Abstract The Olive Ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829) (Testudines: Cheloniidae), is 1 of the 5 species of sea turtle found along the coast of Brazil. Little is known regarding infection by species of the family Spirorchiidae in the host, as only 1 report exists. This case report describes granulomas in different tissues associated to type 1 and 3 spirorchiid eggs in 5 L. olivacea from the Brazilian coast. The occurrence of the eggs was considered an incidental finding and may have contributed to the debility and death of the hosts. This is the second report of tissue lesions due to spirorchids eggs in this host and the first occurrence in Olive Ridley turtle from the Brazilian coast.


Abstract : Instructions in the organization and use of the computer programs which implement the Initial NATO Reference Mobility Model (INRMM) are presented. A brief description of the mathematical equations and computing algorithms which predict the speed of a vehicle over a variety of terrain, the input data required, and the outputs generated is included. Some aid to the interpretation of various output variables is given.


This article focuses on our observations of two contentious Orange Order parades and nationalist protests that took place in an interface area in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2011 and 2012. We apply a perspective of visual ethnography as place-making (Pink 2009) to our research experience in order to add to understandings of how a place of conflict is experienced, (re)produced or challenged through the use of photography and video by marchers, protesters and researchers alike. In doing so, we discuss not only the strengths of visual methods, (how they enable a greater understanding of adversarial perspectives, allow researchers to experience contestation emotionally and compel reflexivity), but also more controversial aspects of their use (the extent to which they limit what researchers notice or omit and legitimate particular versions of conflict). Last, but not least, we suggest that the ubiquitous use of 'the digital eye' in the contentious events we observed has a democratising influence over elements in the performance of conflict: challenging the presumed roles of performers and audiences; of researchers and researched; opening contentious events to a wider audience and facilitating the communication of competing narratives.


When trying to solve a computational problem, we are often faced with a choice between algorithms that are guaranteed to return the right answer but differ in their runtime distributions (e.g., SAT solvers, sorting algorithms). This paper aims to lay theoretical foundations for such choices by formalizing preferences over runtime distributions. It might seem that we should simply prefer the algorithm that minimizes expected runtime. However, such preferences would be driven by exactly how slow our algorithm is on bad inputs, whereas in practice we are typically willing to cut off occasional, sufficiently long runs before they finish. We propose a principled alternative, taking a utility-theoretic approach to characterize the scoring functions that describe preferences over algorithms. These functions depend on the way our value for solving our problem decreases with time and on the distribution from which captimes are drawn. We describe examples of realistic utility functions and show how to leverage a maximum-entropy approach for modeling underspecified captime distributions. Finally, we show how to efficiently estimate an algorithm's expected utility from runtime samples.


Nowadays, historians of mathematics conduct studies on scientific works of significant personalities, namely, Salih Zeki, Husnu Hamid, Mehmed Nadir and Huseyin Tevfik Pasha as well as the topics such as differential integral calculus, analytic geometry and number theory in the Ottoman Empire. Despite a growing body of research on the above-mentioned topics recently, these studies are still far from presenting a fully-developed picture of mathematical understanding of the late Ottoman and early Republican periods. One of the important topics in this period is Ali Yar and his mathematical studies. Ord. Professor Ali Yar (1885-1965), who was sent to Paris for education in 1908, returned to Turkey as the first aircraft engineer of our country and the third aircraft engineer in the world. In the late Ottoman period, he taught physics and mathematics at Galatasaray High School and Istanbul University, and continued to teaching at various institutions after the foundation of the Republic. During his tenure in the Republican period, he worked with influential mathematicians of the period such as Husnu Hamid, Salih Zeki and Mehmet Nadir. Yar, one of the three Turkish academics who were given the title Ordinarius Professorship after the 1933 University Reform, also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Istanbul University for a while after Kerim Erim serving as the Dean of Faculty of Science at the same university. The only scientific study, in which Ali Yar's works are evaluated in terms of the history of science, is an article on astronomy examining Yar's book titled Kozmografya [Cosmography] (Unat 2013). Ali Yar's mathematical studies is a fertile field to explore since they have not been researched before. Ali Yar translated six algebra books into Turkish, one from French and five from German in order to foster the mathematical thinking in the country. While these works were selected for transla tion, the aim was to transfer all the subjects of modern algebra into Turkish. Yar's three books on trigonometry, which he also translated from French for high schools, have strong pedagogical aspects. In this study, nine books that Yar translated from German and French will be discussed from a mathematical perspective. Besides, it is aimed to present a general overview about Yar's biography and other mathematical studies and, by doing so, to provide a basis for further in-depth research.


Taxol, a unique diterpene anticancer compound derived from the bark of the Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) tree, induces cytotoxicity by a novel mechanism of action. An antimicrotubule agent, Taxol promotes the formation and stabilization of the tubulin polymer unlike other anticancer agents that induce microtubule disassembly. Because of its poor aqueous solubility, Taxol is formulated as a solution in 50% Cremophor EL and 50% dehydrated alcohol, USP. The Cremophor EL and dehydrated alcohol vehicle used in the formulation of Taxol creates some interesting challenges for its preparation and administration. The pharmaceutical concerns associated with the preparation and administration of Taxol are discussed.


Introduction: One of the world's most important public health and global health issues is alcoholism. In terms of illness burden, alcohol is the world's third leading cause of death. Repeated alcohol-related issues in at least two of the eleven life areas that clump together over the same 12-month period are considered as alcoholism (alcohol use disorder). Moderate and heavy drinkers were separated into two groups. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study comprising 25 moderate alcoholics, 25 severe alcoholics, and 50 adult individuals who were nonalcoholics. Data pertaining to demographics, clinical history including alcohol consumption and laboratory data were collected and recorded from the study participants. Laboratory data included parameters like hematological profile, serum Vitamin B12 and folic acid, liver function tests, renal function tests, blood sugar levels, and prothrombin time. Results: In our study, anemia affects 76% of severe alcoholics and 72% of moderate drinkers. Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) of more than 99 fl was found in 28% of heavy drinkers and 8% of moderate drinkers. The average Hb in heavy drinkers was 9.372.30. Alcoholics have abnormal red blood cell morphology, such as target cells, acanthocytes, stomatocytes, elliptocytes, and ovalocytes. Discussion: Alcoholism affects both men and women, but it is more common in men, especially in lower socioeconomic groups, in their third to fifth decade. Chronic drinkers are more likely to develop anemia, which is linked to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption. Severe alcoholics are prone to infections. Conclusion: Early detection and treatment of hematological abnormalities associated with alcohol misuse will help prevent future alcohol-related problems and reduce morbidity and mortality.


: To assess the safety of nonselective intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) performed from a transbrachial approach with 4-French-catheters, the complications occurring in 158 examinations were studied. Two patients developed local thrombosis and in four patients there were temporary pulse deficits. Three brachial artery catheterisations were unsuccessful due to transient arterial spasm. Our data support the conclusion that nonselective transbrachial DSA is a safe and accurate method, easily employed in an outpatient population.


ABSTRACT The canopy dynamics and light climates within a 20 by 60 m quadrat were studied in a disturbed moist deciduous forest near Bombay, India. A map was drawn of individual trees within the quadrat, the taxa were identified, and their phenology was followed from November 1984 to July 1985. The quadrat contained 14 species, the most common being Tectona grandis, Terminalia tomentosa, Butea monosperma, Mitragyne parviflora and Albizia procera. Some individuals were in leaf at all times, more so at the moister east end of the quadrat. In November at the end of the rainy season, light measurements documented percentages of total daily photosynthetic photon fluence (PPF) at 10.0% of full sunlight; 44% of this flux was due to sun-flecks whose duration was approximately 17% of the daytime hours. Values for six sites were similar to mid-day measurements along a 40 m transect, and consistent with the 94% canopy cover of the sites, photographed with a fish-eye lens. The March dry season measurements revealed a more intense radiation environment (54% of solar PPF), and 59% of the photosynthetic photon flux density at mid-day along the transect. Canopy openings were increased to a mean of 59.4%. Light in the understorey in November was spectrally altered, with typical R:FR ratios of 0.30, compared to March values identical to those of sunlight, at 1.10.


In this work, the influence of temperature on the mechanical properties of duplex steel is studied by performing monotonic "in situ" tension and compression at 200oC. The lattice strains in both phases were measured using the time-of-flight neutron diffraction method (at the ISIS spallation neutron source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK). A thermal-elastic selfconsistent model was used to predict the expansion of the interplanar spacings during heating to 200°C. Subsequently, the variation of phase stresses during tensile and compressive loading at room temperature (20°C) and at 200°C were theoretically calculated by the elastoplastic self-consistent model. Comparing the model data with experimental results the critical resolved shear stresses and work hardening parameters were determined individually in each phase of the DSS. Finally, the yield stresses in each phase of the studied steel have been estimated. It was found that both yield points (of austenite and ferrite) are lower at 200°C than those at room temperature.


Wikis, freely editable collections of web pages, exhibit potential for a flexible documentation and communication tool for collaborative design tasks as well as support for team design thinking early in the design process. The purpose of this work is to analyze dimensions of wiki technologies from a communication perspective as applicable to design. A wiki was introduced in a globally distributed product development course, and the experiences and performance of colocated and distributed teams in the course were assessed through observations, surveys, and site usage analytics. With a focus on communication in design, we explore the advantages and disadvantages of using wikis in student engineering design teams. Our goal is to use wiki technologies to enhance support for design processes while exploiting the potential for increasing shared understanding among teams. Distributed teams used the wiki more as a design tool and were more supportive of its use in the course whereas colocated teams used it for documentation. The usage patterns, the number and type of files uploaded, and the wiki structure provided indicators of better performing teams. The findings also suggest ways to improve and inform students about best practices using the wiki for design and to transform the wiki as a support tool for communication during early design collaboration. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4004115]


Functional constipation is a common problem in Turkey that affects up to 10% of children. Reflexologists claim that reflexology can be beneficial in the treatment of constipation. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to determine the effectiveness of reflexology in treating functional constipation in children. Thirty-seven children who were referred to a pediatrician with functional constipation as defined by the Rome III criteria were recruited to the study. After the physician's diagnosis, two groups (intervention/control) were created. The intervention and control groups comprised 17 and 20 children, respectively. Each child in the intervention group was given a foot massage for 10 minutes five times a week, and toilet/diet/motivation training was given to their parents. The test period lasted for 4 weeks. Toilet/diet/motivation training was undertaken for 30 minutes once per week (for a total of 4 weeks) in an interactive manner. The parents of children in the control group received equivalent toilet/diet/motivation training only. No significant differences in terms of feces frequency and feces consistency were noted between the intervention and control groups (p > .05). This study sample showed that only toilet/diet/motivation training had potential benefit for treating functional constipation in children. Further larger randomized trials are required to establish whether there are benefits to foot message in the treatment of functional constipation in children.


In this paper, a new type of interaction environment, the multiscale collaborative virtual environment (mCVE), is proposed to support multiple users working together at different scale levels. This paper introduces the concept of multiscale collaboration in the context of 3D virtual environments and describes the benefits of multiscale collaboration for understanding and managing large structures that present important features at different scale levels. After a discussion on the design and implementation of multiscale tools to support the visualization of structures, cross-scale information sharing, and cross-scale action, the paper presents an experimental study showing that cross-scale collaboration can improve user performance.


We report synthesis of luminescent porous silicon (Si) having uniform macromorphology by sequential oxidation and etching of macroporous Si formed in a hydrofluoric acid and dimethylformamide solution. The macroporous template exhibits room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) with peaks in the blue/green region. Structural investigations reveal the formation of nanoripples and other strained nanostructured Si inside the pores of the oxidized samples. The room-temperature PL disappears, and the structure of the macropores changes on treating the oxidized templates with an alkaline solution. Based on these findings, we explicitly show that the origin of luminescence is due to the presence of nanoripples and strained Si nanostructures. Luminescent macroporous Si therefore reveals interesting physics but are untenable for application of light sources in optoelectronic devices.


Convertible bonds are commonplace securities, but valuing them properly is tricky. In addition to being exposed to interest rate risk like any bond in a stochastic interest rate environment, they contain both an option to convert them into shares of the issuing firm, and also exposure to the risk of default. In this article, Hung and Wang present a lattice technique that allows relatively straightforward valuation, even in the presence of these three sources of risk. After describing their technique in general, they put it to use to evaluate a convertible bond issued by Lucent.


Abstract This study intends (a) to heighten awareness of how impoliteness scholarship may enlighten translation research and practice, and (b) to broaden the scope of research in impoliteness studies by considering stage translation data. It examines Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie ([1944] 2018) and two of its Greek translated versions (by Nikos Spanias, 1946/1987, Γυάλινος Κόσμος [Glass World] and by Errikos Belies, 2001/2014, Ο Γυάλινος Κόσμος [The Glass World]). It attempts an intra-cultural comparison of the two translations to examine how translators rendered impoliteness in family interaction, taking into account their chronological gap. The study takes an emic perspective to the data, designs a questionnaire eliciting respondents' evaluation of impolite options and uses Garcia-Pastor's (2008) model of face-aggravating strategies to account for the findings. Findings show that the second translation conveys the conflict between the main characters in more concrete terms, exploiting more face-aggravating strategies in relation to the first translation. The study also shows that the respondents seem to favour more impolite renderings by considering the characters' intimate relationships, confirming the connection between intimacy and impoliteness. The significance of the research lies in the fact that it broadens the scope of (im)politeness theory and studies to include another field that could provide data for the research of such instances of interaction, namely translation studies and in that it shows the validity of pragmatics in enlightening translation practice.


Human interaction is highly intuitive: we infer reactions of our opponents mainly from what we have learned in years of experience and often assume that other people have the same knowledge about certain situations, abilities, and expectations as we do. In human-robot interaction (HRI) we cannot take for granted that this is equally true since HRI is asymmetrical. In other words, robots have different abilities, knowledge, and expectations than humans. They need to react appropriately to human expectations and behaviour. With this respect, scientific advances have been made to date for applications in entertainment and service robotics that largely depend on intuitive interaction. However, HRI today is often still unnatural, slow, and unsatisfactory for the human interlocutor. Both the sensorimotor interaction with environment and interlocutor, and the social aspects of the interaction still need to be researched and improved. Therefore, this full-day workshop aims to bring together researchers from different scientific fields to discuss these crosscutting issues and to exchange views on what are the preconditions and principles of intuitive interaction.


Baker' yeast is an important product that humans use for numerous tasks, like bread making. We conducted this experiment to see how adding starch would affect yeast fermentation. We had two control groups, one with the minimum and one with the maximum recommended quantities of additives. Our experimental trial also consisted of two groups, a biochamber with the minimum recommendations plus starch, and a biochamber with the maximum plus starch. In our results, we found that for carbon dioxide production, the minimum concentrations changed less than the maximum concentrations. In the ethanol trials, we found that the minimum control was very similar to the maximum starch. Also, the minimum starch was very comparable to the maximum control. We concluded that there was a significant difference in change in the ethanol trials compared to the carbon dioxide trials. We assume that in certain trials, the amount of sugar (sucrose and starch) could have overwhelmed the yeast's ability to produce CO 2 and ethanol (Hoefnagels 2014).


Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease of wheat and barley, has been a problem for producers and the agricultural industry in Manitoba for the past 10 years. During this time the disease has occasionally been reported from eastern Saskatchewan, but until 1996, FHB was largely a novelty or of minor concern in this province. A concerted effort to study FHB under prairie conditions was begun in 1988 at the Cereal Research Centre (CRC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Winnipeg MB. This work is ongoing. For this presentation the findings of this research, done by a multi disciplinary team of scientists and technicians, will be summarized. The intent is to provide a brief overview and to supply literature references for information already published. These findings have relevance to a problem that may become more acute in Saskatchewan, and should provide agronomists, extension personnel, plant pathologists and producers with insights and a 'road map' on which to base recommendations and future studies.


Although second language writing instructors know that providing effective written feedback is essential to any good composition course, beginning and seasoned teachers alike struggle with this challenging task. In "Teacher Written Commentary in Second Language Writi"ng "Classrooms," Lynn M. Goldstein uses ample research and experiential evidence to explain both how and why teachers should comment on their students' writing assignments. Among the problems that Goldstein addresses are how to attend to the product without slighting the process, how to intervene in process without appropriating product, how to facilitate student comprehension and use of teacher feedback while promoting student independence, and how to respond efficiently while remaining attentive to individual student needs. While it may not necessarily reduce the time spent on commenting, the book will enable teachers and teachers-in-training to provide written commentary that will help their students to become stronger and more independent writers in English. This volume is the only source that contains such in-depth consideration of the issues and the range of practices within teacher written commentary and the only resource that focuses solely on issues of rhetoric and content in multilingual writing students' texts. Teachers and teacher educators will appreciate the Goldstein's thorough and well-grounded analysis. Lynn M. Goldstein is Professor, TESOL and Applied Linguistics, Monterey Institute of International Studies (CA).


Septic shock and the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome carries a very high risk of mortality. The exact pathomechanism of the development of multiorgan dysfunction is yet to be revealed and its treatment remains the biggest challenge in intensive care. In order to prevent the development of multiple organ dysfunction new therapeutic modalities have been investigated over the last years. One promising intervention is the exchange of large volumes of ultrafiltrate during haemofiltration termed as "elective" haemofiltration. By removing several middle molecular weight inflammatory mediators from the circulation, currently thought to be responsible for a number of complications due to sepsis, it as been suggested, that it might improve survival in theses patients.


The central purpose of this article is to determine what sort of moral demands should be satisfied by business in the social state of law. A critical analysis is made of what could be called the liberal model of enterprise, that underlies the arguments of defenders of the market system such as Friedman, Posner and Hayek. The reference point is Colombia´s 1991 Constitution and the position is that the liberal model of enterprise does not satisfy the principles and norms of a social state of law. The defence of this thesis makes a reconstruction of the central elements of the model based on critical readings of Friedman, Posner, Kalmanovitz, Carrasquilla and Clavijo. Finally, there is a discussion of four critiques of the liberal concept of enterprise which draw out its limitations in terms of the norms and principles of the social state or law.


As systems involving multiple agents are increasingly deployed, there is a growing need to diagnose failures in such systems. Model-Based Diagnosis (MBD) is a well-known AI technique to diagnose faults in systems. In this approach, a model of the diagnosed system is given, and the real system is observed. A failure is announced when the real system's output contradicts the model's expected output. The model is then used to deduce the defective components that explain the unexpected observation. MBD has been increasingly being deployed in distributed and multi-agent systems. In this survey, we summarize twenty years of research in the field of model-based diagnosis algorithms for MAS diagnosis. We depict three attributes that should be considered when examining MAS diagnosis: (1) The objective of the diagnosis. Either diagnosing faults in the MAS plans or diagnosing coordination faults. (2) Centralized vs. distributed. The diagnosis method could be applied either by a centralized agent or by the agents in a distributed manner. (3) Temporal vs. non-temporal. Temporal diagnosis is used to diagnose the MAS's temporal behaviors, whereas non-temporal diagnosis is used to diagnose the conduct based on a single observation. We survey diverse studies in MBD of MAS based on these attributes, and provide novel research challenges in this field for the AI community.


We present waveform observations of electromagnetic lower hybrid and whistler waves with fci ≪ f < fce downstream of four supercritical interplanetary shocks using the Wind search coil magnetometer. The whistler waves were observed to have a weak positive correlation between δB and normalized heat flux magnitude and an inverse correlation with Teh/Tec. All were observed simultaneous with electron distributions satisfying the whistler heat flux instability threshold and most with T⊥ h/T∥ h > 1.01. Thus, the whistler mode waves appear to be driven by a heat flux instability and cause perpendicular heating of the halo electrons. The lower hybrid waves show a much weaker correlation between δB and normalized heat flux magnitude and are often observed near magnetic field gradients. A third type of event shows fluctuations consistent with a mixture of both lower hybrid and whistler mode waves. These results suggest that whistler waves may indeed be regulating the electron heat flux and the halo temperature anisotropy, which is important for theories and simulations of electron distribution evolution from the Sun to the Earth.


Data is central to the Internet of Things IoT ecosystem. Most of the current IoT systems are using centralized cloud-based data sharing systems. Involvement of such third-party service provider requires also trust from both sensor owner and sensor data user. Moreover, the fees need to be paid for their services. To tackle both the scalability and trust issues and to automatize the payments, this paper presents a blockchain based proxy re-encryption scheme. The system stores the IoT data in a distributed cloud after encryption. To share the collected IoT data, the system establishes runtime dynamic smart contracts between the sensor and the data user without the involvement of a trusted third party. It also uses an efficient proxy re-encryption scheme which allows that the data is only visible by the owner and the person present in the smart contract. The proposed system is implemented in an Ethereum based testbed to analyze the performance and security properties.


This study uses qualitative research consisting of six semi-structural interviews of treatment workers who, in various capacities, have worked with men who use violence against their female partners. The purpose has been to show what the treatment counselor understand to be the reasons behind the men's violence, what kind of backgrounds and problems they believe these abusers have and, lastly, how they view the male abusers as clients. The empirical data was analyzed through four perspectives and explanatory models derived from the past thirty years of Scandinavian research on the reasons behind men's violence against women. Connell's theory of masculinity was used as a filter along with the four theoretical perspectives when interpreting the data. The study revealed that the respondents found no consistent group of men who abuse. The respondents brought up reasons such as possible earlier exposure to violence, fear of abandonment, jealousy, feelings of powerlessness, and failed expectations of gender roles to be some consistent causes behind the violence. In general, according to the treatment workers, the male abusers they encounter tend to struggle with their self-image and how they fulfill perceived male ideals.


Every year since 2004, the Bank of England has commissioned NMG Consulting to carry out a survey on household finances. This paper describes the NMG Survey, its methodology, and its advantages and disadvantages relative to other surveys. The NMG Survey is useful in providing a timelier guide to developments in the distribution of household balance sheets than other surveys, it appears better at measuring financial distress, and it includes questions on topical policy issues that are often not available in other surveys. A drawback of the NMG Survey is that there may be a greater risk of selection into the survey based on unobservable characteristics than is the case for some other household surveys.


The inhalation toxicity of cyclohexyl methylphosphonofluoridate (GF) was examined in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats exposed by whole body in a dynamic 750-L chamber. The objectives of this study were to (1) generate GF vapor in a dynamic inhalation chamber system, starting in the lethal to near-lethal concentration range, (2) examine dose-response effects of inhaled GF vapor and analyze the relationship between concentration (C) and exposure duration (T) in determining probability of lethality, and (3) establish a lethal potency ratio between GF and the more volatile agent Sarin (GB). Using a syringe pump, GF vapor concentrations were generated for exposure times of 10, 60, and 240 min. Dose-response curves with associated slopes were determined for each exposure duration by the Bliss probit method. GF vapor exposures were associated with sublethal clinical signs such as tremors, convulsions, salivation, and miosis. Concentration-exposure time values for lethality in 50% of the exposed population (LCT(50)) were calculated for 24-h and 14-day postexposure periods for 10-, 60-, and 240-min exposures. In general, LCT(50) values were lower in female rats than males and increased with exposure duration; that is, CT was not constant over time. The GF LCT(50) values for female rats were 253 mg min/m(3) at 10 min, 334 mg min/m(3) at 60 min, and 533 mg min/m(3) at 240 min, while the values for males were 371, 396, and 585 mg min/m(3), respectively. The GB LCT(50) values for female rats were 235 mg min/m(3) at 10 min, 355 mg min/m(3) at 60 min, and 840 mg min/m(3) at 240 min, while the values for males were 316, 433, and 1296 mg min/m(3), respectively. At longer exposure durations, the LCT(50) for GF was less than that found for GB but at shorter exposure durations, the LCT(50) for GF was more than that found for GB. Empirical models, consisting of the toxic load model plus higher order terms, were developed and successfully fit to the data.


This paper describes the action control rules of each robot in a multiple mobile robot system for the panel cruising problem. To achieve a task by a multiple mobile robot system, it is important to decide the action control rules to avoid collision among the robots. We propose action control rules based on an evaluation function to decide the moving direction. To confirm the flexibility of the proposed action control rules, we focus on the evenness of panel points, which are passing counts to panels, and the energy consumption as the task efficiency. Moreover, we discuss the task efficiency for several workspaces and numbers of robots by comparison of the proposed rule with a simpler rule based on only the panel points.


Background and Purpose: Management of carotid stenosis remains controversial despite several trials evaluating carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty/stenting (CAS). We compared attitudes in the management of carotid stenosis between selected experts within Europe and North America. Methods: A 3-phase Delphi survey was e-mailed to select stroke experts from Europe (n = 390) and North America (n = 289). Those completing the initial survey were shown all responses after each survey round. Consensus was defined as ≥80% agreement. Results: For phases 1, 2, and 3, response rates were 32%, 62%, and 73%, respectively. Overall, 100 (15%) of 679 participated in all 3 phases, 19% Europeans versus 9% North Americans (P = .0007). The European group reached consensus in 6 of 15 statements; The North American group reached consensus in 4 of 15. Ninety percentage of Europeans versus 70% of North Americans (P = .017) stated CEA is superior to CAS for symptomatic carotid stenosis. This difference was not significant in the final model (adjusted odds ratio: 3.72 [95% confidence interval: 0.95-14.5]). Sixty-nine percentage of North Americans agreed there is a stronger indication for CAS over CEA in patients younger than 65 years for symptomatic carotid stenosis, whereas 55% of Europeans (P = .023) disagreed. For asymptomatic carotid stenosis, when asked how likely they would recommend CAS, 62% North Americans said "sometimes" versus 60% of Europeans said "never" (P = .06). Conclusion: The majority of North American and European respondents did not consider the 2 procedures equivalent and seemed to indicate that CEA was preferred for the management of carotid stenosis. These findings need to be further explored to help establish evidence-based guidelines.


Seven hundred seventy-two patients who were presented for surgical treatment because of generalized peritonitis underwent intra- and postoperatively peritoneal lavage by use of a mean of 12 +/- 1 SD and 10 +/- 2 SD litres of warm heparinized normal saline solution respectively. Mean time for intra-operative lavage was 3 +/- 1 SD hours and for post-operative lavage 4 +/- 1 SD days. Peritoneal lavage was combined intra-operatively with mechanical management of any intra-peritoneal viscera perforation and with debridement of any peritoneal or viscus fibrinous exudate. The overall mortality rate was 10.2%, and morbidity 16.2% and the incidence of postoperative intra-peritoneal sepsis 4 patients (0.5%) all of whom underwent re-operation. We believe that the above features have to be considered satisfactory when compared with those reported in the literature. We therefore recommend from the results of this study peritoneal lavage as an effective, safe and simple alternative to the surgical treatment of generalized peritonitis.


This article presents a retrospective study on dystocia cases in bitches that were unintentionally mated and carried an unwanted pregnancy in the last 39 years. The evaluated medical records include 76 cases of difficult labour, which is 8.3% of 914 dystocia cases recorded during the period. Of these bitches, 38.2% (29/76) were 8 years, and 18.4% (14/76) were younger than 12 months. In 67/76 cases (88.2%), conservative (pharmacological and manual) obstetrical assistance proved to be unsuccessful, and caesarian section (CS) had to be performed, in contrast to the remaining recorded cases of dystocia (in which the pregnancy was intended and expected) when CS was performed significantly less often, in 71.5% (599/838) of cases. In unplanned pregnancies, 46.6% (110/236) of delivered pups were dead compared to only 26.4% (864/3273) dead pups in planned pregnancies. p value < 0.05 was considered significant. Despite the widespread availability of the spaying procedure nowadays and its safety, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies in dogs are still a concern in clinical practice. However, throughout the years investigated here, we observed an apparent decrease in the occurrence of dystocia after unintended mating, with much less recorded cases from year 2004 (71 vs. 5). Most probably, this is due to the increasing popularity of surgical castration in both females and males, and rising societal awareness of its importance, giving hope that some improvement in the welfare of dogs has already been achieved.


Commercially, rice malt has never been successfully used in brewing because of its low free -amino nitrogen (FAN) content. This study was designed to optimise rice malt replacement for barley malt in wort production and to improve FAN by adding -amylase and protease. The response surface methodology (RSM) through face central composite design (CCD) was selected to examine the effects of the four independent variables at three levels: germination time (X1), rice malt ratio (X2), -amylase (X3) addition, and protease (X4) addition. The rice malt ratio influenced the adjusted wort yield (AWY); 75% rice malt gave the maximum AWY. The addition of protease increased the amount of wort FAN due to the improvement in amino nitrogen liberation. Moreover, the germination time of rice had the most impact on wort FAN. On the 1st and 3rd days of germination of the rice malt, the FAN was 18.76 and 44.70 mg/100 g malt, respectively; on the 5th day, the FAN was 118.45 mg/100 g malt. The optimisation process for wort production using the addition of enzymes and rice malt was successfully accomplished. The rice malt ratio was increased up to 90% (w/w) using the five-day germinated rice malt, α-amylase and protease at 0.40 g/100 g malt.


As the fellow who had the temerity to launch this enterprise-with the collaboration of exceptionally talented co-conspirators-I want to say first how delighted I am that the Yale Journal on Regulation has thrived for so long and is today what we hoped it would be: a forum for scholarship of lasting value, and for debate, about the theory and practice of regulation. This, after twentyfive years of publication, remains, and will continue to be, an important role and mission. I welcome this opportunity to share a few reflections and recollections about the Journal. My comments are in two parts. Part I describes the conception of the Journal-its bases and its main components. (A bit of foreshadowing: former President Jimmy Carter bears some responsibility.) Part II discusses the inception of the publication as a venture (and adventure).


ABSTRACT India's revocation of Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir a special status, has changed the security and strategic dynamics in the relations between India and Pakistan. India claims it is an internal matter whereas Pakistan considers it an international issue and pushes to resolve it in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. While Pakistan has limited international support, it still vows to go to any extent to secure 'freedom' for the Kashmiris. The visit of US President Donald Trump to India and the signing of a peace agreement between the US and the Taliban have added new dynamics to this conflict. This article discusses the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370, outlines Pakistan's claims from an historical perspective, analyses immediate measures initiated by Islamabad, points out the available options Pakistan may see at its disposal, and provides critical assessment of each.


This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the role of the EU in the global production of transnational law of risk regulation (TNLRR). TNLRR is defined as a harmonious, cross-jurisdictional regulatory environment that results from the circulation of risk regulatory models among jurisdictions. The EU has adopted extensive regulation to address health, safety, environmental and other risks. In many instances, third countries have adopted the EU models when regulating their own industries and markets. This paper argues that this pattern of circulation turns the EU regulatory models into transnational models for risk regulation (TNLRR), and further illustrates this thesis by using a case study on the global circulation of the EU 'REACH' Regulation. The paper preliminarily concludes that the EU has been able to influence risk regulatory policy worldwide by turning its own regulatory models into transnational models, thus acting as a global producer of TNLRR.


In many cases the steady state periodic solution of eddy current problems with periodic excitation is needed only. If the problem is linear, it is straightforward to obtain this solution either in the frequency domain applying harmonic balance techniques or in the time domain using discrete Fourier transforms. For nonlinear problems, this cannot be done, since the harmonics are all coupled. Using a fixed-point method to solve the nonlinear equations, however, enables using harmonic balance or discrete Fourier transforms within each nonlinear iteration. The method is described in the presentation and examples of its application are given. Introduction The most straightforward method of solving nonlinear electromagnetic field problems in the time domain by the method of finite elements (FEM) is using time-stepping techniques. This requires the solution of a large nonlinear equation system at each time step and is, therefore, very time consuming, especially if a three-dimensional problem is being treated. If the excitations are non-periodic or if, in case of periodic excitations, the transient solution is required, one cannot avoid time-stepping. In many cases however, the excitations of the problem are periodic, and it is only the steady-state periodic solution which is needed. Then, it is wasteful to step through several periods to achieve this by the "brute force" method [1] of time stepping. A successful method to avoid stepping through several periods in such a case is the time-periodic finite element method introduced in [2]. To accelerate the originally slow convergence of the method a singular-decomposition technique has been introduced in [3] and it has even been parallelized in [4]. A time domain technique using the fixed-point method to decouple the time steps has been introduced in [5] and applied to two-dimensional eddy current problems described by a single component vector potential. The optimal choice of the fixed point permeability for such problems has been presented in [6] both in the time domain and using harmonic balance principles. The method has been applied to three-dimensional problems in terms of a magnetic vector potential and an electric scalar potential (A,V-A formulation) in [7] and, employing a current vector potential and a magnetic scalar potential $(T$, Φ-Φ formulation), in [8] and [9]. In contrast to the time-periodic finite element method, the periodicity condition is directly present in the formulation instead of being satisfied iteratively. The aim of this work is to present a review of the fixed-point based method and to show its application to industrial problems. A detailed version has been published in [10]. Summary of the method The problem is formulated in terms of vector and scalar potentials approximated by edge and node based finite element basis functions. The application of Galerkin techniques leads to a large, nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations in the time domain. The excitations are assumed to be time-periodic and the steady state periodic solution is of interest only. This is represented either in the frequency domain as a finite Fourier series or in the time domain as a set of discrete time values within one period for each finite element degree of freedom. The former approach is the (continuous) harmonic balance method and, in the latter one, discrete Fourier transformation will be shown to lead to a discrete harmonic balance method. Due to the nonlinearity, all harmonics, both continuous and discrete, are coupled to each other, so the size of the equation system is the number of harmonics times the number of degrees of freedom. In the time domain approach, the number of discrete harmonics is equal to the number of the time values within one period. The harmonics would be decoupled if the problem were linear, therefore, a special nonlinear iteration technique, the fixed-point method is used to linearise the equations by selecting a time-in-dependent permeability distribution, the so called fixed-point permeability in each nonlinear iteration step. This leads to uncoupled harmonics within these steps resulting in two advantages. One is that each harmonic is obtained by solving a system of algebraic equations with only as many unknowns as there are finite element degrees of freedom. A second benefit is that these systems are independent of each other and can be solved in parallel. The appropriate selection of the fixed point permeability accelerates the convergence of the nonlinear iteration. The applications presented concern the simulation of the steady state of large power transformers with time-harmonic excitations. In addition to taking account of the nonsinusoidal time variation of the electromagnetic field due to saturation, direct current bias in the magnetizing currents can also be allowed for.


The integration of behavioral epigenetics' principles (eg, DNA methylation) into the study of human infants' development has mainly focused on the effects of early adverse exposures, paying less attention to protective caregiving experiences. The present review focused on DNA methylation linked to variations in maternal behavior in human infants and children. Literature search occurred on three databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) and 11 records were selected. Key variables were abstracted from each article including: sample size and characteristics, time and type of maternal caregiving behavior exposure, time and locus of methylation biomarker, presence/absence, time and type of adverse exposure. Six out of eleven records documented the predictive effect of maternal caregiving on DNA methylation, whereas the remaining five reported on the role of maternal behavior as an influencing factor of the adversity‐to‐methylation link. Consistent with evidence from the animal model, the quality of maternal caregiving in humans (a) might be associated with variations in DNA methylation status of specific genes involved in socio‐emotional development and (b) might partially buffer the association between early adversities and epigenetic variations in infants and children. Current evidence suggests that the quality of maternal caregiving can contribute to behavioral development trajectories of human infants and children at least partially through epigenetic regulation. Open questions and methodological aspects are discussed to guide future human developmental research in behavioral epigenetics.


To the Editor-Regarding the recent editorial 'Ethnicity and Aging,"' I would like to call attention to the problem of neurocysticercosis in elderly with antecedents in endemic areas, particularly Hispanic elderly. The most important neuroparasitosis, neurocysticercosis is the infestation of the central nervous system with Taenia soliurn larvae. Endemic in most of Africa, Asia, and South America, it is uncommon in developed countries except in migrants and travelers.' Endemic in Europe in the last century, it almost disappeared at the beginning of this century as a result of improvements in sanitation. In the North American mix of nationalities, it is becoming more and more visible, especially in Calif~rnia.'-~ The pathological forms of neurocysticercosis include arachnoiditis; hydrocephalus secondary to meningeal inflammation and fibrosis; brain infarcts secondary to vasculitis; parenchymatous intraventricular and spinal cysts; mass effects of large cysts; and fibrocalcified nodules. The clinical manifestations depend on number, size, and localization of parasites in the central nervous system, immune response of the host, and sequelae of previous infestation^.^ The resulting neuropsychiatric problems are varied and non-specific. The diagnosis is complex, and neurocysticercosis is a great imitator. The behavioral consequences of neurocysticercosis develop further as the brain sequelae of parasitism accumulate. Found in homes for the elderly in South America, neurocysticercosis dementia can be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease.6e7 Considering the health care of travelers and of ethnic minorities originating from endemic areas, we recommend that neurocysticercosis be included in the differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders of old age, especially dementia.


Aim. Medical problems specifically affecting professional musicians are commonly mentioned in the literature. The present study is aimed to evaluate, through a systematic review, the possible association between the practice of string with bow and wind musical instruments and the occurrence of Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD). Methods. The search for articles was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs, Cochrane Library, and Open Gray databases, and there was no restriction on language or date of publication. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The MeSH terms used were: "music"; "temporomandibular joint"; "temporomandibular joint disorders"; "temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome"; and "occupational diseases". Cross-sectional studies, case-control, cohort and clinical trials were included that involved the practice of string with bow and wind musical instruments and the occurrence of Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD). Articles were previously selected by title and abstract. Qualitative evaluation was done through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results. The literature search identified 732 studies, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria, nine of them cross-sectional studies and one a clinical intervention study. The TMD prevalence ranged from 47.0% to 89.0%. Recruitment of participants took place in professional schools and orchestras, and in bands of professional musicians. All studies reported associations between TMD and the practice of musical instruments, and violinists presented higher prevalence rates when compared to other instrument groups. Conclusion. All studies pointed to a possible association between TMD and the practice of string and wind musical instruments. More longitudinal and clinical trials studies are needed to verify any possible interrelationship.


Visualising when and where calcium appears and disappears in cardiomyocytes is a major goal of cardiovascular research. Surprisingly we find that the chemical dyes widely used for this purpose disrupt cell contractility, due at least in part due to direct inhibition of the acto-myosin ATPase required to generate force. In order to improve calcium detection methods, we have developed a genetically encoded indicator that sits within the myofilament to directly visualise the changes occurring at the sarcomere. This tool improves on established chemical dyes and untargeted genetically encoded indicators for analysing small molecule modulators of myofilament-based calcium signalling. Importantly this is achieved without any measurable change in contractile function.


Conostephium (Epacridaceae) has flowers that conform with a buzz-pollination syndrome but, unlike most plants with this form of pollination, the anthers are hidden within the corolla tube. Vibrations generated by bees grasping the apices of the corolla tubes must be transferred via short broad filaments to the anthers. The anthers do not have pores but each dehisces from the apex by a slit that elongates over the time the flowers take to senesce (up to 10 days). This may limit self-fertilisation as the stigma is receptive as soon as it appears from between the very short corolla lobes, so little pollen is released at first but later this would increase as the slit elongates. Visitation by pollinators has rarely been seen but several observations of native bees (Leioproctus and Lasioglossum) working the flowers are presented. The bees visit the nectarless flowers of Conostephium only for pollen and must forage at other kinds of flowers to obtain nectar. Pollen tubes occurred in the stigmas of most older flowers of C. pendulum, so pollen delivery does not seem to limit seed set. Despite this, the species sets few fruit. From examination of the taxonomic positions of likely buzz-pollinated taxa in the family, it appears that pollination by sonication has arisen independently several times in the Epacridaceae, with primarily two different floral configurations.


We demonstrate the interconnection of silicon solar cells with evaporated aluminum back contacts using an aluminum foil which is attached to a silicone encapsulant. The aluminum-based mechanical and electrical laser interconnection (AMELI) process forms laser weld spots using single laser pulses. These laser welds resist high mechanical stresses and have a low electrical contact resistivity. No solder, conductive adhesives, or Ag-pastes are required for interconnection. We find the electrical contact resistivity to be below ρc = 0.01 mΩ·cm2. The contact resistance is constant under accelerated aging of 300 humidity-freeze cycles. With a tensile testing machine, we measure tear-off stresses in the perpendicular direction of up to 380 kPa for our laser weld spots. We present a proof-of-concept module which consists of five n-type back-junction back-contact solar cells with a conversion efficiency of 20.4%. The unchanged fill factor FF and open circuit voltage Voc verify a damage- and loss-free interconnection which is supported by electroluminescence measurements.


Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of caffeine on collagen biosynthesis in human skin fibroblasts and the influence of hyaluronic acid (HA) on this process. Materials and methods: Collagen, [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation, and prolidase activity were measured in confluent human skin fibroblast cultures that had been treated with 1, 2, and 5 mM caffeine and with caffeine and 500 µ g/mL HA. Western immunoblot analysis was performed to evaluate expression of β 1 -integrin receptor, insulin-like growth factor receptor phospho-Akt protein and mitogen-activated protein kinase (phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase). Results: Caffeine inhibited collagen biosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism of this process was found at the level of prolidase activity. Caffeine significantly inhibited the enzyme activity. The addition of HA had no effect on collagen biosynthesis or prolidase activity in fibroblasts incubated with caffeine. Caffeine also had an inhibitory effect on DNA biosynthesis. HA, however, did not have any significant effect on this process. The inhibition of the expression of β 1 -integrin and insulin-like growth factor receptor in fibroblasts incubated with the caffeine indicates a possible mechanism of inhibition of collagen biosynthesis. Conclusion: Caffeine reduces collagen synthesis in human cultured skin fibroblasts. HA did not have any significant protective effect on this process. This is the first study to our knowledge that reports caffeine-induced inhibition of collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts.


We previously found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) exerted immunomodulatory effects on Th2-mediated allergic rhinitis in vitro. However, their contribution to the asthma and allergic rhinitis in animal models remains unclear. In this study, we developed a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic inflammation in both the upper and lower airways and evaluated the effects of the systemic administration of human iPSC-MSCs and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) on allergic inflammation. Our results showed that treatments with both the iPSC-MSCs and BM-MSCs before the challenge phase protected the animals from the majority of allergy-specific pathological changes. This protection included an inhibition of inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus production in the lung, a reduction in eosinophil infiltration in the nose, and a decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration in both the bronchoalveolar and nasal lavage fluids. In addition, treatment with iPSC-MSCs or BM-MSCs before the challenge phase resulted in reduced serum levels of Th2 immunoglobulins (e.g., IgE) and decreased levels of Th2 cytokines including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, or IL-13 in the bronchoalveolar and/or nasal lavage fluids. Similar therapeutic effects were observed when the animals were pretreated with human iPSC-MSCs before the sensitization phase. These data suggest that iPSC-MSCs may be used as an alternative strategy to adult MSCs in the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Stem Cells 2012;30:2692–2699 Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.


We consider the dynamics arising from the iteration of an arbitrary sequence of polynomials with uniformly bounded degrees and coefficients and show that, as parameters vary within a single hyperbolic component in parameter space, certain properties of the corresponding Julia sets are preserved. In particular, we show that if the sequence is hyperbolic and all the Julia sets are connected, then the whole basin at infinity moves holomorphically. This extends also to the landing points of external rays and the resultant holomorphic motion of the Julia sets coincides with that obtained earlier in [9] using grand orbits. In addition, we have combinatorial rigidity in the sense that if a finite set of external rays separates the Julia set for a particular parameter value, then the rays with the same external angles separate the Julia set for every parameter in the same hyperbolic component.


: Multimodality research has always shown a strong reliance on data. However, the field has primarily developed around more exploratory, descriptive, and interpretative work on smaller data sets — as suggested by results we present from a meta-study of contributions to three multimodality-close international journals ( Social Semiotics , Visual Communication , Multimodal Communication ). Framed by a discussion of the qualitative-quantitative dichotomy and a deliberately broad working definition of empirical , we argue that it is not sample size or quantitative methods alone that support a more solid empirical grounding of multimodality research, but rather an explicit orientation to just how theory and analysis make contact with data. To this end, we propose five quality criteria of empirical practice, that is, completing the empirical feedback loop: from theory to data and back, ensuring objectivity, reliability, and validity in research, and acknowledging the inherent tentativeness of results. We thereby seek to chart paths for an appropriate and productive application of various empirical methods to novel (and supposedly familiar) forms of meaning-making in order to further strengthen the development of theory and methods in multimodality, and to encourage an even more intense exchange among the diverse communities of multimodalists.


We report the experimental observation of Raman spatial solitons in a nonlinear planar waveguide. We show that, under certain conditions, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) can stabilize the pump beam propagation and give rise to multifrequency spatial solitons. We present the different Kerr media with which we obtained self-focusing and SRS. The observations can be described in terms of Raman gain versus soliton power.


Tea is the most globally consumed drink after spring water and an important
 breeding plant with high economical value in Turkey. In half a century,
 various kinds of tea cultivars have been bred in Turkey to improve the
 quality and yield of tea plants. Since tea reproduces sexually, tea fields
 vary in quality. Thus, determining the genetic diversity and relationship of
 the plants to support breeding and cultivation is important. In this study we
 aimed to determine the genetic diversity of tea cultivars breeding in the
 Eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey and the genetic relationship between them,
 to verify whether the qualitative morphological designations of the clones
 are genetically true by the ISSR markers. Herein, the genetic diversity and
 relationships of 18 Turkish tea cultivars were determined using 15 ISSR
 markers with sizes ranging from 250 to 3000 base pairs. The similarity
 indices among these cultivars were between 0.456 and 0.743. Based on cluster
 analysis using UPGMA, some of tea cultivars originating from the same
 geographical position were found to be clustered closely. Our data provide
 valuable information and a useful basis to assist selection and cloning
 experiments of tea cultivars and also help farmers to find elite parental
 clones for tea breeding in the Eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey.


The sublingual gland is the smallest of the three major salivary glands, which also include the parotid and submandibular glands. The sublingual gland lies between the muscles of the oral cavity floor, which include the geniohyoid muscle, hyoglossus muscle medially, and the mylohyoid muscle inferiorly. The mandible borders the sublingual glands laterally.[1] The ducts of Rivinus, a group of excretory ducts, drain the sublingual gland. The largest sublingual gland excretory duct called the sublingual duct of Bartholin joins Wharton's duct near the sublingual caruncle. The sublingual caruncle is a papilla located medial to the sublingual gland and lateral to the lingual frenulum.[1] The sublingual gland contributes approximately 5% of saliva in the oral cavity.[2]


In mammals, adenosine (A) to inosine (I) RNA editing is performed by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR), ADAR1 and ADAR2 enzymes, encoded by mRNAs that might undergo splicing process. In rat, two splicing events produce several isoforms of ADAR2, called ADAR2a, ADAR2b, ADAR2e, and ADAR2f, but only ADAR2a and ADAR2b are translated into an active protein. In particular, they differ for ten amino acids located in the catalytic domain of ADAR2b. Here, we focused on these two isoforms, analyzing the splicing pattern and their different function during rat neuronal maturation. We found an increase of editing levels in cortical neurons overexpressing ADAR2a compared to those overexpressing ADAR2b. These results indicate ADAR2a isoform as the most active one, as reported for the homologous human short variant. Furthermore, we showed that the differential editing activity is not due to a different dimerization of the two isoforms; it seems to be linked to the ten amino acids loop of ADAR2b that might interfere with RNA binding, occupying the space volume in which the RNA should be present in case of binding. These data might shed light on the complexity of ADAR2 regulations.


Examined were 66 patients at different stages of the burn disease, and 30 donors. The considerable changes in the exchange of the connective tissue biopolymers in burns, depending on the severity degree of burn trauma were revealed. It is shown, that disorders in the exchange of collagen metabolites retain for a long period after trauma.


We study the kinetics of a reversible aggregation model in which an aggregation reaction occurs between any two clusters and the fragmentation of the larger clusters occurs simultaneously. By investigating the mean-field rate equation of the process with a kernel related to the reaction activities we obtain the asymptotic solution of the cluster-mass distribution. It is found that the kinetic evolution behaviour of the clusters depends crucially on the details of the rate kernel. The cluster-mass distribution in the irreversible aggregation system obeys a conventional scaling law; while for the reversible case, the conventional scaling description of the cluster-mass distribution breaks down and the system falls in a modified scaling region.


Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (NHA) is a biocompatible, biodegradable, and osteoconductive bone graft material; however, it lacks osteoinductivity. The present study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (NHA) as an osteoinductive growth factor carrier. Bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2), an osteoinductive growth factor, was incorporated into NHA (BMP2-NHA) using a simple adsorption method. The growth factor loading and release kinetics were profiled using fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) as a mimic of the osteoinductive growth factor BMP2. The effect of BMP2-NHA on the osteogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells and ectopic bone formation in mice were tested. Confocal laser-scanning microscopy showed that FITC-BSA was diffused throughout the porous structure of NHA. FITC-BSA was efficiently loaded in NHA and sustained release was observed up to 35 days in vitro. BMP2-NHA enhanced the expression of osteogenic markers Runx2, Osterix, Alp, and Col1α1 and ALP activity in C2C12 cells compared to NHA. Similarly, μ-CT and histological examinations showed that BMP2-NHA robustly induced ectopic bone formation in mice. This study suggests that NHA could be used as an effective carrier of osteoinductive growth factors, which ensures osteoinductivity of NHA via sustained release of the growth factor.


by Neena Williams-Strange Sedimentation of aquatic ecosystems is a natural process which can be detrimental in manmade lakes and restored wetlands. It caused a problematic decrease in water depth in Lions Lake resulting in increased hydrophyte growth and a negative impact on fish populations. Five water overflow and stormwater drainage channels carry sediment into the lake. Planned restoration includes dredging the lake and constructing wetlands to trap sediment, but concerns about the sources of the majority of the sediment prompted further investigation. I examined the amount of sediment contributed by water channels from January 2010 October 2010 by collecting water samples during rain events and dry periods and filtering out the suspended sediment. Three drainage channels on the east side of the lake carried significantly more sediment than the other two channels. Results can be used to identify the most effective placement of mitigation structures in order to minimize continued sedimentation. THE ROLE OF TRIBUTARY STREAMS IN SEDIMENTATION OF LIONS LAKE, WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI


This article seeks to give a brief introduction to the history of Federal regulation of human embryonic stem cell research in the United States in a bid to put the Californian Proposition 71 into context, discuss the potential problems with Proposition 71 and to briefly draw comparisons with the United Kingdom. Among others, some of the potential problems to be discussed include the right to conduct stem cell research, adequate oversight and the permitted research purposes. The passing of Proposition 71 with 59 per cent of the public vote in November 2004 was a milestone in the United States. Prior to the passing of Proposition 71, no individual State had taken action to fund, and to a certain extent, regulate human embryonic stem cell research. The Federal Government of the United States will not provide Federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research where the research will destroy the embryo and will only provide Federal funding for the few stem cell lines which were created prior to the announcement of this policy on 9 August 2001. It was in the light of this prohibitive stance that campaigners in California started the process to put onto the legislative books, Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research Cures and Bonds Act. Before discussing Proposition 71 in detail it is necessary to give a brief background to the Federal stance on human embryo research, to be able to put Proposition 71 in its correct historical standpoint.


Over the last century, state and local governments have been challenged to keep proactive, emergency planning efforts ahead of the after-the-disaster, response efforts. After moving from decentralized to centralized planning efforts, the most recent policy has returned to the philosophy that a decentralized planning approach is the most effective way to plan for a disaster. In fact, under the Obama administration, a policy of using the "whole community" approach to emergency planning has been adopted. This approach, however, creates an obvious problem for state and local government practitioners already under pressure for funding, time, and the continuous need for higher and broader expertise—the problem of how to actually incorporate the whole community into emergency planning efforts. This article suggests one such approach, crowdsourcing, as an option for local governments. The crowdsourcer-problem-crowd-platform-solution (CPCPS) model is suggested as an initial framework for practitioners seeking a practical application and basic comprehension. The model, discussion, and additional examples in this essay provide a skeletal framework for state and local governments wishing to reach the whole community while under the constraints of time, budget, and technical expertise.


The prevalence of macrophotographically documented sialadenitis in the palatal mucosa of 184 probands, aged 23 yr or older, was studied in the Koster Health project. A total of 75 (mean age 58.9) revealed inflammatory changes around the duct orifices of the palatal glands. In 10, biopsies were performed for histomorphologic analyses to confirm the diagnosis of sialadenitis. Statistics with matched pairs showed a significantly higher ratio of tobacco use among individuals with sialadenitis than among those with clinically unchanged palatal gland orifices. A relationship between the use of diuretics and sialadenitis was also statistically significant. It can be concluded that tobacco use and diuretics may induce inflammatory changes in the palatal glands and that macrophotography of the palatal mucosa may serve as a valuable, non-invasive method for scoring sialadenitis.


This paper focuses on twenty-first century trade governance patterns within Commonwealth countries. The specific research questions it explores are: first, what is the distinction between the 'trade governance' and 'good governance' agendas? Second, what indicators exist for measuring trade governance and how its use can foster trade gains for the Commonwealth countries? Third, what policies can promote trade governance and enhance the Commonwealth Advantage – that is, higher intra-Commonwealth trade and investment and lower trade costs. Using an augmented gravity model, we examine the relationship between Commonwealth countries' exports and trade governance, foreign direct investment, intellectual property rights, trade facilitation and contract enforcement. Results show a complementary relationship between exports and governance indicators. We find a positive correlation between Commonwealth countries' exports and foreign direct investment flows, intellectual property rights and trade facilitation variables, while efficient contract enforcement is important for intra-Commonwealth trade.


Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) was once considered a single entity, but now appears to exist of multiple, often molecular defined, subclasses. These subclasses have implications for treatment, and hamper the feasibility of prospective randomized clinical trials which require large sample sizes. To anticipate further developments and to obtain more detailed insight in the outcome of daily practice, the Prospective Dutch CRC cohort (PLCRC) was initiated. In this prospective observational multicenter cohort, patients with all stages of colorectal cancer are included, and clinical data, tissue, blood samples and patient-reported outcome measures are collected. The cohort serves as an infrastructure for registry based trials in the Netherlands (CRC incidence approximately 16.000 patients per year). Methods: Patients ≥18 years with histologically proven stage I-IV CRC are eligible to participate. The informed consent includes consent for systematic collection of long-term clinical data and optionally 1) standardized collection of tissue and blood samples; 2) being informed when clinically relevant DNA mutations are detected; 3) patient-reported outcome questionnaires; and 4) invitation for future interventional studies according to (amongst others) the cohort multiple randomized controlled trial design (cmRCT). Results: In 2016 the number of participating hospitals increased from 6 to 17. The number of included patients roughly doubled to more than 1100 patients. The PLCRC infrastructure is used in the execution of fifteen studies, which amongst others focus on the prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA, the quality of life during treatment with new compounds and the influence of nutrition on treatment outcome. The studies use the option to repeatedly withdraw blood, send out PROMs and/or randomize patients according to the cmRCT design. The study populations in the substudies vary from newly diagnosed stage 2 colon cancer to non-liver limited metastatic CRC. In 2017, at least 20 hospitals which are currently in the initiation process will be added with which a 50% coverage of the Dutch hospitals will be reached. Conclusions: PLCRC provides long-term clinical data, tissue, blood samples and patient-reported outcome measures of a large cohort of patients with colorectal cancer. The cohort will be representative of the colorectal cancer population in the Netherlands. Multiple studies are ongoing making use of the infrastructure provided. These studies will make it possible to optimize treatment for specific small subgroups. Citation Format: Geraldine Vink, Robert Coebergh van den Braak, Haiko Bloemendal, Veerle Coupe, Marloes Elferink, Frans Erdkamp, Helma van Grevenstein, Jan-Willem de Groot, Jan Ijzermans, Martijn Intven, Maartje Los, Mirre de Noo, Martijn van Oijen, Cornelis Punt, Ron Rietbroek, Wilfried Roeloffzen, Anandi Schiphorst, Huig Schipper, Hein Stockmann, Manuel Tjin-a-Ton, Ankie van der Velden, Marlies Verhaar, Wouter Vles, David Zimmerman, Gerrit Meijer, Miriam Koopman. The Prospective Dutch ColoRectal Cancer Cohort (PLCRC): a prospective nationwide observational cohort study providing the infrastructure for registry based trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT067. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-CT067


This qualitative case study researched how adults from a community center and school acted as institutional agents in assisting youth navigating between community and school settings. The research was conducted in the context of Chagrin Falls Park, a historically marginalized community in the Cleveland metropolitan region. The research included semi-structured interviews with eleven participants across three participant categories, including institutional agents from Kenston Local Schools and Chagrin Falls Park Community Center and young adult Kenston graduates. The research explored: (1) the perceptions and roles of institutional agents in how Black youth construct identities, relationships, and navigate between institutional and community spaces within the sociological and historical context of Chagrin Falls Park; (2) how the racial-identity of adults influences their relationship with youth; and (3) whether institutional agents act as empowerment agents, viewing their role as providing access to social capital for Chagrin Falls Park youth and/or working against the tendency of schools to reproduce inequality (Stanton-Salazar, 2010). The research found that adults from both Kenston Local Schools and Chagrin Falls Park Community Center acted as institutional agents in supporting Chagrin Falls Park students, but rarely questioned institutional policies that reproduced inequality. Findings support the importance of adults acting on behalf of historically marginalized youth, and underscore the potential when agents from multiple institutions work together to support youth.


Background: Although internal cardioversion (IC) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is effective at restoring sinus rhythm, immediate recurrence (IR) of AF after IC is a major and largely unpredictable clinical problem. The purpose of the study was to determine the role of P wave duration and amplitude in prediction of IR of AF after IC. Forty‐five consecutive patients undergoing IC for chronic AF were evaluated.


A facile two-step hydrothermal approach is adopted to synthesize 3D hierarchical MoSe2/NiSe2 composite nanowires (NWs) on a carbon fiber paper (CFP) skeleton for the electro-catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by water splitting. The MoSe2/NiSe2 NWs are composed of 2D nanosheets, and they are uniformly and tightly distributed on CFP. The electrochemical measurement suggests that only an overpotential of 249 mV (vs. the RHE) is required to deliver a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 0.5 M H2SO4, which is lower by 56 and 96 mV as compared to MoSe2 (305 mV) and NiSe2 (345 mV). The Tafel slope of MoSe2/NiSe2 NWs is 46.9 mV dec−1 and is substantially smaller than those of MoSe2 (69.2 mV dec−1) and NiSe2 (68.8 mV dec−1). The MoSe2/NiSe2 composite NW arrays exhibit remarkably enhanced activity because their 3D hierarchical structure could effectively suppress the aggregation or re-stacking of nanosheets and expose more active sites to participate in the HER. Moreover, the highly conductive NiSe2 dispersed in nanosheets facilitates the transfer of electrons from the electrode to the active edges on MoSe2 and further improves the activity.


The relationship between financial development and economic growth has been one of the hotly debated issues of whether the financial sector actually contributes to the real sector in the process of economic development. There is a great deal of empirical literature that has scrutinized the experiences of the developed and developing economies. This special interest comes from the intermediary role of financial markets between savers and investors in the process of economic development. The emerging markets economies, over the last two decades, have experienced a wave of liberalization in the financial sector with an expectation that lifting government restrictions on the banking system in terms of interest rate ceiling, high reserve requirement, and directed credit programs which enhance financial development and, in turn, expected to promote economic growth. A careful investigation of the results from these experiences provides additional evidence of whether the financial sector actually causes to economic growth. This paper investigates the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth in the emerging market countries. We employ a new causality approach proposed by Nazlioglu et al. (2016 and 2018) which augments the Toda-Yamamoto method with a Fourier approximation. This approach is capable of capturing gradual or smooth shifts and does not require a prior knowledge regarding the number, dates, and form of structural breaks. The so-called Fourier Toda-Yamamoto causality test is applied to the panel of emerging countries. Traditional causality procedures that seek abrupt shifts are inadequate in capturing gradually developing structural changes. To that effect, we modify the Toda-Yamamoto Granger causality procedure by embedding a Fourier approximation. The Fourier approximation is capable in capturing gradual or smoothing shifts and does not require a prior knowledge regarding the number, dates, and form of breaks. Since financial development is a multi-dimensional concept, there is not a single variable that can capture the extent of financial development. This multidimensionality, however, leads to close interrelations between the financial development indicators and results in higher correlations among them to the extent that using several indicators can provide some redundancy of information. In particular, the close interrelations are likely to cause a multicollinearity problem which can lead to misleading inferences. To overcome these problems, we also construct a comprehensive financial development index based on principal component analysis from six financial development indicators.


Falls efficacy is a widely-studied latent construct in community-dwelling older adults. Various self-reported instruments have been used to measure falls efficacy. Empirical evidence is needed to justify the selection of a specific instrument to measure the intended construct.

 To summarize evidence on the development, content validity and structural validity of instruments measuring falls efficacy in community-dwelling older adults using Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist.

 MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, CINAHL were searched (May 2019). Records on development of instruments and studies assessing content validity or structural validity of falls efficacy related scales were included. COSMIN methodology guided the review of eligible studies and methodological quality. Evidence of content validity: relevance, comprehensiveness and comprehensibility and unidimensionality for structural validity were synthesized. A modified GRADE approach was applied to evidence synthesis.

 35 studies on 18 instruments were included in the review. High quality evidence showed that modified Falls-Efficacy Scale (FES)–13 items (mFES-13) is relevant but not comprehensive for measuring falls efficacy. Moderate quality evidence supported the FES-10 had sufficient relevance and the mFES-14 had sufficient comprehensibility. Only the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale–Simplified (ABC-15) had sufficient relevance of moderate quality evidence to measure balance confidence. Low to very low quality evidence underpinned content validity of other instruments. High quality evidence supported sufficient unidimensionality for eight instruments (FES-10, mFES-14, ABC-6, ABC-15, ABC-16, Iconographical FES (Icon-FES), FES–International (FES-I) and Perceived Ability to Prevent and Manage Fall Risks (PAPMFR)).

 Content validity of the instruments to measure falls efficacy is understudied. Structural validity is sufficient for a number of widely-used instruments. Measuring balance confidence is a subset of falls efficacy. Further work is needed to investigate the broader continuum of falls efficacy.


The authors describe the application of the extended Kalman filter theory to the parameter and state estimation of a permanent-magnet synchronous motor drive for a microprocessor based adaptive speed control in the presence of a variable load. The electronically commutated permanent magnet synchronous motor is controlled according to the principle of field orientation. An adaptive torque/speed cascade control is used to improve the performance of the system which has constrained armature current and unknown load inertia. The parameters of the controllers of the two feedback loops and that of the smoothing filter are adjusted when the changes in the load parameters have been tracked down by the estimation algorithm. The proposed estimator and the adaptive control scheme have been simulated, the results show that they perform well.<
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The objective of this research was to determine the Vlasov soil parameters for quadratically varying elasticity modulus (z) of the compressible soil continuum and discuss the interaction affect between two close plates. Interaction problem carried on for uniformly distributed load carrying plates. Plate region was simulated by Kirchhoff plate theory based (mixed or displacement type) 2D elements and the foundation continuum was simulated by displacement type 2D elements. At the contact region, plate and foundation elements were geometrically coupled with each other. In this study the necessary formulas for the Vlasov parameters were derived when Young`s modulus of the soil continuum was varying as a quadratic function of z-coordinate through the depth of the foundation. In the examples, first the elements and the iterative FE algorithm was verified and later the results of quadratic variation of (z) were compared with the previous examples in order to discuss the general behavior. As a final example two plates close to each other resting on elastic foundation were handled to see their interaction influences on the Vlasov foundation parameters. Original examples were solved using both mixed and displacement type plate elements in order to confirm the results.


Part II of the Security Brief on the Russian proposals for a New Security Architecture for Europe focuses on the Russian drafts for a "European Security Treaty" and for an "Agreement Governing Relations among NATO-Russia council Member States in the Security Sphere." It questions what added value, if any, these proposals have for enhancing security in the Euro-Atlantic region. It argues that the Corfu process seems a more realistic way forward. It should focus on pragmatic adaptations of existing institutions, procedures and instruments in order to overcome Cold War stereotypes that still survive two decades after the implosion of the Soviet Union.


Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author(s) and the publication source are credited. Nomenclatura: aproximaciones a los estudios hispánicos 6 (2018) Issue on Divergences and Convergences of the Fantastic / Divergencias y Convergencias de lo Fantástico Eds. Patricia María Gamboa, M.A. and Kiersty Lemon-Rogers, M.A.


Multi-player on-line games (MOGs) have become increasingly popular because of the opportunity they provide for collaboration, communications and interactions. However, compared with ordinary human communication, MOG still has several limitations, especially in the communication using facial expressions. Although detailed facial animation has already been achieved in a number of MOGs, players have to use text commands to control the expressions of avatars. This thesis proposes an automatic expression recognition system that can be integrated into a MOG to control the facial expressions of avatars. To meet the specific requirements of such a system, a number of algorithms are studied, tailored and extended. In particular, Viola-Jones face detection method is modified in several aspects to detect small scale key facial components with wide shape variations. In addition a new coarse-to-fine method is proposed for extracting 20 facial landmarks from image sequences. The proposed system has been evaluated on a number of databases that are different from the training database and achieved 83% recognition rate for 4 emotional state expressions. During the real-time test, the system achieved an average frame rate of 13 fps for 320 × 240 images on a PC with 2.80 GHz Intel Pentium. Testing results have shown that the system has a practical range of working distances (from user to camera), and is robust against variations in lighting and backgrounds.


In this correspondence, the problem of lower bounds on mean-square error in parameter estimation is considered. Lower bounds on mean-square error can be used, for instance, to bound the performances, namely the attainable output signal-to-noise ratio, of pulse modulation transmission systems, such as pulse-position modulation (PPM) or pulse-frequency modulation (PFM). The tightest lower bounds to mean-square error previously known are the Ziv-Zakai bounds; the analysis carried out in this paper, which is based on an inequality first obtained by Kotel'nikov, leads to lower bounds tighter than previously known bounds.


This study seeks to investigate how cognitive load influences knowledge construction and what is the role of layered integrated instructional techniques in facilitating the construction and automation of schemas whilst users are interacting with e-learning tools. Initially the literature on how Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) plays a role in e-learning tools is presented, this is followed by the considerations that need to be taken when developing e-learning tools with CLT as a focus so that learners can gain the best possible learning outcomes. This paper finally presents three different ways that e-learning tools can be designed when considering the cognitive load of learners. These three methods are: integrated layering with no previous information displayed; integrated layering with previous information displayed; and integrated layering with the current stem highlighted. Each of these methods has theory that supports their design, however the context of the learner needs to be taken into consideration when developing the e-learning tools.


We investigate the sources of variance in crop output and measure their relative importance in the context of weather index insurance for smallholder farmers. We use parcel-level panel data from South Asia and a multilevel modeling approach to isolate the different sources of variance. We then measure how large a role weather plays in explaining variance in yields. Using Bayesian methods, we draw the underlying distribution of the random error term responsible for weather uncertainty, which is highly skewed and non-normal. We find that variance in weather accounts for a small but important fraction of total variance in crop output. We also derive pricing and payout schedules for actuarially fair weather index insurance. Our results shed light on the low uptake rates of index insurance in South Asia and provide direction for designing index insurance with less basis risk for farmers.


It is a difficult task to binarize image under uneven illumination, and this problem is always met in the image recognition system, such as two-dimensional barcode scanning terminal. In this paper, an efficient approach is proposed to binarize image which can tolerant uneven illumination and different light intensity. The method initializes thresholds with local average gray level and adjusts thresholds by calculating light density ratio. Due to characteristic of our approach, it can even obtain a sound result by limiting number of iterations which will seriously reduce computations and space cost. According to experiments, we can find that our method can achieve a good performance and meet the real-time requirement and quality demand for barcode scanning terminal.


a kind of as-cast nickel-base single crystal superalloy was TLP bonded using Ni-Cr-B amorphous foil at different temperatures. Special attention is paid to the formation of boride in diffusion zone of TLP joints at different conditions. The chemical composition and microstructure of borides were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At different bonding temperature, M3B2 precipitates appear distinct morphologies. At 1200°C, both blocky and plate-like borides formed owing to the diffusion of boron atoms into base metal and precipitation during the cooling process. At 1230°C or above, due to the diffusion of boron atoms the constitutional liquation of original γ/γ′ eutectics in the base metal occurs and borides formed when the system was cooled to room temperature. The analysis of TEM results reveals that M3B2 has a tetragonal structure and is rich in Mo, W, and Cr elements.


Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations can provide a global view of ocean swell fields when using a specific "wave mode" sampling. A methodology is presented to routinely derive integral properties of the longer wavelength (swell) portion of the wave spectrum from SAR Level 2 products, and both monitor and predict their evolution across ocean basins. SAR-derived estimates of swell height, and energy-weighted peak period and direction, are validated against buoy observations, and the peak directions are used to project the peak periods in one dimension along the corresponding great circle route, both forward and back in time, using the peak period group velocity. The resulting real time dataset of great circle-projected peak periods produces two-dimensional maps that can be used to monitor and predict the spatial extent, and temporal evolution, of individual ocean swell fields as they propagate from their source region to distant coastlines. The methodology is found to be consistent with the dispersive arrival of peak swell periods at a mid-ocean buoy. The simple great circle propagation method cannot project the swell heights in space like the peak periods, because energy evolution along a great circle is a function of the source storm characteristics and the unknown swell dissipation rate. A more general geometric optics model is thus proposed for the far field of the storms. This model is applied here to determine the attenuation over long distances. For one of the largest recorded storms, observations of 15~s period swells are consistent with a constant dissipation rate that corresponds to a 3300 km e-folding scale for the energy. In this case, swell dissipation is a significant term in the wave energy balance at global scales.


A teleoperated microassembly workcell that integrates a VRML-based virtual microworld with visual servoing micromanipulation strategies for assembly of hybrid MEMS prototypes is described. Java is used to program the VRML-based supervisory interface and to communicate with the microassembly workcell. This provides platform independence and allows remote teleoperation of the microassembly workcell over the Internet. A key aspect of our approach entails the integration of teleoperation and visual servoing strategies. This allows a supervisor to guide the task remotely, while visual servoing strategies compensate for the imprecisely calibrated microworld. Results are presented that demonstrate system performance when a supervisor manipulates a microobject remotely. Though Internet delays impact the dynamic performance of the system, teleoperated relative parts placements with submicron precision is successfully demonstrated.


PURPOSE
To profile gene expression changes induced by dexamethasone in cultured human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and identify genes related to the occurrence of steroid-induced glaucoma.

METHODS
At confluence, dexamethasone (final concentration 10(-7) M in 0.1% ethanol) or vehicle alone (control, 0.1% ethanol) was applied to cultured human TM cells from eyes of four normal subjects. After 7 days of application, a labeled cDNA probe was synthesized from extracted total RNA and hybridized to a human cDNA microarray containing 2400 genes. After hybridization, the tyramide signal was amplified, and the fluorescent signals on each microarray were scanned and analyzed.

RESULTS
In dexamethasone-treated TM cells, simultaneous analysis of 2400 human genes indicated a more than twofold increase in 30 genes. Five of them, myocilin (MYOC), decorin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2, ferritin L chain, and fibulin-1C, were the most upregulated genes with higher-than-control expression levels in all four experiments. Their upregulation was further confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Downregulation, with fluorescent signals decreased to less than a half, was found in 34 genes. The dexamethasone-induced expression changes in most of these TM cell genes have not been reported previously.

CONCLUSIONS
cDNA microarray is a useful tool for gene expression analysis that confirms previous reports of upregulated mRNA expression of MYOC after treatment with dexamethasone in human TM cells. Changes in other genes subsequent to the treatment with dexamethasone may also reduce outflow facility, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of steroid-induced glaucoma.


ABSTRACT AmpC β-lactamase is an enzyme commonly produced by Escherichia coli that causes resistance to cephalosporins and penicillins. Enzyme production is controlled by the strength of the promoter encoded by the chromosomal ampC gene, with the level of production affected by the presence of certain mutations in this region. This study sets out to determine the prevalence of ampC promoter mutations present in a group of uropathogenic E. coli strains. A total of 50 clinical strains of E. coli were collected from urine samples between June 2011 and November 2011. Strains were investigated for the presence of mutations in the chromosomal ampC promoter region by amplification and sequencing of a 271 bp product. The presence of ampC-carrying plasmids derived from other species was also determined, to exclude these from further analysis. ampC-carrying plasmids were found in 10 of the 50 strains, all of which were of the CIT-type. Analysis of the chromosomal ampC promoter region in the 40 remaining strains showed mutations at 16 different positions, with 18 different genotype patterns detected overall. The most common ampC chromosomal mutation, present in 25 of 40 strains, was a T → A transition at position -32. This mutation has been shown by others to increase enzyme production by up to 46-fold. Altogether, three separate mutations (-32, -42 and -13ins) were present in 90% of the 40 non-plasmid strains, indicating a strong association with the resistance observed. It appears, therefore, that the majority of AmpC- mediated resistance in E. coli can be accounted for by just three point mutations in the chromosome.