A DNA-encapsulated chain and wire-like β-MnO2 organosols have been synthesized utilizing a two-phase water-toluene extraction procedure at room temperature (RT). The β-MnO2 organosol was prepared by transferring KMnO4 and DNA from aqueous solution separately to an organic solvent (toluene) using a phase transfer catalyst, mixing both organic solutions together, and subsequent reduction with NaBH4. The eventual diameters of the MnO2 particles in chain-like and wire-like morphologies were ∼1-2 nm and ∼1.8 ± 0.2 nm, respectively, whereas the nominal length of the DNA-MnO2 chains was ∼2-3 μm. Different morphologies of the MnO2 organosol were synthesized by simply tuning the DNA to KMnO4 molar ratio. The synthesized particles were successfully re-dispersed in different organic solvents for application in various organic reactions. The potential of the DNA-MnO2 organosol as a catalyst has been tested in the organic catalytic reaction for the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole to polypyrrole, using the DNA-MnO2 organosol as a potential catalyst. The synthesis process was simple, reproducible and robust. In future, the present process might be utilized for the formation of other nanomaterials in organic solvents, with specific morphologies and uses in a variety of catalytic reactions and energy storage applications.


Two novel Ba(II) complexes [Ba(TCPA)2(H2O)4] 1 and [Ba(H2O)8]·2(o-FcCOC6H4COO)·6H2O 2 [HTCPA = 2,4,6-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and o-HOOCC6H4-COFc = o-ferrocenylcarbonyl benzoic acid] have been synthesized by a facile microwave method. The solid-state structures were well established by means of X-ray crystallography as well as routine analysis of the infrared spectrum (FTIR), elemental analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Different polyhedra of tricapped triangular prisms for 1 and dodecahedra for 2 were present. It is worth noting that the central Ba(II) ion in 1 is nine-coordinated by two carboxylate oxygen atoms from TCPA ligands and seven oxygen atoms from coordinated water molecules. By contrast, the eight-coordinated Ba(II) in 2 forms barium-water clusters assembled by O–H⋯O hydrogen-bonds contributed by coordinated water molecules. The uncoordinated o-OOCC6H4-COFc ligands in 2 play a key role in the process of charge balance. FESEM images exhibited different surface appearances between the ligand and barium complexes, that is: flower-like HTCPA, branch-like o-HOOCC6H4-COFc, block-like complex 1 and corner-truncated cubes for complex 2. The allelopathic activity of the complexes and their corresponding ligands was evaluated against two herbaceous plants of barnyard grass and turnip (Raphanus sativus). All the tested compounds showed certain activity with good RI values. An antifungal bioassay was also carried out in vitro on three strains of Botrytis cinerea Pers., Glomerella cingulata Schr and Cytospora sp. Complex 1 and HTCPA can work against all three tested fungi, whereas o-HOOCC6H4-COFc and 2 only worked for Botrytis cinerea Pers. The complex presented in this paper has potential applications in weed control, and this work provides an experimental basis for future studies on Ba-based pesticides.


Context. Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows probe sightlines to star-forming regions in distant star-forming galaxies. Here we present a study of the peculiar afterglow spectrum of the z = 0.889Swift GRB 140506A.Aims. Our aim is to understand the origin of the very unusual properties of the absorption along the line of sight.Methods. We analyse spectroscopic observations obtained with the X-shooter spectrograph mounted on the ESO/VLT at two epochs 8.8 h and 33 h after the burst, and with imaging from the GROND instrument. We also present imaging and spectroscopy of the host galaxy obtained with the Magellan telescope.Results. The underlying afterglow appears to be a typical afterglow of a long-duration GRB. However, the material along the line of sight has imprinted very unusual features on the spectrum. First, there is a very broad and strong flux drop below 8000 A (~4000 A in the rest frame), which seems to be variable between the two spectroscopic epochs. We can reproduce the flux-drops both as a giant 2175 A extinction bump and as an effect of multiple scattering on dust grains in a dense environment. Second, we detect absorption lines from excited H i and He i. We also detect molecular absorption from CH+.Conclusions. We interpret the unusual properties of these spectra as reflecting the presence of three distinct regions along the line of sight: the excited He i absorption originates from an H ii-region, whereas the Balmer absorption must originate from an associated photodissociation region. The strong metal line and molecular absorption and the dust extinction must originate from a third, cooler region along the line of sight. The presence of at least three separate regions is reflected in the fact that the different absorption components have different velocities relative to the systemic redshift of the host galaxy.


Unesterified cholesterol is an essential structural component of the plasma membrane of every cell. During evolution, this membrane came to play an additional, highly specialized role in the central nervous system (CNS) as the major architectural component of compact myelin. As a consequence, in the human the mean concentration of unesterified cholesterol in the CNS is higher than in any other tissue ( (cid:2) 23 mg/g). Furthermore, even though the CNS accounts for only 2.1% of body weight, it contains 23% of the sterol present in the whole body pool. In all animals, most growth and differentiation of the CNS occurs in the first few weeks or years after birth, and the cholesterol required for this growth apparently comes exclusively from de novo synthesis. Currently, there is no evidence for the net transfer of sterol from the blood into the brain or spinal cord. In adults, the rate of synthesis exceeds the need for new structural sterol, so that net movement of cholesterol out of the CNS must take place. At least two pathways are used for this excretory process, one of which involves the formation of 24( S )-hydroxycholesterol. Whether or not changes in the plasma cholesterol concentration alter sterol metabolism in the CNS or whether such changes affect cognitive function in the brain or the incidence of dementia remain uncertain at this time. —Dietschy, J. M., and S. D. Turley. Cholesterol metabolism in the central nervous system during early development and in the mature animal. J. Lipid Res. 2004. 45: 1375–1397.


We characterized 97 non-O157 Shiga toxin (stx)–producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from human patients during 2000–2009 from the national reference laboratory in Switzerland. These strains belonged to 40 O:H serotypes; 4 serotypes (O26:H11/H–, O103:H2, O121:H19, and O145:H28/H–) accounted for 46.4% of the strains. Nonbloody diarrhea was reported by 23.2% of the patients, bloody diarrhea by 56.8%. Hemolytic uremic syndrome developed in 40.0% of patients; serotype O26:H11/H– was most often associated with this syndrome. Forty-five (46.4%) strains carried stx2 genes only, 36 strains (37.1%) carried stx1, and 16 (16.5%) strains carried stx1 and stx2. Genes encoding enterohemolysin and intimin were detected in 75.3% and 70.1% of the strains, respectively. Resistance to >1 antimicrobial agent was present in 25 isolates. High genetic diversity within strains indicates that non-O157 stx–producing E. coli infections in Switzerland most often occurred as single cases.


BACKGROUND: Experimental evidence suggests that hormones may regulate small intestinal adaptation after surgical resection. AIMS: To characterise the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin on crypt epithelial cell proliferation in the human duodenal mucosa cultured in vitro. PATIENTS: Thirty nine adults had endoscopic duodenal biopsy specimens taken, which were histologically normal and pair matched specimens from each patient acted as their own control. METHODS: Paired biopsy specimens from patients were cultured in vitro, with or without the addition of GH (0.004 IU/ml), IGF-I (400 ng/ml) or insulin (50 micrograms/ml), alone or in combination. After 22 hours, vincristine sulphate was added to the cultures and three hours later specimens were removed and fixed, and DNA stained by the Feulgen method. Intestinal crypts were microdissected and crypt epithelial cell proliferation determined by estimating mean numbers of accumulated metaphase arrests/crypt present in tests and controls between 22-25 hours of culture. RESULTS: The addition of GH, IGF-I, and insulin, alone or in combination, significantly increased crypt epithelial cell proliferation in test explants compared with controls. IGF-I was most potent and its trophic effect was modified by insulin. CONCLUSIONS: GH, IGF-I, and insulin are involved in the regulation of crypt cell proliferation in the human small intestine in vitro and possibly in vivo.


The study analyses the role of multiple binding constraints such as information, extension services, availability of labourers and irrigation in conditioning System of Rice Intensification (SRI) adoption by rice farmers in selected rice producing districts of India. The multiple thresholds that farmers need to overcome are analysed using a multi-hurdle model which explicitly incorporates the impact of constraints in adoption decisions. The results showed that age of the farmer reduced the access to information whereas the size of the farm increased the access to information. Gender of the head of the household, education, membership in farmer organisations etc. was crucial in getting access to extension services. Age of the household head, full time farming etc. increased the availability of labourers. Type of soil and terrain were found to be important in getting access to irrigation facility. District wise disparities showed that the disparities were the highest in the case of accessing information and followed by extension services. Although factors influencing the intensity (in terms of acres) as well as the depth of adoption (in terms of packages) were slightly different household assets, number of improved rice varieties known, membership in farmer organisations, risk etc. were significant in influencing the adoption decisions.


The use of vegetable oil macromonomers (VOMMs) as comonomers in emulsion polymerization enables good film coalescence without the use of solvents that constitute volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOMMs are derived from renewable resources and offer the potential of post-application crosslinking via auto-oxidation. However, chain transfer reactions of VOMMs with initiator and/or polymer radicals during emulsion polymerization reduce the amount of allylic hydrogen atoms available for primary auto-oxidation during drying. Vegetable oils and derivatives were reacted with butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate via solution polymerization, and the polymerization was monitored using in situ infrared spectroscopy to determine the extent of chain transfer. 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the loci of chain transfer and the molecular weight characteristics of the polymers were characterized by SEC. Solution polymerization was utilized because this limited temperature fluctuations and insolubility of the polymer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


For the first time, the voices of Eastern Band Cherokee women receive their proper due. A watershed event, this book unearths three centuries of previously unknown and largely ignored speeches, letters, and other writings from Eastern Band Cherokee women. Like other Native American tribes, the Cherokees endured numerous hardships at the hands of the United States government. As their heritage came under assault, so did their desire to keep their traditions. The Eastern Band Cherokees were no exception, and at the forefront of their struggle were their women. Eastern Band Cherokee Women analyzes how the women of the Eastern Band served as honored members of the tribe, occupying both positions of leadership and respect. Carney shows how in the early 1800s women leaders, such as Beloved Nancy Ward, battled to retain her people s heritage and sovereignty. Other women, such as Catharine Brown, a mission school student, discovered the power of the written word and thereby made themselves heard just as eloquently. Carney traces the voices of these women through the twentieth century, describing how Cherokees such as Marie Junaluska and Joyce Dugan have preserved a culture threatened by an increasingly homogenous society. This book is a fitting testament to their contributions. Eastern Band Cherokee Women stands out by demonstrating the overwhelming importance of women to the preservation of the Eastern Band. From passionate speeches to articulately drafted personal letters, Carney helps readers explore the many nuances of these timeless voices."


OBJECTIVE To evaluate cardiovascular effects of epidurally administered oxymorphone (OXY) and an OXY-bupivacaine combination (O/B) in halothane-anesthetized dogs. ANIMALS 6 dogs. PROCEDURE In a randomized crossover design study, dogs were anesthetized with halothane and given OXY, O/B, and saline solution (SAL). Eucapnia and end-tidal halothane concentration of 1.2% were established. Heart rate (HR), systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, central venous pressure (CVP), and cardiac output were measured at baseline and 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 minutes after treatment. At 90 minutes, glycopyrrolate was administered IV, and measurements were repeated at 95 minutes. Cardiac index (CI), stroke volume, stroke index, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and left ventricular work were calculated. End-tidal halothane concentration was decreased to 0.8% from 17 to 45 minutes and to 0.5% from 47 to 95 minutes for OXY and O/B, whereas for SAL, it was maintained at 1.5 and 1.2%, respectively. Samples were obtained at 0, 2, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 95 minutes for measurement of serum opiate concentration and comparison with values after IM administration of OXY. RESULTS HR decreased, but CVP and SVR increased in response to OXY and O/B. These changes were reversed after IV administration of glycopyrrolate, resulting in significant increase in CI, compared with that in response to SAL. Serum opiate concentration increased markedly and peaked within 15 minutes after OXY and O/B administration but did not differ from values after IM administration. CONCLUSIONS Epidural administration of OXY results in rapid systemic uptake and decreased HR. Glycopyrrolate administration improves HR, resulting in improved CI at equipotent halothane concentrations.


Seasonal patterns of total organic nitrogen (N) and total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) concentrations in relation to the leaf-fruit ratio (source-sink) were measured over three years at different grapevine phenological stages in one- and two-year-old canes, trunks and roots of the cultivar 'Chasselas' (Vitis vinifera L.). The highest N and TNC concentrations were observed during the period from dormancy until budbreak. A decrease in the N and TNC reserves was measured in the different organs (canes, trunks and roots) from budbreak, reaching minimum values around flowering, except for the N concentration in the roots, which was lowest during the period between bunch closure and veraison. N storage was highest in the roots and occurred from veraison until leaf fall. The N concentration in the trunks and canes represented approximately half of that measured in the roots. TNCs accumulated preferentially in the roots and also in the trunks and canes during the growing season. The leaf area per vine (or canopy height) and yield both influenced the N concentration in the roots. High yield and low leaf area per vine decreased the N concentration in the roots. The leaf-fruit ratio, expressed as the "light-exposed leaf area per kg fruit", substantially influenced the N and TNC concentrations in the roots at harvest. The highest N and TNC concentrations in the roots were obtained when the leaf-fruit ratio approached 2.0 m2 of light-exposed leaf area per kg fruit.


Quantum stretching is a technique to make quasi-copies of an arbitrary qubit without violating the No-Cloning Theorem. These quasi-copies of the original qubit contain all the information of the original but at the cost of duplication in its size each time the technique is applied. Basically, a stretched bit or subit is obtained applying a single, unitary and reversible gate, i.e., we can recover the original qubit from its subit. Quantum stretching will allow us simultaneous teleportation to multiple destinations of the same subit, with the consequent potential that this has for quantum internet in configurations from 1 to N, however, always taking into account the duplication of qubit size to be quasi-copied every time the technique is applied. Finally, quantum stretching is particularly useful to make satellite bifurcations in the quantum internet context.


A nondestructive, multicomponent fractionation strategy has been developed to extract proteins and polysaccharides from the red macroalgae Porphyra umbilicalis collected along the west coast of Sweden and cultivated indoors under controlled conditions. First, a protein-rich fraction was extracted in an ice-cold alkaline solution. The overall protein content in Porphyra umbilicalis was estimated to be 30.6% of the dry weight, and out of that, 15.0% could be recovered. Water-soluble polysaccharides were then extracted from the insoluble residual fraction using sequential alkaline and acidic treatments at 90 °C for 4 h. Spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses of the polysaccharide fractions show that high-molecular-weight carrageenans were obtained from the alkaline extraction and a galactose-rich pectin substance was obtained from the acidic extraction. The insoluble fraction remaining after all extraction steps was rich in cellulose. An elemental analysis of Porphyra umbilicalis via scanning electron mi...


Nigeria has high rate of pediatric HIV but there is a dearth of empirical data on the mode of HIV transmission. Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), with the support of USAID, is implementing a project to mitigate the impact of HIV on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) affected/infected with HIV/AIDS in Akwa-Ibom, Lagos, and Rivers states, Nigeria. The mode of HIV transmission among their OVC was examined. A retrospective study of enrolled OVC was done in the three states. HIV OVC whose mothers are HIV positive were classified under those who got HIV through vertical transmission, otherwise horizontal. The data was summarized using descriptive statistics.  Significance of association between qualitative variables and mode of transmission was determined using Chi-square test. Among the 387 OVC HIV positives who enrolled, there was a slight preponderance of males (50.6%); and about 42% were aged 10 - 17 years and 26% <5 years. Vertical mode of HIV transmission was higher (77%) in children <10 years. Horizontal transmission was highest among Akwa-ibom adolescents. In addition, age and State were significantly associated with transmission mode. A high proportion of children <10 years were infected through vertical transmission; while majority of adolescents are infected through horizontal transmission. Hence, a Swift scale-up of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services is recommended. Pregnant women infected with HIV need close monitoring to receive counseling as well as to get ARV prophylaxis. Also, condom demonstration should be introduced into the OVC project

 Key words: Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), HIV, prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT), vertical, horizontal, transmission.


This research investigates the factors that have a relationship with online purchase intentions. This article focuses on online purchase intention among students at eight universities in Beijing, China. The One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficient, and Spearman correlation coefficient were used for analyzing the hypotheses in this study. All the factors (variables) considered in this research, namely, perceived price, perceived ease of use, website quality, website brand, and customer value and trust have positive relationships and were found to have an important effect on purchase intention. Several recommendations were made with a view to increase the number of omline shopping customers.


Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder of oral mucosa and its malignant transformation rate accounts to about 7%–13%. Oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation plays an important role in OSMF. Lipid peroxidation has not been widely investigated in OSMF patients with respect to clinical staging and histopathological grading. As human saliva is a diagnostic fluid which can be obtained in a noninvasive procedure as compared to the blood for serum analysis, the present study was aimed at evaluating the salivary malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in OSMF and comparison with respect to clinical staging and histopathological grading. Aim: This study aims to evaluate salivary MDA levels in OSMF and compare the levels with respect to clinical and histopathological grading systems. Materials and Methods: Forty cases of clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven cases of OSMF were included for the purpose of this study. As controls 40 age-matched individuals without any systemic disease were selected. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from each individual, centrifuged and frozen at − 20°C until analysis. Lipid peroxidation products MDA were analyzed by thiobarbituric acid reaction. Results: Salivary MDA levels were significantly increased in OSMF patients compared to controls. The progressively increased salivary MDA levels showed a positive correlation with the clinical stages and histopathological grades of OSMF and the results were statistically significant. Conclusion: The increased salivary MDA levels in OSMF patients compared to the control group suggests an increased oxidative stress levels in the potentially malignant disorders such as OSMF. The mean salivary MDA levels were increased significantly as the clinical stage and histopathological grade of OSMF advances, suggesting MDA to be used as a reliable biochemical marker and also a prognostic marker to assess the extent of oxidative damage in OSMF.


The value of an abnormal ratio of recovery systolic blood pressure to peak exercise SBP for detecting coronary artery diseases (CAD) is controversial. We evaluated the ratio in 39 patients with angiographically documented CAD and 52 patients with normal coronary artery undergoing treadmill exercise. If a response with the ratio higher than 1.0 and 0.8 at 1 and 3 min. of recovery was considered as abnormal, the sensitivity for detecting CAD was 66.7%, the specificity 73.1% and the accuracy 70.3%. If ST segment depression is combined into the criteria, the specificity and accuracy reach 94.2% and 76.9%. In CAD, the ratio at 3 min. of recovery showed significant negative correlation with resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (r = -0.461, P < 0.01). It is suggested that low resting LVEF may be one of the mechanism of this abnormal ratio in CAD.


This paper develops a continuous-time real options' pricing model to study managers' incentives to cheat in the presence of equity-based compensation plans. It shows that managers' incentives to cheat are strongly influenced by the efficiency of the justice. The model's main result is that managers have greater incentives to commit fraudulent actions under stock options than under common stocks based compensation plans.


The failure mechanism of rock slopes is mainly controlled by the strength and orientation of discontinuities within the rock mass. A realistic representation of the joint network within the rock mass is therefore an essential component of stability analysis of rock structures (e.g. rock slopes, tunnels etc.). Discontinuity persistence and connectivity are significant parameters which control the stability of rock slopes. A small percentage of rock bridges on the discontinuity surface can significantly increase its strength and prevent slope failure. Discontinuities within the rock mass are rarely fully connected. In practice, however, discontinuities are often assumed fully persistent due to the difficulties both in mapping and simulation of non-persistence. Discrete fracture networks (DFN) provide a rigorous and convenient tool for the simulation of joint systems within a rock mass. Utilizing statistical methods, DFNs consider the stochastic nature of some key parameters (e.g. persistence and orientation) within numerical models. Discrete fracture network engineering is increasingly used due to recent developments in discontinuity data acquisition techniques (e.g. ground-based digital photogrammetry and laser scanning). Recent development in geomechanical modelling codes and increased computing power have also allowed to either import DFN's into models or to generate DFN's within the numerical modelling code itself (e.g. 3DEC). This paper describes the use of photogrammetry at the Delabole slate quarry in Cornwall, UK for remotely acquiring key discontinuity parameter data (orientation, intensity and length) and its subsequent use in developing statistically validated discrete fracture network parameters. The 3D distinct element code, 3DEC, is used for the DFN generation and subsequent stability analysis. Several realizations of the 3DEC-DFN models are run to investigate the stochastic nature of discontinuities within the quarry and their potential influence on the stability of the pit. Finally the simulation results are used to determine the slope instability mechanisms and determine the most likely areas of potential instability. CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Open Research Exeter


Poyhonen, Tapani Neuromuscular function during knee exercises in water with special reference to hydrodynamics and therapy Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2002, 77 p. (Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health, ISSN 0356-1070; 86) ISBN 951-39-1225-6 Yhteenveto Diss. The present series of studies examined neuromuscular function during knee exercise in water and training responses of an aquatic exercise program. Emphasis was placed on the quantification of water resistance, the drag. Subjects who participated in this series of studies were 25-35-year-old healthy women and men. Neuromuscular function was examined using electromyography (EMG), force and reflex sensitivity measurements in the isometric condition on land and in water. EMG and angular velocity were measured during dynamic knee extension-flexion in still and flowing water. The drag forces acting on the leg and foot model were measured in the barefoot condition and with a large resistance boot. The calculated coefficients of drag were then utilised to further calculate the drag forces for the human subjects. Finally, the effects of 10 weeks of aquatic resistance training on isometric and isokinetic torque, EMGs and lean muscle mass (LCSA) were investigated. The results showed lower values for EMG activity and for the EMG/force ratio in water than on land. The same trend was observed for the Hand tendon reflex responses. The EMG patterns in the repeated knee extension-flexion performed in the flowing water demonstrated an early decrease in the concentric activation of the agonists with simultaneous eccentric activation of the antagonists. This indicates stretch-shortening cycle type of exercise whereas the single trial exercises seemed to be purely concentric. The drag forces calculated for the human subjects in knee extension-flexion showed significantly higher values when using the resistance boot than in the barefoot condition with values reaching 210 ± 46 N in men and 146 ± 30 N in women. The forces measured on land were significantly higher than the drag forces in water. Ten weeks of aquatic training resulted in a significant improvement (8-13%) in maximal torque, and this was accompanied with significant increases of 19-27% in the EMGs and 4-6% in the LCSA of the knee extensors and flexors. The results indicated an impairment of neuromuscular function in water, which is possibly due to hydrostatic pressure and the reduced gravity conditions. The results also indicated that by considering the principles of hydrodynamics, and by using additional devices, water resistance can produce a sufficient exercise stimulus to cause positive changes in the neuromuscular system. This will add to the body of knowledge concerning the nature of aquatic exercises and the design of progressive aquatic exercise programs used in rehabilitation and conditioning in water.


Since millennia, in areas of low rainfall, surface irrigation has been utilized. In 1959 the Israelian inventor Simcha Blass developed a patented very efficient plastic nozzle for dripping the irrigation water from plastic pipes over the crops cultivated soils. In occasion of a FAO project in Libya, this system was utilized for establishing a table grape plantation. In order to support each grape plant, instead of wood poles, plastic pipes of 5 cm diameter, 2.5 mt high were used, dipped into the soil some 50-60 cm, close to each plant. Out of 15 rows, 150 mt long, provided with the normal drip irrigation pipes, in 2 rows a technical modification of "drip irrigation" was used, in which the horizontal water pipe posed on the soil, with holes for dripping the water, was substituted with a normal plastic pipe, without holes, hanged on the plastic vertical poles. In this pipe, close to each grape plant, was made a small hole, in which was inserted a small plastic pipe (like the ones used for blood transfusions). The other side of these mini pipes were inserted into the big vertical plastic pipes used as a support to each plant vegetation, in order to convey the irrigation water deep into the soil. This system has been called "Vertical Subirrigation Technology". In the summer of the third year of grape cultivation, the electric pump failed and, after a month, only the 2 rows with the modified system did not show any damage. This system was adopted in other FAO projects in the Near East, also for fertile-irrigation.


Despite the proliferation of e-business adoption by organisations and the world-wide growth of the ebusiness phenomenon, there is a paucity of empirical studies that examine the adoption of e-business in the Middle East. The aim of our study is to provide insights into the salient e-business adoption issues by focusing on Saudi Arabian businesses. We developed a conceptual model for electronic business (ebusiness) adoption incorporating ten factors based on the technology-organization-environment framework. Survey data from 550 businesses were used to test the model and hypotheses. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the reliability and validity of constructs. The findings of the study suggest that firm technology competence, size, top management Support, technology orientation, consumer readiness, trading partner readiness and regulatory support are important antecedents of e-business adoption and utilisation. In addition, the study finds that, competitive pressure and organisational customer and competitor orientation is not a predictor for e-business adoption and utilisation. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future inquiry are presented.


Correlation optimized warping has been the most used technique to correct the drifts in peak positions. COW aligns the unaligned chromatogram to the reference chromatogram provided slack (t) and segment lengths (m) are optimized. However, several combinations of m and t need to be tested before finding the optimum combination of m and t. The optimization of these two parameters is laborious and computationally time consuming. The computational time significantly increases with the number of samples. As a result, often the correction of the retention time drifts becomes the bottleneck in the data analysis workflow. The present work shows that the application of constraint randomized non-negative factor analysis (CRNNFA), a chemometric technique, prior to COW can optimize the computational time by reducing the volume of datasets and subsequently allows a swift correction of drifts in peak positions. The utility of the proposed approach is successfully demonstrated by analyzing simulated as well as real life chromatograms. It is expected that this proposed approach will be useful and would be successfully integrated in the data analysis workflow related to research dealing with the finding of chemical, biochemical or clinical markers.


ABSTRACT This article explores the interface between lifelong learning policies and the definition of social vulnerability of young adults in two regions located within the European Union. Girona comprises a constellation of small towns with important industry, service and hospitality sectors. Vienna is a global city where many key international operators are based and employ a large number of highly qualified professionals. The article explores to what extent the meta-governance and the 'causal narratives' of lifelong learning policies contribute towards shaping the prevailing images of youth vulnerability in these regions. In Girona, bureaucratic governance patterns lifelong learning policies, which strongly rely on the potential of career guidance to encourage the youth to undertake further education. Correspondingly, policy designs and professional discourses emphasise that the beneficiaries previously failed at school. In Vienna, authorities govern lifelong learning by means of both bureaucracy and complex networks of employers and non-profit organisations. The 'causal narrative' of the policies straightforwardly claims that all youth must have an experience with employment, whether in apprenticeships or in transitional workshops that emulate real jobs. There, policies portray beneficiaries according to their capacity to undertake and finish apprenticeships.


T he vignette about Mr Alberts is familiar to all of us working in safety-net hospitals. "Frequent flyer" patients may be young or old, male or female, and of any ethnicity. What they have in common is that their problems are not solvable by hospitals or medical systems. Yes, we can treat their pneumonias, skin abscesses, and in Mr Alberts's case their chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder exacerbations, but we are ill-equipped to treat poverty, homelessness, addictions, and loneliness. We spend large sums of money on medical care, including expensive diagnostic tests, and then shake our heads at the inability of our society to pay relatively small sums to provide food, housing, and transportation to medical visits. What the editors found particularly moving about this vignette is the illustration of a potentially powerful intervention for patients like Mr Alberts: a community health worker drawn from the same community as the patient. We agree with the authors' assertion that sending highly trained clinical personnel to the homes (or streets) of such patients will not necessarily improve their lives or decrease their medical expenses because it is not clinical services that they need. They need help with their social problems, connections to available resources in the community, transportation to medical visits, and translation of the increasingly complex language of medicine into terms they can understand and follow. We look forward to the results of trials on the use of community health workers in improving the care and decreasing the cost of patients like Mr Alberts.


Recruiters seek candidates with certain business skills that are not developed in the typical lecture-based classroom. Instead, active-learning techniques have been shown to be effective in honing these skills. One skill that is particularly important in sales careers is the ability to make a powerful and effective presentation. To help students develop strong presentation skills, two sections of an undergraduate sales management course included an exercise in which students make a presentation using a Pecha Kucha format. Active-learning exercises like this promote both thinking and doing, and improve student engagement. The expectation is that the exercise will not only improve presentation skills, but also content knowledge. The effectiveness of the format is assessed through instructor observation, pre- and postpresentation student surveys, student reflection papers, and examination.


For thermal natural ventilation, buoyancy plumes deriving from heating source make thermal stratification in room. The height difference between inlet and outlet is one of the important factors influencing thermal stratification. Taking a representative civil building with inside heating sources as the research object, using the technique of CFD, changing the height difference between inlet and outlet center, this paper gives simulation on the fluid field caused from thermal natural ventilation, analyzes the velocity field and temperature field under different simulation conditions, presents the influence rule of the height difference between inlet and outlet on thermal stratification in rooms. The results can provide a theory reference for natural ventilation system design in domestic buildings.


The use of winter cover crops (WCC) such as hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) and cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), in a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation provides long-term benefits that are generally overlooked. There is a particular lack of information regarding the effects of WCC on soil physical and chemical properties. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of four crop sequences (C/S, corn-fallow/soybean-fallow; C-R/S-R, cornrye/soybean-rye; C-R/S-V, corn-rye/soybean-vetch; and C-R/S-VR, corn-rye/soybean-vetch and rye) under no-till on several soil physical and chemical properties. Soil chemical properties included soil organic matter (SOM), pH, total nitrogen (TN), nitrates (NO3–N), and available phosphorus (P). The analyzed soil physical properties analyzed were: water-aggregate stability (WAS), bulk density (Db), penetration resistance(PR),totalporosity(TP),pore-sizedistribution,waterretention properties, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). The experimental design was a split-split-plot where whole-plot treatments (sampling period) had a Latin square design and subplot treatments (crop sequences) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Compared with winter fallow, crop sequences that included WCC provided substantial benefits from the soil productivity standpoint. Specifically, the use of the C-R/S-Vor C-R/SVR increased SOM down to 30 cm. All WCC sequences improved WAS with increases of 9, 13, and 17% for C-R/S-R, C-R/S-V, and C-R/ S-VR, respectively. Winter cover crop sequences reduced Db and PR of the soil surface and increased total and storage porosity along with plant available water. While the C-R/S-V sequence was the most effective in reducing soil NO3–N, the C-R/S-R sequence was the most effective in fixing soil P.


Previous reports have suggested that insulin may not regulate the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins in skeletal muscle. To further test the role of insulin, insulinopenia was produced by treating rats with streptozocin. After treatment, protein breakdown in skeletal muscle was evaluated with the isolated prefused rat hindquarter preparation. After the inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide, total and myofibrillar protein breakdown were assessed by measuring the release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively, in the perfused hindquarters of diabetic and agematched control rats. Streptozocin-induced (65 mg/kg) diabetes (3- to 28-day duration) resulted in hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, hyperphagia, increased plasma lipid levels, arrested body and muscle growth, and increased urea and 3-methylhistidine excretion. Despite this, protein breakdown in skeletal muscle diminished. The release of 3-methylhistidine by the perfused hindquarters of diabetic rats decreased, whereas the release of tyrosine remained unchanged, suggesting that the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins was affected specifically. 3-Methylhistidine (unbound) levels in skeletal muscle of unperfused diabetic rats as well as in skin decreased, whereas they increased twofold in the gastrointestinal tract. More severe diabetes (125 mg/kg streptozocin), which resulted in ketoacidosis, augmented protein breakdown in muscle; however, this response was due to a marked fall in food consumption (it was also evident when control rats were pair fed). These data reinforce previous conclusions that insulin does not play a major role in the regulation of myofibrillar protein breakdown in skeletal muscle. They also suggest that food consumption per se and/ or lipid availability may modulate myofibrillar proteolysis independent of insulin secretion. Lastly, increased 3-methylhistidine excretion in diabetic rats appeared to be of gastrointestinal origin. Because of this, caution must still be exercised in the use of 3-methylhistidine excretion as an index of myofibrillar proteolysis in skeletal muscle.


Summary
The intracellular DNA of bacteriophage T5 contains two major DNA forms distinguishable by sedimentation rate through neutral sucrose gradients. The slow sedimenting form (ssf) which moves at a rate similar to that of DNA extracted from mature T5 virus particles, was prepared free of the fast sedimenting form and capsid-associated DNA by electrophoresis on agarose gels in which it migrated as peak II DNA. The ssf DNA thus obtained was subjected to extensive structural analysis. The number and location of single-stranded regions was studied using the single-strand-specific S1 nuclease and electron microscopy. The frequency and position of the single-stranded regions, which could occur both at internal and terminal locations, was reproducible in the population of ssf DNA molecules as a whole but individual molecules were not identical. After analysis of these results in conjunction with results of studies on the location of single-strand interruptions in ssf DNA it is suggested that single-stranded regions mainly occur at those sites corresponding to the sites of the major nicks in mature T5 virion DNA. When the ssf was isolated by gel electrophoresis and maintained in low ionic strength solutions it was found to be associated with several phage-specific proteins including some which are constituents of the mature virus particle. The presence of these proteins reduced the electrophoretic mobility of the DNA from that expected on the basis of its mol. wt. alone. This property of reduced mobility could be reproduced in vitro using exogenous ssf DNA and crude extracts from phage-infected, but not from uninfected, cells. By contrast, when DNA purified from phage T7 particles was incubated with crude extracts of T5-infected bacteria, the electrophoretic mobility of the T7 DNA was unaltered; thus the effect was due to T5-specific proteins on T5-specific DNA.
The contour lengths of both peak II DNA and ssf were measured by electron microscopy and compared to that of mature T5 virion DNA. Unexpectedly it was found that both were reproducibly about 12% shorter than the mature molecule; therefore it appears unlikely that the ssf is a true intermediate in the pathway of T5 DNA replication. These observations are discussed in relation to the current models of excision from concatemers and encapsulation of mature phage DNA.


This review paper discusses radiation effects in a variety of optoelectronic devices. The main emphasis is on displacement and total dose damage under conditions that are representative of various space missions. However, the mechanisms for degradation in space are also applicable to other environments, such as nuclear reactors, and the extremely high-energy particles associated with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. In addition to permanent damage effects, there is also an abbreviated treatment of single-event effects in optoelectronic devices.


Audiometry increasingly becomes the concern of the family practitioner, who must be able to carry out a certain amount of hearing assessment in his own office, and be able to interpret the results of more complicated tests reported by otologists and audiologists.

An outline of tests recommended for office use is given and some typical examples of pure tone air and bone audiograms are discussed. A description of the aims and potential of additional audiometric tests is also included.


The characteristics of the competitive specialist and requirements for their training served the basis for the development of the generalized specialist model. A new imitative tutorial The Simulative Company, which is a systemized complex of operation teaching methods, is worked out and implemented. The research provides the algorithm of the teaching method The Simulative Company development realized and implemented by the authors in student groups on the specialties Management and Economy and Bookkeeping. The algorithm comprises the following stages: the launch of The Simulative Company (presenting The Simulative Company, the analysis of the environment); the functioning of The Simulative Company (recruitment, professional activity appraisals, partnering); the creation of an automated workplace. It is proved that in secondary professional educational institutions, active teaching methods should be given precedence to, which will increase the student's learning activity, facilitate the development of their initiative and personal potential, generate their creative approach, as well as will allow solving important teaching and organizational tasks. The established specifics of imitative teaching methods usage enable: to put into practice the models of the competitive specialist within the educational process; to realize the teacher's potential in improving his/her pedagogical excellence; to implement the system of new imitative teaching methods which is presented by the new technology The Simulative Company.


Abstract:This article explores the relationship between souvenir acquisition and the construction of narrative in the interior decoration of A la Ronde in Devon, home to cousins Jane and Mary Parminter. During their 1796–1811 period of homosocial cohabitation, the Parminters ornamented the property with handcrafted objects and spaces, often fabricated from souvenirs, found objects, and pieces from their family collection. While the secondary literature on A la Ronde emphasizes the appropriateness of so-called feminine crafts such as shell-work and paperwork for the decoration of a female space, this article reveals how the cousins used material objects to create complex domestic, familial, and touristic narratives. Focusing on a specimen table made around 1790, the article situates its production in relation to the histories of the Parminter family, their residence in Devon, and their extensive Continental tour. Utilizing frameworks from period travel writing, it demonstrates how the collection and creation of such objects was indivisible from the construction of narrative.


China has grown to become an economic powerhouse and engine of global demand. However, China's projected GDP growth rates are now anticipated to remain below 7% per annum over the next five years. This issue of Trade Insights examines how the 'new normal' of lower economic growth in China will impact on the prospects for trade in the Asia-Pacific region. Compared to the hypothetical scenario that China's economic growth returns to pre-crisis levels within the next five years (by 2019), forecasts show that China's 'new normal' (7% p.a.) would lead to a slowdown in real total Asia-Pacific trade growth from 7.0% to 5.9% by 2019.


The prevalence of overweight individuals in the Netherlands is increasing sharply as has also been observed in populations worldwide. In addition to the long-term health risks of being overweight, overweight women of reproductive age are more commonly faced with reproductive disorders. Women who are overweight are less fertile than women of normal weight. The chances of both spontaneous conception and conception after ovulation induction and assisted reproduction are lower in women who are overweight. The chance of a live birth is also decreased due to an increased risk of miscarriage. Furthermore pregnancy outcome is compromised by obesity-related complications of pregnancy. Weight loss of 5-15% in subfertile women who are overweight increases the chance of spontaneous conception and conception after fertility treatment and can be achieved through a low-calorie diet, increased exercise and behaviour modification.


Ectopic thyroid is a congenital defect in which the thyroid gland is located away from the usual pretracheal location. Dual ectopic thyroid, which consists of two foci of thyroid tissue, is very rare. In this case dual ectopic thyroid with subclinical hypothyroidism in a 10-year-old-girl was reported. The absence of the thyroid gland in the pretracheal location was revealed by ultrasonography (USG). Two foci of ectopic thyroid tissue located at the base of the tongue and infrahyoid region were determined by Technetium-99m pertechnetate thyroid scintigraphy. It can be concluded that if the thyroid gland is not visible by USG, ectopic thyroid tissue should be evaluated with scintigraphy.


BACKGROUND
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic form of cutaneous lupus, which can cause scarring. Many drugs have been used to treat this disease and some (such as thalidomide, cyclophosphamide and azathioprine) are potentially toxic. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2000, and previously updated in 2009. We wanted to update the review to assess whether any new information was available to treat DLE, as we were still unsure of the effectiveness of available drugs and how to select the most appropriate treatment for an individual with DLE.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of drugs for discoid lupus erythematosus.

SEARCH METHODS
We updated our searches of the following databases to 22 September 2016: the Cochrane Skin Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS. We also searched five trials databases, and checked the reference lists of included studies for further references to relevant trials. Index Medicus (1956 to 1966) was handsearched and we approached authors for information about unpublished trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of drugs to treat people with DLE in any population group and of either gender. Comparisons included any drug used for DLE against either another drug or against placebo cream. We excluded laser treatment, surgery, phototherapy, other forms of physical therapy, and photoprotection as we did not consider them drug treatments.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
At least two reviewers independently extracted data onto a data extraction sheet, resolving disagreements by discussion. We used standard methods to assess risk of bias, as expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS
Five trials involving 197 participants were included. Three new trials were included in this update. None of the five trials were of high quality.'Risk of bias' assessments identified potential sources of bias in each study. One study used an inappropriate randomisation method, and incomplete outcome data were a concern in another as 15 people did not complete the trial. We found most of the trials to be at low risk in terms of blinding, but three of the five did not describe allocation concealment.The included trials inadequately addressed the primary outcome measures of this review (percentage with complete resolution of skin lesions, percentage with clearing of erythema in at least 50% of lesions, and improvement in patient satisfaction/quality of life measures).One study of fluocinonide cream 0.05% (potent steroid) compared with hydrocortisone cream 1% (low-potency steroid) in 78 people reported complete resolution of skin lesions in 27% (10/37) of participants in the fluocinonide cream group and in 10% (4/41) in the hydrocortisone group, giving a 17% absolute benefit in favour of fluocinonide (risk ratio (RR) 2.77, 95% CI 0.95 to 8.08, 1 study, n = 78, low-quality evidence). The other primary outcome measures were not reported. Adverse events did not require discontinuation of the drug. Skin irritation occurred in three people using hydrocortisone, and one person developed acne. Burning occurred in two people using fluocinonide (moderate-quality evidence).A comparative trial of two oral agents, acitretin (50 mg daily) and hydroxychloroquine (400 mg daily), reported two of the outcomes of interest: complete resolution was seen in 13 of 28 participants (46%) on acitretin and 15 of 30 participants (50%) on hydoxychloroquine (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.59, 1 study, n = 58, low-quality evidence). Clearing of erythema in at least 50% of lesions was reported in 10 of 24 participants (42%) on acitretin and 17 of 25 (68%) on hydroxychloroquine (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.06, 1 study, n = 49, low-quality evidence). This comparison did not assess improvement in patient satisfaction/quality of life measures. Participants taking acitretin showed a small increase in serum triglyceride, not sufficient to require withdrawal of the drug. The main adverse effects were dry lips (93% of the acitretin group and 20% of the hydroxychloroquine group) and gastrointestinal disturbance (11% of the acitretin group and 17% of the hydroxychloroquine group). Four participants on acitretin withdrew due to gastrointestinal events or dry lips (moderate-quality evidence).One trial randomised 10 people with DLE to apply a calcineurin inhibitor, pimecrolimus 1% cream, or a potent steroid, betamethasone 17-valerate 0.1% cream, for eight weeks. The study reported none of the primary outcome measures, nor did it present data on adverse events.A trial of calcineurin inhibitors compared tacrolimus cream 0.1% with placebo (vehicle) over 12 weeks in 14 people, but reported none of our primary outcome measures. In the tacrolimus group, five participants complained of slight burning and itching, and for one participant, a herpes simplex infection was reactivated (moderate-quality evidence).Topical R-salbutamol 0.5% cream was compared with placebo (vehicle) over eight weeks in one trial of 37 people with DLE. There was a significant improvement in pain and itch in the salbutamol group at two, four, six, and eight weeks compared to placebo, but the trial did not record a formal measure of quality of life. None of the primary outcome measures were reported. Changes in erythema did not show benefit of salbutamol over placebo, but we could not obtain from the trial report the number of participants with clearing of erythema in at least 50% of lesions. There were 15 events in the placebo group (experienced by 12 participants) and 24 in the salbutamol group (experienced by nine participants). None of the adverse events were considered serious (moderate-quality evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Fluocinonide cream may be more effective than hydrocortisone in clearing DLE skin lesions. Hydroxychloroquine and acitretin appear to be of equal efficacy in terms of complete resolution, although adverse effects might be more frequent with acitretin, and clearing of erythema in at least 50% of lesions occurred less often in participants applying acitretin. Moderate-quality evidence found adverse events were minor on the whole. There is not enough reliable evidence about other drugs used to treat DLE. Overall, the quality of the trials and levels of uncertainty were such that there is a need for further trials of sufficient duration comparing, in particular, topical steroids with other agents.


An attempt was made to evaluate the frequency of the different diseases in a given population and health area so as to establish health policy programs. A method of comparison of results was used for two pediatric clinics in two health centers, and the frequency of the different chronic diseases in the overall children population attending both centers (asthma, urinary tract infections, gastroesophageal reflux, febrile seizures, psychomotor retardation and heart diseases) was evaluated. The results of the study were similar for both clinics and also to those by other authors of comparable assessments, except for gastroesophageal reflux. Asthma and urinary tract infection had frequencies ranging from 4.3 to 5% and from 4.15 to 5%, respectively. It should also be remarked that 29% of children with esophageal reflux in our sample had episodes of urinary tract infection.


To be eligible for civil commitment under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act (K.S.A 59-29a02,1994), three criteria must be satisfied; being the person must have past sex offenses, a mental abnormality, and be likely to sexually recidivate within the community. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) (Hare, 2003) is a tool often used by clinicians completing sexual predator evaluations as a means to assess for psychopathy, a mental disorder capable of satisfying criteria two. However, due to the amount of literature linking psychopathy to recidivism, the PCL-R has been presented and/or interpreted to also satisfy criteria three within the law, likely to recidivate. The current study examined whether this secondary application of the PCL-R in sexual predator evaluations is appropriate by correlating scores from the PCL-R (Hare, 2003), Static-99 (Hanson & Thornton, 1999), and Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool-Revised (MnSOST-R) (Epperson et al., 1998), two tools created for the purpose of measuring recidivism in sex offender populations. Results revealed no significant relationship between the PCL-R, Static-99, or MnSOST-R. An additional literature review suggests the way in which the term recidivism is defined in research may contribute to the conflicting findings between this study and previous studies supporting the PCL-R as capable of predicting recidivism in sex offenders. Research linking psychopathy to recidivism typically uses the term recidivism in a sweeping manner incorporating several different types of recidivism underneath it. However, studies that have broken recidivism down into subcategories such as any, serious, and sexual recidivism have not been able to find a significant relationship between psychopathy and sexual recidivism.


Voluntary contributions by private citizens and corporations in amounts ranging from a few coins to millions of dollars are a major factor in the maintenance of the American way of life. It is difficult to imagine the consequences if this source of support for the work of religious bodies, health and welfare agencies, and educational and research institutions were materially reduced. This case study, focused on Indianapolis, examines a critical mass fund-raising and giving program. Community chests in many communities evolved into the present-day United Way. In design, scope, and detail this study was without precedent when it was initially published in the 1950s. But "Community Chest "is more than an examination of local problems of fund raising. It also makes a decisive contribution to knowledge of philanthropic practice that is of general relevance to the social sciences. The book asks and seeks answers to the most ticklish issues of philanthropic fund raising: What may agencies expect in contributions from different social segments? How does one begin to estimate the need for philanthropic dollars in a given community? How can the public guard the interests of both ultimate recipients of assistance and donors? In short, what elements are crucial to success or failure in financing voluntary agencies, not merely in terms of money but with full regard for the needs and potentials of citizens and the community as a whole? Sociologists, welfare personnel, and professionals involved in financial development will find in this book an extraordinarv amount of material, both factual and interpretive, suggesting new approaches to the perplexing problems of community fund raising. A new introduction prepared by Carl Milofsky is a fascinating study of the tensions involved in the selection of the senior author, John R. Seeley, and of the critical response to this controversial study. This new material itself uniquely contributes to the sociology of knowledge.


Important articles of pathological interest are published in such a wide variety of journals that it is virtually impossible to keep abreast of even major additions to knowledge. The publication of this annual goes some way to rectifying this state of affairs by providing a useful summary of advances in areas not always covered by pathology journals. Thus the present volume contains an entertaining and informative article on some aspects of aural pathology by I. Friedmann as well as papers on such widely differing subjects as central pontine myelinosis, adiaspiromycosis, experimental glomerulonephritis, and odontogenic cysts of the jaws. Of more immediate relevance to practising histopathologists perhaps are admirable reviews on asbestos and mesothelioma by Kannerstein and his colleagues and a well illustrated account of early squamous carcinoma of the lung by Darryl Carter. Waldo and Ackermann provide a clear and concise chapter on the confusing conditions known as epidermolytic hyperkeratosis and focal acomtholytic dyskeratosis which will be of value to the general pathologist faced with skin biopsies. The book is worthy of a place in every histopathology laboratory, and one looks forward to future volumes. It is cheap at the price. M. S. DUNNILL


The number and type of threats to modern information and communication networks has increased massively in the recent years. Furthermore, the system complexity and interconnectedness has reached a level which makes it impossible to adequately protect networked systems with standard security solutions. There are simply too many unknown vulnerabilities, potential configuration mistakes and therefore enlarged attack surfaces and channels. A promising approach to better secure today's networked systems is information sharing about threats, vulnerabilities and indicators of compromise across organizations; and, in case something went wrong, to report incidents to national cyber security centers. These measures enable early warning systems, support risk management processes, and increase the overall situational awareness of organizations. Several cyber security directives around the world, such as the EU Network and Information Security Directive and the equivalent NIST Framework, demand specifically national cyber security centers and policies for organizations to report on incidents. However, effective tools to support the operation of such centers are rare. Typically, existing tools have been developed with the single organization as customer in mind. These tools are often not appropriate either for the large amounts of data or for the application use case at all. In this paper, we therefore introduce a novel incident clustering model and a system architecture along with a prototype implementation to establish situational awareness about the security of participating organizations. This is a vital prerequisite to plan further actions towards securing national infrastructure assets.


1. Introduction Bemba is renowned as an example of a language with an extensive conjoint-disjoint alternation following earlier work in Sharman and Meeussen (1955) and Sharman (1956). The alternation is understood as the expression of complementary pairs of verb forms in particular tenses, differentiated by their distributional properties. Thus conjoint and disjoint forms are morphologically marked to distinguish their context of occurrence. Disjoint forms are generally able to occur finally in a main clause while conjoint forms are not. Associated with these distributional properties are interpretational properties revealing information structure although, as van der Wal (this volume) points out, these are properties that vary across different Bantu languages. The goal of this paper is to present the conjoint-disjoint alternation (henceforth CJ-DJ alternation) as it manifests itself in Bemba (Northern and Copperbelt dialects) and to specifically evaluate whether the alternation is encoded by tone in Bemba. Apart from segmental morphological marking of the CJ-DJ alternation in particular tenses a significant number of other tenses show tone marking that distinguishes the context of occurrence of a verb form in the same way that the CJ-DJ alternation does. This raises the question whether such tone marking should be treated as encoding the alternation and if it is not why it's distributional properties are so similar to the CJ-DJ alternation. The paper thus elaborates on the interplay between the CJ-DJ alternation, on the one hand, and prosodic marking, on the other. It will be shown that prosodic marking differs from the CJ-DJ alternation on only a limited number of properties but which, it will be argued, are significant enough to tip the balance towards segmental marking as the central way in which the CJ-DJ alternation is encoded in Bemba. The paper is organised as follows: Section 2 provides background on Bemba tonology which is relevant for the ensuing discussion; section 3 presents the morphological segmental CJ-DJ alternation markers; section 4 looks at prosodic marking with the goal of evaluating whether tone-marking independently encodes the CJ-DJ alternation; section 5 looks at the interpretational properties of the CJ-DJ alternation and also to what extent these also coincide with prosodic marking; section 6 gives the final evaluation of prosodic marking of the CJ-DJ alternation in Bemba; section 7 offers a short discussion of phrasal phonology in nominal forms; and section 8 ends the paper with some concluding remarks.


This paper reports the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies of porous Zn (p- Zn) prepared by electrochemical etching. Further, the post annealing of the p- Zn is carried out and STM/STS investigations are also performed. STM studies of these samples reveal the porous structure and display small, pseudo-spherical shaped crystals in the range of 2 and 100 nm, 2 and 50 nm, and similar average corrugation of 9 nm for p- Zn and oxidized p-Zn. STS analysis of freshly prepared p- Zn shows a band gap of 2.4 eV along with metallic conductance behavior. However, oxidized p- Zn reveals a distinct wide band gap (3 eV) and shows shallow donor states near the conduction band.


Foreword by Roger Hood, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, University of Oxford 1. The emergence and importance of evidence-based practice in probation and youth justice, Ros Burnett and Colin Roberts 2. Evidence-based practice in the National Probation Service, Christine Knott 3. Towards effective practice in the Youth Justice System, Cedric Fullwood and Helen Powell 4. Assessment tools in probation: their development and potential, Simon Merrington 5. Is Asset really an asset? Assessment of young offenders in practice, Kerry Baker 6. Exploring effective educational interventions for young people who offend, Geoff Hayward, Martin Stephenson and Maggie Blyth 7. Probation interventions to address basic skills and employment needs, llona Haslewood- Pocsik and Grainne McMahon 8. Offending behaviour programmes: emerging evidence and implications for practice, Colin Roberts 9. Intensive supervision and surveillance programmes for young offenders: the evidence base so far, Robin Moore 10. One-to-one ways of promoting desistance: in search of an evidence base, Ros Burnett 11. Using community service to encourage inclusive citizenship: evidence from the CS pathfinder, Sue Rex and Loraine Gelsthorpe 12. Opportunity, motivation and change: some findings from research on resettlement, Peter Raynor 13. Pursuing evidence-based inspection, Rod Morgan


Word embedding is a useful approach to capture co-occurrence structures in a large corpus of text. In addition to the text data itself, we often have additional covariates associated with individual documents in the corpus---e.g. the demographic of the author, time and venue of publication, etc.---and we would like the embedding to naturally capture the information of the covariates. In this paper, we propose CoVeR, a new tensor decomposition model for vector embeddings with covariates. CoVeR jointly learns a base embedding for all the words as well as a weighted diagonal transformation to model how each covariate modifies the base embedding. To obtain the specific embedding for a particular author or venue, for example, we can then simply multiply the base embedding by the transformation matrix associated with that time or venue. The main advantages of our approach is data efficiency and interpretability of the covariate transformation matrix. Our experiments demonstrate that our joint model learns substantially better embeddings conditioned on each covariate compared to the standard approach of learning a separate embedding for each covariate using only the relevant subset of data, as well as other related methods. Furthermore, CoVeR encourages the embeddings to be "topic-aligned" in the sense that the dimensions have specific independent meanings. This allows our covariate-specific embeddings to be compared by topic, enabling downstream differential analysis. We empirically evaluate the benefits of our algorithm on several datasets, and demonstrate how it can be used to address many natural questions about the effects of covariates.


This study examined the relationship between parental experience, parental knowledge, and the development of extremely low birth weight infants. The subjects (N = 40) were extremely high-risk infants averaging 1000.0 grams birthweight and 28.1 weeks gestational age. The study found that mothers of preterm infants called upon the same types of experiences and sources of information about infancy as mothers of full-term infants. Further, ratings of maternal accuracy on the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory accounted for 13% to 15% of the variation on the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 8 months corrected age. The infants of mothers with greater than average knowledge about infancy scored approximately one standard deviation higher on both the MDI and the PDI than did the infants of mothers who had less than average knowledge about Infancy. Implications for intervention are discussed.


Simple, accurate and precise spectroflourimetric, s pectrophotometric and LC methods have been developed and validated for the determination of irbesartan (IRB). The spectroflourimetric method depends on measuring the native fluorescence of IRB in the range of 1-6 μg.ml-1 em at 785 nm upon excitation at 250 nm) in 0.1N H2SO4. Spectrophotometric method represents a stability indicating assay for the determination of IRB in presence of its alkaline degradation product (IDP) in the range of 2.5 -30 μg.ml-1. This method was based on measuring the first derivative of ratio spectra at 236.5 nm. The LC method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of IRB and hydrochlorothiazide (HCZ) in presence of IDP in the range of 30 112.5 μg. ml-1 and 2.5 9.375 μg. ml-1 of IRB and HCZ, respectively. The analysis was conducted on Agilent zobrax ODS (C18) column, 5 μm particle size (4.6 x 250 mm), using ondansetrone hydrochloride as an internal sta ndard and a mobile phase consisting of triethylamine: acetonitrile: 0.025 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate adjusted to pH (3) with ophosphoric acid (0.15: 40: 60, v/v/v). Quantitation was achieved using UV detection at 269 nm at a flow rate maintained at 1 ml.min-1. The results were statistically compared using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The developed methods were satisfactorily applied to the analysis of the pharmaceutical formulations and proved to be specific and accurate for the quality control of the cited drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms.


Abstract This article is the first to thoroughly investigate the state of undergraduate statistics education in the Arab world. It discusses evidence with respect to the quality of education in general and statistics education in particular. Based on a survey of statistics programs in Arab universities, several issues pertaining to curriculum structure, pedagogical practices, and matching learning outcomes with labor market needs are discussed. The survey results reveal a gap between the undergraduate statistics programs in Arab universities and the international curriculum guidelines. This gap signals the urgent need for reforming and enhancing statistics education to address the needs of the labor market in this era of information. Recommendations and strategic reforms based on best international practices are outlined.


Written by a highly regarded author with industrial and academic experience, this new edition of an established bestselling book provides practical guidance for students, researchers, and those in chemical engineering. The book includes a new section on sustainable energy, with sections on carbon capture and sequestration, as a result of increasing environmental awareness; and a companion website that includes problems, worked solutions, and Excel spreadsheets to enable students to carry out complex calculations.


The objective of this study was to evaluate plasma concentrations of cortisol, acute-phase proteins, and proinflammatory cytokines in beef steers after an intravenous corticotrophin-release hormone (CRH) infusion. Six weaned, halter-trained Angus steers (BW = 163 ± 7.0 kg; age = 203 ± 5.8 d) were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters on d -1 of the study and assigned to receive intravenously 0.1 μg of bovine CRH/kg of BW on d 0 of the study. Blood samples were collected every hour via jugular catheters from -1 to 8 h, and every 6 h via jugular venipuncture from 12 to 72 h relative to CRH infusion (0 h). Steer rectal temperature was assessed concurrently with each blood collection. Samples collected from -1 to 8 h relative to CRH infusion were analyzed for plasma concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, cortisol, ceruloplasmin, and haptoglobin, whereas samples collected from 12 to 72 h were analyzed for plasma concentrations of ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin only. Plasma cortisol concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) at 1, 2, and 3 h compared with prechallenge values (2.8, 2.3, 13.9, 8.2, and 5.7 ng/mL for -1, 0, 1, 2, and 3 h, respectively; SEM = 0.6). Mean postchallenge IL-6 concentrations were greater (P = 0.04) compared with mean prechallenge values (1.49 vs. 1.34 log pg/mL; SEM = 0.05), whereas IL-6 concentrations at 6 h were greater (P ≤ 0.05) compared with prechallenge values (1.36, 1.33, and 1.61 log pg/mL at -1, 0, and 6 h, respectively; SEM = 0.09). Rectal temperatures were greater (P < 0.01) at 2 and 8 h compared with prechallenge values (38.9, 39.0, 39.3, and 39.5°C at -1, 0, 2, and 8 h, respectively; SEM = 0.07). Plasma ceruloplasmin concentrations were greater (P = 0.03) at 54 h (29.6, 31.5, and 35.2 mg/dL at -1, 0, and 54 h, respectively; SEM = 1.7), whereas plasma haptoglobin concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) at 54, 66, and 72 h compared with prechallenge values (3.3, 2.8, 4.3, 4.6, and 4.1 absorbance at 450 nm × 100 at -1, 0, 54, 66, and 72 h, respectively; SEM = 0.24). In conclusion, intravenous CRH infusion at 0.1 μg/kg of BW increased circulating concentrations of cortisol and stimulated the acute-phase response in halter-trained beef steers.


The three-dimensional, dynamic, elastic-plastic response of a right-angle bent cantilever pipe, with an initially uniform, circular cross section, subjected to out-of-plane loading is examined using finite element beam and shell models in ABAQUS. The large-deflection behavior involves both bending and torsional elastoplastic deformations of the pipe, phenomena which have not been previously studied in the context of the dynamic problem of pipe whip. Initially, neglecting ovalization and local collapse (kinking), the bent pipe is modeled as a beam, using spatial beam elements in ABAQUS. This enables the basic three-dimensional kinematic behavior of the pipe to be analyzed. A similar, but potentially more accurate, analysis was then performed using shell elements. It is shown that there is no significant difference in the global dynamic plastic response. However the ovalization of the pipe cross section and formation and movement of the plastic zones (hinges) can be captured by using shell elements. This provides data which could form the basis for examining local failures in the pipe run. Previously unpublished experimental results, obtained in an earlier study by some of the present authors, are compared with the simulated results. Good agreement is observed and it is concluded that a nonlinear dynamic model using finite elements provides a rigorous approach for estimating the hazard zone (HZ) and, also, for treating the kinematics of a whipping pipe for this complex three-dimensional situation.


Seventy-one cases of infertile women with both normal menstrual cycle and biphasic BBT were studied with ultrasonography, laparoscopy, hormonal assay and endometrial histology. Signs for follicular development and ovulation were divided into four types: (1) normal ovulation in 12 cases; (2) ovulation of small follicle in 21 cases; (3) luteinized unruptured follicle in 15 cases; (4) small luteinized follicle in 23 cases. Mean serum progesterone levels in the luteal phase were within normal limits in all cases. Secretory endometrium accounted for 77.46%. Proliferative or hyperplastic endometrium accounted for 22.54%. The Authors conclude that the criteria of biphasic BBT, P levels and endometrial histology are not reliable enough for determine the cause of female infertility women. In this study the rate of salpingitis: and the rate of aberration of follicular development and chronic anovulation was 7.04%, 83.10% respectively. The latter played an important role in causing female infertility.


Guidance and legislation in the UK suggest that it is becoming increasingly important to listen to the voices of pupils, to acknowledge their rights and to consult and collaborate with them in the development of personalised approaches to their education. In this article, Jackie Ravet, lecturer in inclusive practice at the University of Aberdeen, explores the methodological issues raised by a study of pupil perceptions of their disengagement in the primary classroom. She examines how an interpretative methodology was adapted to enable a group of eight- and nine-year-old primary school pupils to reflect upon their responses to learning and to express their interpretations, explanations and evaluations of their disengagement. Jackie Ravet's article details the array of interpretative methods used throughout her study with a particular focus upon a sequence of practical, activity-based interview formats designed to enable pupil communication and participation. This exposition is followed by a critique of the methodology and a discussion of its implications for research involving young children. The article closes with a call for pupils to be more effectively involved in reflecting upon the processes of participative research and in meaningful partnerships for school improvement. This article will be of interest to anyone seeking to enhance consultation and collaboration with pupils.


When searching for prey, many predator species exhibit a remarkable behavior: after prey capture, the predators promptly engage in "area-restricted search", probing for consecutive captures nearby. Biologists have been surprised with the efficiency and adaptability of this search strategy to a great number of habitats and prey distributions. We propose to synthesize a similar search strategy for the massively multimodal problems of combinatorial optimization. The predatory search strategy restricts the search to a small area after each new improving solution is found. Subsequent improvements are often found during area-restricted search. Results of this approach to gate matrix layout, an important problem arising in very large scale integrated (VLSI) architectures, are presented. Compared to established methods over a set of benchmark circuits, predatory search is able to either match or outperform the best-known layouts. Additional remarks address the relation of predatory search to the "big-valley" hypothesis and to the field of artificial life.


Due to global competition, the engineering of automated production systems is becoming more and more complex. To support this engineering, a graph-based approach for managing inconsistencies in and between heterogeneous engineering models has been developed. The basis of this approach is built upon vocabularies for the engineering disciplines as well as a semantic mediation concept. The approach's suitability is shown by means of a software prototype investigating exemplary automated production system models – domain-specific application opportunities and limitations are derived.


In this paper, we present an informed prefetching technique called IPODS that makes use of application-disclosed access patterns to prefetch hinted blocks in distributed multi-level storage systems. We develop a prefetching pipeline in IPODS, where an informed prefetching process is divided into a set of independent prefetching steps among multiple storage levels in a distributed system. In the IPODS system, while data blocks are prefetched from hard disks to memory buffers in remote storage servers, data blocks buffered in the servers are prefetched through networks to clients' local cache. We show that these two prefetching steps can be handled in a pipelining manner to improve I/O performance of distributed storage systems. Our IPODS technique differs itself from existing prefetching schemes in two ways. First, IPODS reduces applications' I/O stalls by keeping hinted data in clients' local caches and storage servers' fast buffers (e.g., solid state disks). Second, in a prefetching pipeline, multiple informed prefetching mechanisms semi-dependently coordinate to fetch blocks (1) from low-level (slow) to high-level (fast) storage devices in servers and (2) from high-level devices in servers to clients' local cache. The prefetching pipeline in IPODS judiciously hides network latencies in distributed storage systems, thereby reducing the overall I/O access time in distributed systems. Using a wide range of real-world I/O traces, our experiments show that IPODS can improve noticeably I/O performance of distributed storage systems.


Nanotechnology is a branch of science focusing on the manipulation of materials measured on the nanoscale (size = 1–100 nm). Recent advances in the field of nanodentistry have resulted in the development of alternative treatment plans for common dental problems, bringing about a paradigm shift in dentistry. Nanorobots, also known as "nanites" or "nanomachines," are theoretical microscopic devices that may be used for the diagnosis and treatment of oral health problems. This paper aims to discuss the latest innovations in the field of nanodentistry.


Advances in the aircraft technologies have resulted in an increase in the amount of data required to define a design during the conceptual stages. A conceptual design dictates a close multidisciplinary effort requiring large amounts of data exchange. In order to optimize the design process, it is crucial that a top-down data management design structure be in place in the early phases of the design. This structure will provide consistency in data format and allow ease of data exchange between the various disciplines involved in the design process. In the conceptual design phase, consideration must be given to the changing structure of the of the database as the product design evolves. Current database design approaches are typically limited to the detailed design phase where the data organization is fixed. The goal of the research was to develop a database design approach to support the conceptual design of complex engineering products where the database organization is evolving. The research investigates the relative merits of a relational and object-oriented approach to database design for a multidisciplinary aircraft design effort. On a conceptual level, complete database design methodologies have been developed that include all disciplinary data required in the conceptual design phase. The relational and object-oriented design methodologies were applied directly to the stability and control section of the design. This research documents these proposed approaches and recommends possible database design strategies.


The purpose of this study was to examine the diversity-related change process a university athletic department was undertaking. A comprehensive model was developed by drawing from full integration theory and institutional theory. Following an organizational diagnosis perspective, data were collected through semistructured interviews, internal documents from the athletic department and university culture centers, associated websites, and press releases. Results indicate that political, functional, and social pressures for change influenced the implementation of various diversity initiatives. Despite these efforts, two primary groups of factors served to impede the progress: organizational factors, in the form of top management support and systemic integration, and perceptual processes, in the form of social processes and utility. Results suggest that for diversity-related change to be successful, it is important to consider how diversity impacts the entire sport organization, internal and external stakehol...


The development of risk before and after vaccination in the City of Havana province was described. Data were collected from epidemiological surveys of all cases under 5 years diagnosed with meningococcal disease during pre-vaccination period (1983-1984) and post-vaccination period (989,1990 and 1998). They were processed by using the Geographic Information System Mapinfo 4.1. During 1983 and 1984 when there was no vaccinal intervention, high incidence rates in all age groups were observed in most of the municipalities of the province. However, in 1989, the vaccination coverage was extensive and from that moment on, the incidence rates decreased and the number of meningitis-free municipalities grew. A decrease in frequency of sick children, non-vaccinated children and a very small number of children who were not vaccinated as they should have been was observed. The benefits of an homogeneous intervention at territorial level in the province were proved.


In a survey of game animals and small mammals, the sera of 185 animals were examined for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies to the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which causes Lyme borreliosis. These animals comprised 59 fallow deer (Dama dama), 56 mouflons (Ovis musimon) and 70 small mammals of six different species. The sera of the fallow deer and the mouflons were examined by indirect haemagglutination assay. The sera of the small mammals were examined by modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which is available in a commercial kit. The sera of the 59 fallow deer demonstrated positivity of 40.77% (titres 1:40-1:80). The 56 mouflons demonstrated seropositivity of 17.8% (1:40-1:80). The sera of the small mammals were highly positive in the yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) at 42.1% (titres 1:200-1:1,600), followed by the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) at 14.3% (1:400-1:800), the common vole (Microtus arvalis) at 12.5% (1:200) and the black-striped field mouse (A. agrarius) at 10.0% (1:200-1:400-800). The authors also report the rate of infestation of these small mammals by the tick Ixodes ricinus, as these mammal species are potential reservoirs for this vector. The study focuses on the relationship between the possibility of infestation by I. ricinus and the reservoir competence of the different species under study, as well as the possible spread of disease. The detected rate of seroprevalence indicates that all the investigated animals have had contact with infected ticks.


1. Uptake of water from the atmosphere by previously desiccated, starved Thermobia domestica is related to the % relative humidity, and occurs in and above 63% R.H. between 17 and 37° C. Losses occur in and below 43% R.H.

2. Uptake is often, though not invariably, arrested during even brief periods of locomotor activity.

3. Recovery from desiccation proceeds to the same level of body-water content in all humidities above the 'critical' value. Equilibrium is reached more rapidly in the higher temperatures and humidities.

4. The equilibrium level attained is the same as that found in control insects, and it does not change when the insect is transferred from one high humidity to another.

5. During periods of relatively large dry-weight losses, a greater proportion of water is retained in the body, providing some volume regulation.

6. The living insect restricts its water loss in low humidities by means of a permeability barrier which is disrupted during uptake in high humidities and is progressively lost on death. This restriction is not dependent upon the continued activity of the uptake mechanism.


Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of 28 quinoline-arylamidine (CQArA) hybrids against two leukemia cells, K562 and Raji, was performed. Multiple linear regression (MLR) models were obtained by genetic algorithm. The best models involved the following descriptors: radial distribution function (RDF) descriptors, GETAWAY (GEometry, Topology, and Atom-Weights AssemblY) descriptor, bond information content index, and dipole moment. The best MLR models for K562 and Raji cells demonstrated satisfactory stability in internal and external validation. Since the QSAR model for Raji cells has better predictive ability, two new highly potent CQArA analogues were proposed based on it. The QSAR models revealed important physicochemical and structural requirements for the antitumor activity: enhanced 3D molecular distribution of mass calculated at radius 11 Å from the center of molecule, a higher number of terminal electronegative atoms, extension of the molecules' central linker between quinoline and arylamidine, higher ratio of single bonds and total number of atoms, and symmetric charge distribution. Molecular docking study was applied to ensure the anticancer activity affinity to the binding site of the tyrosine-protein kinase (c-SRC). It was confirmed that the most active compound binds on the pocket between the small and large lobes of c-SRC, mostly throughout the hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions.


Abstract This paper concerns the kinematics of active strike-slip faults in the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone, and how they accommodate plate convergence. Several roles are discernible: (1) collision zone boundaries, the left-lateral Dead Sea Fault System and right-lateral faults in eastern Iran form the western and eastern boundaries of the collision zone; (2) tectonic escape structures, the North and East Anatolian faults transport intervening crust westwards, out of the path of the Arabia; (3) strain partitioning, right-lateral slip on the Zagros Main Recent Fault and NW–SE-striking thrusts to its SW produce north–south convergence, parallel to the plate vector; left-lateral slip along the Alborz range and thrusts across it produce oblique left-lateral shortening; (4) shortening arrays, arrays of strike-slip faults (e.g. Kopeh Dagh and eastern Iranian faults) rotate about vertical axes, producing north–south shortening without crustal thickening; (5) transfer zones, fold trends and earthquake slip vectors change orientation across strike-slip faults in the Zagros, suggesting that these faults allow for changes in thrust transport along strike in the orogen. These different roles emphasize the complex behaviour of continental crust, and the advantages of studying active tectonics rather than ancient examples.


Background: Clopidogrel is a prodrug that converts in the liver to an active thiol metabolite, which irreversibly inhibits the platelet P2Y12 adenosine diphosphate receptor. It seems that methadone as CYP2C19 inhibitor affects ticlopidine activity in vivo. This study aimed to test the ability of methadone in changing ticlopidine pharmacokinetics. Methods: We conducted a case–control study in 10 subjects. The cases (5 subjects) in our study were addicts who were receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for preventing opium withdrawal symptoms. The control group were opiate users before starting MMT. In both groups, the patients received clopidogrel (75mg/day) for 5 days. On the 6 day, the subjects returned to the clinic, blood samples were taken up to 12 hours following clopidogrel dosing in case and control groups. Plasma concentration of clopidogrel was measured by GC-MAS. Noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel software to estimate PK parameters. Results: In this study, methadone decreased clopidogrel clearance by 25% and increased the AUC0-inf nearly 1.3 fold during the coadministration of clopidogrel as an antiplatelet drug. Conclusion: A significant decrease in the clearance of clopidogrel during the coadministration of methadone consistent with a decrease in clopidogrel conversion to its active metabolite and this may decrease its efficacy and may have life-threatening consequences for the patients undergoing clopidogerel maintenance therapy.


in general practice, so that there are many cimetidine-treated patients in the community with undiagnosed or (if they come up to clinic during or shortly after a course of cimetidine) undiagnosable abdominal pain, some of whom may be harbouring palliated malignancy. It is necessary to emphasise, categorically, that it is in every patient's best interests to have a definitive diagnosis made before treatment with cimetidine is started. There is no doubt that the endoscopic and radiological facilities within the NHS are adequate to cope with the demand. A definitive diagnosis is all the more important since it is clear that prolonged, rather than short-term, cimetidine treatment is necessary for most of these patients with chronic duodenal ulcer disease who are suitable for medical treatment. N R PEDEN K G WORMSLEY


The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. EGFR Positive immunoreactivity ranged from focal to diffuse in overexpression has been shown in many different tumors and multiple EGFR-targeted therapies are currently being investigated. Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (epiAML) is an aggressive and potentially malignant variant of conventional angiomyolipoma (cAML). Currently, the status of EGFR expression in epiAML is unknown. We compared EGFR protein expression, as well as expression levels of several other tumor regulatory proteins including c-Kit, p53, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and osteopontin in 6 cases of cAML and 10 cases of epiAML by semiquantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC). EGFR gene amplification was analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Within epiAML, EGFR immunostaining was significantly higher when compared to cAML (90% vs. 16.7%, p<0.01). epiAML, whereas no diffuse reactivity was found in cAML. EGFR gene amplification was not identified in either cAML or epiAML as illustrated by FISH. Expression levels of c-Kit, osteopontin, p53, alpha-catenin


The laser surface remelting (LSR) process was successfully applied to restore localized corrosion resistance in sensitized stainless steel and also as a useful method to improve passivity of some martensitic stainless steels. The LSR process can be successfully applied to repair cracks and defects at the surface of highly thermo-mechanically loaded parts of stainless steel. The purpose of presented study was to evaluate the microstructure and properties of laser remelted surface of stainless steels. The wrought austenitic stainless steel and sintered in vacuum 316L type were studied. The laser treatment was performed with the use of high power diode laser (HPDL) and the influence of beam power of 0.7-2.1kW on the properties of the surface layer was evaluated. The geometrical characteristics and x-ray analysis of weld bead were studied as well as microhardness, surface roughness and corrosion resistance were measured. The increase of laser beam power of LSR resulted in the increase of hardness of sintered stainless steel due to the reduction of porosity and formation of fine dendritic and cellular-dendritic microstructure. The corrosion resistance of remelted surface increased for sintered materials, when remelted at 2.1kW. The wrought stainless steel revealed impairment of pitting corrosion when remelted at lower beam power rate.


Miragel (TM) episcleral explants undergo deterioration with the passing years, so that their ablation becomes necessary in a growing number of cases because of progressive discomfort and/or diplopia. The present study deals with 13 eyes undergoing the removal of an episcleral Miragel explant between 10/1/96 and 10/15/98. The Miragel explant ablation, which is tedious because of the material alterations, gives excellent functional and cosmetic results. The risk of retinal detachment recurrence seems low.