OBJECTIVE
To determine the percentage of cats with a phenobarbital (PB) concentration between 15 and 45 μg/mL that had a ≥ 50% reduction in the number of seizures and to investigate applicability of the 2011 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification system in cats.

DESIGN
Retrospective case series.

ANIMALS
30 cats with suspected or confirmed epilepsy.

PROCEDURES
Medical records for 2004 to 2013 at 3 veterinary hospitals were searched. Information collected included signalment, duration of observation before treatment, frequency of seizures before PB administration, seizure phenotype, dose of PB, serum PB concentration, number of seizures after PB administration, duration of follow-up monitoring, and survival time. A modified 2011 ILAE classification system was applied to all cats.

RESULTS
Seizure control was achieved in 28 of 30 (93%) cats with a serum PB concentration of 15 to 45 μg/mL. This comprised 10 of 11 cats with structural epilepsy, 14 of 15 cats with unknown epilepsy, and 4 of 4 cats with presumptive unknown epilepsy. Thirteen cats had no additional seizures after initiation of PB treatment.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Seizure control was achieved in most cats with a serum PB concentration between 15 and 45 μg/mL, regardless of the cause of the seizures. A modified 2011 ILAE classification was applied to cats with seizures and enabled classification of cats without specific genetic testing and without identified structural or inflammatory disease. This classification system should be incorporated into veterinary neurology nomenclature to standardize communication between veterinarians and improve comparisons among species.


Epitaxial structures based on InP are widely used to manufacture a number of devices such as microwave transistors, light-emitting diodes, lasers and Gunn diodes. However, their temporary instability caused by heterogeneity of resistivity along the layer thickness and the influence of various external or internal factors prompts the need for the development of a new reliable technology for their preparation. Weak doping by Yb, Al and Sn together with modulation of the cooling rate applied to prepare InP epitaxial layers is suggested to be adopted within the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. The experimental results confirm the optimized conditions created to get a uniform electron concentration in the active n-InP layer. A sharp profile of electron concentration in the n+-InP(substrate)/n-InP/n+-InP epitaxial structure was observed experimentally at the proposed modulated cooling rate of 0.3 °С–1.5 °С min−1. The proposed technological method can be used to control the electrical and physical properties of InP epitaxial layers to be used in Gunn diodes.


Judging Empire" examines the culture of the British Army during its transformation from a national army to a primary agent of the expanding British Empire. Using letters, diaries, contemporary military manuals, and especially the army's court-martial records, it focuses particularly on the masculine culture of the officer class. Due to their high social position and the lack of other authorities in the imperial areas where the army operated, members of this group held disproportionate power over both their military subordinates and the civilians with which the army interacted. Officers' presentation of themselves emphasized traditional understandings of martial masculinity and class dynamics; their privileges as men were inseparable from their privileges as members of the upper class. Officers were determined to preserve these privileges as they came under threat from the development of increasingly technical forms of warfare, imperial administrators anxious to uphold centralized authority, enlisted soldiers demanding authority and autonomy based on their own claims to masculine privilege, and imperial civilian populations whose social hierarchies were often perceived to have a dangerous lack of resemblance to those of the army. Officers developed a culture in which men's fragile honor needed to be defended with deadly violence, and in which fighting wars and advancing the national interest were frequently perceived to be of lesser importance than deciding questions of personal honor and individual reputation. This culture, in turn, affected the army's imperial role. Violent masculinity and honor culture negatively affected the army's military capabilities, and army administrators and government officials attempted to control rogue officers through laws and regulations meant to curb their violent and dangerous behavior. Yet the vast distances of empire made such attempts at centralized control ineffective, and they found it necessary to cede to the officers themselves the task of regulating officers' problematic behavior. So long as officers retained their power, imperial rule would be shaped by these men who insisted that violent domination was the necessary and essential foundation of their masculinity, military authority, status, and power. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group History First Advisor Kathleen Brown Subject Categories History This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/1893 JUDGING EMPIRE: MASCULINITY AND THE MAKING OF THE BRITISH IMPERIAL ARMY, 1754-1783


PURPOSE
To investigate differences in calculated doses and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values between different dose algorithms.

METHODS
Six dose algorithms from four different treatment planning systems were investigated: Eclipse AAA, Oncentra MasterPlan Collapsed Cone and Pencil Beam, Pinnacle Collapsed Cone and XiO Multigrid Superposition, and Fast Fourier Transform Convolution. Twenty NSCLC patients treated in the period 2001-2006 at the same accelerator were included and the accelerator used for treatments were modeled in the different systems. The treatment plans were recalculated with the same number of monitor units and beam arrangements across the dose algorithms. Dose volume histograms of the GTV, PTV, combined lungs (excluding the GTV), and heart were exported and evaluated. NTCP values for heart and lungs were calculated using the relative seriality model and the LKB model, respectively. Furthermore, NTCP for the lungs were calculated from two different model parameter sets. Calculations and evaluations were performed both including and excluding density corrections.

RESULTS
There are found statistical significant differences between the calculated dose to heart, lung, and targets across the algorithms. Mean lung dose and V20 are not very sensitive to change between the investigated dose calculation algorithms. However, the different dose levels for the PTV averaged over the patient population are varying up to 11%. The predicted NTCP values for pneumonitis vary between 0.20 and 0.24 or 0.35 and 0.48 across the investigated dose algorithms depending on the chosen model parameter set. The influence of the use of density correction in the dose calculation on the predicted NTCP values depends on the specific dose calculation algorithm and the model parameter set. For fixed values of these, the changes in NTCP can be up to 45%.

CONCLUSIONS
Calculated NTCP values for pneumonitis are more sensitive to the choice of algorithm than mean lung dose and V20 which are also commonly used for plan evaluation. The NTCP values for heart complication are, in this study, not very sensitive to the choice of algorithm. Dose calculations based on density corrections result in quite different NTCP values than calculations without density corrections. It is therefore important when working with NTCP planning to use NTCP parameter values based on calculations and treatments similar to those for which the NTCP is of interest.


The nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type Mg20Ni10-xMnx (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) alloys were synthesized by melt-spinning technique. The structures of the as-cast and spun alloys were characterized by XRD, SEM and HRTEM. The hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of the alloys were measured. The results show that the substitution of Mn for Ni, instead of changing the major phase Mg2Ni, leads to the formation of Mg and MnNi phases. No amorphous phase is detected in the as-spun Mn-free alloy, but the as-spun alloys substituted by Mn display the presence of an amorphous phase, suggesting that the substitution of Mn for Ni enhances the glass forming ability of the Mg2Ni-type alloy. The hydrogen absorption capacity of the as-cast alloys first increases and then decreases with the variation of the amount of Mn substitution. The hydrogen desorption capacity of the alloys markedly increases with growing Mn content.


In response to public concern about the cleanup of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) facility after an accident on March 28, 1979 involving a loss of reactor coolant and subsequent damage to the reactor fuel, twelve citizens were asked to serve on an independent Advisory Panel to consult with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the decontamination and cleanup of the facility. The panel met 78 times over a period of thirteen years, holding public meetings in the vicinity of TMI-2 and meeting regularly with NRC Commissioners in Washington, DC. This report describes the results of a project designed to identify and describe the lessons learned from the Advisory Panel and place those lessons in the context of what we generally know about citizen advisory groups. A summary of the empirical literature on citizen advisory panels is followed by a brief history of the TMI-2 Advisory Panel. The body of the report contains the analysis of the lessons learned, preliminary conclusions about the effectiveness of the Panel, and implications for the NRC in the use of advisory panels. Data for the report include meeting transcripts and interviews with past and present Panel participants.


Objective—Our purpose was to determine the relationship between apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and apoB-48 and apoB-100 metabolism in moderately hypercholesterolemic humans. Methods and Results—The kinetics of apoA-I within high-density lipoprotein (HDL), apoB-48 and apoB-100 within triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and apoB-100 within intermediate-density lipoprotein and low density-lipoprotein (LDL) were examined with a primed constant infusion of [5,5,5-2H3] leucine in the fed state (hourly feeding) in 23 subjects after consumption of a 36% total fat diet. Lipoproteins were isolated by ultracentrifugation; apolipoproteins by SDS-PAGE gels; and isotope enrichment assessed by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry. Kinetic parameters were calculated by multicompartmental modeling of the data with SAAM II. ApoA-I production rate (PR) was correlated with LDL apoB-100 pool size (PS; r=0.49; P=0.017) and LDL cholesterol (r=0.61; P=0.002), whereas apoA-I fractional catabolic rate (FCR) was inversely correlated with apoB-48 FCR (r=−0.40; P=0.05) but not with very low-density lipoprotein apoB-100 FCR. Conclusions—Two links exist between apoA-I and apoB kinetics: 1) when LDL apoB-100 PS is high, there is increased apoA-I PR; and 2) delayed chylomicron remnant clearance (represented by apoB-48 FCR) is associated with enhanced apoA-I FCR, a finding indicating that alterations in intestinal lipoproteins may be more important in determining HDL cholesterol levels than changes in liver lipoproteins.


ABSTRACT Commercial farm workers in South Africa endured centuries of exploitation and abuse until the 1990s, when progressive legislation was promulgated that confers rights to workers aimed at improving their living and working conditions, including through a sector-specific statutory minimum wage. However, violations of labour rights are widespread in the agriculture sector, and farm workers are arguably more vulnerable than before as they face ongoing evictions, casualisation and exploitation. This research study, conducted among women farm workers in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, documents labour rights violations in the areas of wages and contracts and occupational health and safety. Apart from farmers themselves, government is responsible for failing to enforce compliance with pro-worker legislation, while trade unions have failed to represent farm workers and hold farmers and government to account.


The most important aspects of the relationships of tick-borne encephalitis virus and its vectors--Ixodes ticks. These include the establishment of a rule of viral exchange between the co-fed ticks, which makes its reverse transfer from nymphs to larvae possible; enhancement of tick aggressiveness under the influence of the incremental concentrations of the virus increasing their epidemiological danger; the association of the spread of viral genospecies with the genetic structure of tick populations; the emergence of phenotypically different vector subpopulations with new vector properties (under the influence of anthropogenic factors); and the elucidation of a possible role of the virus as an enhancer in mixed viral and bacterial infections of tick vectors.


This paper reports the preliminary results of a project that is investigating the theoretic foundations of decision support systems (DSS). The project is principally motivated by a concern for the direction and relevance of DSS research. The main areas of research focus are the decision and judgement theoretic base of the discipline, the research strategies used in published articles, and the professional relevance of DSS research. The project will analyse DSS articles published in 17 selected journals from 1990 to 2002. This preliminary report is based on the analysis of 358 papers. The findings indicate that DSS research is dominated by positivist research (in particular laboratory experiments and surveys), is heavily influenced by the work of Herbert Simon, and has a healthy balance of theory and application, but, it is poorly grounded in judgement and decision-making research, and falls down in the identification of the nature of clients and users.


Gastropods associated with the calcareous alga Halimeda opuntia (Udoteaceae) in Puerto Rico. Gastropod communities associated with the calcareous green alga Halimeda opuntia are described and com- pared for two Puerto Rico coral reefs: one in the northeast with front tradewinds (windward zone) and one in the southwest (leeward zone). We analyzed the content of 21 lots (2432 g) of H. opuntia from leeward zone and 15 lots (2448 g) from the windward zone. In total we recovered 526 gastropods (prosobranchs) classified in 54 taxa. Thirteen species of gastropods represented 79.6% of the community. Differences between species richness and mean density values were not significant (p>0.100). Forty species were identified from leeward and thirty one (31) species from windward. Gastropod mean density was 13.9 /100g of algae in leeward and 7.6/100g in windward. Significant differences were found for the Simpson Diversity Index (0.91 in the leeward and 0.82 in the windward community; t=3.44, α=0.005). We found no correlation between the weight of the algae and the frequency of the gastropods (R2=0.0893 in leeward, 0.0249 windward and 0.0923 for both). The relationship between species composition in lots of windward and leeward study sites was explored via polar ordination and no segregation was found. When compared, the gastropod communities found in H. opuntia col- lected in coral reefs in Puerto Rico were more similar within them than any other communities found in other genera of seaweed and in other environments. Our results agree with the hypothesis that H. opuntia offers the interstitial community a protected microhabitat from water movement impact. H. opuntia creates more homog- enous conditions than those of the habitat where we found the algae. Rev. Biol. Trop. 56 (4): 1665-1675. Epub 2008 December 12.


The present paper seeks to explore the awareness and knowledge about past cultural diversity of young people in four Croatian cities (Pula, Rijeka, Zadar and Zagreb) with rich multicultural historical legacies. It is based on the results of a survey obtained from 631 high-school students in these cities. The survey focused on students' awareness and knowledge of plural cultural heritage in their respective cities and their ideas about what should be valued and how. It also included students' attitudes and beliefs about current diversity issues and intercultural values, which enabled the researchers to explore the association between their knowledge of heritage and their intercultural attitudes in more detail. The results obtained indicate that both the degree of awareness of past diversity and acceptance or rejection of intercultural values varied by specific spatial, historic and current socio-demographic contexts of the cities. While the overall findings suggest a comparatively strong association between heritage and intercultural values, some of them indicate that appreciation of past cultural diversity may also co-exist with current anti-multicultural attitudes. This has implications for education policy and strategies in facing the challenges of a decline in socio-political support for intercultural values in both Croatia and a wider European context.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of the Tei Index, an echocardiographic parameter, in the early determination of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in congenital heart disease (CHD) with a left-to-right shunt.

METHODS
Right and left ventricular functions were evaluated using Tei Index values determined with tissue Doppler echocardiography. Cardiac catheterization was performed in all cases. The presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was defined as a mean PAP of ≥25 mm Hg and a pulmonary vascular resistance index of >3 WU/m2. Patients with a pulmonary/systemic blood flow ratio of ≥2 were considered candidates for surgery.

RESULTS
The Tei Index values measured from the left ventricular posterior wall and the right ventricular anterior wall were found to be significantly higher in the patients with PAH (0.68±0.18, 0.67±0.16, respectively) compared with the patients without PAH (0.56±0.16, p=0.027; 0.51±0.12 p=0.001). A significant correlation was detected between the Tei Index value measured from the left ventricular posterior wall and the mean PAP (correlation coefficient: 0.491).

CONCLUSION
The right ventricular Tei Index values in children with CHD and a left-to-right shunt can be used as a parameter to follow up on the potential development of PAH, to make a diagnosis in the early period, and to make a timely decision about surgery.


In this paper, we propose an energy efficient SW based approximate 4:2 compressor comprising a 3-input and a 5-input Majority gate. We validate our proposal by means of micromagnetic simulations, and assess and compare its performance with one of the state-of-the-art SW, 45nm CMOS, and Spin-CMOS counterparts. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed compressor consumes 31.5\% less energy in comparison with its accurate SW design version. Furthermore, it has the same energy consumption and error rate as the approximate compressor with Directional Coupler (DC), but it exhibits 3x lower delay. In addition, it consumes 14% less energy, while having 17% lower average error rate than the approximate 45nm CMOS counterpart. When compared with the other emerging technologies, the proposed compressor outperforms approximate Spin-CMOS based compressor by 3 orders of magnitude in term of energy consumption while providing the same error rate. Finally, the proposed compressor requires the smallest chip real-estate measured in terms of devices.


Ninety-two gravid women had Doppler insonation of the umbilical cord after diagnosis of various pregnancy complications. Calculations of the systolic-diastolic (S/D) ratio were plotted against a nomogram of values developed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. An S/D ratio greater than the 95th percentile for gestational age correctly predicted 58% of women who became preeclamptic and 61% of infants who were small for gestational age (SGA). Of those fetuses with an elevated S/D ratio, 42% suffered fetal distress as defined by an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing, a 1- or 5-minute Apgar score less than 5 or 7, respectively, or a cord blood pH determination less than 7.20; 60% required operative delivery; and 49% stayed in the hospital longer than 5 days or were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). All these values are significantly greater than those obtained in a control group of uncomplicated pregnancies or a group of women with similar pregnancies, but with normal measurements of the umbilical artery S/D ratio. Moreover, 69% of abnormally elevated umbilical artery S/D ratios were detected at or before 30 weeks' gestation. Calculation of an S/D ratio of the umbilical cord greater than the 95th percentile for gestational age is an early and sensitive predictor of poor perinatal outcome.


The research explains the semiosis of heritage tourism in the meaning-making about history, and its political and economic relationships in urban processes. Meaning-making about history involves aesthetic components and symbolic value embedded in the historic objects, which motivate individuals travel and also construct their own identities (Lash & Urry, 1994). This study examines the role of semiosis and to what extent it moves from pure linguistic turn to the semiotics of political economy approach. Extended from the "circuit of culture" model (Du Gay, et.al, 2013), this paper is examined systematically, identifying general principles and also specific domains in a conceptual framework that can be dialectically contextualised for urban heritage tourism. This account represents a direct response to criticisms of political economy sometimes being insufficiently concerned with culture and semiotics, and of cultural perspectives which pay insufficient attention to the economy, thus neglecting the materiality of social relations. A case study of Nanjing city, China triangulates eighty-five in-depth interviews and other secondary data. Analysed by NVivo 11, the case application illustrates in particular the representations of historic meaning-making, tourist experiences and identities, alongside actor-governance relationships at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. The selective city imaging, "Nanjing – A city of universal love", provided distinctive insights on the semiotic processes of selective historic era, associated with the potential tensions within China's political system and urban economic relationships. The two examples indicated the value of the study's conceptual framework, which can provide an alternative approach to reduce the complexity of urban heritage tourism, of theoretically and practically.


The objective of this study is to provide new estimates of the average private rate of return to a university degree in Australia. It considers the case of a hypothetical individual who has completed high school in 2000, and is making a decision on whether to begin a three-year bachelor degree or to enter the workforce in 2001. For the 'base case' scenario of a 'representative' individual making a decision on whether to attend university, the estimate of the average private rate of return to a three-year bachelor degree is 14.5 per cent. Underlying this estimate is a lifetime net monetary gain of $380,958 from undertaking the degree (assuming a zero rate of discount). Estimates of the rate of return to a bachelor degree are fairly robust to alternative scenarios. Rates of return do however show a wide variation across the field of qualification categories. The estimated returns are relatively high for business and administration, and engineering graduates, and relatively low for graduates in the fields of society and culture, and science.


Present methods to quantify recharge in karst aquifers in many cases rely on spatially and temporally aggregated precipitation values, neglecting the highly erratic, non-linear nature of infiltration dynamics that give rise to a dual-domain behavior with a slow diffuse and fast focused recharge component. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of integrated surface-subsurface flow models to simulate diffuse and preferential infiltration within the large scale Western-Mountain-Aquifer (WMA) in Israel and the Palestinian territories. A semi-arid climate region with a highly pronounced seasonality of precipitation and intense short-duration rainfalls, such as the Mediterranean region, emphasizes the importance of understanding and accounting for the complex dynamics of dual-domain infiltration and partitioning of the precipitation input signal via spatially discretized overland flow processes.

We apply HydroGeoSphere as a dual-continuum flow simulator for transient variably-saturated water flows, discretizing the rock matrix and secondary porosity (i.e., conduits and fractures) as separate overlapping continua. Flow is respectively computed via the Richards' equation with volume-averaged van Genuchten parameters, assuming that the Richards' equation is valid for both domains. The presented model accounts for surface flow via the two-dimensional Saint-Vénant equations under nonexistent inertial forces. We apply precipitation directly to the overland flow continuum and naturally account for the partitioning into Horton overland flow and percolating water. However, modeling of unsaturated flow through the conduit/fracture continuum with the van Genuchten parameterization is often limited, as the Richards' equation describes flow solely in terms of capillary forces, leading to high matric suction in the matrix continuum as a result of the smaller pore spaces (and hence constant exchange from the fracture continuum to the matrix system). In a natural system, non-linear transfer processes govern the transfer between fracture/conduit and matrix flow, such as inertia-driven infiltration (i.e., droplet, rivulet, and film flow) that initially retains itself from equilibration of capillary pressure heads and avoids instant matrix imbibition. This study demonstrates parametrization strategies to allow for infiltration through the fracture/conduit continuum using small-scale process-based simulations. Further, we offer procedures that help to achieve convergence of complex catchment-scale variably-saturated simulations.


Accurate prediction of the vibration characteristics of the sloshing motion is essential for the analysis and design of liquid storage tanks subjected to base motion. The virtual mass method is a computationally efficient approach to determine the hydrodynamic forces generated by incompressible and inviscid fluids in accelerated containers since the virtual mass method involves meshing of the fluid boundaries rather than the entire fluid domain. Hydrodynamic actions of the sloshing liquid are taken into consideration by coupling a virtual fluid mass matrix to the structural points on the wetted regions of the tank wall. Analysis of the free surface displacements of the contained liquid can be carried out using the virtual mass method and this paper focuses on the application of the virtual mass method for the analysis of the vibration frequencies and mode shapes of the sloshing modes in rectangular and cylindrical liquid storage tanks. Firstly, the theoretical background for the analytical solution of the mode shapes and modal frequencies is presented for rectangular and cylindrical liquid tanks. This is followed by the description of the procedure used to apply the virtual mass method to obtain the sloshing modes and mode shapes of the contained liquid. The effects of various surface mesh topologies on the predicted vibration characteristics are compared with the analytical solutions as well as the results of an experimental study conducted on scaled rectangular and cylindrical containers mounted on a shake table.


Pericles has been the focus of most Shakespearean scholars, discussing issues ranging from the play's narrative sources to the protagonist's leadership qualities. But the present paper will center its arguments on Helicanus, the neglected servant character of the play. Although loyalty is assumed in master-servant relationships during the Renaissance, the paper provides evidence that corrupted practices within the Elizabethan ruling class and its subordinates overcomes the need to be loyal. Despite being surrounded by the prevailing temptation for power, Helicanus remained as an epitome of loyalty in his service towards his master, Pericles. The paper extracts examples from relevant scenes in the play depicting portrayals of loyalty displayed by this servant character towards Pericles. In short Helicanus' loyalty becomes the fundamental drive which elevates Pericles' status in the play. Therefore, the study aims to heighten the appreciation of Shakespeare's Pericles through the understanding and emphasis of the significance of its dramatic servant characters.


Background: The impact of early nutrition habits is of extreme importance for future development and nutritional status. Many aspects of infants' nutrition are based upon traditions and popular beliefs of the societies. This study was aimed to assess complementary feeding influencing factors in correlation with the socio-economic circumstances from Romania. Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out in the Ambulatory of "Grigore Alexandrescu" Emergency Children's Hospital from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, evaluating toddlers at their check-up visit at 1 year old. Data collection included interview questionnaires with parents upon multiple outcomes regarding first year of life nutrition practices and socio-demographic aspects. Results: A total of 382 parents completed the questionnaire, with a response rate equivalent to 85.29%. A percentage of 68.1% of infants were breastfed since their first day of life, while only 41.6% were exclusively breastfed for four to six months. Regarding timing, 85.6% initiated complementary feeding between 4 and 6 months, while 8.9% were prematurely weaned, and 5.5% experimented this after 7 months of age. Multivariate analyses showed that rural areas, low income families and low level of educations mothers are among risk factors for inappropriate complementary feeding practices (p<0.05, CI 95%). Conclusion: The underprivileged population which is more frequently exposed to mistakes in complementary feeding should represent the target audience of programs consisting of material support and easily accessible information. An appropriate mix of informational politics for both parents and healthcare providers may improve the rates of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in our country.


South Africa is grappling with the challenge to develop sustainable e-government. Using the Cape Gateway Project experience, the paper argues for an alternative viable egovernment model. The paper describes key national policy initiatives in South Africa, such as the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA), Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA), the ICT House of Values, and the Batho Pele Principles crucial for e-government implementation. We propose an e-government model that is closely aligned to national policies and the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. The paper identifies critical success factors, e-value creation, benchmarking best practices, and monitoring and evaluation as pivotal for sustainable egovernment. The paper concludes that the Provincial Government of the Western Cape's e-government framework must be embedded in the core national and provincial development priorities and should not revolve around individual e-champions given high staff turnover in the South Africa's public sector.


Objectives: Chlorhexidine (CHX) and triclosan are the most used chemical agents in dentistry. However, the combination of these products has never been tested. We hypothesize that the addition of CHX to a triclosan dentifrice formulation may offer additional benefits in the reduction of plaque and gingivitis. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare a commercial dentifrice containing 0.05% chlorhexidine and 0.3% triclosan, with conventional toothpaste containing 0.3% triclosan, in the treatment of gingivitis and plaque reduction. Material and Methods: Thirty volunteers were randomly assigned to receive a dentifrice containing 0.05% CHX and 0.3% triclosan (CHX/triclosan group) or a dentifrice containing basically 0.3% triclosan (Triclosan group). Subjects received clinical evaluation such as gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI) at baseline, 30 and 60 days. Results: After 60 days, both treatments led to a significant improvement in GI and PI. There was no significant difference between groups as regards change in GI and PI (p>0.05). Conclusion: The combination of 0.05% CHX with 0.3% triclosan did not offer further benefits to gingival inflammation and plaque control when compared with a dentifrice containing 0.3% triclosan. Keywords Chlorhexidine; CHX dentifrice; Triclosan; Plaque; Gingivitis.


Today, the number of crime over children is increasing day per day. The implement
of School Children Monitoring System via RFID will help to overcome and reduce
worried among parents. This project is combination the latest technology using
RFID, SMS system, and web based develop using PHP, VB.Net language, Apache
Web Server and MySql. When the student enters the main school entrance, they must
pass the tag that given to the RFID antenna, and the RFID reader will read the
student ID. Then, information about the student such as time in and time out from
school will be recorded to web based system and the SMS system automatically
sends to their parent's mobile to inform that the children arrived at school safely. The
development of SCMS helps school to better manage its student's attendance and
will inform the parents when the children enter and back from school. SCMS via
RFID will provide the school with a computer system that can store its student's
information efficiently in a database. This system also provides the RFID antenna
and reader that can detect the student when they touch the tag through reader.
Therefore, with SCMS it is hoped that school will have a better and efficient
management of its students and hence improves its operations.


Based on reliability analysis theory, traditional interval reliability analysis method is improved by take the smaller value of probability reliability and interval reliability as the results of reliability assessment, which makes the reliability assessment results more fit engineering cases. The improved model is applied to reliability assessment of small sample products with degradation characteristics, and results of assessment are compared with existing methods. A numerical example is considered, the results show that the assessment results by the method proposed in the paper is reasonable and believable.


The changes in bacterial density, total extracellular protein and activities of three extracellular enzymes were monitored during growth of wild-type Staphylococcus simulans biovar staphylolyticus, a representative pleiotropic variant that produced decreased levels of the three extracellular enzymes, and a variant that produced only 5 of the 14 extracellular proteins secreted by the wild-type organism. Both variants produced less total extracellular protein than did the parental organism. SDS-PAGE of the proteins secreted by these hypoproducing variants showed that all of the extracellular proteins were produced in decreased amounts. No pleiotropic compensation in extracellular protein production was observed for these hypoproducing variants of S. simulans biovar staphylolyticus.


In this study we present a simulation based comparative performance analysis between RIP, OSPF, EIGRP and IGRP for real time applications by using OPNET. The evaluation is done based on different aspects such as packet delay variation, packet end-to-end delay as well as video traffic, download response time, upload response time in E-mail, FTP, page response time and object response time in HTTP, convergence and queuing delay. We are trying to find out which protocol suits best for the network we have proposed.


Xochimilco's lacustrine zone is a network of channels that, along with the chinampas, conform a unique ecosystem which has served as source of aquatic resources. Duckweeds are small free-floating monocotyledon aquatic plants classified as macrophytes that serve as nutrient pumps and reduce eutrophication effects. Recently, there are number of new studies related to the aquatic plant-microbial interaction focused on the direct functional analysis that investigate plant microbe interactions at full biological hierarchy. The aim of this study was to compare the auxin in vitro production efficiency of the endophyte phytobacteria isolated from Lemna gibba L. plants collected nearby the Xochimilco aquatic agrosystem. There were 17 isolates obtained from the L. gibba plants collected in the dry season and 14 isolates for the rainy season. The environmental conditions and seasonal characteristics determined the number and identity of the isolated endophyte phytobacteria in L. gibba plants according to the several apparent differences in the water quality. This work contributes to the knowledge of the phytobacteria diversity in aquatic plants, particularly in Lemnaceae species; here the majority of the isolates have been characterized as higher indole acetic acid producers, recommended as candidates for their use as biofertilizers. Key words: Plant growth-promoting bacteria, biofertilizers, Lemna gibba , Xochimilco.


COPD is associated with social deprivation which can reinforce health inequality, especially in difficult to access groups. Heroin and crack smoking is associated with early onset severe COPD but this population engages poorly with non-emergency medical services although they engage effectively with specialist drug services. As such, despite an expansion in community spirometry provision, different models of care may be needed to optimise COPD diagnosis and management. In order to access this group Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) funded a COPD screening programme where all current and former heroin and crack smokers using local drug services were offered spirometry at drug key worker appointments where they collected their opiate substitute prescription. If willing they also completed MRC, CAT, a record of cigarette and drug exposure and had oxygen saturations measured. They also provided feedback about the programme Eight hundred and seven (807) out of the population of 1100 participated which represents 73% of the client group. Airflow obstruction consistent with COPD was present in 379 (47%) with a further 50 (6%) having reversible airflow obstruction consistent with asthma. Of those with COPD, 154 (41%) had mild, 144 (38%) moderate and 81 (21%) severe or very severe COPD. Mean FEV1 was 2.93L (0.93), mean CAT was 19.5 (10.5) and mean MRC was 2.64 (1.29). Of the 379 with COPD, only a minority (41%) were diagnosed, a third of people were prescribed no inhaler therapy and, when prescribed, treatment was typically sub-optimal. Amongst those with COPD, 337 (90%) were current cigarette smokers while 93 (25%) and 105 (28%) still smoked crack and heroin respectively. When asked to feedback 96% of respondents were happy with the process and 93% would be willing to attend future COPD appointments at drug centres. Anchoring spirometry to key worker appointments in heroin and crack smokers was popular amongst service users and a majority completed spirometry. Airway disease was present in a majority with 47% having mostly undiagnosed but symptomatic COPD with significant scope to improve treatment. This model of screening and treatment improved healthcare access and could be used in other hard to reach groups, such as the homeless.


The Glass Walls project is a series of videos created by the American Meat Institute that works to create increased transparency regarding agricultural industry practices surrounding animal slaughter and carcass fabrication. To assess the impact of the increased transparency presented in these videos, this study examined consumer response to sampled portions of these videos using a novel measurement approach to agricultural communications, continuous response measurement or "dial testing." Two samples of college students who differed in their level of agricultural involvement provided continuous ratings of perceived comfort while viewing the two videos. Findings indicated that participants with higher agricultural involvement reported less discomfort with the material being presented. Further, critical moments within the videos that elicited a strong uncomfortable response were identified through this novel measurement approach. These moments elicited strong responses, regardless of viewers' level of agricultural involvement. Results suggested that attempts at increased transparency may elicit discomfort from the consumer. Therefore, practitioners and researchers should seek to develop ways to present the same material, but in a way that creates less discomfort for the audience. In addition to the findings of this study, details regarding the use and need of continuous response measurement in agricultural communications are included.


Wild‐type green fluorescent protein (wt‐GFP) has a prominent absorbance band centered at ∼395 nm, attributed to the neutral chromophore form. The green emission arising upon excitation of this band results from excited‐state proton transfer (ESPT) from the chromophore hydroxyl, through a hydrogen‐bond network proposed to consist of a water molecule and Ser205, to Glu222. Although evidence for Glu222 as a terminal proton acceptor has already been obtained, no evidence for the participation of Ser205 in the proton transfer process exists. To examine the role of Ser205 in the proton transfer, we mutated Ser205 to valine. However, the derived GFP variant S205V, upon excitation at 400 nm, still produces green fluorescence. Time‐resolved emission spectroscopy suggests that ESPT contributes to the green fluorescence, and that the proton transfer takes place ∼30 times more slowly than in wt‐GFP. The crystal structure of S205V reveals rearrangement of Glu222 and Thr203, forming a new hydrogen‐bonding network. We propose this network to be an alternative ESPT pathway with distinctive features that explain the significantly slowed rate of proton transfer. In support of this proposal, the double mutant S205V/T203V is shown to be a novel blue fluorescent protein containing a tyrosine‐based chromophore, yet is incapable of ESPT. The results have implications for the detailed mechanism of ESPT and the photocycle of wt‐GFP, in particular for the structures of spectroscopically identified intermediates in the cycle.


Rhombohedral La7Ru3O18 can be considered to be nearly geometrically frustrated due to its close structural similarity to the strongly geometrically frustrated compound La4.87Ru2O12. The magnetic ordering of La7Ru3O18 was explored using a combination of dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The magnetic phase diagram shows two different ordering regimes. A low-field magnetic phase occurs at applied fields of 0–3 T and temperatures below 10 K, while a high-field phase is found at fields of 3–5 T and temperatures below 9 K.


ABSTRACT The 72-kDa immediate early 1 (IE1) protein encoded by human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) is a nuclearly localized promiscuous regulator of viral and cellular transcription. IE1 has long been known to associate with host mitotic chromatin, yet the mechanisms underlying this interaction have not been specified. In this study, we identify the cellular chromosome receptor for IE1. We demonstrate that the viral protein targets human nucleosomes by directly binding to core histones in a nucleic acid-independent manner. IE1 exhibits two separable histone-interacting regions with differential binding specificities for H2A-H2B and H3-H4. The H2A-H2B binding region was mapped to an evolutionarily conserved 10-amino-acid motif within the chromatin-tethering domain (CTD) of IE1. Results from experimental approaches combined with molecular modeling indicate that the IE1 CTD adopts a β-hairpin structure, docking with the acidic pocket formed by H2A-H2B on the nucleosome surface. IE1 binds to the acidic pocket in a way similar to that of the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Consequently, the IE1 and LANA CTDs compete for binding to nucleosome cores and chromatin. Our work elucidates in detail how a key viral regulator is anchored to human chromosomes and identifies the nucleosomal acidic pocket as a joint target of proteins from distantly related viruses. Based on the striking similarities between the IE1 and LANA CTDs and the fact that nucleosome targeting by IE1 is dispensable for productive replication even in "clinical" strains of hCMV, we speculate that the two viral proteins may serve analogous functions during latency of their respective viruses.


: It has been repeatedly reported that the cells of organisms in all kingdoms of life produce nanometer-sized lipid membrane-enveloped extracellular vesicles (EVs), transporting and protecting various substances of cellular origin. While the composition of EVs produced by human pathogenic fungi has been studied in recent decades, another important challenge is the analysis of their functionality. Thus far, fungal EVs have been shown to play significant roles in intercellular communication, biofilm production, and modulation of host immune cell responses. In this study, we verified the involvement of biofilm-derived EVs produced by two different strains of Candida albicans — C. albicans SC5314 and 3147 (ATCC 10231)—in various aspects of biofilm function by examining its thickness, stability, metabolic activity, and cell viability in the presence of EVs and the antifungal drug caspo-fungin. Furthermore, the proteolytic activity against the kininogen-derived antimicrobial peptide NAT26 was confirmed by HPLC analysis for C. albicans EVs that are known to carry, among others, particular members of the secreted aspartic proteinases (Saps) family. In conclusion, EVs derived from C. albicans biofilms were shown to be involved in biofilm tolerance to caspofungin, biofilm detachment, and fungal proteolytic activity.


Health systems internationally have developed policies to support evidence-based health care (EBHC) for over a decade. As this article shows, the time is ripe to reviewcurrent policy frameworks in an evidence-based manner. We summarize key themes deriving from qualitative research on the UK EBHC implementation and draw out implications for policy renewal. Our diagnosis is different
from current UK NHS (National Health Service) policy since we stress local capacity building rather than top-down frameworks, standardized tools and guidelines. As other jurisdictions demonstrate alternative EBHC policy frameworks, more international comparison and mutual learning is needed.


The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of BCG vaccination on the incidence of tuberculous meningitis in children. A retrospective review was undertaken to find out vaccination rate of BCG and positive conversion mantoux rate in newborn infants. The results obtained were as follow: in 1980, vaccination rate was 51.61%, and the positive conversion Mantoux rate was 87.86%; in 1988 vaccination rate was 96.06%, and the positive conversion Mantoux rate was 94.92%. With the increase vaccination rate of BCG the incidence of tuberculous meningitis in children have decreased: in 1980 it was 3.27/100000; in 1988 it was 0.95/100000. The annual average incidence rate decreased by 14.28%.


Abstract Objective. This research sought to analyze the predictive effect of personal (personality traits), social (social support and social stigma) and community factors (characteristic of the neighborhood and exposure to consumption) on the transition of drug use in young adults. Methods. Case and control study. The cases were 70 individuals from 18 to 34 years of age who had already transitioned into illicit drug use and the controls were 210 legal drug usuers (tobacco or alcohol) in the same age range who had not had the transition. A data file was applied along with seven instruments that measured the transition and consumption variables. Results. Marihuana was the illicit drug of highest transition. It was shown that greater personality traits of neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to the experience meant higher probability of drug use transition; while greater personality traits of agreeableness and conscience meant lower probability for the transition. The characteristics of the neighborhood environment and exposure to the opportunity of consumption increase the probability of the drug use transition. Social support and social stigma influenced negatively upon the drug use transition. Conclusion. Personality traits, neighborhood characteristics, exposure to drug use, social support, and the social stigma of drug use are factors that intervene in the transition from legal to illicit drug use.


To compare the effects of biogas compositions, cellular premixed flames of synthetic biogas on flat burner was investigated. As the variation of main composition of biogas such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), the biogas produced from agricultural waste (54.9:45.1), food waste (73.4:26.6) and cow dung (85.1:14.9) were used to investigate for this study. Moreover, the lean combustion system was experimented on flat burner to reduce the greenhouse gases. The variation of equivalence ratio between Φ=0.65-1.00 and firing rate with 45 L/min of mixture flow rates were studied. The results showed the cellular flame from agricultural waste, food waste and cow dung were found between Φ=0.75-1.00, Φ=0.70-0.90 and Φ=0.65-0.80, respectively. In addition, the blown off flames were also observed at Φ < 0.75, Φ < 0.70 and Φ < 0.65 from agricultural waste, food waste and cow dung compositions, respectively. The results showed the variation of biogas compositions, equivalence ratio and firing rate affected to cellular flames owing to the intrinsic instability. Moreover, it was concluded that small cell size, higher light emission and narrower unstable range and wider flame range obtained in the combustion of biogas produced from cow dung composition, was more stable compared to biogas from agricultural waste and food waste compositions.


CrNx film was widely used in mechanical engineering field because of its excellent anti-wear and corrosion resistance properties. While most of research was focused on mechanical properties, little attention had been paid to the corrosion resistance and residual stress of CrNx film . In this paper, CrNx films were deposited on silicon wafer (100) and iron substrate by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system (UBMS) at different N2 flow. Then the structure, thickness, residual stress, micro-hardness, wear-resistance and anti-corrosion properties of CrNx films were investigated. The results showed that the phase composition of CrNx films transformed from Cr, single phase Cr2N, Cr2N and CrN coexist to single CrN with the N2 flow rate increasing. The CrNx films composed with Cr2N phase, which deposited at 6 sccm N2 flow, had the highest microhardness and had higher compressive residual stress. Whereas the CrNx films with CrN and Cr2N phase coexist had the best wear and corrosion resistance.


This report has been prepared for the Department of Family and Community Services to provide background analysis for the assessment of policy options to encourage employment and self-sufficiency among the older workforce (those aged 50 to retirement age). The main focus is on labour supply issues - with a particular focus on the household situation of older (potential) workers. The research here is intended to complement and provide background information for other FaCS and SPRC research projects which are examining personal attitudes and characteristics in more detail and the views of employers on hiring older workers.


The purpose of this research paper is to explore how public spaces in low-income, high-density neighbourhoods may be utilized to encourage social cohesion. Toward that goal, St. James Town – an inner city neighbourhood of Toronto – was chosen as the case study. Most residents in SJT are immigrants from non-traditional sources, and a high proportion of them have arrived in Canada within the last five years. Based on their age and educational qualifications, it may seem that the residents of SJT should be a part of Toronto's "Creative Class", yet, their employment and housing conditions reveal a contrasting story. Living in residual housing, earning less than the Toronto average, and having little interaction with their neighbours in public spaces, severely thwarts their functional and subjective integration into the host society. As a result, SJT residents remain one of the major marginalised groups in Toronto.


s 16th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine sll5 Major Incident Preparedness—A Hospital Review of a Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Exercise: Lessons Learned!


Cross-coupled resonant lateral modes in a twin-stripe four-contact laser are analyzed by coupled-mode theory for conditions in which the current injection into each diagonal pair of stripes is equal. The dependence of the optical power distribution on the laser length and on the carrier-density or the current-density distribution is investigated. The most interesting result is that the highest optical power interesting result is that the highest optical power appears in the waveguide with the lowest carrier density when the carrier-density difference between the adjacent waveguides is small and the laser is shorter than the coupling length. This makes it possible to show that a cross-coupled mode can be supported even in a two-contact twin-stripe laser and that bistable switching between the mode and its mirror image is possible. >


While the algorithms for streaming graph partitioning are proved promising, they fall short of creating timely partitions when applied on large graphs. For example, it takes 415 seconds for a state-of-the-art partitioner to work on a social network graph with 117 millions edges. We introduce an efficient platform for boosting streaming graph partitioning algorithms. Our solution, called HoVerCut, is Horizontally and Vertically scalable. That is, it can run as a multi-threaded process on a single machine, or as a distributed partitioner across multiple machines. Our evaluations, on both real-world and synthetic graphs, show that HoVerCut speeds up the process significantly without degrading the quality of partitioning. For example, HoVerCut partitions the aforementioned social network graph with 117 millions edges in 11 seconds that is about 37 times faster.


Due to the high sampling rate, the recorded Electrocardiograms (ECG) data are huge. For storing and transmitting ECG data, wide spaces and more bandwidth are therefore needed. The ECG data are also very important to preprocessing and compress so that it is distributed and processed with less bandwidth and less space effectively. This manuscript is aimed at creating an effective ECG compression method. The reported ECG data are processed first in the pre-processing unit (ProUnit) in this method. In this unit, ECG data have been standardized and segmented. The resulting ECG data would then be sent to the Compression Unit (CompUnit). The unit consists of an algorithm for lossy compression (LosyComp), with a lossless algorithm for compression (LossComp). The randomness ECG data is transformed into high randomness data by the failure compression algorithm. The data's high redundancy is then used with the LosyComp algorithm to reach a high compression ratio (CR) with no degradation. The LossComp algorithms recommended in this manuscript are the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). LossComp algorithms such as Arithmetic Encoding (Arithm) and Run Length Encoding (RLE) are also suggested. To evaluate the proposed method, we measure the Compression Time (CompTime), and Reconstruction Time (RecTime) (T), RMSE and CR. Simulation results suggest the highest output in compression ratio and in complexity by adding RLE after the DCT algorithm. The simulation findings indicate that the inclusion of RLE following the DCT algorithm increases performance in terms of CR and complexity. With CR = 55


The Aldo-Keto Reductases (AKR) are a group of oxidoreductase enzymes structurally and mechanistically distinct from the Alcohol Dehydrogenases (ADH). The AKRs are of importance for their ability to produce industrially useful compounds including chiral secondary alcohols. The ADH family have traditionally been exploited for chiral alcohol production; the AKR family have currently been underexploited for chiral alcohol production and present the opportunity to search for novel oxidoreductases with properties and substrate specificities distinct from the ADH enzymes. The AKR studied here, from the hyperthermophilic bacteria Thermotoga maritima has been characterised with respect to its biochemical and structural properties, and its potential as a biocatalyst evaluated. This enzyme is the second example of a thermophilic AKR to have its three dimensional structure solved, the other also being from Thermot. maritima. The AKR studied exhibits high stability with respect to temperature and moderate amounts of organic solvents. A large preference for the reduction reaction compared to the oxidation reaction was found, which has previously been observed in other AKRs. The X-ray crystal structure was solved to 2.6Å resolution in the apo form. The final structure has three loop sections which were not located due to disorder within the crystal, which are expected to become ordered upon cofactor and substrate binding. A section of one of these missing loops was found to bind at the active site of the enzyme, with a glutamate occupying the site of substrate carbonyl binding. The formation of a dimer, increased helix-dipole stabilisation and long distance ion pair interactions all act to increase thermostability of the AKR with respect to its mesophilic homologues. The X-ray crystal structure of Escherichia coli bacterioferritin has also been solved to 1.9Å resolution, which was co-purified along with the recombinant AKR enzyme. This structure shows the symmetrical binding of a heme molecule on the local two-fold axis between subunits and the binding of two metal atoms to each subunit at the ferroxidase centre. These metal atoms have been identified as zinc by the anaylsis of the structure and X-ray data and confirmed by microPIXE experiments. For the first time the heme has been shown to be linked to the internal and external environments via a cluster of waters positioned above the heme molecule. This information has provided a greater insight into the function and mechanism of bacterioferritin.


This paper summarizes the findings of a study designed to systematically explore how computer generated visual support affects the persuasiveness of a presentation. Perceptions of the presenter as well as audience attention, comprehension, yielding, and retention culminating in action were enhanced when presentation support was used compared to when it was not. Further, the persuasive impact of a presentation was shown to depend on characteristics of the support used. Characteristics examined were color vs. black and white, plain text vs. text plus pictures and graphs, and 35mm slides vs. overhead transparencies. A model of the persuasion process and guidelines for the effective use of presentation support were developed. Presentation support effectiveness was also shown to vary as a function of presenter quality.


This paper has looked at the evolution of attitudes toward welfare recipients and the impact of authoritarian dispositions on these attitudes in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis. We used two representative surveys, the first (n = 2,054) conducted in the summer of 2019 and the second (n = 2,060) in Quebec in June 2020, near the end of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the province. One thousand one hundred and seventy eight participants in the second survey had also participated in the first, allowing to analyze potential movement among many of the same individuals. Overall, while our results clearly indicated that authoritarian dispositions were associated with more negative views of welfare recipients, the pandemic does not appear to have affected the relationship between these attitudes and authoritarian traits. Additionally, we found no evidence that a direct measure of perceived threat moderated the relation between authoritarianism and attitude toward welfare recipients. Yet, we did find that, in the context of the pandemic, authoritarianism was associated with the attribution of lower deservingness scores to welfare recipients who were fit for work, suggesting that authoritarianism interacts with an important deservingness heuristic when evaluating who deserves to be helped.


The latest generation of AC-fed traction drives, employing high-speed switching devices, is able to control the reactive power drawn from the overhead line by each equipment. If the conditions at each locomotive or train could be fed back to a central control point, it is possible for a centrally located controller to calculate optimal values for the reactive power in each drive and to send those commands back to the individual equipment. In this thesis, AC railway power flows are optimised in real time and the results are used to achieve some particular system objective via control of the PWM equipment as mobile reactive power compensators. The system voltage profile and the total power losses can be improved while the overall power factor at the feeder substation is also made nearer to unity. For off-line simulation purposes, high execution speeds and low storage requirements are not generally significant with the latest computer hardware. However, this real-time control employs on-line optimising controllers, which need embedded power solvers running many times faster than real time. Thus, a fast and efficient algorithm for AC railway power flow calculation was developed. The proposed scheme is compared to a conventional reactive power compensation, e.g. SVC, and found to be less expensive to implement. Several test cases for AC electric railway systems are examined. The centralised area control system leads to the best improvement where an existing fleet of diode or thyristor phase-angle controlled locomotives is partially replaced with PWM ones, compared to that obtained without compensation or to classical track-side Var compensation methods. From these results, the potential for PWM locomotives to improve overall system performance is confirmed.


Summary Renal sodium excretion has been noted to increase with intraventricular infusion of hypernatremic fluid and to decrease with infusion of hyponatremic fluid. To further explore the mechanism of these changes, serum renin activity and serum al-dosterone, corticosterone, and prolactin concentration were measured after 1-hr infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid of varying sodium concentration and osmolal-ity into the lateral ventricles of unanesthe-tized rats which had been consuming regular-sodium or low-sodium diets. Serum al-dosterone and prolactin concentrations did not change significantly. Serum renin activity increased with infusion of iso-osmotic, hyponatremic fluid during regular-sodium diet. Serum corticosterone concentration increased during low-sodium diet with infusion of iso-osmotic, hyponatremic and hyper-osmotic, hypernatremic fluid. The failure of serum aldosterone concentration to increase concomitant with increases in serum renin activity and corticosterone concentration suggests that an additional central nervous system factor(s) may influence aldosterone secretion. The mechanism for the changes in renal sodium excretion during intraventricular infusion remains uncertain, but it does not appear to be mediated through aldosterone or prolactin. This research was supported by grants from the American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate; NIH Grant No. RO1-HL18730; and by an institutional grant.


To identify new melanoma antigens using systematic gene expression analysis combined with rapid screening of patient sera for immunogenicity, a serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) method was applied to profile transcripts in a highly pigmented melanoma cell line SKmel23. 25,997 SAGE tags consisting of 10,382 unique transcripts were sequenced. This melanoma SAGE library was compared with a testis SAGE library and the colon SAGE database, and to the cDNA database obtained by random sequencing of a melanocyte cDNA library. Among the 15 tags finally selected with criteria of preferential expression on melanoma and melanocytes at relatively high frequency, two tags were further analyzed for their structure and immunogenicity. One was identified as PAX3, and its isoform, PAX3d, was found to be dominantly expressed in melanoma and melanocytes. The other was derived from a novel gene and its full-length cDNA clone was isolated. Preferential expression of these genes in melanoma and melanocytes was confirmed by RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis. The recombinant bacterial PAX3d protein was recognized by serum IgG from some patients with melanoma and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease but not from healthy individuals, indicating that PAX3d is a new melanocyte-specific antigen immunogenic in patients with melanoma or VKH disease. The authors report two melanocyte/melanoma-specific molecules, which may be useful for development of diagnosis or treatment of these pigment disorders. In addition, a system using SAGE and immunoscreening with patients' sera is shown to be an efficient method for the systematic identification of tumor antigens.


Misoprostol, which is a prostaglandin E1 analogue, is effectively used in cervical priming in women both for labor induction and for gynecological procedures. Although its efficacy is well documented in reproductive age women, during postmenopausal period this efficacy is limited probably due to estrogen deficit. Our objective is to evaluate if estrogen deficit in postmenopausal women is important for the effect of misoprostol on cervical ripening before diagnostic procedures. In this study, 45 patients were randomly allocated to estrogen or placebo group. The study group received local estrogen cream and other group received chlindamycine phosphate cream as placebo. The patients were given oral misoprostol 24 and 12 hours before the procedure for uterine cavity evaluation. Cervix was dilated by using Heagar dilator up to 6 mm. Data were analyzed by Student t-test, Mann-Whitney's U-test, chi-square test and paired samples t-test where appropriate. Basal cervical widths for the estrogen and placebo groups were 4.4 +/- 0.7 and 3.7 +/- 0.7 mm, respectively (p < 0.01). Mean time required for dilatation of cervix was 44.4 +/- 16.2 seconds for the estrogen group and 61.4 +/- 18.3 seconds for the placebo group (p < 0.01). As a conclusion, misoprostol treatment alone is not effective to get cervical priming in postmenopausal women, and as shown in our study, pretreatment with local estrogen overcome the failure. To get a beneficial effect of misoprostol on cervical ripening, estrogenic activity is necessary and when pretreated with local estrogen, misoprostol ameliorates cervical priming in postmenopausal women.


Research in inexpensive millimeter wave devices and electronically steerable antennas forbodes future high speed communications that use carrier frequencies at millimeterwave frequencies such as 38 and 60 GHz. At these frequencies, the available RF bandwidth is much greater than that of current 4G systems, resulting in massive amounts of data rates, and high gain millimeterwave steerable antennas can be much smaller than antennas at current frequencies. As the carrier frequency is increased, behaviors of the wireless signals in different environments need to be better understood. The thesis presents results from an extensive channel measurement campaign for peer-to-peer, peer-to-vehicle, and rooftop-to-ground (base station-to-peer) propagation measurements with a sliding correlator channel measurement system at 38 GHz or 60 GHz carrier frequencies in an outdoor urban campus environment using directional and mechanically steerable antennas. This work provides angle of arrival (AOA) and channel characteristics for directional antenna beams that may exploit non-line-of-sight propagation paths for futuristic channels at 38 GHz and 60 GHz. The thesis also includes descriptions of an antenna positioning track that was designed to assist in future channel measurements. The track enables automatic mechanical steering in an antennas azimuth angle and horizontal position, and manual mechanical steering in elevation angle, polarization, and vertical positions. Details on the track design, design concerns, parts, as well as the tracks control software are provided.


Complex visual data contain discriminative structures that are difficult to be fully captured by any single feature descriptor. While recent work in domain adaptation focuses on adapting a single hand-crafted feature, it is important to perform adaptation on a hierarchy of features to exploit the richness of visual data. We propose a novel framework for domain adaptation using a sparse and hierarchical network (DASH-N). Our method jointly learns a hierarchy of features together with transformations that address the mismatch between different domains. The building block of DASH-N is designed using the theory of latent sparse representation. It employs a dimensionality reduction step that can prevent the data dimension from increasing too fast as we increase the depth of the hierarchy. Experimental results show that our method compares favorably with competing state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, it is shown that a multi-layer DASH-N performs better than a single-layer DASH-N.


Background – Loss of bone mineral is a common concomitant of the
treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) due mainly to
chemotherapy, especially with corticosteroids. Osteopenia/osteoporosis
may persist long into survivorship. Measurement of bone mineral density
(BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is limited to
two-dimensionality and cannot distinguish trabecular from cortical bone.
Methods – A sample of 74 subjects, more than 10 years from diagnosis,
underwent peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at
metaphyseal (trabecular bone) and diaphyseal (cortical bone) sites in
the radius and tibia. pQCT provides three-dimensional assessment of bone
geometry, density and architecture. Results – Similarities of average
values in multiple metrics with those in healthy subjects obscured
deficits in both trabecular and cortical bone, as well as bone strength,
revealed by Z scores using an ethnically comparable sample of healthy
individuals. Connectivity, a measure of bone architecture and a
surrogate measure of bone strength, was lower in females than males.
Survivors of standard risk ALL had greater connectivity in and more
compact trabecular bone than high risk survivors who had received more
intensive osteotoxic chemotherapy. There were no statistically
significant differences in any of the metrics at any of the sites
between subjects who had or had not a history of fracture, cranial
irradiation or use of a bisphosphonate. Conclusions – These long-term
survivors of ALL have somehat compromised bone health, but data in
comparable healthy populations are limited. Longitudinal studies in
larger and more ethnically diverse cohorts will provide greater insight
into bone health in this vulnerable population.


Introduction: Poverty, poor health infrastructure, and rurality contribute to lack of cancer screening for most residents of Honduras (HN). We hypothesized that if community-identified barriers were mitigated, rural Hondurans would participate in cancer screening; initial low-tech screening methods would be useful in identifying high-risk individuals in a large group; and that we could operationalize an acceptable and effective multiorgan screening program. Our objective was to test multiorgan cancer-screening strategies for challenging rural environments such as our site in rural El Rosario, Honduras and develop a strategy that would be generalizable to rural sites in other low-income countries. Methods: We conducted three cancer-screening projects (2013/n=449 women, 2016/n=389 women, 2017/n=299 men) by developing relationships with rural community leaders and Honduran oncologists. Together, we launched multiorgan screening events via a brigade-style medical outreach model designed to mitigate barriers to early detection of cancers. Key strategies: 1) a screening cascade system and low-tech methods to identify high-risk individuals for further screening; 2) triage for findings requiring additional workup, rather than focusing on making a definitive cancer diagnosis; 3) inserting cancer education into the participants9 experience; and 4) multiorgan screening to maximize cancer prevention with little additional use of resources. Community-identified barriers were transportation, cost, fear, and inconvenience; we negotiated an array of minimalist and highly effective community-based strategies to mitigate the barriers. In 2013 and 2016 we screened women for cancers including cervix, breast, oropharynx, and thyroid, and in 2017 screened men for testicular, oropharynx, skin, prostate, and colon cancers. Post-study, participants with suspicious findings were connected with follow-up care at a cancer center in HN. On-site screening methods ranged from no-tech, including surveys, clinical breast exams, throat palpation for thyroid, digital rectal exam for prostate, physical exam of testes, and visual skin inspection for skin cancer; to mid-tech, including telepathology for oral cancer, fecal occult blood test for colon cancer, and PSA for prostate; and high-tech PCR screening for high-risk HPV (hrHPV). Well-trained HN medical students staffed the screening areas; their participation is intended to increase long-term screening capacity in HN. Community leaders were responsible for promoting the screening clinic by training teens who traveled to villages to introduce the opportunity. Results: Participants came via a free bus, horse, motorbike, and on foot from 31 (2013), 40 (2016), and 38 (2017) different communities. Median age and years of education were 38/5 (2013), 40/6 (2016), and 47/4 (2017). Almost every participant completed all screenings. We found 11 types of hrHPV; in 2013/8.4% and 2016/12.5% were positive for 1 or more types. Referrals for breast follow-up were 2013/2.7% and 2016/4.4%. In 2017 (men), 26 referrals were: skin screening/2; testicular exams/2; colon/2; oropharynx/0; and 20 men for clinical prostate follow-up by a screening cascade of survey, digital rectal exam, and PSA. 249 men self-identified based on ASCO colon standards and brought stool samples for FOBT/4 tested positive. We used oral consent and focus groups for post-event evaluation. Comments reflected satisfaction with the medical students, convenience of a free bus, and protection of participants9 privacy. Conclusion: With community engagement and attention to planning for organized and rapid throughput, large-scale multiorgan cancer screening is feasible in low-income rural communities. Despite low expectation of male participation because it is "common knowledge" that Honduran males avoid clinics, our experience demonstrates that with mitigation of barriers, men will participate. Citation Format: Linda Skewes Kennedy, Kayla A. Marra, Ethan Phillip Marshall LaRochelle, Mary D. Chamberlin, Kathleen D. Lyons, Suyapa A. Bejarano, Gregory J. Tsongalis. Cancer screening in rural Honduras: Maximizing impact with a multiorgan screening approach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B20.


Photoplethysmography (PPG) can be carried out through facial video recording by a smart phone camera in ambient light. The main challenge is to eliminate motion artifacts and ambient noise. We describe a real-time algorithm to quantify the heart beat rate from facial video recording captured by the camera of a smart phone. We extract the green channel from the video. Then we normalize it and use a Kalman filter with a particular structure to eliminate ambient noise. This filter also enhances the heart pulse component in the signal distorted by Gaussian noise and white noise. After that we employ a band-pass FIR filter to remove the remaining motion artifacts. This is followed by peak detection or Lomb periodogram to estimate heart rate. The algorithm has low computational overhead, low delay and high robustness, making it suitable for real-time interaction on a smart phone. Finally we describe an Android application based on this study.


When assessing a patient clinically, it is important to know basic anatomical details which will aid the clinician during the physical examination. Assessment of the thorax is a fundamental part of any physical examination as the location of many vital structures are in this region. On the dorsum of the thorax, there exists a relative thinning of the muscles that provide an essential anatomical landmark which aids clinicians during pulmonary auscultation and various thoracic procedures - the triangle of auscultation.


Rib fractures are among the most common injuries found in patients presenting from blunt trauma. They are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, largely due to pulmonary complications. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) has been the mainstay treatment for patients with multiple rib fractures. In this report, we present a case of a patient that sustained blunt thoracic trauma with multiple anterolateral rib fractures, including a flail segment. This fail segment involved the costal cartilage and required fixation of ribs to the sternum in order to restore chest wall stabilization and integrity. This was achieved using the Zimmer Biomet rib plate system. The approach utilized should be considered in patients with rib fractures associated with segments of displaced costal cartilage.


We report electronic Raman scattering measurements of Sr(Fe1−xCox)2As2 single crystals in their magnetic-Spin Density Wave (SDW) phase. The spectra display multiple, polarization-resolved SDW gaps as expected in a band-folding itinerant picture for a multiband system. The temperature dependence of the SDW gaps reveals an unusual evolution of the reconstructed electronic structure with at least one gap being activated only well below the magnetic SDW transition TN. A comparison with temperature dependent Hall measurements allows us to assign this activated behavior to a change in the Fermi surface topology deep in the SDW phase, which we attribute to the disappearance of a hole-like Fermi pocket. Our results highlight the strong sensitivity of the low energy electronic structure to temperature in iron-arsenide superconductors.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the HRD practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Australia to understand the value that MNEs place on investment in their human capital, particularly managerial talent.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a representative sample of 211 MNEs operating in Australia, this paper investigates the extent (using frequencies) and determinants (using logistic regression analysis) of training and development expenditure, management development strategies, talent management and succession planning policies.

Findings

The findings suggest that less than 20 per cent of MNEs operating in Australia are investing over 4 per cent of their annual pay bill on training and development. Furthermore, almost a quarter of firms invest less than 1 per cent in training and development. However, most MNEs invest in their managers and those with high potential through the use of management development programmes, talent management strategies and succession planning. Interestingly, in comparison to US MNEs, Australian MNEs were less likely to use management development or talent management programmes for senior management or high performing staff.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is cross-sectional and represents a snapshot of MNEs' HRD practices at one point in time. The study measured the perceptions of the most senior HR manager and did not include the views of other organisational participants. The authors suggest the need for future research studies that incorporate longitudinal research designs and the views of different organisational actors.

Practical implications

HR managers or HRD specialists need to develop a strong understanding of the Australian institutional context, as well as demonstrate the importance/business case for an integrative approach to HRD.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need to study the HRD practices of MNEs operating in Australia, particularly focusing on the value that MNEs place on their human capital.


The characteristics of nightmares of 48 male U.S. Vietnam war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as revised dream scripts developed in the course of Imagery Rehearsal therapy, were examined in relation to pretreatment symptomatology and treatment outcome. Features, content, and themes of nightmares and rescripted dreams were coded by 2 independent raters. Nightmares were replete with scenes of death and violence and were predominantly replays of actual combat events in which the veteran was under attack and feared for his life. Although addressing or resolving the nightmare theme with rescripting was associated with a reduction in sleep disturbance, references to violence in the rescripted dream were related to poorer treatment outcome in nightmare frequency; B  = 5.69 (SE = 1.14). The experience of olfactory sensations in nightmares, a possible index of nightmare intensity, was also related to poorer treatment response; B  = 2.95 (SE = 1.06). Imagery rehearsal for individuals with severe, chronic PTSD and fairly replicative nightmares may be most effective when the rescripted dream incorporates a resolution of the nightmare theme and excludes violent details.


A theoretical and experimental study has been performed to give a basis for recovery of phosphorus and other products from sewage sludge and ash with application to Henriksdal wastewater treatment plant (Hultman et al., 2002). Special attention is given in this article on the use of supercritical water oxidation followed by phosphorus recovery (Aqua Reci). Studies of the Aqua Reci process have recently begun; the process is under development. Experiments have been performed (both at KTH and Feralco) to give information on recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge with the application to digested sludge from biological treatment and chemical precipitation with iron. High chemical demand is required by use of thermal technology and addition of acids to release phosphorus. Addition of bases is by interest since aluminium and phosphate are released first, while iron, calcium and magnesium ions are not released in the same step (if a preceding washing step is used). To release phosphorus appr. 100-200 kg NaOH/ ton DS is required and the total chemical demand is appr. 200 kg/ ton DS of lime and NaOH to release phosphorus and obtain calcium phosphate as a phosphorus product.


If you told a woman her sex had a shared, long-lived history with weasels, she might deck you. But those familiar with mythology know better: that the connection between women and weasels is an ancient and favorable one, based in the Greek myth of a midwife who tricked the gods to ease Heracles' birth - and was turned into a weasel by Hera as punishment. Following this story as it is retold over centuries in literature and art, Women and Weasels takes us on a journey through mythology and ancient belief, revising our understanding of myth, heroism, and the status of women and animals in Western culture. Maurizio Bettini recounts and analyzes a variety of key literary and visual moments that highlight the weasel's many attributes. We learn of its legendary sexual and childbearing habits and symbolic association with witchcraft and midwifery, its role as a domestic pet favored by women, and its ability to slip in and out of tight spaces. The weasel, Bettini reveals, is present at many unexpected moments in human history, assisting women in labor and thwarting enemies who might plot their ruin. With a parade of symbolic associations between weasels and women-witches, prostitutes, midwives, sisters-in-law, brides, mothers, and heroes - Bettini brings to life one of the most venerable and enduring myths of Western culture.


The selective sensing of gaseous target molecules is a challenge to analytical chemistry. Selectivity may be achieved in liquids by several different methods, but many of these are not suitable for gas-phase analysis. In this review, we will focus on molecular imprinting and its application in selective binding of volatile organic compounds and atmospheric pollutants in the gas phase. The vast majority of indexed publications describing molecularly imprinted polymers for gas sensors and vapour monitors have been analysed and categorised. Specific attention was then given to sensitivity, selectivity, and the challenges of imprinting these small volatile compounds. A distinction was made between porogen (solvent) imprinting and template imprinting for the discussion of different synthetic techniques, and the suitability of each to different applications. We conclude that porogen imprinting, synthesis in an excess of template, has great potential in gas capture technology and possibly in tandem with more typical template imprinting, but that the latter generally remains preferable for selective and sensitive detection of gaseous molecules. More generally, it is concluded that gas-phase applications of MIPs are an established science, capable of great selectivity and parts-per-trillion sensitivity. Improvements in the fields are likely to emerge by deviating from standards developed for MIP in liquids, but original methodologies generating exceptional results are already present in the literature.


In this study, the writer was interested in describing the problems of learning speaking faced by the first semester students of STTAD LEMJIANTEK. Descriptive qualitative research was used as design of this study. The research involved 60 students in the first semester. The data were
obtained through the observation and questionnaire for the students.
The result of this study showed that the students faced some problems. The first was related to inhibition in which the students felt ashamed and worried about making mistakes when speaking English. The causes were that the students' speech was not appropriate with the right English pattern, not fluent in speaking English, less confidence and felt ashamed if their friends would mock them. The way to cope with the problem was the students were well prepared in order to cope with their fearness and shyness. The second problem was related to nothing to say in which the students had no idea to express their opinion when they were learning speaking. The cause was that the lecturer gave too difficult topics to the students. The way to cope with the problem was the students were drilling themselves creatively in order to understand the difficult topics.
The third problem, the problem related to low or uneven participation was less participation when they were learning English, and uncertain of speaking English. The causes of the problems were because the topics were given not in various ways and the students had little vocabulary
that made them not confident to speak in English. The way to cope with the problem was that the students memorized the vocabulary and studied hard about tenses in order to make their speaking better. The last, problem that was related to mother tongue was that the students were afraid of being mocked by their friends in speaking class. The cause of this problem was being ashamed to speak English. The way to cope with the problem was that the students tried to be confident to speak English especially in English speaking class even though their pronunciation was not good.


In the context of globalization and development, and in particular the complex interactions between them, the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), once considered remote and untouched by sophisticated financial sector instruments, are now deeply affected by the second and third waves of the world-wide recession following the financial and banking crises in the industrialized countries. Consequent decline in economic activities in the advanced countries caused a general slow-down in all PICs. With the exception of Papua New Guinea, the PICs have narrow resource bases and limited export earning capabilities. Further, they are heavily dependent on imports ranging from food and fuel to machinery and manufactured goods. Global economic downturn has resulted in decrease in tourism earnings and inward remittances, which are the main sources of foreign exchange earnings. Thus, the economic crisis has brought into sharp focus the topic of macroeconomic interdependence of PICs for further examination, as part of regional economic integration. This paper deals with six major countries in the South Pacific region, viz., Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. Adopting a vector autoregressive (VAR) methodology, the study shows that there is strong evidence of country-specific shock affecting the variability of outputs in all PICs in the short-run. In the long run, it is found that the global output shock represented by the USA output shock is the most important shock followed by regional shocks. However, the quick and early recovery of Australia has re-established the case of regional economic integration with Australia and New Zealand. This has been the goal of Pacific Plan endorsed by the inter governmental organization consisting of PICs, and Australia and New Zealand.


The quality of pavement is affected mostly by the type of subgrade soil, and in many countries, the subgrade soil is clay. The California Bearing Ratio CBR of clay is generally very low which leads to a thicker layer of pavement and sub base materials. This increase in quantities leads to a significant increase in cost. Since the use of the clay as subgrade is inevitable, many private and public institutions searched on a way to increase its CBR, but most of the conducted studies focused on increasing clay CBR by reinforcing the clay either by geogrids or by fibers which are very expensive. One common finding in all the studies was that the CBR of unsoaked clay is higher than CBR of soaked one which means that CBR of clay is affected by its moisture content. In our work, the objective is to increase the CBR of clay by draining it instead of reinforcing it. Drainage can be obtained by adding a layer of granular soil between clay layers. Sand was used as granular soil for the sake of its workability in the CBR mold and for its relatively small particles size. Our aim is to verify if sandy layer can play a drainage role for the clayey soil and to also find the most efficient position of the sandy layer. We collected six soils from different regions to cover as much as possible the different clay types in Lebanon. For each soil, we found CBR values for clay alone and clay with layer of sand and compares them. Identification tests were necessary in order to build our analysis. At the end, from the results and analysis, we found the position of the sandy layer which increases most the clay CBR and we proved that the existence of sandy layer is beneficial for CBR of clay.


The inherent measurement support in routers (SNMP counters or NetFlow) is not sufficient to diagnose performance problems in IP networks, especially for flow-specific problems where the aggregate behavior within a router appears normal. Tomographic approaches to detect the location of such problems are not feasible in such cases as active probes can only catch aggregate characteristics. To address this problem, in this paper, we propose a Consistent NetFlow (CNF) architecture for measuring per-flow delay measurements within routers. CNF utilizes the existing NetFlow architecture that already reports the first and last timestamps per flow, and it proposes hash-based sampling to ensure that two adjacent routers record the same flows. We devise a novel Multiflow estimator that approximates the intermediate delay samples from other background flows to significantly improve the per-flow latency estimates compared to the naive estimator that only uses actual flow samples. In our experiments using real backbone traces and realistic delay models, we show that the Multiflow estimator is accurate with a median relative error of less than 20% for flows of size greater than 100 packets. We also show that Multiflow estimator performs two to three times better than a prior approach based on trajectory sampling at an equivalent packet sampling rate.


Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) presents an evolutionary path to provide high bandwidth services and integrates many existing networks into a common architecture. However, ATM should provide native packet services, yet the cell relay method of ATM cannot efficiently fit packet service, especially in heavy traffic. In this paper, we employ an OrthogonaI Multiprocessor (OMP) architecture using Dual-Port memory to enhance the CPU power and eliminate the bus contention problem. The proposed architecture called EOMPA (Enhanced OMP Architecture) also applies a multi-level switch method to fit the multifarious traffics.


Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) or cancer stem cells (CSCs) are resistant to chemotherapy and have been associated with metastatic recurrences and poor patient outcome. We have shown that the TGFb pathway plays a crucial role in the expansion of TICs and that inhibition of the type I TGFβ receptor (ALK5) decreases chemotherapy-resistant TICs. Further, a TGFβ-responsive gene signature is enriched in TNBCs upon treatment with chemotherapy and is predictive of poor prognosis (Bhola et al. JCI 2013). Herein we investigated the molecular and antitumor effects of TR1, a TGFβRII neutralizing antibody currently in phase I clinical trials, against TNBC. TR1 recognizes the TGFβ ligand binding epitope in the extracellular domain of TGFβRII; it blocks ligand binding in the nM range. Small molecule TGFβRI kinase inhibitors are another approach to inhibit TGFβ/SMAD signaling. However, they cross-react with other type I receptors (ALK1, 4, 7), some of which are important for normal physiology. Furthermore, TGFβRII can induce EMT in breast cancer cells independent of dimerization with TGFβRI. Therefore, we hypothesized that, by neutralizing TGFβRII, TR1 can abrogate the breast TIC population via inhibition of SMAD and non-SMAD signaling. Using the pCAGA12-luciferase reporter to assess SMAD-dependent transcriptional activity, TR1 decreased luciferase activity in TNBC cell lines (SUM159 and BT549) and steady-state levels of P-SMAD2, suggesting it inhibited autocrine TGFβ signaling. TR1 decreased the TIC fraction as identified by FACS analysis of cell line-specific TIC markers (ALDH for SUM159; CD44hi/PROCR+ for BT549; PROCR+/ESA+ for MDA231 cells). Although TR1 displayed no effects on TNBC growth in vitro, it decreased tumor growth in vivo. We used a phospho-kinase array (45 kinases) to elucidate the non-SMAD pathways altered by TR1. TR1 decreased phosphorylated EGFR (Tyr1068) and STAT3 (Tyr705) in TNBC cell lines. By flow cytometry, the cell-surface expression of EGFR was also lowered upon treatment with TR1. TR1 also reduced P-ERK1/2 and P-Akt (Ser473) levels, and lowered NFκB transcriptional activity as measured by luciferase reporter assay. Using a cytokine array (120 cytokines) and qRT-PCR we observed that TR1 decreased the expression and release of cytokines involved in TIC enrichment such as IL-6 and IL-8. Inhibition of EGFR (with gefitinib) and MEK1/2 (with selumetinib) decreased the TIC population while augmenting pCAGA luciferase activity. The combination of SMAD2 siRNA with each EGFR or MEK inhibitors significantly decreased the TIC population. We speculate based on these data that inhibition of both SMAD and non-SMAD signaling is necessary for complete abrogation of TICs. This may explain the efficacy of TR1 as a single agent. These findings suggest that targeting TGFβRII with TR1 exerts its anti-tumor effects via inhibition of both SMAD and non-SMAD (EGFR, ERK) pathways that are important to TIC survival. The results also encourage combination therapies of chemotherapy with TR1 to reduce tumor recurrences in patients with TNBC. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr PD5-1.


In an ever-changing higher education (HE) environment, institutions are seeing the involvement of parents in students' education increasing. This may partly be due to tuition fees and the introduction of deferred variable tuition fees ("top-up fees") from 2006, and also because of the increased number of students choosing to remain in the family home for the duration of their studies. Many students see their families as the most important source of motivation and advice right through from school age to when they make decisions about HE. In the light of this increase in involvement, institutions need to provide information about, and access to, university to ensure that families are fully prepared and able to support their children throughout the university experience. In recognition of the vital role parents play, the Involving the Family project focuses on parents or key family members from groups currently under-represented in HE in order to increase their awareness and understanding of HE. This article evaluates research undertaken to investigate the views, perceptions and key concerns held by minority ethnic parents with regards to their children and participation in HE. The article then details how these results were utilised in the development of the Involving the Family project.