Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to develop, test, and improve a structural equation model (SEM) of client satisfaction with the audit, and of client perception of the usefulness of the audit to external stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach - A questionnaire was mailed to audit clients, i.e. managers of Swedish limited companies with 50 or more employees; 627 useable questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 43 percent. Data were processed using the SEM software LISREL. Findings - The data suggest that auditors face difficulties in handling divided loyalties, as audit clients perceive a strong relationship between client satisfaction and usefulness to external stakeholders. Signing auditor competence is positively and auditor skepticism negatively related to both client satisfaction and usefulness to external stakeholders. Research limitations/implications - The paper focuses solely on the auditor and audit team levels and uses a limited number of independent variables. Practical implications - The findings extend previous results, indicating that client relationships with both signing auditors and audit assistants affect client satisfaction positively, but have no significant connection with usefulness to external stakeholders. Consequently, it would be useful to consider organizing audit teams in which the various members have distinct roles. Originality/value - The study addresses an issue most auditing research has not explicitly considered: the distinction between client satisfaction with the audit and client perceptions of the usefulness of the audit to external stakeholders.


The context for foreclosure prevention and mitigation hinges critically upon whether a state operates in a judicial or nonjudicial regime. Nonjudicial foreclosure regimes allow mortgage lenders to foreclose on homes without substantial court supervision. In these states, the time from the borrower receiving an initial notice of foreclosure to the date of the completed foreclosure sale tends to be substantially shorter than in states with judicial foreclosure systems. Moreover, nonjudicial foreclosure regimes tend to offer borrowers fewer legal protections and make it more difficult for homeowners to slow or intervene in the routine foreclosure process. For example, many of the more well-known efforts to reduce foreclosures, including mediation programs in which lenders must meet with borrowers in the presence of a mediator, have occurred in judicial states. This report examines legislation affecting the mortgage foreclosure process adopted in states with nonjudicial foreclosure processes from January 2005 through May of 2010. Little is known about how policymakers in nonjudicial states have responded to the foreclosure crisis. In general, borrowers in nonjudicial states are at a significant disadvantage when compared to those in judicial states and, short of changing to a judicial foreclosure regime, efforts to reduce foreclosures run up against a different set of constraints and challenges. The primary purpose of this report is to understand how policymakers in nonjudicial states have attempted to respond in terms of legislative modifications to the foreclosure process in the face of the national foreclosure crisis. We do this by analyzing state legislative activity during the study period. In particular we identified all legislation enacted during this period that concerns the regulation and administration of the default and foreclosure process for single-family residential mortgages. We quantify and classify this legislation, and identify states that were relatively active in this area during the study period. We then focus on eight of the most active states, describing some of the key provisions adopted in these states.


Understanding the role of the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) for the formation of helimagnetic order, as well as the emergence of skyrmions in magnetic systems that lack inversion symmetry, has found increasing interest due to the significant potential for novel spin based technologies. Candidate materials to host skyrmions include those belonging to the B20 group such as FeGe, known for stabilising Bloch-like skyrmions, interfacial systems such as cobalt multilayers or Pd/Fe bilayers on top of Ir(111), known for stabilising Néel-like skyrmions, and, recently, alloys with a crystallographic symmetry where anti-skyrmions are stabilised. Micromagnetic simulations have become a standard approach to aid the design and optimisation of spintronic and magnetic nanodevices and are also applied to the modelling of device applications which make use of skyrmions. Several public domain micromagnetic simulation packages such as OOMMF, MuMax3 and Fidimag already offer implementations of different DMI terms. It is therefore highly desirable to propose a so-called micromagnetic standard problem that would allow one to benchmark and test the different software packages in a similar way as is done for ferromagnetic materials without the DMI. Here, we provide a sequence of well-defined and increasingly complex computational problems for magnetic materials with DMI. Our test problems include 1D, 2D and 3D domains, spin wave dynamics in the presence of DMI, and validation of the analytical and numerical solutions including uniform magnetisation, edge tilting, spin waves and skyrmion formation. This set of problems can be used by developers and users of new micromagnetic simulation codes for testing and validation and hence establishing scientific credibility.


This study identified the relationship between task-technology fit and job performance among meter reader at Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad. The research questions conducted defined the significant relationship between task-technology fit and job performance which divided into eight measurements that falls under task..:technology fit. This study was conducted among meter readers at Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad with the total respondents of 66 whom are among different grades of position. There are no sampling techniques in deciding sample since this study involved every meter reader at Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad. Pearson correlation analysis conducted between each tasktechnology fit's factors. The eight measurement involved was quality, locatability, authorization, compatibility, production timeliness, systems reliability, ease of use or training and relationship with users. A weak ~orrelation appears in between independent and dependent variable job perforlnance which are locatability, authorization, cOlnpatibility and systems reliability. Meanwhile, a moderate relationship occurs between quality, production timeliness, ease of use or .training and relationship with users. Other than that, this study also suggest for larger sample size in the future for further fully identifying the significant relationship between these both variables in other condition and situation.


In the end of 2015, ASEAN Community will be fully implemented in Southeast Asia. The community will bring ASEAN countries to the next stage of cooperation in order to bring prosperity to the region. However, several obstacles still have to be faced by ASEAN. Territorial dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia concerning Preah Temple, Malaysia with The Phillipines over Sabah, etc are some of the problems. Other problems related to South China Sea, even involving five ASEAN members on dispute. Although it is clear that member of ASEAN countries agree to settle their problems according to ASEAN mechanism as the most respective organization in the region, on several occasions they prefer to take it bilaterally or bring it to the Hague. The assumption of non-interference principle as the organization conflict solving mechanism does not apply accordingly. As such, we have to find other ways. Peace can only be achieved through closer relations between ASEAN countries. Closer relation creates better understanding between people within those countries. If "high level" (G to G) conflict resolution does not work, we have to turn to the people. Closer relations among its people will be a "grass root' power to force the government to end their dispute. This paper will examine how ASEAN Socio-Culture Community (ASCC), alongside CSO's within them, will work in creating closer relations among ASEAN countries, in order to solve disputes in the region. Key words: ASEAN Community, ASEAN Socio-Culture Community, Dispute, Civil Society Organizations (CSO).


Many real applications can be modeled using bipartite graphs, such as users vs. files in a P2P system, traders vs. stocks in a financial trading system, conferences vs. authors in a scientific publication network, and so on. We introduce two operations on bipartite graphs: 1) identifying similar nodes (Neighborhood formation), and 2) finding abnormal nodes (Anomaly detection). And we propose algorithms to compute the neighborhood for each node using random walk with restarts and graph partitioning; we also propose algorithms to identify abnormal nodes, using neighborhood information. We evaluate the quality of neighborhoods based on semantics of the datasets, and we also measure the performance of the anomaly detection algorithm with manually injected anomalies. Both effectiveness and efficiency of the methods are confirmed by experiments on several real datasets.


Written as part of a training pack for practitioners working in children's services and child protection, and bringing together leading figures from a range of disciplines, this important text shows how the latest child development theories can be applied to professionals' working practice. Considering theories of development throughout the lifespan from the early years through to adolescence, and transitions to adulthood, this resource is essential reading for a range of professionals including social workers, teachers, and health and mental health professionals. The authors build up an integrated picture of the developing world of the child, looking at genetic and biological influences alongside individual psychological, interpersonal, familial, educational and wider community domains. The final part of the book looks specifically at issues for practice, including chapters on communicating with children exercising professional judgement, and planning, interventions and outcomes in children's services.


Context. The secondary-to-primary boron-to-carbon (B/C) ratio is widely used to study the cosmic-ray (CR) propagation processes in the Galaxy. It is usually assumed that secondary nuclei such as Li-Be-B are generated entirely by collisions of heavier CR nuclei with the interstellar medium (ISM). Aims. We study the CR propagation under a scenario where secondary nuclei can also be produced or accelerated by Galactic sources. We consider the processes of hadronic interactions inside supernova remnants (SNRs) and the re-acceleration of background CRs in strong shocks. We investigate their impact in the propagation parameter determination within present and future data. Methods. Analytical calculations are performed in the frameworks of the diffusive shock acceleration theory and the diffusive halo model of CR transport. Statistical analyses are performed to determine the propagation parameters and their uncertainty bounds using existing data on the B/C ratio, as well as the simulated data expected from the AMS-02 experiment. Results. The spectra of Li-Be-B nuclei emitted from SNRs are harder than those due to CR collisions with the ISM. The secondary-toprimary ratios flatten significantly at ∼TeV/n energies, both from spallation and re-acceleration in the sources. The two mechanisms are complementary to each other and depend on the properties of the local ISM around the expanding remnants. The secondary production in SNRs is significant for dense background media, n1 1c m −3 , while the amount of re-accelerated CRs is relevant to SNRs expanding into rarefied media, n1 0. 1c m −3 . Owing to these effects, the diffusion parameter δ may be underestimated by a factor of ∼5–15%. Our estimations indicate that an experiment of the AMS-02 caliber can constrain the key propagation parameters, while breaking the source-transport degeneracy for a wide class of B/C-consistent models. Conclusions. Given the precision of the data expected from ongoing experiments, the SNR production/acceleration of secondary nuclei should be considered, if any, to prevent a possible mis-determination of the CR transport parameters.


With the elections of 2012, the main party driving the Islam debate in the Netherlands was sidelined. The new government of Liberals and Social Democrats is trying to re-bury the contentious issue, not least because Islam-related questions have had a confusing effect on their parties. Nonetheless, with societal concerns lingering, the topic is likely to reappear. In the Netherlands, the wariness towards (Islamic) immigration is not rooted in fears of ethnic or religious competition. Instead, it tends to receive serious political attention only when cloaked as a defence of secularist and liberal values. As such, curbing Islamic practices is presented as a way to protect a (self-promoted) image of the Netherlands as a non-judgemental and tolerant place. The paradox remains that that self-image was traditionally meant to include minorities, not to exclude them.


New analysis by the Fiscal Futures Project finds that Illinois' budget impasse has put spending on autopilot while revenue is down significantly. This perfect storm of decreased revenue and uncoordinated spending is causing uneven allocations and exacerbating an already massive budget deficit. The policy brief uses data from the Illinois Office of the Comptroller on spending and revenue as of December 31, 2015 to provide a detailed accounting of the budget picture at the mid-point of FY16. The data show that as of mid-FY16, Illinois had revenue of only about $30 billion, or 46 percent of FY15 revenue. Based on this data and other analyses, the researchers project final revenue for FY16 of about $63.7 billion, a decline of $1.9 billion from FY15. The report provides a data table that details allocations to various departments and agencies. It compares the amount allocated by mid-FY16 to total spending in each category in FY15, to provide a ratio expressed as a percentage of FY15 spending. For example, spending for K-12 education, funded by an appropriations bill, is consistent with last year at $3.99 billion, or 45 percent of FY15 spending. The ratios range from a low of less than 1 percent (state employee health care) to a high of 55 percent (Environmental Protection Agency). Other areas with particularly low mid-FY16 rates of expenditures include university education (1 percent), the Illinois Community College Board (1 percent), and the Capital Development Board (3 percent). Overall, the state's lack of a budget will only add to the imbalance between revenue and spending, resulting in a bad deficit made worse. The state had a structural deficit of $4.2 billion at the end of FY15. The researchers project that the state will accumulate an additional deficit of $6.6 billion by the end of FY16.


Forest loss and degradation carry a heavy human and environmental cost throughout tropical, temperate and boreal regions. In response, IUCN, WWF and various government and non-government partners have developed the Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) approach, which focuses on restoring the goods, services and ecological processes that forests can provide at the broader landscape level. While FLR is globally relevant, some captivating and interesting examples of restoration have come from East Africa. Three examples are highlighted in this booklet.


Remotely sensed hyperspectral imaging instruments provide high-dimensional data containing rich information in both the spatial and the spectral domain. In many surveillance applications, detecting objects (targets) is a very important task. In particular, algorithms for detecting (moving or static) targets, or targets that could expand their size (such as propagating fires) often require timely responses for swift decisions that depend upon high computing performance of algorithm analysis. In this paper, we develop parallel versions of a target detection algorithm based on orthogonal subspace projections. The parallel implementations are tested in two types of parallel computing architectures: a massively parallel cluster of computers called Thunderhead and available at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and a commodity graphics processing unit (GPU) of NVidia GeForce GTX 275 type. While the cluster-based implementation reveals itself as appealing for information extraction from remote sensing data already transmitted to Earth, the GPU implementation allows us to perform near real-time anomaly detection in hyperspectral scenes, with speedups over 50x with regards to a highly optimized serial version. The proposed parallel algorithms are quantitatively evaluated using hyperspectral data collected by the NASA's Airborne Visible Infra-Red Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) system over the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York, five days after the attacks that collapsed the two main towers in the WTC complex.


The effects of chronic alcohol administration on reproductive endocrinology in the developing male rat were examined. Prepubescent male rats (25 days of age) were maintained on an alcohol liquid diet or were pair-fed a control diet until early adulthood and selected indices of sexual maturation were examined at weekly intervals. To determine whether sexually immature animals were more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than adults, fully mature male animals were exposed to an identical period of alcohol exposure and comparisons were made between the two groups. The results demonstrated that alcohol significantly affected many of the primary indices of puberty and sexual maturation. The normal pubertal increases in serum testosterone levels, the weights of the testes and secondary sex organs and beta-endorphin levels in the hypothalamus were substantially reduced in alcohol-exposed animals compared with controls. In contrast to these results, the effects of alcohol on reproductive endocrinology in the fully mature animal were transitory and of considerably less magnitude. After a 2-week alcohol-free period, male rats exposed to alcohol during development were bred with drug-naive primiparous females. Although the same number of pregnancies resulted from matings between alcohol-exposed males and drug-naive females compared with controls, litter sizes were significantly smaller in alcohol-derived offspring than in controls. In all other respects, such as body weights, sex ratios, mortality rates and gross developmental features (eye opening, incisor eruption and testes descent), alcohol-derived offspring were identical with controls. Upon closer examination, however, significant disturbances were detected in alcohol-derived male offspring.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Background: The healing process of burns wound can be accelerated using natural compound and one example of alternative medicine is virgin red palm Oil (VRPO). However, scientific evidence that back this notion is still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect VRPO toward burn wound healing in male wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus).
Methods: An experimental randomized post-test only control group study was conducted using 28 male Wistar rats. Burn wound was created in all rats but only treatment group received VRPO while the control group was treated with placebo cream. Skin sample was obtained from each rat at day 4 and 11 for histological examination (fibroblasts density, neovascularization, and epithelialization).
Results: The results showed that VRPO improved fibroblast density, neovascularization, and epithelialization at day 4 compared to control group. However, at day 11, there was a decreased in fibroblast density and neovascularization while epithelialization continuously increased at double the rate of the control group.
Conclusion: Topical VRPO improved burn wound healing by increasing wound healing speed and epithelialization.


The aim of this study was to formulate a topical nanoemulsion which can be used to treat both bacterial and fungal infections of the skin. Eight self-emulsifying drug delivery systems composed of different combinations of rifampicin (1%), benzoic acid (6%) and salicylic acid (3%) were formulated and designated as F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7 and F8. Nanoemulsions of the eight formulations were prepared using oleic acid, Tween 80 and water by sonication method. Antibacterial and antifungal effects were observed against Staphylococcus aureus, Stap. epidermis and Candida albicans by the Kirby-Bauer method. The nanoemulsion containing only rifampicin showed strong activity against S. aureus and S. epidermis, but not against C. albicans. The nanoemulsion containing both benzoic acid and salicylic acid showed better activity in C. albicans, but not against S. aureus and S. epidermis. However, the nanoemulsions consisting of all three active ingredients showed significant results against S. aureus, S. epidermis and C. albicans.
Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 22(1): 1-6, 2019


Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is increasingly recognised as a serious, worldwide public health concern. TNBC has the ability to recur after treatment and appears to be greatest in the first few years. The phenotypical changes of the TNBC metastasis represent a unique that heterogeneous tumour cell population with special biological features that permit travel to distant sites and the establishment of a clinically disseminated disease. Triple-negative tumours do not express the oestrogen-ERα receptor, progesterone PgR receptor and the epidermal growth factor receptor (Her2). However, the three biomarkers are used clinically to guide treatment. The main aim of this research is to elucidate recently identified molecular pathways that contribute to TNBC metastasis. It also provides a useful approach to understand the heterogeneity of TNBC at its different stages. Several protein
candidates show differential expression between metastatic and non-metastatic tumours. This research had hypothesised that over expression by the group of proteins increases the metastatic propensity of TNBC. In this research, I studied selected protein candidates extracted from human breast cancer tumour tissue and breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB- 468 and MCF-7) using quantitative detection by in-gel digestion mass spectrometry and proteomics, western blotting (WB), immunocytochemistry (ICC), CRISPR/Cas9 and Wound Healing. Here, I used the CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to induce EGFR and STAT1
over expression and then performed wound-healing experiments, which revealed that STAT1 over expression from its genomic locus significantly, decreased the potential of the cells to close the wound. Also, the present study demonstrates the over expression of EGFR in 26 tumour samples of TNBC patients with a p-value < 0.05. The data obtained provides valuable information in order to understand the mechanisms of metastasis.


Aim To determine the impact of arthroplasty on player handicap, frequency of golf played, return to club competitions and overall mental and physical health using the SF-12. Method A three page, 30 item, open access survey was sent to a community of over 500,000 golfers via the newsletter for the HowDidIDo® app between 18/04/2019–30/04/2019, inviting users who had undergone a joint replacement to complete. Responses were analysed using Microsoft excel and StatsDirect. Results A total of 3043 valid responses were received, the majority were male (n=2392). Mean age was 70 years (25–92). Most respondents had only a single joint replacement (n=1977). Within the cohort, there were mostly hips (n=2092) and knees (n=2069) replaced with far fewer shoulders (n=101), although this concurred with NJR population data. Across the whole cohort, most respondents were playing more (40%) or the same (44%) amount of golf following arthroplasty. Across the cohort only 4% were assumed unable to return to club competitions, while 76% of respondents returned to competitions within six months. Mean handicap prior to arthroplasty was increased (17.6 to 18.9) with no significant difference between hips, knees and shoulders. The SF-12 results were completed for 1094 respondents which when matched for age, demonstrated higher physical (48.59 vs. 43.65) and mental health (55.59 vs.52.10) scores. Conclusions Joint replacement enables the vast majority of patients to continue or increase the amount of golf played with most returning to club competitions within six months. A slight increase in handicap is demonstrated following surgery in this cohort, with stabilisation after this initial increase. Patients playing golf following arthroplasty demonstrate better physical and mental health than their age matched counterparts.


Along with many other species, the Scotch argus (Erebia aethiops) has suffered a decline in range, particularly in England, with some populations experiencing long-term isolation. This thesis studied the genetic structure of the species in Britain on a national scale and at the metapopulation level with the aim of advising future management of the species and potential reintroductions across its former range in England. AFLP analysis carried out on populations from England, Scotland and the western Scottish islands found that there was no significant difference in genetic diversity between the regions. None of the study populations showed clear signs of inbreeding, suggesting inbreeding depression (a reduction in fitness due to inbreeding) is not a concern. Even those populations in England which were probably isolated for a long time (e.g. Arnside Knott) showed genetic diversity levels that were relatively high. However, populations were genetically differentiated with significant differences observed among both regions and populations. Genetic differences among populations were significantly related to geographic distance. On a local scale, the Smardale Gill metapopulation was found to be genetically robust with gene flow occurring between all patches. This was confirmed with a mark-release-recapture study which show that males are able to move long distances and the total population estimate for the whole area was high (over 7000 individuals). However, females moved only small distances, and none were reported to move between patches, suggesting that gene flow between patches is only maintained by males and colonisation of empty patches is limited. The results of this study provide support for several management recommendations for the conservation of the species. The struggling Arnside Knott population at the most southern range margin was found not to be suffering from inbreeding, so it is recommended that no supplementary translocations be made until the cause of the decline is determined. As populations were genetically differentiated, a geographically close population is recommended as a source to increase the chance of success of any future reintroduction. In this respect the Smardale Gill metapopulation appears the most suitable source for future reintroduction attempts across the species' former range in England.


Thermus ruber produces complex spherical bodies during its growth on liquid organic media. These bodies are similar to those formed by T. aquaticus. Giant spheres of T. ruber can reach 30 mc in diameter. They may originate by two pathways: (1) from cell aggregates or (2) by local separation of the outer layer of the cell wall which accompanies bending of a cell or a bundle of cells (threads) in the form of a hook, a loop or a vibrio. In both cases, the spheres grow as a result of cell multiplication under the common outer layer of the cell wall. Their growth on a potato-peptone broth is favoured by an addition of DL-alpha-alanine at a concentration of 10 mcg per 1 ml. Apparently, these complex spheres are sort of swimming bladders which are formed by an organism to occupy horizons with favourable oxygen regime during their growth in an aqueous medium. When the spheres are incubated under stationary conditions for a long time, they become setaceous and transform into coils.


During the last decade, major changes have been occurring in the NDE industry. Driven by advances in structural design, maintenance, and life extension practices, a new emphasis on the quantitative interpretation of nondestructive measurements has emerged (1-3). It is no longer practical to overdesign a system to accommodate the wide range of flaw sizes that might be accepted by a qualitative inspection. Instead, the cost, safety, and performance requirements of many major systems can only be attained by maximizing (and specifying) the reliability of flaw detection, by making quantitative estimates of the sizes of the detected flaws, and by measuring material properties and environmental conditions which influence the rate of flaw growth and the load at which catastrophic failure is expected to occur.


Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) after high-dose, marrow-ablative chemoradiotherapy has been established as the treatment of choice for various hematologic, neoplastic, and congenital disorders. The most common type of marrow graft is an allogeneic one from a sibling donor who has compatible human leukocyte antigen (HLA). Only 30% of patients requiring allogeneic BMT have an HLA-compatible sibling donor. Over the past few years, marrows from unrelated HLA-compatible donors have been used with increasing frequency and promising outcome in certain hematologic malignancies. Despite the morbidity and mortality associated with this treatment modality, allogeneic BMT may provide a 20% to 90% chance of long-term, disease-free survival to patients with a wide variety of neoplastic and abnormal marrow disorders.


Numerous California cities and counties impose "below market rate" (BMR) inclusionary requirements on residential builders. The stated purpose of such ordinances is to increase the supply of affordable housing by adding price-restricted units to market-rate projects. This paper examines the effects of BMR requirements on residential development in weak real estate markets. We review relevant literature, conduct case studies of seven California communities, and interview California builders. Irrespective of boom or bust, there is no published evidence that California BMR requirements reduce total housing production, but the mix of housing may be affected, shifting the balance towards multifamily over single family housing in communities with such measures, the price level at the upper end of the market may increase, and price level and unit size at the low end may decrease. We find that the recent weakening of the housing market indeed places strain on many of the state's BMR programs, as the price gap between market rate and income-restricted housing has narrowed and the sale of BMR homes, which carry resale restrictions, is more difficult. Builders express concern that aggressive BMR programs might slow recovery in the residential construction sector. As jurisdictions adjust to market realities, smart practices include (1) flexibility of BMR requirements in the face of weak demand and falling prices, in terms of number of units, affordability levels, or use and resale restrictions; (2) substitute compliance alternatives, such as off-site development and in-lieu payments; and (3) good faith negotiation among jurisdictions and builders, marked by cooperation and consideration of macroeconomic circumstances.


We show that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in the elasticity of non-financial corporate to sovereign credit default swaps in core EU countries, characterized by strong fiscal capacity. For peripheral countries with lower budgetary slackness, the pandemic had essentially no impact on such elasticity. This evidence is consistent with the disaster-induced repricing of government support, which we model through a rare-disaster asset pricing framework with bailout guarantees and defaultable public debt. The model implies that risk-adjusted guarantees in the core were 2.6 times those in the periphery, suggesting that fiscal capacity buffers provide relief to firms' financing costs.


Voltage-dependent delayed rectifier K+ channels regulate aspects of both stimulus-secretion and excitation-contraction coupling, but assigning specific roles to these channels has proved problematic. Using transgenically derived insulinoma cells (βTC3-neo) and β-cells purified from rodent pancreatic islets of Langerhans, we studied the expression and role of delayed rectifiers in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction methods to amplify all known candidate delayed rectifier transcripts, the expression of the K+ channel gene Kv2.1 in βTC3-neo insulinoma cells and purified rodent pancreatic β-cells was detected and confirmed by immunoblotting in the insulinoma cells. βTC3-neo cells were also found to express a related K+ channel, Kv3.2. Whole-cell patch clamp demonstrated the presence of delayed rectifier K+ currents inhibited by tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine, with similar Kd values to that of Kv2.1, correlating delayed rectifier gene expression with the K+ currents. The effect of these blockers on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was studied with fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry and imaging techniques. In the absence of glucose, exposure to TEA (1-20 mM) had minimal effects on βTC3-neo or rodent islet [Ca2+]i, but in the presence of glucose, TEA activated large amplitude [Ca2+]i oscillations. In the insulinoma cells the TEA-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations were driven by synchronous oscillations in membrane potential, resulting in a 4-fold potentiation of insulin secretion. Activation of specific delayed rectifier K+ channels can therefore suppress stimulus-secretion coupling by damping oscillations in membrane potential and [Ca2+]i and thereby regulate secretion. These studies implicate previously uncharacterized β-cell delayed rectifier K+ channels in the regulation of membrane repolarization, [Ca2+]i, and insulin secretion.


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth cause of cancer-related mortality in the Western world and is envisaged to become the second cause by 2030. Although our knowledge about the molecular biology of PDAC is continuously increasing, this progress has not been translated into better patients' outcome. Liposomes have been used to circumvent concerns associated with the low efficiency of anticancer drugs such as severe side effects and damage of healthy tissues, but they have not resulted in improved efficacy as yet. Recently, the concept is emerging that the limited success of liposomal drugs in clinical practice is due to our poor knowledge of the nano–bio interactions experienced by liposomes in vivo. After systemic administration, lipid vesicles are covered by plasma proteins forming a biomolecular coating, referred to as the protein corona (PC). Recent studies have clarified that just a minor fraction of the hundreds of bound plasma proteins, referred to as "PC fingerprints" (PCFs), enhance liposome association with cancer cells, triggering efficient particle internalization. In this study, we synthesized a library of 10 liposomal formulations with systematic changes in lipid composition and exposed them to human plasma (HP). Size, zeta-potential, and corona composition of the resulting liposome–protein complexes were thoroughly characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), micro-electrophoresis, and nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC MS/MS). According to the recent literature, enrichment in PCFs was used to predict the targeting ability of synthesized liposomal formulations. Here we show that the predicted targeting capability of liposome–protein complexes clearly correlate with cellular uptake in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PANC-1) and insulinoma (INS-1) cells as quantified by flow-assisted cell sorting (FACS). Of note, cellular uptake of the liposomal formulation with the highest abundance of PCFs was much larger than that of Onivyde®, an Irinotecan liposomal drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 for the treatment of metastatic PDAC. Given the urgent need of efficient nanocarriers for the treatment of PDAC, we envision that our results will pave the way for the development of more efficient PC-based targeted nanomaterials. Here we also show that some BCs are enriched with plasma proteins that are associated with the onset and progression of PDAC (e.g., sex hormone-binding globulin, Ficolin-3, plasma protease C1 inhibitor, etc.). This could open the intriguing possibility to identify novel biomarkers.


It is difficult to formulate a single definition for "small scale enterprise." Most countries have their own definition, reflecting more or less the stages achieved by each in economic development. However, there are certain basic characteristics of small enterprises in most countries: (1) the capital outlay is relatively small; (2) the operations are relatively less mechanized than those of large scale enterprises; and (3) they are geographically dispersed. Recent concerns for the problem of employment creation and income distribution in less developed countries has sparked an interest in the role of small scale enterprises in the process of economic development. The industrialization policies pursued by most developing countries has led to the use of capital intensive technology by the large scale enterprise sector. This sector has failed to generate significantly high levels of employment in most developing countries. The result has been increasing levels of unemployment especially in urban areas.


Applied Physics
Photons are ideal carriers of bits of information—they are fast, robust, and can travel long distances. For secure applications such as quantum key distribution for cryptography, the information is conveyed by single photons. Compared with classical keys, an attack on the communication channel by an eavesdropper that uses a quantum key is readily detected. Quantum dots are useful sources of single photons and can be integrated into on-chip waveguides that direct where the single photons go. However, extracting the photons from the waveguide into an external communication channel (such as an optical fiber) is often inefficient because the photons undergo internal reflection at the waveguide's interfaces. Davanco et al. have designed a system whereby a tapered fiber waveguide is coupled to a semiconductor waveguide that contains quantum dots. The geometry of the semiconductor waveguide is designed so that the properties of the generated single photons can be selected and matched to that of the tapered fiber. This matching enhances the extraction of the single photons from the semiconductor waveguide into the tapered fiber.

Appl. Phys. Lett. 99 , 121101 (2011).


Abstract AISI4340 steel is the medium carbon low-alloy steel has got excellent prominence as a construction material. This steel is spheroidised on heating to the intercritical temperature range by different time intervals with the objective of increasing the number and fineness of the spheroids of cementite particles. A 9 hours, spheroidisation shows better spheroids of cementite particles. To study the effect of initial room temperature structure on spheroidisation primary heat treatments like normalising and hardening are carried out for as-bought steel. Tensile property (yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and percentage elongation), hardness (Rockwell C scale) and micro-structural features and micro-hardness of micro-phases (ferrite and cementite) are studied. A continuous reduction in the tensile strength, hardness and improvement in ductility, is observed with the increase in spheroidisation time is observed in all the spheroidisation paths. Also, increased spheroidisation time shows a lesser aspect ratio for spheroids. The micro-structure shows partial spheroidisation in all the conditions with more number of spheroids in normalised condition and finer size in hardened. Drastic reduction in strength and hardness values are observed in the hardened condition during spheroidisation.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose and model collaboration and information exchange enabler strategies, designed to accomplish significant improvements in supply chain (SC) performance. Some of these improvements to the SC include the reduction of the bullwhip effect and increased customer and SC partner benefits. The authors propose a fully collaborative replenishment model. The study details the information flow required to implement new SC collaboration strategies, clarifying a specific strategy for information sharing involving inventory levels (on hand, in process, etc.), orders and demand forecast.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors suggest the adoption of business process modelling (BPM) methodology, aimed at identifying which information should be shared by SC partners, in order to create fully collaborative strategies.

Findings
The features of BPM allow for the effortless integration of the modelled information collaboration strategies into a general network information system, creating a flexible structure that can be quickly and even automatically adapted to new conditions.

Research limitations/implications
In this paper, a serial SC has been analysed, but enterprises also commonly manage more complex kind of chains. Chains composed of more than one member in the same echelon, divergent chains, convergent chains, network chains are all different configurations that require their own algorithm. The authors use the order up to policy, but there are other policies that can be considered to extend the scope of the model.

Practical implications
BPM, specifically through Unified Modelling Language (UML) and Business Process Modelling Notation standards, represents a suitable technique to develop and implement new SC collaboration practices, serving as a communication link between managers and software developers.

Social implications
The expected results of this work imply the proposal of a reference model for collaborative supply chain (CSC) organisations, contributing to the enhancement of value creation for the whole CSC.

Originality/value
The aim of this paper is to clarify the information-sharing algorithm required to implement a collaborative structure for an SC. This algorithm is expressed using the BPM technique, specifically UML and Business Process Model and Notation standards.


Background Acne vulgaris affects almost every adolescent to varying extents. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Symptoms often require medical treatment with local and/or systemic medication. The success of the treatment is greatly influenced by the compliance of the patients. Adolescents often have poor compliance, and it can be challenging for healthcare providers to improve compliance in this special age group of patients. Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate compliance of adolescent patients with local and systemic medication for the treatment of acne vulgaris, and to explore the possible causes of non-compliance. Material and methods Adolescent patients treated for acne vulgaris of varying severity in an outpatient paediatric dermatological department were included in the study. An interview was conducted with the patients, using a structured questionnaire, consisting of 32 questions. Further medical history was taken from the medical records. Results 213 adolescent patients (122 males and 91 females) were included in the study; mean age was 15.63 ± 2.22 years (mean±SD). Average time between first symptoms occurring and visiting a dermatologist was 1.77 years. A significant number of the patients did not follow the dosing and medicine taking instructions recommended by the doctor. 73.2% applied the local products less frequently and 56.2% took the medicines less often than recommended. In order to attempt to achieve a faster remission, a very small number of them took the medicine more often or applied the local treatment more frequently. Due to side effects, it was necessary to terminate the medication in 9.3% of cases. 42.3% of patients did not return to at least one control visit. 7.6% of patients did not redeem the prescription for financial reasons. Conclusion Examination and exploration of factors leading to inappropriate patient compliance can provide important help for improving compliance and the development of an efficiently working acne caring system, which in the long run can result in the achievement of more successful treatment. No conflict of interest.


I enjoyed Richard A. Kerr's article about support for punctuated equilibrium (Research News, 10 Mar., p. 1421), but the accompanying headline "Did Darwin get it all right?"-is a bit problematic for those of us who deal regularly with the continuing evolution-creation controversy. It is virtually certain that this headline soon will reappear in creationist literature, accompanied by assertions that Darwin was completely wrong and that evolution theory therefore is bankrupt. It matters not that the article says nothing of the kind, that research on punctuated equilibrium occurs within a solidly Darwinian framework, or that debates about the mode and tempo of evolution demonstrate the nature and methods of science and the differences between science and religion. Creationists will distort the headline to meet their needs. This headline is reminiscent of one from some years back, when Science covered a meeting at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, also devoted to the debate about gradualism and punctuated equilibrium (R. Lewin, Research News, 21 Nov. 1980, p. 887). The headline, "Evolutionary theory under fire," provided a gold mine for subsequent creationist propaganda. I do not propose editorial censorship, but I suggest that a journal representing an organization of some 130,000 scientists be a bit more judicious in its choice of headlines. I realize that such headlines are intended to attract readers, but they should not have the subsidiary effect of providing support for those whose views are antithetical to science and reason. Joseph D. McInermey Director, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, 5415 Mark Dabling Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80918-3842, USA


The elucidation of the interactions between a protein and a ligand or proteins is a key issue for understanding of functional processes of various proteins, enzymes and receptors in biological organisms, system biology and drug design. One of the most important matters in these problems is the accurate estimation of binding free energy between a protein and a ligand or proteins. In the present review, we overview various techniques and introduce a new technique for estimation of binding free energy calculations. We also discuss possible ways to incorporate the effect of fect of solvent.


Globally, wetlands have experienced significant declines in area and condition. Reedbeds are a key attribute of many wetlands and are typically composed of Phragmites australis (common reed), a globally distributed emergent aquatic perennial grass. Environmental water is increasingly used to support functioning river and floodplain ecosystems, including reedbeds, where maintaining wetland vegetation condition is a common objective. Drone-based remote sensing allows for the consistent collection of high-quality data in locations such as wetlands where access is limited. We used unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to estimate the cover of Phragmites australis and examine the role of reedbed condition and prior environmental watering in the response of reedbeds to flooding. Data were collected from a large inland reedbed in semi-arid western New South Wales, Australia between October 2019 and March 2021 using UAVs and processed using CNNs. Prior to the flood event, sites that had received environmental water had a significantly greater cover of Phragmites australis. The sites that were not managed with environmental water had very low cover (<1%) of reeds prior to the flood event and transitioned from a Critical condition to a Poor or Medium condition following flooding. Using UAVs and CNNs we demonstrated the role environmental water plays in filling the gaps between large flood events and maintaining the condition and resilience of reedbeds.


This thesis treats charged particle transport, mostly in solid materials but also, to some extent, in aqueous media. Three major types of materials have been investigated; dielectric materials, ion conductors, and drug-delivery systems.The frequency-dependent dielectric permittivity of sputtered amorphous thin film tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) has been determined by using impedance spectroscopy. A new interpolation formula has been derived, that interpolates between the two power-law regions at low and high frequencies usually observed in the dielectric spectrum. This formula is based on a regular-singular-point (RSP) analysis of the conduction process, and the power-laws in the dielectric spectrum are interpreted in terms of RSPs of the underlying rate equation for the corresponding polarization-current response function.Lithium transport properties of Ta2O5 have been analyzed by using the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and by isothermal transient ionic current measurements. Chemical and component diffusion coefficients for intercalated lithium have been extracted. Moreover, the ion conduction process has been analyzed theoretically, and expressions for transient ionic currents derived, both for single ion-conducting layers and for three-layered structures of ion conductors.Electrical measurement techniques have also been applied to pharmaceutical systems. The alternating ionic current technique has been developed as a tool for determining the release of electrically charged drug substances in aqueous media. Tablets made of agglomerated micronized cellulose have been investigated, and sodium chloride has been used as a model drug. An attempt has been made to describe the combined drug dissolution and drug release processes in mathematical terms.


As working conditions change worldwide, employment precarity is increasing, including for groups for whom such conditions are unexpected. This study investigates how members of one such group—educationally advantaged young adults—describe their professional futures in a context of unprecedented employment precarity where their expected trajectories are no longer easily achievable. Using 75 interviews with young university graduates in Madrid, Spain, I find that most young graduates drew on a long-standing cultural narrative, which I call the "achievement narrative," to imagine future stable employment. Simultaneously, most denounced this narrative as fraudulent. To explain this finding, I draw on the concept of hysteresis: the mismatch between beliefs that are dependent on the past conditions that produced them and the available opportunities in the present. I argue that hysteresis can extend into future projections; projected futures can be guided by beliefs based on past conditions more than by lived experiences in the present. Further, I argue that the achievement narrative itself reinforces hysteresis in future projections due to its resonance and institutional support. The paper offers new insights into projected futures and employment precarity by analyzing the future projections of a privileged cohort facing unexpected precarity, further develops the concept of hysteresis, and extends the study of cultural narratives.


Ulcerative colitis is a dynamic, chronic inflammatory condition associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Inflammatory cell apoptosis is a key mechanism regulating ulcerative colitis. American ginseng (AG) is a putative antioxidant that can suppress hyperactive immune cells. We have recently shown that AG can prevent and treat mouse colitis. Because p53 levels are elevated in inflammatory cells in both mouse and human colitis, we tested the hypothesis that AG protects from colitis by driving inflammatory cell apoptosis through a p53 mechanism. We used isogenic p53+/+ and p53−/− inflammatory cell lines as well as primary CD4+/CD25− effector T cells from p53+/+ and p53−/− mice to show that AG drives apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner. Moreover, we used a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) model of colitis in C57BL/6 p53+/+ and p53−/− mice to test whether the protective effect of AG against colitis is p53 dependent. Data indicate that AG induces apoptosis in p53+/+ but not in isogenic p53−/− cells in vitro. In vivo, C57BL/6 p53+/+ mice are responsive to the protective effects of AG against DSS-induced colitis, whereas AG fails to protect from colitis in p53−/− mice. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling of inflammatory cells within the colonic mesenteric lymph nodes is elevated in p53+/+ mice consuming DSS + AG but not in p53−/− mice consuming DSS + AG. Results are consistent with our in vitro data and with the hypothesis that AG drives inflammatory cell apoptosis in vivo, providing a mechanism by which AG protects from colitis in this DSS mouse model. Cancer Prev Res; 3(3); 339–47


Qurum sense is regulatory systems that enable bacteria to expretion for a specific set of genes by making collective decisions and regulation of virulence factors of pathogenic Acintobacter baumannii, the prevalence of carbapenem resistance among (8) different antibiotic groups pattern. In the MDR index, all isolates showed high MDR, ranged from (6-21) antibiotics. MDR index is between (0.29-1.0).Quantitative biofilm production assay showed that 118/124(95.1%)of isolates were biofilm-formers. Detection of QS genes showed that (97.6%)121/124,(98.3%)122\124 and (4.8%)of isolates carried luxR, rhlI and rhIR genes, respectivelly. All isolates possess rhIR gene are isolated from child meningococcal patients and characterized by the strong biofilm formation. Identification of abaI gene in A.baumannii producing the QS signal molecules detected in124\124(100%). The current study revealed a strong relationship between Q.S genes luxR,rhII,rhIR and oxacillinases presence OXA23, OXA69. While a strong negative correlation between OXA48 and OXA69 with the rhIR gene. All isolates carried Integron I(n=124)(100%) with a significant presence of (luxR, rhII) genes, while INT2,3 had a highly significant level with rhIR. Noteworthy, (n=105) 84.7% of OXA51 positive isolates have carried ISAbal-blaOXA-51, whereas all isolates which have OXA23 carried ISAbal-blaOXA-23(n=65)52.4% most of them revealed IMP&MEM resistance phenotype. Insertion sequence(ISAbal-blaOXA-51) showed significant correlation with luxR, rhII genes, while there was no correlation among ISAbal25, ISAbal, ISAbal25-blaADC and luxR, rhII. Positive correlation recorded with all IS with rhIR, except ISAbal-blaADC.ads-a gene was observed in 77/124(62.1%) of isolates, which associated with aminoglycoside resistance, and included within the 93 XDR isolates. Studied isolates showed the same prevelance rate for ompA, smpA which was122\124(98.4%) of isolates.


We compared the effects of two diets on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other health-related outcomes in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes (HbA1c>6%). We randomized participants to either a medium carbohydrate, low fat, calorie-restricted, carbohydrate counting diet (MCCR) consistent with guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (n = 18) or a very low carbohydrate, high fat, non calorie-restricted diet whose goal was to induce nutritional ketosis (LCK, n = 16). We excluded participants receiving insulin; 74% were taking oral diabetes medications. Groups met for 13 sessions over 3 months and were taught diet information and psychological skills to promote behavior change and maintenance. At 3 months, mean HbA1c level was unchanged from baseline in the MCCR diet group, while it decreased 0.6% in the LCK group; there was a significant between group difference in HbA1c change favoring the LCK group (−0.6%, 95% CI, −1.1% to −0.03%, p = 0.04). Forty-four percent of the LCK group discontinued one or more diabetes medications, compared to 11% of the MCCR group (p = 0.03); 31% discontinued sulfonylureas in the LCK group, compared to 5% in the MCCR group (p = 0.05). The LCK group lost 5.5 kg vs. 2.6 kg lost in MCCR group (p = 0.09). Our results suggest that a very low carbohydrate diet coupled with skills to promote behavior change may improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes while allowing decreases in diabetes medications. This clinical trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01713764.


Background: Escitalopram is the active isomer of the antidepressant citalopram. In theory single-isomer drugs may be superior but few have been found to have clinically significant advantages. The manufacturer claims that escitalopram has more efficacy and a faster onset of effect than citalopram. The purpose of this study was to assess how far these claims are justified. Methods: Relevant trial reports were requested from H. Lundbeck A/S and the Swedish drug regulatory authority. The trials consisted of a pooled analysis of 1,321 patients from one unpublished, one partly published and one published eight-week trial, as well as a 24-week trial with 357 patients published as a poster. The studies compared escitalopram with placebo and/or citalopram in outpatients aged ≧18 years who met specified criteria for depression. The trials' quality was assessed with Moncrieff et al.'s quality assessment instrument and the results compared with the claims from the advertisements. Results: The advertising claims are not justified because they are based on secondary outcomes, non-intention-to-treat analyses and arbitrarily defined subgroups. The subgroup results are inconsistent. Methodological flaws in the trials could account for the differences found. Even if the differences claimed were real they appear too small to justify higher prices. Conclusions: On the evidence available to us the manufacturer's claims of superiority for escitalopram over citalopram are unwarranted. The Swedish and Danish drug regulatory authorities reached similar conclusions. This highlights the need for wider dissemination of national authorities' statements to other countries affected by the European Union's mutual recognition procedure.


This paper draws on literature that has theorised child participation within the sociology of childhood framework to examine how children participate in governance within school spaces. Four children aged between 13 and 17 (in grades six and seven) who serve as prefects at a primary school in Lesotho were participants in this study. Data was collected through a focus group interview and individual semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicate that authentic participation of children is limited in the school context. One of the key barriers to participation seems to be a hierarchical and authoritarian school management style. The ethos of control, discipline and authority stifles the process of child participation at the school. The main role of the prefects appears to be 'policing' and 'reporting' to the school hierarchy. Children's pursuit of authentic participation denotes that they construct themselves as active social agents, deserving meaningful participation in school governance. The conclusion points to the need to raise critical consciousness for teachers and school management to interrogate their own ideologies about children and childhood, and to challenge the authoritarian hierarchy of school management which impedes children's meaningful participation.


Using Xenopus laevis oocytes coexpressing mammalian mu-opioid receptors (MORs), beta-adrenergic receptor kinase 2 (beta-ARK2) [also called G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK3)], and beta-arrestin 2 (beta-arr 2), we compared the rates of beta-ARK2 (GRK3)- and beta-arr 2-mediated homologous receptor desensitization produced by treatment with opioid agonists of different efficacies. The response to MOR activation was measured using two-electrode voltage clamp as an increase in the conductance of the coexpressed G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium (heteromultimer of KIR3.1 and KIR3.4) channels. Treatment with opioids of high efficacy, either [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly-ol5]-enkephalin, fentanyl, or sufentanyl, produced a GRK3- and beta-arr 2-dependent reduction in response in <20 min, whereas treatment with the partial agonist morphine produced receptor desensitization at a significantly slower rate. Because GRK3 requires activation and membrane targeting by free G protein betagamma subunits released after agonist-mediated activation of G proteins, a low efficacy agonist such as morphine may produce weak receptor desensitization as a consequence of poor GRK3 activation. To address this hypothesis, we substituted GRK5, a GRK that does not require activation by G protein betagamma. In oocytes expressing GRK5 instead of GRK3, both [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin and fentanyl, but not morphine, produced desensitization of MOR-activated potassium conductance. Thus, mu-opioid agonists produced significant receptor desensitization, mediated by either GRK3 or GRK5, at a rate dependent on agonist efficacy.


A single water molecule (w135), buried within the structure of rat intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I‐FABP), is investigated by NMR, molecular dynamics simulations, and analysis of known crystal structures. An ordered water molecule was found in structurally analogous position in 24 crystal structures of nine different members of the family of fatty acid binding proteins. There is a remarkable conservation of the local structure near the w135 binding site among different proteins from this family. NMR cross‐relaxation measurements imply that w135 is present in the I‐FABP:ANS (1‐sulfonato‐8‐(1′)anilinonaphthalene) complex in solution with the residence time of >300 ps. Mean‐square positional fluctuations of w135 oxygen observed in MD simulations (0.18 and 0.13 Å2) are comparable in magnitude to fluctuations exhibited by the backbone atoms and result from highly constrained binding pocket as revealed by Voronoi volumes (averages of 27.0 ± 1.8 Å3 and 24.7 ± 2.2 Å3 for the two simulations). Escape of w135 from its binding pocket was observed only in one MD simulation. The escape process was initiated by interactions with external water molecules and was accompanied by large deformations in β‐strands D and E. Immediately before the release, w135 assumed three distinct states that differ in hydrogen bonding topology and persisted for about 15 ps each. Computer simulations suggest that escape of w135 from the I‐FABP matrix is primarily determined by conformational fluctuations of the protein backbone and interactions with external water molecules.


The germ of the present study is a datum contrary to expectation that has struck my eye-that while Jeremiah was stimulated to model a whole series of turns of phrase on material found in Zeph 1:2-13, there are no antecedents to his phraseology, it would seem, in the "day of wrath" passage, Zeph 1:14-18. The unexpectedness of this datum rests on two circumstances-on the assumption of current scholarship that all of vv. 2-18 of ch. 1 are an authentic part of Zephaniah's proclamation,1 and on the multiplicity of occasions on which phrases referring to a culminating judgment of God were crafted by Jeremiah. Beyond the general assumption of the authenticity of all of 1:2-18, on the other hand, scholars have tended to vary in their judgments as to what is authentic to Zephaniah in chs. 2 and 3;2 indeed, Adele Berlin, in her commentary, has deliberately chosen not to try to separate authentic and secondary passages throughout the whole book.3 And, beyond the lack of unanimity on the authenticity of material in chs. 2 and 3, the material in 3:1-13 raises a further uncertainty, namely, where the boundaries of its literary units lie, as one can see by a comparison of the grouping of verses in current Bibles, such as the NJB and the REB (does v. 8 belong with what precedes or with what follows?).4


This research was an investigation of the behavior and decision-making of student who involved in Thailand's Referendum of 2016 and participated in this research's activities for gathering information of the political participation of students within the Mahamakut Buddhist University. The aims of this research were to 1) study the behavior and decision making of the students involved in Thailand's referendum of 2016, and 2) study the factors affecting the students' decisions related to Thailand's referendum of 2016. Based on group discussion tools of the four sampling groups of students, Faculty of Social Science and Faculty of Education, these four groups can be divided into 2 groups (10 persons for who participated in this Referendum and 10 persons for who did not participate in this Referendum), with the total number was 20 persons. The research findings indicated that the behavior and decision of both faculties' students made their own decision differently. Students from Faculty of Social Science used their own political interests by using the political information through press media and social media. The study of draft constitutional considerations that also affect the decision of students who did not go to take part in the referendum. While political interests, political information through social media and knowing the constitutional content affects the students' interests especially in the Faculty of Social Sciences to take part in the referendum participation. For the sampling students from the Faculty of Education, their decision has been influenced by accessing the media after the political turmoil and these led to the students' bias and their tiredness of political issues, these decisions also based on their own information. While a group of students from the Faculty of Education went to the referendum as a result of the influence of the dominant parents. However, the power of the parents comes from the good hope that if they do not go to the referendum will result in legal consequences for students lose political rights. In fact, there are no legal barriers to the election. In addition, the living environment and the differences between the study groups did not have any significant impact on student behavior and decision-making. Similarly, the public relations campaign, which emphasized public relations, emphasized the referendum only, could not much affect the student's decision.


BACKGROUND
Enthusiasm for the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) as an adjunctive treatment in type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been offset by the possible increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Since pump-treated T1D patients are susceptible to DKA due to infusion site problems, this study was undertaken to assess how treatment with SGLT2i affects patterns of early metabolic decompensation following suspension of basal insulin.

METHODS
Ten T1D participants (age 19-35 years, duration 10 ± 8 years, A1c 7.4% ± 0.8%) underwent overnight pump suspension studies before and after treatment with canagliflozin (CANA). On both nights, basal insulin was suspended at 3 AM and plasma glucose (PG), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), free fatty acids (FFA), plasma insulin (PI), and glucagon were measured. Studies were terminated 6 h after suspension or if PG rose to >350 mg/dL or BHB >2.5 mmol/L.

RESULTS
PI levels at the start of suspension were reduced by 30% after CANA treatment (44 ± 11 uU/mL vs. 31 ± 10 uU/mL, P < 0.01), but baseline PG, BHB, FFA, and glucagon levels were not significantly different. During the suspension, PG rose from 104 ± 10 to 301 ± 21 mg/dL before treatment, but only from 109 ± 8 to 195 ± 14 mg/dL after treatment (P = 0.002 vs. pretreatment values). On the other hand, CANA treatment did not significantly affect the magnitude of increases in FFA, BHB, and glucagon levels during the suspension study.

CONCLUSION
These data indicate that SGLT2i do not accelerate the rate of ketogenesis following the interruption of basal insulin infusion in T1D. Rather, the failure of patients to promptly recognize early metabolic decompensation relates to the much more gradual rise in PG levels.


Background: Acute and chronic stress is a risk factor for the development and progression of coronary artery disease. Increased arterial stiffness is an independent marker for cardiovascular disease. Cold pressor test (CPT) is known to be associated with substantial activation of the autonomic nervous system. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Phyllanthus emblica extract on cold pressor stress test induced changes on cardiovascular parameters and aortic wave reflections in healthy human subjects. Materials and Methods: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Participants were randomized to receive either two capsules of P. emblica extract 250 mg (containing aqueous extract of P. emblica, highly standardized by high-performance liquid chromatography to contain low molecular weight hydrolysable tannins emblicanin-A, emblicanin-B, pedunculagin and punigluconin) or two capsules of placebo twice daily for 14 days. Pharmacodynamic parameters such as heart rate, augmentation pressure, augmentation index (AIx), subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), radial and aortic blood pressure (BP) were recorded before and after CPT at baseline and end of treatment. After washout period of 14 days, subjects crossed over to the other treatment and the same test procedure was repeated again. Safety assessments were done at baseline and at the end of treatment. Results: A total of 12volunteers completed the study. Compared with baseline and placebo, P. emblica extract produced a significant decrease of mean percent change in the indices of arterial stiffness (AIx, radial and aortic BP) and increase in SEVR, an index of myocardial perfusion with CPT. Both treatments were well-tolerated and no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Proprietary P. emblica extract, showed a significant decrease in cold pressor stress test induced changes on aortic wave reflections.


The fouling of surfaces by organic polymers can be strongly reduced by applying a 75 nm covalently bound fluorinated polymer brush onto the surface. This strong reduction can be repaired, even more than 10 times, after the polymer brush has been damaged (e.g. by a strong base) using the self-repairing character of these brushes viamolecular reorganization at the surface–air interface at slightly elevated temperatures.


While the biochemical function of calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) is well studied, and plants impaired in the expression of CCaMK are known not to be infected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in glasshouse studies, the whole-plant and ecological consequences of CCaMK silencing are not well understood. Here we show that three independently transformed lines of Nicotiana attenuata plants silenced in CCaMK (irCCaMK) are neither infected by Rhizophagus irregularis in the glasshouse nor by native fungal inoculum in the field. The overall fungal community of field-grown roots did not differ significantly among empty vector (EV) and the transgenic lines, and the bacterial communities only showed minor differences, as revealed by the alpha-diversity parameters of bacterial OTUs, which were higher in EV plants compared with two of the three transformed lines, while beta-diversity parameters did not differ. Furthermore, growth and fitness parameters were similar in the glasshouse and field. Herbivory-inducible and basal levels of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and abscisic acid did not differ among the genotypes, suggesting that activation of the classical defence pathways are not affected by CCaMK silencing. Based on these results, we conclude that silencing of CCaMK has few, if any, non-target effects.


Background: Candesartan is a relatively novel antihypertensive agent of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). Several clinical trials have compared candesartan with losartan in the management of essential hypertension. However, systematic assessment of efficacy and safety between candesartan and losartan is still lacking. Methods: We reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing candesartan with losartan for net reduction in blood pressure from baseline, response and control rates, and incidences of common and serious adverse events.Weighted mean differences (WMD), and relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for continuous and dichotomous data, respectively. Results: A total of 12 RCTs with 3644 patients were included in this meta-analysis. When comparing the efficacy of candesartan and losartan in reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at the end of the follow-up period, results with candesartan were superior to losartan in the reduction SBP and DBP (WMD, -2.97; 95% CI, -4.18 — -1.77; p < 0.001; WMD, -1.76; 95% CI, -2.57 — -0.96; p < 0.001; respectively). Candesartan had better response and control rates than losartan. (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.06—1.18; p < 0.01; RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.06—1.50; p = 0.008). Reported common adverse events for the two agents were not significantly different (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.86—1.12; p = 0.78). The incidence of serious adverse events for candesartan was lower than for losartan (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.25—0.92; p = 0.03). The net reduction of DBP showed negative correlation with baseline DBP in both candesartan and losartan groups (regression coefficient -1.81, p = 0.03 and regression coefficient -1.56, p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: Candesartan is superior to losartan in reducing blood pressure. Candesartan also causes fewer serious adverse events than losartan.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are an important core of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs) are sensor networks that are charged by mobile chargers (MCs), and can achieve self-sufficiency. Therefore, the development of WRSNs has begun to attract widespread attention in recent years. Most of the existing energy replenishment algorithms for MCs use one or more MCs to serve the whole network in WRSNs. However, a single MC is not suitable for large-scale network environments, and multiple MCs make the network cost too high. Thus, this paper proposes a collaborative charging algorithm based on network density clustering (CCA-NDC) in WRSNs. This algorithm uses the mean-shift algorithm based on density to cluster, and then the mother wireless charger vehicle (MWCV) carries multiple sub wireless charger vehicles (SWCVs) to charge the nodes in each cluster by using a gradient descent optimization algorithm. The experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm can effectively replenish the energy of the network and make the network more stable.


Differences in working memory capacity (WMC) relate to performance on a variety of problem solving tasks. High WMC is beneficial for solving analytical problems, but can hinder performance on insight problems (DeCaro & Beilock, 2010). One suggested reason for WMC-related differences in problem solving performance is differences in strategy selection, in which high WMC individuals tend toward complex algorithmic strategies (Engle, 2002). High WMC might increase the likelihood of nonoptimal performance on Luchins' (1942) water jar task because high WMC solvers tend toward longer solutions, not noticing when shorter solutions become available. We present empirical data showing this effect, and a computational model that replicates the findings by choosing among problem solving strategies with different WM demands. The high WMC model used a memoryintensive strategy, which led to long solutions when shorter ones were available. The low WMC model was unable to use that strategy, and switched to shorter solutions.


Researchers have typically observed the effects of co-witness influence on eyewitness pairs. However, research suggests that individuals are more likely to witness crimes in larger groups. Additionally, there is an abundance of evidence suggesting that social influence is heavily moderated by group size. Therefore, the present study aimed to gain a more accurate understanding of the risks of co-witness influence in relation to unanimity and group size effects. Participants ( N =608) viewed and discussed a CCTV footage of a fight breaking out, with co-witnesses, before giving individual statements, where they were asked to identify which person had started the fight; confederates were used to suggest that the wrong man had started the fight. Results indicated that participants were vulnerable to co-witness influence, but only when exposed to misinformation from a majority of co-witnesses. Misinformation presented by an individual confederate did not have a significant influence over the participants' responses. This study was the first to investigate the effects of group size on blame attribution. The findings suggest that the true risks of co-witness influence may not be as high as originally predicted from research on eyewitness pairs.


Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is an essential protein kinase with multiple roles in mitotic progression. PLK1 consists of a kinase domain (KD) and a phosphopeptide-binding polobox domain (PBD), which is responsible for substrate recognition and subcellular localization. The regulation of PLK1 involves an autoinhibitory conformation in which KD and PBD interact. Our previous work identified PBD-binding molecules termed abbapolins that inhibit the cellular phosphorylation of a PLK1 substrate and induce the loss of intracellular PLK1. Here, we describe a comparison of the abbapolin activity with that of KD inhibitors to gain insight into conformational features of PLK1. As measured by a cellular thermal shift assay, abbapolins produce ligand-induced thermal stabilization of PLK1. In contrast, KD inhibitors decreased the soluble PLK1, suggesting that catalytic-site binding causes a less thermally stable PLK1 conformation. Binding measurements with full-length PLK1 and a KD inhibitor also demonstrated a conformational change. Interestingly, the cellular consequences of KD versus PBD engagement contrast as KD binding causes the accumulation of intracellular PLK1, whereas PBD binding produces a striking loss of nuclear PLK1. These data are consistent with the relief of autoinhibited PLK1 by KD binders; an explanation for these observations is presented using structures for the catalytic domain and full-length PLK1 predicted by AlphaFold. Collectively, the results highlight an underappreciated aspect of targeting PLK1, namely, conformational perturbations induced by KD versus PBD binding. In addition to their significance for PBD-binding ligands, these observations have implications for the development of ATP-competitive PLK1 inhibitors because catalytic inhibitors may conversely promote PLK1 noncatalytic functions, which may explain their lack of clinical efficacy to date.


Visual backward masking (VBM) is a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia reflecting the genetic underpinnings of the disease (Chkonia et al., 2010). Masking deficits are highly correlated with reduced N1 amplitudes as shown by the Global Field Power (GFP; Plomp et al., 2013). Here, we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of VBM in non-affected first-order relatives of schizophrenia patients. We tested a large sample of schizophrenia patients, first-degree relatives and matched healthy controls, in a VBM paradigm while recording the electroencephalography (EEG). In our VBM paradigm, a vernier target, i.e. two vertical bars that are slightly offset in the horizontal direction, followed by a mask. The participants had to discriminate the offset direction by pushing the corresponding button. We had three conditions: target only and two VBM conditions, with long and short inter-stimulus intervals (ISI). Patients' performance was impaired, while the relatives performed at the same level as the controls. Performance was significantly correlated with the EEG N1 amplitude, as measured by the GFP. Most interestingly, N1 amplitudes were higher in relatives compared to controls for target only and short ISI, while they were lower in patients relative to controls as previously reported (Plomp et al., 2013). For the relatives, N1 amplitudes were at the same level in all conditions; however, for controls and patients, N1 amplitudes increased with task difficult, e.g., amplitudes in the long ISI condition were lower than in short ISI condition. Our results suggest that relatives use a compensation mechanism tuning the brain to maximum performance in VBM. However, as relatives are already at the peak of their activations, increasing task difficulty does not change brain processing.


In vitro folliculogenesis of primordial and early preantral follicles is necessary for increment of reproductive efficiency in domestic animals, humans and endangered species. Recent study in phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) -knockout mice has revealed that this phosphatase acts as an inhibitory factor in follicle activation of primordial pool with the resultant inhibition of oocyte growth. To test in vitro effect of a phosphatase inhibitor on growth initiation of isolated non-growing oocytes in neonatal ovaries, we applied a specific inhibitor (bpV (HOpic)) for PTEN in culturing system. Non-growing oocytes isolated from the ovaries of newborn BDF1 (C57BL/6 × DBA/2) pups were divided to four culture groups. Five days after culture, the oocytes in 14 μmol/l bpV only, 14 μmol/l bpV plus 100 ng/ml Kit Ligand (KL), and 100 ng/ml KL groups showed significantly (P<0.05) growth (19.3±0.55, 25.8±0.53 and 21.6±0.29 μm, respectively) compared with that of the control (no additive) (16.9±0.53 μm). In addition, western blotting in those groups showed enhanced expression of phosphorylated Akt. In conclusion, we clearly demonstrate that isolated non-growing oocytes develop in phosphatase inhibitor, especially to PTEN, incorporated culturing system, and show first as we know that oocytes with zona Pellucidae can be obtained in vitro from isolated non-growing oocytes.


The reader of the prostate cancer literature is often stunned by the lack of evidence of efficacy of one form of treatment over that of others. Indeed, information suggests that "no treatment" may be an effective option. Analyzing the available literature that reports the results of treatment versus observation for prostate cancer, Fleming et al. from the Prostate Patient Outcomes Research Team found that in most cases, treatment offered less than a 1-year improvement in quality-adjusted life expectancy. Using less optimistic assumptions, the authors also found that treatment could actually reduce quality-adjusted life expectancy. The decision of what form of treatment to offer the individual patient requires considerable discussion with the patient concerning his priorities and goals of therapy. For the younger patient with localized disease, the prevailing trend in the United States is toward radical prostatectomy. As the patient approaches the age of 70 years, the advantages of treatment versus observation alone evaporate. Because the disease is often of low biologic potential with a long doubling time, the option of observation initially with serial determinations of PSA is not unreasonable. If a slow rate of rise is noted, some patients may elect observation. However, with more rapid rises in PSA, a more aggressive stance may be appropriate. Because of the uncertainties inherent to treating this disease, it is imperative that the patient be brought into the treatment planning through education and through extensive discussions with health care providers and with family members. Only through such informed and deliberate discussions can a plan for treatment be reached with which the patient will be comfortable.


The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution has proved to be a useful tool to delimitate zones affected by groundwater contamination. For this reason, development of groundwater vulnerability maps became a useful tool for protecting groundwater resources from pollution. The Smar aquifer belongs to maritime Djeffara (southeastern Tunisia); it is essentially occupied by agricultural areas characterized by an intensive use of chemical fertilizers. The vulnerability mapping was performed by using (i) DRASTIC method (intrinsic vulnerability) that takes into account seven parameters and (ii) Susceptibility Index (SI) method (specific vulnerability) that considers five parameters. The results show that the study area is classified into three classes of vulnerability: low, medium and high for the two methods with an uneven spatial distribution. Most of the study area belongs to the class of medium vulnerability (74% and 46% of the total area for the DRASTIC and SI methods, respectively). Indeed, the validation of DRASTIC and SI models with nitrates values revealed correlation coefficient values of about 61% and 73%, respectively. The comparison between the two methods shows that the SI method is more significant for the study area. Hence, these maps could serve as a scientific basis in groundwater management.


It has been suggested that political trust will lead to a decline in voter turnout and a willingness to vote for challenger or populist parties. Most of the empirical research on this relation, however, has been conducted in the US or Canada. In this paper we investigate the relationship between political (dis)trust and party choice, based on the Belgian Election Study 2009. Belgium offers an interesting case because compulsory voting (with an accompanying turnout rate of 90.4 per cent) effectively means that distrust cannot have an impact on turnout. Nevertheless, distrusting voters are significantly more inclined to cast an invalid vote. Second, it was shown that distrust is positively associated with an electoral preference for extreme right (Vlaams Belang) and populist (List De Decker) parties. Third, in party systems where no populist or extremist challenger is viable (i.e., the French speaking region of Belgium), political trust does not have a significant effect on party preferences, even in conditions of a high level of distrust. We conclude that the electoral effects of political distrust are strongly dependent on the electoral system, the party system and the supply on the electoral protest market.


FcεRI-induced Ca2+ signaling in mast cells is initiated by activation of cytosolic tyrosine kinases. Here, in vitro phospholipase assays establish that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) lipid product, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate, further stimulates phospholipase Cγ2 that has been activated by conformational changes associated with tyrosine phosphorylation or low pH. A microinjection approach is used to directly assess the consequences of inhibiting class IA PI 3-kinases on Ca2+ responses after FcεRI cross-linking in RBL-2H3 cells. Injection of antibodies to the p110β or p110δ catalytic isoforms of PI 3-kinase, but not antibodies to p110α, lengthens the lag time to release of Ca2+ stores and blunts the sustained phase of the calcium response. Ca2+ responses are also inhibited in cells microinjected with recombinant inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase I, which degrades inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), or heparin, a competitive inhibitor of the Ins(1,4,5)P3receptor. This indicates a requirement for Ins(1,4,5)P3 to initiate and sustain Ca2+ responses even when PI 3-kinase is fully active. Antigen-induced cell ruffling, a calcium-independent event, is blocked by injection of p110β and p110δ antibodies, but not by injection of 5-phosphatase I, heparin, or anti-p110α antibodies. These results suggest that the p110β and p110δ isoforms of PI 3-kinase support FcεRI-induced calcium signaling by modulating Ins(1,4,5)P3 production, not by directly regulating the Ca2+ influx channel.


A method to detect of the topological charges (TCs) for vortex beams by using gradually changing-period spiral spoke grating (GCPSSG) is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The value of TC can be measured due to the fact that the diffraction spot will appear a bright high intensity when the TC is equal to the diffractive grating spoke number, and otherwise the central intensity remains doughnut-like structure. Meanwhile, the rotated direction of the twist fringes is opposite with the grating, therefore the sign of TC can be distinguished. Moreover, in addition to discussing the light beam illuminates the geometric center of the grating, the beam misalignment condition is also considered. In this case, the magnitude and sign of TC can be simultaneously determined by the number and orientation of the bright spots, respectively. The detection of TCs up to ± 160 is realized with this scheme. The experimental results indicate that this scheme is robust and effective because the GCPSSG shows good tolerance to environment vibration and beam misalignment for the TC diagnostics, which is anticipated to be useful for optical communication.


A series of nanocomposites, SiCN/A3S2 ceramics, were prepared by hot-pressing method. The nanometer SiCN powder is characterized of high dielectric dissipation. The dielectric properties of the SiCN/A3S2 nanocomposites were investigated. XRD and SEM were conducted to study the phases and microstructure of the nanocomposites. Compared with the pure A3S2 ceramic, the grain size in the nanocomposites is reduced due to the addition of nanometer SiCN powder. The relative densities of the nanocomposites are also lower than that of the pure A3S2 ceramic. Both the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity of nanocomposites in X band increase as the content of SCN powder in the samples rises obviously. When the contents of SiCN powder in samples are same, the real and imaginary parts of the samples vary with the sintering temperature. The tanδ of the nanocomposites reduces from 1.9 to 1.4 when sintering temperature increases from 1450OC to 1650 OC. SAED pattern reveals that structure of the SiCN in SiCN/ A3S2 sintered at higher temperatures tend to crystallize. The real, imaginary parts and dissipation factor of the nanocomposites sintered at higher temperature is lower than those sintered at 1450 °C.


This brief analyzes the linear profiles presented by certain classes of bifurcation indices with respect to the variation of the loading parameter in power systems. The bifurcation indices discussed here are used in practice to predict proximity to saddle-node and some types of limit-induced bifurcations, given their special profiles. Thus, the linearity of these indices is studied with the help of a simple generic test system. Local analyses and observations are also presented and discussed for realistic power-system models.


Evolution has since the very beginning resulted in organisms which can sort fitness-related information from noise, evaluate it and respond to it. In animals, the architecture for proximate control of behaviour and physiology has been gradually evolving since before the Cambrian explosion of animal phyla. It integrates many different survival circuits, for example for danger, feeding and reproduction, and operates through reflexes, instincts, homeostatic drives and precursors to human emotions. Although teleost brains differ substantially from the much better understood brains of terrestrial vertebrates, their anatomy, physiology and neurochemistry all point towards a common and malleable architectural template with strong and flexible effects on fish behaviour and elements of personality. We describe the main components of this architecture and its role in fish behaviour from the perspectives of adaptation, evolutionary history and gene pools. Much research is needed, as several of the basic assumptions for architectural control of behaviour and physiology in teleosts are not thoroughly investigated. We think the architecture for behavioural control can be used to change ecosystem models from a bottom-up perspective to also include behaviourally mediated trophic cascades and trait-mediated indirect effects. We also discuss the utility of modelling based on proximate architectural control for fish welfare studies.


From the single dipole model of the heart, there is a theoretical linear transformation that exists between the 12 lead and Frank lead ECGs. Using the CSE multilead database, the matrices to transform the 12 lead to the Frank lead ECGs were found for 125 recordings. An analysis of the matrices shows there is the wide variation of the individual matrix coefficients suggesting that the use of a universal matrix is inappropriate.<<ETX>>


Background & Aim: Nurse managers' efficiency plays an important role in the achievement of health care organizations. This study was carried out with the aim of determining nurse managers' performance in the domains of decision making, planning, direction and evaluation from nurses' perspective in selected educational centers affiliated to Gonabaad University of Medical Sciences. Material & Method: It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. A total of 200 nurses were recruited by census. Data was collected by a researcher made questionnaire to evaluate nurse managers' performance in the four domains and analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential test of Chi square using SPSS-PC (v.20). Results: The results showed that a small percentage of nurse managers (%5/1) had a very good management performance, 31/9% had a good performance, %50 percent had a poor performance and 13% had a very poor management. The results also showed that nurse managers' performance was poor in the areas of decision making and evaluation, and was good in the domains of planning and guidance from nurses' perspective. Conclusion: Regarding the findings, empowerment of nurse managers in different levels to improve their performance is needed.


Cigarette smoke (CS) contains multiple gaseous and particulate materials that can cause lung inflammation, and smoking is the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We sought to determine the mechanisms of how CS triggers lung inflammation. Nur77, a nuclear hormone receptor belonging to the immediate-early response gene family, controls inflammatory responses, mainly by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Because it is unknown if Nur77's anti-inflammatory role modulates COPD, we assessed if and how Nur77 expression and activity are altered in CS-induced airway inflammation. In lung tissues and bronchial epithelial cells from COPD patients, we found Nur77 was downregulated. In a murine model of CS-induced airway inflammation, CS promoted lung inflammation and also reduced Nur77 activity in wild type (WT) mice, whereas lungs of Nur77-deficient mice showed exaggerated CS-induced inflammatory responses. Our findings in in vitro studies of human airway epithelial cells complemented those in vivo data in mice, together showing that CS induced threonine-phosphorylation of Nur77, which is known to interfere with its anti-inflammatory functions. In summary, our findings point to Nur77 as an important regulator of CS-induced inflammatory responses and support the potential benefits of Nur77 activation for COPD treatment.


Low velocity impact is a frequently observed event during the operation of an aircraft composite structure. This type of damage is aptly called as "blind-side impact damage" as it is barely visible as a dent on the impacted surface, but may produce extended delaminations closer to the rear surface. One-sided thermal nondestructive testing is considered as a promising technique for detecting impact damage but because of diffusive nature of optical thermal signals there is drop in detectability of deeper subsurface defects. Ultrasonic Infrared thermography is a potentially attractive nondestructive evaluation technique used to detect the defects through observation of vibration-induced heat generation. Evaluation of the energy released by such defects is a challenging task. In this study, the thin delaminations caused by impact damage in composites and which are subjected to ultrasonic excitation are considered as local heat sources. The actual impact damage in a carbon epoxy composite which was detected by applying a magnetostrictive ultrasonic device is then modeled as a pyramid-like defect with a set of delaminations acting as an air-filled heat sources. The temperature rise expected on the surface of the specimen was achieved by varying energy contribution from each delamination through trial and error. Finally, by comparing the experimental temperature elevations in defective area with the results of temperature simulations, we estimated the energy generated by each defect and defect power of impact damage as a whole. The results show good correlation between simulations and measurements, thus validating the simulation approach.


We present four unique seismic acquisition methods pioneered inside BP between 2003 and 2006, taking them from concepts to field trials and to large scale implementation: 1) Multi-azimuth (MAZ) Streamer, acquiring 6 conventional surveys at 30 degree azimuth increments and stacking (Offshore Nile Delta example); 2) Wide Azimuth Towed Streamer (WATS), using a recording vessel plus two source vessels to obtain azimuthally diverse data in one pass (GOM example), 3) A regular grid of Autonomous Recording units (Nodes) placed on the seabed using a Remote Operating Vehicle (GOM example) 4) Permanent Seismic Surveillance Systems, trenched ocean bottom cables with continuous recording via fibre optic links to shore (Valhall, Norway example). The operational advantages and disadvantages and performance in practice are compared and contrasted. MAZ is simple and robust to apply in 70m deep water uncluttered by platforms. WATS is more complex to plan and process, but can be highly optimised given a velocity model and high end 3D acoustic modelling, and represents the premier solution for subsalt severe velocity anomalies. Nodes fill the wide azimuth niche when platforms and very deepwater are present which obstruct streamer access. Densely sampled Permanent Surveillance systems probably represent the reachable technical limit for seismic quality today, offering high fold, wide azimuth, excellent S/N and low frequency content at very low repeat costs and cycle times.