sensor and to SRM regardless the pedaling cadence (56 to 90 rpm) and the resistive load (18 to 42 Nm). However, ICS was more efficient than SRM for evaluating the work particularly when the pedaling angular velocity various significantly. This study showed that it was therefore essential to measure both instantaneous torque and angular velocity in order to conduct an energy analysis of the pedaling motion.


The E.U. Directive of 92/43 on habitat aims to contribute to the conservation/preservation of biodiversity through the maintenance of habitats and species of wild fauna and flora. Preservation is achieved via the 'Natura 2000' network, so that the protection of natural biotopes and of the species in the 'European area of Concern' (E.C.) is ensured. A similar study was drawn up for the region of 'Karla' (Mavrovouni - Karla - Kefalovriso), the 'Alonnissos marine park of the Northern Sporades', 'Trikala' (Aspropotamos, Mount Kerketio or Koziakas, the Antihasia Mountains–Meteora) and some other areas of less importance, in Thessaly, Greece. Moreover, the 'Natura 2000' network also includes 'Special Protected Areas' (SPA) which are determined according to the 79/409/EOK directive on ornithofauna. Briefly, the present paper is a contribution to the application of E.U. environmental programs and the emerging management protection problems in Thessaly, Greece and especially one application of some protection of delimitation-zoning models recorded, with examination of novel control policies. Should this be achieved by the protection concept or by the enlargement of zone protection areas.


Plant virus nanoparticles (VNPs) have multiple advantages over their synthetic counterparts including the cost-effective large-scale manufacturing of uniform particles that are easy to functionalize. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the most promising VNP scaffolds, reflecting its high aspect ratio and ability to carry and/or display multivalent therapeutic ligands and contrast agents. Here we investigated the circulation, protein corona, immunogenicity, and organ distribution/clearance of TMV particles internally co-labeled with cyanine 5 (Cy5) and chelated gadolinium (Gd) for dual tracking by fluorescence imaging and optical emission spectrometry, with or without an external coating of polydopamine (PDA) to confer photothermal and photoacoustic capabilities. The PDA-coated particles (Gd-Cy5-TMV-PDA) showed a shorter plasma circulation time and broader distribution to organs of the reticuloendothelial system (liver, lungs, and spleen) than uncoated Gd-Cy5-TMV particles (liver and spleen only). The Gd-Cy5-TMV-PDA particles were surrounded by 2-10-fold greater protein corona (containing mainly immunoglobulins) compared to Gd-Cy5-TMV particles. However, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that PDA-coated particles bind 2-fold lesser to anti-TMV antibodies elicited by particle injection than uncoated particles, suggesting that the PDA coat enables evasion from systemic antibody surveillance. Gd-Cy5-TMV-PDA particles were cleared from organs after 8 days compared to 5 days for the uncoated particles. The slower tissue clearance of the coated particles makes them ideal for theranostic applications by facilitating sustained local delivery in addition to multimodal imaging and photothermal capabilities. We have demonstrated the potential of PDA-coated proteinaceous nanoparticles for multiple biomedical applications.


The morphological effects of the incorporation of C60 into blended thin‐films of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) and [6,6]‐phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are investigated. The results show that addition of C60 readily alters the growth‐rate and morphology of PCBM crystallites under different environmental conditions. The effect of C60 on the growth of large PCBM crystallites is thoroughly characterized using optical microscopy, electron microscopy and UV‐visible absorption spectroscopy. Results show that C60 incorporation modifies fullerene aggregation and crystallization and greatly reduces the average crystallite size at C60 loadings of ≈50 wt% in the fullerene phase. Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) are prepared to evaluate the electron mobility of PCBM/C60 films and organic solar cells (OSCs) are fabricated from mixed‐fullerene active layers to evaluate their performance. It is demonstrated that the use of fullerene mixtures in organic electronic applications is a viable approach to produce more stable devices and to control the growth of micrometer‐sized fullerene crystals.


: In 1986 the Protein Commission of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry (SIBIOC) carried out its second survey on the use of serum protein electrophoresis in Italian laboratories. Three serum samples plus a questionnaire were sent to the 253 laboratories which agreed to take part. The three samples had the following characteristics: Serum 1: a 60 g/L IgM-lambda monoclonal component (MC); Serum 2: an artificially split alpha-2 zone; Serum 3: a very faint lambda chain MC. These features were chosen to assess (a) the type of report; (b) the resolution quality of the electrophoretic technique; and (c) the laboratory capacity to detect a small MC. The most significant features revealed by the survey were: (a) the poor capacity of assessment of the small MC in Serum 3 (only detected by 23.1% of laboratories); (b) the discouraging tendency to delegate electrophoretic diagnostic interpretation to ward physicians (44.4% of participating laboratories provided only densitometric values and graphs).


Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 17 (24%) of 71 patients with acute salpingitis (AS) hospitalized for parenteral treatment. For patients with AS, antimicrobial therapy was started immediately on admission and before the availability of culture results. Notable clinical response was seen in 16 of 17 chlamydial-positive cases. Despite apparent clinical cure, posttreatment cultures from the endometrial cavity yielded C trachomatis from 12 of 13 patients treated solely with second- or third-generation cephalosporins as single-agent therapy. The finding of persistent chlamydial infection of the endometrium suggests that some patients treated for AS, despite apparent clinical response, maintain chlamydial infection of the endometrium that might cause relapse or chronic fallopian tube infection with tubal obstruction and infertility, or perhaps reflect a similar tubal persistence of Chlamydia. Treatment of AS should routinely include coverage for C trachomatis, as clinical response and findings may not reflect its presence or persistence.


Autonomous mobile robots navigating in changing and dynamic unstructured environments like the outdoor environments need to cope with large amounts of uncertainties that are inherent of natural environments. The traditional type-1 fuzzy logic controller (FLC) using precise type-1 fuzzy sets cannot fully handle such uncertainties. A type-2 FLC using type-2 fuzzy sets can handle such uncertainties to produce a better performance. In this paper, we present a novel reactive control architecture for autonomous mobile robots that is based on type-2 FLC to implement the basic navigation behaviors and the coordination between these behaviors to produce a type-2 hierarchical FLC. In our experiments, we implemented this type-2 architecture in different types of mobile robots navigating in indoor and outdoor unstructured and challenging environments. The type-2-based control system dealt with the uncertainties facing mobile robots in unstructured environments and resulted in a very good performance that outperformed the type-1-based control system while achieving a significant rule reduction compared to the type-1 system.


Background 'Chemsex' is the use of recreational drugs before and/or during sex by men who have sex with men (MSM). Concern exists among health professionals about this practice particularly in relation to transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There is little data about use of Chemsex outside London. Aims/objectives To generate a profile of Chemsex use amongst MSM accessing a community outreach sexual health clinic. Methods In 2014 a local code was introduced to identify reported use of Chemsex. A retrospective case note audit was undertaken of patients identified during 2014. Results 636 patients attended for STI screening in 2014. Overall 24% had an STI. There were 46 attendances in 40 MSM where Chemsex was reported. The average age was 35(19–62). 24/40(60%) were single. 39/40(98%) reported oral sex, 30/40(75%) insertive and 27/40(68%) receptive anal sex with only 6(15%) reporting consistent condom use. Mephedrone (MCAT) was the most commonly used drug, reported by 33/40(83%). Gammabutyrolactone (G) was used by 10/40(25%). Crystal Meth (Meth) was used by 7/40(18%). 9/40(23%) used MCAT combined with G. 2/40(5%) used all three drugs. 35/40(88%) were asymptomatic. 23/40(58%) had previously had an STI. 6/40(15%) were HIV positive.16/40(40%) patients were diagnosed with an STI (13 gonorrhoea (3 dual site site) and 6 chlamydia (all single site) and 3 both chlamydia and gonorrhoea. Discussion/conclusions Introduction of a local code has given insight into Chemsex use amongst MSM. We have updated the clinic history proforma to identify high risk behaviour, allowing targeted intervention to facilitate positive behavioural change.


Vibration-to-electricity conversion using piezoelectric transduction has been studied by several researchers over the last decade. PZT (lead zirconate titanate) - based piezoelectric ceramics such as PZT-5A and PZT-5H have been very frequently employed in design of piezoelectric energy harvester beams. Recently, the single-crystal piezoceramics PMN-PT (lead magnesium niobate – lead titanate) and PMN-PZT (lead magnesium niobate – lead zirconate titanate) have also been investigated for electrical power generation due to their large piezoelectric constants (particularly the d31 constant for the bending mode). Piezoelectric, elastic and dielectric properties of these piezoceramics differ from each other considerably. Even though the d31 constants of two piezoceramics might differ by an order of magnitude (e.g. PZT-5A and PMN-PZT), this large difference is not necessarily the case for their power outputs. It is theoretically discussed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper that the d31 piezoelectric constant alone is an insufficient parameter for selecting the best piezoelectric material to design a power generator for vibration-based energy harvesting. Elastic compliance of a piezoceramic has a strong effect on its electrical power output. In addition, since these devices are usually designed for resonance excitation, mechanical damping constitutes another parameter that might change the entire picture regarding the power generation performance. The last one is particularly critical considering the fact that it is difficult to control mechanical damping due to clamped interfaces and adhesive layers in practice. Theoretical comparisons are given for geometrically identical bimorphs with PZT-5A, PZT-5H, PMN-PT (with 30% PT), PMN-PT (with 33% PT) and PMN-PZT layers using an experimentally validated distributed-parameter electromechanical model. Two experimental demonstrations are presented. The first case compares two geometrically identical bimorphs (using PZT-5A and PZT-5H piezoceramics) and shows that the bimorph with PZT-5A can generate larger power than the one with PZT-5H in spite of the larger d31 constant of the latter. The second experimental case compares the power generation performances of a PZT-5H unimorph and a PMN-PZT unimorph. In agreement with the theory, considerably large damping identified for the PMN-PZT unimorph results in much lower power output compared to that of the PZT-5H unimorph.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


The brown seaweed Sargassum muticum is an invasive species to the coasts of the British Isles, mainland Europe and North America. Attempts at its eradication and control have generally not been successful, although time-consuming and costly. The environmental and economic costs of biological invasions of non-native species in the early part of the last decade were estimated to be worth ~ US$ 1.4 trillion per year, globally, equivalent to 5 % of the world economy). For comparison, the costs of non-native species to the economy of Great Britain alone for 2010 was £ 1.7 billion per year with the specific cost of invasive marine species to shipping and aquaculture estimated to be in excess of £ 40 million per year. The number of inundations of beaches by seaweed has also increased dramatically over recent years with 'seaweed tides' causing economic disruption to tourism, aquaculture and traditional fisheries The golden-tides of related pelagic species of Sargassum are particularly problematic in the Caribbean where tourism was worth US$ 29.2 billion in on-shore spending in 2014. One of the key recommendations of the Caribbean Sea Commission in 2015 for addressing the threat of the Sargassum is to support research on commercial uses of Sargassum. Commercial exploration of this biomass for food, fuel and pharmaceutical products could encourage its harvesting and control. Sargassum has a naturally high content of antioxidants, carotenoids and phenols, including the well-known anti-cancer compound fucoxanthin, making this species a potential source of a range of pharmaceutically relevant materials. Macroalgae may also be a potential source of fuel. This paper discusses the use of Sargassum for both fuel and high value products together with the processes required to exploit it, especially on handling the discontinuity of supply.


This thesis describes a series of investigations in the thermodynamics of solution absorption, designed to throw light on the mechanisms of the process; these investigations include qualitative and quantitative studies of the specific hydrogen-bond forces responsible for some kinds of adsorption. Solution adsorption isotherms are divided into four main classes according to the slope of the initial portion of the curve to the concentration axis, and thereafter into subgroups. The four classes are: S Curves. The initial portion is convex to the concentration axis. They represent high affinity of the solvent for the solid substrate and low affinity of the solute; the surface becomes increasingly attractive with coverage; this is the case when molecules attract each other strongly so that they tend to orient vertically on the surface. 1 Curves. The normal or "Langmuir" isotherms, the initial portion is concave to the concentration axis. .These curves usually indicate that the adsorbed molecules lie flat on the surface, but when competition from the solvent is weak (e.g. polar solutes on polar substrates from non-polar solvents) and the intermolecular attraction is high, even vertical orientation can produce these curves. H Curves. ("High affinity"). (These commence at a positive value on the "concentration in solid" axis.) The solute has very high and the solvent low, affinity for the substrate. They are often given by solutes adsorbed as ionic micelles and by high affinity ions exchanging with low affinity ions. 0 Curves ("constant partition"). These are linear curves, given by solutes which penetrate into the solid more readily than does the solvent. The sub-groups of these classes are those in which there is evident: (1) only an initial portion of the isotherm is obtained. (2) the first plateau indicating the completion of the first layer. (3) a plateau, followed by a further rising portion, caused by either adsorption on the top of the first layer or by further penetration of the solute into the accessible regions, or by reorientation of the molecules from the flat to the vertical position. (4) a second plateau, caused by completion of the processes given under (3) (mx) a maximum, followed by a decrease in adsorption, perhaps due to predominance of solute-solute attraction over solute-substrate attraction. The measurement of specific surface area of solids has hitherto been the principal use of solution adsorption isotherms. P-Nitrophenol is one of the best solutes for this purpose because, it (i) is highly polar and therefore attaches to the whole surface of polar solids; (ii) has a hydrophobic benzene nucleus which enables it to be adsorbed by non-polar solids; (iii) has a small planar molecule and is often adsorbed as a vertically oriented close packed monolayer; (iv) is not highly surface active and therefore does not form three dimensional micelles at the solid surface; (v) is coloured and can be easily analysed; (vi) is soluble in water, but is also soluble in non-polar solvents so that it can be used with water-soluble solids. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


Among the goals of information operations are to change the overall information environment vis-\'a-vis specific actors. For example,"trolling campaigns"seek to undermine the credibility of specific public figures, leading others to distrust them and intimidating these figures into silence. To accomplish these aims, information operations frequently make use of"trolls"-- malicious online actors who target verbal abuse at these figures. In Brazil, in particular, allies of Brazil's current president have been accused of operating a"hate cabinet"-- a trolling operation that targets journalists who have alleged corruption by this politician and other members of his regime. Leading approaches to detecting harmful speech, such as Google's Perspective API, seek to identify specific messages with harmful content. While this approach is helpful in identifying content to downrank, flag, or remove, it is known to be brittle, and may miss attempts to introduce more subtle biases into the discourse. Here, we aim to develop a measure that might be used to assess how targeted information operations seek to change the overall valence, or appraisal, of specific actors. Preliminary results suggest known campaigns target female journalists more so than male journalists, and that these campaigns may leave detectable traces in overall Twitter discourse.


We present TreePartNet, a neural network aimed at reconstructing tree geometry from point clouds obtained by scanning real trees. Our key idea is to learn a natural neural decomposition exploiting the assumption that a tree comprises locally cylindrical shapes. In particular, reconstruction is a two-step process. First, two networks are used to detect priors from the point clouds. One detects semantic branching points, and the other network is trained to learn a cylindrical representation of the branches. In the second step, we apply a neural merging module to reduce the cylindrical representation to a final set of generalized cylinders combined by branches. We demonstrate results of reconstructing realistic tree geometry for a variety of input models and with varying input point quality, e.g., noise, outliers, and incompleteness. We evaluate our approach extensively by using data from both synthetic and real trees and comparing it with alternative methods.


The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) is a single, highly integrated technical program for maintaining the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The SSP uses past nuclear test data along with future non-nuclear test data, computational modeling and simulation, and experimental facilities to advance understanding of nuclear weapons. It includes stockpile surveillance, experimental research, development and engineering programs, and an appropriately scaled production capability to support stockpile requirements. This integrated national program will require the continued use of current facilities and programs along with new experimental facilities and computational enhancements to support these programs. The Advanced Simulation and Computing program (ASC) is a cornerstone of the SSP, providing simulation capabilities and computational resources to support the annual stockpile assessment and certification, to study advanced nuclear weapon design and manufacturing processes, to analyze accident scenarios and weapons aging, and to provide the tools to enable stockpile life extension programs and the resolution of significant finding investigations (SFIs). This requires a balanced system of technical staff, hardware, simulation software, and computer science solutions.


Objectives: The context of this article is based on two main titles those being Gynecologic Oncology and Minimal invasive surgery. The aim of this study was to report the laparoscopic management of a series of cases of endometrial carcinoma managed by laparoscopic surgical staging in Indian women. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a private hospital (referral minimally invasive gynecological center). This was a retrospective study (Canadian Task Force Classification II-3). Eighty-eight cases of clinically early-stage endometrial carcinoma staged by laparoscopic surgery and treated as per final surgicopathological staging. All patients underwent laparoscopic surgical staging of endometrial carcinoma, followed by adjuvant therapy when needed. Data were retrieved regarding surgical and pathological outcomes. Recurrence-free and overall survival durations were measured at follow-up. Survival analysis was calculated using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results: The median age of presentation was 56 years, whereas the median body mass index was 28.3 kg/m2. Endometroid variety was the most commonly diagnosed histopathology. There were no intraoperative complications reported. The median blood loss was 100 cc, and the median intraoperative time was 174 min. There were a total of 5 recurrences (5.6%). The outcome of this study was comparable to studies conducted in Caucasian population. The predicted 5-year survival rate according to Kaplan–Meier survival analysis is 95.45%, which is comparable to Caucasian studies. Conclusion: Laparoscopic management of early-stage endometrial carcinoma is a standard practice worldwide. However, there is still a paucity of data from the Indian subcontinent regarding the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery in endometrial carcinoma. The Asian perspective has been highlighted by a number of studies from China and Japan. To our knowledge, this study is the first from India to analyze the surgicopathological outcomes following laparoscopic surgery in endometrial carcinoma. The outcome of this study was comparable to studies conducted in Caucasian population.


Background Disease prevention has been claimed to reduce health care costs. However, preventing lethal diseases increases life expectancy and, thereby, indirectly increases the demand for health care. Previous studies have argued that on balance preventing diseases that reduce longevity increases health care costs while preventing non-fatal diseases could lead to health care savings. The objective of this research is to investigate if disease prevention could result in both increased longevity and lower lifetime health care costs. Methods Mortality rates for Netherlands in 2009 were used to construct cause-deleted life tables. Data originating from the Dutch Costs of Illness study was incorporated in order to estimate lifetime health care costs in the absence of selected disease categories. We took into account that for most diseases health care expenditures are concentrated in the last year of life. Results Elimination of diseases that reduce life expectancy considerably increase lifetime health care costs. Exemplary are neoplasms that, when eliminated would increase both life expectancy and lifetime health care spending with roughly 5% for men and women. Costs savings are incurred when prevention has only a small effect on longevity such as in the case of mental and behavioural disorders. Diseases of the circulatory system stand out as their elimination would increase life expectancy while reducing health care spending. Conclusion The stronger the negative impact of a disease on longevity, the higher health care costs would be after elimination. Successful treatment of fatal diseases leaves less room for longevity gains due to effective prevention but more room for health care savings.


A component of a company name cannot be denied protection as a company keyword merely because its distinctiveness is weak. What counts is whether it as a part of the company symbol is suited, compared to the other components of the company name, to establish itself in the course of trade as a reference to the company in the manner of a catchword. The operator of a platform-internal search engine which, upon entry of a search term similar or identical to a company symbol, automatically displays auto-completed search term suggestions based on an analysis of previous searches, uses that sign itself (following Federal Supreme Court, decision of 14 May 2013 VI ZR 269/12, BGHZ 197, 213 para. 17 – Autocomplete-Funktion). The use of a company symbol as a keyword for the display of search term autocompletions does not take place in an unauthorised manner when it merely serves to provide the Internet users with an alternative to the goods or services of this company and it does not compromise the function of the company symbol to serve as a reference to the company. … A component of a company name cannot be denied protection as a company keyword merely because its distinctiveness is weak. What counts is whether it as a part of the company symbol is suited, compared to the other components of the company name, to establish itself in the course of trade as a reference to the company in the manner of a catchword. The operator of a platform-internal search engine which, upon entry of a search term similar or identical to a company symbol, automatically displays auto-completed search term suggestions based on an analysis of previous searches, uses that sign itself (following Federal Supreme Court, decision of 14 May 2013 VI ZR 269/12, BGHZ 197, 213 para. 17 – Autocomplete-Funktion). The use of a company symbol as a keyword for the display of search term autocompletions does not take place in an unauthorised manner when it merely serves to provide the Internet users with an alternative to the goods or services of this company and it does not compromise the function of the company symbol to serve as a reference to the company. …


Objective We examined whether a specific increase in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity accounts for the enhanced depressor response to ganglion blockade in angiotensin II (AngII)-induced hypertension in rabbits or whether it reflects a general increased sensitivity of arterial pressure to vasodilatation. Methods Rabbits were renal denervated or sham-operated and 2 weeks later AngII (50 ng/kg per min) infusion commenced. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) responses to ganglion blockade (pentolinium) and vasodilators nitroprusside and adenosine were measured 2–4 weeks later. Results Basal MAP was 74 ± 2 mmHg and maximum hypotensive responses to pentolinium, nitroprusside and adenosine were −17 ± 2, −17 ± 1 and −21 ± 2 mmHg. AngII increased MAP similarly in intact and renal denervated rabbits (+25 ± 4 mmHg and +31 ± 4 mmHg, respectively). In intact rabbits, depressor responses to pentolinium were augmented by 75% during AngII infusion but responses to vasodilators also increased by 73–106% suggesting general augmentation of vascular reactivity rather than a specific increase in SNS neural activity. Consistent with this notion, total noradrenaline spillover was similar in normal and AngII-treated rabbits. In renal denervated rabbits, AngII enhanced depressor responses to vasodilators but not pentolinium, suggesting that sympathetic activity may be reduced by AngII hypertension when renal nerves are absent. In anaesthetized rabbits, methoxamine-induced decreases in hindlimb vascular conductance were greater in hypertensive than normotensive rabbits suggesting the presence of vascular hypertrophy of sufficient magnitude to explain increased responses to ganglion blockade and vasodilators. Conclusion Enhanced depressor responses to ganglion blockade in AngII hypertension do not reflect augmented SNS activity, but rather, augmented sympathetic vasoconstriction mediated by a vascular amplifier effect.


We examine directional predictability in foreign exchange markets using a model-free statistical evaluation procedure. Based on a sample of foreign exchange spot rates and futures prices in six major currencies, we document strong evidence that the directions of foreign exchange returns are predictable not only by the past history of foreign exchange returns, but also the past history of interest rate differentials, suggesting that the latter can be a useful predictor of the directions of future foreign exchange rates. This evidence becomes stronger when the direction of larger changes is considered. We further document that despite the weak conditional mean dynamics of foreign exchange returns, directional predictability can be explained by strong dependence derived from higher-order conditional moments such as the volatility, skewness and kurtosis of past foreign exchange returns. Moreover, the conditional mean dynamics of interest rate differentials contributes significantly to directional predictability. We also examine the co-movements between two foreign exchange rates, particularly the co-movements of joint large changes. There exists strong evidence that the directions of joint changes are predictable using past foreign exchange returns and interest rate differentials. Furthermore, both individual currency returns and interest rate differentials are also useful in predicting the directions of joint changes. Several sources can explain this directional predictability of joint changes, including the level and volatility of underlying currency returns. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To evaluate prevalence, severity, and level of distress of 18 sensations at 3-15 days (baseline), 3 months, and 6 months after breast cancer surgery; to compare sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) to SLNB with immediate or delayed axillary lymph node dissection; to evaluate the Breast Sensation Assessment Scale(c) (BSAS(c)) for reliability and validity.

DESIGN
Prospective, descriptive.

SETTING
Evelyn H. Lauder Ambulatory Breast Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

SAMPLE
283 women with breast cancer; 187 had SLNB, and 96 had SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection.

METHODS
Patients completed the BSAS(c) at baseline, three months, and six months after surgery.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Prevalence, severity, and level of distress of sensations in patients who had breast cancer surgery.

FINDINGS
Sensations were less prevalent, severe, and distressing following SLNB compared with axillary lymph node dissection at all three time points. Tenderness and soreness remained highly prevalent following SLNB at the three time points. Tenderness, soreness, tightness, and numbness were among the most severe and distressing symptoms in both groups. The BSAS(c) demonstrated good reliability and validity.

CONCLUSIONS
Overall prevalence, severity, and level of distress were lower following SLNB compared with axillary lymph node dissection at baseline, three months, and six months after surgery. Certain sensations remained prevalent, severe, and distressing in both groups. The BSAS(c) is a reliable and valid instrument.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Nurses should be familiar with prevalent sensations patients experience after SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection so they can provide education and support.


AbstractMany oyster species are keystone species that help mitigate shoreline erosion, provide habitats for juvenile fishes, and improve water quality. A number of human-driven factors have led to a decline in their populations worldwide. This article focuses on the chemistry
 of a novel substrate (nutrient-enriched concrete, or NEC) used to induce settlement and colonization of wild diploid oyster spat and is divided into four sections: (1) composition of the bulk material used for oyster restoration, (2) nutrients added to stimulate growth of bacterial and or
 algal biofilms, (3) nutrients included for the recently settled oyster spat, and (4) the potential use of natural chemical defense systems to control predators and competing marine life. The goal is to develop a material that can be manufactured and used on a large scale.


Background Antimicrobial resistance has reached globally alarming levels and is becoming a major public health threat. Lack of efficacious antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems was identified as one of the causes of increasing resistance, due to the lag time between new resistances and alerts to care providers. Several initiatives to track drug resistance evolution have been developed. However, no effective real-time and source-independent antimicrobial resistance monitoring system is available publicly. Objective To design and implement an architecture that can provide real-time and source-independent antimicrobial resistance monitoring to support transnational resistance surveillance. In particular, we investigated the use of a Semantic Web-based model to foster integration and interoperability of interinstitutional and cross-border microbiology laboratory databases. Methods Following the agile software development methodology, we derived the main requirements needed for effective antimicrobial resistance monitoring, from which we proposed a decentralized monitoring architecture based on the Semantic Web stack. The architecture uses an ontology-driven approach to promote the integration of a network of sentinel hospitals or laboratories. Local databases are wrapped into semantic data repositories that automatically expose local computing-formalized laboratory information in the Web. A central source mediator, based on local reasoning, coordinates the access to the semantic end points. On the user side, a user-friendly Web interface provides access and graphical visualization to the integrated views. Results We designed and implemented the online Antimicrobial Resistance Trend Monitoring System (ARTEMIS) in a pilot network of seven European health care institutions sharing 70+ million triples of information about drug resistance and consumption. Evaluation of the computing performance of the mediator demonstrated that, on average, query response time was a few seconds (mean 4.3, SD 0.1×102 seconds). Clinical pertinence assessment showed that resistance trends automatically calculated by ARTEMIS had a strong positive correlation with the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) (ρ = .86, P < .001) and the Sentinel Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance in Switzerland (SEARCH) (ρ = .84, P < .001) systems. Furthermore, mean resistance rates extracted by ARTEMIS were not significantly different from those of either EARS-Net (∆ = ±0.130; 95% confidence interval –0 to 0.030; P < .001) or SEARCH (∆ = ±0.042; 95% confidence interval –0.004 to 0.028; P = .004). Conclusions We introduce a distributed monitoring architecture that can be used to build transnational antimicrobial resistance surveillance networks. Results indicated that the Semantic Web-based approach provided an efficient and reliable solution for development of eHealth architectures that enable online antimicrobial resistance monitoring from heterogeneous data sources. In future, we expect that more health care institutions can join the ARTEMIS network so that it can provide a large European and wider biosurveillance network that can be used to detect emerging bacterial resistance in a multinational context and support public health actions.


In this article, we establish integrated models to determine the necessary economical capital, investment and reinsurance strategies concurrently based on the criteria of minimizing the total frictional cost, Solvency II and Swiss Solvency Test respectively. We consider different structures of assets and liabilities for both property-liability insurers and life insurers. We numerically analyze the effect of several critical parameters on the optimal investment and reinsurance strategies and the capital level. The results show that if the reinsurance cost is low or the frictional cost of capital is high or both, reinsurance can be an effective instrument for capital management. The results also show that the regulatory capital level based on either Solvency II or Swiss Solvency Test tends to be more prudent to the risks than the capital level determined by only minimizing the total frictional cost.


An analysis of the rate of leukocyte reconstitution in 164 recipients of HLA-identical sibling marrow transplants showed two factors to be independently influential. These were the underlying diagnosis and the type of prophylactic regimen used to minimize the risk of graft-versus-host disease. Patients with severe aplastic anemia had a faster rate of reconstitution of the total white blood cell count to levels of both 500 and 1000 x 10(6)/l than patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA), however, did not show a faster rate of reconstitution of blood neutrophils. As well as being slower than patients with SAA for total leukocyte reconstitution, patients with CML were slower than patients with ANL and ALL in attaining a neutrophil count of 500 x 10(6)/l, and slower than patients with ANL in attaining a neutrophil count of 1000 x 10(6)/l. Patients given cyclosporin as the sole immunosuppressant prophylactic regimen post-transplant had faster reconstitution to total leukocyte counts of 500 and 1000 x 10(6)/l and to neutrophils of 1000 x 10(6)/l than patients given methotrexate alone, methotrexate and cyclosporin, or cyclosporin and T cell depletion of the donor marrow. No other factors (including the pretransplant preparative regimen) were significant in influencing the rate of leukocyte or neutrophil reconstitution. When only patients given cyclosporin were analysed, those with severe aplastic anemia continued to show a faster rate of leukocyte reconstitution to WBC 500 x 10(6)/l compared to patients with ANL, ALL or CML, and a faster rate to WBC 1000 x 10(6)/l than patients with CML.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Background Universal interventions to reduce health risks can widen health inequalities. Targeted approaches, where an intervention is tailored to specific groups, may overcome this limitation. Women aged 16 to 34 years with lower socioeconomic status are hard-to engage in research which limits our ability to understand how to address their health and lifestyle behaviours. According to marketing research on spending, young adults aged 16 to 34 years pass through three main life stages: (1) dependency on older adults and individual interests, (2) leaving home and spending time with peers, (3) setting up home and having a family. The aim of this study was to evaluate how useful these life stage categories are for understanding women's motivations to participate in health research and for planning recruitment strategies. Methods Nine focus groups with a total of 49 women (aged 16 to 34 years, without university education) were conducted. Women were recruited from different settings to mirror each of the three life stages above. Women in Further Education colleges represented category (1), women at work were for category (2) and mothers were for category (3). The focus groups explored participants' lifestyles, reasons for participating in the current study and beliefs about how research could be of value to them. Framework analysis was used to integrate theories from existing literature with themes emerging from the focus groups. Results All women sought personal benefits from participation but these varied by life stage. Mothers wanted social opportunities away from caring responsibilities, while women at work and women in education valued monetary incentives more highly. A common theme across the groups was the desire to escape boring activities. Women's motivations to participate in health research were not purely altruistic but to improve their own social capital. There were differences in how women would choose to spend free time. Conclusion The life stages were useful for understanding women's motivations to participate in health research. Advertising strategies to engage women aged 16 to 34 years in health research should be tailored to fit their life stages, their goals for free time and the value they place on participation. These findings suggest that different strategies are required to optimise recruitment across this age range. One recruitment strategy does not fit all.


This thesis is divided into two main parts. In the first part, we focus on analyzing the properties of the single step extension Hechler forcing, as well as two closely related forcing notions which we refer to as the tree Hechler forcing and the non-decreasing Hechler forcing.We prove that Hechler forcing and tree Hechler forcing are inequivalent forcing notions. This entails proving a representation theorem for the dominating reals in the Hechler extension. As corollaries, we answer a question due to Laflamme and settle in the negative a conjecture of Brendle and Loewe. We prove a strengthening of an unpublished result of Goldstern, showing that the product of any two forcing notions which add a dominating real will add a Hechler real. We prove that every subextension of the Hechler extension contains a Cohen real. We prove (jointly with Itay Neeman) that Hechler forcing and the non-decreasing Hechler forcing are equivalent as forcing notions. In the second part of the thesis, we study the interaction of polychromatic Ramsey theory and monochromatic Ramsey theory in a variety of settings. The main theme of our work in this part is that the monochromatic theory is strictly stronger than the polychromatic theory. We prove that some amount of the axiom of choice is necessary to prove the rainbow Ramsey theorem. We also prove that the rainbow Ramsey theorem is not sufficiently strong as a choice principle to imply Ramsey's theorem. We prove (jointly with Anush Tserunyan) that rainbow Ramsey flavored infinite exponent partition relations conflict with the axiom of choice.We investigate the (countable) combinatorial power of the rainbow Ramsey theorem; to accomplish this we introduce rainbow Ramsey ultrafilters, a polychromatic analogue of the classical Ramsey ultrafilters. We investigate the relationship between rainbow Ramsey ultrafilters and other well-known types of special ultrafilters which encapsulate various combinatorial principles. For example, we prove that every rainbow Ramsey ultrafilter is nowhere dense, and that there exists a rainbow Ramsey ultrafilter which is not discrete. Finally, we give several cardinal characteristics of the continuum new characterizations in the spirit of polychromatic Ramsey theory.