Many antibiotic resistance genes present in human pathogenic bacteria are believed to originate from environmental bacteria and conjugation of antibiotic resistance conferring plasmids is considered to be one of the major reasons for the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistances. A hotspot for plasmid-based horizontal gene transfer is the phyllosphere, i.e. the surfaces of aboveground plant parts. Bacteria in the phyllosphere might serve as intermediate hosts with transfer capability to human pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the exchange of mobilisable and self-transmissible plasmids via conjugation was evaluated. The conjugation from the laboratory strain E. coli S17-1, the model phyllosphere colonizer Pantoea eucalypti 299R, and the model pathogen E. coli O157:H7 ∆stx to the recipient strain E. coli O157:H7∷MRE1O3 ∆stx in the phyllosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana was determined. The results suggest that short-term occurrence of a competent donor is sufficient to fix plasmids in a recipient population of E. coli O157:H7∷MRE1O3 ∆stx. The spread of self-transmissible plasmids was limited after initial steep increases of transconjugants that contributed up to 10% of the total recipient population. The here-presented data of plasmid transfer will be important for future modelling approaches to estimate environmental spread of antibiotic resistance in agricultural production environments. Importance This study investigated the transfer of antibiotic resistance conferring plasmids to enteropathogenic E. coli on plant leaf surfaces. The results indicate that plasmid transfer may be high within the first 24 hours after inoculation. Transconjugant populations are maintained and stable for a considerable time frame on plant leaves, but invasion of the plasmid to the recipient population is limited.


BACKGROUND
Although cardiac troponin (cTn) is a cornerstone marker in the assessment and management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart failure (HF), cTn is not diagnostically specific for any single myocardial disease process. This narrative review discusses increases in cTn that result from acute and chronic diseases, iatrogenic causes, and myocardial injury other than ACS and HF.

CONTENT
Increased cTn concentrations have been reported in cardiac, vascular, and respiratory disease and in association with infectious processes. In cases involving acute aortic dissection, cerebrovascular accident, treatment in an intensive care unit, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding, increased cTn predicts a longer time to diagnosis and treatment, increased length of hospital stay, and increased mortality. cTn increases are diagnostically and prognostically useful in patients with cardiac inflammatory diseases and in patients with respiratory disease; in respiratory disease cTn can help identify patients who would benefit from aggressive management. In chronic renal failure patients the diagnostic sensitivity of cTn for ACS is decreased, but cTn is prognostic for the development of cardiovascular disease. cTn also provides useful information when increases are attributable to various iatrogenic causes and blunt chest trauma.

SUMMARY
Information on the diagnostic and prognostic uses of cTn in conditions other than ACS and heart failure is accumulating. Although increased cTn in settings other than ACS or heart failure is frequently considered a clinical confounder, the astute physician must be able to interpret cTn as a dynamic marker of myocardial damage, using clinical acumen to determine the source and significance of any reported cTn increase.


Various bacteria such as the canonical gram negative Escherichia coli or the well-studied gram positive Bacillus subtilis divide symmetrically after they approximately double their volume. Their size at division is not constant, but is typically distributed over a narrow range. Here, we propose an analytically tractable model for cell size control, and calculate the cell size and inter-division time distributions, and the correlations between these variables. We suggest ways of extracting the model parameters from experimental data, and show that existing data for E. coli supports partial size control, and a particular explanation: a cell attempts to add a constant volume from the time of initiation of DNA replication to the next initiation event. This hypothesis accounts for the experimentally observed correlations between mother and daughter cells as well as the exponential dependence of size on growth rate. PACS numbers: 87.17.Ee, 87.17.Aa, 87.10.Mn, 87.81Tt


alpha-Latrotoxin, a presynaptic neurotoxin from the venom of Latrodectus mactans tredecimguttatus, induces massive [3H]GABA release from rat brain synaptosomes as a result of interaction with either Ca(2+)-dependent (neurexin 1 alpha or Ca(2+)-independent (latrophilin) membrane receptor. The main aim of the study was to elucidate whether the binding of alpha-latrotoxin to different types of receptors led to [3H]GABA secretion from one pool or in each case the source of neurotransmitter differs: in the presence of Ca2+ exocytosis is induced, while in the absence of Ca(2+)--outflow by mobile membrane GABA transporter from cytoplasm. We examined the effect of the depletion of cytosolic [3H]GABA pool by competitive inhibitors of the GABA transporter (nipecotic acid and 2,4-diaminobutyric acid) on the alpha-latrotoxin-stimulated neurotransmitter release. We also compared the influence of these agents on neurosecretion, evoked by depolarization with that evoked by alpha-latrotoxin. Depolarization was stimulated by 4-aminopyridine in the Ca(2+)-containing saline and high KCl in Ca(2+)-free medium. In synaptosomes treated with nipecotic acid unstimulated [3H]GABA release was significantly augmented and high KCl-evoked Ca(2+)-independent [3H]GABA release was essentially inhibited. But under the same conditions neurosecretion stimulated by alpha-latrotoxin greatly raised with respect to the control response. The similar results were obtained with the synaptosomes treated with 2,4-diaminobutyric acid. Another way to determine which of GABA pool is the target of alpha-latrotoxin action lay in analysis of the toxin effects on the preliminary depolarized synaptosomes. alpha-Latrotoxin influence was diminished by the preceding depolarization by 4-aminopyridine in Ca2+ presence. But after the high KCl stimulation effect of alpha-latrotoxin didn't change. These data suggest that alpha-latrotoxin triggers neurotransmitter release from synaptic vesicles via exocytosis. We suppose that the type of membrane receptor does not determine the mechanism of GABA release evoked by the toxin.


The goal is to map out some policy problems attached to using a club good approach instead of a public good approach to manage our internet protocols, specifically the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Behavioral and information economics theory are used to evaluate the standardization process of our current generation HTTP/2 (2.0). The HTTP update under scrutiny is a recently released HTTP/2 version based on Google's SPDY, which introduces several company-specific and best practice applications, side by side. A content analysis of email discussions extracted from a publicly accessible IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) email server shows how the club good approach of the working group leads to an underperformance in the outcomes of the standardization process. An important conclusion is that in some areas of the IETF, standardization activities may need to include public consultations, crowdsourced volunteers, or an official call for public participation to increase public oversight and more democratically manage our intangible public goods.


Qatar, an oil-exporting country with a population of about 1.7 million, achieved the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world in 2010. Total health expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2010 in Qatar was 2.0%, with the government's share at 75% of the total health care budget. Hamad Medical Corporation hospitals and the independent public Qatar Primary Health Care PHC) centres are the main public health care service providers. PHC consists of 24 centres providing a wide range of health services. The PHC medicines list is a subset of the Hamad Medical Corporation medicine list. However, the PHC list of medicines could be improved both in its selection procedures and medicines included to correlate more directly to type of medical services provided by the Qatar PHC system in its different types of centres.


The present study focused on conversion of cellulosic part of waste textiles into biogas and its challenges. The annual global fiber consumption exceeded 70 Mt with a cellulosic fraction of around 40%. This huge amount of fiber is further processed into apparel, home textiles and industrial products and after a certain time delay end up in waste streams. This amount of cellulose has the potential of production of approximately 20 billion liters of ethanol. Assuming a good collection and waste management system, however, there are still challenges facing the process of conversion. For instance, high crystallinity of cotton cellulose makes it hard to achieve enzymatic or bacterial hydrolysis. In addition, waste textiles are composed of different materials including natural and synthetic fibers, and the cellulosic fibers should be separated from the other materials. Furthermore, presence of dyes and reagents in the fibers can also be challenging in the bioprocessing of textile waste. In the present work, we examined the process of dilute acid hydrolysis of viscose and cotton (i.e. jeans) textiles. Hydrolyses were performed at different lengths of time (8 and 15 min), temperatures (180 and 200 °C), and acid concentrations (0.5, 1.5, and 3% w/w). Hydrolysis of viscose and jeans under identical conditions resulted in significantly different yields of glucose. This may be due to differences in the structure, i.e. high crystalline cellulose in jeans and low crystalline cellulose in viscose.


In a globalized world, national-level policymakers make decisions, often during times of crisis and uncertainty, which have implications for neighboring territories. Britain is an example of a nation state that has had to accommodate such a multi-level context in the management of crises. What is clear is that the processes of crisis management rely heavily on the effectiveness and strength of policy relationships at multiple levels of governance. Managing and coordinating crises in these contexts represents a challenge for national crisis managers as these complex governance landscapes produce uncertainties and can reveal ambiguities when it comes to identifying "who" is the dominant crisis manager. For example, the challenges of global health threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, highlight how modern governance arrangements breed vulnerabilities for states due to the interconnection of infrastructures and systems. The lack of clarity with regards to who is accountable for the performance of crisis management approaches within complex government environments open up windows of opportunity for blame and ideological games to take effect. Crisis management research highlights that the effectiveness of transnational crisis management depends on policy relationships within and between networks, including the extent to which national technocratic actors feature in the political decisions that affect crisis governance arrangements. Policy relationships themselves are also shaped by the contexts and dynamics of regional and territorial governance, Europeanization processes, and the internationalization of crisis management—all of which produce their own political tensions for the workings and autonomy of national crisis managers. Understanding such complexities is key for researching British crisis management processes.


Composite materials (herein means Fibre Reinforced Plastic, FRP) are increasingly usedin the construction of marine vehicles because of their outstanding strength, stiffness and
light weight properties. However, the use of FRP comes with difficulties in the design process as a result of the large number of design variables involved: composite material design, topologies and laminate schemes. All variables are related to each other leading to a high dimensional and flexible design space. It is hard to use traditional design methods in order to gain solutions for an initial design stage in a short time. Hence, this thesis deals with the presentation of a structural synthesis (optimisation framework) for plate components of composite ship structures. The framework broadly consists of an optimisation technique and structural analytical methods. To make the framework compatible with the nature of composite ship structural design problems, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is selected as the optimisation tool because of its robustness, its ability in dealing with both continuous and discrete variables and its excellent searching for a global optimum. The typical plate types in a ship structure are the stiffened and unstiffened plates. For a stiffened plate, the combination of the grillage analysis of energy method based on Navier solution and an equivalent elastic properties approach are introduced. Using this, it is possible to produce layer by layer optimisation results for the base plate, web and crown of the stiffened plate. Unfortunately, solutions of the adopted grillage analysis do not cover the mechanical behaviour of the plate between stiffeners so the Higher-Order Shear Deformation Theory (HSDT) must be employed. This method provides accurate solutions for thin to moderately thick plates with a compromised computational time. Then stiffness, strength and stability can be considered in the design problem. In addition, to achieve the program of the structural synthesis, various computational modules are implemented according to the evaluation of composite micromechanics properties, maximum stress failure criteria and structural weight function. Then the main modules are validated with available resources. The usefulness of the program has been proved by comparing it with the optimal solutions from finite element software. Finally, many application examples of secondary and tertiary composite ship structures are presented. The optimal results prove the success of the optimisation framework. This could be evidence for further improvement to obtain a valuable structural optimisation tool.


We Propose a 2K/4K/8K point FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) for OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) of DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast Terrestrial) Receiver. The proposed FFT architecture utilizes cascaded radix-4 single path feedback (SDF) structure based on the Radix-2/Radix-4 FFT algorithm.[11] We use block floating point scaling technique in order to increase SQNR. The 2K/8K FFT consists of 5 cascaded stages of radix-4 and 3 stages of radix-2 butterfly units. The SQNR of 58dB is achieved with 10-bit data input, 14-bit internal data and twiddle factors, and 18-bit data output. The core has 75,804 gates with 204,672 bits of RAM and 33,572 bits of ROM using 0.18um CMOS technology


Summary This paper analyzes energy use and CO2 emissions of more than 78 000 German industrial plants between 1995 and 2006. It is the first study to exploit exceptionally rich energy data that were recently matched to official micro datasets. We document that both energy use and intensity are highly dispersed across plants. When isolating the between-sector variation in energy intensity, there is a strong positive correlation with energy use, CO2 emissions and emission intensity. Yet there is no evidence that the scale of an industry determines its energy intensity. The dispersion of energy use across plants of a given sector, normalized by the median, is positively correlated with that of gross output, but not with the median energy use. Similarly, there is no evidence that the median energy intensity is correlated with the within- sector dispersion of energy intensity or with that of CO2 emissions. Looking at the fuel mix across sectors, we find that more energy intensive industries rely more on fuels other than electricity, although the variability among plants in those industries is extremely high. We also demonstrate that average fuel shares are sensitive to the skewness of the underlying distribution and recommend the use of median fuel shares for better representativeness.


Machine Reading Comprehension has become one of the most advanced and popular research topics in the fields of Natural Language Processing in recent years. The classification of answerability questions is a relatively significant sub-task in machine reading comprehension; however, there haven't been many studies. Retro-Reader is one of the studies that has solved this problem effectively. However, the encoders of most traditional machine reading comprehension models in general and Retro-Reader, in particular, have not been able to exploit the contextual semantic information of the context completely. Inspired by SemBERT, we use semantic role labels from the Semantic Role Labeling (SRL) task to add semantics to pre-trained language models such as mBERT, XLM-R, PhoBERT. This experiment was conducted to compare the influence of semantics on the classification of answerability for the Vietnamese machine reading comprehension. Additionally, we hope this experiment will enhance the encoder for the Retro-Reader model's Sketchy Reading Module. The improved Retro-Reader model's encoder with semantics was first applied to the Vietnamese Machine Reading Comprehension task and obtained positive results.


Multi-view video streaming over P2P network has emerged as a scalable solution for providing multi-view video service on Internet, as it utilizes users' bandwidth resource to reduce streaming server's bandwidth cost when delivering the dataintensive multi-view video. However, the view switching behavior in multi-view video introduces excessive dynamic to the system, which brings two performance issues to existing solutions: large view switching delay and poor streaming quality for views with small number of audience. To address the problems, we propose a novel P2P streaming framework for multi-view video that organizes viewers of different views together to cooperate in view switching and content delivery, achieving reduced view switching delay. Further, we propose a heuristic method to balance resources across all views and improve the streaming quality for views with small number of viewers. The experiments show that our proposed method achieves lower view switching delay and better streaming quality compared with existing solutions.


BACKGROUND
The existing Kupferberg post-operative endoscopic staging system for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) has 4 stages (0-3) based on the `global` appearance of one side of the nose. Patients may however show visual improvement and yet remain at the same stage due to persistence in one sinus cavity, thus making the staging system ineffective. The aim of this study was to validate a new system that allows greater sensitivity in characterising the inflammation seen endoscopically.

METHODOLOGY
A series of endoscopy videos of 50 patients with AFRS were retrospectively staged using a new ten-grade system, scoring each sinus cavity (maxillary, ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid) from 0-9 for increasing mucosal oedema and 1 point for the presence of fungal mucin giving a maximum score of 40 for each side of the nose. To assess reliability, 4 independent rhinologists were also asked to score the videos using the new system.

RESULTS
A greater variety in the spectrum of mucosal disease was demonstrated with the new system allowing for a more descriptive analysis of its severity and its response, or lack of, to treatment. The inter-class correlation between the 6 total observers was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.92).

CONCLUSION
Use of the new staging system provides a more sensitive tool for following patients` progress post-operatively in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and in determining their response to treatment.


Aims This study aimed to assess the relative efficacy and safety of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclophosphamide (CYC) as induction therapy for lupus nephritis. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus, MMF and CYC for induction therapy in patients with lupus nephritis were included. We performed a Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis to combine direct and indirect evidence from the RCTs. Results Nine RCTs including 972 patients met the inclusion criteria and pair-wise comparisons were performed, including 11 direct comparisons. Tacrolimus showed a significantly higher overall response rate (complete remission plus partial remission) than CYC (OR 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–5.45), and was more efficacious than MMF (OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.70–3.57). MMF was superior to CYC in terms of overall response (OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.96–2.42). Ranking probability based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) indicated that tacrolimus had the highest probability of being the best treatment for achieving the overall response (SUCRA = 0.9321), followed by MMF (SUCRA = 0.5385) and CYC (SUCRA = 0.0294). In terms of safety, tacrolimus showed the highest probability of decreasing the risk of serious infections (SUCRA = 0.9253), followed by MMF (SUCRA = 0.4027) and CYC (SUCRA = 0.1720). Conclusions Tacrolimus was the most efficacious induction treatment for patients with lupus nephritis, and had the highest probability of decreasing the risk of serious infections. Higher remission rates combined with a more favorable safety profile suggest that MMF is superior to CYC as induction treatment in these patients.


Background Less than 20% of adolescents globally meet recommended levels of physical activity, and not meeting these recommended levels is associated with social disadvantage and rising disease risk. The determinants of physical activity in adolescents are multilevel and poorly understood, but the school's social environment likely plays an important role. We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a school-based programme (GoActive) to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescents. Methods and findings Non-fee-paying, co-educational schools including Year 9 students in the UK counties of Cambridgeshire and Essex were eligible for inclusion. Within participating schools (n = 16), all Year 9 students were eligible and invited to participate. Participants were 2,862 13- to 14-year-olds (84% of eligible students). After baseline assessment, schools were computer-randomised, stratified by school-level pupil premium funding (below/above county-specific median) and county (control: 8 schools, 1,319 participants, mean [SD] participants per school n = 165 [62]; intervention: 8 schools, 1,543 participants, n = 193 [43]). Measurement staff were blinded to allocation. The iteratively developed, feasibility-tested 12-week intervention, aligned with self-determination theory, trained older adolescent mentors and in-class peer-leaders to encourage classes to conduct 2 new weekly activities. Students and classes gained points and rewards for engaging in any activity in or out of school. The primary outcome was average daily minutes of accelerometer-assessed MVPA at 10-month follow-up; a mixed-methods process evaluation evaluated implementation. Of 2,862 recruited participants (52.1% male), 2,167 (76%) attended 10-month follow-up measurements; we analysed the primary outcome for 1,874 participants (65.5%). At 10 months, there was a mean (SD) decrease in MVPA of 8.3 (19.3) minutes in the control group and 10.4 (22.7) minutes in the intervention group (baseline-adjusted difference [95% confidence interval] −1.91 minutes [−5.53 to 1.70], p = 0.316). The programme cost £13 per student compared with control; it was not cost-effective. Overall, 62.9% of students and 87.3% of mentors reported that GoActive was fun. Teachers and mentors commented that their roles in programme delivery were unclear. Implementation fidelity was low. The main methodological limitation of this study was the relatively affluent and ethnically homogeneous sample. Conclusions In this study, we observed that a rigorously developed school-based intervention was no more effective than standard school practice at preventing declines in adolescent physical activity. Interdisciplinary research is required to understand educational-setting-specific implementation challenges. School leaders and authorities should be realistic about expectations of the effect of school-based physical activity promotion strategies implemented at scale. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN31583496.


We have used Ge K‐edge x‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and a gas ionization detector with sample rotation to study the local environment of nominally pure Ge layers buried in single crystal Si. The samples were grown by molecular‐beam epitaxy on Si(100). The dependence on thickness, number of Ge layers and growth temperature is explored. Considerable sensitivity to the quality of the epitaxial growth is observed. For instance the degree of mixing of the Si and Ge layers is a function of the growth temperature. A weak polarization dependence of the Ge K‐edge EXAFS is observed. The initial quantitative analysis provides estimates of intermixing in the thinnest layers which are compatible with results of complementary Raman measurements.


The repatriation of Russian refugees from Bulgaria between 1922 and 1924 under League of Nations' supervision represents the earliest international attempt to organize a co-ordinated refugee return. Drawing on new archival research, this article argues that enhanced understandings of the historical development of repatriation contribute to the contemporary political theorization of repatriation. It demonstrates the long-standing liberal-international commitment to the ethical corollaries of 'voluntariness', 'safety' and 'protection' in repatriation, despite the manipulation of these terms by political emigre groups interested in resisting Soviet state power. This exposes the complex connections between the early 20th-century rise of the sovereign European nation-state and consequent refugee exodus. Repatriation was thus a fundamentally political project concerned with restoring the relations between state, nation and citizen: it ultimately failed in the Russian–Bulgarian case not because of any disagreement over repatriation's liberal corollaries, but because of disputes between the League of Nations, the Soviet State and the Russian refugees themselves regarding the nature of both inter-state and intra-state sovereignty. The article concludes by suggesting that it is these questions of political community which continue to pose the greatest challenge to repatriation as a durable solution to contemporary refugee crises.


Several chemically mutagenized lines of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] have shown enhanced nodulation and partial tolerance to high NO 3 - levels. Previous genetic analyses of hypernodulating or supernodulating soybean mutants indicated that they were genetically controlled by recessive monogenes following simple Mendelian principles. In the present study, we determined the genetic control of hypernodulating mutants selected from two soybean cultivars, Williams and Enrei, and analyzed the allelism of mutant genes controlling the hypernodulating phenotypes. Reciprocal crosses between four hypernodulating mutants (NOD1-3, NOD2-4, NOD4, and En6500) and two normally nodulated cultivars (Williams 82 and Harosoy 63) were made. The patterns of nodulation in F 1 s, F 2 s, and F 2:3 progeny were visually evaluated at 14 d after planting in the greenhouse. Chi squares for each progeny and homogeneity tests for each cross were calculated. The results indicated that hypernodulation in the mutants studied was conditioned by single recessive genes. Three mutants (NOD1-3, NOD4, and En6500) were controlled by a single recessive allele rj 7 , although they were isolated from distinctly different genetic materials. The allelism study indicated that another non-allelic mutant gene was identified which was responsible for hypernodulation in mutant NOD2-4. This new gene has been tentatively designated rj 8 . With respect to genetic interaction between the two mutant genes identified, the segregation ratio in the F 2 did not fit a classical pattern and therefore we speculated that these two genes interact to modify expression in an unknown fashion. Hence, additional genetic analysis is needed to clarify the genetic interaction between rj 7 and the proposed rj 8 gene.


The early diagnosis and treatment of individuals harboring M. tuberculosis is key to ensuring the effectiveness of health programs aimed at the elimination of tuberculosis (TB). Monitoring for TB also has other important health care implications for the related immune pathology caused by the chronic inflammatory response to M. tuberculosis. Moreover, the recent introduction of biologic therapies for the treatment of several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases has shown unexpected high frequencies of reactivation of latent TB. The present cross-sectional study is aimed at estimating the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in different groups of subjects, either undergoing a routine program of screening for TB or a clinical monitoring of autoimmune or lung disorders, by analyzing their immune response in vitro to a pool of different M. tuberculosis antigens through an IFN-gamma-release assay (IGRA). We consecutively tested 1,644 subjects including health care workers (931), healthy immigrants from different countries (93), patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis (405), patients with lung inflammatory disease (60) or lung neoplasia (32) and a group of HIV-1 infected Italian subjects (120). The prevalence of IGRAs positive responses among health care workers was 8.9 percent. In comparison, significantly higher frequencies were found in healthy immigrant subjects (33.3%), similar to those found in inflammatory broncho-pneumopathies (34.5%) or lung cancer (29.6%). Interestingly, an unexpected high prevalence was also found in patients affected by psoriasis (18.0%), while HIV-infected subjects had values comparable to those of health care workers (10.8%). An age cut-off was determined and applied for each group by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in order to perform the statistical analysis among age-comparable groups. Multivariate analysis showed that the age and clinical conditions such as having a diagnosis of psoriasis or a lung inflammatory disease were independent risk factors for developing an IGRA positive response. This study highlights an unprecedented high prevalence of IGRA positive responses among patients affected by psoriasis and emphasizes the need for a preliminary assessment of LTBI before the administration of any biologic therapy based on cytokine antagonists such as anti-TNF-alpha. Moreover, screening for LTBI should be routinely performed in the presence of a chronic pulmonary disease.


Manganese silicate, a stable and efficient catalyst prepared in the laboratory has been successfully used as a catalyst combined with ozonation in the degradation of m-Chloronitrobenzene (mCNB). The catalytic ozonation removal effectiveness of mCNB was investigated under various physicochemical conditions. Both the adsorption and the single ozonation were not effective for the degradation of mCNB, but the presence of manganese silicate in ozonation process could substantially enhance the mCNB removal efficiency. The hydroxyl radical scavenger experiment confirmed that manganese silicate catalytic ozonation followed a radical - type mechanism. The increasing of the manganese silicate dosage could enhance the removal effectiveness of mCNB. The manganese silicate catalyst could be recycled easily without decreasing any ozone catalytic activity after four successive reuses. It is concluded that the manganese silicate was an efficient green catalyst for mCNB degradation in drinking water.


There is growing awareness about the efficacy of essential elements in the maintenance of good health and prevention of diseases. Zinc plays a vital role in wound healing, immune system, reproductive system and nervous system. Zinc wades off oxygen free radicals and also aid in metabolism of carbohydrates by assisting insulin to function. Chromium lowers blood sugar and also works with insulin in metabolization of sugar, while copper is required for conversion of body's Fe into haemoglobin. Copper lowers low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, raises high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and prevent oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Iron is necessary for production of haemoglobin, immune functioning and drug detoxification. Manganese aids in maintenance of blood glucose level, synthesis of interferon, energy production and bone growth. In this study Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and Cr in selected traditional vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants and conventionally grown vegetables growing/found in Koibatek district (Kenya) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and energy dispersive X- ray fluorescence (EDXRF). This study analysed the elemental contents of a total 312 randomly collected plant samples. In this study Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn and Cr were detected in all the samples, and the results indicated that traditional vegetables and medicinal plants had high levels of these elements compared to conventionally grown vegetables. However, traditional vegetables had the highest levels of the specified essential elements of all the plant samples analysed. Amaranthus hybridicus had the highest levels of Zn (77.62 ± 33.09 mg/kg), while Gynandropsis gynandra was the best source of Fe (1108.00 ± 410.28 mg/kg). Utica massaica had highest levels of Cr (28.28 ± 18.08 mg/kg) while Gallinsoga paruiflora was the best source of Cu (14.47 ± 6.97 mg/kg). Essential elements leached into the surrounding cooking water when traditional vegetables were boiled and the loss was significant in some samples. There were positive and negative correlations between certain metal pair interactions for instance in vegetables there was a high degree of positive correlation in Mn-Cr interaction (r = 0.87). The research findings will help the people of Koibatek district to achieve food security, manage micronutrient deficiencies and to generate income through utilization or sale of traditional vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants from wider sources.


Abstract Background Ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent used to treat parasitic infestations, inhibits the replication of viruses in vitro. The molecular hypothesis of ivermectin's antiviral mode of action suggests an inhibitory effect on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) replication in the early stages of infection. Currently, evidence on efficacy and safety of ivermectin for prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and COVID‐19 treatment is conflicting. Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of ivermectin compared to no treatment, standard of care, placebo, or any other proven intervention for people with COVID‐19 receiving treatment as inpatients or outpatients, and for prevention of an infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 (postexposure prophylaxis). Search methods We searched the Cochrane COVID‐19 Study Register, Web of Science (Emerging Citation Index and Science Citation Index), medRxiv, and Research Square, identifying completed and ongoing studies without language restrictions to 26 May 2021. Selection criteria We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ivermectin to no treatment, standard of care, placebo, or another proven intervention for treatment of people with confirmed COVID‐19 diagnosis, irrespective of disease severity, treated in inpatient or outpatient settings, and for prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Co‐interventions had to be the same in both study arms. We excluded studies comparing ivermectin to other pharmacological interventions with unproven efficacy. Data collection and analysis We assessed RCTs for bias, using the Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool. The primary analysis excluded studies with high risk of bias. We used GRADE to rate the certainty of evidence for the following outcomes 1. to treat inpatients with moderate‐to‐severe COVID‐19: mortality, clinical worsening or improvement, adverse events, quality of life, duration of hospitalization, and viral clearance; 2. to treat outpatients with mild COVID‐19: mortality, clinical worsening or improvement, admission to hospital, adverse events, quality of life, and viral clearance; (3) to prevent SARS‐CoV‐2 infection: SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, development of COVID‐19 symptoms, adverse events, mortality, admission to hospital, and quality of life. Main results We found 14 studies with 1678 participants investigating ivermectin compared to no treatment, placebo, or standard of care. No study compared ivermectin to an intervention with proven efficacy. There were nine studies treating participants with moderate COVID‐19 in inpatient settings and four treating mild COVID‐19 cases in outpatient settings. One study investigated ivermectin for prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Eight studies had an open‐label design, six were double‐blind and placebo‐controlled. Of the 41 study results contributed by included studies, about one third were at overall high risk of bias. Ivermectin doses and treatment duration varied among included studies. We identified 31 ongoing and 18 studies awaiting classification until publication of results or clarification of inconsistencies. Ivermectin compared to placebo or standard of care for inpatient COVID‐19 treatment We are uncertain whether ivermectin compared to placebo or standard of care reduces or increases mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 2.51; 2 studies, 185 participants; very low‐certainty evidence) and clinical worsening up to day 28 assessed as need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.11 to 2.59; 2 studies, 185 participants; very low‐certainty evidence) or need for supplemental oxygen (0 participants required supplemental oxygen; 1 study, 45 participants; very low‐certainty evidence), adverse events within 28 days (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.97; 1 study, 152 participants; very low‐certainty evidence), and viral clearance at day seven (RR 1.82, 95% CI 0.51 to 6.48; 2 studies, 159 participants; very low‐certainty evidence). Ivermectin may have little or no effect compared to placebo or standard of care on clinical improvement up to 28 days (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.35; 1 study; 73 participants; low‐certainty evidence) and duration of hospitalization (mean difference (MD) −0.10 days, 95% CI −2.43 to 2.23; 1 study; 45 participants; low‐certainty evidence). No study reported quality of life up to 28 days. Ivermectin compared to placebo or standard of care for outpatient COVID‐19 treatment We are uncertain whether ivermectin compared to placebo or standard of care reduces or increases mortality up to 28 days (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.05; 2 studies, 422 participants; very low‐certainty evidence) and clinical worsening up to 14 days assessed as need for IMV (RR 2.97, 95% CI 0.12 to 72.47; 1 study, 398 participants; very low‐certainty evidence) or non‐IMV or high flow oxygen requirement (0 participants required non‐IMV or high flow; 1 study, 398 participants; very low‐certainty evidence). We are uncertain whether ivermectin compared to placebo reduces or increases viral clearance at seven days (RR 3.00, 95% CI 0.13 to 67.06; 1 study, 24 participants; low‐certainty evidence). Ivermectin may have little or no effect compared to placebo or standard of care on the number of participants with symptoms resolved up to 14 days (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.21; 1 study, 398 participants; low‐certainty evidence) and adverse events within 28 days (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.05; 2 studies, 422 participants; low‐certainty evidence). None of the studies reporting duration of symptoms were eligible for primary analysis. No study reported hospital admission or quality of life up to 14 days. Ivermectin compared to no treatment for prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection We found one study. Mortality up to 28 days was the only outcome eligible for primary analysis. We are uncertain whether ivermectin reduces or increases mortality compared to no treatment (0 participants died; 1 study, 304 participants; very low‐certainty evidence). The study reported results for development of COVID‐19 symptoms and adverse events up to 14 days that were included in a secondary analysis due to high risk of bias. No study reported SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, hospital admission, and quality of life up to 14 days. Authors' conclusions Based on the current very low‐ to low‐certainty evidence, we are uncertain about the efficacy and safety of ivermectin used to treat or prevent COVID‐19. The completed studies are small and few are considered high quality. Several studies are underway that may produce clearer answers in review updates. Overall, the reliable evidence available does not support the use of ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID‐19 outside of well‐designed randomized trials.


This essay introduces an innovative framework for consumer protection, based on consumers' basic needs. Current contract law is based on a binary model: contracts which lack consent are considered void and are not enforceable under the unconscionability doctrine. Yet, voluntariness is not binary. Rather, voluntariness is a hierarchical continuum reflecting human needs. Certain products are purchased because the consumer has to have them, while other products are purchased as a discretionary consumer choice. Current law does not make the distinction between essential and non-essential markets. Consumers of luxuries and consumers of essentials are considered equal, and receive similar legal protection under the contractual framework of the consumer transaction. This essay offers a theory of essential markets and their regulation. The essay surveys the behavioral literature discussing human needs and the distinction between essentials and luxuries, and applies the needs-based theory to consumption, creating a pyramid of markets following Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The essay identifies the determinants of market essentiality, including a moral baseline of consumption; lack of good substitutes and inability to decline purchase; and time constraints creating difficulty to defer purchase. The continuum of market essentiality is then demonstrated using four examples, including electricity for heating, infant formula, broadband services, and a violin. The essay argues that essential needs-based consumption induces a behavioral market failure, where consumers' decision-making process is particularly vulnerable and distorts sellers' incentives towards a sub-optimal equilibrium. Markets of essentials tend toward failure of demand, due to consumers' bounded voluntariness and lower probability of informed choice. Accordingly, sellers in markets of essentials have higher incentives for collusion and lower incentives for price competition and for investment in product quality. Thus, the likelihood of market failure increases with the essentiality of the product: the more basic the underlying need, the higher the probability for market failure. The difficulty of regulators to tell which markets are essential is addressed. The essay suggests two methods for assessment of essentiality - the first, through political assessment, and the second, through analysis of market data documenting elasticity of demand for popular product categories. Low elasticity of demand for popular product categories is proposed as a market signal for consumers' bounded voluntariness and for product essentiality. The normative implications of this structural division of markets are discussed and initial policy guidelines suggested. Essentiality and its tendency to create a behavioral market failure implies that consumer law should be structured with a hierarchy of rights, similar to constitutional or international human rights laws. Essential products should be subject to a higher degree of paternalism compared with non-essentials.


Recent developments in the field of echocardiography have allowed us objectively quantify global and regional myocardial function. The first developed technology; tissue Doppler imaging provides a more objective assessment of myocardial function but it is subject to cardiac translational motion and passive tethering effects. These limitations are overcome by the measurement of local myocardial deformation parameters with strain and strain rate echocardiography. These methods are valid not only during baseline regional ischemia assessment but also during stress echocardiography.


Cosmic‐ray neutron probes are widely used to monitor environmental water content near the surface. The method averages over tens of hectares and is unrivaled in serving representative data for agriculture and hydrological models at the hectometer scale. Recent experiments, however, indicate that the sensor response to environmental heterogeneity is not fully understood. Knowledge of the support volume is a prerequisite for the proper interpretation and validation of hydrogeophysical data. In a previous study, several physical simplifications have been introduced into a neutron transport model in order to derive the characteristics of the cosmic‐ray probe's footprint. We utilize a refined source and energy spectrum for cosmic‐ray neutrons and simulate their response to a variety of environmental conditions. Results indicate that the method is particularly sensitive to soil moisture in the first tens of meters around the probe, whereas the radial weights are changing dynamically with ambient water. The footprint radius ranges from 130 to 240 m depending on air humidity, soil moisture, and vegetation. The moisture‐dependent penetration depth of 15 to 83 cm decreases exponentially with distance to the sensor. However, the footprint circle remains almost isotropic in complex terrain with nearby rivers, roads or hill slopes. Our findings suggest that a dynamically weighted average of point measurements is essential for accurate calibration and validation. The new insights will have important impact on signal interpretation, sensor installation, data interpolation from mobile surveys, and the choice of appropriate resolutions for data assimilation into hydrological models.


Theoretical expressions are derived for the effects of mutual coupling between two parallel leaky wave antennas which consists of slitted rectangular waveguides located in a cylinder. The expressions derived are presented in terms of the results for the mutual coupling of the same antennas but located in an infinite plane, with additional terms due to the curvature of the cylinder. The graphical presentation of the numerical attenuation constants for the cylindrical case are compared with those for the infinite plane.


In the present work, rapidly solidified hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys strips was prepared by single roller melt-spinning method. The microstructures, phase and morphology characteristics of the resultant strips were characterized by means of SEM, TEM and XRD technique. The results show that the grains are refined after rapid solidification processing, and the micro-nanocrystals are formed. Compared with equilibrium solidification, the microstructures are changed obviously. The nucleation and growth of primary silicon are suppressed and primary silicon can not deposited, meanwhile, α-Al phase is nucleated which prior to eutectic. Therefore, the microstructures become into the metastable state. The microstructures of the strips are composed of primary micro-nanostructure α phase and feather-needles-like (α+Si) eutectic which set in the α phase. The mechanism of the formation for microstructures of melt-spinning Al–Si alloy have also been discussed.


Developed herein is a formal theory for stereo vision which unifies existing stereo methods and predicts a large variety of stereo methods not yet explored. The notion of "stereo" is redefined using terms which are both general and precise giving stereo vision a broader and more rigorous foundation. The variations in imaging geometry between successive images used in parallax stereo and conventional photometric stereo techniques are extended to stereo techniques which involve variations of arbitrary sets of physical imaging parameters. Physical measurement of visual object features is defined in terms of solution loci in feature space arising from constraint equations that model the physical laws that relate the object feature to specific image features. Ambiguity in physical measurement results from a solution locus which is a subset of feature space larger than a single measurement point. Stereo methods attempt to optimally reduce ambiguity of physical measurement by intersecting solution loci obtained from successive images. A number of examples of generalized stereo techniques are presented. This new conception of stereo vision offers a new perspective on many areas of computer vision including areas that have not been previously associated with stereo vision (e.g. color imagery). As the central focus of generalized stereo vision methods is on measurement ambiguity mathematical developments are presented that characterize the "size" of measurement ambiguity as well as the conditions under which disambiguation of a solution locus takes place. The dimension of measurement ambiguity at a solution point is defined using the structure of a differentiable manifold and an upper bound is established using the Implicit Function theorem. Inspired by the Erlanger program of F. Klein generalized stereo methods are equivalently described by the algebraic interaction of the symmetry group of automorphisms (i.e. bijections) of feature space into itself leaving a measurement solution locus invariant, with the set of automorphisms of feature space induced by arbitrary variations of a set of physical parameters. A purely group theoretic characterization of the conditions under which measurement disambiguation takes place is given.


Background: The attachment between mother and child is one of the most beautiful relationship which is establishes long before birth. A mother who is attached to her fetus is ready to have a good relationship with her newborn. Objective: To determine the effect of touching fetus during pregnancy on maternal fetal and maternal newborn attachment. Design: The study was a single blind controlled clinical trial. Maternal total attachment was measured 2 weeks after abdominal touch in case group and compared with that of control group. Mother's attachment with her newborn was measured at first breast feeding in both groups. Samples : 100 primigravida mother, 32-35 week pregnant randomly divided in two groups, 50 mothers in case group (with fetal touch) and 50 in control group (without fetal touch) Results: There was no significant difference between two group regarding fetal attachment behaviors, but maternal newborn attachment behaviors were significantly improved in case group (p=0.000). Conclusion: Regarding findings, it is suggested that by providing simple interferences, such as touching the fetus on can try to strengthen the relation between mother and her newborn.


Background: As life expectancy gets higher, the demand of health services for elderly starts to grow. Flexibility worsens as one grows older, while Senam Sehat Indonesia (SSI) is an easy exercise for elderly to promote joint flexibility. The aim of this study is to compare flexibility of low back and hips, knees and also ankles between SSI-exercising and non SSI-exercising elderly women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at three elderly nursing homes in Semarang and Ungaran. Subjects were 60-year-old women and over. Primary data was taken from the measurement of toe touching test and range of motion (ROM) of knee and ankle using universal goniometer. Data was analyzed with ANCOVA test which compares flexibilities between SSI-exercising and non SSI-exercising subjects by including age and Body Mass Index in the analysis using SPSS 15.0 for windows.
Results: Mean results of SSI-exercising subjects, which are -3.4±7.61 cm for toe touching test, 130.3±8.34o for ROM of knee and 62.3±17.20o for ROM of ankle, are all higher than those of non SSI-exercising subjects, which are consecutively, -7.0±11.39 cm, 122.8±12.42o and 57.8±15.21o. ANCOVA test results are not significantly different for toe touching test (p=0.610), but they are for ROM of knee and ankle (consecutively p=0.000 and p=0.003).
Conclusion: Knee and ankle flexibilities of SSI-exercising elderly women are significantly higher than those of non SSI-exercising. Toe touching test results are better in the SSI-exercising elderly women, though not significantly different.

Keywords: flexibility, Senam Sehat Indonesia, elderly, women


As water scarcity becomes a more pervasive agricultural constraint, any intervention to limit the water requirements in rice cultivation will enhance the overall sustainability and food security in the face of climate change. System of rice intensification (SRI) is a methodology for increasing the rice productivity using reduced inputs, including seeds and chemical fertilizers, and water requirements and has a potential for climate change mitigation through avoiding flooded conditions on rice fields which brings down methane emissions from rice cultivation. It also enhances the resilience of rice cultivation systems against climate risks as it generates healthier and more robust rice plants with deep and more vigorous root systems. Field experiment was conducted during wet season (June-November) 2011 to assess the rice productivity and water usages of a Basmati rice varieties viz., Basmati 370, Ranbir Basmati, Basmati 564, Sanwaal Basmati, Toraori Basmati and Nagina 22 (N22) under SRI and conventional transplanted (CTP) methods of rice cultivation. Among the different rice production methods, system of rice cultivation (SRI) produced significantly higher grain yield (3850 to 5200 kg ha-1) than the transplanted rice (3650 to 5000 kg ha-1). Total water productivity of the SRI was 19.3% higher with saving of 25% irrigation water as compared to conventional method. Among genotypes N 22 had the highest per day productivity (45.02), followed by Basmati 564 (41.60) and Sanwaal Basmati (37.54). This also helps to reduce the water requirement and facilitates to avoid water stress specially rice grown in tail end areas.


Availability of soil moisture observations at a high spatial-temporal resolution is a prerequisite for various agricultural applications. This paper presents the comparison of SMAP (Analysis & Geophysical) and GLDAS soil moisture products versus a customized high resolution land surface model over a region representative of tropical regions located in Malaysia. The in-situ data over a nine month period is used to evaluate SMAP, GLDAS and customized LSM soil moisture. An overestimation of SMAP and GLDAS soil moisture products to in-situ data was noticed whereas customized LSM performed better with RMSE at surface 0.05 m3/m3 (ubRMSE: 0.048 m3/m3) and rootzone 0.04 m3/m3 (ubRMSE: 0.037 m3/m3) in this study. Both the SMAP products found similar and GLDAS is marginally better than SMAP. The result of this study is useful to support the continuous improvement of the SMAP soil moisture retrieval model, especially in tropical regions. The evaluation across the study region indicates that the customized LSM is able to capture spatial-temporal variation of soil moisture with better accuracy.


This study aimed at determining the awareness level and attitudes of households living in the central county of Erzurum Province about water pollution. The main material of the study consisted of data collected through questionnaires from households with different income levels who lived in urban area in the central county of Erzurum Province. Mean age was 39.83. It was found that an average of 4.41 people lived in the households surveyed and the average monthly income of the families was 2.063,84 TL/month. According to the data obtained from 271 households interviewed in the urban area of Erzurum city, it was found that more than half of the households (55.35 %) placed water pollution in the first place regarding environment pollution. It was observed that while more than half of the households (64.6 %) were willing to make an extra payment for a more environment-friendly and healthier product, 35.4 % were not. When the factors affecting the willingness to make an extra payment were examined, it was determined according to the probit analysis results that marital status, profession, wife or husband's education status, income, and awareness on water pollution were significant factors. As a last step, the maximum extra payment limits for households willing to do this were determined by defining increments increasing through certain percentages. Tobit analysis was used to determine the factors affecting the amount of payment the households were willing to make. The results of the analysis revealed that the age of household head, marital status, the number of family members, following the news on water pollution, and grouping waste material as glass, plastic, metal, etc. were significant factors on the amount payment the households were willing to make.


This paper reports on a survey of administrators (n = 26) and staff (n = 248) in 10 mental health and 16 substance abuse programs in Los Angeles County providing services to individuals with co-occurring disorders. Although half or more of the administrators and staff reported that their programs had some degree of on-site service integration, there was a lack of agreement within most programs as to the extent of integration. Characteristics of services provided and interactions with other service providers are also examined. Future research is needed regarding the divergent perceptions of administrators and staff and their relationship to treatment outcomes.


Background: Insulin is administered for glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure to oral antidiabetic drugs. Achieving good glycemic control requires a long time with relatively high insulin dose. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of treatment with insulin alone versus insulin plus sulfonylurea in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 45 patients with secondary failure to oral antidiabetic drugs who referred to Bou-Ali hospital during 2009-2010, were randomly allocated into two groups of insulin alone and insulin plus sulfonylurea. Fasting and postprandial blood sugar, insulin dose, and weight gain were measured monthly up to 3 months. Data were analyzed by T-test and Chisquare test. Findings: At the end of the first and the third month of the treatment, mean fasting blood sugar was 146.3±21.1 mg/dl and 126.9±10.2 mg/dl in combination therapy group and was 166.1±28.7 mg/dl and 144.5±20.9 mg/dl in insulin alone group, respectively (P=0.01 and P=0.001, respectively). Mean postprandial blood sugar in combination group was lower than insulin alone group at the end of the third month (P=0.009). The difference in mean insulin dose between 2 groups was statistically significant at the end of the third month (P<0.001). Conclusion: With regard to the results, combination therapy with insulin plus sulfonylurea versus insulin alone would result in faster improvement of glycemic control and lower daily insulin dose.


Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited macular diseases (IMD) are retinal disorders that can cause blindness through atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or choroidal neovascularisation (CNV). RPE transplantation in severe forms of neovascular AMD has been performed with promising short-term outcomes. However, this approach has not been evaluated in atrophic types of AMD or IMD. Furthermore, the long-term outcomes of photoreceptors cell function rescue by RPE reconstruction in neovascular AMD is unknown. Current surgical techniques are complex with associated high complication rates. Therefore, other treatment approaches to reconstruct the RPE are required.
This thesis aims to examine whether long-term photoreceptor cell function rescue can be achieved through RPE reconstruction by investigating the outcomes of autologous RPE transplantation or full macular translocation in AMD and IMD. A further aim is to determine the feasibility of a new approach to reconstruct the RPE using human embryonic stem cell (hESC).
A prospective study of autologous RPE-choroid grafts in 9 patients with atrophic macular disease secondary to AMD or IMD demonstrated that submacular RPE graft can support retinal function and fixation. However, there was a high surgical and post-operative complication rates and the overall visual acuity and reading ability declined. Long-term follow-up demonstrated that the graft can maintain retinal function for over 2 years in some patients.
A retrospective review of long-term outcomes following autologous RPE-choroid grafts and full macular translocation in 12 and 40 patients with neovascular AMD, respectively, showed that rescue of retinal function beyond 2 years is possible. A visual acuity of 6/12 was achieved and maintained for over 2 years in 8% and 15% of patients who had patch graft and translocation, respectively. However, overall visual acuity outcomes were limited by delayed post-operative complications such as recurrent CNV and cystoid macular oedema.
A prospective porcine experiment showed that subretinal implant of hESC derived-RPE was feasible and human donor cell can survive in vivo for up to 6 weeks. However, there was significant loss of the hESC-RPE which may have occurred intra-operatively or during the first 2 weeks post-operatively. Macrophages were noted at the site of the graft suggesting some inflammatory and immunological responses to the human cells, polyester substrate or surgical trauma.
The work in this thesis has provided the proof of principle that reconstruction of the RPE can maintain retinal function in atrophic and neovascular macular diseases over the long-term. A novel approach using hESC-RPE on an artificial substrate may be a more feasible and safer alternative to current clinical techniques of RPE reconstruction.


BACKGROUND
The concept of resilience is popular in both the mainstream media and in health and human services research. Over the last 40 years, the term has been moulded and transformed from the idea of a trait that can be fostered within the individual towards a transactional concept with an emphasis on environmental factors. Although many current definitions are used to describe and talk about resilience, the dynamism of the concept is a common element across most current discussions and research applications. This paper provides an opportunity to place the concept of resilience within a framework for future application at the clinical frontlines.

METHODS
An extensive scoping review on the existing literature was undertaken to explore recurring themes associated with resilience in families and children, particularly in the context of childhood disability. This literature was mapped and categorized in the context of World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to create recommendations for practical application by health professionals.

FINDINGS
Three major themes emerged: (a) the idea of resilience as a state of an individual at a specific point in time rather than a built-in trait; (b) the idea of resilience as dynamic rather than static; and (c) the value of a framework into which to place the components of "resilience."

CONCLUSIONS
The relative ease with which resilience concepts is situated within the ICF is an indication that the ICF framework provides a useful way to incorporate concepts of resilience for clinical application.


The aim of the study was to determine the association between fewer hours of sleep and excess weight/obesity in first- to fourth-year nutrition students at Universidad de San Sebastian in Chile. A total of 635 students were evaluated, of whom 86.4% were women. The Pittsburg sleep survey was administered to each student along with an anthropometric evaluation, and the body mass index of each was calculated. A raw and adjusted analysis of logistic regression was performed. A total of 57.1% of students slept less than the recommended amount. Sleeping less was associated with excess weight or obesity in the model adjusted for age and daytime sleepiness (adjusted OR [aOR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.26-2.68), and adjusted for age, smoking, dairy, fruit, and legume consumption; and daytime sleepiness (aOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.29-2.76). There is an association between fewer hours of sleep and higher body mass in this population; this should be considered in excess weight prevention.


The Microwave oven is a system used to convert the electromagnetic energy to thermal energy when the microwave cavity is loaded with a dielectric material. The ordinary microwave ovens are not supported with complex features for detecting parameters such as temperature, weight, and loaded material availability. Due to the lack of material availability, several laboratory and industrial applications require these features to switch off the oven. The reflections of electromagnetic radiation inside an empty microwave oven lead to oven damage. An overview of the microwave oven characteristics and emergence of electromagnetic radiation inside a microwave oven is presented in this study. The parameters measured inside the microwave oven, methods for power attenuation in a microwave oven, microwave power detector, and microwave oven leakage are discussed as well. Moreover in the methodology of this work, proposed a new technique based on the measurement of leaked microwave power to control the microwave oven. The preliminary results showed that the leakage measurement of electromagnetic power changes with the state/phase of the material inside the microwave oven, which ensured the possibility of the proposed promising technique. This work will be continued to connect the microwave oven with a spectrum analyzer and computer via hardware and software interfaces depending on the methodology of this article. A computer code will be developed to read the measured power and automatically switch off the microwave oven depending on materials state.
Index Terms— Microwave, power, measurement, control.


This paper presents the requirements and a concept for a modular Smart Grid simulation framework based on an automatic composition of existing, heterogeneous simulation models. The composition problem is broken down into different layers, for each of which first concepts for solving the problem are presented. A prototype showing the feasibility of the presented concept has been developed. First simulation results of a Smart Grid scenario including electric vehicles as well as renewable energy sources are presented. Finally, the limitations of the prototype and possible improvements are discussed.


The concept of modifying molecular dynamics in strongly coupled exciton-polariton systems is an emerging topic in photonics due to its potential to produce customized chemical systems with tailored photophysical properties. However, before such systems can be realized, it is essential to address the open questions concerning the nature and strength of electronic interactions between exciton-polaritons and localized excited states in chemical system as well as the proper way to measure such interactions. Here, we use transient optical spectroscopy to investigate dynamical interactions between exciton-polaritons, singlet excitons, and triplet excitons in a molecular singlet fission system that is strongly coupled to an optical microcavity. We identify some of the major limitations to modify molecular dynamics in the strong coupling regime. Simultaneous excitation of cavity polaritons and 'reservoir' states, defined as dark polaritons and dark excitons (e.g. triplets) from coupled molecules and excitons from uncoupled molecules, always occurs. In addition, slow conversion from reservoir states to cavity polaritons results in minimal changes to the overall population dynamics. Furthermore, we demonstrate how in addition to the usual population dynamics, transient optical measurements on microcavities reveal information pertaining to modification of the exciton-polariton transition energies due to changes in the population of molecular excited states and the exciton-photon coupling conditions. As a consequence of weak interactions between reservoir states and cavity polaritons, judicious design considerations are required to achieve modified chemical dynamics, necessitating the use of molecular systems with long excited-state lifetimes or strong coupling approaches that require a small number of molecules.


Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are gaining more and more importance as auxiliary power units (APU), e.g. for passenger cars, trucks and airplanes. In this context, the main challenge is the development of SOFC stacks, which fulfill the strong requirements for mobile applications. These are a low weight, a low volume, and a high power density with reformate gases but also low long term degradation rates. The paper presents results of investigations of SOFC short stacks for mobile applications. Therefore, a light weight stack design was developed in an industrial consortium in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Stuttgart and the Research Center Jülich (FZJ). The SOFC stacks were operated at different temperatures, varying fuel gas compositions and different fuel gas flow rates. The short stacks were electrochemically characterized mainly by long-term measurements, by current-voltage measurements and by impedance spectroscopy. The fuel utilizations and the power densities were determined. In order to analyze the uniformity inside the stacks, the electrochemical behaviour of the individual cassettes were analyzed and compared to each other. Finally, the degradation rates and the degradation mechanisms were determined from the long-term measurements.


Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with unexpected flares that is thought to be affected by dietary habits. In order to explore the dietary habits of Omani patients, we analyzed the intake of nutrients based on the assessment of diet from the semi-quantitative FFQ. Dietary patterns of sixty Omani cases and sixty age-gender-and origin- matched controls were assessed in terms of the recommended number of servings per day according to the Omani healthy plate for the main food groups and compared to the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) per day. Cases were found to consume proteins, fats and carbohydrates higher than RDA per day. Micronutrient intakes by cases showed that the intake of calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, iodine, vitamins B6, D and E were lower than RDA, while phosphorous and vitamin B12 intake were higher. These observations were similar to previous studies except for B12 that was reported to be lower in SLE cases. However, this is considered as pilot study and the findings need to be confirmed by larger size study.


Abstract Hydrophobic and hydrophilic kaolin-based particle films are effective for control of insect pests in certain agricultural crops. How these products interact with potential biological control agents is not well documented. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the hydrophobic (M96-018) and hydrophilic (Surround WP) kaolin-based particle films (Engelhard Corporation, Iselin, NJ) on pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), on peas (Pisum spp.), and on the fungal aphid pathogen Pandora neoaphidis (Remaudière and Hennebert) Humber. Over two field seasons (2001 and 2002) in northern Idaho, applications of M96-018 significantly reduced the rate of pea aphid increase on pea, but Surround WP, tested only in 2001, did not reduce aphid population growth rate. Neither particle film treatment was as effective as a standard application of esfenvalerate (DuPont Asana). In the laboratory, particle films suppressed pea aphid populations by up to 30%. M96-018 seemed to have some repellent activity based on aphid distributions after treating plants. When applied along with P. neoaphidis conidia, M96-018 but not Surround WP caused higher percentage of infection mortality of pea aphids by P. neoaphidis than occurred on controls treated only with P. neoaphidis conidia. P. neoaphidis conidia deposited on glass slides coated with M96-018, produced more germ tubes and secondary conidia than those deposited on untreated glass slides or slides treated with Surround WP. This result suggests that greater infection of pea aphids on plants treated with M96-018 is in part a result of a direct enhancement of fungal germination by the particle film.


DNA relatedness was determined among 303 strains of Leptospira and Leptonema. Included in the analysis were reference strains from 228 well-characterized and recognized serovars. The study included 268 serovars from 29 named and one or more unnamed serogroups. The strains clustered into 17 DNA hybridization groups, representing 12 previously described species (292 strains) and five new genomospecies (11 strains). The largest groups included Leptospira interrogans (91 strains from 82 serovars), Leptospira santarosai (65 strains from 59 serovars), Leptospira borgpetersenii (49 strains from 43 serovars), Leptospira kirschneri (29 strains from 26 serovars) and Leptospira noguchii (20 strains from 20 serovars). The new genomospecies include Leptospira genomospecies 1 (two strains, serovars pinagchang and sichuan), Leptospira genomospecies 2 (six strains, serovars lushui, manhao 3, manzhuang, nanding, mengla and yunnan), Leptospira genomospecies 3 (one strain, serovar holland), Leptospira genomospecies 4 (one strain, serovar hualin) and Leptospira genomospecies 5 (one strain, serovar saopaulo). With the exception of Ballum, all serogroups with greater than one serovar studied were genetically heterogeneous. Phenotypic tests, including optimal growth temperature, lipase activity and growth inhibition by copper sulfate or 2,6-diaminopurine, were of little use in differentiating DNA relatedness groups. The name Leptospira alexanderi sp. nov. is proposed for Leptospira genomospecies 2 (type strain L 60T = ATCC 700520T, serovar manhao 3).


Objective. To initiate an experiment to see if an online tool can facilitate creation of new Assistive Technology (AT) through open innovation that engages the public (primarily end users and carers), prescribers, innovators and manufacturers. The final results and conclusions of the funded project which focus on AT relevant to access and use of Information Technology will be included in the poster. Main content. The REALISE project has created a prototype online platform. Open innovation is not widely employed in AT and so the approach in the platform assumes AT community members will explore the use of open innovation. The platform thus needs: information (definitions, guidance, and discussion of motivations of stakeholders), inclusive human computer interfacing, and open innovation process tools. Additionally, while good communication will be fundamentally important there are several other functional broad dimensions, ergonomic, language, educating and external connections/interaction. Solutions addressing these dimensions have to suit and excite the people expected to form the community otherwise user engagement is likely to be poor. Results. The platform website design and functioning is summarized, showing the open innovation framework employed (i.e. idea, incubator and project) and the use of an open community based solution as a market place for open source assistive technology engagement. The project's one year duration allowed for only one prototype to be developed and explored, so design decisions were made largely based on drawing parallels from other contexts and adhoc consultations with stakeholders. As in change management strategies, a bias to involve those who understood and were keen to try REALISE was employed, hoping that these people could then become advocates for open innovation in general and REALISE specifically. Networking to key external organisations was used both for promotion and engagement in the study. Conclusion. Designing any completely new service where a significant number of the potential users are not usually involved in the processes is challenging. The need for open innovation novices to gain access to support is seen as essential. Due to the project constraints a more participatory involvement of stakeholders and exploration of alternative strategies was not possible. Nevertheless new knowledge was gained about the use of open innovation in the field of AT.


Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of JM-103 transcutaneous bilirubinmeter (TcB) in preterm infants during phototherapy (PT) and in post-PT phase. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Infants born between 28 and 35 weeks of gestation and at <28 days of postnatal age were eligible if they required bilirubin estimation during the NICU stay. TcB was measured within 30 minutes of the blood sampling for serum bilirubin, at forehead and sternum. Mean difference (±standard deviation [SD]) and 95% limits of agreement between TcB and total serum bilirubin (TSB) were calculated by analyzing Bland–Altman difference plots. We also calculated correlation coefficients. Results: Ninety infants were enrolled. During PT, the difference plots revealed a wide TcB-TSB disagreement; 95% agreement limits of data indicated that TcB could underestimate bilirubin levels by up to 132 μmol/L at forehead and 157 μmol/L at sternum (Mean difference ± SD of −52.4 mmol/L ± 40.7 at forehead and −69.2 mmol/L ± 42.5 at sternum) and a poor TcB-TSB correlation (r = 0.72 at forehead and 0.51 at sternum). In post-PT phase, correlation coefficients improved significantly and were equivalent to the estimates before the onset of PT (r = 0.88 at forehead and 0.87 at sternum). The analyses of difference plots revealed that TcB could underestimate bilirubin levels up to 88 μmol/L in this phase (Mean difference ± SD of −28.8 mmol/L ± 30.5 at forehead and −19.6 mmol/L ± 34.7 at sternum). Conclusions: JM-103 device is unreliable for estimating bilirubin during PT. However, TcB-TSB agreement improved substantially in the post-PT phase such that use of the TcB device could lead to a reduction in blood sampling during this phase.


Gene array-type experiments have identified large numbers of genes thought to be important for the integrity of the glomerular slit diaphragm. Confirmation of individual proteins has been limited by the expenses and time involved in generating transgenic or knockout mice for each candidate. We present a functional screening assay based on the clearance of a 70-kDa fluorescent dextran in another vertebrate system that is rapid and low in cost. In the pronephric glomerulus of larval zebrafish, we have demonstrated quantifiable loss of slit diaphragm integrity in a zebrafish model of puromycin aminonucleoside (PA) toxicity. In addition, after knockdown of CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) and podocin, two well-characterized genetic contributors to podocyte differentiation in mammals, we observed glomerular loss of serum macromolecules similar to that seen in mammalian kidneys with inborn mutations in these genes. Increased filtration of 70-kDa FITC-labeled dextran correlates with effacement of podocyte foot processes in ultrastructural analysis. These findings document the value of the zebrafish model in genomics and pharmacological screening applications.


As part of our current efforts to develop assays and reagents to study the immune system of marine mammals, and in view of the effort currently made to develop monoclonal antibodies to cell surface proteins of lymphocyte subsets in different species, the present paper reports on the characterization of a monoclonal antibody against the homologue of CD45R on cetacean lymphocytes. The specificity of this antibody has been characterized on the basis of immunoprecipitation of the antigen it recognized, immunoperoxidase staining on cetacean lymph node and thymus sections, as well as one and two‐colour flow cytometric analysis of cetacean peripheral blood mononuclear cells and single‐cell suspensions of thymus, lymph node and spleen. Anti‐cetacean CD45R (F21.H) immunoprecipitated proteins of 180, 200 and 220×103 MW, with the 180×103 MW form being predominantly expressed on T cells and the 220×103 MW form expressed predominantly on B cells and thymocytes. F21.H labelled all B cells and a proportion of T cells on single‐cell suspensions of spleen cells. CD45R− killer whale peripheral blood lymphocytes expressed a higher density of CD2 than CD45R+, a characteristic of memory T cells. Killer whale T lymphocytes also lost the expression of CD45R upon activation with concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). This is the first report of a monoclonal antibody to CD45R in cetaceans, and this antibody is foreseen as a possible valuable diagnostic and research tool to assess immune functions of captive and wild cetaceans as part of the evaluation of their health status.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. To date, its cause remains unknown and the mechanism of nerve cell death uncertain. Apart from the massive loss of dopaminergic neurons, PD brains also show a conspicuous glial reaction together with signs of a neuroinflammatory reaction manifested by elevated cytokine levels and upregulation of inflammatory-associated factors such as cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Mounting evidence also suggests a possible deleterious effect of these neuroinflammatory processes in experimental models of the disease. We propose that, in PD, neuroinflammation plays a role in the cascade of events leading to nerve cell death, thus propagating the neurodegenerative process. In this review, we summarize and discuss the latest findings regarding neuroinflammatory aspects in PD.


An experiment on the induced breeding of the endangered fish, Labeo calbasu (Hamilton-Buchanam) was conducted in the Fish Seed Multiplication Farm,Rajshahi to know the efficacy of two inducing agents (PG and DoM+SGnRH). Three breeding trials of each inducing agent were performed. A total of 24 females weighing from 1.5 kg to 2 kg were given an initial and a resolving dose of 1.5 mg and 6 mg PG extract per kg body weight respectively as treatment-1. On the other hand, a total of 24 females weighing from 1.5 kg to 2 kg were given a single dose of 12 mg DoM + SGnRH/kg as treatment-2. In case of treatment-1, 12 males weighing from 1.5 kg to 1.95 kg were administered a single dose of 1.5 mg PG/kg body weight during resolving dose of female. In treatment-2, 12 males weighing from 1.5 kg to 1.8 kg were administered 3 mg DoM+SGnRH /kg body weight during initial dose of females. In treatment-1, the time interval between initial and resolving dose was 5 hours and ovulation occurred in all the injected females within 6 hours after resolving dose. Ovulation occurred within 6 to 8 hours after the injection of inducing agents for treatment-2. The mean rates of ovulation, fertilization and hatching were 100%, 77.36% and 74.5% respectively in treatment-1. On the contrary, the mean rates of ovulation, fertilization and hatching were 83.33%, 63.83% and 59.66% in treatment-2. Hatchery produced fry were reared in nursery pond for 40 days. In nursery pond. Flour, oil cake and wheat bran were applied as nursery feeds. Both the inducing agents were effective in respect of overall breeding performance. But the best results were obtained with PG although in case of DoM+SGnRH complete breeding takes place within short time with less labour and cost than that of PG . DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ujzru.v31i0.15376 Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi Univ. Vol. 31, 2012 pp. 23-26


Wireless sensors are used in most of the in real time applications for collecting physical information. The impossible measurements in typical ways have currently become attainable using the wireless technology. In this technology, the measurement of air quality is one of the difficult areas for the researchers. The main source of atmosphere pollution happens due to vehicles. The high inflow of vehicles in urban areas causing more air pollution and decreasing air quality that leads to severe health diseases. The main objective of the paper is to introduce vehicular pollution monitoring system using Internet of Things (IoT) which is capable of detecting vehicles causing pollution on the city roads and measures various types of pollutants, and its level in air. This paper also reports the status of air quality whenever needed to the environmental agencies. The proposed systems also assures the existence of wireless sensors for vehicle pollution system that specialize in a straight forward accessibility of real time data through internet using IoT. The measured data is also shared to vehicle owner, traffic department and agencies of national environment. This system is a low cost and provides good results in controlling the air pollution especially in the urban areas.


The thermal-hydraulic (TH) system code ATHLET was coupled with the commercial 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package ANSYS CFX to improve ATHLET simulation capabilities for flows with pronounced 3D phenomena such as flow mixing and thermal stratification. Within the FP7 European project THINS (Thermal Hydraulics of Innovative Nuclear Systems), validation activities for coupled thermal-hydraulic codes are being carried out. The TALL-3D experimental facility, operated by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, is designed for thermal-hydraulic experiments with lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant at natural and forced circulation conditions. No tests have been performed up to now. GRS carried out pre-test simulations with ATHLET - ANSYS CFX for the TALL-3D experiment T01, while KTH scientists perform these analyses with the coupled code RELAP5/STAR CCM+. In the experiment T01 the main circulation pump is stopped, which leads to interesting thermal-hydraulic transient with local 3D phenomena. In this paper, the TALL-3D behavior during T01 is analyzed and the results of the coupled pre-test calculations, performed by GRS (ATHLET-ANSYS CFX) and KTH (RELAP5/STAR CCM+) are directly compared. Moreover, this work is supplemented by uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for the T01 experiment, carried out at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen.


This paper presents the phenomenon of applied social-scientific research in the contextof the structural development of scientific production and the system of scientific resultsevaluation. In addition to the introduction of basic concepts (applied research, engaged research, participative/action/activist research, interdisciplinary research), it gives a summary of trends in socio-scientific Czechia research over the last decade. On the theoretical level, the paper discusses the nature of applied knowledge and its placement in the context of the social sciences status and the relationship between natural and social sciences. Also, it advocates T. H. Eriksen's altercentric writing method as a key to applied socio-scientific research. Thechosen perspective is presented as a solid example of micro-analysis of the genealogy of interpersonal relationship within the applied social-scientific research. e multi-genre production background, the criteria of successful implementation of applied goals throughout the research process, as well as an ongoing reflexive discussion on the nature of socio-scientific research are shown to be essential to the successful development of applied social-scientific research. Three forms of relationship between the social sciences and the non-scientific society are proposed; they are advising, un-learning, and co-learning.


Abstract Motivation Increasing evidence suggests that post-transcriptional ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications regulate essential biomolecular functions and are related to the pathogenesis of various diseases. Precise identification of RNA modification sites is essential for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of RNAs. To date, many computational approaches for predicting RNA modifications have been developed, most of which were based on strong supervision enabled by base-resolution epitranscriptome data. However, high-resolution data may not be available. Results We propose WeakRM, the first weakly supervised learning framework for predicting RNA modifications from low-resolution epitranscriptome datasets, such as those generated from acRIP-seq and hMeRIP-seq. Evaluations on three independent datasets (corresponding to three different RNA modification types and their respective sequencing technologies) demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach in predicting RNA modifications from low-resolution data. WeakRM outperformed state-of-the-art multi-instance learning methods for genomic sequences, such as WSCNN, which was originally designed for transcription factor binding site prediction. Additionally, our approach captured motifs that are consistent with existing knowledge, and visualization of the predicted modification-containing regions unveiled the potentials of detecting RNA modifications with improved resolution. Availability implementation The source code for the WeakRM algorithm, along with the datasets used, are freely accessible at: https://github.com/daiyun02211/WeakRM Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


The effectiveness of a novel Post-Tensioned Metal Strapping (PTMS) technique at enhancing the seismic behavior of a substandard RC building was investigated through full-scale, shake-table tests during the EU-funded project BANDIT. The building had inadequate reinforcement detailing in columns and joints to replicate old construction practices. After the bare building was initially damaged significantly, it was repaired and strengthened with PTMS to perform additional seismic tests. The PTMS technique improved considerably the seismic performance of the tested building. While the bare building experienced critical damage at an earthquake of PGA = 0.15 g, the PTMS-strengthened building sustained a PGA = 0.35 g earthquake without compromising stability.


Although a strong clinical association exists between obesity and NIDDM, previous studies have failed to confirm a significant relationship between the degree of obesity and the insulin resistance of NIDDM. We examined the impact of obesity on insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in 25 patients with NIDDM, whose BMI ranged from 20.8 to 36.9 kg/m2, during insulin infusions of 0.4, 1.0, and 10 μU/kg min using the glucose clamp technique. Rates of glucose disposal and HGP were compared in 14 of the diabetic patients with 19 nondiabetic control subjects of similar sex, age, and weight distribution. We found an inverse correlation between BMI and the glucose infusion rate necessary to maintain euglycemia during the first two of three insulin infusions (r = −0.63, P < 0.001, r = −0.57, P < 0.01, and r = −0.36, P = 0.08). Glucose disposal was correlated with BMI during the 1.0 mU/kg min insulin infusion (r = −0.57, P < 0.05), and glucose production was correlated at the 0.4 mU/kg min infusion (r = 0.69, P < 0.01). We concluded that obesity diminishes the insulin sensitivity of both hepatic and peripheral tissues in patients with NIDDM. The exacerbation of the insulin resistance of NIDDM by obesity indicates why weight reduction is an effective treatment for the obese NIDDM patient.


: There is a tendency to believe that in African societies men are the dominant decision makers in the family. In Robertsport, Liberia, there are indications that, with respect to fertility regulation, the dominance of the husband in fertility decisions exists, but it is also apparent that many of these decisions are made jointly by both husband and wife. Education is particularly influential in the joint fertility decision-making process. The 100 husbands sampled in 1982 desired a large number of children and had experience with infant and child mortality. If family planning programs should attain their goals, men should be more involved, than at present, in every aspect of the programs. Equally important is the urgency for studies related to the role of men in fertility regulation, using adequately large samples.


New evidence suggests that physiological and damaging agents activate two different pathways of apoptotic signalling, which are mediated by protein-protein interactions and mitochondrial alterations respectively. The two pathways converge at the activation of caspase 3, the key effector of the execution phase of apoptosis, thus giving similar final results. The knowledge that different biochemical routes exist allows us to re-evaluate previous apparently contradictory results concerning the events occurring during apoptosis, and their respective roles. In particular, this applies to the role of oxidative stress and redox imbalance in the signal transduction events of apoptosis. It now appears that oxidative alterations are absent, or at least unnecessary, for the development of the physiological pathway. Instead, clear indications are emerging showing that redox imbalance is required for the damage-induced mitochondrial pathway. This is suggested by the finding that the depletion of glutathione, a common event in damage-induced apoptosis, is necessary and sufficient to induce cytochrome c release, the key event of this pathway. A model is proposed with GSH efflux as the backbone of the damage-induced apoptotic pathway.


Hydrogen is considered one of the main gaseous fuels due to its ability to improve thermal performance in diesel engines. However, its influence on the characteristics of lubricating oil is generally ignored. Thus, in the present investigation, an analysis of the effect on the physical and chemical properties of lubricating oil with mixtures of diesel fuel–hydrogen was carried out, and the environmental impacts of this type of mixture were assessed. The development of the research was carried out using a diesel engine under four torque conditions (80 Nm, 120 Nm, 160 Nm and 200 Nm) and three hydrogen gas flow conditions (0.75 lpm, 1.00 lpm and 1.25 lpm). From the results, it was possible to demonstrate that the presence of hydrogen caused decreases of 3.50%, 6.79% and 4.42% in the emissions of CO, HC, and smoke opacity, respectively. However, hydrogen further decreased the viscosity of the lubricating oil by 26%. Additionally, hydrogen gas produced increases of 17.7%, 29.27%, 21.95% and 27.41% in metallic components, such as Fe, Cu, Al and Cr, respectively. In general, hydrogen favors the contamination and oxidation of lubricating oil, which implies a greater wear of the engine components. Due to the significantly negative impact of hydrogen on the lubrication system, it should be considered due to its influence on the economic and environmental cost during the engine's life cycle.


Abstract This article reports on the practical use of a multi-agent microsimulation framework to address the issue of assessing drivers' responses to pretrip information systems. The population of drivers is represented as a community of autonomous agents, and travel demand results from the decision-making deliberation performed by each individual of the population as regards route and departure time. A simple simulation scenario was devised, where pretrip information was made available to users on an individual basis so that its effects at the aggregate level could be observed. The simulation results show that the overall performance of the system is very likely affected by exogenous information, and these results are ascribed to demand formation and network topology. The expressiveness offered by cognitive approaches based on predicate logics, such as the one used in this research, appears to be a promising approximation to fostering more complex behavior modelling, allowing us to represent many of the mental aspects involved in the deliberation process.


The effects of audience response systems (ARS) on students' academic success and their perceptions of ARS were examined in this study. Participants, comprising 44 undergraduate students, were randomly assigned to a control or treatment group. The course design was the same for both groups and the instructor prepared the multiple-choice questions in advance; students in the control group responded to these questions verbally whereas the treatment group used ARS. Two paper-based examinations were used to measure the learning of concepts and skills that were taught. Students' perceptions of ARS were collected via a questionnaire. Results showed that ARS usage has a significant learning achievement effect in the first 4 weeks but not at the end of the second 4 weeks. There was no significant difference in retention between either group. Students perceived the ARS tool positively, finding it very enjoyable and useful.