Deficiency of the muscle isozyme of glycogen phosphorylase is causative of McArdle disease or Glycogen storage disease type V (GSD‐V), the most common autosomal recessive disorder of glycogen metabolism. The typical clinical presentation is characterized by exercise intolerance with cramps, and recurrent myoglobinuria. To date, 46 mutations in the PYGM gene have been detected in GSD‐V patients. We report the mutational spectrum in 68 Italian patients. We identified 30 different mutations in the PYGM gene, including 19 mutations that have not been reported previously. The novel mutations include: eight missense mutations (c.475G>A, p.G159R; c.689C>G, p.P230R; c.1094C>T, p.A365E; c.1151C>A, p.A384D; c.1182C>T, p.R428C; c.1471C>T, p.R491C; c.2444A>C, p.D815A; c.2477G>C, p.W826S), two nonsense mutations (c.1475G>A, p.W492X; c.1627A>T, p.K543X), five splice site mutations (c.855 +1G>C; c.1092 +1G>A; c. 1093‐1G>T; c.1239 +1G>A; c.2380 +1G>A), and four deletions (c.715_717delGTC, p.V239del; c.304delA, p.N102DfsX4; c.1970_2177del, p.V657_G726; c.2113_2114delGG, p.G705RfsX16). Whereas we confirmed lack of direct correlation between the clinical phenotype and the genotype, we also found that the so‐called 'common mutation' (p.R50X) accounted for about 43% of alleles in our cohort and that no population‐related mutations are clearly identified in Italian patients. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The aim of this study was to access the coping of premature infants during ROP eye exams both before and after receiving 3 child life support sessions. This assessment used the adapted COMFORT behavior scale as a reliable and validated standardized assessment tool. An experienced ROP clinic nurse and a clinic fellow made paired observations during 2 routine ROP eye exams to record infant coping. 9 infants were consented into the study and 2 infants were found to be at risk for ROP and therefore continued in the study. The other 7 infants were found to be not at risk. The results of the pre and post test coping results demonstrated a drop in distress and an increase in each infants coping during the ROP eye exam. The results suggest that Child Life support sessions do increase and enhance premature infant coping during ROP eye exams.


Abstract This cross-linguistic study investigates the functionality and use of one particular linguistic collocation in each of two languages, viz. the French c'est and the Swedish det är, both meaning 'it is'. The data are drawn from conversational speech production by adult native speakers and second language learners. The investigation shows that these collocations are highly polyfunctional as components in different grammatical constructions, that they play a significant role as a formula in the planning and execution of utterances and that they show a characteristic distribution of frequency of use and a characteristic profile of development in learner speech. A usage-based view of how language develops in individuals is adopted in the analysis of these findings, showing that these various properties are connected to each other and that they have an important bearing on the development of learners' interlanguages.


Magnesium carbonate whisker was prepared by thermal decomposition of Mg(HCO3)2 solution that was prepared through hydration and carbonation of light burnt magnesia derived from magnesite tailings. The effects of thermal decomposition conditions on the morphology of magnesium carbonate crystal were investigated. Magnesium carbonate whiskers were successfully prepared when a kind of soluble magnesium salt was added, and magnesium carbonate whiskers with the length of 20 to 60μm and aspect ratio of 10~20 were obtained under the condition of 50 °C thermal decomposition temperature and 200 rpm stirring intensity.


One joint breeding program (BP) for different dairy cattle environments can be advantageous for genetic gain depending on the genetic correlation between environments (rg). The break-even correlation (rb) refers to the specific rg where genetic gain with 1 joint BP is equal to the genetic gain of 2 environment-specific BP. One joint BP has the highest genetic gain if rg is higher than rb, whereas 2 environment-specific BP have higher genetic gain if rg is lower than rb. Genetic gain in this context is evaluated from a breeding company's perspective that aims to improve genetic gain in both environments. With the implementation of genomic selection, 2 types of collaboration can be identified: exchanging breeding animals and exchanging genomic information. The aim of this study was to study genetic gain in multiple environments with different breeding strategies with genomic selection. The specific aims were (1) to find rb when applying genomic selection; (2) to assess how much genetic gain is lost when applying a suboptimal breeding strategy; (3) to study the effect of the reliability of direct genomic values, number of genotyped animals, and environments of different size on rb and genetic gain; and (4) to find rb from each environment's point of view. Three breeding strategies were simulated: 1 joint BP for both environments, 2 environment-specific BP with selection of bulls across environments, and 2 environment-specific BP with selection of bulls within environments. The rb was 0.65 and not different from rb with progeny-testing breeding programs when compared at the same selection intensity. The maximum loss in genetic gain in a suboptimal breeding strategy was 24%. A higher direct genomic value reliability and an increased number of genotyped selection candidates increased genetic gain, and the effect on rb was not large. A different size in 2 environments decreased rb by, at most, 0.10 points. From a large environment's point of view, 1 joint BP was the optimal breeding strategy in most scenarios. From a small environment's point of view, 1 joint BP was only the optimal breeding strategy at high rg. When the exchange of breeding animals between environments was restricted, genetic gain could still increase in each environment. This was due to the exchange of genomic information between environments, even when rg between environments were as low as 0.4. Thus, genomic selection improves the possibility of applying environment-specific BP.


Methanotrophy is the ability of a few prokaryotes to grow on methane as a sole energy source. Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are active in natural environments with pH values ranging from 1 to 11, temperatures ranging from 0 to 72°C and salinities up to 30%. In addition, anaerobic methanotrophs are found in permanently cold ocean sediments at temperatures down to −1°C, and in geothermally heated sediments at temperatures up to 90°C. Several extremophilic species of aerobic methanotrophs have been isolated and studied in pure culture, including thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkaliphiles and halophiles. The knowledge of methanotrophs and their ecology in extreme environments is summarized, with particular attention on bacteria with multiple extremophilic phenotypes that are found in acidic subarctic peatlands and in acidic geothermal springs.

Key concepts

Methane is oxidized by prokaryotes in diverse environments, including some with extreme temperatures, pH values and salinities.

The ecology of extremophilic methanotrophs has been studied using cultivation-independent molecular methods.

Extremophilic aerobic methanotrophs have been isolated and studied in pure culture, but anaerobic methanotrophs have not yet been isolated.

Some aerobic methanotrophs combine multiple extremophilic phenotypes.

Biogeochemical and molecular ecology studies suggest that sulphate-reducing methanotrophs are capable of living under a similar range of temperatures as are aerobic methanotrophs.

Keywords:

methane;
methanotroph;
extremophile;
acidophile;
thermophile


Palm oil was selected from varieties of vegetable oils used in the food industry (especially in the food industry of "Fast Food") proved to be an oil with properties that can be maintained within acceptable limits for use after a reasonable time highly dependent on the type of food processed. It is known that frying is the most widely used process for the preparation of food both in the home and in industrial scale. The preference for this method of preparation of the food is due to the fact that it is a quick and convenient method from the point of view of time / output, and the food unique sensory properties, color, texture, consistency, taste and flavor are very popular with consumers. Degraded samples of the oils were analysed to ascertain the psysicochemical caracteristics (density, refractive index, acid and saponification values and percentage of water) in comparison to the blank samples. The determinations conducted revealed elevated parameters due to the degradation compounds in the analysed samples.


Background/Context The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) requires that all students with disabilities (SWD) receive a free, appropriate public education designed to meet their unique needs to prepare them for post-school education and employment (American Psychological Association, 2018). In the past two decades, momentum has grown for a supplementary idea: that schools be held accountable for SWD achieving grade-level standards. Thus standards-based reform for SWD is often caught between ideals of standardization and principles of differentiation. Purpose and Research Questions The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which district administrators, principals, general educators, and special educators differ in their policy perceptions of the newest college- and career-readiness standards (CCRS) for SWD versus other learners. Our research questions were: To what extent do teachers of SWD report delivering similar or different instructional content compared to general education teachers? What types of instructional supports do teachers provide, what types of professional development do teachers receive, and how do these differ by teacher type? How do policy perceptions differ between teachers of SWD and general education teachers? How do district administrators, principals, and teachers differ in their policy perceptions of the CCRS as they relate to SWD? Research Design In three states (Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky), we surveyed a stratified sample of teachers, principals, and district administrators on the implementation of their state's standards and directed them to respond for SWD who participate in the regular accountability system. Conclusions/Recommendations Results indicate an environment where SWD continue to receive less grade-level content and, in Texas and Ohio, are served by personnel who do not believe that the standards are appropriate. Kentucky demonstrated greater consistencies between general education and SWD instruction and policy environments. Findings raise questions about whether CCRS are being implemented for all students.


Triceps tendon rupture or avulsion is a rare tendon injury. The most common feature of injury is avulsion from osseous insertion on the olecranon. The diagnosis of acute triceps tendon rupture may be missed, and a missed diagnosis can result in prolonged disability and delayed operative management. In this article, we report 2 cases of neglected triceps tendon avulsion and a new V-Y-plasty surgical technique for repair.


AIMS AND BACKGROUND
Previous studies have reported that in early breast cancer, lymphomas and advanced bladder cancer, dose-dense chemotherapy may be more effective than conventional treatments. In metastatic gastric cancer, chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TCF) q3w is very active, and, even though there is no international consensus on the subject, it is the regimen of choice of many European centers as first-line chemotherapy in this subset of patients. Based on these studies, we tested for the first time the feasibility and activity of an intensified dose-dense TCF regimen (q2w) modifying the 5-fluorouracil infusion with 1-folinic acid/5-fluorouracil according to the "De Gramont regimen".

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN
Patients with histologically confirmed measurable metastatic gastric cancer, ECOG performance status <or=1, and not previously treated for advanced disease received docetaxel, 85 mg/m(2) (75 mg/m(2) after the first 6 patients, 70 mg/m(2) after the 19th patient) on day 1, cisplatin, 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 (60 mg/m(2) after the 19th patient), 1-folinic acid, 100 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 2, followed by 5-fluorouracil, 400 mg/m(2) bolus on days 1 and 2 and then 600 mg/m(2) as a 22-h continuous infusion on days 1 and 2, every 14 days, plus pegfilgrastim, 6 mg on day 3. Patients aged >or=65 years received the same schedule with a dose reduction of 30%.

RESULTS
Thirty-two consecutive patients were enrolled (63% male, 37% female); median age, 64 years (range, 40-81). A median of 4 cycles (range, 1-7) per patient was administered. Eleven of 32 patients (34%) required a dose reduction, mostly for hematological grade III-IV toxicity and severe asthenia. Twelve patients (38%) completed the first 4 cycles of therapy within 7 weeks, thereby finishing without delay the initially planned dose-density schedule. Twenty-eight patients were evaluated for response (1 early suspension after the first cycle because of toxicity, 3 deaths before response evaluation due to progression of disease). There were 3 complete responses (9%), 15 partial responses (47%), 7 stable disease (22%) and 3 progression of disease (9%), for an overall response rate, by intention to treat, of 56% (95% CI, 39-73). The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicities were: neutropenia (53%), thrombocytopenia (34%), anemia (16%) febrile neutropenia (22%), asthenia (38%) and diarrhea (19%). Median time to progression was 9.1 months (95% CI, 6.0-12.2); median overall survival was 10.1 months (95% CI, 8.8-12.2).

CONCLUSIONS
A dose-dense TCF regimen in metastatic gastric cancer is feasible, with activity comparable to previous results achieved with epirubicin-based chemotherapy and TCF q3wk in terms of overall survival and time to progression, and deserves to be further tested in randomized phase III studies.


We study the performance of a high-frequency pairs trading strategy on the 100 most liq- uid stocks, in 15-minute intervals, on a small commodity dominated stock exchange (Oslo Stock Exchange) using a comprehensive dataset from January 2012 to March 2016. We use both the dis- tance and cointegration approach. Moreover, we let the formation (trading) period vary between two (one), four (two), and six (three) weeks, in order to test the impact on the pairs trading profit. We find that the distance and cointegration approaches both have their strenghts and weaknesses. In addition, we find that a shorter formation (and trading) period yields better results. As a further contribution to the literature, our findings imply that a simple static pairs trading strategy, still is profitable using high-frequency data. Further, our results show better performance in a bull market than in a sideways-moving, volatile market.


The winner-take-all (WTA) competition is widely observed in both inanimate and biological media and society. Many mathematical models are proposed to describe the phenomena discovered in different fields. These models are capable of demonstrating the WTA competition. However, they are often very complicated due to the compromise with experimental realities in the particular fields; it is often difficult to explain the underlying mechanism of such a competition from the perspective of feedback based on those sophisticate models. In this paper, we make steps in that direction and present a simple model, which produces the WTA competition by taking advantage of selective positive-negative feedback through the interaction of neurons via p-norm. Compared to existing models, this model has an explicit explanation of the competition mechanism. The ultimate convergence behavior of this model is proven analytically. The convergence rate is discussed and simulations are conducted in both static and dynamic competition scenarios. Both theoretical and numerical results validate the effectiveness of the dynamic equation in describing the nonlinear phenomena of WTA competition.


The scope of clinical bioethics must be broadened to a social bioethics that tackles institutional and public health ethical problems and those related to the health system reform. The superficial application of the four bioethical principles is not enough to face these problems and assure a complete respect of individual rights. Using a qualitative research in bioethics, we will be able to deal with those problems that rise from health care in Chile and propose solutions to avoid inequities, to promote a humane care of patients, develop an institutional ethics and provide an efficient protection to people 's rights. We propose to incorporate these social issues to the academic bioethical discussion and to develop a bioethics with complementary principles that can be used to solve cases and in decision making. We should use the means incorporated in our legislation such as Assistance Ethics Committees, Research Ethics Committees and the National Bioethics Commission, to pursue our objectives).


The echocardiographer responsible for the intraoperative evaluation should be familiar with the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) views of mitral valve morphology as well as the the repair procedure(s) in order to assess postoperative results. The most frequent immediate mitral valve repair failures are a result of extensive valve disease, calcification, suture dehiscence, ischemia, technical misadventures, stenosis, or systolic anterior motion. Systolic anterior motion with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and an associated posteriorly directed jet of mitral regurgitation is the most common cause of immediate failure after mitral valve repair. The incidence of this potentially devastating complication has decreased dramatically since the introduction of preoperative measures (sliding annuloplasty and anterior leaflet valvuloplasty) in those patients at risk. Intraoperative TEE is extremely valuable in evaluating the competency of the mitral valve following repair. In fact the results of this modality have a predictive valve in determining long-term outcomes in these patients.


We investigate three possible pentaquark candidates, one of which contains a single charm quark and the other two contain triple charm quarks in their substructure. To this end we apply the QCD sum rule method and take into account both the positive and negative parity states corresponding to each possible pentaquark channel having spin 3/2 or 1/2. Insisting on the importance of identification of the members of the pentaquark family we obtain their spectroscopic parameters such as masses and residues. These parameters are the main inputs in the searches for their electromagnetic, strong, and weak interactions.


Pancreatic carcinoma has a poor prognosis and early detection is essential for potentially curative resection. Despite the wide array of diagnostic tools, preoperative detection of small pancreatic carcinomas remains difficult. We report a case of small pancreatic carcinoma of the head of pancreas with indeterminate findings on US, ERCP, MRI and EUS which was successfully diagnosed via fusion CT-PET. This case illustrates the utility of CT-PET in the diagnosis of patients with small pancreatic carcinoma with equivocal findings on conventional diagnostic modalities.


Abstract:This paper presents a critical assessment of Vives's major rhetorical treatise, De ratione dicendi (1533). In terms of structure it shows that the first book is concerned with the linguistic basis of style, that the second deals with the qualities of style, the four aims of rhetoric, decorum and disposition and that the third presents guidance on composing ten genres of writing practised by humanists. The paper describes Vives's original contributions to the analysis of the linguistic basis of style, the qualities of style, emotional manipulation, decorum, and the composition of history and commentary. In assessing Vives's work it makes comparisons with rhetoric texts by Agricola, Erasmus, Melanchthon, and Ramus. It finds that Vives's reform of rhetoric is based in his encyclopaedic grasp of human learning but that this very encyclopaedism can cause weaknesses in his discussions of particular topics. De ratione dicendi tells us a great deal about Vives's perceptiveness and breadth of reading but, with only three sixteenth century editions, it was not a successful textbook.


A B S T R A C T The characterisation of RNA molecules for the purpose of body fluid identification is currently a major field in forensic genetics; with a great deal of effort going towards the analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA). There is also some effort with targeting microRNA (miRNA) which is a more stable RNA molecule than mRNA; due to its short size and role in RNA interference. Most research into forensic miRNA analysis is based around quantitative PCR (qPCR). No substantial research has yet been carried out on capillary electrophoretic (CE) analysis of miRNA. Thus the aim of this study was to explore the viability of CE of miRNA. Samples of blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal material were obtained from a number of volunteers with their informed consent. All samples then underwent standard DNA extraction using QIAAmp DNA mini kit. cDNA synthesis was carried out using stem-loop reverse transcription and commercially available stem-loop primers. qPCR was performed using a 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR Machine and commercially available miRNA assays. The amplified product then underwent fragment analysis using an ABI 3130 genetic analyser. The findings have demonstrated that CE analysis of miRNA markers could be viable for the purpose of forensic genetics. The fragment sizes (between 30 and 70 bp) suggest that such CE based miRNA assays could be multiplexed with STR kits with minimal modification; thus enhancing the capability of DNA profiling.


1. It is possible to produce in the perfused frog's kidney an experimental nephritis which is anatomically similar to that which develops in the living animal. 2. The functional effects of these anatomical alterations may be examined by a method previously described. 3. The correlation of the two aspects of damage, anatomical and functional, is more certain under such conditions than in the living animal. 4. The value of the extravital method in general problems is indicated by our brief consideration of mitochondrial changes.


The International Energy Agency predicts that global oil demand will go up more than a third by 2030. (source: IEA World Energy Outlook 2006) World levels of oil production, however, are likely to go into decline before this. As the industry debates when the production peak will occur, we look at alternatives and actions open to individuals, communities, businesses and governments.


The phytochemical analysis of stem bark extracts in petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and aqueous extracts of indigenous medicinally important plants of Tabernaemontana divaricata were investigated. The phytochemicals analysis reveals the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, lignins, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, amino acids and quinines. This research supports the local use of the stem bark extract of the plant Tabernaemontana divaricata for treatment of fever. The present study provides evidence that solvent extract of Tabernaemontana divaricata contains medicinally important bioactive compounds and this justifies the use of plant species as traditional medicine for treatment of various diseases.


Power systems stability is a complex problem which was first recognised in 1920 and has been widely investigated by power system engineers ever since. The first laboratory test on a practical power system was conducted in 1924, followed by the first field test in the following year. The models and method of analysis were relatively simple, with long fault clearing times (0.5 to 2.0 seconds). In 1930, network analysers (which were analogue simulators of the power system) were developed and this led to the improvement of stability analysis. In early 1950's, they were used to analyse problems which required detailed models of the synchronous machine, excitation system and speed governor. In the mid 1950's, the first digital computer program for power systems stability was developed. Since the 1960's most of the industry efforts and interests relating to system stability have been concentrated on transient stability. Power systems are designed and operated to criteria concerning transient stability (Kundur, 1994). There have been significant developments in equipment modelling and testing, for synchronous machines, excitation systems and loads. In addition, using high speed fault clearing, fast exciters and special stability aids have been used to improve the transient stability of power systems. The high speed exciters adversely affect the small signal stability associated with local plant mode of oscillations by introducing negative damping of the rotor angle oscillations. Such problems have been solved using power systems stabilisers (PSS). The incorporation of a power systems stabiliser (PSS) into the excitation controller is to improve the system's performance where the system's damping is low. At the same time, it can also combat the damping reductions introduced by an AVR (Hughes, 1991). The damping of the rotor angle oscillations can be improved by adding a supplementary signal to the excitation control system to produce a component of the electrical torque on the rotor in phase with speed variations (Larsen and Swann, 1981). Figure 5.1 shows the block diagram of a power system stabiliser added to the excitation control system. The rotor angle oscillations of a generator feeding power to a large inter-connected power system occur in the frequency range of 0.2 to 2 Hz. Different signals have been used as the input to the PSS including: the rotor speed deviation, the bus frequency, the electrical power deviation and the accelerating power (Padiyar, 1996). When a speed signal is employed as an input for the PSS, then a phase lead compensator is required to provide sufficient phase lead (Hughes, 1991). A transient gain or washout is normally used to remove any steady state offset in the speed signal. This filter acts as a high pass filter and is required to ensure that the stabilising signal (PSS output) does not affect the steady state regulation characteristics.


Research in recent years has implicated many vasoactive mediators in causing or maintaining the shock process. One of the newer mediators to be considered is platelet-activating factor (PAF). The present group of experiments examined the effects of a PAF antagonist, CV-3988, on PAF, endotoxin, and hemorrhagic hypotension in rats. Sprague Dawley male rats (250-350 g) were lightly anesthetized with halothane and instrumented to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP). Hypotension induced by PAF (3.0 micrograms/kg) (iv) was attenuated only by CV-3988 (10 mg/kg). The other compounds tested which were unsuccessful were MK-771, TRH, benoxaprofen, fenoprofen, FPL-55712, naloxone, diphenhydramine, verapamil, and methylprednisolone. In another set of rats, hypotension was induced by endotoxin (E. coli 0127:B8) (40 mg/kg) (iv). Animals were pretreated with saline or CV-3988 (10 mg/kg) (iv) 5 min prior to endotoxin administration. CV-3988 was able to attenuate the drop in MAP. Representative MAP (mmHg) measured 60 min after endotoxin administration was 72 +/- 7 for the saline group (n = 6) and 99 +/- 5 (P less than or equal to .05) for the CV-3988 group. No animal in either group survived 24 hours. In another series of animals which were pithed and vagotomized, hypotension, induced by endotoxin (6 mg/kg) (iv) could be attenuated by CV-3988. Representative MAP (mmHg) difference from baseline measured 30 min after endotoxin administration was -17 +/- 3 for the saline group (n = 7) and 0 +/- 2 (P less than or equal to .05) for the CV-3988 group. Hypotension induced by another endotoxin (Salmonella abortus equi) could also be attenuated by CV-3988. In the final set of experiments, hypotension was induced by an acute hemorrhage (30 cc/kg). In these animals, CV-3988, however, had no effect in attenuating the drop in MAP. These data demonstrate that CV-3988 can attenuate the hypotension of PAF and endotoxemia but not of hemorrhage. Also, the data suggest that PAF works directly in the rat to cause hypotension and not through other mediators. The hemodynamic effects of CV-3988 in the endotoxin model are partially mediated through peripheral mechanisms. Further work is needed to better characterize the effects of CV-3988 and other PAF antagonists in different shock models.


In longitudinal studies, analysis can be based on any one of a large number of wave combinations. However, only one set of non-response weights (often based on respondents from all waves up to the latest) is typically offered on public use data files. We refer to this as a single weighting strategy (SWS). This paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey to illustrate the limitations of the SWS. We evaluate the effect of designing weights based on response to wave-combinations concerned with the same module of questions. The analysis shows that the use of SWS may lead to an unnecessary loss of respondents if used with a different combination of waves. This leads to less precision on some, but not all, of the survey estimates.


Johannes Schotz presents the first measurements of optical electro-magnetic near-fields around nanostructures with subcycle-resolution. The ability to measure and understand light-matter interactions on the nanoscale is an important component for the development of light-wave-electronics, the control and steering of electron dynamics with the frequency of light, which promises a speed-up by several orders of magnitude compared to conventional electronics. The experiments presented here on metallic nanotips, widely used in experiments and applications, do not only demonstrate the feasibility of attosecond streaking as a unique tool for fundamental studies of ultrafast nanophotonics but also represent a first important step towards this goal. Contents Electron Scattering in Solids Attosecond Streaking from Metal Nanotips Target Groups Lecturers and students of physics, especially in the area of nanophotonics and attosecond physics About the Author Johannes Schotz received his Master's degree in physics and currently works as a PhD student in the field of ultrafast nanophotonics at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics Garching


Shape memory polymer (SMP) products have been developed for application as crack closure devices in concrete. They have been made from PET in the form of both fibres and hollow tubes. Here, manufacturing methods using die-drawing and mandrel-drawing to induce shape memory are reported. The fibre-based devices are incorporated into concrete and, upon triggering, exert shrinkage restraint forces that close cracks in the concrete. The evolution of shrinkage restraint force in the fibres as manufactured was measured as a function of temperature, showing stresses in excess of 35 MPa. Tendons consisting of fibre bundles are incorporated into concreate beams subjected to controlled cracking. When activated, the tendons reduce the crack widths by 80%. The same fibres are used to produce another class of device known as knotted fibres, which have knotted ends that act as anchor points when they incorporated directly into concrete. Upon activation within the cracked concrete, these devices are shown to completely close cracks. The tubes are used to enclose and restrain prestressed Kevlar fibres. When the tubes are triggered, they shrink and release the prestress force in the Kevlar, which is transferred to the surrounding concrete in the form of a compressive force, thereby closing cracks. The Kevlar fibres also provide substantial reinforcement after activation. The devices are shown to be able to partially and fully close cracks that have been opened to 0.3 mm and achieve post-activation flexural strengths comparable to those of conventional reinforced and prestressed structural elements. Finally, a preliminary life cycle assessment study was used to assess the carbon footprint a nominal unit of concrete made with SMPs fibres compared to conventional concrete.


Objective Neonatal jaundice is a common clinical finding in newborns. The efficacy and safety of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice have been firmly established, but it has some side effects, thus herbal therapy has recently received special attention. Herein we investigated the efficacy of Zizyphus jujuba for treatment of jaundice in neonates compared to phototherapy. Methods In this clinical-trial study, a total of 121 neonates aged 2-14 days hospitalized for jaundice, were randomly assigned into experimental group including 63 patients who received Zizyphus jujuba's fruit extract 1ml/Kg 3 times a day and phototherapy, and control group of 58 cases receiving phototherapy with distilled water. Bilirubin level during hospitalization in both groups was measured daily. Findings Experimental group stayed in hospital for 3.47±0.3 days. None of the neonates in this group was hospitalized more than 7 days. In controls, hospitalization was 3.67±0.4 days. 2 cases stayed more than 7days. The bilirubin level had decreased in both groups. Decrease of serum bilirubin in experimental group after 12 hours was statistically significant compared to control group (P=0.026). In experimental group, after taking the herb for 1-2 days, 3 children developed slight diarrhea which resolved spontaneously. Conclusion The results indicate that Zizyphus jujuba was effective for the treatment of neonatal jaundice in first 12 hours of treatment compared to controls which could be due to higher effect of Z. jujuba extract to reduce bilirubin concentration with different mechanisms.


The physician in training is not a student but a professional in practice. His medical education will be permanently confronted with experience : it is a permanent assessment of skills, an ongoing learning process, a "lifelong learning" or "continuous medical education." Medical practice requires a triple acquisition : a knowledge (a science), a know-how (an art), and how to do (a behavior). Medicine is also defined as a practice where "ethics and trust come together." In the present cen- tury doctors will have to fight for independence (every medical act is determined by science and ethics with only the patient's best interest in mind), to stand against the progressive erosion of qualifications (technocracy and medical sub-specialties), and to enhance their moral responsibility (scientific and social) through the devel- opment of team work. Medicine is more and more a scientific discipline due to the staggering collection of data and advances in technology. This may lead to a gradual decline of medical reasoning among physicians. A broad information campaign should address the following hot issue : doctors are bound by their con- science if not by law to "keep up and upgrade their knowledge." An array of incentive and training initiatives should therefore offset the absence of any legal obligation. Physicians can count on their colleagues in the Continuing Medical Education committee (CME) of the Order of Physicians who are working hard in order to make this objective a successful one.


We present a suite of Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) interferometric molecular line and continuum images that elucidate, on linear size scales of ∼30–40 au, the chemical structure of the nearby, evolved, protoplanetary disk orbiting the close binary system V4046 Sgr. The observations were undertaken in the 1.1–1.4 mm wavelength range (ALMA Bands 6 and 7) with antenna configurations involving maximum baselines of several hundred meters, yielding subarcsecond-resolution images in more than a dozen molecular species and isotopologues. Isotopologues of CO and HCN display centrally peaked morphologies of integrated emission-line intensity, whereas the line emission from complex nitrile group molecules (HC3N, CH3CN), deuterated molecules (DCN, DCO+), hydrocarbons (as traced by C2H), and potential CO ice line tracers (N2H+, and H2CO) appears as a sequence of sharp and diffuse rings. The dimensions and morphologies of HC3N and CH3CN emission are suggestive of photodesorption of organic ices from the surfaces of dust grains, while the sequence of increasing radius of peak intensity represented by DCN (smallest), DCO+, N2H+, and H2CO (largest) is qualitatively consistent with the expected decline of midplane gas temperature with increasing disk radius. Empirical modeling indicates that the sharp-edged C2H emission ring lies at relatively deep disk layers, leaving open the question of the origin of C2H abundance enhancements in evolved disks. This study of the "molecular anatomy" of V4046 Sgr should serve as motivation for additional subarcsecond ALMA molecular line imaging surveys of nearby, evolved protoplanetary disks aimed at addressing major uncertainties in protoplanetary disk physical and chemical structure and molecular production pathways.


OBJECTIVE
In this follow-up study, we aimed to assess national and international pharmaceutical companies' Web sites using guidelines of The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD) and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Turkey (IEIS) to define whether there has been progress since 2004.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We used two national guidelines in order to evaluate the Web sites of pharmaceutical companies in our study. The first guideline was from IEIS, and the second was from AIFD, which was issued recently. We collected our data between February 1 and April 30, 2011. Data analyses were performed using SPSS version 15.0. Chi squared test was done for comparing the two assessments in different years (2004 and 2011).

RESULTS
In general, the progress that we were expecting was not satisfactory for both the international and national companies. The percentage of unmet criteria increased for "links" (from 48.0% to 52.0%) and for "mentioning the responsible person/firm for the Web site design" (from 40.6% to 59.4%) among national companies. We observed statistically significant progress only for the "information for the public" criterion (from 52.9% to 100%) among international companies. On the other hand, there was progress and a statistically significant difference in terms of not displaying any "drug ads" on the Web sites of national firms (from 55.9% to 87.5%), availability of "mail address" (from 88.2% to 100%), "telephone number" (from 88.2% to 100%), "indication of the target group" (from 23.5% to 52.1%), and "disclaimer stating the given information cannot replace a physician or pharmacist" (from 29.4% to 53.1%).

CONCLUSIONS
Our major recommendation to pharmaceutical companies is to update their Web sites with evidence-based scientific information about themselves and their products using international and national standards. From the companies' perspective, this should be a priority responsibility based on the ethical aspect of individual and community health.


From the Publisher:
Here's the "Word": it's a whizz for kids to create cool documents. If you're sick of writing out thank-you letters, bored with black titles on your school papers, or want a really special birthday-party invitation, get your computer to help you! A Mac or PC with Word on it can turn those dull tasks into fun times—especially when you have this manual with all its operating secrets, from undoing a mistake to setting a style. Just start up the system and see what's on the menu. Once you've picked an option, begin "filling in the blanks" by typing text (big and bold, if you'd like), adding images, making your own notepaper, writing a color-coded play, and even "drawing" a poster. So—why use a pen again? 5 3/8 X 7 7/8. All in Color


Objectives: To determine the clinical significance of routine postoperative voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) and renal functional studies in the postoperative management of children after a transtrigonal ureteric reimplantation. Methods: A retrospective record review of 126 consecutive patients undergoing transtrigonal ureteric reimplantation. Inclusion criteria included primary reflux and >5 years of follow-up. Follow-up imaging studies consisted of serial renal ultrasounds (US) and one VCUG and intravenous urogram (IVU) each. Results: Of 126 patients, 2 required a reoperation for contralateral reflux and pyelonephritis. In all other patients the results of the VCUG did not alter management. Dilatation seen in IVU was always visible in the renal US as well and always resolved spontaneously. No new dilatation was observed after 1 year of follow-up. Conclusions: Routine postoperative VCUG and renal functional studies are not warranted in asymptomatic patients after transtrigonal reimplantation. Only in patients with postoperative pyelonephritis did the imaging studies alter the treatment. In the majority of patients, follow-up with an early and 1-year renal US may suffice. Elimination of routine VCUG and functional studies will decrease morbidity and cost after ureteric reimplantation.


This thesis consists of an introductory chapter and four self-contained essays on the value relevance of financial statement information.Essay 1: The purpose of this essay is to examine relevance of environmental information from an investor's perspective. The study proposes that the market value of companies will reflect both financial and environmental performance. The theoretical foundation of the study is the accounting based valuation theory outlined by Ohlson (1995). This study provides new insights into how environmental performance is reflected in the market value of Swedish companies listed on the Swedish Stock market.Essay 2: In financial accounting research, much effort has been devoted to study the relation between accounting earnings and stock prices. The primary purpose of the second essay is to investigate the effect of alternative return-earnings model specifications to the estimated returns-earnings relation, that is, the earnings response coefficients. The returns-earnings models investigated include the traditional earnings levels and changes, and models including analysts' earnings forecasts based on Ohlson's (1995) extended residual income model.Essay 3: Fundamental analysis research that focuses on the use of accounting information to estimate equity value, has surfaced as a central theme in market based accounting research of the 1990s (Lee, 1999). The purpose of third essay is to compare two different approaches to valuation based on the theory presented in Ohlson (1995) in terms of explanatory and predictive power of the value estimates. Both approaches are implemented with and without the use of analysts forecasts. Essay 4: In this essay data from the Swedish stock market is used to investigate the profitability of two different types of investment strategies based on fundamental-to-value ratios and past insider trading activity. The purpose of the research is to explore four related research questions: (i) Do accounting based trading strategies generate abnormal returns on the Swedish stock market?; (ii) Do trading strategies based on insider trading behaviour generate abnormal returns on the Swedish stock market?; (iii) Do insiders who buy stocks tend to favour value stocks and do insiders who sell stocks tend to dispose growth stocks?; and (iv) Are insiders able to discriminate between temporary high/low fundamentals and temporary low/high prices when buying/selling value stocks and growth stocks?


Railroads are critically important to the United States. More than one-third of the nation's ton-mileage goes by rail. Items such as food, fuels and manufactured goods which are crucial to maintaining a high standard of living and adequate national security depend on rail haulage. Yet, America's railroads are fueled almost exclusively by oil. Thus, railroads are an important segment of the nation's transportation system which should be considered for conversion from oil. Of the several alternatives available for reducing the rail system's dependence on oil, the possibility of converting to the direct combustion of coal has many attractive features. This report presents an assessment of economic and environmental factors involved in such a conversion. General engineering and environmental analyses are presented in which design parameters are taken to be those believed possible using modern technology. The use of coal is found to offer several direct economic benefits to the operating companies as well as numerous indirect benefits to the entire nation. Analyses found that present federal environmental standards can be met by direct coal-fired locomotives provided that modern combustion and control technology are utilized. National security would be greatly enhanced by conversion of the rail system to coal as the fundamental fuel. Moreover, a switch to the direct combustion of coal is shown to offer the quickest possible large scale conversion from oil-an important economic and security consideration. Nineteen specific results are discussed briefly.


Program evaluation and planning is at the heart of efforts to integrate the domains of practice and research. Traditionally, research and practice have operated in independent spheres with practitioners focused on the implementation of programs that affect individual behavior and researchers focused on the development and testing of theory. Evidence-based practice (EBP), practice-based evidence, and translational research have attempted to unite these worlds, and although significant advances have been made, there is a continued need to find mechanisms that enable a seamless connection between knowledge generation and application. We propose a method that builds on the traditions of theory-driven evaluation, logic modeling, and systems science and uses evaluation and program planning as the bridging mechanism between research and practice. Included in this approach are methods that aid in the explicit expression of implicit theories, management of evaluation resources, and linkage of program theory and evaluation measures to a research evidence base.


A novel thermoplastic konjac glucomannan(TKGM) was synthesized with KGM and methyl acrylate(MA) initiated by ammonium persulfate. The percentage grafting (PG) and the grafting efficiency (GE) was affected by concentration of initiator and monomer, temperature, and time. The results indicated that the percentage grafting (PG) and the grafting efficiency (GE) can attach 70% and 90% at optimal conditions, respectively. The structure and properties of TKGM were characterized by FTIR and DSC. FTIR results demonstrated that graft copolymerization was occurred between MA and KGM. The results of DSC indicated that a new glass transition temperature (Tg) of TKGM at 16.4°C was appeared compared with KGM with no glass transition temperature. It suggested that product of TKGM can be made through thermoplastic process.


Organizations are field members and respond to the meaning produced within the field. Although a significant body of literature exists concerning institutions and how they influence organizational decision making for actors within the field, less is known about the evolution of measures of organizational performance as a result of the institution and the organizational field. The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational fields produce evolved means of measuring organizational performance. I examine this within the context of collegiate athletics, evaluating the relationship between winning percentages and graduation rates for various athletics programs. I further test this through coding data over a 50 year interval to indicate field expansion. The results suggest that Division I athletic programs are growing in homogeneity. Additionally, the academic support services field is influencing how potential Division I athletes are measuring the performance of athletic programs. This is an illustration of how organizational performance measures evolve as the field matures.


List of Figures List of Contributors Chapter 1 Introduction and Framing the Collection Claire Aitchison, Barbara Kamler and Alison Lee Chapter 2 When the article is the dissertation: Pedagogies for a PhD by publication Alison Lee, University of Technology, Sydney Chapter 3 Slow the presses: Concerns about premature publication Anthony Pare, McGill University, Montreal Chapter 4 Dovetailing Under Impossible Circumstances Christine Pearson Casanave, Temple University, Japan Chapter 5 Revise and Resubmit: The role of publication brokers Barbara Kamler, Deakin University, Melbourne Chapter 6 Learning together to publish: Writing group pedagogies for doctoral publishing Claire Aitchison, University of Western Sydney Chapter 7 Becoming Rhetorical Rowena Murray, Strathclyde University, Glasgow Chapter 8 Mentoring of Doctoral Students toward Publication within Scholarly Communities of Practices Amanda Hartling Thein, University of Pittsburgh and Richard Beach, University of Minnesota Chapter 9 Learning about journal publication: The pedagogies of editing a 'special issue' Pat Thomson, Tina Byrom, Carol Robinson and Lisa Russell, University of Nottingham


Traditionally a temperate and hyper-humid region, western Patagonia experienced its most severe drought during the summer and fall of 2016. Along with precipitation deficits larger than 50% there was a similar reduction in river discharge into coastal waters, a decline in vegetation productivity, excessive solar radiation at the surface, and frequent upwelling-favorable wind events offshore. The combination of these regional-scale anomalies seems to have set the stage for environmental disturbances that, although not new in western Patagonia, occurred with unprecedented magnitude, including severe urban air pollution episodes, large forest fires, and the worst ever recorded harmful algae bloom (HAB). The local climate anomalies were in turn related to the concomitant strong El Niño (through atmospheric teleconnections) and, to a lesser extent, anthropogenic climate change mediated by the positive polarity of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and internal variability, as both modes weakened the westerlies. Dryer than present conditions are consistently projected for northern Patagonia during the 21st century as a consequence of anthropogenic increases in radiative forcing; superposition of El Niño events in this altered climate may result in a higher frequency of extreme droughts and environmental disruptions like those observed in 2016.


Background: The prevalence of obesity increases in both developed and developing countries. Beside individuals have started to seek ways of changing their aesthetic appearance by easy methods. Objectives: This study was conducted in an attempt to identify the effect of methods performed through a device for regional weight loss on the regional fat mass and body composition to reduce regional fat and cellulites. Materials and Methods: A total of 68 women willing to reduce fat on their gluteal-femoral regions participated in the study. Three different methods were adopted for the participants divided into three groups for regional weight loss in line with the medical advice of the center they consulted. The methods used are Ultrasound & Radiofrequency (Exilis-2011, BTL Medical Devices), cavitation method (Ultrasound Cavitation Eximia -2010, 1065 DJ Cosmo Plus), and Shock Wave Treatment (AWT Acoustic Wave Therapy D- Actor, 2007-2008 Medlaser Storz). Arithmetic average and standard deviation were used for statistical assessment of data, and an analysis of variance test on repeated measures was conducted. Results: The type of the method led to a significant difference (p<0.05) between the first and the final measurements in terms of body weight, waist and hip circumference, BMI, total fat mass, right leg/left leg and trunk fat mass. Conclusion: It was found out that the methods adopted proved to be factors contributing to a significant decrease in total body fat, regional fat mass and cellulite of all participants.


SUMMARY: The differentiation of proheterocysts and heterocysts in Anabaena cylindrica was initiated by the removal of NH4Cl from the medium. The development of both proheterocysts and mature heterocysts was inhibited by rifampicin, chloramphenicol and mitomycin C, at final concentrations of 0.2, 4.0 and 1.0 μg ml-1, respectively. However, lower concentrations than these were sufficient to inhibit mature heterocyst development while permitting proheterocyst formation. The presence of rifampicin (0.2 μg ml-1) during the early stages of the induction of differentiation, just prior to the initial visual detection of proheterocysts, led to an increase in the frequency of heterocysts that subsequently developed. To assess the commitment of cells to differentiation, samples of culture were incubated with inhibitors or NH4Cl, or were transferred to darkness, at different times following the initiation of development. Each treatment produced a characteristic commitment time which differed for proheterocysts and mature heterocysts. The data obtained from these experiments have been used to formulate a model for the control of heterocyst development in A. cylindrica, in which DNA replication serves as a timer mechanism for the process.


The protective effect of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, against neuronal toxicity induced by cadmium chloride (CdCl2 10 μM) was investigated in a retinoic acid (RA)-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line. CBD (1 μM) was applied 24 h before and removed during cadmium (Cd) treatment. In differentiated neuronal cells, CBD significantly reduced the Cd-dependent decrease of cell viability, and the rapid reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase. CBD significantly prevented the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (GRP78 increase) and the subcellular distribution of the cytochrome C, as well as the overexpression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX. Immunocytochemical analysis as well as quantitative protein evaluation by western blotting revealed that CBD partially counteracted the depletion of the growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) and of the neuronal specific class III β-tubulin (β3 tubulin) induced by Cd treatment. These data showed that Cd-induced neuronal injury was ameliorated by CBD treatment and it was concluded that CBD may represent a potential option to protect neuronal cells from the detrimental effects of Cd toxicity.


Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are commonly positioned to show evidence of student learning with formative and summative assessment benefits. At the University of Auckland teacher education program, two e-portfolio systems were adopted to document preservice teacher's course work and to attest to the Graduating Teacher Standards. This article seeks to (a) evaluate e-portfolio systems, (b) compare the MyPortfolio (Mahara) and Google Sites systems, and (c) provide recommendations for best practice in system use. The software system comparison between the MyPortfolio (Mahara) and Google Sites system was based on the essential technology features for system use. User satisfaction and usability data were obtained through self-reported surveys (N = 192). Open-ended questions (N = 192) and semistructured interviews with a sample of course participants (N = 12) ascertained the best practice approach for system use. Mean scores were higher for the MyPortfolio (Mahara) system. One-way analysis of variance ind...


The hot stamping potential of three commercial carbon–manganese–chromium steels was demonstrated. The steels were selected with the intention of producing ultrahigh strength ferritic–martensitic dual phase microstructures from hot stamping heat treatment, exhibiting superior tensile properties for 'impact energy absorptive' crash performance compared to the conventional carbon–manganese–boron steel for automotive hot stamping technologies, 22MnB5. Compared to 22MnB5, each of the carbon–manganese–chromium steels provided at least twice the total elongation, yet with a relatively small loss to ultimate tensile strength. It was concluded that the carbon–manganese–chromium steels provide superior tensile properties for impact energy absorptive crash performance, while exhibiting 'lean' chemical compositions compared to previously investigated steels with similar aims and offer opportunities for use in the 'tailor welded blank' concept.


Drying is the most crucial process that determines the final quality of pasta products. Drying at high temperature has been widely used; however, it may cause texture damage in the form of cracking in the product. Drying model can be used in drying process control to prevent such k ind of damage and also to design an optimum drying condition. The objective of this research is to determine the drying model of corn spaghetti using a tray drier. In this study, drying was performed at three levels of air velocity (1.29; 0.90; and 0.49 m/s), three levels of instrument temperature setting (6, 8, and 10), and two setting of drying position (vertical and horizontal to the airflow). Results indicated that drying temperature was the most influencing parameter in corn spaghetti drying. It also could be concluded that the drying rate of corn spaghetti could be well represented by thin layer drying equation (Page model).


Cockling of paper is unwanted out-of-plane deformation arising from variations in humidity. Paper is typically characterised by measurements of dimensional changes when slowly changing the humidity or by measurements of cockling on printed paper after printing. Here, a novel experimental set-up is presented in which cockling can be measured on-line at high speed in the inkjet printing process. Cockling was recorded as a function of time. It is shown that the cockling is several orders of magnitude higher during printing than after printing. Measurements on three papers are reported.


Oliver Williamson is the founder and chief developer of transaction-cost economics (TCE). In this brief essay, on the occasion of his Nobel Memorial Prize, I offer a partial discussion of Williamson's contributions by first summarizing some of the accomplishments of TCE-past and then sketching some of the opportunities for TCE-future. Most of the topics in both sections (TCE-past and TCE-future) start with a quotation from Williamson's early work that I think still speaks volumes today. That is, while fellow travelers and successors have acted on one set of Williamson's insights, helping to produce the accomplishments of TCE-past, another collection of Williamson's insights has gone relatively unremarked, creating some of the opportunities for TCE-future.


We have developed a new hybrid AFM probe combining an SU-8 polymer body with a full tungsten cantilever having a nanometric tip. The fabrication is based on surface micromachining a silicon wafer, where tungsten is sputter deposited in oxidation sharpened moulds to yield sharp tips with radius below 20 nm. The material properties of tungsten were measured, yielding a hardness of 14 GPa, a specific resistivity of 14.8 µΩ cm and Young's modulus of 380 GPa. Analyses of the probes show a mechanical quality factor of 90 in air, and a low contact resistance of 25 Ω on a gold sample is measured. AFM imaging is demonstrated. As a step in the development of a robust electrically conducting AFM probe, the results are very promising.


This study focused on the dimensional shrinkage, stability and strength properties of oil palm lumber in relation to sawing pattern and resin impregnation treatments. A total of26 oil palm trees of high yielding tenera variety were obtained from Sungei Kahang Estate, which is located between latitude N 2°12'24" to N 2°12'55" and longitudes E 103°30'59" to E 103°31 '05". The geographical position of oil palm tree in east and west directions was determined and its position was marked onto the trunk before felling. For basic properties, test samples in pith to periphery zone at different tree heights were analysed by using various analytical techniques. All tests were conducted according to standard test procedures. Based on results, basic properties-related parameters that include vascular bundle, moisture content (MC) and basic density of oil palm lumber were highly dependent on the distance in radial plane with tree heights. For dimensional shrinkage, oil palm billets were sawn into lumber scantlings of different nominal sizes using four types of sawing pattern, namely sawing patterns of type A (SP-A), type B (SP-B), type C (SP-C) and type 0 (SP-D). After drying, the lumber shrinkage in radial, tangential and its cross-sectional area were measured using a mathematical technique of numeral integrations. In general dimensional shrinkage of oil palm lumber from the SP-D sawing pattern was the lowest, followed by the SP-A sawing pattern, while those lumbers sawn using both the SP-B and SP-C sawing patterns were highest (too distorted). With regards the resin treatment, oil palm billets were sawn into lumber scantlings using the SP-D sawing pattern, and dried to 10 ± 2% MC. After drying, dried lumber was impregnated with a phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin using a vacuum infusion system, and followed by a densification process. With the introduction of grooves and channels, the resin flow was dispersed homogenously within the lumber matrix. The dimensional stability of densified resin-treated lumber was determined by measuring its anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) while three-point bending procedures were employed for flexural strength properties. A positive ASE value indicated that the PF resin had penetrated into the cell wall and subsequently cross-linked, leading to bulking along interstitial spaces of parenchyma cells. The flexural strength of densified resin-treated lumber was significantly stronger than those lumbers devoid of PF resin, which in turn, was related to their basic properties-related parameters. These results collectively should provide some insight to the understanding of factors that influence the physical and mechanical properties of oil palm trunk, which when combined with a corresponding changes in material handling and processing may point the way forward to a satisfactory conversion and efficient utilisation for sawn lumber productions. Apart from sawn lumber products, information on variation in physical and mechanical propel1ies as a function of the bole position along its radial plane with tree heights could assist to segregate billets from different sections of oil palm trunk for biocomposites such as plywood.


1,3-Bis(α-picolyloxy)-p-tert-butylcalix[4]crown-5 in the cone conformation (2), 1,8-diiodoperfluorooctane or 1,6-diiodoperfluorohexane, and potassium iodide ternary mixtures undergo in solution self-sorting and afford crystalline "supramolecular salts". These hybrid materials consist of supercation [K+ ⊂ 2] and superanion [I–(CF2) n –I…I− …I–(CF2) n –I…I− …] (n = 6,8) components. In the supercations the potassium ion is embedded in the ionophoric pocket created by the heteroatoms present at the lower rim. In the superanions the iodide ions form infinite fluorous polyanionic chains as a result of a self-assembly process which relies on halogen bonding. Both cation encapsulation and anion-perfluorocarbon halogen bonding were detected in solution by 1H and 19F NMR, and in the gas phase by ESI MS.


We have previously demonstrated (Badyal et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2006, 281, 24512) that removal of the active site tryptophan (Trp41) in ascorbate peroxidase increases the conformational mobility of the distal histidine residue (His42) and that His42 coordinates to the iron in the oxidised W41A enzyme to give a 6-coordinate, low-spin peroxidase. In this work, we probe the conformational flexibility of the active site in more detail. We examine whether other residues (Cys, Tyr, Met) can also ligate to the heme at position 42; we find that introduction of other ligating amino acids created a cavity in the heme pocket, but that formation of 6-coordinate heme is not observed. In addition, we examine the role of Asn-71, which hydrogen bonds to His42 and tethers the distal histidine in the active site pocket; we find that removal of this hydrogen bond increases the proportion of low-spin heme. We suggest that, in addition to its well-known role in facilitating the reaction with peroxide, His42 also plays a role in defining the shape and folding of the active site pocket.


The obscurity of failure to find poison in viscera of the individual whose death is due to poisoning is a routine problem in India and the reasons of it are many. Many poisons apart from corrosives and irritants do not show characteristic post-mortem signs and one of the biggest issues is that only common poisons are tested. This factor combined with the lack of legislation on procedures governing the collection and storage of the samples often leads to a negative FSL report even when there are clear signs of poisoning. This makes it very difficult to ascertain the exact cause of death in the post-mortem report. Further, there are occasions when the FSL report is not brought on record even though the samples have been sent to the Chemical Examiner for analysis. FSL report, though not mandatory in all cases, plays an important role where the allegations pertain specifically to death by poisoning. The absence of the FSL report or a negative FSL Report weakens the prosecution case substantially as not every case has adequate circumstantial evidence to prove that the deceased was administered poison by the accused. The conclusion of cause of death in a case where the death is due to poisoning but viscera report gives negative result, poses confusion to the autopsy doctor, law and public. The salient points covering various aspects of negative viscera report with special reference to the false positive or false negative results and its effect on criminal judicial system in conviction and acquittal along with suggested remedies are to be discussed here.

Keywords: Poison, Autopsy, Negative viscera report, Chemical analysis, FSL.


The Aral Sea regression is globally famous as a devastating ecological disaster, though recently a dam has led to the partial restoration of the North Aral. These ecological changes have overlapped with the collapse of the USSR and resultant political-economic transformations. From ethnographic fieldwork in Aral'sk and fishing villages, and archival research, I argue that the sea's regression and partial return cannot be analytically separated from political-economic processes of socialism and postsocialism. This study of the entanglements of environmental and political-economic change has, I suggest, implications for anthropological engagements with climate change.

Chapter 1 offers narratives of Soviet irrigation policies (which caused the regression) and of the construction of a socialist fishery, arguing that similar political-economic processes drove both. Chapter 2 explores official responses to the regression, especially importing ocean fish for processing in Aral'sk, and sending fishermen to fish elsewhere in Kazakhstan. Chapters 3 and 4 explore how these practices, and their cessation after the collapse of the USSR, shape local understandings of the regression. I thus decentre the environmental disaster narrative. Part 2 examines post-Soviet projects in the region, arguing that the disaster narrative, though partial, rallied actors and mobilised projects, including the dam, which have to some extent reshaped the region. Part 3 analyses the divergent outcomes of the sea's return today. No longer embedded in the command economy, the sea is enmeshed in new sets of relations connecting fishermen, private actors, state and markets extending as far as Germany. Catch is limited, but over-quota fishing is widespread. For some fishing villages, this has led to new-found prosperity, with extensive ritual expenditure. However, because over-quota fish cannot be sold openly, they do not reach newly-opened factories in Aral'sk, where the sea is felt to be marginal and the fishing industry figures as a symbol of corruption.


Understanding the pathogenesis of immunologic disease, i.e., the way in which immunologic events cause injury and/or malfunction, demands several kinds of information. First, one must identify the particular antigen(s) which initiates and serves as the target of the pathogenic immune response. This is often a difficult task, since many of these antigens are substances normally present or at least commonly present in the absence of an immune response or disease. This fact suggests that transient events such as incidental infections or exposures to environmental agents may have an adjuvant effect which increases immunogenicity of potential antigens or in other ways terminates the tolerance barrier. Second, one must know a number of things about the host which are important in determining the self-infliction of immunologic injury. It appears that the magnitude and perhaps balance, i.e., cellular vs humoral aspects, of the immune response, are in part genetically predetermined and therefore may predispose to immunologic disease.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term oral L-arginine treatment on platelet NO production, intracellular calcium concentration, iNOS and eNOS expression, in AN patients.

METHOD
Forty outpatients belonging to restricting subtype and 40 normal participants age and sex matched were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS
NO production was significantly elevated in the platelets from AN patients compared with controls while [Ca(2+)](i) was significantly decreased in patients with respect to controls. Western blot analysis demonstrated that iNOS isoform was more pronounced in the cell lysates from AN patients than controls. After supplementation with L-arginine, both NO production and [Ca(2+)](i) seem to return to control levels, suggesting a probable recovery of their metabolisms. The same was found after western blot analysis of NOS expression.

DISCUSSION
The results here proposed can be considered highly indicative of a positive effect of L-arginine supplementation on platelet NO production in AN patients.


Reticulated mesoporous Fe2O3@C flakes, consisting of nanocrystalline α-Fe2O3 encased within a thin carbon skeleton, were synthesized using ferrocene as iron and carbon sources and a novel reaction agent of ammonium sulphate via a facile two-step heating route. Those flakes, which were several nanometers thick and 1–2 μm in diameter, showed high capacity, excellent cyclic stability and rate capability as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). An initial reversible capacity of 910 mA h g−1 at a discharge/charge current of 0.1 A g−1 was obtained, and the capacity showed a gradual increase during cycling, reaching a high capacity of 1080 mA h g−1 after 120 cycles. An in situ lithiation study by transmission electron microscopy showed that the reticulated mesopores and the ultrathin feature of the Fe2O3@C flakes can largely accommodate the mechanical stresses and volume expansion of Fe2O3 during lithiation and hence maintain their integrity and provide excellent properties. The thin carbon skeleton not only facilitates the electronic conduction, but also inhibits the aggregation of nanocrystalline Fe2O3 flakes. The facile fabrication method and the unique structure of the mesoporous Fe2O3@C flakes offer high performance for LIB anodes and great potential for other applications of Fe2O3.


In this paper, inclined nanowire solar cells rather than vertical or horizontal nanowires have been proposed. The effect of the nanowire absorption on the solar cell absorption has been simulated based on finite element analysis. The absorption coefficient and the effect of the nanowire parameters on it has been calculated. The optical absorptions for three nanowire arrays with circular, square and triangular cross sections have been compared and discussed. The effect of the nanowire array inclination angle on the light absorption for different nanowire cross sections has been studied. The electric field for different cases has been calculated and plotted. The results show that the inclined nanowires with square cross section, compared to the nanowires with circular or triangular cross sections have larger optical absorption in a wider frequency range. The results also show that the solar cells with the inclined nanowire arrays with square cross section have the maximum absorption of 0.9988 in 642 THz frequency at the 40 degree angle.


The present contribution is divided into three sections. The first deals with the features of Italian inner areas and their criticalities; it infers that Community-based cooperatives may well represent a regeneration tool for marginal areas. The second highlights Community-based cooperatives historic development dynamic, starting from the end of 19th century to modern times. The last section discusses the legal aspects of these cooperatives, both in internal relationships among members, and in the relations with external institutions.


CD4(+)CD25(+) T-cells can be used to interfere with spontaneous autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. However, their low frequency and often unknown specificity represent major obstacles to their therapeutic use. Here we have explored the fact that ectopic expression of the transcription factor Foxp3 can confer a suppressor phenotype to naive CD4(+) T-cells. We found that retroviral transduction of polyclonal CD4 T-cells with FoxP3 was not effective in interfering with established type 1 diabetes. Thus, more subtle and more organ-specific regulation might be required to prevent type 1 diabetes, as well as to avoid systemic immunosuppression. However, a single injection of 10(5) FoxP3-transduced T-cells with specificity for islet antigen stabilized and reversed disease in mice with recent-onset diabetes. By comparing FoxP3-transduced T-cells with various antigen specificities, it became clear that the in vivo effect correlated with specific homing to and activation in pancreatic lymph nodes and not with in vitro suppressor activity or cytokine production. Our results complement recent results on in vitro-amplified antigen-specific T-cells in ameliorating type 1 diabetes and suggest that FoxP3 transduction of expanded T-cells might achieve the same goal.


The behaviour of hydrothermal degraded 3% molar yttria stabilised zirconia under monotonic spherical indentation has been studied. The investigation is focused mainly on analysing the response under spherical indentation in terms of the transformed monoclinic surface layer that appears after hydrothermal degradation. The mechanisms of damage are ring and cone cracking, similarly as in as sintered specimens. The permanent damage induced in degraded specimens is always larger than in the as sintered specimens. The plastic damage measured by the value of the indentation strain in degraded specimens is larger than in as sintered specimens at the same indentation pressure. The critical contact load to induce ring cracking is determined and it is found that in degraded specimens its value is lower than in as sintered specimens. The results are discussed in terms of elastic properties and microstructure of the degraded layer.


Bank customers are divided into an Internet banking segment and a branch banking segment and it is argued the former is growing and the latter is declining. This development is predicted dramatically to change the distribution channel structure in the retail banking sector. Two important strategic distribution channel decisions face banks. The first is whether to target the branch banking segment or the Internet banking segment. The other regards the geographical area banks aim to serve. This can be the local/national area or several nations. Based on this, four pure distribution channel strategies and a dual strategy are identified and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.


A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Kinshasa University Hospital (KUH) to determine the prevalence of self-medication among patients admitted to KUH and to identify commonly used drugs. 391 patients aged 14 to 92 years admitted to the KUH emergency department between 15 January and 15 February 2011 were included in the study. 233 patients out of a total of 391 (59.6%) used self-medication between the onset of symptoms and the visit to KUH. The number of drugs used ranged from 1 to 7. Of the 233 patients who practiced self-medication, 224 (96.1%) used pharmaceutical drugs alone, 4 (1.7%) used traditional African remedies alone, 1 (0.4%) used Chinese medicine alone, and 4 (1.7%) combined pharmaceutical drugs with traditional African remedies. Analgesics and antipyretics (44.3%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (26.3%), antimalarials (20.6%) and antibacterials (12.3%) were the most commonly used pharmaceutical drugs. Paracetamol was the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic (89.1%). Among NSAIDs, diclofenac (65%) was the most widely used. Artemisinin-based combination drugs (40.4%) were the most commonly used antimalarials, with lumefantrine being the most common. The most widely reported antibacterials were betalactam antibiotics (ampicillin and amoxicillin) (42.9%). The results show that self-medication, based mainly on commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, appears to be a common therapeutic option before seeking hospital care and may be a major threat to individual and community health.


The open-source software operating system Linux is a free-of-charge substitute to proprietary systems like Microsoft Windows. By using a cross-country data set, this paper finds evidence that increased piracy of proprietary software has a negative impact on adoption of desktop versions of Linux. The interpretation of this result is that the availability of pirated versions of Windows, as well as pirated applications compatible with Windows and OS-X, lead to fewer individuals installing a Linux operating system on their desktop computers. Thus, in the absence of software piracy, Linux would be a more widely used operating system.


A new method of sheet metal forming, water jet incremental sheet metal forming (WJISMF) is presented. We give the schematic illustration of WJISMF system, which includes high pressure system, NC machine, control system, water recycle system, and some attachments, and then the virtual prototype of the system is designed. To predict the whole deformation process, some simulations are carried out. Firstly, fluid structure interaction simulation for WJISMF is performed. The water jet is modeled and simulated with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach, while for the material flow in the workpiece a finite element analysis (FEA) is used. Secondly, the relationship between the workpiece material deformation and nozzle diameter, and the relationship between deformation and water pressure are presented. Thirdly, the fluid structure interaction simulation model is simplified to the structure simulation model, by adopting shell 181 element and using a pressure acting on the workpiece directly instead of the CFD model. Finally, a simulation for forming a cone box is done using the simplified model. The simulation provides a powerful rationale for the practical application of WJISMF.


Lipoprotein modification by reactive dicarbonyls, including isolevuglandin (IsoLG), produces dysfunctional particles. Kidneys participate in lipoprotein metabolism, including tubular uptake. However, the process beyond the proximal tubule is unclear, as is the effect of kidney injury on this pathway. We found that patients and animals with proteinuric injury have increased urinary apolipoprotein AI (apoAI), IsoLG, and IsoLG adduct enrichment of the urinary apoAI fraction compared with other proteins. Proteinuric mice, induced by podocyte-specific injury, showed more tubular absorption of IsoLG-apoAI and increased expression of lipoprotein transporters in proximal tubular cells compared with uninjured animals. Renal lymph reflects composition of the interstitial compartment and showed increased apoAI and IsoLG in proteinuric animals, supporting a tubular cell-interstitium-lymph pathway for renal handling of lipoproteins. IsoLG-modified apoAI was not only a marker of renal injury but also directly damaged renal cells. IsoLG-apoAI increased inflammatory cytokines in cultured tubular epithelial cells (TECs), activated lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), and caused greater contractility of renal lymphatic vessels than unmodified apoAI. In vivo, inhibition of IsoLG by a dicarbonyl scavenger reduced both albuminuria and urinary apoAI and decreased TEC and LEC injury, lymphangiogenesis, and interstitial fibrosis. Our results indicate that IsoLG-modified apoAI is, to our knowledge, a novel pathogenic mediator and therapeutic target in kidney disease.


This letter presents the result of the synthesis of a horizontally polarized reconfigurable microstrip antenna. The obtained architecture is based on a parasitic structure composed by a set of microstrip elements that can be electronically reconfigured by means of radiofrequency (RF) switches. As a result, the maximum values and zeros of the antenna radiation pattern can be steered towards an interfering signal or/and desired signals, which allows an optimal management of wireless resources. Representative numerical and experimental results are reported and compared in order to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed prototype.


We demonstrate experimentally that an electric field can be used to control quantum reflection of matter waves off periodically microstructured surfaces. Applying a voltage of alternating polarity between neighboring grating bars induces an electric field which modifies the interaction between the surface and the impinging matter wave so that quantum reflection is gradually reduced. We find that the measured reflectivities are in good agreement with our numerical simulations and that their suppression is well captured by a simple analytic model. This experiment constitutes a step towards electrically tuned reflective diffraction elements for atomic and molecular matter waves.


Metal oxides with diverse compositions and structures have garnered considerable interest from researchers in various reactions, which benefits from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in determining their morphologies, phase, structural and chemical information. Recent breakthroughs have made liquid-phase TEM a promising imaging platform for tracking the dynamic structure, morphology, and composition evolution of metal oxides in solution under work conditions. Herein, this review introduces the recent advances in liquid cells, especially closed liquid cell chips. Subsequently, the recent progress including particle growth, phase transformation, self-assembly, core-shell nanostructure growth, and chemical etching are introduced. With the late technical advances in TEM and liquid cells, liquid-phase TEM is used to characterize many fundamental processes of metal oxides for CO2 reduction and water-splitting reactions. Finally, the outlook and challenges in this research field are discussed. It is believed this compilation inspires and stimulates more efforts in developing and utilizing in situ liquid-phase TEM for metal oxides at the atomic scale for different applications.


In nature, post-transcriptional alternative splicing processes expand the proteome biodiversity, providing means to synthesize various protein isoforms. We describe the input-guided assembly of a DNAzyme-based full-adder computing system, which mimics functions of the natural processes by increasing the diversity of logic elements by the reconfiguration of the inputs. The full-adder comprises the simultaneous operation of three inputs that yield two different output signals, acting as sum and carry bits. The DNAzyme-based full-adder system consists of a library of Mg2+-dependent DNAzyme subunits and their substrates that are modified by two different fluorophore/quencher pairs that encode the sum and carry outputs. The input-guided assembly of DNAzyme subunits, formed by three inputs composed of nucleic acid hairpin structures, leads to computing modules that yield the sum and carry outputs of the full-adder. In the presence of a single input the DNAzyme computing module yields the sum fluorescence output. In the presence of two of the inputs, the reconfiguration of the input structures proceeds, leading to an input-guided computing module that yields the carry fluorescence output. By introducing all the three inputs the sequential inter-input hybridization leads to the reconfiguration of the inputs into polymer wires. These include binding sites for two types of DNAzyme and their substrates leading to the carry and sum fluorescence outputs. The advantages of the simultaneous three-input operation of the full-adder and the possibilities to implement DNAzyme-based computing modules for cascading full-adders are discussed.


An explanation to Lord's paradox using ordinary least square regression models is given. It is not a paradox at all, if the regression parameters are interpreted as predictive or as causal with stricter conditions and be aware of laws of averages. We use derivation of a super-model from a given sub-model, when its residuals can be modelled with other potential predictors as a solution.


Even though intraoperative fluid management during major intraabdominal surgery has frequently been addressed in the past, there is a lack of evidence-based recommendations. This report elucidates the topic from the surgeon's view. For the surgeon, the influence of larger fluid amounts on wound and anastomotic healing, bleeding complications and postoperative outcome (time of extubation, postoperative gastrointestinal function, hospital stay, etc.) is of interest. To clarify the question as to what a perioperative fluid regime should be composed of from a surgical point of view, data from the literature and our own studies were evaluated. The retrospective analysis of 98 pancreas resections that had been performed in our hospital revealed no significant differences concerning the occurrence of postoperative bleeding (8.2 %), wound infection (4.1 %), pancreatic fistula (9.4 %) and mortality (2.0 %) based on the administered intraoperative fluid amount. These results were comparable to those of other authors. The average intraoperatively infused fluid amount was 13.9 +/- 0.9 mL / kg / h. Catecholamines were administered in 74 % of all operations, while noradrenaline was used in 54 % of all cases. Although other factors might play a role in this setting, we can deduce from these data that application of a volume of 10-15 mL / kg / h has no negative influence on the outcome following pancreas resections and that the intraoperative fluid therapy should be targeted at these values.


Controlled release matrix tablets of nifedipine are prepared by employing a new class of polymers called Gelucires. Two different types of gelucires are employed. Hydrophilic gelucire (Gelucire 53/14) is used to prepare solid dispersions of nifedipine to increase its dissolution rate. The solid dispersions were evaluated for drug content, solubility, dissolution rate and drug-polymer interaction. Nifedipine dispersed in hydrophilic gelucire is then converted into matrix tablet employing hydrophobic gelucire (43/01) and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. The prepared tablets were found to be of optimum hardness, uniform weight and acceptable friability. The drug release was found to be dependent on the ratio drug : gelucire in the solid dispersion and also on the type of release retarding polymer employed – gelucire (43/01) or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. Kinetics of the drug release data was evaluated out by employing the relevant equations of first order, zero order, Higuchi square root and Korsmeyer – Peppas. The drug release data suggested that the release of the drug is first order and that the drug release is diffusion controlled.


Mg2Si/AM60 composites were fabricated by in-situ synthesis and the effects of different stirring technological parameters on the microstructures of semi-solid magnesium matrix composites were investigated in this paper. The results indicated that there were Chinese script type Mg2Si particles in the microstructures by addition crystal Si to the magnesium alloys. The mechanical stirring was used to fabricate the semi-solid composites and the results showed that the higher the stirring temperature and speed are, the finer and more homogeneous the spherical grains would be. If the temperature is too high, the grains will be melted. With the increasing of stirring time, the grains become fine, well-distributed and round at first, then grow up.


In the July 2018 issue of the Oman Medical Journal, Isa et al interestingly described the epidemiology, clinical picture, diagnostic and therapeutic features, and outcomes of pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) in Bahrain.1 It is well-known that inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including CD, are associated with a variety of extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) that might be the early manifestation of the disease itself. The autoimmune mechanisms leading to EIMs have been suggested to be related to many factors, including genetic susceptibility, antigenic display of autoantigen, aberrant self-recognition, and immunopathogenetic autoantibodies against organ-specific cellular antigens shared by the colon and extra-colonic organs.2 Microbes might also play an important role, probably via molecular mimicry.2 Globally, 30% of patients with IBDs develop EIMs and the clinical spectrum of these EIMs varies from mild transitory to very severe lesions, sometimes more incapacitating than the intestinal disease itself.3 Interestingly, the study reported only four patients (8%) with EIMs out of the 51 patients with CD studied. These included the following: eye involvement, arthritis, and clubbing each in one patient; and erythema nodosum in two patients.1 The low rate of EIMs (8%) compared to 30% reported worldwide3 is interesting and the following three points could plausibly explain that discrepancy. First, there is a correlation between CD severity and the tendency to develop EIMs. The increased CD severity was found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of any EIMs (p < 0.001).4 Second, the incidence of EIMs both before and after diagnosis of CD differs markedly by the duration of the disease. The cumulative incidence of EIMs was estimated to be 9% at one year, 19% at five years, and 29% at 15 years post-diagnosis.5 Third, the contributory roles of different genetic and environmental effects related to the pediatric population in Bahrain as well as undefined factors in accentuating the development of EIMs need to be considered.


Purpose: To assess the effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.15% on reducing subconjunctival hemorrhage, measured with a bulbar redness score, following femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).
Patients and Methods: A prospective, masked randomized controlled study was done using single-blinded simple randomization. All FLACS cases completed between June and August 2019 were included except those on anticoagulation or with prior conjunctival surgery. All operated eyes received usual preoperative eye drops, while Study group received added brimonidine. Exclusion criteria included >1 vacuum attempt during FLACS and any intraoperative complications. All subjects received Bulbar Redness (BR) Score and Analyzed Area (AA) imaging by Oculus 5M Keratograph preoperatively and postoperatively. AA including non-conjunctival structures, <25mm2, or postoperative AA values >10% different from preoperative values were excluded from final analysis. Absolute values and differences between mean postoperative and preoperative BR and AA were compared using Student's t-test.
Results: 62 eyes (Study group=25, Control group=37) of 56 patients were randomized and included for analysis. Baseline demographic comparison between the two groups were similar. Preoperative BR score in the Study group trended higher (1.62) than Control (1.40, p=0.07), while postoperative BR score remained similar between groups (p=0.70). Difference in postoperative and preoperative BR score was significantly larger in the study group (-0.21±0.56) than controls (+0.06±0.43, p=0.036).
Conclusions: The use of preoperative brimonidine in FLACS reduces the amount of postoperative subconjunctival hemorrhage following FLACS, as observed by reduced bulbar redness. Oculus 5M BR scoring has potential to be used as an objective method of quantifying subconjunctival hemorrhage after ophthalmic surgeries and procedures.


OBJECTIVE
Single-position lateral lumbar interbody fusion (SP-LLIF) has recently gained significant popularity due to increased operative efficiency, but it remains technically challenging. Robot-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw (RA-PPS) placement can facilitate screw placement in the lateral position. The authors have reported their initial experience with SP-LLIF with RA-PPS placement in the lateral position, and they have compared this accuracy with that of RA-PPS placement in the prone position.

METHODS
The authors reviewed prospectively collected data from their first 100 lateral-position RA-PPSs. The authors graded screw accuracy on CT and compared it to the accuracy of all prone-position RA-PPS procedures during the same time period. The authors analyzed the effect of several demographic and perioperative metrics, as a whole and specifically for lateral-position RA-PPS placement.

RESULTS
The authors placed 99 lateral-position RA-PPSs by using the ExcelsiusGPS robotic platform in the first 18 consecutive patients who underwent SP-LLIF with postoperative CT imaging; these patients were compared with 346 prone-position RA-PPSs that were placed in the first consecutive 64 patients during the same time period. All screws were placed at L1 to S1. Overall, the lateral group had 14 breaches (14.1%) and the prone group had 25 breaches (7.2%) (p = 0.032). The lateral group had 5 breaches (5.1%) greater than 2 mm (grade C or worse), and the prone group had 4 (1.2%) (p = 0.015). The operative level had an effect on the breach rate, with breach rates (grade C or worse) of 7.1% at L3 and 2.8% at L4. Most breaches were grade B (< 2 mm) and lateral, and no breach had clinical sequelae or required revision. Within the lateral group, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that BMI and number of levels affected accuracy, but the side that was positioned up or down did not.

CONCLUSIONS
RA-PPSs can improve the feasibility of SP-LLIF. Spine surgeons should be cautious and selective with this technique owing to decreased accuracy in the lateral position, particularly in obese patients. Further studies should compare SP-LLIF techniques performed while the patient is in the prone and lateral positions.


Abstract The management of patients with an explanted malignancy after lung transplantation is not well understood. We reviewed our institutional experience and outcomes at a single academic medical centre between December 1997 and April 2021 for patients with malignancies of all histologic types identified on explant pathology. Primary lung cancers were reclassified using the 8th Edition TNM staging and the 2021 World Health Organization histologic classification of lung cancers. Of the 733 patients undergoing lung transplantation, 15 (2.05%) were found to have malignancy on the explanted lungs, including 6 (0.82%) primary lung cancers. Four patients were found to have early-stage lung cancers, while 2 patients had advanced-stage IV disease. Survival ranged from 0 to 109 months for the entire cohort with median 23.2 [49.9] months in those with primary lung cancers. There were 2 recurrences following explanted stage I (15 months) and stage IV (53 months) diseases. Other explant pathologies included carcinoid tumourlets in 6 patients, lymphoma in 2 and metastatic leiomyosarcoma in 1. In conclusion, explanted lung malignancies are an infrequent but significant finding on explant pathology. Further data are needed to better characterize and stratify this patient cohort.