Objective: To review the validity of the future of health and care of older people (TFHCOP), good death perception criteria in Muslim patients and health care providers in cultural background of Pakistan. Study Design: A mixed method design with qualitative and quantitative components. Place and Duration of Study: Oncology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from July 2015 to October 2015. Material and Methods: It is a sequential explanatory type of mixed method research. A total of 110 participants were included in the study by non probability convenient sampling technique. A modified questionnaire was used based on the principles of TFHCOP good death definition comprising of 8 questions. This was followed by interviews. For data collection and analysis grounded theory approach was used with constant comparisons and open coding. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze questionnaire responses. For bivariate analysis we used chi-square test. Results: There was a consensus on the principles presented in the modified questionnaire in the two groups studied. Total of three domains measured non-significant difference in patient's and health care provider's perspectives. Participants identified four more domains. The first domain was related to faith in Allah Almighty, second domain is about leaving the will for bereaved, third domain was about the concerns to finish unfinished agendas and the fourth domain was related to the importance of family security over treatment or death. Conclusion: Perception of good death by Muslim patients and health care providers in Pakistan is different from that of Western and Arab communities in certain domains like religious beliefs, leaving will for the bereaved, finishing unfinished work and the importance of family concerns.


BACKGROUND
Obesity has clinical and economic consequences. Few studies have compared health care resource utilization between age- and sex-matched obese and nonobese persons.

METHODS
We conducted a retrospective study in obese and nonobese individuals matched by age, sex, medical clinic, and selected exclusionary diagnoses. Data collected included hospitalizations, outpatient visits, professional claims, and prescriptions over 1 year. Costs were assigned to medical resources based on market prices using publicly available costs. Comorbid conditions were determined using a chronic disease score (CDS) index. Groups were compared on types and costs of resources consumed. Regression models were used to examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on costs while controlling for age and chronic diseases.

RESULTS
A total of 539 obese and 1225 nonobese persons were examined. Obese patients had more hospitalizations (P<.001), prescription drugs (P<.001), professional claims (P<.001), and outpatient visits (P = .005). Obese patients used more cardiovascular, intranasal allergic rhinitis, asthma, ulcer, diabetes, thyroid, and analgesic drugs. Total costs between groups were different (median of $585.44 for obese and $333.24 for nonobese patients; P<.001). Cost differences were primarily due to medications (P<.001). Predictors of total costs were age, sex, BMI, and CDS. For each unit BMI increase, costs increased 2.3% (P<.001). For each CDS unit increase, costs increased 52.9% (P<.001).

CONCLUSION
Over 1 year, health care costs for obese persons are higher than for nonobese persons, primarily because of prescription drugs.


In many geologic environments, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) provides high-resolution images of near-surface Earth structure. GPR data collection is nondestructive and very economical. The scale of features detected by GPR lies between those imaged by high-resolution seismic reflection surveys and those exposed in trenches and is therefore potentially complementary to traditional techniques for fault location and mapping. Sixty-two GPR profiles were collected at 12 sites in the San Francisco Bay region. Results show that GPR data correlate with large-scale features in existing trench observations, can be used to locate faults where they are buried or where their positions are not well known, and can identify previously unknown fault segments. The best data acquired were on a profile across the San Andreas fault, traversing Pleistocene terrace deposits south of Olema in Marin County; this profile shows a complicated multi-branched fault system from the ground surface down to about 40 m, the maximum depth for which data were recorded.


Introduction: High incidence of DHF in Kotabaru Subdistrict was high even endemic in all villages. Utilization of Geographical Information System technology integrated with the wide of settlement land, the density of Aedes sp, maya index, resistance and transovarial of virDen, got a picture or map vulnerable areas prone event of DHF in Kotabaru Subdistrict. Objectives: This study to map areas vulnerable to dengue hemorrhagic fever is based on the highest incidence of DHF in Kotabaru Subdistrict, Jambi Municipality. Methods: This study is an observational survey with cross sectional design. The variable of the study was population density, the wide of settlement land, the density of Aedes sp. population, rainfall, vector vulnerability, and transovarial of virDen. Results: The result showed population density had no correlation to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) incidence, whereas the wide of settlement land (p=0.004) and population density of Aedes sp. (p=0.001) influenced DHF incidence. The number water containers controllable sites (89%) and percentage of Maya Index (p=<0.001) was high influenced DHF incidence. Rainfall not influenced DHF incidence. The vector resistance not influenced the high of DHF incidence and the high of DHF incidence was not influenced by transovarial of virDen. The high vulnerability to DHF in Kotabaru Subdistrict occurred in 2 villages and the intermediate vulnerability happens in 4 villages. The area with intermediate vulnerability generally have direct border to the village with high vulnerability category. Keywords: Spatial, Maya Index, Resistance, DHF


A subset of microquasars exhibits high peculiar velocity with respect to the local standard of rest due to the kicks they receive when being born in supernovae. The interaction between the radio plasma released by microquasar jets from such high-velocity binaries with the interstellar medium must lead to the production of trails and bow shocks similar to what is observed in narrow-angle tailed radio galaxies and pulsar wind nebulae. We present a set of numerical simulations of this interaction that illuminate the long-term dynamical evolution and the observational properties of these microquasar bow-shock nebulae and trails. We find that this interaction always produces a structure that consists of a bow shock, a trailing neck, and an expanding bubble. Using our simulations to model emission, we predict that the shock surrounding the bubble and the neck should be visible in Hα emission, the interior of the bubble should be visible in synchrotron radio emission, and only the bow shock is likely to be detectable in X-ray emission. We construct an analytic model for the evolution of the neck and bubble shape and compare this model with observations of the X-ray binary SAX J1712.6-3739.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this NIH Consensus Statement is to inform the biomedical research and clinical practice communities of the results of the NIH Consensus Development Conference on Osteoporosis Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy. The statement provides state-of-the-art information and presents the conclusions and recommendations of the consensus panel regarding these issues. In addition, the statement identifies those areas of study that deserve further investigation. The target audience of clinicians for this statement includes, but is not limited to, family practitioners, internists, gerontologists, orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, obstetricians and gynecologists, and preventive medicine specialisits.

PARTICIPANTS
A nonfederal, nonadvocate, 13-member panel representing the fields of internal medicine, family and community medicine, endocrinology, epidemiology, orthopaedic surgery, gerontology, rheumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, preventive medicine, and cell biology. In addition, 32 experts from these same fields presented data to the panel and a conference audience of approximately 700.

EVIDENCE
The literature was searched using MEDLINE and an extensive bibliography of references was provided to the panel. Experts prepared abstracts for their conference presentations with relevant citations from the literature. Scientific evidence was given precedence over clinical anecdotal experience.

CONSENSUS PROCESS
The panel, answering predefined questions, developed their conclusions based on the scientific evidence presented in open forum and the scientific literature. The panel composed a draft statement, which was read in its entirety and circulated to the experts and the audience for comment. Thereafter, the panel resolved conflicting recommendations and released a revised statement at the end of the conference. The panel finalized the revisions within a few weeks after the conference. The draft statement was made available on the World Wide Web immediately following its release at the conference and was updated with the panel's final revisions.

CONCLUSIONS
Osteoporosis occurs in all populations and at all ages. Though more prevalent in white postmenopausal females, it often goes unrecognized in other populations. Osteoporosis is a devastating disorder with significant physical, psychosocial, and financial consequences. The risks for osteoporosis, as reflected by low bone density, and the risks for fracture overlap but are not identical. More attention should be paid to skeletal health in persons with conditions known to be associated with secondary osteoporosis. Clinical risk factors have an important, but as yet poorly validated, role in determining who should have BMD measurement, in assessing risk of fracture, and in determining who should be treated. Adequate calcium and vitamin D intake are crucial to develop optimal peak bone mass and to preserve bone mass throughout life. Supplementation of these two components in bioavailable forms may be necessary in individuals who do not achieve recommended intake from dietary sources. Gonadal steroids are important determinants of peak and lifetime bone mass in men, women, and children. Regular exercise, especially resistance and high-impact activities, contributes to development of high peak bone mass and may reduce the risk of falls in older individuals. Assessment of bone mass, identification of fracture risk, and determination of who should be treated are the optimal goals when evaluating patients for osteoporosis. Fracture prevention is the primary goal in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis. Several treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures. These include therapies that enhance bone mass and reduce risk or consequences of falls. Adults with vertebral, rib, hip, or distal forearm fractures should be evaluated for the presence of osteoporosis and given appropriate therapy.


The aim of this work was to characterize the placental uptake of folic acid from the maternal circulation. Using 2 human trophoblast cell lines (BeWo and JAR), we verified that uptake of 3H-folic acid was pH-dependent, increasing significantly with decreasing extracellular pH. In BeWo cells, uptake of 3H-folic acid at pH 5.5 was (i) Na+-independent; (ii) inhibited by folic acid, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), and methotrexate (MTX); (iii) inhibited by the anion transport inhibitors 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS) and 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic acid stilbene (SITS); (iv) inhibited by the proton ionophore carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP); (v) not inhibited by blockers of receptor-mediated endocytosis (cytochalasin D and monensin); (vi) trans-inhibited by MTX and folic acid; and (vii) not affected by an anti-reduced folate transporter-1 (RFC) antibody. At pH 7.5, uptake of 3H-folic acid was (i) Na+-independent; (ii) inhibited by folic acid and MTX, but not by 5-MTHF; (iii) inhibited by SITS, but not by DIDS; (iv) not affected by FCCP; (v) inhibited by monensin (but not by cytochalasin D); (vi) trans-inhibited by folic acid (but not by MTX); and (vii) inhibited by an anti-RFC antibody. In conclusion, in BeWo cells, both RFC and receptor-mediated endocytosis seem to be involved in 3H-folic acid uptake at pH 7.5, whereas at pH 5.5, RFC and (or) a low pH-operating transporter distinct from RFC are involved.


The average lifespan of humans is increasing, and with it the percentage of people entering the 65 and older age group is growing rapidly and will continue to do so in the next 20 years. Within this age group, cardiovascular disease will remain the leading cause of death, and the cost associated with treatment will continue to increase. Aging is an inevitable part of life and unfortunately poses the largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although numerous studies in the cardiovascular field have considered both young and aged humans, there are still many unanswered questions as to how the genetic pathways that regulate aging in model organisms influence cardiovascular aging. Likewise, in the molecular biology of aging field, few studies fully assess the role of these aging pathways in cardiovascular health. Fortunately, this gap is beginning to close, and these two fields are merging together. We provide an overview of some of the key genes involved in regulating lifespan and health span, including sirtuins, AMP-activated protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 and their roles regulating cardiovascular health. We then discuss a series of review articles that will appear in succession and provide a more comprehensive analysis of studies carried out linking genes of aging and cardiovascular health, and perspectives of future directions of these two intimately linked fields.


The study of a double-stage single-phase inverter for fuel-cell-based applications is proposed in this paper. A novel control strategy aimed at reducing the low-frequency oscillations of the fuel-cell (FC) current in order to guarantee the FC safety operating conditions is proposed. The reduction of such oscillations increases the FC lifetime and avoids high mechanical stress of the membrane and unnecessary consumption of reactants. Furthermore, it allows one to design a strategy for extracting the maximum power from the FC stack with a total control of the concentration losses. Simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


In this paper, a modeling methodology able to create an equivalent schematic of an High-Voltage integrated circuit is developed. The equivalent schematic is based on enhanced model of diodes and resistances, accounting for minority and majority carrier propagation at their boundary. In this work, the methodology to interconnect these elements in order to be able to model multi-dimensional current path is developed and applied to an industrial H-Bridge architecture. The coupled parasitic currents obtained with the equivalent schematic are compared against measurements and confirm that the model is accurate and can be used to estimate substrate parasitic signals.


This issue of GEEA presents a small selection of papers read at the 24th International Applied Geochemistry Symposium (IAGS), 20–24 April 2015 at the Hilton El Conquistador Golf & Resort, Tucson, Arizona, USA. The meeting was convened by Eric Weiland, Sarah Lincoln and myself, and attracted 240 participants from 24 countries who presented 90 oral and 60 poster presentations. The conference covered themes in exploration geochemistry; lithogeochemistry; geochemistry in government surveys; mine waste and environmental geochemistry; geochemistry and health; biogeochemistry; hydrogeochemistry; isotope and analytical geochemistry; and a special session on geochemistry in the Desert South West.


The Ross Sea contains the most biologically productive continental shelf in Antarctica and is a region where the annual formation of sea ice drives substantial amounts of bottom water formation. We present snow pit chemistry data from Mt Erebus Saddle that provide a quantitative proxy to reconstruct summer sea ice conditions and rates of marine primary production. The methylsulphonate (MS) record is strongly correlated with changes in the area of open water (R2 = 0.903, p < 0.05) caused by differences in atmospheric circulation and the sea‐ice‐damming effect of large icebergs, B‐15 and C‐19, which calved from the Ross Ice Shelf in 2000 and 2002 respectively. Furthermore, MS and phytoplankton net primary production correlate significantly (R2 = 0.927, p < 0.01). Our results demonstrate the potential of the Mt Erebus Saddle ice core to reconstruct sea ice and primary productivity variability in the Ross Sea beyond the observational record.


Tool condition monitoring, mainly tool breakagedetection for high-speed machining (HSM), is an importantproblem to solve; however, the techniques or types ofsensors applied in other research projects present certaininconveniences. In order to improve tool breakage monitoringsystems, a simple, effective, and fast method ispresented herein. This method is based on the discretewavelet transform (DWT) and statistical methodologies.The effectiveness of the method is based on the measurementsof the feed-motor current signals using inexpensivesensors. It is well-known that during the cutting process,the motor current is related to the tool condition.


Open water aquatic recreation is a significant cause of drowning, especially in developed countries that have easy access to aquatic environments. To simplify the plethora of safety messages promoted worldwide, 18 experts from 12 countries formed the International Task Force on Open Water Drowning Prevention (ITFDP) and published 16 generic, nonboating, open water safety messages. This paper examines the supporting evidence for the messages and makes recommendations for future research. A systematic review was undertaken of the literature published from 1990 to 2010. Task force members were asked to provide the Secretariat with organizational recommendations or the evidence base that informed their decision making. The review identified strong evidence bases for the importance of supervision and alcohol avoidance. Several messages were supported by some evidence such as lifeguards, CPR training, and life jacket use. The remaining messages had some supporting data and/or were organizational recommendations but lacked evidence demonstrating their efficacy. It identified where evidence to substantiate axiomatic wisdom is lacking and where research is needed to address gaps in our current knowledge of drowning prevention.


People with cystic fibrosis (CF) exhibit growth defects. That observation has been attributed, in part, to decreased insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) levels, and the reduction has been blamed on malnutrition and pulmonary inflammation. However, patients with CF already have a reduced weight at birth, a manifestation not likely secondary to poor nutrition or inflammation. We found that, like humans, CF pigs were smaller than non-CF littermates and had lower IGF1 levels. To better understand the basis of IGF1 reduction, we studied newborn pigs and found low IGF1 levels within 12 h of birth. Moreover, humerus length and bone mineral content were decreased, consistent with less IGF1 activity in utero. These findings led us to test newborn humans with CF, and we found that they also had reduced IGF1 levels. Discovering lower IGF1 levels in newborn pigs and humans indicates that the decrease is not solely a consequence of malnutrition or pulmonary inflammation and that loss of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator function has a more direct effect. Consistent with this hypothesis, we discovered reduced growth hormone release in organotypic pituitary slice cultures of newborn CF pigs. These findings may explain the long-standing observation that CF newborns are smaller than non-CF babies and why some patients with good clinical status fail to reach their growth potential. The results also suggest that measuring IGF1 levels might be of value as a biomarker to predict disease severity or the response to therapeutics. Finally, they raise the possibility that IGF1 supplementation beginning in infancy might be beneficial in CF.


Photo-labile molecules have been widely used not only in organic synthesis but also in biological study. The chemistry of the typical photo-labile organic molecules, including their structure, mechanism underlying their photo-lability and strategies to integrate them with biomolecules, is reviewed to illustrate the structural basis for photo-activable caged compounds. Biological applications of representative photo-labile caged molecules were also illustrated for a general understanding on the important roles of caged compounds in dynamic biological studies. This tutorial review would provide an interdisciplinary overview on the important area of chemical biological study making use of photo-labile caged compounds.


Due to the development in the construction and building industry in recent years, numerous methods for safer, easier and more economical design of structures have been studied.Because of the high bi-axial bending capacity and high compressive strength of hollow structural sections, these sections are considered as a popular alternative by designers. Supporting the panel zone demands in the columns and occurring the moment hinge at the ends of beam are too available in column with hollow section. One of the major problems in the way of using these sections is lack of appropriate load path to connect beams to them, which ends up using through-plates. Through-plates are plates that pass through column and beams connect to them at their webs. Consequently these plates should have sufficient stiffness in order to provide enough strength. This paper proceeds to study the buckling behavior of through-plates in moment beam to column connections under gravity loads.


Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have been recognized as metabolic disorders characterized by fatty accumulation in the liver without alcohol consumption. The diseases can cause metabolic syndromes, consisting of obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and hypertension. For the treatment of NAFLD/NASH, losing weight by exercise or diet remains the standard treatment, because no effective pharmacological therapy has yet been developed for NAFLD/NASH. Two incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), stimulate glucose-mediated insulin production in pancreatic β cells. Incretin has also been reported to have various extra-pancreatic effects, including the regulation of hepatic glucose production, appetite and satiety, as well as the stimulation of afferent sensory nerves. Therefore, incretin may have potential as a novel therapeutic agent for NAFLD/NASH.


With the constantly emerging of new ways to release information on the internet, together with the rise of several other technologies such as cloud computing and the internet of things, data is explosively growing at an unprecedented speed, manifesting the coming of the era of big data. Facing the challenge of large-scale, demand diversity and real-time processing for big data, the efficient processing technology has become the core issue of research in the big data field. This paper elaborates in detail the key technologies dealing with big data processing as distributed computing technology, incremental processing technology, stream computing technology, etc., analyses and summaries the mainstream technology platform and system of big data represented by Hadoop, and finally introduces the latest infrastructure innovation progress driven by big data in the last part, including GPU acceleration technology, Software Defined Flash (SDF), etc..


Introduction: The rotator cuff disorders constitute the most common cause of shoulder pathologies. Ultrasonography and MRI are widely used in evaluating various shoulder pathologies. USG of shoulder is simple, cheap, fast and non-invasive imaging technology for detection of rotator cuff and nonrotator cuff abnormalities. In this study we have assessed the usefulness of USG in diagnosing the shoulder pathologies and have correlated with the MRI. Aim: Evaluation of a patient with shoulder pathology with ultrasonography as the initial line of imaging technique as compared to MRI, assessing the accuracy of ultrasonography in diagnosing shoulder joint pathologies, especially rotator cuff abnormalities, using MRI as a reference standard and correlating findings wherever possible. Materials and Methods: Hundred patients were studied prospectively over a period of two years. Study subjects included both men and women in all age groups with suspected shoulder pathology, suspected to have musculo-tendinous origin. All patients underwent USG evaluation of the shoulder joint followed by MRI of the affected shoulder. Results: USG showed a sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100% and NPV of 97% in diagnosing full thickness tear of rotator cuff using MRI as reference. For partial thickness tears, it showed a sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 69%, PPV of 82% and NPV of 54%. Overall accuracy of USG in detection of any tear of rotator cuff with MRI as reference was 82%. The strength of agreement between USG and MRI for the diagnosis of any tear of rotator cuff is considered to be 'substantial' in our study (Kappa=0.635). Conclusion: USG showed comparable results to MRI in assessment of rotator cuff abnormality and should be used as first line of investigation in patients presenting with shoulder pathologies. It proved to have high sensitivity and specificity for full thickness tears with relatively less sensitivity and specificity in detection of partial thickness tear.


In this paper a nonholonomic mobile robot with completely unknown dynamics is considered. An efficient single layered neural network controller is assumed for the real time path tracking control of the mobile robot. The controller takes advantage of the robot regressor dynamics that express the highly nonlinear robot dynamics in a linear form in terms of the known and unknown robot dynamic parameters. The influence of time delays in the input control torque on the stability of the mobile robot motion has been studied. The present work enables to estimate the maximum admissible time delay in the input control torque with out the loss of stability in robot motion and guaranteed tracking performance.


NMDA receptors consist of two distinct classes of subunits. The NR1 subunit possesses all properties of the NMDA receptor-channel complex, whereas four NR2 subunits (NR2A–2D) potentiate and differentiate NMDA receptor responses by heteromeric assemblies with NR1. The mRNAs for the five NMDA receptor subunits are expressed in the cerebellum in a distinct temporospatial manner. To study functions of the NMDA receptors in the cerebellum, we generated knockout mice deficient in either NR2A or NR2C or both of these subunits. All three mutant mice developed normally and showed normal overall morphology of the cerebellum. The NMDA receptor-mediated components of EPSCs in granule cells, as assessed by whole-cell recordings of cerebellar slices, were reduced in NR2A- and NR2C-deficient mice and nearly abolished in mice lacking both NR2A and NR2C. The NR2A- and NR2C-deficient granule cells were different in the current–voltage relationship and time course of NMDA receptor responses. The NR2A and NR2C subunits thus contribute to distinct NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory transmission in mossy fiber–granule cell synapses in the mature cerebellum. Both NR2A- and NR2C-deficient mice showed no impaired movements in the motor coordination tasks tested. The mutant mice deficient in both NR2A and NR2C could also manage simple coordinated tasks, such as staying on a stationary or a slowly rotating rod, but failed more challenging tasks such as staying on a quickly rotating rod. These data demonstrate that the NMDA receptors play an active role in motor coordination.


We previously identified a distinct mutation pattern in the antibody genes of B cells isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that can identify patients who have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and patients with clinically isolated syndromes who will convert to RRMS. This antibody gene signature (AGS) was developed using Sanger sequencing of single B cells. While potentially helpful to patients, Sanger sequencing is not an assay that can be practically deployed in clinical settings. In order to provide AGS evaluations to patients as part of their diagnostic workup, we developed protocols to generate AGS scores using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) on CSF-derived cell pellets without the need to isolate single cells. This approach has the potential to increase the coverage of the B-cell population being analyzed, reduce the time needed to generate AGS scores, and may improve the overall performance of the AGS approach as a diagnostic test in the future. However, no investigations have focused on whether NGS-based repertoires will properly reflect antibody gene frequencies and somatic hypermutation patterns defined by Sanger sequencing. To address this issue, we isolated paired CSF samples from eight patients who either had MS or were at risk to develop MS. Here, we present data that antibody gene frequencies and somatic hypermutation patterns are similar in Sanger and NGS-based antibody repertoires from these paired CSF samples. In addition, AGS scores derived from the NGS database correctly identified the patients who initially had or subsequently converted to RRMS, with precision similar to that of the Sanger sequencing approach. Further investigation of the utility of the AGS in predicting conversion to MS using NGS-derived antibody repertoires in a larger cohort of patients is warranted.


Removing illegal or harmful material from the internet has been pursued for more than two decades. The advent of Web 2.0, with the prominent increase and diffusion of user-generated content, amplifies the necessity for technical and legal frameworks enabling the removal of illegal material from the network. This study deals with different levels and methods of Internet 'cleansing' measures, comparing government regulated and Internet service provider based removals of illegal Internet content. The paper aims at putting the regulatory option of internet blocking measures into the broader perspective of the legal framework regulating the (exemption from) liability of Intermediary Service Providers (ISPs) for user-generated contents. In addition, the paper suggests proposals on which regulatory options can better ensure the respect of freedoms and the protection of rights. The paper introduces several significant cases of blocking online copyright infringing materials. Copyright related blocking techniques have been devised for business reasons – by copyright holders' associations. It must be recalled, however, that these blocking actions cannot be enforced without the states' intervention. These business-level actions become isolated if they are not supported by both the European Union and its Member States. Conversely, state-centred initiatives cannot work out without the private sector's cooperation. Internet service providers play a crucial role in this cooperative framework because of their task of providing access to the Internet and hosting web contents.


Background: Integrated primary care, a health care delivery model that combines medical and behavioral health services, provides better patient access to care at a lower cost, with better outcomes compared with usual nonintegrated care models. The perspectives of primary care providers (PCPs) and behavioral health care providers (BHPs) toward integration are especially valuable because their input and endorsement are key to successful and sustained integration. However, there is little research assessing or comparing PCP and BHP perspectives on integration, especially in rural areas. The objective of this study was to identify rural PCP and BHP perspectives on integration. Methods: Written and electronic surveys were distributed to PCPs and BHPs in the High Plains Research Network in rural eastern Colorado. Items included perspectives on improving behavioral health care, barriers to integration, and confidence in the ability to integrate primary and behavioral care. Results: Surveys were completed by 88 PCPs (60%), and 49 BHPs (63%), for an overall response rate of 61%. PCPs were significantly more likely than BHPs to prefer improving referral methods (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; P = .03) and significantly less likely to prefer colocation (OR, 0.2; P < .0001), warm hand-offs (OR, 0.3; P < .01), improved behavioral health training for PCPs (OR, 0.4; P < .01), and shared visits (OR, 0.4; P =.03) as ways to improve health care. Lack of sufficient methods of payment for behavioral health care services was the most commonly selected barrier to integration by both groups. PCPs were significantly more likely than BHPs to select recruitment (OR, 3.8; P < .001) and retention (OR, 2.7; P < .01) of behavioral health care staff as a major barrier. BHPs were slightly more optimistic than PCPs about the achievability of integration. Conclusions: Important differences of perspective exist between rural PCPs and BHPs regarding the best ways to improve behavioral health care, barriers to integration, and the achievability of integration. These differences may have important implications for rural communities and health care systems considering a transition to an integrated primary care model.


Background Malnutrition among older adults with dysphagia is common. Texture-modified foods (TMFs) are an essential part of dysphagia management. In long-term care (LTC) facilities, health professionals have implemented TMFs, but their application has not been fully elucidated, making them heterogeneous. Objective We aim to explore the implementation of TMFs in LTC facilities, particularly focusing on the role of health professionals in nutritional care involving TMFs (eg, deciding the type of food, preparing and giving the food, and evaluating the outcomes). Methods A scoping review using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodological approach will be performed. A comprehensive search for published literature will be systematically performed in PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Science Citation Index (Web of Science). Data screening and extraction will be performed by 2 reviewers independently. The studies included will be synthesized, summarized, and reported, following the preferred reporting items of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Our review will consider the following study designs: mixed methods, quantitative, and qualitative. Studies with patients who are not older adults will be excluded. Results Data extraction will be completed by February 2023. Data presentation and analyses will be completed by April 2023, and the final outcomes will be completed by June 2023. The study findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusions Our scoping review will consider studies related to TMF interventions for older adults in LTC residential facilities, with no exclusion restrictions based on country, gender, or comorbidities. Studies on interventions that address TMF-related issues, such as deciding the type of food, preparing and giving the food, and evaluating the outcomes, are qualified for inclusion. Trial Registration OSF Registries 79AFZ; https://osf.io/79afz International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/44201


The accuracy and real-time of velocity measurement impact on the performance of the motor servo system. Incremental optical encoder measuring velocity have advantages of high accuracy and easy-to miniaturization. The typical method for velocity measurements by Incremental optical encoder is hybrid M / T method. The method is poor in real time. Raised alternate M/T method for velocity measurement. Design the software and hardware for the M/T method. The experiment results show the feasibility and correctness of the system, and the method improves the system with photoelectric encoder in real time.


Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) is an important part of the future of the construction industry due to the promise of speed of project delivery, quality control, worker safety, and waste minimization onsite via the purposeful design for manufacture and assembly offsite. However, the adoption of DfMA in Australia has been slow. This paper investigates the barriers prohibiting widespread uptake and how digital construction will be a catalyst for improving use on commercial-scale projects. A total of six leading experts were interviewed to elicit their opinions, and seven recent case studies of high-rise modular apartment and hotel buildings constructed by Hickory were cross-referenced as evidence of DfMA capability. The experts suggested that the reasons for slow adoption in Australia were community mindset, government regulations and incentives, planning and building codes, unionization and business politics, finance, and supply chain management. The case studies suggest that compatible building type and transportation distance are also factors. These barriers can be addressed by the clever integration of building information modelling tools with lean construction processes as part of a proposed strategy leading to smarter (more productive) and better (more sustainable) outcomes predicated on growth in digital construction practices. The paper concludes with a proposed framework for change that conceptualizes the 'ecosystem' needed to support widespread DfMA in the Australian context, including the paradigm shift from building to manufacturing/assembly, the displacement of workers from onsite to offsite activity, and the expansion of interdisciplinary design and construct collaboration.


Bacillus cereus is responsible for an increasing number of food poisoning cases. By using 12 bacteriophages isolated from sewage, a typing scheme for B. cereus isolates from outbreaks or sporadic cases of food poisoning was developed. The phages belonged to three morphotypes. Ten phages with contractile tails and icosahedral heads were members of the Myoviridae family, and two phages with noncontractile tails belonged to the Siphoviridae family. Phage 11 represented a new species. It had an isometric head and a very long contractile tail with long wavy tail fibers and was one of the largest viruses known. The vast majority of 166 B. cereus strains (161, or 97%) isolated from food poisoning cases were typeable. Of 146 strains isolated from 18 outbreaks, 142 (97%) could be divided into 17 phage types. A good correlation, on the order of 80 to 100%, between phage types of strains isolated from suspected foods and those of strains isolated from stools of symptomatic patients was observed. Most Bacillus thuringiensis strains were also typeable, providing further evidence of the close relatedness of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. This phage typing scheme can be a valuable epidemiological tool in tracing the origins of food poisoning caused by B. cereus.


Leaf hydraulic conductance (KLeaf) is a measure of the efficiency of water transport through the leaf, which determines physiological parameters such as stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration rates. One key anatomical structure that supports KLeaf is leaf venation, which could be subject to evolutionary pressure in dry environments. In this context, it is useful to assess these traits in species from arid climates such as S. peruvianum and S. chilense, in order to determine their hydraulic strategy and potential aptitude for the improvement of domestic tomato (S. lycopersicum). In this work, we measured KLeaf, vein density, together with leaf water isotope composition (δ18O, δ2H) and leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C), from which we derived proxies for outside-vein hydraulic resistance (Rox) and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), respectively. The two wild species showed contrasting hydraulic strategies, with S. chilense performing as a water-spender, whereas S. peruvianum showed a water-saving strategy. Interestingly, S. lycopersicum was rather conservative, and showed the highest WUEi. The low water transport capacity of S. peruvianum was not explained by vein density traits, but was related with the effective pathlength L, an isotope-derived proxy for Rox. The low WUEi of S. peruvianum suggest strong photosynthetic limitations. Our results show a wide diversity in water-use strategies in the genus, encouraging a detailed characterization of wild relatives. From a methodological point of view, we provide evidence supporting the use of water isotopes to assess changes in mesophyll hydraulic conductance, not attributable to vein density.


: To achieve better results in reconstructive surgery on the main arteries using venous graft, the authors used a permanent magnetic field from different sources: elastic magnets with external effect and absorbable magnets implanted into the surgical wound. This physical source was found to possess the following effects: stimulation of the central and peripheral blood flow, hypercoagulation prevention, reduction on oedema and inflammation. The restored specific properties of these magnetic sources should be taken into account in the selection and use during the postoperative period.


BACKGROUND
Imatinib can induce severe hepatotoxicity, in 1-5% of CML patients, many of whom need permanent imatinib discontinuation.

DESIGN AND RESULTS
We report 5 CML patients who developed grade 3-4 hepatotoxicity after 2-8 months in imatinib. Different aetiologies of liver damage were ruled out and toxicity recurred in 2 patients with further attempts at low dose imatinib. In all patients prednisone or methylprednisolone at 25- 40 mg/day resolved hepatotoxicity in 3-8 weeks and allowed imatinib to be resumed at full doses. Corticosteroid were tapered off in 3-5 months without hepatotoxicity recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS
Corticosteroid may avoid discontinuation for hepatotoxicity of the most effective anti-CML therapy.


Social image analysis and retrieval is important for helping people organize and access the increasing amount of user tagged multimedia. Since user tagging is known to be uncontrolled, ambiguous, and overly personalized, a fundamental problem is how to interpret the relevance of a user-contributed tag with respect to the visual content the tag is describing. Intuitively, if different persons label visually similar images using the same tags, these tags are likely to reflect objective aspects of the visual content. Starting from this intuition, we propose in this paper a neighbor voting algorithm which accurately and efficiently learns tag relevance by accumulating votes from visual neighbors. Under a set of well-defined and realistic assumptions, we prove that our algorithm is a good tag relevance measurement for both image ranking and tag ranking. Three experiments on 3.5 million Flickr photos demonstrate the general applicability of our algorithm in both social image retrieval and image tag suggestion. Our tag relevance learning algorithm substantially improves upon baselines for all the experiments. The results suggest that the proposed algorithm is promising for real-world applications.


Background: Vulnerable populations face difficulties accessing and using the internet and personal health record (PHR) systems for health-related purposes. Populations disconnected from the internet also tend to be disconnected from health care services. Objectives: To develop and evaluate an intervention to increase skills in health-related internet and PHR use for vulnerable populations with limited computer and internet experience. Research Design: Preevaluation and postevaluation using quantitative surveys, semistructured interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observation. Subjects: Fourteen low-income Veterans receiving care at Veterans Affairs medical centers for human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C. Measures: Internet and PHR use, self-efficacy, patient activation, disease knowledge, predictors of medication adherence. Results: At follow-up one (FU1), mean number of internet for health features used increased from 1.57 to 4.07 (P<0.001) as did number of PHR features, from 0.36 to 2.00 (P<0.001). Mean self-efficacy increased at FU1, from 7.12 to 8.60, (P=0.009) and was maintained at follow-up two (FU2). Patient activation increased only at FU2, from 3.42 to 3.61 (P=0.03). Disease specific knowledge showed borderline increase at FU1, from 67.9% to 72.2% (P=0.05), whereas there were no changes in predictors of medication adherence. Qualitative findings underscored the interest in using internet and PHRs and their contribution to increased engagement in care. Training cost per participant was $287. Conclusions: Group training of vulnerable patients represents a cost-effective method to increase internet and PHR skills, and improve patient confidence in finding health-related information, making online health-related transactions, and interacting with health care providers.


D-branes can end on orbifold planes if the action of the orbifold group includes (-1) (FL). We consider configurations of D-branes ending on such orbifolds and study the low-energy theory on their worldvolume. We apply our results to gauge theories with eight supercharges in three and four dimensions. We explain how mirror symmetry for N = 4 d = 3 gauge theories with gauge group Sp(k) and matter in the antisymmetric tensor and fundamental representations follows from S-duality of IIB string theory. We argue that some of these theories have hidden Fayet-Iliopoulos deformations, not visible classically. We also study a class of finite N = 2 d = 4 theories (so-called D-n quiver theories) and find their exact solution. The integrable model corresponding to the exact solution is a Hitchin system on an orbifold Riemann surface. We also give a simple derivation of the S-duality group of these theories based on their relationship to SO(2n) instantons on R-2 x T-2.


The structural, electronic, and adhesive properties of ${\mathrm{C}\mathrm{u}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ interfaces are investigated using first-principles density-functional theory within the local density approximation. Interfaces between fcc Cu (001) and \ensuremath{\alpha}-cristobalite (001) slabs with different surface stoichiometries are considered. Interfacial properties are found to be sensitive to the choice of the termination and the interfacial oxygen density is the most important factor influencing the strength of adhesion. For oxygen-rich interfaces, the O atoms at the interface substantially rearrange after the deposition of Cu layers, suggesting the formation of Cu-O bonds. The large structural rearrangement, site-projected local densities of states, and changes in electron density indicate hybridization between $\mathrm{Cu}\ensuremath{-}d$ and $\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}p$ states at the interface. As oxygen is systematically removed from the interface, less rearrangement is observed, reflecting less hybridization and weaker adhesion. Computed adhesion energies for each of the interfaces are consistent with the observed structural and bonding trends, leading to the largest adhesion energy in the oxygen rich cases. The adhesion energy is also calculated between Cu and ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ substrates terminated with hydroxyl groups, and adhesion of Cu to these substrates is found to be considerably reduced. This work supports the notion that Cu films can adhere well to hydroxyl-free ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ substrates should oxygen be present in sufficient amounts at the interface.


One of the longest-standing debates in economics is whether or not substitution of debt for tax finance of government spending has any real effects on the economy. The earliest argument, usually attributed to Ricardo, is that debt will only alter individual behaviour if it is regarded as a positive contribution to net wealth. Subsequent debate revolved around the question of whether or not individuals perceive debt as wealth. In the most recent contribution to this debate, Barro showed that debt will not be regarded as net wealth in a system characterised by operative intergenerational transfers. The essence of his argument is that, provided the individual cares enough about his children to leave them a bequest, he will also calculate the tax liability that falls on them due to debt issued in his lifetime. In other words, the use of deferred taxes in the form of debt should not fool the population into believing that they are better off for having avoided current taxes. The objectives of this paper are twofold: to extend and reinterpret Barro's result, and to re-examine the various objections to the neutrality proposition. Before summarising my findings it is appropriate at this point to stress the definition of neutrality as relating to the effects of substituting debt for tax financing of a given level of government spending. Neutrality in these terms does not imply that an increase in debt coupled with an increase in spending will have no real effects. It simply means that the effects are no different to those that would follow from a tax financed increase in spending. Using an overlapping-generations life-cycle framework this paper extends the neutrality proposition to include long-run neutrality, perpetuities as well as finite-maturity debt, and gift as well as bequest behaviour. Two insights are provided by this extension. The first is that neutrality is shown to be completely independent of the net wealth content of debt. The second is that neutrality is shown to hinge crucially on the perfect budgetary substitutability of debt and intergenerational transfers. The first result suggests that the theoretical and empirical literature on debt neutrality have focussed on the wrong issue. This assertion requires some elaboration. The traditional neutrality argument considered the economy as being adequately represented by a single individual. As viewed by this individual the issue of debt generates an asset and a liability of identical value. That is, in every period over the life of the debt the government gives with one hand exactly what it takes with the other. Apart from being a zero contribution to his net wealth, the debt leaves the individual's budget constraint unaltered. With the exception of some minor distribution effects that could arise from having many individuals, rather than one, it was generally agreed that rationality should be sufficient to generate neutrality. This argument sounds convincing but it has a flaw. As soon as a life-cycle framework is used it becomes apparent that debt involves a particular type of redistribution effect that is sytematic and fundamental to the nature of debt as a financial asset, and therefore should not be ignored. Since debt is typically acquired in youth and sold in old age it involves intertemporal and intergenerational redistribution; that is, acceptance of the debt issue implies a change in the pattern of planned lifetime consumption from youth to old age. The rearrangement of lifetime consumption patterns associated with debt will generate a behavioural response from individuals. The essence of the neutrality question is whether or not they can restore their pre-debt consumption patterns without altering the aggregate demand for capital. At this point we come to the second result of the paper. So long as individuals observe intergenerational transfers and debt as perfect budgetary substitutes their optimal response to debt will be to substitute bequests for debt as a means of restoring their desired comsumption patterns. As the demand for bequests rises equally with the supply of debt there will be no influence on the demand for capital and neutrality will follow. Note that with recognition of the intertemporal implications of the debt the case for neutrality becomes more restrictive. In the traditional case individuals had only to recognise that they were no better or worse off with debt and therefore to keep doing what they were already doing. In the life-cycle model they must recognise that their lifetime consumption patterns are being changed, realise how to respond optimally, and actually be faced with the perfect budgetary substitutability necessary for them to neutralise the consumption effects. It is the last of these that is the weakest link in the argument. While it is true that the economy as a whole faces perfect substitutability, particular individuals do not face the same transformation rates as the economy due to corner solutions, illusions, distortions, indivisibilities and distribution effects associated with taxes and family size. Since aggregate neutrality depends on individual neutrality, the theoretical case for full neutrality is not seen as being particularly strong. Neutrality is nevertheless argued to be a plausible long-run result. The paper also contains some suggestions for empirical testing of the neutrality hypothesis.


The Yili block is a triangular area bordered by sutures and fault zones in the western Chinese Tianshan belt. It is often considered as a part of the Central Tianshan micro-continent with Proterozoic basement extending westward into Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan, but this interpretation is questionable. This paper aims to synthesize the available data, discusses the meaning of the tectonic boundaries and proposes a model for the Paleozoic evolution of the Yili block. Alike the entire Tianshan belt, the Yili block underwent a polyphase evolution including subduction of oceanic crust and collision with micro-continents and volcanic arcs. The southern boundary of the Yili block is formed of Proterozoic basement and Early Paleozoic platform sediments, tectonically overlain by oceanic high-pressure metamorphic rocks and ophiolite. It has been involved in a south-dipping subduction associated with the closure of the Tianshan Ocean and the subsequent collision with a micro-continent correlated with Central Tianshan. This tectonic event resulted in top-to-the-north ductile thrusting observed in oceanic HP metamorphic rocks and Proterozoic basement as well. During the Late Paleozoic, the northern boundary of the Yili block was an active continental margin related to the southward subduction of the North Tianshan oceanic basin, this boundary is represented by Late Carboniferous turbidite and ophiolitic melange. The southern and northern boundaries have been both reworked by Permian strike-slip faults.


Infusions of H2-receptor antagonists may be clinically indicated to maintain intragastric pH above 4 to reduce acute gastric mucosal lesions or to treat patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. Eight fasting healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive ranitidine infusion alone (150 mg/day), ranitidine infusion plus 50 mg bolus injection of ranitidine (total of 200 mg/day), famotidine infusion alone (40 mg/day) or famotidine infusion plus 40 mg bolus injection of famotidine (total of 80 mg/day). Gastric fluid contents were aspirated for 24 h and collected as half-hourly samples in which pH measurements were made. Measures analyzed were mean and median pH, percentage pH at or below 3, 4 or 5 for the 24 h period, daytime, evening and nighttime. The data for each of the variables were analyzed as a Latin square crossover design of variance therapy; base pH before treatment administration in each crossover phase was employed as the covariant. Significant differential treatment means were tested by Newman-Keul's multiple range test at the 5% level of significance. The mean and median evening pH were higher after famotidine than after ranitidine infusion, but all other pH readings were similar when using these doses. The addition of an initial loading bolus of 50 mg ranitidine to the ranitidine infusion did not result in any added differences in pH, whereas the addition of an initial loading bolus of 40 mg famotidine to the famotidine infusion resulted in a higher 24 h median pH, as well as a lower percentage of pH values of 4 or below, 16.6% versus 28.5%, P<0.05. However, the loading doses of ranitidine and famotidine were not equivalent in potency, and studies are needed to compare the potency of equivalent doses of ranitidine and famotidine when given by bolus plus infusion. Also the clinical relevance of these findings needs to be explored further in the type of individuals potentially requiring intravenous H2-receptor antagonists.


Fitzpatrick et al. 2014, "Cost-effectiveness of canine vaccination to prevent human rabies in rural Tanzania." Fitzpatrick 2014 Effectiveness of Canine Vaccination to Prevent Human Rabies


Much attention has been directed toward improving nonviral gene delivery in order to replace viral vectors and overcome the barriers to clinical gene therapy. Specifically targeting nonviral gene delivery vehicles to the disease tissue can significantly improve their delivery efficiency. Targeting peptides have been developed for growth factor receptors, integrins and tumor vasculature to target cancer, neurotrophin or neurotoxin receptors aiming to give specificity for neurodegenerative disease, airway epithelial cells to target cystic fibrosis and other tissue specific cells and receptors in bone tissue, cornea and dendritic cells. These highly specific, high-affinity peptides were identified using phage display or through rational design, and were evaluated within this review for their potential and ability to improve transfection, highlighting the successful applications of this technology and discussing the features of the design that contribute to this success. It was found that effective peptide targeting of gene delivery relied both on peptide ligand performance and on nonviral vectors that exploit the appropriate intracellular trafficking mechanisms.


As improvements to DNA sequencing technology have resulted in increasing the throughput of DNA sequencing, the bottleneck for high throughput DNA sequencing-based typing (SBT) has shifted to sequence analysis, genotyping and quality control (QC). Consistent high-quality DNA sequence is required in order to reduce manual verification and editing of sequence electropherograms. However, identifying systematic changes in quality is difficult to achieve without the aid of sophisticated sequence analysis programs dedicated to this purpose. We describe a computer software program called Assign 2.0, which integrates sequence QC analysis and genotyping in order to facilitate high-throughput SBT. Assign 2.0 performs an analysis of Phred quality values in order to produce quality scores for a sample and a sequencing run. This enables sample-to-sample and run-to-run QC monitoring and provides a mechanism for the comparison of sequence quality between various genes, various reagents and various protocols with the aim of improving the overall quality of DNA sequence data. This, in turn, will result in reducing sequence analysis as a bottleneck for high-throughput SBT.


A detailed study of vegetative and reproductive phases of several populations of a common species of Ulva from Thau Lagoon (France, Mediterranean Sea) showed that the material is in good agreement with Asiatic Ulva pertusa Kjellman. Since October 1994, the date of its first observation in Thau Lagoon, U. pertusa has developed abundant repro- ductive populations. It is highly probable that this species was introduced at Thau along with oyster transfers from the Pacific. Ulva pertusa is new to the Mediterranean Sea.


Background: Previous research indicates that interindividual differences in the ability to perceive own bodily signals seems to be a crucial intrapersonal factor for disordered eating behavior and weight problems. But representative and prospective data in children is lacking and questions remain, as to whether it is a cause or a consequence. Methods: On the basis of two measurement points, data on interoceptive sensitivity (IS), measured by cardiac sensitivity (perception of the number of own heartbeats in three given time intervals while the actual heart rate is recorded) in 1657 children between 6 and 11 years of age were collected. Stability of the construct and its longitudinal association with different eating behaviors (assessed via parent questionnaires (CEBQ and DEBQ)) as well as with weight status were analyzed via SEMs. Findings: It was found that only in overweight children external and emotional eating behavior was predictive for later IS, whereas no such relation was found in normal weight children or in the total sample. Discussion: For the first time we could show that eating behavior and objective IS in middle childhood are prospectively related to each other. But surprisingly, our data indicate that low IS is rather a consequence than a cause of eating behavior patterns in overweight children, which suggests a possible crucial role of faulty learning mechanisms in eating behavior undermining the trust in one´s body.


We present a new solution approach for the Time Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem with Time Windows. This problem considers a salesman who departs from his home, has to visit a number of cities within a pre-determined period of time, and then returns home. The problem allows for travel times that can depend on the time of departure. The solution approach is based on an integer programming formulation of the problem on a time expanded network, as doing so enables time dependencies to be embedded in the definition of the network. However, as such a time expanded network (and thus the integer programming formulation) can rapidly become prohibitively large, the solution approach employs a dynamic discretization discovery framework, which has been effective in other contexts. Our computational results indicate that the solution approach outperforms the best-known methods on benchmark instances and is robust with respect to instance parameters.


A method based on fuzzy associative memories for calculating the bandwidth of electrically thin and thick rectangular microstrip patch antennas is presented. The design parameters of the fuzzy associative memories are optimally determined by using the classical, modified and improved tabu search algorithms. The theoretical bandwidth results obtained by using the fuzzy associative memories are in very good agreement with the experimental results available in the literature.


Localization of the sensor nodes is a major obstacle for practical applications of video sensor networks. This paper present a novel localization technique based on vision in wireless sensor networks. On the assumption that sensor nodes can be recognized in an image, a sensor node firstly direct its Field-of-View (FoV) to an anchor or localized node, then we can get the orientation of anchor node relate to the sensor node to be localized. If two or more anchors can be found in sensing area, a series of equations will be obtained. They can be solved using minimum mean square error rule, and the solution of the overdetermined equations mentioned above is the estimation of the node position. The experiments indicate that a promising performance can be achieved in determining the exact node location using a small number of anchors.


: The clinical, morphological, and tanatological features of tuberculosis have been studied in patients who died in 1994-1996. Group 1 and Group 2 included 91 and 190 patients, respectively. It has been found that the present-day stage is marked by a trend for tuberculosis reversion with the characteristics typical of the preantibiotic period. Along with worse epidemiological parameters, there is an increase in the incidence of miliary tuberculosis and caseous pneumonia. The common cause of death is tuberculosis progression. The present stage differs from the preantibiotic period by the fact that progression rapidly occurs with specific therapy due to an increase in cases with documented drug resistance.


In currently pending litigation, Cady Noland has sought to exercise the rights of attribution and integrity in relation to Log Cabin Facade; in this context, the Office's denial of registration has resulted in complex legal arguments with both philosophical and practical implications. Against the backdrop of the Log Cabin controversy, this Article probes the conflict between the values and objectives underlying moral rights versus the "dominant," economic theory of pre-existing copyright law. A critical question emerges: whether the "safeguards" imposed by limitations on the scope of copyrightability logically apply to the grant or denial of certain core moral rights protections for the single, original "copy" of an artwork. Concluding that they do not, this Article argues that recognition of an object as "artwork" by the relevant artistic community should "wag the dog" with respect to the artwork's entitlement to such core moral rights protections, irrespective of its copyrightability.


We have described the concept of using the aqueous humor glucose as a measure of the blood glucose concentration, with a view to developing a noninvasive glucose monitor for diabetic individuals. We have conceived of a scleral lens that houses a light source, polarizers, other electro-optic units, and a light detector, and which measures the optical rotation of the aqueous humor continuously. We have built an optical bench mock-up of the glucose sensor and assessed the limits of its capabilities. We have described a physical method, employing the Faraday effect, that modulates the incident light and uses a compensator to introduce a feedback mechanism giving a null-point technique capable of measuring extremely small rotations with an accuracy of 0.4 s of arc. We have used this and have measured the optical rotations of glucose solutions from 0.02 to 0.1%, and have demonstrated linearity in both cases. Miniaturization of the technique is discussed.


The catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanostructures on Si and SiO2/Si substrates as a function of substrate temperature was carried out using a thermal evaporation method. We observed that the shapes and the morphologies of the ZnO nanostructures could be controlled by using the substrate temperature and the presence of an oxide layer on the surface of the substrate. The shape of the ZnO nanostructure was changed from an embossed nanocantilever to a nanowire as the growth temperature was decreased from 500 °C to 430 °C. At 360 °C, a winding stem-like nanostructure with thin and short branch nanowires on the facet of the nanostructure was produced. In particular, at a growth temperature of 430 °C, a ZnO buffer layer was formed during the initial growth when an Si substrate was used. However, no ZnO buffer layer was observed when a SiO2/Si substrate was used. The formation of a buffer layer significantly affected the crystalline structure. Defects were observed in the embossed nanocantilevers and the nanowires grown on SiO2/Si but not in those grown on Si.


The world over the past decades has gone through some steady bio-physical and socio-demographical changes. Specifically, climate change (leading to increased temperature, salinization, drought etc.), population explosion, urbanization and migration (especially, rural to urban migration), among others have resulted in a new set of global challenges. In this regard, the threat to global food security has been recognised as one of the key challenges facing humanity in this 21st century. The Green Revolution of the 1960s was a major success in safeguarding global food security and still remains relevant. Nonetheless, it left behind some negative footprints. Worthy of note, is the 'erosion' in species diversity due to the mono-culture cultivation systems it was primarily design for. For this reason, there are serious concerns that the yield gains possible with the small number of 'major' staple crop species [mainly cereals; wheat (Triticum spp.), rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays) that have supported our food through the Green Revolution for the past four decades may not be enough to sustain a growing global population in the face of climate change. Recently, the accession that there is the need for policy shift on addressing global food security, away from the classical concept of the 'Green Revolution' is gaining some level of acceptance. Against this backdrop, exploiting underutilised crop plants with an abundance of genetic resources and potentially beneficial traits is seen as one of the solutions that could provide a more diversified agricultural system and additional food sources. For this reason, Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.] has provided a focus for exemplar studies particularly in the developing world (Africa), through its ability to produce yields with minimal inputs in drought prone environments. However, typical of most underutilised species which have suffered neglect within the research community, landraces which have been selected by farmers remain the main source of planting materials. These landrace collections, in most cases may not possess the 'optimum combinations' of phenotypic traits desired by potential stakeholders interested in the crop (particularly; consumers, processors and farmers). The ability to develop improved germplasm resources of Bambara groundnut (through controlled breeding) is an important step towards harnessing the potentials of the crop to address food and nutritional security concerns. In this light, the need to establish a 'coordinated breeding programmes' for Bambara groundnut has gain some level of attention. As part of this initiative, this project reports herein;
1.Identification and critical analysis of core breeding objectives for Bambara groundnut that could be of particular importance to various stakeholders across the value chain of the crop. Additionally, a conceptual breeding framework that could serve as de facto guide for current and future breeding programmes has been reported.
2.Diversity (genetic and phenotypic) and population structure analysis of Bambara groundnut 'global germplasm' with emphasis on its implications for breeding programmes. Potential implications for 'domestication theory' have also been highlighted. Additionally, a conceptual framework of population structure of Bambara groundnut indicating its utility and linkages for crop improvement programme has been reported.
3.Heritability and response to selection (genetic advance) estimates of phenotypic traits in F2 genotypes of Bambara groundnut.
4.Development of improved germplasm resources for traits analysis in Bambara groundnut (with potential for drought studies).
5.Mapping and QTL analysis of phenotypic traits in F2 and F3 derived genotypes of Bambara groundnut.


The aims of this study are first, to develop a method of dermal chromium exposure monitoring by wiping. Then, there will be determination if dermal chromium exposure could be monitored by this method and if could, quantification of the chromium exposure have to be made. Afterward, by depending on the result of the study, a decision will be made if the method applied is realistic to be further used. The method consists of wipe sampling method, sample preparation and sample analysis is developed following several alteration and experimentation during the study. There are two subjects have been monitored in this study for several important reasons. During the sampling process the subject had complied with guidelines in making sure the assessment is of actual dermal chromium exposure which refers to the amount of chromium available for dermal absorption. The sampling was done by using wiping method with a few pieces of filter media (MCE 387) for each wiping. The assessment of dermal exposure is accomplished by measuring the amount of chromium in contact with the skin over a period of time. Later, the small plastic bags containing the filter membrane are prepared for sample preparation. The sample is analyzed for chromium by method of atomic absorption spectroscopy. There are six samples that have been analyzed and the result is varied for each sample. S6 were detected to contain the highest amount of chromium. The S2 were contained the lowest amount chromium. However, the entire sample that has been analyzed contains high level of chromium and exceeds the amount that is permitted by the regulation. Detection of chromium indicates dermal chromium exposure. It can be concluded that my subject is at risk because of exposure to high concentration of chromic acid.


Nitrile oxides have an illustrious history, some even known back in the nineteenth century, fruitful development of the generation and their utility in synthetic principle has been achieved only in recent years. The nitrile oxides were considered as a versatile key intermediates and acts as efficient 1,3-dipole in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. The cycloaddition of nitrile oxides with various dipolarophiles leads to the formation of wide range of five membered heterocyclic compounds such as isoxazoles, isoxazolines, oxadiazoles, oxadiazolines, dioxazolidines etc. An up to date information about the methodologies adopted for the generation of nitrile oxides, their utility in organic synthesis, stereochemistry of the products have been presented in this review article.


This paper presents a new mixed-integer linear programming formulation of the optimal phasor measurement units (PMUs) placement problem when considering the topological observability of the power system. Different from other formulations, decision variables are associated with phasor measurements, but not with PMUs. This approach makes it easy to take into account the availability of PMU measuring channels, effect of zero-injection bus, possible system contingencies like single PMU or branch loss, as well as gross error occurrence, and offers flexibility in specifying the objective function. Paper describes a presolve technique that makes the formulation more compact and tighter. Numerical results on IEEE standard test systems are presented and reveal the existence of the PMU placements which ensure topological observability, but fail to meet numerical observability.


The Remote Sensing Technology Institute (Institut fur Methodik der Fernerkundung) of the German Aerospace Agency (DLR) operates two sensors for airborne hyperspectral imaging, i.e., a Norsk Elektro Optikk A/S (NEO) HySpex VNIR-1600 and a NEO HySpex SWIR-320m-e. Since these sensors are used for the development of physically based inversion algorithms, atmospheric correction algorithms and for calibration/ validation activities, their properties need to be characterized in detail, and an accurate calibration is mandatory. The characterization is performed at the calibration laboratory of DLR for imaging spectrometers in Oberpfaffenhofen. Key results of the characterization are assessments of the radiometric, spectral, and geometric performances, including the typical optical distortions prevalent in pushbroom imaging spectrometers, keystone and smile, and the associated measurement uncertainties. Potential sources of systematic error, the detector nonlinearity and the polarization sensitivity are discussed. The radiometric calibration is traceably performed to the German national metrology institute Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, whereas the spectral measurements can be traced back to the spectral properties of atomic line lamps. The implemented level 0 to level 1 calibration procedure is presented as well.


Leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera (aqueous , hexane, ethanol and methanol) were investigated for antibacterial activity and found effective against all tested strains. However leaf extract ed in methanol w as more effective followed by ethanol, aqueous and hexane. Methanol extract of leaf showed maximum activity against the tested bacterial strains and MIC was 2 , 3 and 3 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli respectivel y. Therefore this can be selected for further investigation to determine its therapeutic potential.


The development of an antithrombogenic coating permits a hybrid design for artificial heart valves. A substrate material optimized for its application is coated to meet the electrochemical requirements of improved hemocompatibility. But future progress in artificial heart valves requires an improvement in design as well as of the material. The basis of both aspects is the determination of such fundamental mechanical properties as the elasticity and plasticity of the valve ring and the deformation and fraction behaviour of the occluder. Analytical and numerical calculations of various different models result in different requirements for the substrate of ring and occluder. A combination of high elastic temper and low resistance to flow requires a ring material with a Young's modulus of 40 GPa or more, and a 0.2% proof stress to (Young's modulus)2/3 ratio of 0.3 MPa1/3. The best occluder materials should have a Young's modulus of more than 50 GPa and a flexural strength of at least 800 MPa. On the basis of these criteria, a heart valve consisting of a TiA15Fe2,5 ring and occluders made partially stabilized zirconia is introduced.


This paper evaluates the possibility of building a space elevator from a mechanical standpoint; calculating the yield stress and required density of a homogeneous material that such a structure would ideally need. It is concluded that a tapered tower made from carbon nanotubes may potentially be feasible.


We explore whether the phase diagram of tensor models could feature a pregeometric, discrete and a geometric, continuum phase for the building blocks of space. The latter are associated to rank d tensors of size N. We search for a universal large N scaling limit in a rank-3 model with real tensors that could be linked to a transition between the two phases. We extend the conceptual development and practical implementation of the flow equation for the pregeometric setting. This provides a pregeometric 'coarse-graining' by going from many microscopic to few effective degrees of freedom by lowering N. We discover several candidates for fixed points of this coarse graining procedure, and specifically explore the impact of a novel class of interactions allowed in the real rank-3 model. In particular, we explain how most universality classes feature dimensional reduction, while one candidate, involving a tetrahedral interaction, might potentially be of relevance for three-dimensional quantum gravity.


Field experiments were conducted for two successive years to study the response of forage corn to different methods. Tillage treatments in the study were moldboard plow + two passes of disk harrow as conventional tillage (CT), two passes of disk harrow as reduced tillage (RT), one pass of disk harrow as minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) as direct drilling method. The statistical results of the study indicated that tillage method significantly (P 0.05) affected dry biological yield (DBY), dry grain yield (DGY) and number of plants per hectare (NPPH), but there was no significant difference in other yield components such as number of ears per plant (NEPP), number of rows per ear (NRPE), number of grains per row (NGPR), 1000 grain weight (1000GW), plant height (PLTH) and stem diameter (STMD). The maximum value of DBY (13.2 t ha ), 1 DGY (4.15 t ha ), NPPH (39830) and NEPP (0.92) was obtained in case of CT treatment, while maximum value 1 of NGPR (37.0), PLTH (178 cm) and STMD (2.0 cm) was observed in case of RT treatment. Also, maximum value of NRPE (14.7) and 1000GW (244 g) was noted in case of NT treatment. On the other hand, the minimum value of DBY (7.40 t ha ), DGY (2.39 t ha ) and NPPH (20390) was obtained in case of NT treatment, while minimum 11 value of NEPP (0.89), PLTH (167 cm) and STMD (1.7 cm) was observed in case of MT treatment. Also, minimum value of NRPE (13.7), NGPR (35.2) and 1000GW (235 g) was noted in case of CT treatment. Accordingly, moldboard plow followed two passes of disk harrow was found to be more appropriate and profitable tillage method in improving growth and yield of forage corn in the arid lands.


Power, Scott F. Schenectady's New Deal: An Investigation of the WPA in the City of Schenectady When President Roosevelt assumed office in March of 1933, he faced an unemployment rate of twenty-five percent, homelessness, and the malaise of a nation stuck in a deepening state of poverty. His solution, aimed at alleviating the circumstances resulting from the Great Depression, was to institute a series of economic programs known as the "New Deal." Roosevelt proposed the creation of a variety of social welfare programs, including "work relief" that would provide government jobs for the unemployed. The best known program was the Works Progress Administration, or simply, the WPA, created in 1935. Through projects ranging from building roads and schools, constructing sewers and bridges, to the development of parks and playgrounds, the WPA provided much needed relief for the unemployed, and transformed the physical landscape of the nation. While significant research has been done on the New Deal and WPA's impact on a national level, less has been done on the impact at the local level, and very little research has been conducted examining the WPA's role and influence in the City of Schenectady. This thesis addresses that gap, and argues that the type of work performed by the WPA in Schenectady corresponded with state and national trends. In addition, attitudes in Schenectady toward work relief corresponded with state trends but diverged from national trends: nationally, Republicans generally opposed the WPA, while local Republicans found it politically advantageous to endorse the program.


Background: Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of dairy product plays an important role in prevention and treatment of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the association of dairy intake with MetS and its components in Tehranian adolescents. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 785 adolescent aged 10 to 19 years, participated from the fourth phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a valid semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total dairy, low fat and high fat dairy, milk, yoghurt and cheese were evaluated. Assessment of anthropometric, biochemical and blood pressure was performed and MetS was defined according to the de Ferranti criteria. Results: The mean age of subjects was 14.8 ± 2.9 years. The prevalence of MetS was 22.2% (girls: 19.5% and boys: 25.2%). The most prevalent risk factor for MetS in boys was high waist circumference (53.4%) and among girls was low HDL-C (53.1%). Energy density and intake of protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium and phosphor were higher in the highest quartile of dairy consumption than the lowest quartile. After adjustments for confounders, odds ratios with 95% confidence interval for MetS in the highest quartile of total dairy, low fat dairy, high fat dairy, milk, yoghurt and cheese compared with lowest quartile were respectively 0.97 (0.57 - 1.66), 1.44 (0.83 - 2.49), 0.97 (0.56 - 1.67), 0.70 (0.42 - 1.18), 1.62 (0.99 - 2.64) and 0.72 (0.44 - 1.18). Conclusions: Results of this study did not support the hypothesis that dairy products consumption protects against MetS and its components.


In a transition economy, many of employee/employer's contracts are informal, rather than formal. Even in cases when formal contracts concluded, external legal enforcement of a contract often appears to be imperfect and costly. Sometimes, this brings to the employer the opportunity to 'deceive' the employee, paying him a lower salary than he had expected ex-ante. Underdevelopment of the judiciary system and weak enforcement of courts decisions make this problem more serious, and at the same time more difficult to resolve. The current paper provides a positive model of deception at labor markets.


Modern diesel engines are normally turbocharged in order to achieve desired fuel economy and meet emission requirements. The well-known "turbo-lag", delayed engine torque response to driver's demand, is the main disadvantage for turbocharged engines operated under transient conditions. In addition, at low engine speed, the peak engine output torque is heavily limited by the available turbine energy. As a result, turbocharged engines have degraded peak torque at low speed and slow transient responses in general. Various technologies (variable geometry turbine, electrically assisted turbocharger, hydraulically assisted turbocharger, etc.) have been developed to improve transient response and low-speed torque performance. This paper presents a numerical study of an electrically assisted boosting (eBoost) system for a turbocharged diesel engine through 1-D simulations. This study focuses on two main areas: the electrical compensation at steady-state and turbo-lag reduction under transient operation. It is shown that the eBoost system is capable of increasing engine fuel economy at mid-speed and greatly improving low-speed peak torque. In addition, the eBoost system improves engine transient performance by reducing response time up to 60%.


Listeria phage LP-018 is the only phage from a diverse collection of 120 phages able to form plaques on a phage-resistant Listeria monocytogenes strain lacking rhamnose in its cell wall teichoic acids. The aim of this study was to characterize phage LP-018 and to identify what types of mutations can confer resistance to LP-018. Whole genome sequencing and transmission electron microscopy revealed LP-018 to be a member of the Homburgvirus genus. One-step-growth curve analysis of LP-018 revealed an eclipse period of ~60–90 min and a burst size of ~2 PFU per infected cell. Despite slow growth and small burst size, LP-018 can inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes at a high multiplicity of infection. Ten distinct LP-018-resistant mutants were isolated from infected Listeria monocytogenes 10403S and characterized by whole genome sequencing. In each mutant, a single mutation was identified in either the LMRG_00278 or LMRG_01613 encoding genes. Interesting, LP-018 was able to bind to a representative phage-resistant mutant with a mutation in each gene, suggesting these mutations confer resistance through a mechanism independent of adsorption inhibition. Despite forming plaques on the rhamnose deficient 10403S mutant, LP-018 showed reduced binding efficiency, and we did not observe inhibition of the strain under the conditions tested. Two mutants of LP-018 were also isolated and characterized, one with a single SNP in a gene encoding a BppU domain protein that likely alters its host range. LP-018 is shown to be a unique Listeria phage that, with additional evaluation, may be useful in biocontrol applications that aim to reduce the emergence of phage resistance.


From August 18 to 27, 2003, Russia staged the largest military exercises since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Code-named Vostok-2003, the war games were staged in the training zone of the Northern and Pacific Fleets from the Bering Sea to the Sea of Japan, with sideshows in the Caspian and the Black Seas. Judging from the Russian media reports, anywhere between 58 and 61 warships and auxiliary vessels and 69 to 80 warplanes and helicopters, as well as more than 70,000 military and civilian personnel, took part in the drills. And according to Nezavisimaya Gazeta (August 29, 2003), virtually all military districts and fleets across Russia ran exercises and shooting practices timed to Vostok-2003, involving around half a million service personnel.


Psychosocial interview-based methodologies have been heavily reliant on what has been long been thought of as a talk-led encounter. Interest in walking as a research method has been driven by the ways in which it alters the research relationship through the kinetic and relational affordances of moving side by side while walking, which also brings place and space into the encounter. However, a walking interview is also an event that occurs in time and, in this article, we explore this temporality through an exploration of the fluctuations of tempo and rhythmicity in a mobile interview group. We draw on theories of communicative musicality, which have focused mainly on parent–infant exchanges, to explore often unconscious dimensions of group communication. We argue that mobile interviews work simultaneously through the temporal/musical and the visual/spatial registers and we develop this theme with reference to a case example taken from a study of the everyday lives of young men accessing an organisation for homeless people. The walking interview allowed for a shared reimagining of a young man's biography as he escorted us through the scenes, settings and phases of his everyday life. We use this example to consider how the rhythmical aspects of walking together support the communicative musicality of the interview group. Our analysis provides a window onto the unspoken aspects of the interview process which significantly affect our interpretation.


Load-carrying materials in nature, such as wood and bone, consist of relatively simple building blocks assembled into a hierarchical structure, ranging from the molecular scale up to the macroscopic level. This results in composites with a combination of high strength and high toughness, showing very large fracture surfaces indicating energy dissipation by cracking on multiple length scales. Man-made composites instead consist typically of fibres embedded in a uniform matrix, and frequently show brittle failure through the growth of critical clusters of broken fibres. In this paper, a hierarchical structure inspired by wood is presented. It is designed to incapacitate cluster growth, with the aim of retaining high strength. This is done by introducing new structural levels of successively weaker interfaces with the purpose of reducing the stress concentrations if large clusters appear. To test this hypothesis, a probability density field of further damage growth has been calculated for different microstructures and initial crack sizes. The results indicate that the hierarchical structure should maintain its strength by localization of damage, yet rendering large clusters less harmful by weakening the resulting stress concentration to its surroundings, which would lead to an increase in strain to failure. In this context, the potential of using the biomimetic hierarchical structure in design of composite materials is discussed.


BACKGROUND
Gq-coupled receptors are known to transactivate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) via the Ca2+ and PKC pathways to phosphorylate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK).

METHODS
We studied the involvement of EGFR in transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-mediated fibronectin (FN) expression using glomerular mesangial cells.

RESULTS
TGF-beta up-regulated FN mRNA accumulation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, which was completely inhibited by phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase C (PC-PLC) inhibitor and PKC inhibitors (calphostin-C and staurosporin). The EGFR inhibitor AG1478 completely abolished TGF-beta-mediated FN expression. ERK inactivation by PD98059, and p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 also showed significant inhibitory effects. Addition of neutralizing anti-heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) antibody, pretreatment with heparin and the metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor batimastat blocked FN expression. In mesangial cells stably transfected with a chimera containing HB-EGF and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) genes, ALP activity in incubation medium was rapidly increased by TGF-beta (2.1-fold at 0.5 min) and reached a 3.7-fold increase at two minutes, which was abolished by calphostin-C or batimastat. TGF-beta phosphorylated EGFR, ERK and p38MAPK in a PKC- and MMP-dependent manner. Smad2 phosphorylation by TGF-beta was not affected by AG1478, and HB-EGF did not activate Smad2. FN mRNA stability was not affected by TGF-beta. Cycloheximde did not interfere with TGF-beta-mediated FN expression.

CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrated that HB-EGF processed and released via PC-PLC-PKC signaling is an intermediate molecule for TGF-beta-mediated EGFR transactivation, and subsequent activation of ERK and p38MAPK is involved in FN expression via transcriptional regulation without requiring new protein synthesis.


The base-initiated alkylation of the abundant natural dye indigo 1 with ring-strained electrophiles results in the unprecedented, one-pot synthesis of functionalised dihydropyrazino[1,2-a:4,3-a']diindoles, dihydroepoxy[1,5]oxazocino[5,4-a:3,2-b']diindoles, and dihydrodiazepino[1,2-a:4,3-a']diindoles, resulting from intramolecular ring opening-expansion cyclisation processes of their parent oxiranes and aziridines. Regiochemical and stereochemical aspects of the reactions are reported together with integrated mechanistic proposals. This new indigo cascade chemistry should have broad applicability in the synthesis of chemical architectures, not readily-accessible by other means. The three-step synthesis of the useful synthetic precursor (R)-2-(chloromethyl)-1-tosylaziridine 14 is also described. Initial biological activity investigations into these new 2,2'-dindolyl-based heterocyclic derivatives revealed potent, selective antiplasmodial activity in vitro for several isolated structures, with IC50 values as low as 76.6 nM for (±)-8, while demonstrating low human cell toxicity.


Early life gut microbiota-influencing factors may play an important role in programming individuals long-term health and substantial efforts have been devoted into studying the development of the gut microbiota in relation to early life events. This study aimed to examine in a single study, the persistence of associations between 20 factors occurring in the early life and the gut microbiota at 3.5 years of 798 children from two French nationwide birth cohorts, EPIPAGE 2 (very preterm children) and ELFE (late preterm and full-term children). Gut microbiota profiling was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing-based method. Upon thorough adjustment of confounding factors, we demonstrated that gestational age was one of the factors most associated with gut microbiota differences with a noticeable imprint of prematurity at 3.5 years of age. Children born by cesarean section harbored lower richness and diversity and a different overall gut microbiota composition independently of preterm status. Children who had ever received human milk were associated with a Prevotella-driven enterotype (P_type) compared to those who had never received human milk. Living with a sibling was associated with higher diversity. Children with siblings and those attending daycare centers were associated with a P_type enterotype. Maternal factors including the country of birth and preconception maternal body mass index were associated with some microbiota characteristics: children born to overweight or obese mothers showed increased gut microbiota richness. This study reveals that multiple exposures operating from early life imprint the gut microbiota at 3.5 years that is a pivotal age when the gut microbiota acquires many of its adult characteristics.


Abstract In the past 50 years, selection starting initially at the breed level and then using quantitative genetics coupled with a sophisticated breeding pyramid, has resulted in a very productive hybrid for a variety of traits associated with egg production. One major trait currently being developed further is persistency of lay and the concept of the "long life" layer. Persistency in lay however cannot be achieved without due consideration of how to sustain egg quality and the health and welfare of the birds in longer laying cycles. These multiple goals require knowledge and consideration of the bird's physiology, nutritional requirements, which vary depending on age and management system, reproductive status and choice of the selection criteria applied. The recent advent of molecular genetics offers considerable hope that these multiple elements can be balanced for the good of all in the industry including the hens. The "long life" layer, which will be capable of producing 500 eggs in a laying cycle of 100 weeks, is therefore on the horizon, bringing with it the benefits of a more efficient utilisation of diminishing resources, including land, water, raw materials for feed as well as a reduction in waste, and an overall reduced carbon footprint.


A particularly successful effort to engage the public in science has been to move the nearly countless galaxies imaged by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to citizen scientists in a project known widely as Galaxy Zoo (URL; http://www.galaxyzoo.org). By examining the motivations, methods and appeal of Galaxy Zoo to the participating public, other models of citizen science might be purposefully formulated to take advantage of the success exhibited in Galaxy Zoo. In addition, we want to understand the reasons people engage in science in informal settings in order to better enhance teaching methods in formal settings. We pursued an investigation of the underlying reasons for the success of Galaxy Zoo revealed by inductively analyzing contributor's posts and discussions through the accompanying Galaxy Zoo online bulletin board. Using a grounded theory approach, we learned that many of these motivations originate in the aesthetic power of astronomical images or the opportunity to become an empowered and contributing scientist, which Galaxy Zoo successfully harnesses, while not compromising the scientific value of the project.