In recent years television networks which air political campaign debates have attempted to enforce their copyright protection by denying the use of debate footage in subsequent campaign advertising. Although some campaigns have complied with network demands to omit the footage from campaign ads, others have relied upon a fair use or free speech argument to defy the networks and use the footage without permission. The success of this defense will vary drastically, depending upon the medium. Ads run on television are subject to traditional copyright law which requires the copyright holder to affirmatively assert a claim of copyright infringement. Although several networks have threatened legal action, no court has yet determined whether such ads are indeed a fair use of the copyrighted material. When political campaigns upload ads for viewing on the Internet through sites such as YouTube, the process set forth in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) gives the networks the ability to takedown allegedly infringing content almost immediately, without first showing that the material infringes upon an existing copyright. In effect, this use of the DMCA has the effect of chilling important political speech, especially in a rapid campaign cycle. This article analyzes this issue, showing first that the use of campaign debate footage is indeed a fair use, and then reviewing and critiquing various proposals for reform of the DMCA. The article concludes with a discussion of how a holding of fair use could have important implications for political speech on the Internet. It suggests that a holding in favor of making debate footage available for all candidates to use in political advertising is essential to ensuring full and fair debate of ideas and issues within the political process.


A new and fully automated workflow for the cost effective drug screening of large populations based on the dried blood spot (DBS) technology was introduced in this study. DBS were prepared by spotting 15 μL of whole blood, previously spiked with alprazolam, amphetamine, cocaine, codeine, diazepam, fentanyl, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphet-amine (MDMA), methadone, methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone onto filter paper cards. The dried spots were scanned, spiked with deuterated standards and directly extracted. The extract was transferred online to an analytical LC column and then to the electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry system. All drugs were quantified at their cut-off level and good precision and correlation within the calibration range was obtained. The method was finally applied to DBS samples from two patients with back pain and codeine and oxycodone could be identified and quantified accurately below the level of misuse of 89.6 ng/mL and 39.6 ng/mL respectively.


Poverty, rapid urbanization, population growth rate, family instability and the declining role of the extended family system are among the key factors responsible for the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Nairobi. In this state of flux, cases of children who have been battered, abandoned, abused and neglected by their families or displaced as a result of armed conflict in the region have increased at an astounding pace over the past several years. One out of every three children from poor urban families in Kenya is regularly battered or subjected to other forms of maltreatment by a parent or other family members, the public and the authorities. Basically, there are two levels of abuse and neglect. There is abuse and neglect which children experience at home and which drives them onto the streets. There is also abuse and neglect which street children endure while on the streets. This paper discusses some of the ways in which abuse and neglect affect the lives of street children and families. It also highlights the plight of a sample of street children as exemplified by the kinds of difficulties which they endure while on the street. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Aims and Method Suicidal acts on underground railway networks are an area of public health concern. Our aim was to review recent epidemiological patterns of suicidal acts on the London Underground to inform future preventive interventions. Data from 2000 to 2010 were obtained from the British Transport Police via a Freedom of Information request. Results The mean annual rate of suicidal acts from 2000 to 2010 was 5.8 per 100 million passenger journey stages. Of those who died by suicide, 77.3% were of White Northern European ethnicity. A fifth had a history of mental illness. Clinical implications The widening gap between the number of recorded suicide attempts and completed suicides is encouraging. Further research is required regarding the role of drug and alcohol use, psychiatric history and area of residence. Installation of platform screen doors should be considered in future railway network expansion.


To the Editor .—I am writing in response to the article "Fibrous Tumor of the Breast" by Puente and Potel ( Arch Surg 109:391, 1974). While the authors should be congratulated for delineating this entity, I, as a pathologist, take exception to their statement that the pathologist "limits himself to describing what he sees in a small fragment of tissue. He provides a descriptive name, but not a true diagnosis." This attack on the pathologist is somewhat muted by the editorial comment by Dr. Haagensen: "The pathologist has a scrap basket into which he throws a whole series of benign lesions of the breast and labels it 'chronic cystic mastitis' or 'fibrocystic disease.' " The reason for this is that traditionally fibrosis of the breast has been described in textbooks of pathology as a variant of "mammary dysplasia" (here we go again, another confusing term!) or "fibrocystic disease." Thus, Kuzma 1 writes:


A few high quality prairies still exist in the sand deposits of the Green River Lowlands on a few state protected lands. The most extensive natural remnants are in the Green River State Wildlife Area, Lee County, Illinois, where some sand communities of high natural quality exist. Three upland prairie communities were surveyed; a dry sand prairie dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Amorpha canescens; a dry-mesic sand prairie dominated by Sorghastrum nutans, Schizachyrium scoparium, Antennaria plantaginifolia, and Liatris aspera; and a mesic sand prairie where Sorghastrum nutans and Andropogon gerardii were the dominant grasses with Parthenium integrifolium, Fragaria virginiana, Liatris pycnostachya, and Euthamia gymnospermoides the common forbs. The lowlands, which include about 325 ha, were dominated by the exotic Phalaris arundinaceae, but high natural quality wet sand prairie, sedge meadow, and marsh communities exist. The wet sand prairies were dominated by Spartina pectinata, Helianthus grosseserratus, and Solidago canadensis; the sedge meadows were dominated by Carex haydenii, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Persicaria coccinea; while the marsh communities were divided into distinct vegetation zones. These vegetation zones were surveyed in 2002, and were subjected to a destructive fire in 2005. Surveys completed 2006 and 2007 were used to determine successional changes resulting from the 2005 fire. 1. Present address: Cornell Plantations, 1 Plantations Road, Ithaca, New York 14850


Self-efficacy is a belief. It can encourage or hamper students from learning to their full potential. Students who are efficacious are more motivated, more persistent to meet their goals and are more likely to take learning risks. The research into the self-efficacy of students classified as verbally or non-verbally gifted is in its infancy. This book details a Doctoral dissertation that investigated the written English self-efficacy of adolescent students. Results identified verbally gifted students had higher written English self-efficacy, were more intrinsically motivated, had higher levels of creativity and wrote superior essays compared to non-verbally gifted and non-gifted students. Findings highlighted differences between gender as female student''s recorded higher self-efficacy and written English performance scores and interestingly, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds reported higher self-efficacy compared to students from higher socio-economic backgrounds. Pedagogical implications are considered with teachers encouraged to realise the impact of self-efficacy upon student learning, motivation and persistence regardless of their academic ability.


Objective: Lumbar stabilization exercises aim to activate and strengthen the deep abdominal and back muscles. Exercise program presented in this study combines activation of specific lumbar stabilizing muscles with traditional strengthening and stretching exercises. The main goal of this study was to establish the effect of stabilization exercises on pain reduction and improving functionality in patients with Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP). Materials and Methods: This prospective randomized clinical study was conducted in the Clinical Center Nis, from January 2007 until March 2009. 160 patients with CLBP were eligible and met the inclusion criteria. The study group (S; n=100) had specific lumbar stabilization exercises, while the patients in the control group (C; n=60) performed traditional program for CLBP, based on the strengthening and stretching of the large, superficial back muscles. For monitoring the patients, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Short-form 36 (SF-36) were used. Results: After the therapy, pain was successfully reduced in both groups with higher statistical significance in the study group (p<0.001). Improvement in ODI score was statistically more significant in the study group compared to the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Stabilization exercises in addition to the traditional programs are proven to be effective in pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with CLBP. Turk J Phys Med Re hab 2012;58:177-83.


This paper describes a study of arsenic(V) adsorption on appropriately conditioned calcined layered double hydroxide (LDH) adsorbents. Conditioning the adsorbent significantly reduced the dissolution previously observed with uncalcined and calcined LDH. The adsorption rates and isotherms have been investigated in batch experiments. As(V) adsorption is shown to follow a Sips-type adsorption isotherm. The As(V) adsorption rate on conditioned LDH increases with decreasing adsorbent particle size; the adsorption capacity of As(V) on conditioned LDH, on the other hand, is independent of the particle size. When a homogeneous surface diffusion model was used to fit the experimental kinetic data, the estimated diffusivity values were shown to depend on the particle size. On the other hand, when a bidisperse pore model, which considers the adsorbent particles to be agglomerates of microparticles with a porous region present between them, is applied to the same data, it predicts an intracrystalline diffusivity, whi...


ABSTRACT This paper is about two Northern territories and peoples, the Sami in the Swedish Lapland and the Cree of James Bay (Quebec, Canada). This comparison aims to show how the North is commonly seen as a human desert – completely wild – and how this imaginative space is full of political and poetic constructions. The colonial vision of the North omits the Indigenous dimension of such territories or includes it as the Ecological Indian of Shepard Krech III. This study shows how what was a patronizing colonial perspective became a tool for the Sami and the Cree to legitimate their involvement in the management of local resources and the protection of nature. Simultaneously, the empowerment of the Indigenous inhabitants of the two Nordic lands – via protected areas such as Laponia or Assinica – is a means of development in the communities. In particular, it supports the emergence of tourism and thus reduces the mental gap between the South and the North and their peoples. Moreover, even when Indigenous tourism is criticized for the promotion of folklore and exoticism, it also enables young generations to reconnect with a culture in oblivion.


The volume brings together important essays on syntax and semantics by Aikhenvald and Dixon, highlighting their expertise in various fields of linguistics. The first part focusses on linguistic typology, covering case markers used on verbs, argument-determined constructions, unusual meanings of causatives, the semantic basis for a typology, word-class-changing derivations, speech reports and semi-direct speech. The second part concentrates on documentation and analysis of previously undescribed languages, from South America and Indigenous Australia. The third part addresses a variety of issues in grammar and lexicography of English. This includes pronouns with transferred reference, comparative constructions, features of the noun phrase, and the discussion of 'twice'. The treatment of Australian Aboriginal words in dictionaries is discussed in the final chapter.


This article describes and theorizes the liturgical contexts in which adolescents have Pentecostal experiences such as "speaking in tongues" and being "slain in the Spirit." It is based on ethnographic research done at a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Church of God (Cleveland, TN).  I begin by offering a snapshot of modern Pentecostalism in order to demonstrate the framework that informed the context of the current study. Then I describe six factors of the liturgy that facilitate Pentecostal experience in adolescents: the language of encounter with God, the use of music to build emotional intensity, the prominent role of the body, the participatory nature of worship, the call for salvation, and the alter call as culmination of the liturgy.  My analysis reveals that adolescents are more likely to have positive experiences if they have been educated in a Christian environment, had a prayer partner, have experienced a sense of distance from God, have accepted a biblicist approach to Scripture, and have a common bodily experience. I argue that Pentecostal experiences are ultimately beneficial and that a thorough analysis of their underlying factors is essential towards the construction of healthier forms of religious experience.


The purpose of this review is to gather and summarize in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials on oatmeal preparations and their uses in dermatology. Literature searches have been carried out to collect in vivo and in vitro studies as well as clinical trials on this subject. The results suggest that oatmeal possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and its administration is effective on a variety of dermatologic inflammatory diseases such as pruritus, atopic dermatitis, acneiform eruptions, and viral infections. Additionally, oatmeal plays a role in cosmetics preparations and skin protection against ultraviolet rays. Although some promising results citing the use of oatmeal to treat numerous dermatologic conditions have been found, the complete efficacy of oatmeal has not been sufficiently explored. This paper proposes accurate and useful information concerning the use of oatmeal in clinical practice to dermatologists.


Introduction Acute coronary syndrome is characterized by the active, inflamed and unstable atherosclerotic plaque that is vulnerable to rupture, predisposing to lumen occlusion and varying extents of myocardial injury. Plasma microRNA have been examined in the hope of identifying an easily accessible biomarker for acute coronary syndrome. But so far studies have taken a candidate approach and screened only for miRNA that are potentially released from the injured myocardium. Even so, data from these studies are inconsistent and a consensus is yet to be reached. Aim We set out to screen for circulating plasma microRNAs to serve as biomarkers for patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome. Methods and results We selected patients who suffered from 2 ends of the severity spectrum of acute coronary syndrome vs age-matched healthy controls. These were 20 μsevere" (STEMI: troponin-positive with subsequent rapid deterioration in left ventricular function or death within 5 years), 20 μmild" (unstable angina: troponin-negative with sustained normal left ventricular function and survival at 5 years), and 20 normal healthy volunteers. Blood samples were obtained from patients within 2 weeks of the acute event. We took a non-constrained approach and screened using an array panel consisting of 379 miRNA. We found 32 miRNA that were significantly upregulated (29/32) or downregulated (3/32) in the comparison between patient vs. control (sum of t-statistic>2). We have made a preliminary analysis of these in relation to a full panel of other classical biomarkers and patient clinical details. We selected 4 candidate microRNAs (miR-27b, -103, -323-3p, -652) and proceeded to test the plasma levels of these in a validation cohort of 100 troponin-positive, 100 troponin-negative patients and 100 normal healthy volunteers. miR 27b, -323-3p, -652 were significantly upregulated in disease and hence robustly validated. Conclusion miR 27b, -323-3p, -652 strongly associates with the event of acute coronary syndrome. Further work will be required to determine the origin and physiological function of these candidate miRNA, and whether their plasma levels can be used for prognostication purposes.


The late-antique Egyptian monastic leader Shenoute (ca. 348–465) left behind an extraordinarily large corpus of writings in seventeen (or more) volumes of collected works. Although multiple copies of this remarkable body of Coptic literature existed in the library of Shenoute's monastery in the medieval period, those copies survived into the modern era only in tatters, which along with the remains of the monastery's many other books became scattered among more than thirty museums, libraries, and private collections on three continents. During two centuries of work among these remains, Coptologists have identified 4,350 pages from about one hundred parchment codices containing works of Shenoute. A project to publish a complete edition of this corpus began formally in 2000. From the fragmentary but nonetheless extensive remains of his corpus, it has become possible to recover remarkable biographical information about Shenoute, as well as to gain insight into his thought and leadership. His writings are a mine of information not only about the internal life and discipline of Shenoute's monastic institution, but also with regard to religious and other societal circumstances in the region around the nearby district capital, Panopolis.


Papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) is generally known for its food and health benefits all through the world. The restorative properties of papaya leafy foods parts of the plant are additionally notable in customary arrangement of medication. Since, each piece of papaya tree has financial worth; it is developed on business scale. During the most recent couple of many years extensive advancement has been accomplished with respect to the natural movement and therapeutic use of papaya and now it is considered as significant nutraceutical organic product plant. Phytochemical analysis of papaya leaves in presence of absences in natural for different modern and drug items for different illnesses. The fluorescence analysis presence of chemical nature. Inorganic elements iron concentration high levels and physicochemical parameters maximum Ash value 11.2% and Minimum value Sulphated Ash 9.2%. Medicinal papaya leaf powdered and products thereof are used in many countries in the treatment and management of diabetes. In the current survey dietary benefit of the foods grown from the ground properties of its different parts have been examined to give aggregate data on this multipurpose business organic product crop.


ABSTRACT When governments run influence operations they may leverage in-house capabilities, outsource to digital mercenaries, or use a combination of these strategies. We theorize that governments outsource because it provides plausible deniability if the operation is uncovered, and offers access to cutting-edge influence tactics beyond those common to established government institutions. Using data from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we test implications of this theory via two covert online influence campaign case studies, each focused on Syria, executed by Russia's military intelligence agency (colloquially known as the GRU), and by the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a privately owned company. We find that the GRU focused on the creation of front media properties that produced longform journalistic content, an established tactic more amenable to reaching general audiences. By contrast, the IRA exploited the architecture of social media platforms to target specific audiences with memes and customized messages that were more narrowly tailored than those spread by the GRU. We also find that the tailored content produced by the IRA received higher engagement than GRU longform articles when posted to the same platforms, even if we include cascades of interactions from re-posts of GRU-authored articles that spread beyond their own Facebook page. Our findings highlight the importance of disaggregating information operations by actor type and across platforms to better understand their tactics and impact.


Jack London—An American Radical? treats professionally a specific, important topic that is often misrepresented and misunderstood and that has never been fully, tightly, and objectively explored. The book is clearly written; it reads smoothly as a whole. For the most part, it is sharply in focus on its topic, as Professor Johnston explains and defines London's radicalism without attacking or defending his various, often contradictory stances. If this appraisal carries any reservation, it is because there is a thinness throughout—in the examination of what has been written on London, in the framing of the topic in relation to the total London, in the page-by-page analysis as it unfolds. Frequently, one wishes for greater density. This study defines London's socialism, but it is not exhaustively definitive. Yet on the whole, there is a certain validity in this approach with the considerable merits of succintness, clarity of line, and consequent readability. A more thorough, analytical consideration of the various stages, turns, contradictions, omissions in this aspect of London's intellectual position would result in a different book in which the merits of this one are no longer so apparent. Moreover, the appeal for the less specialized reader might be lessened. Two recent works on London illustrate the point I am making. Both Joan D. Hedrick's Solitary Comrade—Jack London and His Work (1982) and Charles N. Watson, Jr. 's The Novels of Jack London: A Reappraisal (1983) are significant works, denser than An American Radical in the sense in which I am discussing. Having learned a great deal from both books, I can still find flaws in them that this examination avoids. As Johnston astutely observes, Hedrick is "alternately Freudian, feminist, and Marxist . . . and never sustain[s] a coherent methodology," in addition to the fact that she does not illuminate London's socialism. On the contrary, in my judgment, Johnston never gets muddled or wrongheaded in support of a thesis, and she does illuminate London's socialism. Watson's book was published in 1983, perhaps too late for Johnston to bring its insights to bear fully on her own thesis. I am not suggesting anything major; but Watson makes very clear, for example, that Billy Robert's remarks about socialism in The Valley of the Moon do not carry London's message. In other words, Watson provides a ready check against over-simplification in matters that are somewhat peripheral to Johnston's main thrust. But even as I admire Watson's book, at times it seems almost too dense, and in his analysis all but the most appreciative reader of London might get bogged down. Johnston gets to and largely stays with her main point. She is at once informative, convincing, and balanced in a way that others who have written on London's radicalism have not been. London scholars and enthusiasts will certainly refer to this book as, I think, will many more general readers as well. Johnston's convincing answer to the question of her title is that London was not really an American radical in the Marxist sense but an anticapitalist rebel. His particular brand of socialism was markedly his own individual composite of various attitudes, beliefs, and interests often not very clearly thought out. Because his socialism is significant in shaping his work, it must be examined carefully, however, if we are to understand London's work fully. Conversely,


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of sexual initiation until the age of 14 years old, as well as sociodemographic and behavioral factors.

METHODS
In 2008, 4,325 from the 5,249 adolescents of the 1993 birth cohort in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, were interviewed. Sexual initiation was defined as the first intercourse up to the age of 14 years old. The information was obtained by interviewing adolescents in their houses, during the 2008 follow-up. The analyzed variables were: skin color, asset index, maternal and adolescents' schooling, experimental use of tobacco and alcohol, drunkenness episode, use of any illicit drug, illegal drug use by friends and involvement in fights during the past year. Use of condoms and contraceptive methods, number of partners and the age of sexual initiation were also analyzed.

RESULTS
The prevalence of sexual initiation by the age of 14 was of 18.6%. Lower schooling, asset index and maternal education were related to higher prevalence of sexual initiation until the age of 14, as well as being male or being born to adolescent mothers. Sexual intercourse was also related to the behavioral variables analyzed. Among adolescent girls who had intercourse up to the age of 14, 30% did not use contraception and 18% did not use condoms in the last sexual intercourse. Boys reported a higher number of sexual partners than girls.

CONCLUSION
The results suggest a relationship between sexual intercourse (≤ 14 years) and some health-risk behaviors. The non-use of condoms and contraceptives may make them vulnerable to experiencing unwanted situations. Education and sociocultural strategies for health should be implemented from the beginning of adolescence.


Mobile handheld devices are increasingly being used in education. In this paper, we undertook a review of empirical based articles to summarise the current research regarding the use of mobile handheld devices (personal digital assistants/PDAs, palmtops, and mobile phones) in K-12 and higher education settings. This review was guided by the following four questions: (a) How are mobile handheld devices such as PDAs, palmtops, and mobile phones used by students and teachers? (b) What types of research methods have been applied using such devices? (c) What data collection methods are used in the research? and (d) What research topics have been conducted on these handheld devices in education settings, as well as their related findings? We summarise and discuss some major findings from the research, as well as several limitations of previous empirical studies. We conclude by providing some recommendations for future research related to mobile handheld devices in education settings.


Abstract. A 2D land administration system is insufficient for managing private properties and common property areas in a multi-story structure. Building information modelling (BIM) can be used to provide a clearer representation and more efficient management of the rights, restrictions, and responsibilities (RRR) inside buildings and address the challenges of 2D representations. However, a land surveyor should still draw the legal boundaries and group ownership spaces manually inside 3D BIM authoring tools. This research aims to provide an automatic approach to define three different types of legal boundaries and group the common properties and private properties within a building. This work contributes to the use and development of BIM by providing an automatic technique to creating property ownership, allowing for easier search and retrieval of 3D property information. More significantly, it can potentially minimize the time and cost of creating BIM-based 3D cadastral data for complex multi-story structures and improve the efficiency in urban land administration.


Abstract—The study evaluated the effects of varying fermentation periods on the nutrients and anti-nutrients composition of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) and acha (Digitaria exilis) flour blends and sensory properties of their products. The African yam bean seeds and acha grains were fermented for 24 hrs, 48 and 72 hrs, dried (sun drying) and milled into fine flour. The fermented flours were used in a ratio of 70:30 (Protein basis) to formulate composite flour for meat pie and biscuits production. Both the fermented and unfermented flours and products were analyzed for chemical composition using the standard method. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 15 to determine the mean and standard deviation. The 24, 48, and 72 hrs fermentation periods increased protein (22.81, 26.15 and 24.00% respectively). The carbohydrate, ash and moisture contents of the flours were also increased as a result of fermentation (68.01-76.83, 2.26-4.88, and 8.36-13.00% respectively). The 48 hrs fermented flour blends had the highest increase in ash relative to the control (4.88%). Fermentation increased zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorus content of the flours. Treatment drastically reduced the anti-nutrient (oxalate, saponin, tannin, phytate, and hemagglutinin) levels of the flours. Both meat pie and biscuits had increased protein relative to the control (27.36-34.28% and 23.66-25.09%). However, the protein content of the meat pie increased more than that of the biscuits. Zinc, Iron, Magnesium and phosphorus levels increased in both meat pie and biscuits. Organoleptic attributes of the products (meat pie and biscuits) were slightly lower than the control except those of the 72 hrs fermented flours.


Abstract. A subtropical old-growth forest was studied over a twelve-year period to investigate temporal and spatial fluctuations of biomass and stem fluxes under disturbances. Vegetations were categorized into three types according to disturbances caused by biotic and abiotic factors, including Castanopsis chinensis population, insect direct-influenced population, and insect indirect-influenced population according to disturbance scenarios. The biomass fluxes (growth and mortality) and stem fluxes (stem recruitment and mortality) were used to quantify population fluctuations. Annual average biomass growth rate was stable throughout the study while annual biomass mortality and stem fluxes increased consistently. C. chinensis population predominantly contributed to biomass fluxes of the community. Biomass and stem mortalities of insect direct-influenced population increased significantly during the whole study period (1992–2004). Results of indirect-influenced population showed that (1) the increase in biomass of the dominant species was well correlated between different intervals. Similar relationships were found in stem fluxes; (2) higher stem mortality occurred within the DBH range of 1 to 10 cm; (3) stem fluxes in the canopy gaps were remarkably higher than those in closed canopy.


The Aboriginal stockman in cowboy hat, brightly coloured shirt, jeans and riding boots, is a familiar sight in much of outback Australia. Yet, white Australia has largely excluded Aborigines - men and women - from its national legends. Born in the Cattle tells the story of Aboriginal involvement in the northern cattle industry. It shows how the Aboriginal people excelled at this 'no shame job', how they incorporated it into their world, how they used it to stay on their own land with their kin. Combining new skills with old, they shaped a unique Aboriginal cattle country - and thereby made a major contribution to the economy of Australia's north. Using oral evidence which enables Aboriginal perspectives to emerge in a way not previously possible, Born in the Cattle is a major work of social history, the first to describe the texture of everyday life and work in the outback north before World War II. The story begins with the battle for the waterholes, describes the skills the Aboriginal people brought to work with cattle, reveals for the first time the important role of Aboriginal women, and explores in a new way the complex pattern of relationships between white and black in the outback. 'To protect their country and its people, Aborigines had to teach station whites many things. Aborigines worked the stations; they managed the land in new ways, though following old principles. They have made the cattle industry their own; they are still the majority of those living on northern pastoral stations, and their dynamic culture leaves a distinctive mark on bush life...'


Human blood outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells (BOECs), derived in culture from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, possess high proliferative capacity, and endothelial protein expression profiles (i.e. CD34, 31, 133, 144, 105, 146, KDR, Ac-LDL and vWF). As such they hold potential for autologous cell seeding applications in cardiovascular biomaterials or as prognostic indicators of endothelial mediated diseases. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is an important regulator of vascular homeostasis and loss of eNOS activity is a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction. We therefore examined the expression of eNOS in BOECs finding markedly lower protein (0.34 ± 0.13, Western blot) as well as activity levels (0.49 ± 0.18, Nitrite analysis) when compared to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). BOEC eNOS protein levels initially decreased with both length of time in culture and passage, but the levels stabilized between Passage 5 to Passage 8. To further examine the role of eNOS expression on BOEC functional activity we performed transfection studies with eNOS minicircle vectors (double stranded DNA of reduced size and are devoid of bacterial sequences). Two promoters were tested for expression efficiency in BOECs, the CMV promoter (pMini-CMV-eNOS) and the EF1α promoter (pMini-EF1α-eNOS). Transfection with pMini-CMV-eNOS achieved 24.8 ± 5.1 times more eNOS expression when compared to null transfected cells at 24 hours, a marked improvement over that achieved with conventional PVAX plasmid (10.2 ± 4.7 fold increase) or pMini-EF1α-eNOS (8.2 ± 1.2 fold increase both compared to null transfected control). pMini-CMV-eNOS also produced more sustained eNOS expression (3.1 ± 0.7 fold increase at 72 hours). Boyden chamber and tube formation assays showed that pMini-CMV-eNOS mediated overexpression can both improve cell migration (24.9 ± 4.2 versus 13.8 ± 3.7 cells/field) and angiogenesis (0.92 ± 0.13% versus 0.58 ± 0.19% of total pixels per high power field both for eNOS transfected versus null). These results suggest that minicircle vectors can be used to markedly enhance eNOS expression in BOECs and as such enhance their angiogenic and regenerative potential.


Purpose To analyze radiological characteristics of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with ocular manifestations. Patients and Methods This retrospective case–control study included all MG cases with ocular manifestations, who attended a neuro-ophthalmology clinic at a university hospital, Bangkok, from April 2009 to June 2018. They experienced double vision and ophthalmoplegia. Control participants had normal eye movements. Orbital scans were thoroughly reviewed. We measured muscle thickness (MT) of the superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus and lateral rectus muscles in both eyes using magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan. The sum of the muscle thickness at all sites was calculated (MTsum). Comparisons of the mean MT of each muscle type and the mean MTsum between the MG and control groups were performed by using Student's t-test. MRI signal intensities of the EOMs were also recorded. Results Twenty MG cases and 20 controls were included in the study. The mean MTsum was 23.7 (standard deviation 4.8) mm in the MG group and 32.6 (3.5) mm in the controls. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to the mean MT and mean MTsum (p <0.001). In the MG group, there was a negative correlation between the MTsum and disease duration (p= 0.03). By using coronal T2-weighted orbital MRI with fat suppression (T2W/FS), the most frequent finding was isointensity with central hypointensity of the EOMs in the MG group. Conclusion Atrophic EOMs were frequently found in the MG group, particularly in chronic cases. Isointensity with central hypointensity of EOMs on T2W/FS was also common in the MG group. These findings highlight the importance of muscle involvement in MG and may be helpful for clinical decision-making.


Schema matching is one of the main challenges in different information system integration contexts. Over the past 20 years, different schema matching methods have been proposed and shown to be successful in various situations. Although numerous advanced matching algorithms have emerged, schema matching research remains a critical issue. Different algorithms are implemented to resolve different types of schema heterogeneities, including differences in design methodologies, naming conventions, and the level of specificity of schemas, amongst others. The algorithms are usually too generic regardless of the schema matching scenario. This situation indicates that a single matcher cannot be optimized for all matching scenarios. In this research, I proposed a dynamic matcher selector (DYMS) as a probable solution to the aforementioned problem. The proposed DYMS analyzes the schema matching scenario and selects the most appropriate matchers for a given scenario. Selecting matchers are weighted based on the parameter optimization process, which adopts the heuristic learning approach. The DYMS returns the alignment result of input schemas.


Aim: The purpose of this research work was to develop a bilayer tablet of antihypertensive drugs having sustained release (SR) layer of propranolol hydrochloride and immediate release (IR) layer of ramipril. Objectives: In the present investigation, an attempt was made to reduce the frequency, units of dose administration, and to improve the patient compliance. Materials and Methods: The tablets were prepared using ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose K-15M for sustained layer of propranolol hydrochloride and superdisintegrants crospovidone and sodium starch glycolate for IR layer of ramipril. Preformulation studies of propranolol hydrochloride and ramipril like compatibility studies with polymers using Fourier-transform IR were carried out. The drugs and excipients were found to be compatible with each other. Compressed tablets were evaluated for hardness, thickness, weight variation, friability, drug content, in vitro drug release studies, and stability studies Results and Discussion: Nine batches of bilayer tablets of propranolol hydrochloride and ramipril were developed using wet granulation and direct compression techniques, respectively. Among the nine formulations, F9 batch showed best drug release over 12 h and subjected to stability studies for 2 months. Conclusion: The optimized F9 formulation for IR showed a release of 99.27% and propranolol hydrochloride has an in vitro release of 99.39%. Therefore, bilayer ramipril IR and SR tablets of propranolol hydrochloride can be used to improve the management of hypertension


This Virtual Reference Room is a guide which provides a broad overview of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and links to resources on related topics.


Quality of a material and its durability in different environmental condition are two major factors influence the selection of material for fishing gears. A knowledge on the loss of properties is very useful for taking preventive measure. Present study aimed to find the changes in the properties of polyamide monofilament yarns and multifilament twines exposed to three different environments for a period of 90 days. Significant reduction in both breaking strength (P<0.05) and weight (P<0.05) was recorded in the test samples exposed to soil, water & weathering condition. The multifilament twines had more loss in breaking strength and weight than monofilament yarns in all three environments.


Business transfers and accompanying business changes are a focal point for
the tension between the protection of rights of employees, including their property
rights in the job and their "right" to meaningful participation, and the interests of
management in achieving its economic objectives effectively. A comparison of the law
in the United States, South Africa and the United Kingdom can cast the divergent
interests, which become conspicuous during corporate reorganisations, into bold relief,
and suggest how those interests can be reconciled.
This study shows that conventional labour law with its emphasis on voluntarism
has not been able to resolve the basic conflict between the economic demands for
restructuring and rationalisation (one of the main consequences of the global
economy), and the social demands for workers' protection. By arguing that collective
bargaining has never succeeded in effectively mitigating the power of management
over the workforce, pluralist support of voluntarism is criticised.
The main point that emerges from the comparison of the way in which the three
countries deal with the phenomenon of structural business changes and the effect of
such changes on workers, is that law, even though its effectiveness to bring about
major changes in an industrial relations system is limited, can make some difference.
Law can intervene in labour relations to set standards and lay down procedures for the
exercise of managerial prerogative; specifically, law can introduce the values of liberal
society into the workplace, such as rationality, fairness, and respect for individual
rights. This study shows how, through the introduction of some of these values,
legislation for the protection of workers' acquired rights, can provide a solution to the
tension between managerial prerogative and employees' rights.


The suspensory wire is widely applied in the fields of DVD CD-ROM head and various sensors. In this paper, the suspensory wires are analyzed with the SEM, X-ray energy spectrum and Hydrogen power spectrum et al. The research results show that the alloy composition of the suspensory wire is the composite materials, which is composed of silver, beryllium and copper bimetal; The Nano-indentation hardness tester is also did using the hanging Nano-indentation experiments on the suspensory wire, it's to obtain more accurate mechanical properties parameters of material hardness and so on, then we get the average hardness of suspensory wire is 3.891 GPa; The average elasticity modulus decreases as the aging treatment time increases, and the average tensile strength increases as the aging treatment time increases.


In this paper, we analyze the coordination problem of groups of aerial robots for assembly applications. With the enhancement of aerial physical interaction, construction applications are becoming more and more popular. In this domain, the multi-robot solution is very interesting to reduce the execution time. However, new methods to coordinate teams of aerial robots for the construction of complex structures are required. In this work, we propose an assembly planner that considers both assembly and geometric constraints imposed by the particular desired structure and employed robots, respectively. An efficient graph representation of the task dependencies is employed. Based on this framework, we design two assembly planning algorithms that are robust to robot failures. The first is centralized and communication-based. The second is distributed and communication-less. The latter is a solution for scenarios in which the communication network is not reliable. Both methods are validated by numerical simulations based on the assembly scenario of Challenge 2 of the robotic competition MBZIRC2020.


Substantial data have been generated during the past 5 years in both experimental systems and human populations which shed light on the potential role of carcinogen-macromolecular adducts in human cancer risk assessment. The use of DNA and protein adducts is based on the fundamental concept in chemical carcinogenesis that most genotoxins are metabolized to electrophilic "ultimate" carcinogens that are capable of forming covalent adducts with cellular macromolecules. This report examines the relative usefulness and limitations of using DNA and protein adducts and related techniques for assessing human exposure to genotoxic carcinogens. Data discussed in this report clearly demonstrate that these biomarkers not only allow early detection of potential cancer hazard in humans, but they can also significantly increase the power of conventional cancer epidemiological studies in determining true causal relationships. In addition, such biomarkers can improve extrapolation of cancer risks from laboratory animals to humans or from one human population to another.


Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with anosmia has been found in two brothers and a half sister, who are related through the same mother. Although the mother does not have the full syndrome, her history suggests she may have minor symptoms of the syndrome. X-linked inheritance seems most compatible with the familial distributions. Differences of this syndrome from other inherited hypogonadal conditions are discussed. The genetic defect is thought to directly or indirectly affect the hypothalamus which has associations with both olfaction and pituitary function. The importance of testing for anosmia in patients with abnormality in sexual development is noted.


PURPOSE
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is predominantly a disease of the elderly. Retrospective analyses of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group JBR.10 trial and the Lung Adjuvant Cisplatin Evaluation (LACE) meta-analysis suggest that the elderly benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. However, the elderly were under-represented in these studies, raising concerns regarding the reproducibility of the study results in clinical practice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
By using the Ontario Cancer Registry, we identified 6,304 patients with NSCLC who were treated with surgical resection from 2001 to 2006. Registry data were linked to electronic treatment records. Uptake of chemotherapy was compared across age groups: younger than 70, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and ≥ 80 years. As a proxy of survival benefit from chemotherapy, we compared survival of patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2006 with survival of those diagnosed from 2001 to 2003. Hospitalization rates within 6 to 24 weeks of surgery served as a proxy of severe chemotherapy-related toxicity.

RESULTS
In all, 2,763 (43.8%) of 6,304 surgical patients were elderly (age ≥ 70 years). Uptake of adjuvant chemotherapy in the elderly increased from 3.3% (2001 to 2003) to 16.2% (2004 to 2006). Among evaluable elderly patients, 70% received cisplatin and 28% received carboplatin-based regimens. Requirements for dose adjustments or drug substitutions were similar across age groups. Hospitalization rates within 6 to 24 weeks of surgery were similar across age groups (28.0% for patients age < 70 years; 27.8% for patients age ≥ 70 years; P = .54). Four-year survival of elderly patients increased significantly (47.1% for patients diagnosed from 2001 to 2003; 49.9% for patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2006; P = .01). Survival improved in all subgroups except patients age ≥ 80 years.

CONCLUSION
Uptake of adjuvant chemotherapy for NSCLC increased in patients age 70 years or older following reporting of pivotal adjuvant chemotherapy trials, but it remained below that for patients younger than age 70 years. Adoption of adjuvant chemotherapy appears to be associated with significant survival benefit in the elderly (age ≥ 70 years), with tolerability apparently similar to that of patients who are younger than age 70 years.


Biallelic variants in CHST3 gene result in congenital dislocation of large joints, club feet, short stature, rhizomelia, kypho‐scoliosis, platyspondyly, epiphyseal dysplasia, flared metaphysis, in addition to minor cardiac lesions and hearing loss. Herein, we describe 14 new patients from 11 unrelated Egyptian families with CHST3‐related skeletal dysplasia. All patients had spondyloepiphyseal changes that were progressive with age in addition to bifid distal ends of humeri which can be considered a diagnostic key in patients with CHST3 variants. They also shared peculiar facies with broad forehead, broad nasal tip, long philtrum and short neck. Rare unusual associated findings included microdontia, teeth spacing, delayed eruption, prominent angulation of the lumbar‐sacral junction and atrial septal defect. Mutational analysis revealed 10 different homozygous CHST3 (NM_004273.5) variants including 7 missense, two frameshift and one nonsense variant. Of them, the c.384_391dup (p.Pro131Argfs*88) was recurrent in two families. Eight of these variants were not described before. Our study presents the largest series of patients with CHST3‐related skeletal dysplasia from the same ethnic group. Furthermore, it reinforces that lethal cardiac involvement is a critical clinical finding of the disorder. Therefore, we believe that our study expands the phenotypic and mutational spectrum, and also highlights the importance of performing echocardiography in patients harboring CHST3 variants.


The author describes a large-scale experiment in which the molluscicide Bayer 73 (Bayluscide) was used in an attempt to eliminate Biomphalaria pfeifferi, the snail host of Schistosoma mansoni, from an irrigation system in Tanganyika. Applied at a concentration of 1 p.p.m., the molluscicide gave a very high kill of snails and much of the treated area remained completely free of vector snails for seven months after treatment. However, there were a few survivors in small pockets associated with a drainage area that became flooded during heavy rains coincident with the application of molluscicide. From these survivors a dramatic resurgence of snails occurred in some of the treated canals. This resurgence may be analogous to similar phenomena observed in some insecticide work. The suggestion is made that removal of parasites and predators, in particular trematode parasites, by a molluscicide might increase the snail's capacity for repopulation. Studies of the seasonal fluctuations of snail population density in an adjacent, but separate, irrigation system suggest that molluscicide applications would be more effective if timed to coincide with the end of the rainy seasons.


We present a computerized training tool designed to help hardwood sawmill edger and trim saw operators improve their processing performance. It can also be used by managers to understand the affects of processing decisions such as limiting wane beyond standard grading rule restrictions. The program helps users understand the relationships between lumber grade, surface measure and price/ grade. It is a simple to use, point and click PC windows based program.


The angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril was administrated to 15 renal transplant patients for a minimum period of 14 weeks after transplantation. The object was to decrease ischaemic damage caused by secondary activation of the renal renin-angiotensin system after rejection and associated vascular damage. Captopril patients had lower s-creatinine values than controls in the immediate phase after rejection. On the other hand, after 14 weeks renal perfusion was better, but glomerular filtration rate lower in the captopril group than in the control group. However, none of the differences were significant. Renal function was examined during captopril administration, which may have affected the results. Final evaluation of this trial requires extended follow-up. Captopril was well tolerated in the low doses used (37.5-75 mg daily) in spite of varying degrees of renal failure and concomitant azathioprine administration. Only one case of mild leukopenia was recorded, which improved immediately after captopril interruption. No other serious side effects were observed. Captopril may be safely administered to renal transplant patients, if monitoring of renal function and possible side effects is carried through.


Background and aims: Upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas show an unexplained male predominance that is more apparent in oesophagus than stomach and in intestinal than diffuse histological subtype. We have conducted a population-based study to determine whether the gender phenomenon is primarily related to the anatomical site or the histological subtype. Method and materials: Of 3270 gastric and oesophageal cancers recorded in the West of Scotland Cancer Registry, 1998–2002, 812 were randomly selected for detailed analysis. The Lauren histological subtype of adenocarcinoma was determined by reviewing 1204 original reports and 3241 biopsies. Results: Analysis included 405 non-cardia cancers, 173 cardia cancers and 209 oesophageal adenocarcinomas. Crude incidence rate of intestinal subtype was higher in males (23.86/100 000 person-years) versus females (9.00/100 000 person-years), giving a male/female (M/F) ratio of 2.65 whereas diffuse subtype was similar for both genders (5.58 vs 5.20/100 000 person-years) yielding M/F of 1.07. The M/F ratios for oesophageal, cardia and non-cardia gastric cancer were 3.5, 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. Multiple logistic regression indicated that the odds of male gender was related to the histological subtype rather than anatomical location (odds ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.78 to 3.9). Curve fitting of the age-specific incidence of intestinal subtype indicated that similar functions describe the rise in incidence with age in males and in females. However, the age-specific incidence of female intestinal subtype was delayed by 17.3 years. The M/F ratio of intestinal subtype was 3.41 at age <50 years, peaked at 7.86 at age 50–59 years and then showed a progressive decrease after 50–60 years of age. Conclusion: Male predominance of upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma is related to the intestinal histological subtype rather than tumour location and is due to marked delayed development of this subtype in females prior to 50–60 years of age.


Rural midwifery internationally is often misunderstood and is persistently compromised by recruitment and retention issues. In a climate of constant policy change and service development, this has implications for morale with rural midwives who continue to practice in challenging yet rewarding contexts. This article reports on Scottish rural midwives' experiences as part of an international study examining New Zealand and Scottish rural midwives. Major themes from the study included the importance of relationships and a unique skill set. Scottish midwives reported feeling vulnerable in the face of constant policy direction and service changes that did not appreciate the context of practice realities. Considering current Scottish policy, this paper highlights some implications for practice and ideas for further research.


There is a great need for objective external training load prescription and performance capacity evaluation in equestrian disciplines. Therefore, reliable standardised exercise tests (SETs) are needed. Classic SETs require maximum intensities with associated risks to deduce training loads from pre-described cut-off values. The lactate minimum speed (LMS) test could be a valuable alternative. Our aim was to compare new performance parameters of a modified LMS-test with those of an incremental SET, to assess the effect of training on LMS-test parameters and curve-shape, and to identify the optimal mathematical approach for LMS-curve parameters. Six untrained standardbred mares (3–4 years) performed a SET and LMS-test at the start and end of the 8-week harness training. The SET-protocol contains 5 increments (4 km/h; 3 min/step). The LMS-test started with a 3-min trot at 36–40 km/h [until blood lactate (BL) > 5 mmol/L] followed by 8 incremental steps (2 km/h; 3 min/step). The maximum lactate steady state estimation (MLSS) entailed >10 km run at the LMS and 110% LMS. The GPS, heartrate (Polar®), and blood lactate (BL) were monitored and plotted. Curve-parameters (R core team, 3.6.0) were (SET) VLa1.5/2/4 and (LMS-test) area under the curve (AUC>/ 0.80), Bland-Altman method, and ordinary least products (OLP) regression analyses were determined for test-correlation and concordance. Training induced a significant increase in VLa1.5/2/4. The width of the AW increased significantly while the AUCLMS and LMS decreased post-training (flattening U-curve). The LMS BL steady-state is reached earlier and maintained longer after training. BLmax was significantly lower for LMS vs. SET. The 40° angular method is the optimal approach. The correlation between LMS and VMLSS was significantly better compared to the SET. The VLa4 is unreliable for equine aerobic capacity assessment. The LMS-test allows more reliable individual performance capacity assessment at lower speed and BL compared to SETs. The LMS-test protocol can be further adapted, especially post-training; however, inducing modest hyperlactatemia prior to the incremental LMS-stages and omitting inclusion of a per-test recovery contributes to its robustness. This LMS-test is a promising tool for the development of tailored training programmes based on the AW, respecting animal welfare.


The need for efficient and renewable energy fuels is growing stronger with environmental consciousness, stringent emission norms, rising fossil fuel prices and their depleting stocks. Hydrogen could be a significant replacement for fossil fuels if targets of volumetric and gravimetric densities required for the automobile industry can be met. In this regard, hydrogen economy and hydrogen storage have become thrust areas of research in the past few decades. It is possible to store hydrogen in the solid state as chemically bound hydrogen using metal/alloy nanostructures with favorable adsorption sites. These nanoparticles when dispersed over suitable carbon nanomaterials exhibit better storage capabilities and improved adsorption–desorption kinetics. High surface area carbon supports such as graphene favor good dispersion of catalyst nanoparticles alleviating their agglomeration and modulating the interaction strength between hydrogen atoms and metal nanoparticles by providing pathways for chemi–physisorption of hydrogen in these nanocomposites. In this review, the contribution of chemically modified graphene-based materials and their composites with metal/alloy catalyst nanostructures in the field of hydrogen storage is reviewed and its future outlook discussed.


Relatedness among soft-rot-producing organisms of the genus Pectobacterium Waldee was assessed by means of interspecific deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation followed by chromatography on hydroxyapatite. Relatedness was also determined between pectobacteria and representatives from all other established genera of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The results indicate five distinct groups of pectobacteria: (i) Pectobacterium carotovorum (Jones) Waldee, including Erwinia aroideae (Townsend) Holland, E. atroseptica (van Hall) Jennison, E. solanisapra (Harrison) Holland, and Bacillus oleraceae Harrison; (ii) P. carnegieana (Lightle et al.) comb. nov.; (iii) cornstalk-rot bacterium and P. chrysanthemi (Burkholder et al.) comb. nov. (including E. dieffenbachiae McFadden, E. cytolytica Chester, and P. carotovorum f. sp. parthenii); (iv) P. cypripedii (Hori) comb, nov.; and (v) P. rhapontici (Millard) Patel and Kulkarni. Relatedness between groups of pectobacteria is 20 to 50% except between the P. carotovorum group and strains of P. carnegieana, which exhibit 60 to 70% relatedness. With few exceptions, the pectobacteria are 20 to 50% related to other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The data presented support the inclusion of pectobacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae.


OBJECTIVE
To assess Medicaid consumers' interest in a consumer-directed cash option for personal care and other services, in lieu of agency-delivered services.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
Telephone survey data were collected from four states from April to November 1997. Postsurvey focus groups were conducted in four states in 1998. Early implementation experiences are drawn from three states from 1999 to 2002.

STUDY DESIGN
Participants (N=2,140) were selected for a structured telephone survey interview from a probability-sampling frame of current Medicaid consumers in Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey, and New York. Key variables include interest in the cash option, demographic and background characteristics of consumers, as well as previous experience and training needed. Postsurvey focus groups were also conducted with current Medicaid consumers.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS
Interviewers read the telephone survey from computer screens and entered responses directly into the database of the Macintosh Computer Assisted Telephone Interview software. Data were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 (http://www.spss.com) for Windows.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Cash option interest was positively associated with experience hiring and supervising workers, more severe levels of disability, having a live-in caregiver, living in Florida, and minority status. Age of the client was also a significant factor.

CONCLUSIONS
There is significant interest in the cash option, although interest varies among subgroups of consumers. Future research should continue to evaluate interest in the cash option among different groups of consumers, as well as actual experience with the option when the Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation (CCDE) evaluation findings are completed.


Observations: Paget disease of the breast was described as nipple ulceration associated with underlying breast cancer. A 67-year-old female patient was referred to dermatology outpatient clinic for evaluation of a scaly erythematous 2 cm plaque in the left nipple and nearby areola. The patient was suspected to have Paget disease. A retroareolar mass approximately 1 cm in size was found on breast examination performed by a general surgeon. Mammograms demonstrated two masses in the left breast. In the histopathological examination of mastectomy specimen two nodules were detected in the inferolateral breast quadrant compatible with Grade II invasive ductal carcinoma. High grade ductal carcinoma in situ and Paget disease were detected in the nipple-areola complex. All of the lesions showed similar immunohistochemistry profiles on immunohistochemical examination. The absence of E-cadherin staining in our patient's Paget cells implies that E-cadherin mutation may play a role in the development of Paget disease.


The synchronization problem for complex discrete-time systems is revisited from a control perspective and it is argued that the problem may be viewed as an observer problem. It is shown that for several classes of systems a solution for the synchronization (observer) problem exists. Also, by allowing past measurements a dynamic mechanism for state reconstruction is provided.


Despite the tremendous success of deep neural networks across various tasks, their vulnerability to imperceptible adversarial perturbations has hindered their deployment in the real world. Recently, works on randomized ensembles have empirically demonstrated significant improvements in adversarial robustness over standard adversarially trained (AT) models with minimal computational overhead, making them a promising solution for safety-critical resource-constrained applications. However, this impressive performance raises the question: Are these robustness gains provided by randomized ensembles real? In this work we address this question both theoretically and empirically. We first establish theoretically that commonly employed robustness evaluation methods such as adaptive PGD provide a false sense of security in this setting. Subsequently, we propose a theoretically-sound and efficient adversarial attack algorithm (ARC) capable of compromising random ensembles even in cases where adaptive PGD fails to do so. We conduct comprehensive experiments across a variety of network architectures, training schemes, datasets, and norms to support our claims, and empirically establish that randomized ensembles are in fact more vulnerable to $\ell_p$-bounded adversarial perturbations than even standard AT models. Our code can be found at https://github.com/hsndbk4/ARC.


Abstract Kisspeptin-expressing neurons in the anteroventral-periventricular nucleus (AVPV) are part of a neural circuit generating the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) surge. This process is estradiol-dependent and occurs on the afternoon of proestrus in female mice. On proestrus, AVPV kisspeptin neurons express more kisspeptin and exhibit higher frequency action potentials and burst firing compared with diestrus, which is characterized by a pulsatile rather than a prolonged surge of GnRH secretion. We hypothesized changes in voltage-gated potassium conductances shape activity profiles of these cells in a cycle-dependent manner. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings of GFP-identified AVPV kisspeptin neurons in brain slices from diestrous and proestrous mice revealed three subcomponents of the voltage-sensitive K+ current: fast-transient slow-transient, and residual. During proestrus, the V50 of inactivation of the fast-transient current was depolarized and the amplitude of the slow-transient component was reduced compared with diestrus; the residual component was consistent across both stages. Computational models were fit to experimental data, including published estrous-cycle effects on other voltage-gated currents. Computer simulations suggest proestrus-typical K+ currents are suppressive compared with diestrus. Interestingly, larger T-type, persistent-sodium, and hyperpolarization-activated currents during proestrus compensate for this suppressive effect while also enabling postinhibitory rebound bursting. These findings suggest modulation of voltage-gated K+ and multiple subthreshold depolarizing currents across the negative to positive feedback transition maintain AVPV kisspeptin neuron excitability in response to depolarizing stimuli. These changes also enable firing in response to hyperpolarization, providing a net increase in neuronal excitability, which may contribute to activation of this population leading up to the preovulatory GnRH surge.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia. Typically, AD is characterized as a slow progressive dementia with an average disease duration of eight years. Recently, a rapidly progressive variant of Alzheimer's disease (rpAD) was identified, in which patients exhibit a rapid cognitive decline and/or short disease duration (average of 4 years). It is known that spAD and rpAD share core neuropathological features, but unfortunately the altered molecular processes, which eventually lead to these variable rates of progression, remain elusive. To this end, we aimed to explore the emerging role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in these two AD subtypes and in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), another rapidly progressive form of dementia as well as control subjects. The proteomic investigation, in combination with several bioinformatic and computational approaches, highlighted quantitative and qualitative changes in the identified RNA-binding proteome in a disease-subtype-specific manner. Findings from the current study shows that one of these identified proteins, splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ) is dysregulated at both the protein and mRNA level in the frontal cortex of patients diagnosed with rpAD or sCJD as well as in the brains of 3xTg-AD mice. Co-immunofluorescence analysis in combination with confocal-laser scanning microscopy demonstrated nuclear depletion of SFPQ along with phospho-tau, particularly in cases of rapidly progressive AD. This nuclear depletion of both proteins was concomitantly associated with their cytoplasmic redistribution. Of note, association between SFPQ and tau in rpAD brain did not exclude the possible role of SFPQ in oligomerization and misfolding of tau protein. In the human brain, immunoreactivity of SFPQ co-localized with cytoplasmic TIA-1, which is a marker of stress granules. A similar translocation of SFPQ and phospho-tau into cytoplasmic TIA-1-positive stress granules was also obtained in cultured HeLa cells treated with sodium arsenite. Furthermore, the expression of human tau in vitro induced a significant reduction in SFPQ levels, suggesting a causal role of tau in downregulation of SFPQ. The findings from the current study indicate that dysregulated SFPQ in combination with pathological tau and aberrant dynamics of SGs represents an important pathway, which may contribute to the rapid progression of AD.


When a hymnbook is placed outside its more expected hymnological environment and put in a wider contextual framework, particularly a political one with significant diplomatic aspects, a better appreciation is gained of the hymnbook and the circumstances of its compilation. Critically, the complexity and progressive transparency of hymn transmission from one country to another is also revealed. This article focuses on Prussian diplomat Christian Karl Josias von Bunsen and his Gesang-und Gebetbuchs (1833). A primary source for several translators, notably Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878), the hymnbook directly affected the movement of many hymns from Germany to England, Scotland, and Australia.


Perforating the extremely large deepwater wells in the Santos Basin fields, offshore Brazil, is done in a single-trip, shoot-and-pull operation, using 7.0-in. guns loaded with ultra-deep penetrating charges, which produce 65-in. of penetration depth per API RP 19B. These wells have 9-5/8-in. and 9-7/8-in. production casing with gross perforated lengths sometimes exceeding 600-m, and bottom hole pressures larger than 8,000-psi, in some cases reaching 13,500-psi. Perforating these wells with 7.0-in guns is very challenging because of the large downhole loads acting on the tubing string and on the drillship. To evaluate gunshock overloading risks, we utilize a simulation model to predict gunshock loads. This simulation model helps to assess the maximum loads for different perforating scenarios, and helps to devise strategies to reduce the peak tension on the tubing string and drillship to safe levels.
 Perforating shock loads are generated by the detonation of the guns and by the associated pressure waves in the completion fluid, such pressure waves act on the guns, tools, and tubing string. Shock loads can pose a serious risk of parting the tubing string and/or damaging the drillship's hoisting equipment. A fully coupled fluid-structure simulation model is used to predict perforating shock loads. Before every perforating job, the operator evaluates the peak transient loads on the tubing string and heave compensator, and decides on the best strategy to prevent gunshock-related damage.
 Many drillship operators believe that large-size gunstrings can damage the heave compensation system. Often, afraid of damaging the heave compensators, drillship operators opt for disabling the heave compensation system when perforating, and this is what can create unfavorable conditions that can lead to extremely high loads on the tubing-string. Computer simulation of the perforating event with models having varying degrees of heave compensation show the need for heave compensation to reduce the peak tension load on the tubing-string. Actual drillship measurements and simulation results of transient hook-load are presented side-by-side, as well as sensitivity studies of the transient tubing-load dependence on the heave compensator's load-movement relationship. Actual hook-load measurements from one perforating job done with heave compensation and one without heave compensation show the need to use heave compensation to reduce the peak tension load on the tubing-string.
 Gunshock loading simulations are described in detail, using actual jobs data to analyze the transient shock load on the tubing string and on the drillship. Detailed comparisons between simulated and measured peak drillship hook loads are presented, as well as the tubing axial load dependence on the heave compensator's load-movement relationship. This information will help operators to decide on the strategy to avoid having non-productive time because of shock related equipment damage.


In recent years, the need for environment protection, due to drastic global climate changes and unprecedented natural disasters, has become a prominent feature in the media. This has created great awareness among people to start preventing the environment from getting further damaged. Consumers are becoming more conscious to purchase products and services which are environmentally friendly which, as a result, lead to the increasing demand for 'green' products and services. Companies across all sectors, hospitality sector included, try to make great strides toward instituting green practices and earn green certifications. Restaurants in Malaysia are following this trend and trying to implement green practices. This study investigated consumers' awareness, perception and attitude towards restaurant green practices and its influence on behaviour intentions. Quantitative approach with descriptive research design was used. Questionnaires were distributed to a convenient sample of 400 shoppers at some well-known hypermarkets and supermarkets in Shah Alam, such as Tesco, Giant, Mydin and SACC Mall. The results show that, consumer awareness, perception and attitude were slightly agreed about restaurant green practices. The findings of this study can help restaurant operators to better understand consumers' demands and possible behaviour towards green practices.


Background:Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in association with cryptococcosis has been anecdotically reported following administration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Objective:To analyse the incidence and risk factors for IRIS-associated cryptococcosis among HIV-infected patients. Design:Retrospective multicentre study between 1996 and 2000 through the French Cryptococcosis Database. Methods:Subsequent occurrence of IRIS examined in 120 HIV-infected adult patients treated with HAART and experiencing a first episode of culture-confirmed cryptococcosis. Results:Ten patients developed IRIS during the study period, giving an incidence of 10/239, or 4.2/100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.2–7.8]. IRIS consisted of acute symptoms consistent with inflammation occurring within a median of 8 months (range, 2–37) after the diagnosis of cryptococcosis in the context of negative cultures and immunological and/or virological response to HAART. Radiology and histopathology detected features compatible with inflammation. Symptom severity required transfer into intensive care units for three patients and use of anti-inflammatory drugs for four. Three patients with evolutive IRIS died. Compared with patients without IRIS for whom complete clinical and microbiological information were available at baseline, previously unknown HIV infection [odds ratio (OR), 4.8; 95% CI, 1.0–21.7], CD4 cell count < 7 × 106 cells/l (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 0.9–17.2), fungaemia (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 1.1–35.2) and HAART initiation within 2 months of cryptococcosis diagnosis (OR, 5.50; 95% CI, 1.0–29.6) were independently associated with the risk of subsequent IRIS. Conclusions:IRIS-related cryptococcosis was observed more frequently in severely immunocompromised patients with disseminated infection and HAART initiation soon after the diagnosis.


Using an exact solution of the one-dimensional quantum transverse-field Ising model, we calculate the critical exponents of the two-dimensional anisotropic classical Ising model (IM). We verify that the exponents are the same as those of isotropic classical IM. Our approach provides an alternative means of obtaining and verifying these well-known results.


Present study conducted to determine the relationship between the Eysenck Personality characteristics and resiliency with a look at the issue of suicide among girl students in Kermanshah. Performing the research, a sample size of 250 individuals selected among all secondary school students in Kermanshah through cluster sampling. Descriptive study was a correlative type, to analyze the data; resulted data was analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression analysis by the help of SPSS19 software. To gather data, the Eysenck Personality characteristics questionnaires, Connor and Davidson resiliency approach and attitude to committing suicide used. Results showed that there was a positive, significant correlation between personality traits psychotic mental attitudes, and attitude to committing suicide, but there was a negative correlation between extroversion and attitude towards committing suicide. In addition, results indicated that there was a negative correlation between resiliency and attitude towards committing suicide. According to the results it could be concluded that the character of a structure is associated to commit suicide.


This note contains discussions on the entanglement entropy and mutual information of a strongly coupled field theory with a critical point which has a holographic dual. We investigate analytically, in the specific regimes of parameters, how these non-local operators behave near the critical point. Interestingly, we observe that although the mutual information is constant at the critical point, its slope shows a power-law divergence in the vicinity of the critical point. We show that the leading behavior of mutual information at and near the critical point could yield a set of critical exponents if we regard it as an order parameter. Our result for this set of static critical exponents is (1/2,1/2,1/2,2) which is identical to the one calculated via the thermodynamic quantities. Hence it suggests that beside the numerous merits of mutual information, this quantity also captures the critical behavior of the underlying field theory and it could be used as a proper measure to probe the phase structure associated with the strongly coupled systems.


: The large-scale production and injection of geothermal fluids induce pressure, volume, and temperature gradient changes in the subsurface, which may result in surface deformation as well. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is a promising utility for monitoring ground surface deformation and inferring subsurface reservoir operations that are difficult to observe directly. This study provides the first wide-area InSAR-derived long-term ground deformation across major geothermal fields in western Turkey. It aims to identify ground deformation hotspots within the geothermal exploitation sites and analyze their relationship with energy production and pumping. In the present study, the whole 2014–2020 Sentinel 1-A and 1-B SAR archive available over the region along ascending and descending orbits was processed using the persistent scatterer interferometry (PS-InSAR) technique. Compaction and land subsidence hot spots caused by fluid withdrawal are found within the geothermal fields. The results indicate that the observed systematic surface subsidence deformation result from the increase of geothermal production during the observation period in western Turkey. The real-time power data of geothermal plants retrieved from the transparency platform of the Turkish energy exchange are related to surface deformation. We estimated the drainage area of the production wells using subsidence deformation, caused by pore pressure decline in the reservoir. The results provide supporting evidence for the systematic monitoring and identification of deformation patterns in spatial-temporal extend can reveal reservoir dynamics and compartments, which are crucial for reservoir characterization and field development plan.


Despite advances in immunochemotherapy CLL remains an incurable disease.. Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has proven curative potential with ability to overcome adverse prognostic factors, however due to its toxicity it is generally perceived as the last option. We performed retrospective study to explore the outcomes and possible determinants of survival in the unselected consecutive cohort of 68 CLL patients (median age 59 years) receiving reduced intensity HCT as a part of salvage therapy in 2 Czech centers. The median interval from diagnosis to HCT was 69 months with median 3 of prior regimens, all patients were refractory to purine analogues. 49% of patients were transplanted with advanced (i.e. refractory or progressive disease or CR/PR>3), 38% had high risk cytogenetics. With median follow-up of 35 months the 3-year Kaplan-Meier survival probability for OS and PFS were 39% and 26%, respectively. Altogether 18 patients (26%) have relapsed or progressed. During the follow-up 41 patients died, 32 (78%) of transplant related factors (NRM), the others of relapse or disease progression.Univariate analysis failed to identify any clinical and pre- or post-transplant variables having clear prognostic significance for OS or PFS. The marginal OS advantage favoring HCT performed recently was detected (3-year OS: 31% for HCT until 2006 and 47% thereafter, p=0.0923). In multivariable hazards model only the female donors were associated with shorter OS (HR 2.278, p=0.016) whereas transplanted T-cell> 2.75x108/kg predicted inferior PFS(HR 1.957, p=0.035). No prognostic impact of donor type, age of donor and recipient, HLA mismatch, disease status pre-HCT, number of previous therapy lines, interval from dg. to HCT and number of transplanted hematopoietic cells was found. Our findings support the conclusion that alloHCT is able to overcome well known negative cytogenetic prognostic factors and that preferring male to female donors could be beneficial.


A miniature Nernstian-type oxygen sensor employing an ionically conducting stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte and an embedded internal reference electrode is developed and is tested in the temperature range 275–425 °C. It is intended for in situ monitoring of oxygen content in deposition and growth environments. Advantages of this sensor are in situ generation of the Ni/NiO two phase internal reference thin film electrode using a solid-state oxygen Coulometric titration technique, its small size (5 mm×10 mm), flat geometry (<1 mm thick), relatively low operating temperature, and the fact that the entire sensor can be immersed in the gaseous environment with the unknown oxygen content. The latter feature is distinctly different from commercially available Nernstian oxygen sensors, which employ two-compartment geometries. Depending upon temperature, the time constants for the sensor response to changes in oxygen pressure ranged from seconds to minutes, which is exceptionally fast for these moderately low temperatures. The small thermal mass and size of this single-compartment electrochemical sensor make it suitable for in situ and noninvasive real time monitoring of oxygen content during thin-film deposition or bulk growth of complex oxides.


In this paper, 0.95K0.5Na0.5NbO3-0.05LiTaO3 ceramics were synthesized by conventional mixed-oxide technique. To clarify the optimal sintering condition, three kinds of different temperature conditions were used. It was found that the samples sintered near 1130 °C had the best piezoelectric properties (d33~155 pC/N). In addition, sintering aid such as K5.4C1.3Ta10O29 was investigated to confirm whether it really benefited to the sintering process and increased the piezoelectric property of ceramics.


Isotonic regression is a nonparametric approach for fitting monotonic models to data that has been widely studied from both theoretical and practical perspectives. However, this approach encounters computational and statistical overfitting issues in higher dimensions. To address both concerns, we present an algorithm, which we term Isotonic Recursive Partitioning (IRP), for isotonic regression based on recursively partitioning the covariate space through solution of progressively smaller "best cut" subproblems. This creates a regularized sequence of isotonic models of increasing model complexity that converges to the global isotonic regression solution. The models along the sequence are often more accurate than the unregularized isotonic regression model because of the complexity control they offer. We quantify this complexity control through estimation of degrees of freedom along the path. Success of the regularized models in prediction and IRPs favorable computational properties are demonstrated through a series of simulated and real data experiments. We discuss application of IRP to the problem of searching for gene--gene interactions and epistasis, and demonstrate it on data from genome-wide association studies of three common diseases.


Background Despite the widespread use of accreditation in many countries, and prevailing beliefs that accreditation is associated with variables contributing to clinical care and organisational outcomes, little systematic research has been conducted to examine its validity as a predictor of healthcare performance. Objective To determine whether accreditation performance is associated with self-reported clinical performance and independent ratings of four aspects of organisational performance. Design Independent blinded assessment of these variables in a random, stratified sample of health service organisations. Settings Acute care: large, medium and small health-service organisations in Australia. Study participants Nineteen health service organisations employing 16 448 staff treating 321 289 inpatients and 1 971 087 non-inpatient services annually, representing approximately 5% of the Australian acute care health system. Main measures Correlations of accreditation performance with organisational culture, organisational climate, consumer involvement, leadership and clinical performance. Results Accreditation performance was significantly positively correlated with organisational culture (rho=0.618, p=0.005) and leadership (rho=0.616, p=0.005). There was a trend between accreditation and clinical performance (rho=0.450, p=0.080). Accreditation was unrelated to organisational climate (rho=0.378, p=0.110) and consumer involvement (rho=0.215, p=0.377). Conclusions Accreditation results predict leadership behaviours and cultural characteristics of healthcare organisations but not organisational climate or consumer participation, and a positive trend between accreditation and clinical performance is noted.


Cell therapy using T cells has revolutionized medical care in recent years but limitations are associated with the difficulty of genome editing of the cells, the production of a sufficient number of cells and standardization of the product. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can self-renew and differentiate into T cells to provide a standardized homogenous product of defined origin in indefinite quantity, therefore they are of great potential to alleviate limitations of therapeutic T cell production. The differentiation of hPSCs takes place in two steps: first the induction of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), then the induction of lymphopoiesis by Notch signaling. However, the differentiation of T cells from hPSCs can be difficult and lack reproducibility. One parameter that needs to be better assessed is the potential of DLL1 vs. DLL4 ligands of the Notch pathway to induce T cells. In addition, culture of hPSCs is labor-intensive and not compatible with GMP production, especially when they are cultured on feeder cells. Thus, the definition of a robust GMP-compatible differentiation protocol from hPSCs cultured in feeder-free conditions would increase the accessibility to off-the-shelf hematopoietic and T cell progenitors derived from hPSCs. In this article, we describe an efficient, rapid and reproducible protocol for the generation of hematopoietic and T cell progenitors in two steps: (1) generation of HSPCs from embryoid bodies (EB) in serum free medium and GMP-compatible feeder-free systems, (2) directed differentiation of hPSC-derived HSPCs into T-cell progenitors in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells expressing Notch-ligands OP9-DLL1 vs. OP9-DLL4.


Within taxonomic groups, most species are restricted in their geographic range sizes, with only a few being widespread. The possibility that species‐level selection on range sizes contributes to the characteristic form of such species–range size distributions has previously been raised. This would require that closely related species have similar range sizes, an indication of "heritability" of range sizes at the species level. Support for this view came from a positive correlation between the range sizes of closely related pairs of fossil mollusc species. We extend this analysis by considering the relationship between the geographic range sizes of 103 pairs of contemporary avian sister species. Range sizes in these sister species show no evidence of being more similar to each other than expected by chance. A reassessment of the mollusc data also suggests that the high correlation was probably overestimated because of the skewed nature of range size data. The fact that sister species tend to have similar life histories and ecologies suggests that any relationship between range sizes and biology is likely to be complicated and will be influenced by historical factors, such as mode of speciation and postspeciation range size transformations.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if the application of radiofrequency ablation to advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) would result in local control of the tumor.

DESIGN
Radiofrequency ablation was applied to advanced head and neck malignant tumors in the participants of this nonrandomized controlled trial.

SETTING
Academic tertiary care medical center.

PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-one participants with recurrent and/or unresectable HNC who failed treatment with surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy were selected for the trial. Patients deemed appropriate for curative standard radiation or surgery were not accepted as participants.

INTERVENTION
Radiofrequency ablation was applied to head and neck tumors under general anesthesia and computed tomographic scan guidance.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary end point was local control. Computed tomographic scan tumor measurements were used to assess response by standard response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) guidelines. Secondary outcome measures included survival and quality of life.

RESULTS
Eight of 13 participants had stable disease after intervention. Median survival was 127 days, and an improvement in University of Washington quality-of-life scores was noted. Adverse outcomes included 1 death due to carotid hemorrhage and 2 strokes.

CONCLUSION
Radiofrequency ablation is a palliative treatment alternative that shows promise in addressing the challenges of local control and quality of life in patients with incurable HNC who have failed standard curative treatment.


A bout the time Fred Brooks was warning us there was not likely to be a single, "silver bullet" solution to the essential difficulties of developing software [3], Watts Humphrey and others at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) were busy putting together the set of ideas that was to become the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for Software. The CMM adopted the opposite of the quick-fix silver bullet philosophy. It was intended to be a coherent, ordered set of incremental improvements, all having experienced success in the field, packaged into a roadmap that showed how effective practices could be built on one another in a logical progression (see "The Capability Maturity Model for Software" sidebar). Far from a quick fix, it was


: The authors had offered the original estimated system with the points calculation, basing on analysis of the examination and treatment results in 150 patients, suffering abdominal sepsis. The system, alike others, includes not only determination of the inflammation factors and indices of endotoxicosis, but as well as those, concerning intraabdominal pressure, the anterior abdominal wall rigidity and the tissues elasticity. Among the important indices, needed to determine, were considered those, which categorize the syndrome of intraabdominal, intrathoracic and microregional hypertension as well as the mechanisms of endotoxicosis pathogenesis. The authors recommend to use the indices of pathological consequences of this two factors while doing assessment of the abdominal sepsis severity.


BACKGROUND
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a health concern which leads to complications such as retinopathy. Pakistan has 6.9 million people living with DM and this toll will be doubled by 2025.

OBJECTIVE
To determine serum IL-6 and IL-17 of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with retinopathy.

METHODS
In this cross-sectional case-control study, 212 subjects enrolled which were categorized into 3 groups. Group-I included 30 subjects without diabetes, group-II consisted of 30 subjects with T2DM without retinopathy and group-III consisted of 152 subjects with T2DM and retinopathy. Serum IL-6 and IL-17 levels were determined by ELISA. Data was analysed using SPSS 17.0 and one way ANOVA to observe group mean differences.

RESULTS
Longer mean duration of disease was detected in group-III than group-II (p=0.007). Highest IL-6 level was detected in group-II and highest IL-17 level was detected in group-I. For IL-6, significant differences were detected among groups in total, between Group-I and Group-III and between Group-II and Group-III (p<0.0001 each). Regarding IL-17, significant differences were found among groups in total (p=0.002) and between Group-I and Group-III (p=0.001). No significant difference in the percentages of HbA1c observed between groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Age, gender and duration of diabetes contribute to T2DM retinopathy. Serum IL-6 and IL-17 were inversely associated with T2DM retinopathy.


Background: Development of the intestinal subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma is marked by a progression of histopathologic lesions. Residents of the Andean regions of Colombia are at high risk for gastric cancer. Methods: A cohort of 976 Colombian subjects was followed over 16 years examining effects of Helicobacter pylori eradication and treatment with antioxidants on progression of lesions. We performed methylation analysis of DNA from baseline antral biopsies from 104 subjects for whom follow-up data were available for at least 12 years. Methylation was quantitated for AMPH, CDKN2A, CDH1, EN1, EMX1, NKX6-1, PCDH10, RPRM, RSPO2, SORCS3, ZIC1, and ZNF610 genes, using Pyrosequencing. Results: Levels of DNA methylation were associated with baseline diagnosis for AMPH, EMX1, RPRM, RSPO2, SORCS3, and ZNF610. After adjusting for baseline diagnosis and H. pylori infection, methylation levels of AMPH, PCDH10, RSPO2, and ZNF610 had progression coefficients that increased and P values that decreased over 6, 12, and 16 years. Methylation for SORCS3 was associated with progression at all 3 time points but without the continual strengthening of the effect. Scores for mononuclear leukocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, or intraepithelial lymphocytes were unrelated to progression. Conclusions: Methylation levels of AMPH, PCDH10, RSPO2, SORCS3, and ZNF610 predict progression of gastric lesions independent of the effect of duration of H. pylori infection, baseline diagnosis, gender of the patient, or scores for mononuclear leukocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, or intraepithelial lymphocytes. Impact: DNA methylation levels in AMPH, PCDH10, RSPO2, SORCS3, and ZNF610 may contribute to identification of persons with gastric lesions likely to progress. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(10); 1607–13. ©2015 AACR.


BACKGROUND: Several factors are known to interfere with electrocardiogram (ECG) sensitivity when diagnosing Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH), with gender and cardiac mass being two of the most important ones OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of gender on the sensitivity of some of the criteria used to detect LVH, according to the progression of ventricular hypertrophy degree. METHODS: According to gender and the degree of LVH at the echocardiogram, the patients were divided in three groups: mild, moderate and severe LVH. ECG sensitivity to detect LVH was assessed between men and women, according to the LVH degree. RESULTS: Of the 874 patients, 265 were males (30.3%) and 609, females (69.7%). The [(S + R) X QRS], Sokolow-Lyon, Romhilt-Estes, Perugia and strain criteria showed high discriminatory power in the diagnosis of LVH between men and women in the three groups with LVH, with a superior performance in the male population and highlighting the importance of the [(S + R) X QRS] and Perugia scores. Conclusion: The diagnostic sensitivity of the ECG increases with the cardiac mass. The examination is more sensitive in men, highlighting the importance of the [(S + R) X QRS] and Perugia scores. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic sensitivity of the ECG increases with the cardiac mass. The examination is more sensitive in men, highlighting the importance of the [(S + R) X QRS] and Perugia scores.


This article examines the politics of image brokering in the daily rituals of a major wire service's photography division. Specifically, it investigates crises of visualization: moments when routine visualization itself is challenged due to changes in infrastructures of representation. The transition to digital transmission has changed work of image brokers—people involved in the creation, validation, packaging, and circulation of images. New image brokers and changed infrastructures of representation challenge established hierarchies and who provides and polices news images. At a moment when the war on terror is also a war of images, battles over the infrastructures of representation are battles over visual worldmaking. [digital, infrastructure of representation, photography, Agence France Presse, journalism, crisis of representation, wire service, visualization, Iraq]