An investigation of household preparedness and community connections was undertaken in the NSW Blue Mountains. The research employed a qualitative approach. Upon receiving ethical approval, interviews and focus groups with a total of 31 vulnerable residents were recorded and transcribed. Data analysis included the manual coding of individual transcripts and key word queries entered into NVivo 10. Fire planning for community resilience within Australia focusses on property preparation and an emergency warning system designed to assist the evacuation decisions of residents. In this article, we report on vulnerable residents and their preparedness for the October 2013 bushfires. Our findings demonstrate that the vulnerable people interviewed did not consider property preservation as a priority, and their knowledge and engagement with the warning system and evacuation procedures was limited. Of practical value, the research found local community services and emergency planning committees should collaboratively plan for vulnerable community members who are unable to take a very active role in preparing themselves or their dependents to face a bushfire or similar disaster. In addition, preparedness and warning communications should be devised and targeted to more clearly assist vulnerable people during the lead up to, and in the midst of, a disaster.


Objective The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the efficacy and safety profiles of low-dose dasatinib therapy (50 mg once daily). Methods Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase (CML-CP) who were being treated with low-dose imatinib (≤200 mg/day), but were resistant to this agent were enrolled in the current study (referred to as the LD-CML study). Results There subjects included 9 patients (4 men and 5 women); all were treated with dasatinib at a dose of 50 mg once daily. Among 8 patients who had not experienced major molecular response (MMR; BCR-ABL1 transcript ≤0.1% according to International Scale [IS]) at study enrollment, 5 attained MMR by 12 months. In particular, 3 of 9 patients demonstrated a deep molecular response (DMR; IS ≤0.0069%) by 18 months. Five patients developed lymphocytosis accompanied by cytotoxic lymphocyte predominance. There was no mortality or disease progression, and all continue to receive dasatinib therapy at 18 months with only 2 patients requiring dose reduction. Toxicities were mild-to-moderate, and pleural effusion was observed in 1 patient (grade 1). Conclusion Low-dose dasatinib can attain MMR and DMR without severe toxicity in patients with CML-CP who are unable to achieve MMR with low-dose imatinib. Switching to low-dose dasatinib should therefore be considered for patients in this setting, especially if they are otherwise considering a cessation of treatment.


The requirement for the activation of phospholipase A by the colicin A lysis protein (Cal) in the efficient release of colicin A by Escherichia coli cells containing colicin A plasmids was studied. In particular, we wished to determine if this activation is the primary effect of Cal or whether it reflects more generalized damage to the envelope caused by the presence of large quantities of this small acylated protein. E. coli tolQ cells, which were shown to be leaky for periplasmic proteins, were transduced to pldA and then transformed with the recombinant colicin A plasmid pKA. Both the pldA and pldA+ strains released large quantities of colicin A following induction, indicating that in these cells phospholipase A activation is not required for colicin release. This release was, however, still dependent on a functioning Cal protein. The assembly and processing of Cal in situ in the cell envelope was studied by combining pulse-chase labelling with isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation of the cell membranes. Precursor Cal and lipid-modified precursor Cal were found in the inner membrane at early times of chase, and gave rise to mature Cal which accumulated in both the inner and outer membrane after further chase. The signal peptide was also visible on these gradients, and its distribution too was restricted to the inner membrane. Gradient centrifugation of envelopes of cells which were overproducing Cal resulted in very poor separation of the membranes. The results of these studies provide evidence that the colicin A lysis protein causes phospholipase A-independent alterations in the integrity of the E. coli envelope.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The emergence of flat one- and two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and its nanoribbons, has promoted the rapid advance of the current nanotechnology. Silicene, a silicon analogue of graphene, has the great advantage of its compatibility with the present industrial processes based on silicon nanotechnology. The most significant issue for silicene is instability in the air due to the nonplanar puckered (buckled) structure. Another critical problem is that silicene is usually synthesized by epitaxial growth on a substrate, which strongly affects the π conjugated system of silicene. The fabrication of free-standing silicene with a planar configuration has long been pursued. Here, we report the strategy and design to realize the flat zigzag silicene nanoribbon. We theoretically investigated the stability of various silicene nanoribbons with substituents at the zigzag edges and found that zigzag silicene nanoribbons with beryllium (Be) bridges are very stable in a planar configuration. The obtained zigzag silicene nanoribbon has an indirect negative band gap and is nonmagnetic unlike the magnetic buckled silicene nanoribbons with zigzag edges. The linearly dispersive behavior of the π and π* bands associated with the out-of-plane 3psi and 2pBe orbitals is clearly observed, showing the existence of a Dirac point slightly above the Fermi level. We also observed that spin–orbit coupling induces a gap opening at the Dirac point.


Now that the complete sequences for human chromosome 21 and the orthologous mouse genomic regions are known, reasonably complete, conserved, protein-coding gene catalogues are also available. The central issue now facing Down's syndrome researchers is the correlation of increased expression of specific, normal, chromosome 21 genes with the development of specific deficits in learning and memory. Because of the number of candidate genes involved, the number of alternative splice variants of individual genes and the number of pathways in which these genes function, a pathway analysis approach will be critical to success. Here, three examples, both gene specific and pathway related, that would benefit from pathway analysis are discussed: (1) the potential roles of eight chromosome 21 proteins in RNA processing pathways; (2) the chromosome 21 protein intersectin 1 and its domain composition, alternative splicing, protein interactions and functions; and (3) the interactions of ten chromosome 21 proteins with components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and the calcineurin signalling pathways. A productive approach to developing gene-phenotype correlations in Down's syndrome will make use of known and predicted functions and interactions of chromosome 21 genes to predict pathways that may be perturbed by their increased levels of expression. Investigations may then be targeted in animal models to specific interactions, intermediate steps or end-points of such pathways and the downstream - perhaps amplified - consequences of gene dosage directly assessed. Once pathway perturbations have been identified, the potential for rational design of therapeutics becomes practical.


Abstract The Rous River catchment northern NSW, Australia was used as a case study to evaluate a spatially intensive approach to water quality monitoring, which involved the collection of water quality data from a large number of sample sites over a short period of time. Despite a few potential limitations, the spatially intensive water quality monitoring methodology should allow environmental managers to rapidly and cost-effectively (in the long term) identify point and non-point source impacts on water quality. Three point sources, the Murwillumbah Sewage Treatment Plant, a dairy shed and horse stables had the largest impact on water quality in the Rous River catchment during baseflow conditions. The poorest water quality in the Rous River catchment, due to non-point source inputs, was associated with cane land, which had elevated total nitrogen, total particulate nitrogen, and dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations and temperatures that were significantly greater (Kruskal-Wallis, u>0·05) than other land uses. High oxidized nitrogen concentrations were associated with bananas, most likely due to leaching of N-fertilizers, and oxidized nitrogen concentrations in the pristine areas appear high because oxidized nitrogen concentrations are low in other parts of the catchment (excluding horticulture areas) due to algal uptake and removal of inorganic nutrients. At the time of sampling, low flows were reflected by the dominance of instream processes which had converted most of the inorganic nutrients to organic nutrients. These findings evoked an immediate management response, where Environmental Health Officers were sent into the field to inspect the dairy shed and horse stables. This contrasts with previous Routine water quality studies in the Rous that identified a water quality problem, but not the exact causes, as a such there was no immediate management intervention. Long-term management efforts in the Rous River catchment need to be firstly directed at reducing point source inputs (particularly nitrogen), secondly at reducing non-point source inputs (particularly nitrogen) from cane land and bananas and thirdly at improving the catchment water quality for human health by reducing direct cattle access to streams.


The progressive recognition of new family units (monoparental and same-sex families) as objects of legal protection is the product of enormous changes in society and in the way we understand our sexual choices. One of the consequences of this societaltransformationinvolves access to assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Access to ART is traditionally allowed only for married people (obviously of the opposite gender, asopposite-sex marriage is still the regular standard and the only legal option in many parts of the world).Access to ART is sometimes allowed for heterosexual couples living in a de facto relationship. Today, some legal systems already permit the use of ART by single people and gay couples. Brazil is a good example, but in the remaining Latin-American countries as well as in Asia, restrictive solutions take precedence, although in most cases there is no proper regulation regarding ART. Most legal systems around the world still impose restrictions based on marital status and/or sexual orientation. Such legal prohibitions are problematic from a juridical perspective. In fact, it is recognised that reproduction is a fundamental right and a human right (instead of a mere aspiration or a whim), as has been stated by various courts around the world, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. This conclusion also results from the interpretation of some rights expressly recognised in national constitutions – namely, the right to privacy and the right to create a family – as including reproduction withintheir scope of protection, leading to the conclusion that reproduction is actually a constitutionally protected right. If this is so, any restriction on access to ART is actually limiting the fundamental right to reproduce, which can only be legally limited in the face of a particularly strong justification, such as the protection of the rights of others or of prominent constitutional values. To avoid criticism on constitutional grounds, the supporters of restrictive access to ART have invoked an apparently unbeatable argument: the protection of the future child. These advocates claim that if the child were born into a monoparental family or moreover into a same-sex family,then its well-being would be jeopardisedand its rights violated. However, this argument does not withstand strict constitutional scrutiny, as on the one hand it is too simplistic to justify limitations to constitutionally protected and fundamental rights and on the other hand no one has thus far adequately defineda 'child's best interest'.This paper intends to demonstrate that these are largely moral arguments that have no juridical foundations andare therefore incapable of attaching limitations to reproductive rights.


Within the framework of a study investigating interactions among indoor environmental factors, two experiments were conducted on the effects of visual stimuli on thermal perception. Thermal responses were recorded with two methods, one quantitative via physiological measurements and a subjective one using a questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of the standard EN ISO 10551 (2001-06-01) and recent publications on thermal comfort [1]–[3]. Two types of measurement scales were used, i.e., Likert-type and visual analogue. The first type was used for the questions about the thermal sensation, thermal comfort and thermal preference of the subjects and for the thermal sensation of their body parts (hands, feet and body). The only visual analogue scale in the questionnaire referred to the acceptability of the local climate in the room where the experiment was conducted. Different outcomes were recorded for the survey questions as they assess different aspects of thermal perception, confirming the outcome of previous studies [4], [5]. The comparison between Likert- and visual-analogue scales shows a much broader variety of responses for the visual analog scale. We assume that this is due to the nature of the measurement technique that allowed fine-tuned judgement of the indoor climate on a scale from 0 (acceptable) to 100 (unacceptable). The Likert-type scales of the other questions, on the other hand, gave the chance to choose only among five or seven fixed answers, leading to responses much more restricted around particular values. As an outcome for the specific topic of our research (i.e., the study of interactions between visual and thermal factors), investigating in general small effect size, we argue that a measurement scale leading to a bigger variety of responses is more suitable. The development of a single value incorporating several responses from different questions is currently under discussion.


1. A comparison was made of the body water contents and the concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride in the blood and body water of Gammarus zaddachi, G. locusta and Marinogammarus finmarchicus. 2. G. zaddachi had a slightly higher body water content than G. locusta and M. finmarchicus. 3. In all three species the blood chloride concentration was lower than the external chloride concentration in 80-113 % sea water, but the blood sodium concentration was equal to or slightly above the sodium concentration in the external medium. 4. The total body sodium concentration was always greater than the total body chloride concentration. In M.finmarchicus the ratio of body sodium/chloride increased from 1.2 to 1.3 over the salinity range 100-20% sea water. In G. zaddachi the ratio of body sodium/chloride increased from 1.08 at 100% sea water to 1.87 in 0.25 mM/l NaCl. 5. The total body potassium concentration remained constant. The potassium loss rate and the balance concentration were relatively high in G. zaddachi. 6. The porportion of body water in the blood space was calculated from the assumption that a Donnan equilibrium exists between chloride and potassium ions in the extracellular blood space and the intracellular space. In G. zaddachi the blood space was equivalent to 60% body H2O at 100% sea water, and equivalent to 50% body H2O at 40% sea water down to 0.5 mM/l NaCl. In M.finmarchicus the blood space was equivalent to 38-44% body H2O at salinities of 20-100% sea water. 7. The mean intracellular concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride were also calculated. It was concluded that for each ion its intracellular concentration is much the same in the four euryhaline gammarids. The intracellular chloride concentration is roughly proportional to the blood chloride concentration. The intracellular sodium concentration is regulated in the face of large changes in the blood sodium concentration.


This paper investigates the application of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for closed-loop flux, torque and speed estimation of a direct torque controlled (DTC) IPMSM drive over a wide speed range. The EKF provides a recursive optimum state estimation for IPMSMs using terminal signals that may be polluted by noise. Furthermore, the EKF has robustness to parameter variations, disturbance rejection capabilities and accurate estimation abilities. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed EKF observer for DTC of IPMSMs.


Background The problem of collinearity due to high correlations between explanatory variables in multiple regression is often over-looked in epidemiological research. The assumption that covariates are independent implies that all pair-wise covariate associations should be negligible d an unlikely scenario for biological and epidemiological data. Small but signi fi cant departures from the assumption of independence can severely distort the interpretation of a model and the role of each covariate. If the relative impact of collinearity on the estimates is not understood, these effects can potentially obscure the conclusions of the study. Methods The impact of collinearity must be assessed in relation to the model environment. Factors such as the relation of the response with the predictors, the sample size and the variation of the covariates each have the potential to exacerbate or relieve the symptoms of collinearity. We present a novel approach to assessing the overall uncertainty in the model estimates, which adjusts in relation to these factors. The index will aid the researcher in the decision towards whether a result is of biological relevance or if it is a consequence of the uncertainty generated by collinearity. Results We considerdata from a paper byLipkin(1988) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . The study examines the role of factors associated with substantial calciuresis. A hypothetical model is proposed involving measures of calcium and potassium in the diet d two highly correlated predictors. Both produce positive coef-fi cients when entered individually, but the sign of diet protein becomes negative when entered simultaneously. The variance in fl ation factor (VIF) of 4.51 suggests that the collinearity is not considerable (Belsley, 1991). However, when the VIF index is adjusted using model R 2 , the impact appears more substantial than fi rst thought. We propose an alternativediagnostic that utilisestheadditional in fl uencesas a basisto assess the impact of collinearity on the model estimates. Conclusions The results of signi fi cance testing for collinear variables within multiple regression should not be the only criteria by which we judge whether collinearity is a problem. The role of collinearity must be carefully assessed and understood using an appropriate index. Measuring the impact of collinearity using overly simplistic diagnostics, such as the VIF, may lure a researcher into a false assurance of the results. Similarly, a model consisting of highly collinear predictors may be relatively unaffected when considered in relation to other factors in the model.


This paper describes the feasibility study of energy-efficient sustainable renovation and modernization of a limited selection of Moscow building stock. The developed sustainability requirements include the criteria for structural/functional planning, surrounding terrain, buildings, transport solutions, waste management and energy supply. Most of the apartment buildings in the Soviet Union were constructed between 1960 and 1985, and as a result the urban housing stock today consists mainly of a few standard building types. Energy efficiency of buildings is typically poor. The energy consumption of a typical Russian building is estimated by calculating heating of living spaces, heating of domestic hot water, and the consumption of electricity. The energy consumption of the selected building stock was based on the calculated consumptions of the type buildings. The present state of the district level was studied first, including energy chain analyses. The typical energy production and distribution chain was analyzed. The efficiency of energy production and distribution were found interesting, as well as the data concerning primary energy sources. The most important question is which part of the energy production and delivery chain can have the biggest impact on energy efficiency of buildings and the entire building stock. After the analysis of the present state energy efficiency of Moscow's buildings, the technical possibilities for building renovation and modernization were analyzed. The actual retrofit concepts could be composed after identifying the technical solutions. The energy analyses for the selected buildings energy renovation solutions are described in this paper.


Introduction: Lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is associated with fatigue, poor mental and poor gastrointestinal health during the first three months after colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Research indicates that maintaining usual activities has a positive impact on HRQoL after treatment for CRC. Illness perceptions have been associated with HRQoL in other cancer diseases, and self-efficacy has been associated with HRQoL in gastrointestinal cancer survivors. Our knowledge about illness perceptions and self-efficacy in relation to maintaining everyday activities and HRQoL following CRC treatment is incomplete. Aim: To explore associations between HRQoL, fatigue, mental health, gastrointestinal health, illness perceptions and self-efficacy in relation to maintaining everyday activities, three months after surgical CRC treatment. A further aim was to test the Maintain Function Scale in a CRC population. Method: The study was cross-sectional. Forty-six persons participated. Data were collected using questionnaires. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used. Results: Persons who were more fatigued, depressed, worried, and had more diarrhea were more likely to report lower HRQoL. Increased fatigue and diarrhea were associated with decreased HRQoL. Concerning illness perceptions, persons who reported negative emotions and negative consequences of CRC were more likely to report lower HRQoL. Persons scoring higher on self-efficacy were more likely to report higher HRQoL. Increased self-efficacy was associated with increased HRQoL. The Maintain Function Scale was suitable for assessing self-efficacy in relation to maintaining everyday activities. Conclusions: Nursing support to improve self-efficacy and illness perceptions and to minimize symptoms during recovery should have a favorable impact on HRQoL.


Information on future job opportunities is useful for a range of purposes. It can help students and career advisors make choices about training pathways, and can help policymakers in their long-term planning of the education and training system. This report provides forecasts of job openings by industry and occupation for new entrants to the labour market from 2017 to 2024. These job openings are estimated by accounting for both growth (or decline) in the occupation or industry as well as the replacement needs due to workers leaving the occupation.


Health information systems (HIS) in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been often implemented under the international pressure of accounting for health care investments. The idea behind robust and efficient HIS is that health information can allow for better planning and monitoring of the health service, which may translate into better health outcomes. Yet, the use of HIS as accountability tools has often been criticized as being counterproductive by making health information more meaningful to national governments and international agencies rather than those in charge of local health services. The objective of this paper is to analyse how HIS influence the emergence of local accountability practices and their consequences for the provision of health care. A theoretical perspective from structuration theory is built and integrated with the technology domain of HIS. This perspective is used in the analysis of a case study of HIS in Kenya. This study raises implications for the use of structuration theory in understanding accountability and the role of IT materiality in processes of structuration. It contributes to a better understanding of how HIS can foster improved health care and human development. It also contributes to the understanding of IS not just as means for governing people's behaviour but also as means of socialization through which users can negotiate multiple accountability goals.


Marine Synechococcus regulates state transitions and photosynthetic protein content for temperature acclimation. In this study, we develop a mechanistic understanding of how temperature affects growth and photosynthesis in 10 geographically and physiologically diverse strains of Synechococcus spp. We found that Synechococcus spp. are able to regulate photochemistry over a range of temperatures by using state transitions and altering the abundance of photosynthetic proteins. These strategies minimize photosystem II (PSII) photodamage by keeping the photosynthetic electron transport chain (ETC), and hence PSII reaction centers, more oxidized. At temperatures that approach the optimal growth temperature of each strain when cellular demand for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is greatest, the phycobilisome (PBS) antenna associates with PSII, increasing the flux of electrons into the ETC. By contrast, under low temperature, when slow growth lowers the demand for NADPH and linear ETC declines, the PBS associates with photosystem I. This favors oxidation of PSII and potential increase in cyclic electron flow. For Synechococcus sp. WH8102, growth at higher temperatures led to an increase in the abundance of PBS pigment proteins, as well as higher abundance of subunits of the PSII, photosystem I, and cytochrome b6f complexes. This would allow cells to increase photosynthetic electron flux to meet the metabolic requirement for NADPH during rapid growth. These PBS-based temperature acclimation strategies may underlie the larger geographic range of this group relative to Prochlorococcus spp., which lack a PBS.


Mutation testing is an established technique used to evaluate the quality of a set of test cases. As model-based testing took momentum, mutation techniques were lifted to the model level. However, as for code mutation analysis, assessing test cases on a large set of mutants can be costly. In this paper, we introduce the Variability-Intensive Behavioural teSting (VIBeS) framework. Relying on Featured Transition Systems (FTSs), we represent all possible mutants in a single model constrained by a feature model for mutant (in)activation. This allow to assess all mutants in a single test case execution. We present VIBeS implementation steps and the DSL we defined to ease model-based mutation analysis.


We describe in this paper a new hybrid approach for optimization combining particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithms (GAs) using fuzzy logic to integrate the results. The new evolutionary method combines the advantages of PSO and GA to give us an improved PSO+GA hybrid method fuzzy logic is used to combine the results of the PSO and GA in the best way possible. The new hybrid PSO+GA approach is compared with the PSO and GA methods with a set of benchmark mathematical functions. The proposed hybrid method is also tested with the problem of neural network optimization. The new hybrid PSO+GA method is shown to be superior with respect to both the individual evolutionary methods.


Ghrelin is a peptide that is secreted from the stomach and plays a role in appetite, weight gain, and skeletal muscle composition. Thus, compounded human ghrelin is a candidate drug for improving nutritional status after pancreatic surgery. However, in patients with pancreatic carcinomas, adverse influences on the occult tumor growth of ghrelin-induced secretion are a concern. The present study describes the effects of the administration of compounded human ghrelin on weight gain and pancreatic cancer cell growth in a mouse model. Changes in body weight and tumor growth in a subcutaneously transplanted pancreatic carcinoma cell line in vivo (5-week-old BALB/c-nu/nu mice) were examined with or without the administration of compounded human ghrelin. Compounded human ghrelin was administered at 44 days after post-transplantation" Changes in weight were not significantly different between the control and compounded human ghrelin groups 8 days after compounded human ghrelin administration, and no association between weight and concentration of compounded human ghrelin was identified. Tumor growth after the administration of compounded human ghrelin was significantly lower than that of the control group, with the magnitude of the decrease being associated with increasing compounded human ghrelin concentration (p<0.05). At 6 and 8 days after compounded human ghrelin administration, increases in tumor weights of the control groups (0.5±0.3 g and 0.9±0.2 g, respectively) were significantly greater than those observed for groups receiving 3, 15, and 30 nmol per kg of compounded human ghrelin (0.1 and 0.2, 0.2 and 0.3, and 0.2 and 0.3, respectively). There were no adverse effects of compounded human ghrelin administration. Plasma leptin levels were significantly lower in cancer cells compared with the control vehicle (p<0.05), which was decreased in mice receiving 30nmol per kg of compounded human ghrelin in comparison with those receiving vehicle (p<0.05). Although the administration of compounded human ghrelin did not influence weight gain, compounded human ghrelin significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer cell growth and might inhibit plasma leptin levels.


A 33 week male infant born in a level two neonatal unit demonstrated MRI findings consistent with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). Further analysis of the clinical case aimed to explore the antenatal, perinatal and postnatal antecedant factors associated with preterm HIE, as well as preterm neuroanatomy and subsequent likely patterns of brain injury seen in preterm infants reported in the literature. Maternal and baby case notes were carefully reviewed. The mother was seen with premature rupture of membranes and small antepartum haemorrhage. She was examined and found not to be in labour, so was discharged home on oral antibiotics. The male infant was delivered quickly by spontaneous vaginal delivery 57 hours after the rupture of membranes. APGAR scores were 3 at one minute and 4 at ten minutes. Birth weight was 2500 g. The baby was intubated, ventilated and transferred to the neonatal unit. Ventilation was optimised, but he was noted to have myoclonic jerks and to be jittery. He had a stormy neonatal course with several failed extubations and an abnormal agonal breathing pattern. MRI brain showed diffusely abnormal basal ganglia, hypothalamic and thalamic and mesotemporal cortex signal compatible with profound hypoxic ischaemic injury. Long term movement disorder, oropharyngeal dysfunction and movement disorder were thought to be likely outcomes. Antecedant factors in this case for HIE include chorioamnionitis and the possibility of a placental abruption. The preterm brain is more susceptible to inflammation (such as that caused by chorioamnionitis) and hypoxic ischaemia. CT brain studies have shown the basal ganglia to be more susceptible to hypoxic injury in preterm infants due to blood flow patterns and caudal-cranial neuronal migration. These areas exhibited abnormal signal in the MRI in this case, fitting with previous literature reports. This case describes a preterm baby of good birth weight with severe HIE. Current treatment for term babies with similar resuscitation would be formal cooling, which has been trialled in gestations of 35 weeks in the USA. This case raises the possibility of formal cooling for lower gestation babies. It also highlights the importance of knowledge of preterm neuroanatomy in predicting preterm brain injury and MRI in predicting future outcome and care needs of these babies, to allow parents to plan for their futures.


Abstract. Modern nautical charts, the result of scientific coastal research and survey, had been made from late 18th century, and at the end of 19th century almost of the world had been charted. Different to the neighbouring countries such as China and Japan, Korean peninsula had not been accurately charted until the end of 19th century. Moreover, during the 19th century, the shape of Korean peninsula had been changed several times in the Western nautical charts. However, in the academic circle of the history of cartography, this case was scantly examined. In this presentation, this author, firstly, analyse the changes in the shape of the Korean Peninsula on the British Charts in the 19th Century and, secondly, identifies factors that influence the changes. For this research, British nautical charts, which are the representative and finest charts during the 19th century in the world, are selected. Examined charts are 'Map of the Islands of Japan Kurile & C.' (Year of 1811, 1818) of Aaron Arrowsmith (1750–1823), the hydrographer to his majesty, 'The Peninsula of Korea (No.1258)' (year of 1840, 1849) and '(Preliminary Chart of) Japan, Nipon Kiusiu and Sikok and a part of the coast of Korea (No. 2347)' (Year of 1855, 1862, 1873, 1876, 1892, 1898, 1902, 1914) of the British hydrographic office. According to the analysis, major shape changes of the Korean Peninsula were occurred in 1818, 1840, 1849, 1855, 1862, 1873, 1876, 1892, and the shape of the Peninsula became perfect in the chart of the year 1914.Meanwhile, the factors of the shape changes of the Korean peninsula in these nautical charts were various voyages, expeditions, and military surveys to Korea. For example, the change in the map of 1818 was initiated by the voyage of the captain Basil Hall in 1816 to the west coast of Korea, and the change in the map of 1840 was made by the map of Korea of A.J. von Krusenstern (1770–1846) and the voyage of H.H.Lindsay (1802–1881) to the west coast of Korea in 1832. Moreover, the modification of 1849 was made by the outcome of E. Belcher's scientific survey around Jeju Island and other southern islands of Korea. In 1852, French admiral G. de Roquemaurel (1804–1878) surveyed eastern coast of Korea and drew nautical chart and this chart became the source of the British chart of the year 1855. A Russian admiral, Yevfimy Putyatin (1803–1883), also surveyed east side of the peninsula and triggered the change of nautical chart of eastern part of Korea. During French campaign against Korea in 1866 and United States expedition to Korea in 1871, French and American navy surveyed west-middle part of the peninsula and added detailed coastline of it and British chart also reflected these changes. The Japan-Korea treaty of 1876 enabled coastal survey of the Korean peninsula by the Japanese navy by the article 7, which permitted any Japanese mariner to conduct surveys and mapping operations at will in the seas off the Korean Peninsula's coastline. By virtue of the treaty, Japan could directly surveyed coastline of Korea and could make updated nautical charts of Korea. These Japanese charts were circulated to the Western countries and British hydrographers made the best use of them. Thanks to this situation, the British admiralty could update the chart of Korean peninsula and the perfect one published in 1914.This analysis contribute not only to understand how and why the shape of Korean peninsula changed in British nautical charts during the 19th century, but also to add the historical case of the map trade and geographical knowledge circulation in East Asia.


Eliciting user preferences constitutes a major step towards developing recommender systems and decision support tools. Assuming that preferences are ceteris paribus allows for their concise representation as Conditional Preference Networks (CP-nets). This work presents the first empirical investigation of an algorithm for reliably and efficiently learning CP-nets in a manner that is minimally intrusive. At the same time, it introduces a novel process for efficiently reasoning with (the learned) preferences.


The advent of a pain free non-invasive technology would improve the patient's compliance for regular blood glucose monitoring. Subsequently the diabetic patient's life will improve considerably. Glucose monitoring is an integral part of diabetes management, and the maintenance of physiological blood glucose concentration is the only way for a diabetic to avoid life-threatening diabetic complications. Many reviews have already been published on this topic, but the great amount of information available and the fast development of technologies require a continuous update in the research status. This manuscript aims to review the various NGM techniques and devices.


A circuit investigation of dual-band surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters of the ladder type is proposed. The designed filter exhibits a broader bandwidth and a sharper cut-off frequency than the conventional filter composed of the ladder and double-mode SAW (DMS) types. The SAW filters have been widely applied to the antenna duplexer given the progress in mobile communication technology. Furthermore, the SAW filters can be constructed into a wireless sensor system in combination with a SAW sensor. We demonstrate how simulations of laddertype SAW filters based on the 48°YX-LiTaO3 are used to achieve a convenient design of the SAW band-pass filter for a high-power and wireless sensor system. These filters demonstrate the lowest insertion loss, the largest bandwidth, the optimal power durability, and a thirdorder intercept point compared with the interdigital transducer (IDT) and DMS. A simulation of a SAW resonator using the advanced design system (ADS) is performed with the lumped elements. The first passband that is applied to the Tx duplexer is in the range of 823–855 MHz, and the second passband applied to the Rx duplexer is from 867 to 898 MHz. The frequency characteristics of the ladder-type duplexer possess minimum insertion losses of 1.14 dB in the first passband and 0.54 dB in the second passband, which are similar to those of the DMS duplexer. The isolation performance between Tx and Rx is 42.22 dB at 823–898 MHz, which is less than that of the DMS duplexer. The design of the appropriate SAW band pass filter will be simplified through a precise simulation. Furthermore, the dual-band structure with a laddertype SAW can be expected to endure higher power and have a better isolation performance than conventional DMS structures.


Technological developments based on the use of autologous white adipose tissue (WAT) attracted attention to minor fat depots as possible sources of adipose tissue. In plastic surgery, the trochanteric fatty pad is one of the most used WAT depots for its location and organoleptic characteristics that make it particularly suitable for reconstructive procedures. Despite its wide use in clinic, the structure of this depot has never been studied in detail and it is not known if structural differences exist among trochanteric fat and other subcutaneous WAT depots. The present study was performed on trochanteric fat pad with the aim to clarify the morphology of its adipocytes, stroma and microcirculation, with particular reference to the stem niches. Histological and ultrastructural studies showed that the main peculiar feature of the trochanteric fat concerns its stromal component, which appears less dense than in the other subcutaneous WATs studied. The intra-parenchymal collagen stroma is poor and the extracellular compartment shows large spaces, filled with electron-light material, in which isolated collagen bundles are present. The adipocytes are wrapped in weak and easily detachable collagen baskets. These connective sheaths are very thin compared to the sheaths in other subcutaneous WAT depots. The capillaries are covered by large, long and thin elements surrounded by an external lamina; these perivascular cells are poor in organelles and mainly contain poly-ribosomes. In conclusion, when compared to other WAT deposits, the trochanteric fatty pad shows structural peculiarities in its stroma and microcirculation suggesting a high regenerative potential. Resistance, dissociability, microvascular weft and high regenerative potential make the trochanteric fatty pad a privileged source for harvesting in autologous WAT-based regenerative procedures.


The objective of this randomized controlled pilot study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of myoelectrically controlled functional electrical stimulation (MeCFES) for rehabilitation of the upper limb in poststroke subjects. Eleven poststroke hemiparetic subjects with residual proximal control of the arm, but impaired volitional opening of the paretic hand, were enrolled and randomized into a treated and a control group. Subjects received 3 to 5 treatment sessions per week until totaling 25 sessions. In the experimental group, myoelectric activity from wrist and finger extensors was used to control stimulation of the same muscles. Patients treated with MeCFES (n = 5) had a significant (p = 0.04) and clinically important improvement in Action Research Arm Test score (median change 9 points), confirmed by an Individually Prioritized Problem Assessment self-evaluation score. This improvement was maintained at follow-up. The control group did not show a significant improvement (p = 0.13). The reduced sample size of participants, together with confounding factors such as spontaneous recovery, calls for larger studies to draw definite conclusions. However, the large and persistent treatment effect seen in our results indicate that MeCFES could play an important role as a clinical tool for stroke rehabilitation.


ABSTRACT Background: Esophageal cancer neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery increases the likelihood of treatment success. Aim: To evaluate variables that can influence the number of retrieved lymph nodes, the number of retrieved metastatic lymph nodes and lymphnodal recurrence in esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods: Patients of a single institute were evaluated after completion of trimodal therapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate variables that can influence in the number of retrieved lymph nodes and retrieved metastatic lymph nodes. Results: One hundred and forty-nine patients were included. Thoracoscopy access was considered an independent factor for the number of lymph nodes retrieved, but was neither related to the number of positive lymph nodes retrieved nor to lymphnodal recurrence. Pathological complete response on the primary tumor and male were independent variables associated with the number of positive lymph node retrieved. Pathological complete response on the primary tumor site did not statistically influence the likelihood of a lower number of lymph nodes retrieved. Conclusion: Patients submitted to esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, thoracoscopic access is more accurate for pathological staging, even in a complete pathological response. With a proper patient selection, transhiatal surgery may preserve the quality of lymphadenectomy of the positive lymph nodes.


Introduction Hazardous alcohol consumption is common among people experiencing depression, often acting to exacerbate depressive symptoms. While many people with these co-occurring disorders do not seek face-to-face treatment, they do seek help online. There are effective internet interventions that target hazardous alcohol consumption or depression separately but none that combine these online interventions without the involvement of a therapist. In order to realise the potential of internet interventions, we need to develop an evidence base supporting the efficacy of internet interventions for co-occurring depression and hazardous alcohol use without any therapist involvement. This study aims to evaluate the effects on drinking, and on depressive symptoms, of combining an internet intervention targeting hazardous alcohol consumption with one for depression. Methods and analysis A double blinded, parallel group randomised controlled trial will be used. Participants with current depression who also drink in a hazardous fashion (n=986) will be recruited for a study to 'help improve an online intervention for depression'. Participants will be randomised either to receive an established online intervention for depression (MoodGYM) or to receive MoodGYM plus a brief internet intervention for hazardous alcohol consumption (Check Your Drinking; CYD). Participants will be contacted 3 and 6 months after receiving the interventions to assess changes in drinking and depression symptoms. It is predicted that participants receiving the CYD intervention in addition to MoodGYM will report greater postintervention reductions in alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms compared with those who received MoodGYM only. Hypothesised mediation and moderation effects will also be investigated. Using an intention-to-treat basis for the analyses, the hypotheses will be tested using a generalised linear hypothesis framework, and longitudinal analyses will use either generalised linear mixed modelling or generalised estimating equation approach where appropriate. Ethics and dissemination This research comprises the crucial first steps in developing lower-cost and efficacious internet interventions for people suffering from depression who also drink in a hazardous fashion—promoting the widespread availability of care for those in need. This study has been approved by the standing ethics review committee of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and findings will be disseminated in the form of at least one peer-reviewed article and presentations at conferences. Trial registration number NCT03421080; Pre-results.


ABSTRACT In areas of intense Plasmodium falciparum transmission, protective immunity is acquired during childhood in parallel with acquisition of agglutinating antibodies to parasite-encoded variant surface antigens (VSA) expressed on parasitized red blood cells. In a semi-immune child in such an area, clinical disease is caused mainly by parasites expressing VSA not recognized by preexisting VSA-specific antibodies in that child. Such malaria episodes are known to cause an increase in agglutinating antibodies specifically recognizing VSA expressed by the parasite isolate causing the illness, whereas antibody responses to other parasite isolates are relatively unaffected. However, the detailed kinetics of this VSA antibody acquisition are unknown and hence were the aim of this study. We show that P. falciparum malaria in Ghanaian children generally caused a rapid and sustained increase in variant-specific VSA antibody levels, while more transient and limited increases in levels of antibodies to VSA expressed by other parasite isolates were also seen. Plasma VSA antibody levels were positively correlated with the age of the healthy plasma donors but negatively correlated with the age of the parasite donors (the malaria patient). The data from this first detailed longitudinal study of acquisition of VSA antibodies support the hypothesis that naturally acquired protective immunity to P. falciparum malaria is mediated, at least in part, by VSA-specific antibodies.


The aim of this paper was systematically to evaluate the caries‐preventive effect of professional fluoride varnish treatments. A search of the literature for articles published between 1966 and August 2003 was carried out in electronic databases, reference lists of articles, and selected textbooks in accordance with the strategy of the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care. Out of 302 identified papers, 24 randomized and controlled clinical trials comparing fluoride varnish with placebo, no active treatment or other fluoride preventive regimens of at least 2 years' study duration were included. The trials that met the inclusion criteria were assessed independently and systematically by at least two reviewers and scored from A to C according to predetermined criteria for methodology and performance. The main outcome measure was the preventive fraction expressed as a percentage. The results displayed limited evidence (evidence level 3) for the caries preventive effect of topical applications of fluoride varnishes in permanent teeth. The average prevented fraction was 30% (0–69%) when compared with untreated controls. Inconclusive evidence (evidence level 4) was found for fluoride varnish treatment in the primary dentition and in adults. This systematic review reinforces the need for future clinical research of high quality, incorporating modern concepts of clinical performance and evaluation to assess dental caries control using professional fluoride varnish.


In 1] Babson and Steingr msson introduced generalized permutation patterns that allow the requirement that two adjacent letters in a pattern must be adjacent in the permutation. Claesson 2] presented a complete solution for the number of permutations avoiding any single (generalized) pattern of type (1; 2) or (2; 1). For eight of these twelve patterns the answer is given by the Bell numbers. For the remaining four the answer is given by the Catalan numbers. In the present paper we give a complete solution for the number of permutations avoiding a pair of patterns of type (1; 2) or (2; 1). We also conjecture the number of permutations avoiding the patterns in any set of three or more such patterns.


Physiological and biochemical indicators that reflect the responses of plants to chilling stress could be useful for identifying plant damage caused by freezing or other stresses. The objective of this study was to determine any relationship between changes in chlorophyll fluorescence and the appearance of visual symptoms resulting from freezing temperatures in two cultivars of oleander. In the least frost-sensitive cultivar (yellow oleander), freezing temperatures (-4 8C for 3 h) did not produce changes in the photochemical parameters. In the more frost-sensitive cultivar (pink oleander), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) decreased after the same freezing treatment. The first of these potential indicators remained low, whereas the second steadily recovered during the 4 months after freezing simulation. The results suggest that measuring chlorophyll fluorescence may provide a rapid method for assessing freezing injury in oleander.


Background: Migraine is one of the main reasons for primary and secondary headaches worldwide and has significant effects on patients' life. Based on recent studies, obesity may affect the severity, frequency and duration of migraine attacks. Objective: This aim of this study was to review the literature on the association of migraine and obesity. Methods: In this review, databases of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched using "migraine", "headache", "obesity" and "overweight" as keywords. Studies published between 2005 and 2014 were reviewed. Human studies in which migraine was diagnosed based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria were included. Articles with non-English languages and studies on headache as the main purpose were excluded. 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings: In most evaluated studies, the association of obesity (BMI≥30) and morbid obesity (BMI≥35) with high frequency of migraine attacks and frequent migraine headaches was significant. This association was more significant in younger subjects and subjects under 55 years old. There was no association between obesity and migraine symptoms (severity, frequency and duration of headache) in only one study. Another study indicated that BMI≤18.5 was associated with migraine. Conclusion: With regards to the results, general and abdominal obesity can increase the frequency of migraine attacks; however, more studies are recommended.


Automatic sentence summarization produces a shorter version of a sentence, while preserving its most important information. A good summary is characterized by language fluency and high information overlap with the source sentence. We model these two aspects in an unsupervised objective function, consisting of language modeling and semantic similarity metrics. We search for a high-scoring summary by discrete optimization. Our proposed method achieves a new state-of-the art for unsupervised sentence summarization according to ROUGE scores. Additionally, we demonstrate that the commonly reported ROUGE F1 metric is sensitive to summary length. Since this is unwillingly exploited in recent work, we emphasize that future evaluation should explicitly group summarization systems by output length brackets.


The battlefield of the future is a highly dynamic and lethal environment that will demand near real time situational awareness information. In order for Army commanders to survive and win in this environment, they must use a host of complex systems that provide reliable time synchronization and accurate information on the location of friendly and hostile forces. Under the ongoing army digitization strategy, the Global Positioning System (GPS) will be used as the "linchpin" to accomplish this effort.


In the paper an application of a method determining a direction of a travelling perturbed wave through a rosette caused by an impact is shown. This direction determines a line between the impact point and the rosette and is estimated using the concept of the principal direction associated with the principal strains. During an experiment the impact on a composite plate with the dimensions 500 mm × 500 mm × 5 mm has been investigated. The measurement system was based on three Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors glued to the plate. In the paper the FBG rosette with novel configuration of sensors have been used for angular localization of strong and weak impacts. The influence of the rosette's attachment to the plate on the procedure for angular localization of the impact is also discussed. doi: 10.12783/SHM2015/344


O-linked glycosylation regulates a receptor-ligand interaction that is important in cell fate determination. Notch signaling is important in cell fate determination in mammals. Signaling is initiated when the extracellular domain of the transmembrane Notch protein on one cell binds to a surface-exposed ligand on another cell. Luca et al. report the crystal structure of the interacting regions of Notch and the Delta-like ligand DLL-4. The Notch protein is modified by O-linked glycan addition, and this is required for signaling. The structure shows two interaction interfaces. A glycan anchors the less conserved interface, which potentially provides a flexible way of regulating Notch interactions during development. V. C. Luca, K. M. Jude, N. W. Pierce, M. V. Nachury, S. Fischer, K. C. Garcia, Structural basis for Notch1 engagement of Delta-like 4. Science 347, 847–853 (2015). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Abstract
 In 2010, the Marine Education Center collaborated with the Center for Fisheries Research and Development's Shark Research Program to design an educational program that combined research experiences and educational opportunities for teenage audiences. This program, Shark Fest, educates students about the sharks of the Mississippi Sound and engages them in scientific studies of shark populations and movements. This program has reached 398 participants in grades 7–12. During the program, students assist in conducting a population survey using a 152.4-m (500-ft) bottom longline with 50 hooks and fishing with a rod-and-reel. Students measure, weigh, determine sex, and identify to species all captured sharks, and tag those in good condition prior to release. Program participants also conduct water-quality sampling (salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity) at each sample site for addition to the database. Students take a pre-test and post-test to assess the level of knowledge gained during the program. Results of a paired-sample t-test on 2015 pre-test and post-test data reflected a significant difference in pre-test (mean = 6.16, SD = 2.36) and post-test (mean = 8.54, SD = 1.93) scores (t[83] = -9.172, P < 0.0001), indicating an increase in content knowledge. Written and verbal post-participation assessments also highlighted a positive student experience. We conducted opportunistic interviews with several students 4 years after they were in the program and found evidence of retained knowledge along with positive overall impressions. Some participants stated that the experience influenced their career pursuits.


Objectives Evaluation of long-term safety of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Pooled observed case analysis of data from patients with moderate-to-severe, active RA treated with rituximab in a global clinical trial programme. Results As of September 2010, 3194 patients had received up to 17 rituximab courses over 9.5 years (11 962 patient-years). Of these, 627 had >5 years' follow-up (4418 patient-years). A pooled placebo population (n=818) (placebo+methotrexate (MTX)) was also analysed. Serious adverse event and infection rates generally remained stable over time and multiple courses. The overall serious infection event (SIE) rate was 3.94/100 patient-years (3.26/100 patient-years in patients observed for >5 years) and was comparable with placebo+MTX (3.79/100 patient-years). Serious opportunistic infections were rare. Overall, 22.4% (n=717) of rituximab-treated patients developed low immunoglobulin (Ig)M and 3.5% (n=112) low IgG levels for ≥4 months after ≥1 course. SIE rates were similar before and during/after development of low Ig levels; however, in patients with low IgG, rates were higher than in patients who never developed low IgG. Rates of myocardial infarction and stroke were consistent with rates in the general RA population. No increased risk of malignancy over time was observed. Conclusions This analysis demonstrates that rituximab remains generally well tolerated over time and multiple courses, with a safety profile consistent with published data and clinical trial experience. Overall, the findings indicate that there was no evidence of an increased safety risk or increased reporting rates of any types of adverse events with prolonged exposure to rituximab during the 9.5 years of observation.


To elucidate the role of the mammalian erythroid cytoplasmic factor on erythroid cell denucleation, cybridization of neo gene transferred rabbit reticulocytes with human K562 erythroleukemia cells was performed, the structure and composition of the nuclear matrix-intermediate filaments (NM-IF) system of the reticulocytes, K562 cells and the cybrids between them, the K-RRneo Cells, were studied by employing the techniques of selective extraction and whole mount electron microscopy. It was shown that regional condensation of nuclear matrix with a thinned nuclear lamina were seen in the cybrids, while the intermediate filaments exhibited a network pattern reorganization comparatively similar with those of reticulocytes but different from the radiation pattern of the K562 cells. SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis also revealed that the proteins affinity to vimentin antibody in the cybrids migrate in a pattern similar with that of the rabbit reticulocytes, both of them with only residual depolymerized vimentin complex but not the polymerized vimentin band of 55 kd. These results suggested that the factors in the cytoplasm of the rabbit reticulocytes might function through a mechanism of vimentin depolymerization or blockage of gene expression, which finally resulted in destruction of intermediate filaments that facilitates the expellation of nucleus from cytoplasm.


Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly malignant brain tumor. The interconvertible bioactive sphingolipids sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide have profound effects on GBM cells, with ceramide causing cell death and S1P leading to cell survival, proliferation and invasion. This review will examine the effects of ceramide and S1P on glioma cells and the therapeutic potential of these pathways.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present results of an experimental program conducted on manufacturing process of crushed sand. The aim of the research is to propose an optimized approach which allows to fix, directly at the process stage, the rate of fines in the produced crushed sand.

Design/methodology/approach
In the first step of the study, samples of crushed sand are collected in situ, at each adjustment of the identified operating parameters. They are then analyzed in laboratory to retrieve especially the fines contents for each adjustment. These adjustments are conducted for all possible combinations of the extremum operating conditions of the parameters. In the second step of the study, the experimental design technique is applied to study the influence of the different factors, and to model the interaction between them. An expression is obtained and subjected to statistical tests, and then it is confronted to other experimental measures.

Findings
Parameters influencing the fines rates are identified and their effects are analyzed. The domain of variation of three predominant parameters is defined allowing to conduct in situ experiments with minimal incidence on the manufacturing disturbance. A mathematical model is proposed to quantify the crushed sand fines by analytical expression that takes into account the interaction between influencing parameters.

Practical implications
The conducted experiments provided new data that will help to enhance and to better set up the settings of the parameters influencing the rate of filler. The proposed expression constitutes a practical tool for the manufacturer to fix the operating parameters values that results in a desired target fines contents.

Originality/value
Modeling and optimization of the sand crushing plant, considered here as a case study, has not been attempted previously. The conducted experiments and the proposed mathematical model constitute an original work of this study.


In Ethiopia, chickpea is an important grain legume next to faba bean and common bean. Quality seed production and associated technologies could be mentioned among the major challenges that limit chickpea production and productivity in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess the quality of seeds at different generation classes as obtained from various sources that would contribute an estimate of more than half the chickpea seed suppliers. Thirty one seed samples taken from ten different formal seed sources and four seed classes were used to test physical, physiological and seed health parameters. The result of the laboratory study indicated that seed sources and classes have affected highly significantly the moisture content and hundred seed weight. Correlation analysis showed that seed purity had positive and highly significantly influenced standard germination, vigor index, seedling dry weight and hundred seed weight. Similarly, vigor index was correlated positively and highly significantly with speed of standard germination and root length. Considering seed health as standard quality parameters showed that no seed sources and classes met the standards set by the national seed quality. The seed regulatory unit should be considered in the future in enhancing the seed standard levels and on undermined factors associated to seed health.

 Key words: Physical purity, seed class, seed health, seed vigor.


Cardiovascular disease remains a major health problem in today's society. It is estimated that more than 6 million people have a history of myocardial infarction and/or angina. Hypertension is another major health problem affecting at least 50 million people in the United States. Due to the high prevalence of these conditions, many patients will be taking one or more cardiac medications. The present study was carried out with the objectives to assess the knowledge of critical care nurses on cardiac medications and to find out the association between the qualification, clinical experience and the previous experience of attending cardiac emergencies. The research approach used for this study was survey approach. Descriptive survey design was adopted. About 108 critical care nurses were selected using convenient sampling technique. The data collection instruments were: Demographic Proforma and Structured knowledge questionnaire on cardiac medications. Content validity of the tools was established by giving it to five experts in the field of nursing, general medicine cardiac medicine and pharmacology. Modifications were made according to experts' suggestions. The tools were pretested before use among five critical care nurses. Reliability coefficient of Structured knowledge questionnaire was found out by using Split half technique and the tool was found reliable (r=0.806). Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The significant findings of the study were: Majority 74(68.5%) of the participants were between the age group of >25–40 years, Majority 85 (78.7%) were females. About 65 (60.2%) were with the GNM qualification, majority 62(57.4%) were with the clinical experience of >1–5 years and 35 (32.4%) mentioned that they had attended cardiac emergencies during their clinical experience. It was found that the majority 47 (43.5%) of the participants shared equally good and average knowledge on cardiac medications. It was found that there was no significant association between the knowledge of critical care nurses on cardiac medications and education (χ2=2.295, p=0.317) and clinical experience(χ2 =8.551, p<0.200).


It is common to introduce optical tweezers using either geometric optics for large particles or the Rayleigh approximation for very small particles. These approaches are successful at conveying the key ideas behind optical tweezers in their respective regimes. However, they are insufficient for modelling particles of intermediate size and large particles with small features. For this, a full field approach provides greater insight into the mechanisms involved in trapping. The advances in computational capability over the last decade have led to better modelling and understanding of optical tweezers. Problems that were previously difficult to model computationally can now be solved using a variety of methods on modern systems. These advances in computational power allow for full field solutions to be visualised, leading to increased understanding of the fields and behaviour in various scenarios. In this paper we describe the operation of optical tweezers using full field simulations calculated using the finite difference time domain method. We use these simulations to visually illustrate various situations relevant to optical tweezers, from the basic operation of optical tweezers, to engineered particles and evanescent fields.


With safety, comfort, convenience, fast, economy, punctuality advantages and high service effectiveness, the introduction of passenger-dedicated line (PDL) will attract passenger volume assumed by other modes of long-short distance passenger transportation in terminal transportation system as part of its traffic component, named the transferred volume. Meanwhile, PDL will stimulate the potential travel demand to generate induced passenger volume. The volume of terminal passenger flow is of great significance in building PDLs, passenger railway stations, and transportation terminals. From the perspective of transportation mode service, by employing passenger-sharing rate model, Xi'an terminal is presented to estimate and analyze the long and short distance passenger transferred volume and the induced volume which it undertakes after introducing PDL.


This pilot study provides the first empirical test of the concept of "Angels in the Nursery" by examining whether childhood memories of benevolent caregiving experiences protect against heightened levels of psychopathology in high-risk mothers. The study hypothesized that (a) elaborated childhood memories of feeling loved by a caregiver ("angel memories") would moderate adulthood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in mothers with childhood maltreatment histories, and (b) spontaneous traumatic intrusions ("ghost memories") would mediate childhood maltreatment and adulthood PTSD symptoms. Participants were 54 mothers (M = 32.79 years, SD = 8.91; 59.2% African American, 13.0% Caucasian, 5.6% Latina, 22.2% biracial/multiracial) who completed standardized assessments of childhood maltreatment and adulthood PTSD symptoms, and a novel instrument, the Angels in the Nursery Interview ("Angels Interview," Van Horn, Lieberman, & Harris, 2008). Results showed that angel memories significantly moderated childhood maltreatment and adulthood PTSD symptoms, consistent with a protective effect. Higher levels of ghost memories during the Angels Interview were significantly associated with more extensive childhood maltreatment, but did not mediate maltreatment and PTSD symptoms. Findings indicate that the Angels Interview can identify pathogenic intrusions rooted in childhood maltreatment and protective factors to promote maternal mental health and buffer the intergenerational transmission of trauma.


This paper examines the optimal forwarding problem in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) based on a generalized two-hop relay with limited packet redundancy f (f-cast) for packet routing. We formulate such problem as a forwarding game, where each node i individually decides a probability τi (i.e., a strategy) to deliver out its own traffic and helps to forward other traffic with probability 1-τi, τi∈[0,1], while its payoff is the achievable throughput capacity of its own traffic. We derive closed-form result for the per node throughput capacity (i.e., payoff function) when all nodes play the symmetric strategy profiles, identify all the possible Nash equilibria of the forwarding game, and prove that there exists a Nash equilibrium strategy profile that is strictly Pareto optimal. Finally, for any symmetric profile, we explore the possible maximum per node throughput capacity and determine the corresponding optimal setting of f to achieve it.


Since 1950, China and Pakistan have enjoyed historic friendly relations. They helped each other during the times of need and have supported each other at various regional and international forums. Currently, they are engaged in building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a component of China's gigantic economic venture, One Belt, One Road (OBOR). Later termed as Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it is a framework of regional connectivity to enhance geographical linkages and to improve roads, rail networks with frequent and free exchanges of growth while moving towards more optimal business by win-win model. The CPEC, being its flagship project, has the potential to bring incredible financial gains for the BRI countries. In this connection, the South Asian countries and the global community have mixed perception about the project. However, the CPEC is important for regional countries because it will bring socio-economic prosperity and technological advancement. The CPEC will offer China and Pakistan an opportunity to promote regional connectivity, trade growth and infrastructure development. Pakistan views the corridor not only as an infrastructure and economic development programme but a key initiative for the country's economic prosperity. Nevertheless, China needs to expand its influence in the peripheral neighbourhood, consolidate its global presence and secure future supply routes of energy and trade goods; This will help Pakistan become one of the beneficiaries of the Chinese investment in the region.


In this paper, independent component analysis (ICA) in a subband domain has been extended into a feed-forward network. The feed-forward network maximizes mutual independence of separated current frames using information from the both current and previous multi-channel frames of speech signals captured by a microphone array. To guide into a proper separation preventing permutation and arbitrary scaling, we not only rely on the steered response for the first tap of the demixing filter but also penalize on the direction thus drastically increasing the mean squared error with the spatial filtered output. After convergence, by applying instantaneous direction of arrival (IDOA) based post-processing, we can additionally suppress the leakage of the interference as well as the reverberated target signal. The signal to interference ratio (SIR) is improved more than 20 dBC for distances up to 2.7 m and angle differences down to 26°.


Web annotation technology is used in education to facilitate individual learning and social interaction. Departing from a conceptual exploration of social interaction in web annotation as a mediated process, as well as a dissatisfaction with analytical methods applied to web annotation data, we analyzed student interaction data from a web annotation environment following the Relational Event Modelling approach. Included in our modelling were various annotation attributes, a contextual factor of student groups, and several social and spatiotemporal factors related to network formation. Results indicated that longer annotations were slightly more likely to attract replies, students in the same project group were not more likely to engage with each other, and several network factors such as student activity, reciprocity, annotation popularity, and annotation location played important roles in interaction dynamics. This study contributes empirical insights into web annotation and calls for future work to investigate mediated social interaction as a dynamic network phenomenon.


The objectives of present investigation is to improve the solubility and rate of dissolution of poorly aqueous soluble drug lansoprazole by preparing solid dispersion with amphiphilic carrier Soluplus in 1:2 concentration by using solvent evaporation method, solvent melting method and microwave oven method and selecting the best solid dispersion. The drug and excipient compatibility study of selected solid dispersion was performed by FTIR and DSC. These study showed no interaction in drug and carrier. The sublingual tablet represents an innovative drug delivery system, sublingual tablet of lansoprazole was formulated by incorporating selected solid dispersion with combination of novel superdisintegrants and taste maskers like Indion – 414 and Kyron T – 314 by using direct compression method. The sublingual tablet showed the rapid disintegration within average 32 seconds. All the evaluations were performed and complies with the pharmacopoeial standards. The drug and excipient compatibility study of lansoprazole sublingual tablet was also performed by FTIR and DSC. These study showed no interaction in drug and excipients. The formulation F9 (12 % superdisintegrants) showed 98.42% of cumulative drug release within 8 min with zero order release pattern. These novel formulation lansoprazole sublingual tablet showed quick on set of action and may be found to be beneficial, convenient for pediatrics, geriatrics, and psychiatric patients and patients with swallowing difficulties and in situations where water is not available.


Despite clear scientific evidence that swift and ambitious climate action is necessary at the national level, many countries, particularly those with high emissions and GDP, are failing to implement policies to curb their climate impact. Even with high incomes, access to technology, policy expertise, and capacity to adapt these countries face a massive roadblock to avoiding the human suffering and immense economic, social, and ecological costs that will result from unchecked climate change – political will. This working paper provides guidance and a methodology for decision-makers, civil society, and donors to assess the political and governance challenges that different climate actions are likely to encounter at the national level. With these insights, they can focus on the best approaches for enacting ambitious policies that provide visible benefits and are hard to overturn.


The so-called split&shift (S&S) methodology has previously been introduced as an effective area saving technique for hardware implementation of cellular non-linear networks. This work provides the first experimental proof of such a methodology through a circuit implementation over an FPGA platform. Results of area, processing time and functionality of different instances of the S&S methodology are given.


Pulse shortening is an universal phenomenon in highpower microwave tubes, which hinders the improvement of microwave output energy. So far, it is also an unres olved problem in the field of high-power microwave devices. In this paper, the relativistic backward wave tube (RBWO) is treated as an example to study the pul se shortening phenomena. The influences of explosive emission in the inner surface of RBWO and fluctuation of the relativistic electron beam on the pulse width and output power are investigated by means of the particle in cell(PIC) method .Through the simulation results, some useful conclusions have been drawn. The explosive emission in the surface of the slow wave structure due to intense elec tric field is one of the most important factors causing pulse shortening in high-power microwave tube. The fluctuation of the electron beam can also lead to pulse shortening. Some methods to overcome pulse shortening are given in this paper.


Tensile stress-strain properties in the hoop direction were obtained for 100-mm diameter ceramic matrix composite cylinders using ring specimens machined from the cylinder ends. The silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composite (SiC/SiC) cylinders were fabricated from 2D balanced SiC fabric with several material variants, including wall thickness (6, 8, and 12 plies), SiC fiber type (Sylramic, Sylramic-iBN, Hi-Nicalon, and Hi-Nicalon S), fiber sizing type, and matrix type (full CVI SiC, and partial CVI SiC plus slurry cast + melt-infiltrated SiC-Si). Cloth ply splices existed in all the hoops. Tensile hoop measurements were made at room temperature and 1200°C using hydrostatic ring test facilities. Room temperature hoop strengths for the various cylinders were generally similar and at 1200°C, ultimate strengths and strains of the hoops were about 70 % of their room temperature values, and elastic moduli were about 90–100 % of their room temperature values. The hoop properties are compared with in-plane data measured on flat panels using same material variants, but containing no splices. A lower strength and failure strain of hoops compared to panels was observed and was due to a stress concentration associated with the cloth splice geometry. The failure mode of the hoops, determined through microstructural examination, revealed that a fracture surface always existed at the cloth ply splice on the inner diameter of the failed specimens.


Deposits of the Fe-6.5wt%Si alloy produced by spray forming were annealed at temperatures between 900 and 1300oC, during 1h in vacuum and quenched in oil at temperatures between 300 and 700oC, separately. Magnetic properties, singular microstructure and random crystallographic texture were measured. After annealing at 1250°C for 1h under vacuum, the average grain size is of 500 μm, the grain orientation is random and the magnetic properties were: power loss of 1.30 W/kg, maximum permeability of 15400 and coercive force of 40 A/m, at B=1 T, f=60 Hz by using 0.60 mm thick rings for all studied samples. Higher annealing temperatures cause no decreasing of these properties. After quenched at 700°C, an improvement the magnetic properties where detected due to antiphase domain B2 growth. The magnetic properties were: power loss of 1.59 W/kg, maximum permeability of 12300 and coercive force of 76 A/m, at B=1 T, f=60 Hz.


Dr. Miles Neale © copyright 2012  Buddhist psychotherapy, which has been adopted in the last several decades, is a novel approach to the clinical practice of mental health. It combines aspects of conventional psychotherapy with traditional Buddhist psychological theory and practice. Because there are several sub-schools of psychotherapy and Buddhism from which to integrate, there currently is no single formalized clinical approach to its practice. Therefore, Buddhist psychotherapy differs widely in its presentation among diverse practitioners.


Immune electron microscopy may be used to determine the type specificity of several common human adenoviruses. The method described utilized equine antisera and was used to serotype adenoviruses within hours after typical cytopathic effect was observed in tissue culture. Adenovirus types 1, 2, 3, 5, 7a, 8, and 11 were isolated from clinical specimens and serotyped by serum neutralization and immune electron microscopy. Five of the seven types were identified consistently and identically by the two methods. Types 7a and 11 were indistinguishable by immune electron microscopy.


Superporous hydrogels (SPHs) with interconnected pores of several hundreds micrometers were prepared using radical polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AAm) in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS). A gas blowing method using bicarbonate as a foaming agent was applied to introduce the porous structure under different pH conditions (pH 2~7). The pore structures of the prepared SPHs were examined by a scanning electron microscope. The SPHs obtained at pHs of 4.5 and 4.75 were observed to have a interconnected pore structure with homogeneous distribution and swell to an equilibrium state within several minutes. The O2 plasma reactor has been used for surface modification of SPHs. The plasma-treated SPHs showed much faster swelling behavior due to the improvement of surface hydrophilicity. The swelling ratio of SPHs was also enhanced by using a wetting agent, such as triacetin and glycerol, during a washing procedure.


Background. To generate evidence in and for health professions education (HPE) that can enable reform and establish new relevance, a comprehensive HPE research foundation is required. Gaps identified in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) HPE literature should be addressed, while a need for more clarificatory and collaborative research to strengthen evidence has been expressed. Relatively few HPE centres exist in SSA. At Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) the Centre for HPE was established in 2006, followed by an HPE Research Unit in 2011. Objectives. To determine and analyse the current status of educational research in the FMHS, thereby contributing to conversations around an HPE research agenda for Africa. Methods. A database of all HPE-related research was compiled, followed by a desktop analysis of all documents pertaining to current educational research projects in the FMHS in 2012, categorising projects according to: general information; sites where research was conducted; research focus; and research purpose. All data were recorded in an Excel spreadsheet and a descriptive analysis was performed. Results. There were 106 projects, mostly aimed at undergraduate programmes. More than half focused on teaching and learning, while a few focused on assessment. A number of projects were community-based or involved national and/or international collaborations. Only 20% of projects were classified as clarification research. Discussion. Educational research appears healthy in the FMHS, but more clarificatory and macro-projects are required. The profile of research is similar to the SSA profile. A research strategy relevant and feasible in our context has to be established with a shift to areas beyond our professional/ institutional boundaries, posing HPE questions of relevance to South Africa and the African continent.


— Recently, there have been a lot of earthquakes in Japan. It is necessary to promote seismic isolation devices for buildings. The devices have been hardly diffused in attached houses, because the devices are very expensive. We should develop a low-cost seismic isolation device for detached houses. We suggested a new seismic isolation device which uses a two-layer circular tube as a unit. If hysteresis is produced in the two-layer circular tube under lateral compression load, we think that the two-layer circular tube can have energy absorbing capacity. It is necessary to contact the outer layer and the inner layer to produce hysteresis. We have previously reported how the inner layer comes in contact with the outer layer from a perspective of analysis used mechanics of materials. We have clarified that the inner layer comes in contact with the outer layer under a lateral compression load. In this paper, we explored contact area between the outer layer and the inner layer under a lateral compression load by using FEA. We think that changing the inner layer's thickness is effective in increase the contact area. In order to change the inner layer's thickness, we changed the shape of the inner layer. As a result, the contact area changes depending on the inner layer's thickness. Additionally, we experimented to check whether hysteresis occurs in fact. As a consequence, we can reveal hysteresis in the two-layer circular tube under the condition.


Over the last ten years, the molecular architectures of p-type donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugated polymers designed for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaics, when mixed with fullerenes or n-type polymers, have progressed substantially from one-dimensional (1-D) to branched to two-dimensional (2-D) D–A conjugated structures. In the 1-D structures, alternating D and A units allow internal charge transfer along the conjugated backbone and increase the effective resonance length, as a result of facilitated π-electron delocalization. Upon progressing from 1-D structures to branched D–A conjugated polymers (comprising repeating donor units in the main chain with electron-withdrawing side chain units) to 2-D conjugated polymers (having D–A repeating units on their backbones as well as perpendicular electron-donating groups on their D units), the solubility, effective conjugation length, and photophysical and BHJ photovoltaic properties have all been altered dramatically. The ideal p-type 2-D conjugated D–A polymer for use in BHJ photovoltaic devices should possess a low band gap (to broaden the absorption range), excellent packing characteristics (particularly along the out-of-plane direction, ensuring good carrier transport), and suitable energy levels for efficient electron transfer (to fullerene moieties or n-type polymers). In this review, we discuss the effects of the structural characteristics and optical properties of these conjugated polymers as well as their packing characteristics on the device performances.


Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) has emerged as the most popular technology for utilising the huge bandwidth of optical fibre. This paper surveys medium access control protocols for the star, bus and ring WDM network topologies. The performance of two recently developed protocols, Pipelining Cyclic Scheduling Algorithm (PCSA) and Reservation/ACK/Transmission Protocol (RATP), is evaluated by stochastic simulation. It was found that RATP's performance (measured by throughput and delay) degrades sharply with the increase in network size, making it impractical for use in metropolitanor wide-area networks. PCSA does not suffer from this restriction, and can realise a throughput of 1. It also delivers short average packet delays, especially under light to moderate system loads.


Ophiolitic rocks in the southeastern part of the Zagros Orogenic Belt can be separated from southwest to northeast, into two groups: the Neyriz ophiolites and the Naien–Shahrebabak–Baft ophiolites. The southeast sector of Sanandaj-Sirjan wasdelimited by the two nearly synchronous ophiolitic belts in its southwestern and northeastern margins. In this study, new ophiolitic formation models were used to explain a viable geodynamic hypothesis on the development of the southeastern Zagros Orogenic Belt. Supra-subduction zone ophiolites have been of particular importance in the reconstruction of regional tectonic evolution andformed near a main subducting oceanic plate. The history of the southeastern Zagros Orogenic Belt is composed of development of two oceanic crusts, referred to as the Neo-Tethys 1 and Neo-Tethys 2. The process of reconstructing of the plate tectonic evolution of the southeastern Zagros Orogenic Belt was proposed on the basis of "Latest Cretaceous-Neogene collision" hypothesis. The supra-subduction zone ophiolites in the southeastern part of the Zagros Orogenic Belt can be classified into "pull related fore-arc Neyriz ophiolites" and "back-arc Naien-Baft ophiolites".


Users and teams members of agile projects have consistently shown higher motivation and satisfaction compared with projects that use plan-driven methods. User satisfaction is a key measure of IS success if not synonymous with it (Delone and McLean, 1992; Seddon, 1997) and higher team member motivation is known to foster productivity, company loyalty and higher levels of engagement (Locke and Latham, 1990; Meyer and Allen, 1997; Pinder, 1998). Various explanations have been offered for this salutary phenomenon and have as their basis the specific characteristics of Agile methodologies such as people focus, higher levels of user involvement and collaborative development approach (Boehm and Turner, 2005; Dybå and Dingsøyr, 2009; Mann and Maurer, 2005). In this study we apply the approach-avoidance theory to suggest "closure effect" as another explanation for the phenomena.


Tom Paine is celebrated for the part he played in both the American and French Revolutions. Though an Englishman by birth, he reacted violently against the political order of eighteenth-century England and in favour of radical reform. So well thought of was he outside Great Britain that he became a distinguished public figure in both France and the United States. Rights Of Man and Common Sense are the two short books in which he elaborates his political and social theories in vivid, simple prose which can still be read with pleasure and excitement today. These are among the foundling texts of the radical tradition in America and Western Europe.


Since the impact of MRI on the diagnostic evaluation of renal masses is affected by the intrinsic complexity of the modality, the problems related to the specific knowledge, on the part of the radiologist, of the examination itself to make a correct diagnosis are carefully analyzed. The problems related to the technical features of the equipment are presented as well, with a special emphasis on the still inadequate spatial resolution of MRI, and on its long acquisition time and unfavorable signal-to-noise ratio. On the other hand, its good contrast resolution is mentioned, which will be further improved by the new gradient-echo sequence (GRE) and by the use of paramagnetic contrast media. As for diagnostic problems, the results are analyzed of a series of 62 patients showing US "solid" renal mass. MRI allowed lesion detection in 59/62 cases, with 95.1% sensitivity. False negatives were due solely to the poor image quality determined by motion artifacts. MRI did not provide significant information in the structural evaluation of the lesions when tissue characterization was concerned, but was helpful in the correct assessment of necrotic foci (thus allowing the calculation of viable neoplastic mass) and in the detection of collateral vessels. Finally, the spatial relationships of the mass could be easily assessed by MRI, thanks to both its multiplanarity and to its good capabilities in the visualization of vascular involvement.


Nature of science (NOS) has for a long time, and for a number of reasons been regarded a key ingredient in the teaching for scientific literacy. Much has been written about teachers' views of NOS and how NOS is taught in the science classroom, but little is known about teachers' views of the teaching of NOS. To be able to better understand how NOS becomes (or does not become) a part of science education, teachers' ways of making meaning of NOS teaching needs to be investigated. Therefore, in this project, we try to shed light on teachers' perspectives on NOS teaching at different levels in compulsory school. We also explore how the teaching of NOS is planned for, and implemented, throughout a three-year research project. The participants are Swedish in-service science teachers (n=12) in grades 3-9. They are teachers who, initially, have no specific training in NOS or NOS teaching (something they have in common with most science teachers in Sweden), but expected to teach NOS according to the national curriculum. During the project the teachers meet in focus groups, guided by a researcher, and discuss NOS and the teaching of NOS. Sources of data are questionnaires, interviews, focus-group discussions and classroom observations. The analytical framework used in this study is an elaboration of the NOS tenets in Lederman (2007) from an interdisciplinary Science Studies perspective. The results from the first part of the study indicate that although the teachers have access to different ways of speaking about NOS their ways of speaking become less elaborated in reference to NOS teaching. The teachers discuss both possible pros (e.g. student motivation, and NOS as a counterpart to the image of science as "black-and-white") and cons (e.g. "good students" will be disadvantaged and difficulties for students to handle abstract topics.


Evolutions of profiles for a cylindrical specimen during hot compression were calculated with finite element methods. The calculations have been carried out with different characteristics of flow behaviors for the alloy 16CrMo4. Variations in the maximal radius of the specimen are determined predominately on geometric factors of the compression, while indifferent to magnitudes as well as strain hardening rates of flow stresses. This result was verified by hot compression testes of two different alloys employing Gleeble experiments. The increment of the maximal radius within a definite strain range is enhanced by introducing significant temperature gradients.


Supplemental oxygen therapy with supraphysiological concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia; >21% O2) is a life-saving intervention for patients experiencing respiratory distress. However, prolonged exposure to hyperoxia can compromise bacterial clearance processes, due to oxidative stress-mediated impairment of macrophages, contributing to the increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections. This study reports that the activation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) with the delete allosteric agonistic-positive allosteric modulator, GAT107, decreases the bacterial burden in mouse lungs by improving hyperoxia-induced lung redox imbalance. The incubation of RAW 264.7 cells with GAT107 (3.3 µM) rescues hyperoxia-compromised phagocytic functions in cultured macrophages, RAW 264.7 cells, and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages. Similarly, GAT107 (3.3 µM) also attenuated oxidative stress in hyperoxia-exposed macrophages, which prevents oxidation and hyper-polymerization of phagosome filamentous actin (F-actin) from oxidation. Furthermore, GAT107 (3.3 µM) increases the (1) activity of superoxide dismutase 1; (2) activation of Nrf2 and (3) the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in macrophages exposed to hyperoxia. Overall, these data suggest that the novel α7nAChR compound, GAT107, could be used to improve host defense functions in patients, such as those with COVID-19, who are exposed to prolonged periods of hyperoxia.


We address the problem of parameter estimation for diffusion driven stochastic volatility models through Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). To avoid degeneracy issues we introduce an innovative reparametrisation defined through transformations that operate on the time scale of the diffusion. A novel MCMC scheme which overcomes the inherent difficulties of time change transformations is also presented. The algorithm is fast to implement and applies to models with stochastic volatility. The methodology is tested through simulation based experiments and illustrated on data consisting of US treasury bill rates.


Objectives Women with sickle cell disease (SCD) are living longer as a result of advances in the care of their underlying disease. With the population growing of women living with SCD, reproductive health issues in this population have become an emphasized area of medical care. We sought to describe current patterns of contraception use, menstruation, and quality-of-life (QOL) measures in women with SCD. Methods Using a cross-sectional study design, we administered paper surveys at two academic medical centers to women aged 10 to 55 years with SCD to capture current contraceptive use, characteristics of menstrual cycles, and QOL metrics. Results Of the 103 women who participated, 12.7% (13/102) experienced a duration of menses >7 days (defined here as prolonged menstrual bleeding). Approximately half of women (51.5%, 53/103) used some form of contraception, with depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injections and condoms being the most common. During their last menstrual periods, women with both dysmenorrhea and prolonged menstrual bleeding (6.9%, 7/102) were more likely to experience more days of poor QOL, with more nights with sleep disturbance (P = 0.001) and more days with trouble taking care of themselves (P = 0.003), as well as being unable to do things they previously enjoyed (P = 0.001), compared with those with neither phenomenon (28.2%, 29/103). Conclusions Dysmenorrhea and prolonged menstrual bleeding negatively affect the QOL of women with SCD. Menstrual histories and preventive measures for menstruation-related morbidity should be incorporated into routine evaluations of women with SCD.