An experience is summarized in using the removable dentures with fixation improved by magnets secured on their bases so that their flat surfaces were in contact with the analogous surfaces in the pin insertions located on the residual teeth roots. The technique was applied to manufacture the 21 dentures in 14 patients. The advantages of the technique are presented with the indications to its use.


Cardiovascular disease, especially ischemic heart disease, is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Cardiac repair is one of the most promising strategies to address advanced cardiovascular diseases. Despite moderate improvement in heart function via stem cell therapy, there is no evidence of significant improvement in mortality and morbidity beyond standard therapy. The most salutary effect of stem cell therapy are attributed to the paracrine effects and the stem cell-derived exosomes are known as a major contributor. Hence, exosomes are emerging as a promising therapeutic agent and potent biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, they play a role as cellular cargo and facilitate intercellular communication. However, the clinical use of exosomes is hindered by the absence of a standard operating procedures for exosome isolation and characterization, problems related to yield, and heterogeneity. In addition, the successful clinical application of exosomes requires strategies to optimize cargo, improve targeted delivery, and reduce the elimination of exosomes. In this review, we discuss the basic concept of exosomes and stem cell-derived exosomes in cardiovascular disease, and introduce current efforts to overcome the limitations and maximize the benefit of exosomes including engineered biomimetic exosomes.


Akan-speaking Methodists in London make sense of their diasporic experience by claiming 'virtuous' citizenship. Regardless of their legal and formal status, they feel themselves to be citizens of Britain as Methodists, workers and law-abiding subjects. Active membership in the British Methodist church, conceived as an English transnational polity extending to Ghana, allows for this alternative construction, rooted in Methodist Christian ideology of universal and selfless love, and the Akan concept of tema ‐ empathy for the pain of others, expressed in moral and material obligations to humanity at large, and family or fellowship members. Encapsulation in ethnically exclusive fellowships has become, however, highly problematic for the British Methodist Church whose internal conversation mirrors wider debates in Britain on multiculturalism and immigrant citizenship. Ghanaians themselves are increasingly aware of this critique, but for them ethnic fellowships do not imply exclusion or exclusiveness: they are the loci where people's agency is experienced, and where they gain recognition and distinction.


This article draws heavily on the post-abyssal philosophy of Boaventura de Sousa Santos in order to theorise new ways of thinking about research ethics in settings affected by armed conflict and crisis, and to put them into practice. Our article explores the dilemmas and tensions faced by four graduate students and a supervisor across diverse international settings. For some of us, these are places we call home, for others these are places that provide refuge to our people: Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon and India. We seek to deepen standard understandings of ethics as institutionalised in university forms, arguing that tidy checklists for safety and risk mitigation do not adequately address the complex affective and socio-political struggles permeating research, and the bodies of researchers, in these settings. Our main focus here is on how we can synthesise our various experiences in order to offer something of value to others who may be about to go into the field in settings affected by armed conflict and crisis. The question that we address, then, is: how can researchers avoid the limitations, obfuscations and silences of traditional institutional ethics in order to adopt a situated, embodied, post-abyssal research ethic that might open up new spaces for emotion, encounter, and engagement with struggle, risk and voicing? We use an autoethnographic approach that enables congruence with the aims of this article, and that supports our aspirations for enhanced impact through powerful narrative. We end with discussion that contains suggestions for institutions, supervisors, researchers, and for funding and professional bodies.


On the basis of the new idea of electric power integration, a novel stand-alone dual stator-winding induction generator (DWIG) system is built. In this generator, there are two sets of windings to be embedded in the stator slots. One, referred to as the 12-phase power winding, supplies power to the dc load via a 12-phase bridge rectifier, and the other, called the 3-phase excitation winding, is connected to a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) voltage source static excitation regulator (SER). A solid iron squirrel cage rotor is suitable for high speed generation. Experiments and simulations show the ac capacitors can reduce the inductance of rectifier loads and help to reduce the capacitance of the SER. A simple control methodology based on stator voltage orientation (SVO) is presented to regulate the output voltage of the 12-phase bridge rectifier in this paper. Moreover, the electric energy quality and the relative influence factors are studied by detailed experiments and analyses. The proposed system is especially suitable for self contained electrical systems, such as those found on electric vehicles, ships, and aircraft, where high performance and compact size are essential.


PROSPECT, the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment, is a phased experiment at the High Flux Isotope Reactor of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The two primary goals of the experiment are to measure the 235U antineutrino spectrum and to perform a search for sterile neutrinos with a ∆m14 on the 1eV 2 scale. The Phase I detector will cover a baseline range of 7-12 m from the core while the second phase will extend the baseline out to 20 m. The detection medium for the first phase is 3-tons of 6Li loaded liquid scintillator in an optically segmented detector. This talk describes the current status of the experiment and the projected sensitivity in the search for an eV-scale sterile neutrino.


Conscious and unconscious visuo-spatial processes are mainly related to parieto-occipital cortical activation. In this study, the working hypothesis was that a specific pattern of parieto-occipital activation is induced by conscious, as opposed to unconscious, visuo-spatial processes. Electroencephalographic data (128 channels) were recorded in 12 normal adults during a visuo-spatial task. A cue stimulus appeared on the right or the left (equal probability) monitor side for a 'threshold time' inducing approximately 50% of correct recognitions. It was followed (after 2 s) by visual go stimuli at spatially congruent or incongruent positions with reference to the cue location. The left (right) mouse button was clicked if the go stimulus appeared on the left (right) monitor side. Subjects were required to say 'seen' if they had detected the cue stimulus or 'not seen' if they missed it (self-report). 'Seen' and 'not seen' electroencephalographic trials were averaged separately to form visual evoked potentials. Sources of these potentials were estimated by LORETA software. Reaction time to go stimuli was shorter during spatially congruent than incongruent 'seen' trials, possibly due to covert attention on cue for self-report. It was also shorter during spatially congruent than incongruent 'not seen' trials, as an objective sign of unconscious processes. Cue stimulus evoked parieto-occipital potentials which has the same peak latencies in the 'seen' and 'not seen' cases. Sources of these potentials were located in occipital area 19 and parietal area 7. Source strength was significantly stronger in 'seen' than 'not seen' cases at approximately +300 ms post-stimulus. These results may unveil features of parieto-occipital activation accompanying visuo-spatial consciousness.


Background: Obesity is emerging as important health problems worldwide. In recent years, with the development of desensitization therapy, successful kidney transplantation has been performed even in sensitized patients. Previous studies have examined the relationship between recipient obesity and graft loss rate, which has been reported that graft loss rate increases as body mass index (BMI) increases. However, there is no research on the effect of graft loss on high BMI in pretransplant sensitized patients. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between obesity and pretransplant sensitization status. Methods: This study was retrospective, observational, and single center design. From January 2010 to December 2018, patients who underwent ABO matched living donor kidney transplantation at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital were enrolled. BMI was calculated on the basis of height and weight at the time of transplantation. Pre-sensitized group was defined when the median fluorescence intensity of pre-transplant donor specific anti-HLA antibody (HLA-DSA) was higher than 3000. The primary outcome was the death-censored graft loss rate and the secondary outcomes were the overall graft loss rate, patient mortality rate, and biopsy-proven acute rejection rate. Results: Of total 682 patients, 621 patients were non-presensitized group and 61 patients were presensitized group. The median BMI was 22.7 kg/ m2 and classified into low BMI group and high BMI group. There was no significant difference in death censored graft failure, overall graft failure, patient mortality rate, and acute rejection rate according to BMI status. And death censored graft failure (5.8% vs. 13.1%, P=0.048) and biopsy proven acute rejection rate (18.8% vs. 49.2%, P<0.001) was significantly higher in presensitized group. Divided into 4 groups according to presensitization status and BMI, the death censored graft failure rate (19.0%, P = 0.044) in the presensitized with high BMI group was the highest among the 4 groups. Furthermore, the hazard ratio (HR) of presensitized with high BMI was 4.607 (95% confidence interval, 1.243-17.078, P=0.022) with statistical significance in multivariate Cox regression analysis with interaction between BMI and presensitization status (P=0.009). In addition, in the analysis of the time-dependent change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in 4 groups, the presensitized with high BMI group showed a sharp decrease compared to other groups from 2 years after transplantation. Conclusion: Living donor kidney transplantation recipients who were presensitized and whose BMI were above 22.7 have a greater risk of allograft loss than those who do not. Our results suggest that pre-sensitization and high BMI may have a synergistic adverse impact on long-term post-transplant allograft survivals. P-11.196


Though all languages are able to convey hopes and desires, only some among them have a specific verbal inflection for this purpose, the optative mood. Up to now, every grammatical description of Souletin Basque (easternmost dialect) has emphasized the existence of the optative mood, with verbal forms showing the prefix ait-. In historical Basque, such forms are attested also in western and central dialects; thus, the optative mood undoubtedly was a feature of common Basque. The aim of this paper is to offer a diachronic description of Basque optative. After a basic conceptualization (§1), we will address the Basque optative forms throughout both grammarians' works (§2) and texts (§3), their extension in space and time (§ 4), and we shall propose a hypothesis on the origin of the prefix ait- (§5). Finally, we will succinctly describe other means to express hopes and desires in Basque (§6).


Central banks, like the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, make judgements and take actions to promote the stability of the financial system. This involves making decisions in inherently uncertain situations. For example, how is financial stability defined? How can we recognise an imminent financial crisis? And, how is a financial crisis best mitigated or recovered from? This article presents a step towards a broad conceptual framework for promoting financial system stability and guiding the Bank's policy actions. We argue that the preconditions for financial stability are met when all financial system risks are being adequately identified, allocated, priced and managed. The financial system is made up of markets, institutions, and payments and settlement systems. Financial system risks broadly include credit, liquidity, market and operational risks. All of the preconditions are important to best ensuring that the financial system is resilient to a wide range of economic and financial shocks, and able to absorb financial crisis losses with least disruption. The preconditions for financial stability also best ensure that the financial system is efficient in its delivery of financial services, and allocating resources throughout the economy. In making assessments of financial stability, the Reserve Bank does not have a single, well-defined quantitative measure. Instead we draw on a variety of information, practices, and ongoing research. The Bank conducts regular surveillance of financial risks and reports on its assessments in the twice-yearly Financial Stability Report.


Abstract Low‐nuclearity copper hydrides are rare and few well‐defined dicopper hydrides have been reported. Herein, we describe the first example of a structurally characterized anionic dicopper hydride complex. This complex does not display typical reactivity associated with low‐nuclearity copper hydrides, such as alcoholysis or insertion reactions. Instead, its stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity is akin to that of copper hydride clusters. The distinct reactivity is ascribed to the robust dinuclear core that is bound tightly within the dinucleating ligand scaffold.


Platelet counts in excess of 1 million/cu mm are generally associated with a primary hematologic disorder such as a myeloproliferative syndrome. We describe a patient whose thrombocytosis (platelet count 1.6 million) was due solely to iron lack, and whose platelet count rapidly returned to normal with iron repletion. Clinicians are encouraged to consider reactive causes of thrombocytosis when evaluating platelet counts in excess of 1 million.


There seems to be a large discrepancy between leading and learning roles of EFL (English as a foreign language) teacher, learner and principal, which often makes EFL schools fail to build a coherent, collaborative system that supports powerful, equitable learning for all learners. Based on the discrepancy above, in this article, I introduce a reflective leadership framework (RLF) for EFL learners, teachers, and principals, which offers a vision of desirable practice for these three stakeholders with particular roles rather than a set of recipes or a change theory. Reflective leadership is used to describe the concept that learners, teachers and principals should be leaders and learners. I argue that with this reflective leadership type, in which all individuals are empowered to lead for learning, EFL schools could be more effective due to their unique contexts. In this leadership framework, 3 distinct concepts-learning, teaching, and leading-are mutually supportive for more powerful connections between leading and learning. This leadership type particularly offers a theoretically grounded framework for EFL schools, which desire to initiate a communicative curriculum with new leadership roles for students, teachers, and principals by drawing on the following bodies of literature: leading for learning, school-based management, creating a reflective learning community.


In Nineteenth century camphor was produced by distillation of the tree bark of camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) however now a days it is obtained artificially from oils like turpentine. Camphor is used to relieve pain, coryza, haemorrhoids, osteoarthritis and is an ingredient in of many over-the-counter drugs. In India the most popular use of camphor still remains in the spiritual prayers and pujas offered daily even in an ordinary household. Seizures can occur as soon as minutes after ingestion of camphor. Seizures associated with camphor have been reported in young children after accidental ingestion, dermal, and inhalational exposure. We report a case of camphor self-ingestion in an elderly female who experienced generalized tonic clonic convulsions with no previous history of seizure disorder. On evaluation she had no other plausible explanation for seizures but for camphor toxicity. She was treated supportively with no seizure recurrence.


A spectral method that obtains the soliton and periodic solutions to the nonlinear wave equation is presented. The results show that the nonlinear group velocity is a function of the frequency shift as well as of the soliton power. When the frequency shift is a function of time, a solution in terms of the Jacobian elliptic function is obtained. This solution is periodic in nature, and, to generate such an optical pulse train, one must simultaneously amplitude- and frequency-modulate the optical carrier. Finally, we extend the method to include the effect of self-steepening.


Introduction This study is conducted to establish the effect of design quality on project delay in building projects. It aims at: 1) investigating the major factors of design quality, 2) identifying the main delay factors in building projects, 2) establishing the relationship between design quality and delay in building projects. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire survey is performed. Seventeen (17) factors that might affect design quality, and 15 delay factors are listed in a questionnaire form. Sixty (60) contractors and 40 consultants are asked to identify the severity of the identified factors. Results indicate that the top factors affecting design quality are: delay in payments by client for design services, staff allocation for many projects at the same time, copying and modifying from previous work to minimize time and cost, tight design schedule, lack of designer knowledge with techniques and materials available in the market. The study also concludes that the top five delay factors include: payments delay, poor labor productivity, lack of skilled manpower, frequent change orders and rework. Regression analysis for data collected from 36 building projects shows a good correlation between design quality and delay in projects. This study is the first one that addresses the problem of design quality in the West Bank in Palestine. Furthermore, it is the first study that addresses the effect of design quality on project delay in Palestine and the neighboring countries. It is hoped to be helpful for researchers and professionals to understand the impact of design quality on schedule delay.


This paper presents a modular pipeline architecture for computing long discrete Fourier transforms (DFT). For an N point DFT, two conventional pipeline /spl radic/N point fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules are joined by a specialized center element. The center element contains memories, multipliers and control logic. Compared with a standard N point pipeline FFT the modular FFT reduces the number of delay elements required. Further, the coefficient storage is concentrated within the center element, reducing the storage requirement in the pipeline FFT modules. The centralized memory and address generator provide the storage and data reordering. The throughput of a standard radix-2 pipeline FFT is maintained with slightly higher end-to-end latency. A simulator has been built to analyze the proposed architecture. Results for DFTs of lengths up to 4M points are presented and compared with alternate algorithms.


ABSTRACT Although previous research has offered important insights into the consequences of mis- and disinformation and the effectiveness of corrective information, we know markedly less about how different types of corrective information – news media literacy interventions and fact-checkers – can be combined to counter different forms of misinformation. Against this backdrop, this paper reports on experiments in the US and the Netherlands (N = 1,091) that exposed people to evidence-based or fact-free anti-immigration misinformation, fact-checkers and/or a media literacy intervention. The main findings indicate that evidence-based misinformation is seen as more accurate than fact-free misinformation, and the combination of news media literacy interventions and fact-checkers is most effective in lowering issue agreement and perceived accuracy of misinformation across countries. These findings have important implications for journalism practice and policy makers that aim to combat mis- and disinformation.


Definitions of so-called older age often are based on a chronological age of 65 years and over, although by some authors aging is the process that starts after the 30th year of life. At the beginning occur changes in the organ functions, followed by anatomical changes as well. Some organs age faster, some slower. For example, kidneys decrease for one third, lungs do not change, liver shrinks a little, prostate increases twice. In some cross-sectional studies, muscle mass in men aged 65 is on average 12 kg less than in the so-called middle age, and in women it is approximately 5 kg less. In the heart the amount of connective tissue increases, lipofuscin is deposited in cardiac muscle, the strength of which is decreasing. In the respiratory tract the number of pathways cilia decreases, along with the alveolar surface, muscles involved in breathing change, lung elasticity is also diminished. But, in regard with the previous body capacity, "physiological aging" can be divided into three types of elderly: the "older" elderly have the highest functional capacity of 2-3 MET (MET--metabolic unit, i.e. the oxygen consumption of 3.5 ml/kg body mass in a minute), the "younger" elderly are the persons of older age having maximal functional capacity of 5-7 MET, while the "sport" elderly have the functional capacity of 9-10 MET, disregarding chronological age. The brain weight diminishes for approximately 7% compared to younger age. In temporal gyrus and area striata even 20-40% of cells are being lost, vacuolar and neuroaxonal degeneration occurs, lipofuscin is being accumulated. The brain blood flow, which is in normal conditions 50-60 ml/min/100 g of tissue, with the increase of biological age decreases to about 40 ml/min/100 g of tissue. However, this usually is not the consequence of biological age but of disease. A chronological age of 65 for the beginning of "elder hood" is a sociopolitical construct developed by social security systems and government organizations to decide an arbitrary age at which benefits should be paid. Thus, it neither a border nor do changes designating old age occurs exactly with that "age border". The changes in the organism during the so-called aging are individual. So, the functional capacity of an organism, both physical and intellectual, must be evaluated individually, having in mind biological age.


Background: To investigate the etiological factors and clinical features of neurological complications following liver transplantation.
Methods: The clinical data of 474 patients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation between April, 2002 and September, 2013 in our hospital were retrospectively analysed.
Results: There were 58 patients with neurological and nervous system complications among the 474 cases, of which 16 patients recovered from encephalopathy following both symptomatic and supportive treatment, 3 patients with seizure (1 death) and 6 patients with intracranial haemorrhage after the operation. Among 7 cases with infection in the central nervous system, 2 patients died of fungus infection. There were 11 cases with extrapyramidal damage and 15 cases with peripheral neuropathy. Neurological complications following orthotopic liver transplantation were associated with hepatic encephalopathy before transplantation, infection after transplantation and the administration of immuno-suppressants.
Conclusion: Neurological complications following liver transplantation are commonly seen and have a variety of etiological factors and/or clinical symptoms. Prompt and specific treatment for different etiologies can control the complications, thereby providing the patients the best chance for long term survival.


In a prospective randomised study we examined 80 men and women of 18 to 45 years of age and 40 competitive sportsmen and sportswomen with fresh ruptures of the talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments treated either surgically or conservatively by functional bracing. We controlled the results by anamnesis and by clinical and radiological follow-up. Conservative treatment leads to the same results after 3-8 months as surgical treatment (5 +/- 2 degrees of talar angulation). Functional conservative treatment results in earlier painless weight bearing in comparison to the surgical treatment which was, however, combined with three weeks immobilization directly after surgery. This proves the superiority of the early functional conservative treatment as long as there are no bony capsuloligamentous tears, osseocartilaginous lesions of the joint surface with splintered-off chips or "flakes" of cartilage ("flake fractures") or reruptures of a chronically unstable ankle joint. The similarly good results achieved in the group of 40 sportsmen and sportswomen by early functional conservative treatment do not justify operation of ruptures of the talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments.


Zinc oxide (ZnO) offers a great potential in several applications from sensors to Photovoltaic cells thanks to the material's dependency, to its optical and electrical properties and crystalline structure architypes. Typically, ZnO powder tends to be grown in the form of a wurtzite structure allowing versatility in the phase of material growths; albeit, whereas in this work we introduce an alternative in scalable yet relatively simple 2D hexagonal planed ZnO nanoflakes via the electrochemical deposition of commercially purchased Zn(NO3)2 and KCl salts in an electrochemical process. The resulting grown materials were analyzed and characterized via a series of techniques prior to thermal annealing to increase the grain size and improve the crystal quality. Through observation via scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, we have analyzed the statistics of the grown flakes' hexagonal plane's size showing a non-monotonal strong dependency of the average flake's hexagonal flakes' on the annealing temperature, whereas at 300 °C annealing temperature, average flake size was found to be in the order of 300 μm2. The flakes were further analyzed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm its hexagonal planes and spectroscopy techniques, such as Raman Spectroscopy and photo luminescence were applied to analyze and confirm the ZnO crystal signatures. The grown materials also underwent further characterization to gain insights on the material, electrical, and optical properties and, hence, verify the quality of the material for Photovoltaic cells' electron collection layer application. The role of KCl in aiding the growth of the less preferable (0001) ZnO is also investigated via various prospects discussed in our work. Our method offers a relatively simple and mass-producible method for synthesizing a high quality 2D form of ZnO that is, otherwise, technically difficult to grow or control.


Austenite grain growth in microalloyed steels is governed by the coarsening of fine precipitates present at grain boundaries below the grain coarsening temperature. Zener model is widely used in metals to describe the pinning effect of second phase particles precipitated in the matrix. In this work it has been discussed whether grain boundary or volume diffusion is the rate controlling process for the coarsening of the niobium carbonitrides. Calculations on austenite grain growth kinetics, obtained coupling Zener theory and both rate controlling processes of precipitate coarsening, have been compared against experimental austenite grain size results under nonisothermal heating conditions. In this sense, it has been concluded that the coarsening of niobium carbonitrides is mainly controlled by volume diffusion of Nb in austenite.


The genus Theorema Hewitson, 1865 is reviewed and characterized. It can be identified on the basis of the following characters: 1) the hind wing dorsal scent patch in the discal and anal areas covered by long hairs; 2) the male genital aedeagus with a terminal sclerotized claw-shaped ventral cornutus and 3) the female genital ductus with a membranous central area weakly sclerotized on its ventral surface. Four species are distinguished: 1) Theorema eumenia Hewitson, 1865 (type species) distributed from south eastern Mexico to Ecuador, 2) Theorema sapho (Staudinger, 1888) Constantino, Salazar & Johnson, 1993, distributed from Panama to Western Colombia and Ecuador, 3) Theorema dysmenia Draudt, 1919, known from Colombia and Peru, and 4) Theorema pyrczia Balint, sp. n. being described from Venezuela. A key for identification plus a checklist of taxa with reference to type material of Theorema is given. The lectotype of Theorema eumenia is designated. The identity of Thecla werneri Hering & Hopp, 1925, mistakenly considered as Theorema sapho synonym, is clarified and placed in synonymy with Thecla crines H. H. Druce, 1907. Colombian distributional data for Theorema dysmenia, T. eumenia and T. sapho summarized from the literature and various collections are presented. Brief notes on the rediscovery and the biology of T. dysmenia in Colombia, on the biology of T. sapho and the mimicries in which Theorema are probably involved are also provided.


Transcription factor Stat5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) is essential for PRL-induced terminal differentiation of mouse mammary epithelial cells during pregnancy and lactation and has been implicated in mammary tumorigenesis. A new and sensitive immunological method to detect active, tyrosine phosphorylated Stat5 in situ revealed that Stat5 is continuously activated in luminal epithelial cells of mouse and human breast, not only during pregnancy and lactation, but also outside of pregnancy. Examination of virgin Stat5a or Stat5b null mice suggested that Stat5a was the primary isoform activated in mammary epithelial cells. Basal activation of Stat5 in mammary epithelium of virgin wild-type mice was continuous throughout estrous cycle and was also detected in 17 of 17 normal human breast tissue specimens analyzed. PRL was identified as the principal factor maintaining basal activation of Stat5 in mammary epithelium of nonpregnant mice based on several lines of evidence. First, administration of PRL, but not GH or epidermal growth factor, uniformly enhanced basal activation of Stat5 in luminal mammary epithelial cells. Second, hypophysectomy disrupted basal activation of Stat5, an effect that was completely reversed by administration of PRL, but only partially by GH. Third, knock-out of the PRL receptor gene markedly reduced basal activation of Stat5, an effect that was maintained in a normalized endocrine environment after transplanting PRL receptor null mammary epithelium into wild-type mice. Continuous activation of Stat5 indicates a role of this transcription factor in normal, nonpregnant breast epithelial cells, and may shed new light on Stat5 involvement in breast tumor promotion.


Summary.  Imaging and clinical scores are the main tools used to evaluate the progression of haemophilic arthropathy (HA). Based on haemophilic ankle arthropathy, this study aimed to explore the concordances between structural and clinical alterations, determined by standard radiological and clinical scores, and functional alterations assessed by three‐dimensional gait analysis (3DGA). In total, 21 adult haemophilia patients underwent extensive ankle evaluation using the physical examination part of the World Federation of Haemophilia joint score, the Arnold–Hilgartner and the Pettersson radiological scores, and self‐reported ankle function assessment using the revised Foot Function Index. Significant associations were found between self‐reported ankle function assessment and the three 3DGA variables representative of joint function (range of motion, peak plantar flexion moment, and peak power generated at the push‐off phase). Radiological and clinical scores were compared with ankle muscle peak power measurement, the most reliable 3DGA gait variable for ankle function. No significant associations were found between both clinical and functional scores and the 3DGA functional assessment. This discordance may be explained by the lack of a direct relationship between functional alterations detected by 3DGA and the structural changes assessed using X‐ray or clinical scoring. Another explanation may be the limitation of clinical and radiological scoring systems in properly determining the severity of HA. Functional assessments such as 3DGA should be used more frequently when monitoring the progression of ankle arthropathy or the effects of therapeutic interventions in adult haemophilia patients.


The facial innervation pattern of trigeminal nerve fibres comprises the innervation of the nasal epithelium, where free trigeminal nerve endings contribute to detection and discrimination of chemical stimuli including odourants. The signal transduction mechanisms in sensory nerve endings underlying perception of chemical stimuli remain widely uncovered. Here, we characterized trigeminal ATP‐activated P2X receptors in cultured rat trigeminal neurons and investigated their role in chemoperception. We identified a new subpopulation of neurons lacking typical nociceptive characteristics and expressing homomeric P2X2 receptors. Using a certain group of chemicals known as trigeminal stimuli we found no direct activation of trigeminal neurons, but a modulation of P2X2 receptor mediated currents. In contrast, P2X3 receptor mediated currents of nociceptive trigeminal neurons remained unaffected by the tested chemicals. Therefore, we assume a functional role for the newly identified subpopulation in chemodetection of certain trigeminal stimuli.


Reading eighteenth-century Atlantic media with an eye to the material conditions of production, circulation, and consumption provides new ways of understanding how the circulation of goods—in this case, texts and textiles—fosters new forms of expression as well as new kinds of subjects. Textiles were central to the rise of eighteenth-century print culture and public prints have more to tell us than the words inked on the page: printed on rag paper and stitched together with a variety of different threads, texts bear the mark of men and women laboring in flax fields and as spinners, weavers, seamstresses, and laundresses and as rag pickers and papermakers. In this sense, literature and commerce—discourse and economy—collide to produce new forms of expression that, in turn, foster consuming publics of both words and goods. By approaching the texts and objects that facilitate commercial exchange with an eye to their poetic or formalistic qualities, we can see how the formal elements of the writing reflect and comment on manufacturing processes and commercial exchanges. That is, we can see how words might have a material presence, as well as how goods might participate in the discursive production of culture.


A recent resurgence of interest in new, more powerful, coherent sources of terahertz (THz) radiation (0.3–3.0 × 1012 Hz) has been driven by advances in fabrication and device physics modeling, emergence of new security threats, and application potential in high data rate communications, concealed weapon or threat detection, remote high resolution imaging, chemical spectroscopy, materials research, deep space research and communications, basic biological spectroscopy and biomedical diagnostics. This talk reviews recent advances and achievements in THz-regime vacuum electronic devices (VEDs). VEDs are intrinsically superior to solid state devices at handling high power or high power density. Development of VED sources of THz radiation has therefore primarily focused on applications calling for either high average power or high average power density, i.e., relatively high power in a compact package, and usually with the highest achievable device efficiencies. The VED source and critical enabling technology advances reviewed in this talk include EIKs, BWOs, TWTs, gyrotrons, FELs, beamline sources, microfabrication and cathodes.


When discussing eBooks, people generally fall into two camps: they either don't know what eBooks are or know what they are but cannot find them at their local library. Libraries are beginning to successfully address the gap between patron awareness of electronic books in general and a library's holdings and circulation options. EBooks are a relatively new format, and many rights and business model issues between authors, publishers and distributors remain unresolved. EBook readers to a large degree receive more media attention than eBooks themselves. More and more people are looking to libraries to fill their eBook needs. OverDrive (http://overdrive.com) offers libraries eBooks with true to expectations portability. Libraries are beginning to successfully market their eBook collections and make discovery easier.


Findings from epidemiological, pharmacotherapeutical, genetic and neurobiological studies suggest a possible overlap in the neurobiology of generalized social anxiety disorder (gSAD) and panic disorder (PD). Previously we have found a rapid intravenous m-CPP challenge of 0.1 mg/kg to be highly sensitive and selective in the provocation of panic attacks in patients with PD. We therefore directly compared the behavioural, neuroendocrine and physiological effects of this rapid m-CPP challenge in a small sample of patients with gSAD, patients with PD and matched healthy controls. Panic attacks were significantly more provoked in patients with PD (85%), but not in patients with gSAD (14%) as compared to healthy controls (0%). Effects on the other behavioural parameters, but not on the neuroendocrine and physiological parameters, were significantly greater in patients with PD compared to patients with gSAD and controls. Our preliminary data do not support a shared neurobiology of gSAD and PD.


There has been a dramatic shift in attitude among organizations regarding the probabilities of crisis occurring. Once crises were considered the domain of the contingency management team that sought the fastest means to recovery, now the entire organization is compelled to take steps intended to mitigate conditions leading to a crisis. In this paper, the authors consider the organization's "first responders" i.e., those who become involuntarily placed in the decision making process because they are the first to become aware of the conditions which indicate impending crisis simply because they are "on scene". As agents of the organization, these persons will make initial decisions well before the implementation of any formal contingency plan and because their decisions will be based on incomplete assumptions, they are likely to be in error. The impact of these initial crisis-agent responses can cause irreparable damage to the organization, to the individuals within the organization, and to the surrounding environment. This tendency toward error is referred to as the initial crisis-agent response impact syndrome: ICARIS. Exercising a program that prepares all employees for the initial decisions that need to be made at the moment of crisis can mitigate problems related to this issue.


Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is an enzyme that catalyses condensation of homocysteine and serine to cystathionine. CBS deficiency, an autosomal recessive trait with estimated population frequency of around 1:10 000–1:20 000, resembles in the most severe forms Marfan syndrome with thromboembolism and neurological impairment, whereas milder forms may manifest with only thromboembolism or may remain asymptomatic. Laboratory findings include grossly elevated plasma total homocysteine and in part of patients also elevated blood methionine; the latter feature is utilised in neonatal screening. CBS binds three cofactors: pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, an allosteric activator S-adenosylmethionine and haem with as yet unresolved function. In the CBS gene, more than 150 different mutations have been described to date, almost 90% of them are missense variants. Although some of the mutations affect ribonucleic acid processing and its stability, the majority of mutations lead to enzyme misfolding and misassembly, which may be in part rescued by chemical or molecular chaperones.

Key Concepts:

Cystathionine β-synthase catalyses the first step in homocysteine trans-sulfuration.

Cystathionine β-synthase is a modular enzyme composed of a haem-binding N-terminal domain, the catalytically active core and the C-terminal autoinhibitory domain.

More than 150 different pathogenic mutations have been described in the CBS gene, almost 90% of all mutant CBS alleles carry missense mutations.

Misfolding and misassembly of mutant CBS subunits is a common pathogenic mechanism leading to CBS deficiency.

Mutation topology predicts in part the behaviour of mutant CBS enzymes, solvent accessible mutations have less severe effect than those buried in the enzyme globule.

Deficient CBS activity leads to gross elevation of plasma total homocysteine and often to elevated blood methionine levels.

Phenotypic consequences of mutations in the CBS gene include thromboembolism and vascular occlusion, which is accompanied in some patients by lens dislocation, marfanoid features and varying degree of neurological involvement.

Population frequency of clinically ascertained patients with CBS deficiency is one to two orders of magnitude lower than the frequency calculated from the prevalence of heterozygotes for pathogenic mutations; this observation indicates an ascertainment bias or lack of symptoms in many CBS-deficient individuals.

Murine models of CBS deficiency recapitulate in part the pathophysiology and organ involvement observed in human patients.

Keywords:

homocysteine;
homocystinuria;
inborn errors of metabolism;
cystathionine β-synthase;
mutations;
pathogenesis;
misfolding;
chaperones;
mouse models


In many developing countries, regional integration has become a key means of promoting economic growth and fighting poverty. PTAs are increasingly used as engines of change in many developing countries, to promote, implement, and lock in reforms in a wide range of policy areas such as investment regimes, competition rules, and government procurement. They create larger and more competitive markets and benefit producers and consumers through economies of scale and lower prices. Although PTAs may promote development, they necessarily discriminate against nonmembers and can therefore lead to trade diversion in a way that hurts both member countries and excluded countries. Also, the proliferation of bilateral and regional PTAs may undermine progress toward a more open, transparent, and rules-based multilateral trading system. In this paper it will be discussed about the establishment and expectations of a free trade agreement CEFTA 2006. Specifically, the South East European countries, which made the majority of this regional economic integration, still have many unresolved, above all, political problems. On the other hand, the different status of these countries in the process of integration into the European Union chose the inflow of financial resources and speed necessary economic reforms. However, the global economic crisis has slowed the flow of financial resources, especially greenfield investments, deepened social stratification and mutual political differences between member states. This paper will try to answer the question: do this PTAs really contribute to deeper integration in EU?


We address in this paper an improved medical monitoring system through an automatic recognition of human activity in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). A multi camera vision system approach is proposed to collect video sequence for automatic analysis and interpretation of the scene. The latter is performed using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) with explicit state duration combine at the management of the hierarchical structure of the scenario. Significant experiments are carried out on the proposed monitoring system in a hospital's cardiology section in order to prove the need for computer-aided patient supervision to help clinicians in the decision making process. Temporal and hierarchical HMM handles explicitly the state duration and then provides a suitable solution for the automatic recognition of temporal events. Finally, the use of Temporal HMM (THMM) based approach improves the scenario recognition performance compared to the result of standard HMM models.


Widespread adoption of new varieties can be valuable, especially where improved agricultural production technologies are hard to access. However, as farmers adopt new varieties, in situ population structure and genetic diversity of their seed holdings can change drastically. Consequences of adoption are still poorly understood due to a lack of crop genetic diversity assessments and detailed surveys of farmers' seed management practices. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an excellent model for these types of studies, as it has a long history of cultivation among smallholder farmers, exhibits eco-geographic patterns of diversity (e.g., Andean vs. Mesoamerican gene-pools), and has been subjected to post-Columbian dispersal and recent introduction of improved cultivars. The Hoima district of western Uganda additionally provides an excellent social setting for evaluating consequences of adoption because access to improved varieties has varied across farmer groups in this production region. This study establishes a baseline understanding of the common bean diversity found among household producers in Uganda and compares the crop population structure, diversity and consequences of adoption of household producers with different adoption practices. Molecular diversity analysis, based on 4,955 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, evaluated a total of 1,156 seed samples that included 196 household samples collected from household producers in the Hoima district, 19 breeder-selected varieties used in participatory breeding activities that had taken place prior to the study in the region, and a global bean germplasm collection. Households that had participated in regional participatory breeding efforts were more likely to adopt new varieties and, consequently, diversify their seed stocks than those that had not participated. Of the three farmer groups that participated in breeding efforts, households from the farmer group with the longest history of bean production were more likely to conserve "Seed Engufu", a local "Calima"-type variety of the Andean bean gene pool, and, at the same time, introduce rare Mesoamerican gene pool varieties into household seed stocks.


A probe based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences was developed to detect Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, the causative agent of Johne's disease in cattle. Three universal primers were used to sequence the amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene of various species of mycobacteria. When the nucleotide sequences were analysed, a deletion was detected in the sequence of the fast-growing species. An oligonucleotide probe (P) directed to this region was synthesised and hybridised directly with total RNA of various mycobacterial strains in a dot-spot assay. The probe detected M. paratuberculosis, some other slow-growing mycobacteria of the M. avium-intracellulare (MAI) complex, and one atypical strain, M. gordonae. To increase the sensitivity of the probe, a 413-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of M. paratuberculosis between P and a second oligonucleotide primer was amplified and hybridised with a M. paratuberculosis/M. avium-specific probe. When faecal samples of cattle were tested, all culture-positive samples were positive in the PCR assay.


A novel topology for the composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL) is presented. This type of CRLH TLs has the advantage of exhibiting an all-pass behavior and a frequency-independent characteristic impedance, in the so-called balanced case. Moreover, it presents a larger group velocity than its conventional counterpart, thereby allowing for wider bandwidth operation. This letter investigates the fundamental properties of this structure, and demonstrates them by full-wave simulation and measurement results on a practical implementation in parallel stripline technology.


The observational and brief cross section study was conducted in the ADR monitoring centre, department of pharmacology, SVS MEDICAL HOSPITAL. The adverse dru g reactions (ADR) reported by physician of dermatology department of SVSMH were collected and then causality, severity and preventability assessm nt was done. The results were presented as number and perc entage. Total of 544 patients were observed with 74 suspected ADRs. The incidence of dermatological ADR was 3.78% Most commonly manifested ADR was rash (26.67%). T otal 97 drugs were suspected. Maximum incidence of derma tological ADRs were observed with anti-inflammatory  agents and immunosuppressive (33.30%) followed by a ntibiotic drugs (13.3%).Dermatological adverse drug  reactions were a common occurrence and awareness ab out them was found to be essential for early detect ion and prevention. The healthcare system can promote the s pontaneous reporting of dermatological ADR top Pharmacovigilance centre's for ensuring safe drug u se and patient care. . Most of the reported ADRs we re possible, definitely preventable and mild in nature. Our stud y suggests that there is a need of intensive monito ring for ADRs in tertiary care hospital for early detection and t o ensure the patient safety.


A semisupervised kernel deformation function, including spatial similarity, is proposed for the classification of remote sensing (RS) images. The method exploits the characteristic of these images, in which spatially nearby points are likely to belong to the same class. To fulfill this assumption, a kernel encoding both spatial and spectral proximity using unlabeled samples is proposed. In this letter, two similarity functions for constructing a spatial kernel are proposed. Experimental tests are performed on very high-resolution multispectral and hyperspectral data. With respect to state-of-the-art semisupervised methods for RS images, the proposed method incorporating spatial similarity obtains higher classification accuracy values and smoother classification maps.


We describe the design and implementation of the RIO (Randomized I/O) multimedia object server which manages a set of parallel disks and supports real-time throughput and statistical delay guarantees. The original implementation, on an SMP (Sun Microsystems E4000), has been ported to a cluster of PCs. The new version uses a similar philosophy with respect to allocation of data storage and scheduling of requests. However the parallel \shared nothing" architecture raises all the issues of latency, scalability, etc. that are familiar in parallel and distributed systems. Our requirements are particularly demanding since we expect to support a variety of multimedia applications with varying workload requirements and data reference patterns. 3D interactive applications, video, hypermedia and interactive scientiic visualization of terabyte size data sets are among the applications we support. This paper details the design issues we addressed and the results of detailed simulation studies which dictated the design choices made.


In this paper, an investigation of the static/dynamic performance of dual-emitter phototransistors (DEPTs) as an electrooptical switch was made. In the static case, the measured optical gains (the collector photocurrents) of DEPTs operated at a 12.5-muW optical power have been enhanced from 13.7 to 20.2 (88 to 129 muA) due to an emitter-induced gain high (EIGH) from photocurrent modulation. For DEPTs as an electrooptical switch, the EIGH from photocurrent modulation and the emitter-induced gain effect from junction-voltage modulation dominate the dynamic operation. In the case of continuous light input, good bistable-state output characteristics can be realized with an electrical clock signal. When the switch is operated with a 2-V supply voltage and a 10-kOmega load resistance, the stable electrical-logic swing (ELS) is 0.41 V for a 1-V/1-kHz clock signal. Electrical inputs of 5-, 10-, and 50-kHz clock signals are also employed to achieve outputs with increased ELSs of 1.18, 1.19, and 1.3 V, respectively. An optical inverter is realized. When two clock signals, an electrical input and an optical input, are employed, DEPTs are operated as a tristable-state switch.


Electromagnetic welding (EMW) is a solid state impact welding technique which uses pulsed electromagnetic field for welding electrically conductive work pieces like aluminum. High velocity of impact created by the electromagnetic force causes the removal of oxide layer from the weld interface. A fully coupled numerical analysis, incorporating the equivalent electric circuit of EMW, electromagnetic field propagation, heat transfer, and dynamic elasto-plastic deformation, has been carried out using LS-DYNA EM module. The numerical simulation results for the EM weld feasibility, deformation pattern, temperature distribution and velocity of impact are reported here and corroborated with the previously published literature. It is observed that the temperature rise is not significant to cause the melting of Al sheets indicating there will not be any intermetallics. Hence, present paper is important for welding dissimilar metals for automobile components. Metallographic studies have also revealed absence of any coarse or columnar grain structures at the weld interface.


Pharmacogenetic testing holds great promise to improve health outcomes and reduce adverse drug responses through enhanced selection of therapeutic agents. Since drug responses can be manipulated by verbal suggestions, it is of particular interest to understand the potential impact of pharmacogenetic test results on drug response. Placebo and nocebo-like effects may be possible due to the suggestive nature of pharmacogenetic information that a drug will or will not likely lead to improved health outcomes. For example, pharmacogenetic testing could provide further reassurance to patients that a given drug will be effective and/or cause minimal side effects. However, pharmacogenetic information could adversely affect drug response through negative expectations that a drug will be less than optimally effective or cause an adverse response, known as a nocebo-like effect. Therefore, a patient's perceived value of testing, their understanding of the test results, and the manner in which they are communicated may influence therapeutic outcome. As such, physicians should consider the potential effect of pharmacogenetic test results on therapeutic outcome when communicating results to patients. Studies are needed to investigate the impact of pharmacogenetic information of therapeutic outcome.


Executive Summary
1. This project had two components, the evaluation of a Developing and Enhancing Leadership and Management Skills programme delivered to 150 frontline supervisory and senior managers in North Bristol NHS Trust and the implementation of guidelines for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research.
2. Evaluation data were collected through three knowledge cafe events engaging 36 staff. These events were used to facilitate and record meaningful conversations that were focused around five questions. Follow-up interviews were conducted with a further 15 staff.
3. The PPI guidelines were applied throughout the project and the experiences of the two service users involved were recorded through ongoing dialogue and review of guideline implementation.
4. Data from the events and interviews suggested the programme had benefits for staff. These included the development of new insights and better understanding of the roles and experiences of other leaders in the Trust. Immediate and sustained outcomes were also reported for the individuals and organisation. Staff felt that they moved forward professionally and had insight into the "bigger picture". They also welcomed delivery from external facilitators who had a refreshing approach.
5. Staff were also able to demonstrate new learning. In particular the programme had changed their approach to handling leadership issues and their use of tools and skills. Managers reported taking a different approach to the management of more challenging situations, planning responses rather than reacting and encouraging problem-solving and reflection in staff.
6. Staff reflected on a number of issues that affected their ability to apply learning in practice. They commented on the need for a learning culture, with a strategy to support the implementation of new learning. They felt senior managerial support with the implementation of change was crucial. Having the time to implement learning was important and access to ongoing support to implement change would also be helpful, through perhaps knowledge cafe events or supervision and coaching.
7. The service users found their involvement in this research to be largely positive, though there is a need to ensure all academics are attuned to the needs of service users engaged in projects.
8. A number of recommendations emerged, such as: continue to include a wide range of staff in the same programme to allow sharing of expertise; consider delivering to an even wider range of staff including team leaders; maintain external consultancy role in delivery; consider post-course follow-up and include this in the initial contracting. There was also a recommendation that the organisation undertake internal reflections that explore the current learning culture and identify ways of supporting staff to implement learning in practice.
9. The UWE guidelines for PPI in research were evaluated as being fit for purpose and could usefully guide service user and carer involvement in a range of evaluation and research projects.


Groundwater is an important source of human activities, agriculture and industry. Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs) is one of the important technologies for marine environmental monitoring. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the node self- localization technology of underwater acoustic sensor network. This paper mainly studies the node localization algorithm based on range-free. In order to save cost and energy consumption, only a small number of sensing nodes in sensor networks usually know their own location. How to locate all nodes accurately through these few nodes is the focus of our research. In this paper, combined with the compressive sensing algorithm, a range-free node localization algorithm based on node hop information is proposed. Aiming at the problem that connection information collected by the algorithm is an integer, the hop is modified to further improve the localization performance. The simulation analysis shows that the improved algorithm is effective to improve the localization accuracy without additional cost and energy consumption compared with the traditional method.


This paper presents probabilistic and economic models of two dimensions of catastrophic weather risks that are important factors underlying lagoon failures and waste spills in North Carolina-hurricane risks and the risks associated with significant cumulative rainfall. Hurricane strike and excessive cumulative rainfall probabilities are estimated for the entire state. Expected losses, which represent actuarially-fair insurance premium rates for a plan that would indemnify producers against damages from lagoon failures, are evaluated. Results imply annual premiums ranging from under $100 per year to over $2,062 per year. An interesting result is that those areas with the highest levels of expected loss are also those areas with the greatest concentration of waste lagoons.


Background. The current 3 rd edition of the Italian Society of Nephrology guidelines has been drawn up to summarize evidence of key intervention issues on the basis of systematic reviews (SR) of randomized trials (RCT) or RCT data only. The present guideline reports evidence of the use of antimicrobial agents for preventing peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods. SR of RCT and RCT on treatments aiming at preventing peritoneal dialysis peritonitis were identified referring to a Cochrane Library and Renal Health Library search (2005 update). Quality of SR and RCT was assessed according to current methodological standards. Results. One SR and 19 RCT were found addressing this issue. Staphylococcus Aureus nasal carriage treatment with mupirocin reduces exit-site and tunnel infections but not peritonitis. Topical gentamicin treatment on the exit site reduces Staphylococcus Aureus infection and peritonitis incidence. Intravenous antibiotics administration prior to catheter placement significantly reduces the risk of early peritonitis but not exit-site and tunnel infections. Oral nistatin associated with antibiotic treatment significantly reduces the incidence of Candida peritonitis. No other prophylaxis measure seems to be effective based on available evidence. Conclusion. In patients on peritoneal dialysis current evidence supports the hypothesis that topical mupirocin reduces the risk of Staphylococcus Aureus peritonitis, intravenous antibiotics prior to catheter placement prevent the risk of early peritonitis, and oral nistatin reduces the risk of Candida peritonitis. Further studies are necessary to test the effectiveness of other interventions. (G Ital Nefrol 2007; 24 (Suppl. 37): S125-35)


In this work, a styrene-divinylbenzene based resin has been functionalized with 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde with the objective of employing it for the preconcentration of Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) contained in trace amount in various matrices. The optimum pH range for the maximum sorption of Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) was observed at pH 5.5-9.0, with the half-loading time, t1/2, ranging from 5 to 13.7 min. The sorption of these metal ions in presence of potentially interfering matrices (including naturally occurring chelating agents) was investigated. The synthesized resin was able to preconcentrate metal ions at concentration as low as 5.55-8.33 μg L-1 , thereby resulting in the preconcentration factor in range of 240-360. The results favour the applicability of this method for the simultaneous preconcentration and determination of all the metal ions constituting complex matrices. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of the heavy metals in natural waters as well as food samples.


Background: Many skin diseases are known to be either initiated or aggravated by excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure. High cumulative levels of UV radiation may lead to tanning, burning, photoaging, photoallergic and phototoxic reactions, immunosuppression, and even skin cancers. Many international studies have found that the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general public toward sun exposure and sun protection measures is good in the Western countries, especially in countries with high incidence of skin cancers compared to Asian countries and Middle East. In India, the incidence of skin cancer is not very high, but UV exposure has definitely increased in the past few decades. Little is known about the knowledge and attitude of Indians toward sun exposure and sun protection due to the paucity of research in this arena. Aims and Objectives: This study was aimed at exploring the knowledge and attitudes of Indians toward sun exposure and sun protection measures. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a predesigned questionnaire related to the knowledge, behavior, and attitudes toward sun exposure and sun protection of the participants visiting a dermatology outpatient clinic for various dermatological problems. Results: total of 324 patients were studied. Participants were divided into five age groups of equal number of male and female participants. Mean age was 37.7 ± 13.15. Overall awareness and knowledge was poor and only 14% were using regular sunscreen. Females had better knowledge and attitude toward sun exposure and protection. The most commonly used sun protection measure was avoiding sun during peak hours of the day. Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding sun exposure hazards was very low among the study population, and sun prevention behaviors were also very poor. Regular use of sunscreen was practiced only by a small fraction of our population. Knowledge of sun exposure and photoprotection was better in urban, young participants, female gender, and also positively associated with higher education and socioeconomic status. Participants from urban background, females, and middle-aged participants had better attitude toward photoprotection.


Background: Dermoscopy of morphea and cutaneous lichen sclerosus (CLS) has been described by various studies, with none of them considering variability according to clinical phases and investigating dermoscopic-histological correlations. Objective: To evaluate dermoscopic features in general and according to clinical stage, identify possible distinctive dermoscopic clues, and assess dermoscopy accuracy in detecting subclinical alterations in morphea and CLS. Methods: A representative dermoscopic image of target lesions was evaluated for the presence of specific features, correlating them with clinical subtype (inflammatory, inflammatory-sclerotic, sclerotic, or sclerotic-atrophic). In case of clinical-dermoscopic discordance (inflammatory, sclerotic, and atrophic findings in noninflammatory, nonsclerotic, and nonatrophic lesions, respectively), dermoscopic-pathological correspondence was assessed. Results: A total of 86 lesions (51 morphea/35 CLS) were analyzed, with most of them displaying an inflammatory-sclerotic or sclerotic clinical pattern. The most common dermoscopic findings of morphea were "fibrotic beams," while CLS was mainly characterized by bright white/white-yellowish patches and yellowish-white keratotic follicular plugs; all these structures displayed complete specificity for the correspondent dermatosis. Additionally, pigmentary structures were significantly more frequent in morphea and white scaling and hemorrhagic spots in CLS. Only few dermoscopic features reached a statistical significance for a specific clinical stage. Regarding the clinical-dermoscopic discordance rate, it was significantly more common in morphea than CLS; in all cases there was a correspondence between dermoscopic and pathological findings. Conclusion: Dermoscopy of morphea and CLS reveals distinctive dermoscopic clues which are often unrelated to clinical stage but show a constant histological correspondence, thus emphasizing its usefulness in diagnosis and therapeutic management of these conditions.


This study provides a partial test of Klinger's ecological theory of police behavior using hierarchical linear modeling on 1,677 suspects who had encounters with police within 24 beats. The current study used data from four sources originally collected by the Project on Policing Neighborhoods (POPN), including systematic social observation, in-person interviews with officers, census data, and police crime records. It investigates the effects of neighborhood violent crime rates and concentrated disadvantage on officer vigor, controlling for individual-level officer characteristics and situational factors. The analyses reveal that police vigor was significantly shaped by beat-level crime rates, with high–crime rate neighborhoods experiencing higher levels of police vigor in handling suspects. The findings are not consistent with the ecological propositions set forth by Klinger. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research and theoretical development are discussed.


Background The accumulation of liposome encapsulated chemotherapy in solid cancers is dependent on the presence of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with a liposome encapsulated radioisotope, such as liposome encapsulated Cu-64 (64Cu-liposome) may help to identify tumors with high liposome accumulation, and thereby stratify patients based on expected benefit from liposomal chemotherapy. However, intravenous administration of liposomes without a cytotoxic content is complicated by the accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon for succeeding therapeutic liposome dosing. Alternative markers for assessing the tumor's EPR level are therefore warranted. Materials and Methods To increase our understanding of EPR variations and to ultimately identify an alternative marker for the EPR effect, we investigated the correlation between 64Cu-liposome PET/CT (EPR effect) and 68Ga-RGD PET/CT (neoangiogenesis), 18F-FDG PET/CT (glycolysis), diffusion-weighted MRI (diffusivity) and interstitial fluid pressure in two experimental cancer models (CT26 and COLO 205). Results 64Cu-liposome and 68Ga-RGD SUVmax displayed a significant moderate correlation, however, none of the other parameters evaluated displayed significant correlations. These results indicate that differences in neoangiogenesis may explain some EPR variability, however, as correlations were only moderate and not observed for SUVmean, 68Ga-RGD is probably insufficient to serve as a stand-alone surrogate marker for quantifying the EPR effect and stratifying patients.


Determining the thickness of plastic sheets on the basis of near-infrared spectra by building a multivariate calibration model requires a relatively large sample set. In the thickness region, where just a few noninterference-patterned samples are available, it is a waste of information if interference-patterned spectra are excluded. After eliminating the interference pattern from the spectra (filtering), the calibration set can be extended with these filtered spectra. Fourier transformation of an interference-patterned spectrum versus wavenumber leads to a Fourier spectrum as a function of the optical path length containing an easily recognizable interference peak. Unfortunately, this peak coincides with components of the spectral information of absorbance, on which multivariate calibration is based. Hence, replacing the interference peak is a cardinal step of the filtering process. Since the Fourier spectrum versus optical path length function is not known, it has been shown that interpolated data over the remaining Fourier components can be substituted for the missing part of the spectrum. In this paper, a novel method is proposed that uses a linear approximation between the Fourier spectra and the thickness values so that the regression coefficients are calculated on components of all but the interference-patterned Fourier spectra and the corresponding thicknesses, and then the deleted components in the filtered spectrum are replaced. This latter method yields more detailed Fourier spectra. Reducing the disturbing effect of scattering is also discussed. The effectiveness of the filtering was tested on low-density polyethylene sheets. The performance of different calibration models with or without filtering was compared by significance tests on standard error of prediction values. Application of the new Fourier type filtering technique led to significant improvements in the calibration performance.


This paper examines state protection as applied to the Roma minority group in the Czech Republic and the link to Roma refugee claimants in Canada. The paper traces measures implemented by the Czech national authorities to improve the situation of the Roma, but also continuing problems of discrimination and violence by state and non-state actors. It also describes the often weak implementation and enforcement of anti-discrimination measures by state officials and the judiciary, among which are the failure to properly investigate and hold accountable public officials, including police officers, accused of misconduct towards members of the Roma minority. The paper then examines the Canadian governmental response to the 2008–09 influx of Czech Roma refugee claimants. It argues that Canada's response reflected broader trends among receiving states, particularly the effort to reinforce state sovereignty and territorial control, and in concert with efforts to exert greater political influence over the refugee determination process, the response resulted in the weakening of Canada's obligations under the international refugee regime. This work was prepared as part of a project on Migration and Asylum in Europe and EU-Canada Relations, funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for External Relations, Relations with the US and Canada. The project aims at providing a better understanding of the conceptual, political, sociological and legal elements and dilemmas characterising the development of common European public responses to these issues, and their implications for the relationship between liberty and security in EU-Canada relations


The objective of this paper is to design a neural network-based residual generator to detect the fault in the actuators for a specific communication satellite in its attitude control system (ACS). First, a design of dynamic neural network with dynamic neurons is done, those neurons corresponds a second order linear Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter and a nonlinear activation function with adjustable parameters. Second, the parameters from the network are adjusted to minimize a performance index specified by the output estimated error, with the given input-output data collected from the specific ACS. Then, the designed dynamic neural network is trained and applied for detecting the faults injected to the wheel, which is the main actuator in the normal mode for the communication satellite. Then the performance and capabilities of the designed network were tested and compared with a conventional model-based observer residual, showing the differences between these two methods, and indicating the benefit of the proposed design to know the real status of the momentum wheel. Finally, the application of the methods in a satellite ground station is discussed.


Deep plowing or other profile medication of a soil may alter root yield and distribution. Root systems of plants grown on soil rotary tilled 20 cm deep; plowed 90 cm deep; and plowed 90 cm deep with 22,400 kg/ha of Na₂CO₃ were sampled to (i) determine effects of treatments on yield and distribution of roots, and (ii) examine relationships between root yields and root activity as indicated by toproot ratios and Sr⁸⁵ uptake. Deep plowing tended to decrease root yields of sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense), sugarbeets, (Beta vulgaris), and soybeans (Glycine max) but had little effect on those of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. 'capitata'). Root yields decreased with depth on soil rototilled to 20 cm or moldboard plowed to 90 cm, but roots tended to be evenly distributed throughout the 90 cm profile when 22,400 kg/ha of Na₂CO₃ was applied at the 90-cm plow depth. Root activity, as measured by top-root ratios, was enhanced by profile modification. Top-root ratios are shown to be better indicators of root activity than top or root yields alone. Sr₈₅ uptake data indicated that roots in the 70- to 90-cm zone were as active as those in the O- to 20-cm zone. Na₂CO₃ tended to increase root weights in its zone of application but reduced radiostrontium uptake about eightfold compared with uptake from similarly placed radiostrontium without Na₂CO₃, indicating a Na₂CO₃-induced decrease in root activity.


This paper examines the document aspects of object-based broadcasting. Object-based broadcasting augments traditional video and audio broadcast content with additional (temporally-constrained) media objects. The content of these objects -- as well as their temporal validity -- are determined by the broadcast source, but the actual rendering and placement of these objects can be customized to the needs/constraints of the content viewer(s). The use of object-based broadcasting enables a more tailored end-user experience than the one-size-fits-all of traditional broadcasts: the viewer may be able to selectively turn off overlay graphics (such as statistics) during a sports game, or selectively render them on a secondary device. Object-based broadcasting also holds the potential for supporting presentation adaptivity for accessibility or for device heterogeneity. From a technology perspective, object-based broadcasting resembles a traditional IP media stream, accompanied by a structured multimedia document that contains timed rendering instructions. Unfortunately, the use of object-based broadcasting is severely limited because of the problems it poses for the traditional television production workflow (and in particular, for use in live television production). The traditional workflow places graphics, effects and replays as immutable components in the main audio/video feed originating from, for example, a production truck outside a sports stadium. This single feed is then delivered near-live to the homes of all viewers. In order to effectively support dynamic object-based broadcasting, the production workflow will need to retain a familiar creative interface to the production staff, but also allow the insertion and delivery of a differentiated set of objects for selective use at the receiving end. In this paper we present a model and implementation of a dynamic system for supporting object-based broadcasting in the context of a motor sport application. We define a new multimedia document format that supports dynamic modifications during playback; this allows editing decisions by the producer to be activated by agents at the receiving end of the content. We describe a prototype system to allow playback of these broadcasts and a production system that allows live object-based control within the production workflow. We conclude with an evaluation of a trial using near-live deployment of the environment, using content from our partners, in a sport environment.


Tracking a plume of chemical back to its source is made difficult due to the complexity of plume structure caused by turbulence and shifts in the prevailing wind direction. Insects overcome this problem using forms of anemotaxis, which involve traveling upwind when an attractive chemical is perceived. In this study, two series of insect-inspired plume-tracking algorithms were implemented on a mobile robot and their performance compared under changing wind conditions in a wind tunnel. The robot was capable of sensing wind velocity and the level of a plume of ions. Ion sensors respond and recover far more rapidly than do conventional chemical sensors, so the substitution of an ion plume for a chemical plume allowed the algorithms to be implemented with rapid responses to changing plume concentration. The addition of a specific behavioral response to a wind shift decreased the time taken for the robot to find the plume source in the event of a wind shift. Increased speed came with only a minor drop in the success rate of the searching. Anemotaxis is an effective approach to chemical plume tracking with robots. The performance of these simple algorithms can be improved by modest increases in the complexity of the algorithms.


This paper analyze the professors narratives of different industrial engineering programs in Colombia, seeking to answer research question about the characteristics of configuration processes and transformation of industrial engineering education in the country, the methodology used was Bourdieu's fields, from the habitus concept of professors while they are the education's field agents. Th study was approached from the analysis of social practices, in which more than mass events of a structural nature, it seeks to strengthen the collective memory of those who have been excluded from official history and serve as an educational space from study of processes and events that led to formation of social subjects, investigating the interaction and conflicts, in such a way that the past can be questioned according to current emancipatory projects. The configuration and transformation processes of industrial engineering as a knowledge discipline in Colombia between 1950 and 2000 were studied through the tensions and ruptures, the conflicts and new interactions generated from the developed world discourses. Critical analysis was considered as the best alternative in information treatment, because it facilitated the professors' narratives analysis. For processing information it was utilized QDA (qualitative data analysis) y GEPHI (graph visualisation and cartography in data mining).


The Ides of March/ A Costume Piece/ Gentlemen and Players/ Le Premier Pas/ Wilful Murder/ Nine Points of the Law/ The Return Match/ The Gift of the Emperor In these stories, Raffles, the public-school gentleman, mixes his aptitude for cricket with his passion for crime. Here we see Raffles stealing from the nouveau riche and outwitting the law, thieving diamonds and bowling like a demon, all with the help of his accomplice and ex-fag Bunny.


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Gregory's decomposed theorem of isotropic plate is extended to investigate torsional circular shaft for two-dimensional dodecagonal quasicrystal (2D dodecagonal QCs)with homogeneous boundary conditions, and the theory of equivalence that Cheng's refined theory and Gregory's decomposed theorem is extended to the cylindrical coordinate. The decomposed theorem of torsional circular shaft of 2D dodecagonal QCs with homogeneous boundary conditions is proposed on the basis of the classical elasticity theory and stress-displacement relations of 2D dodecagonal QCs without ad hoc assumptions. At first expressions are obtained for all the displacements and stress components in term of some 1D functions. Using Lur'e method, the exact equations were given. And the exact equations for the torsional circular shaft on 2D dodecagonal QCs without surface loadings consist of four governing differential equations: two harmonic equations and two transcendental equations.


Dual frame telephone surveys are becoming common in the U.S. because of the incompleteness of the landline frame as people transition to cell phones. This article examines nonsampling errors in dual frame telephone surveys. Even though nonsampling errors are ignored in much of the dual frame literature, we find that under some conditions substantial biases may arise in dual frame telephone surveys due to these errors. We specifically explore biases due to nonresponse and measurement error in these telephone surveys. To reduce the bias resulting from these errors, we propose dual frame sampling and weighting methods. The compositing factor for combining the estimates from the two frames is shown to play an important role in reducing nonresponse bias.


The human DNA mismatch repair genes hMSH2 and hMLH1 are responsible for the development of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Although genetic alteration of the coding region of hMSH2 and hMLH1 has been well investigated in HNPCC patients, the regulatory regions of these genes have been poorly investigated, though recent studies have defined and characterized the core promoter regions of hMSH2 and hMLH1. Therefore, to investigate the presence of germ-line mutations, we screened the core promoter regions of hMSH2 and hMLH1 from 157 nonmalignant control individuals, 40 cases of HNPCC, 56 suspected HNPCC cases, and 45 sporadic early onset colorectal cancer patients. Three novel germ-line mutations of the hMSH2 promoter were identified in two suspected HNPCC cases and one sporadic early onset colorectal cancer patient but not in the 157 nonmalignant controls, namely, an A insertion at position -80, a G-to-A transition at position -190, and a G-to-C transversion at position -225. Tumors from patients containing the promoter mutations displayed microsatellite instability. The A insertion at -80 is within a sequence homologous to the consensus sequence for E1AF and very close to the major transcription start point. Luciferase assay demonstrated that the -80A insertion and the -190A allele decreased the transcriptional efficiency by 82 and 77%, respectively, and the -225C allele increased the transcriptional efficiency by 466%. The -80A insertion allele was detected only in affected members within the family and showed novel transcription factor binding ability. Furthermore, the loss of single nucleotide polymorphism allelic expression was identified in blood of the patient containing the -80A insertion. Our results indicate that mutations in the promoter region of hMSH2 have a limited role in development of suspected HNPCC and sporadic early onset colorectal cancer.


– This paper aims to look at online public access catalogues (OPAC) operations in the light of the philosophy of information, communication theory and semiotics, and to revisit fundamental questions about the nature of library OPACs and the ways in which they function., – This exercise is pursued through examination of the multiple tensions implicit in any cataloguing or indexing system: the competing requirements of organisation and retrieval, description and classification., – The paper finds that for an OPAC to be practicably usable the potential complexity of the information it contains must be reduced to a manageable level of simplicity. OPACs purport to allow complete retrieval, even though data structures and index definitions are not transparent. They necessarily impose a framework of retrieval that conceals information at the same time as it presents it, and therefore to an extent they undermine the very concept of information literacy. In an online environment catalogues have been able easily to move beyond the scope of individual library collections and to incorporate an increasing range of non‐traditional types of information, thus introducing further tensions between their roles as indexes and as information sources in their own right., – The multiple tensions involved can be conceptualised in terms of indeterminacy of the communication code and indeterminacy of the linguistic sign. A clear theoretically‐based understanding of these issues is essential to ensuring optimal OPAC design.


Abstract Alimentary habits are critical to the ecology of all animals. They reflect resource availability and are correlated with important life history traits such as reproductive output and body size. We analyzed the diet of the previously unstudied Mexican mud turtle Kinosternon integrum at Tonatico, Estado de México, during 2003 and 2004. Analysis was conducted separately by sex and age (immature vs. adults) and seasons (rainy vs. dry). Gastric contents and fecal samples were used in combination for more complete results. Based on 57 samples (32 stomach flushes and 25 from feces), K. integrum is a generalist–opportunist in alimentary habits, feeding on 27 categories of food. Plant material, Coleoptera, Odonata, Diptera, and mixed animal matter were the most important components. Overall dietary diversity was similar between adults and juveniles and between the two sexes, but juveniles differed between seasons. In similarity analysis we found a shift in diet between seasons. Females shifted from being primarily carnivorous during the rainy season to being primarily herbivorous during the dry season, while males were carnivorous during both seasons. The data suggest that this turtle feeds opportunistically on available prey items rather than on a few preferred food items.


Innovation plays a key role in building competitiveness and sustaining economic growth.The reason of this increased competition has forced companies to develop new products and explore new markets in order to meet the needs and wants of consumers competitively. Knowledge sources play a crucial role to understand consumer needs and wants. This paper aims to explain effects of using knowledge sources on product and process innovation. Knowledge sources are specified as market sources (suppliers, customers, competitors, and consultants), institutional sources (universities, public research institutes) and other sources. Necessary data is gained by CIS–4 (Community Innovation Survey) which was based on the OECD's Oslo Manual. This survey is implemented in the chemistry industry. In the part of the methodology correlation analysis is applied between knowledge sources and product innovation; knowledge sources and process innovation. Differences of using knowledge sources for product innovation and process innovation are explored. It is expected to find effect of knowledge sources to increase product or process innovation of firms.


We introduce and analyze a simple formal thought experiment designed to reflect a qualitative decision dilemma humanity might currently face in view of anthropogenic climate change. In this exercise, each generation can choose between two options, either setting humanity on a pathway to certain high wellbeing after one generation of suffering, or leaving the next generation in the same state as the current one with the same options, but facing a continuous risk of permanent collapse. We analyze this abstract setup regarding the question of what the right choice would be both in a rationality-based framework including optimal control, welfare economics, and game theory, and by means of other approaches based on the notions of responsibility, safe operating spaces, and sustainability paradigms. Across these different approaches, we confirm the intuition that a focus on the long-term future makes the first option more attractive while a focus on equality across generations favors the second. Despite this, we generally find a large diversity and disagreement of assessments both between and within these different approaches, suggesting a strong dependence on the choice of the normative framework used. This implies that policy measures selected to achieve targets such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can depend strongly on the normative framework applied and specific care needs to be taken with regard to the choice of such frameworks.


The use of both linear and generalized linear mixed‐effects models (LMMs and GLMMs) has become popular not only in social and medical sciences, but also in biological sciences, especially in the field of ecology and evolution. Information criteria, such as Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), are usually presented as model comparison tools for mixed‐effects models. The presentation of 'variance explained' (R2) as a relevant summarizing statistic of mixed‐effects models, however, is rare, even though R2 is routinely reported for linear models (LMs) and also generalized linear models (GLMs). R2 has the extremely useful property of providing an absolute value for the goodness‐of‐fit of a model, which cannot be given by the information criteria. As a summary statistic that describes the amount of variance explained, R2 can also be a quantity of biological interest. One reason for the under‐appreciation of R2 for mixed‐effects models lies in the fact that R2 can be defined in a number of ways. Furthermore, most definitions of R2 for mixed‐effects have theoretical problems (e.g. decreased or negative R2 values in larger models) and/or their use is hindered by practical difficulties (e.g. implementation). Here, we make a case for the importance of reporting R2 for mixed‐effects models. We first provide the common definitions of R2 for LMs and GLMs and discuss the key problems associated with calculating R2 for mixed‐effects models. We then recommend a general and simple method for calculating two types of R2 (marginal and conditional R2) for both LMMs and GLMMs, which are less susceptible to common problems. This method is illustrated by examples and can be widely employed by researchers in any fields of research, regardless of software packages used for fitting mixed‐effects models. The proposed method has the potential to facilitate the presentation of R2 for a wide range of circumstances.


Knowledge graphs represent information in the form of entities and relation-ships between them. A knowledge graph consists of multi-relational data, having entities as nodes and relations as edges. The relation indicates a relationship between these two entities. Relation extraction is the key step to construct a knowledge graph. Conventional relation extraction methods usually need large scale labeled samples for each website. It's difficult to deal with the large number of relations and the various representations of each relation. This paper proposed a novel semi-automatic method that builds knowledge graph by extracting relation patterns and finding new relations. The proposed method models the relation pattern as a tag sequence and learns the pattern similarity metric using the existing relation instances. The pattern similarity is adopted to extract new patterns for existing relations. The new relations are detected by using the pattern similarity and clustering technique. The experimental results on large scale web pages show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.


Abstract According to Interest-Relative Invariantism, whether an agent knows that p, or possesses other sorts of epistemic properties or relations, is in part determined by the practical costs of being wrong about p. Recent studies in experimental philosophy have tested the claims of IRI. After critically discussing prior studies, we present the results of our own experiments that provide strong support for IRI. We discuss our results in light of complementary findings by other theorists, and address the challenge posed by a leading intellectualist alternative to our view.


Although severai types of commercially available epicardial leads exist, few postimplantation data have been reported. To compare "screw‐in" (6917–35) leads with "stab‐on" leads (4951–35) from the same manufacturer, we reviewed the records of 80 young patients (age 8 days to 29 years) who underwent ventricular epicardial pacemaker implantation from 1973 to 1986. Follow‐up for the 57 patients with the 6917–35 model ranged from 3 months to 17 years (median 6.5 years) and for the 23 patients with the 4951–35 model 9 days to 4.25 years (median 2.0 years). Actuarial life table analysis revealed significantly (P < 0.001) fewer 4951–35 leads were functioning at each of 1–5 years after implant, compared to the 6917–35 leads. Analysis of available threshold pulse width data revealed no difference (P = 0.08) acutely (6 weeks after implant), but a significantly (P = 0.05) higher mean threshold for the 4951–35 leads was found chronically. No significant correlation was found for lead failure with age, underlying heart disease, lead site (i.e., left or right ventricle), or surgical approach. Using the sutureless, stab‐on technique, the 4951–35 lead is associated with higher thresholds and lower survival rate when compared to the 6917–35 lead.


Deep energy retrofit (DER) of the existing building stock is a meaningful strategy to reduce fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. However, the investment volumes required to undertake DER are enormous. In Europe, cumulative demand for DER is estimated at close to 1,000 billion EUR until 2050. Public expenditures and political measures can help to stimulate DER, but substantial private investments are required to achieve significant results. In this paper, we analyze the economic and financial implications for investors renovating an office building to the 'Passive House' standard. This is achieved by applying a dynamic Life Cycle Cost & Benefit Analysis (LCCBA) to model the cash flows (CF). The model also includes an appraisal of debt and equity-financing implications, and a multi-parameter sensitivity analysis to analyze impacts of input parameter deviations. In the second part of the paper, we use the 'Multiple Benefits' (MB) concept to identify project-based co-benefits of DER, to make the business case more attractive. We categorize the identified MBs in: 1) monetary, 2) un-quantified project, and 3) societal benefits. Results show that the DER project cash flow over a 25-year period achieves a 21-year dynamic payback with an IRR of below 2 %. Levelized Cost of Heat Savings is 100 EUR/MWh with a 70 % capital expenditure and 15 % interest cost share. The Loan Life Cover Ratio comes out to 1.2. To make the business case more attractive, pecuniary MBs identified are increased rents, real estate values, (employee) productivity, and maintenance costs and CO2 savings, in addition to societal benefits. Compared to simpler economic modeling, the dynamic LCCBA cash flow model provides solid grounds for DER business case analysis, project structuring and financial engineering, but also for policy design. CFs from future energy cost savings alone are often insufficient in convincing investors. However, they can co-finance DER investments substantially. Consideration of MBs can offer meaningful monetary contributions, and also help to identify strategic allies for project implementation; however, the 'split incentive' dilemma is still present. Furthermore, the approach supports policy makers to develop policy measures needed to achieve 2050 goals.