Purpose

Early Modern emblem books are primary sources for scholars studying the European Renaissance. Linked Open Data (LOD) is an approach for organizing and modeling information in a data-centric manner compatible with the emerging Semantic Web. The purpose of this paper is to examine ways in which LOD methods can be applied to facilitate emblem resource discovery, better reveal the structure and connectedness of digitized emblem resources, and enhance scholar interactions with digitized emblem resources.

Design/methodology/approach

This research encompasses an analysis of the existing XML-based Spine (emblem-specific) metadata schema; the design of a new, domain-specific, Resource Description Framework compatible ontology; the mapping and transformation of metadata from Spine to both the new ontology and (separately) to the pre-existing Schema.org ontology; and the (experimental) modification of the Emblematica Online portal as a proof of concept to illustrate enhancements supported by LOD.

Findings

LOD is viable as an approach for facilitating discovery and enhancing the value to scholars of digitized emblem books; however, metadata must first be enriched with additional uniform resource identifiers and the workflow upgrades required to normalize and transform existing emblem metadata are substantial and still to be fully worked out.

Practical implications

The research described demonstrates the feasibility of transforming existing, special collections metadata to LOD. Although considerable work and further study will be required, preliminary findings suggest potential benefits of LOD for both users and libraries.

Originality/value

This research is unique in the context of emblem studies and adds to the emerging body of work examining the application of LOD best practices to library special collections.


We read the paper written by Razeghinejad et al. (1), who conducted a study on antiHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) IgG antibody levels in an Iranian glaucoma cohort, with considerable interest and based on our original concept (2-5). The authors concluded that a relation between H. pylori infection and primary open-angle glaucoma is not supported by their results, because the aqueous anti-H. pylori IgG antibody concentration did not differ significantly from the cataract control population. However, in the discussion there is little attention to the limitations of their work. Specifically, there is no discussion of: (a) the relatively small sample size, (b) the limited power of the study, (c) the possibility that the control group represents a selected group resulting in bias, (d) the absence of normalization of aqueous antibody titers to another serum protein to serve as control, such as IgG or albumin, and (e) the limited accuracy of using the commercial ELISA technique in the aqueous humor, originally manufactured for serum samples. It has been reported that the prevalence of H. pylori infection in the city of Shiraz, where the study by Razeghinejad et al. was conducted, is very high (6,7) regardless of the socioeconomic status, an already established significant factor affecting H. pylori prevalence in the European countries. This means that to prove a difference in H. pylori prevalence between any two groups in Shiraz, several hundreds or even a few thousands of participants are required. Instead, Razeghinejad et al. presented their results based on a small number of patients, and therefore the power of their study was too low. The authors failed to comment on the prevalence of H. pylori infection they found in their study groups, which should be very high in both groups according to previous reports and increase with increasing age (6,7).


This study investigated the application of information technology systems in office risk management in organizations in Rivers State. The population of the study comprised 10 insurance companies in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State made up of 350 members of staff. These insurance companies are UNIC, Zenith, Royal Exchange, NEM, Leadway, Guaranty Trust, Equity Life, Cornerstone, Consolidated Hallmark and NAICOM. The sample consists of 161 members of staff selected from the 10 insurance companies in Port Harcourt City L.G.A of Rivers State. The sample was selected through simple random sampling and constituted 46% of the total population of 350. A self-structured questionnaire titled: Office Risk Management Assessment Questionnaire (ORMAQ) was the only instrument used in this study for data collection. The reliability test of the instrument yielded a reliability index of 0.85. Out of the 161 self-administered copies of questionnaire, 150 of them were properly filled, retrieved and used for the study. Mean was used as a method for analyzing the four research questions. The results revealed that the insurance companies in Rivers States apply the majority of the lectronic data processing, storage and transmission systems in managing their office risks, but they have not gone completely digital in terms of managing the same risks using digital security systems. The study recommended as follows: insurance companies in Rivers State should completely embrace digital technologies for effective management of office risks, integrate digital risk management into their operational policies and review these policies annually, acquire more infrastructures which encourage the use of information technology systems (ITs) in managing office risks, prioritize ITs-based office risk management through robust budgetary allocation and implementation and government should create enabling environment through the provision of infrastructural facilities and legislative backings for effective office risk management. Keywords: Information Technology, System, office Risk management and contemporary organizations


This paper introduces a theory about mentally developing robots. The limitation of the traditional agent model is raised and a new SASE agent is proposed, based on our SAIL developmental robot. We formulate the manual development paradigm and autonomous development paradigm. The performance of a developmental robot is then formulated as reaching the norm of a human age group. The framework of autonomously generating brain representation is investigated in mathematical terms. Some techniques of such a representation are provided based on the author's SAIL-2 developmental algorithm (1996). We establish the conceptual limitation of symbolic representation and from the limitation we propose that no developmental robot can use a symbolic representation. Finally, the completeness of developmental robot is investigated conditioned on five factors.


A new representation of computational meshes is proposed in terms of a covering relation defined by discrete topological objects we call sieves. Fields over a mesh are handled locally by using the notion of refinement, dual to covering, and are later reassembled. In this approach fields are modeled by sections of a fiber bundle over a sieve. This approach cleanly separates the topology of the mesh from its geometry and other value-storage mechanisms. With these abstractions, finite element calculations are expressed using algorithms that are independent of mesh dimension, global topology, element shapes, and the finite element itself. Extensions and other applications are discussed.


Multimillijoule, few-cycle, carrier-envelope-phase (CEP)-locked, near-IR pulses at 750 nm from an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier are applied to the generation of CEP-dependent, soft x-ray high harmonics around the boron K-edge at 188 eV. The dependence on the CEP manifests the phase coherence of high harmonics preserved in the highest-photon energy ever reported. Multimillijoule optical pulses also allow the extension of the cutoff energy up to 325 eV, exceeding the carbon K-edge of the water window. However, in this spectral range, the CEP dependence of harmonic spectra is not observed, suggesting the degradation of temporal coherence due to the heavy ionization of helium atoms.


The porous scaffolds of silk fibroin-chitosan /nano-hydroxyapatite (SF-CS / n-HA) were fabricated through the freeze- drying technique. Component, structure and morphology of scaffolds were studied by infrared (IR), X-ray diffusion (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the mechanical properties of the scaffolds were measured. The simulated body fluid (SBF) experiments were conducted to assess the bioactivity of the scaffolds. Results indicate that chemical binding is formed between HA and organics, the macropore diameter of the scaffolds varies from 150 to 400μm. The porous scaffolds with interconnected pores possess a high porosity of 78%-91% and compressive strength of 0.26 -1.96MPa, which can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of organic phases and prefreezing temperature. In the SBF tests, a layer of randomly oriented bone-like apatite crystals formed on the scaffold surface, which suggested that the composite material had good bioactivity. Studies suggest the feasibility of using SF-CS /n-HA composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.


Abstract. Reliable and detailed snow data are limited in the Arctic. We aim at overcoming this issue by addressing two questions: (1) Can the reanalysis ERA5 replace limited in situ measurements in high latitudes to drive snow models? (2) Can the Alpine model Crocus simulate reliably Arctic snow depth and stratigraphy? We compare atmospheric in situ measurements and ERA5 reanalysis and evaluate simulated and measured snow depth, density and specific surface area (SSA) in northeast Greenland (October 2014–October 2018). To account for differences between Alpine and Arctic region, we introduce a new parametrisation for the density of new snow. Our results show a good agreement between in situ and ERA5 atmospheric variables except for precipitation, wind speed and direction. ERA5's resolution is too coarse to resolve the topography in the study area adequately, leading presumably to the detected biases. Nevertheless, measured snow depth agrees better with ERA5 forced simulations than forced with in situ measurements. Crocus can simulate satisfactory the evolution of snow depth, but simulations of SSA and density profiles for both forcings are biased compared to field measurements. Adjusting the new snow density parametrisation leads to improvements in the simulated snow stratigraphy. In conclusion, ERA5 can be used instead of in situ measurements to force snow models but the use of Crocus in the Arctic is affected by limitations likely due to the missing vertical water vapour transport and snow redistribution during strong winds. These limitations strongly affect the accuracy of the vertical profiles of physical snow properties.


This paper describes the yield enhancement strategies used in the startup of Motorola's MOS 12 fab, with the goal of establishing production capability in minimum time. This goal was achieved by implementing process qualification with real time in-line defect monitoring using a well characterized memory product. Wafer inspection and troubleshooting were facilitated by the acquisition of patterned wafer inspection tools employing several different defect detection technologies: pattern analysis, optical pattern filtering, and light scattering. The considerations for equipment startup are discussed, with emphasis on in-line inspection strategy and data analysis tools.


ABSTRACT Neuromodulation has become a valid therapeutic option for patients with various lower urinary tract disorders. In clinical practice, the most used and recommended neuromodulation techniques are sacral neuromodulation (SNM), pudendal neuromodulation (PN), and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). There are many theories concerning the mechanism of action of neuromodulation. Although SNM, PN, and PTNS show their activities through different nerve roots, all provide central and peripheral nervous system modulations. SNM has been approved for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB), nonobstructive urinary retention, and fecal incontinence, while PTNS has been approved for OAB treatment. However, they are also used off-label in other urinary and nonurinary pelvic floor disorders, such as neurogenic lower urinary system disorder, interstitial cystitis, chronic pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. Minor and nonsurgical reversible complications are usually seen after neuromodulation techniques. In addition, in the last few years, there have been various developments in neuromodulation technology. Some of the examples of these developments are rechargeable batteries with wireless charging, improvements in programing, less invasive single-stage implantation in outpatient settings, and lower-cost new devices. We performed a literature search using Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google scholar databases in the English language from January 2010 to February 2021. We included reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and prospective and retrospective studies to evaluate the activities and reliability of SNM, PN, and PTNS and the developments in this area in the last decade based on the current literature.


This study presents the first findings regarding the hydrography, morphodynamics, hydrodynamics and sea-level change on Parnaiba River (PR) and its delta. The PR is 1,400 km long and located in NE Brazil. It forms an asymmetric wave dominated delta, the Parnaiba River Delta (PRD). The delta region is approximately 100 km wide and has tidal channels forming an estuarine-lagoonal system, west of PR. The delta is located in a transition zone in terms of climatic and oceanographic conditions. Despite the existence of a river dam on its mid-course, the river has a moderate (approximately 91 mg/l, in average) suspended sediment load which is mainly attributed to the geology and the climatic conditions of its drainage basin.
Rainfall data from 1965 to 2009 revealed seasonal variations on rainfall and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). Moreover, harmonic analysis of time series revealed a correlation of both, rainfall and SSC, with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
The suspended sediment concentration was calculated from a set of 12 multispectral satellite images (CBERS 2-B and LANDSAT TM 5), which were calibrated using in situ measurements. Using averaged river discharge and remote sensed suspended sediment concentration it was possible to estimate the amount of sediment that is transported through the PR to the continental shelf.
The PR is the primary sediment source to the adjacent coast and this is evidenced by the shoreline stability and progradation noticed at the vicinities of the river mouth (observed on decadal time scale using satellite images).
The river runoff interferes on the direction of the offshore bottom currents on the continental shelf up to 4 km in front of the river mouth. It acts as a hydrodynamic groin preventing sediment bypass.
Offshore bathymetry and seismic profiles depicted evidences of past sea level on the continental shelf offshore PRD in the form of incised valley and paleo-channels. Interpretations of architectural elements, seismic facies and seismic boundaries were related to extreme events of sea level such as sea level low- and highstand providing relative age control for the formation and complete burial of the paleo-channels.
Relating worldwide reconstructions of sea level curves to the interpretations it is suggested that the valley incision occurred during the Late Pleistocene sea-level drop and lowstand (70,000 – 20,000 years BP). Moreover, the valley infill indicates the flooding of the shelf during deglacial sea-level rise that reached the mid-Holocene highstand around 5,500 years BP.


ABSTRACT We update ground‐motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for eastern North America (ENA) using the referenced empirical approach of Atkinson (2008). The technique is based on the use of residual analysis that models differences between regional ground‐motion observations and a reference GMPE developed for a data‐rich region. The update is timely because the Next Generation Attenuation‐West 2 GMPEs for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regions enable a significant improvement in the implementation of this model, relative to previous work (e.g., Atkinson and Boore, 2011). The predicted ground‐motion amplitudes of the ENA referenced empirical model are very similar to the equivalent California values of Boore et al. (2014; hereafter BSSA14) at close distances ( R ≤50  km), at low‐to‐moderate frequencies ( f ≤5  Hz). At regional distances ( R >50  km) and at high frequencies ( f >5  Hz), the ENA data suggest higher ground‐motion amplitudes than the BSSA14 reference model, presumably due to lower attenuation and higher stress for ENA events relative to those in active tectonic regions. We also show that the referenced empirical approach predicts ground motions that are consistent with those that would be produced by the hybrid empirical approach (Campbell, 2003), considering recent equivalent point‐source models that match both ENA and California ground‐motion databases. Comparison between the referenced empirical GMPE of this study (HA14) and the stochastic GMPE of Atkinson and Boore (2006, 2011; denoted AB06′) shows that both models imply similar attenuation shape at all frequencies. For M  7 at R ≤50  km, the HA14 model predicts relatively smaller ground‐motion amplitudes than does the AB06′ model, likely because of the greater saturation effects in the empirical BSSA14 reference model.


Combined with a specific foreign-related project and based on the detailed report of the engineering geological investigation, this paper describes the application of the selected support structures of shotcrete-bolt and bored piles with high pressure rotary jet grouting waterproof curtain from aspects of scheme optimizing, design and construction, underground watertable lowering and result monitoring. Satisfactory achievements have been made in cost saving, shortening duration, facilitating construction and environmental protection etc. It demonstrates that two or multiple support systems can be used simultaneously in one foundation pit as support structure.


In this paper, we attempt to address the inadequacies of query-based image retrieval, and argue the importance of structured browsing and navigation methods. We propose to build a hierarchical classification model, which is the basic structure for image browsing and navigation. Currently a prototype system has been implemented, called CHROMA. CHROMA provides both a visual tool to browse or navigate through the image collection, which can be used in combination with existing query-based methods. In addition, by measuring the required iterations of thumbnail browsing we evaluate the improvements in retrieval effectiveness of the browsing and navigation approach.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of baseline fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (CT)-derived volumetric parameters for the primary tumor with clinicopathological risk factors and molecular subtypes in patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDBC). Patients and methods We evaluated 65 patients who underwent fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for initial breast cancer staging. The association of maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean, respectively), metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) with clinicopathological risk factors and molecular subtypes was investigated and the discriminative power of significant features was assessed. Results All volumetric parameters were significantly higher for tumors measuring more than 2 cm and with a Ki-67 index of at least 20. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative (ER−/PR−), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+), and triple-negative tumors showed increased SUVmax. SUVmax and SUVmean were higher for triple-negative and HER2+ IDBC than for ER+/HER2− IDBC. Metabolic tumor volume and TLG showed no differences among subtypes. All volumetric parameters correlated with the clinical tumor size and the Ki-67 index; these correlations differed among the different subtypes. Patients with systemic metastases showed significantly higher TLG. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that SUVmax had the highest discriminative power for the different subtypes, whereas TLG had a statistically significant discriminative power for systemic metastasis. Conclusion SUVmax may appropriately reflect the immunohistochemical characteristics of IDBC, whereas TLG is associated with clinical risk factors and systemic metastasis. Our preliminary findings suggesting different relationships between volumetric parameters and the clinical tumor size and the Ki-67 index for different subtypes require further evaluation.


Many factors influence teaching nowadays. Numbers of students are increasing, some students pay for studies and require more flexible teaching, more students have access to Internet, the learning material is changing rapidly (especially of subjects, related to information technologies), publishing industry is slow and expensive. All that stimulates usage of modern technologies in education. Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) is one of the forms of e-learning. They open new ways of teaching and communication such as management of online learning, course delivery mechanism, communication and assessment tools, student tracking, access to electronic resources, etc. All these means correspond to the needs of contemporary teachers and students. VLEs have primarily been used for distance education but they are being used increasingly as supplement of traditional classroom based education. The author is interested in this latter aspect of VLEs.The paper briefly reviews main types of Virtual Learning Environments and analyses the use of VLEs in Lithuania. The results of the investigation of two different learning environments - traditional (Web CT) and collaborative (FLE3) at the Vilnius Pedagogical University are also discussed in the article.


The assessment of the vulnerability of Australian forests to climate change is an initiative of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC). The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) was approached to carry out a comprehensive Forest Vulnerability Assessment (FVA). NCCARF engaged four research groups to investigate distinct aspects in relation to the vulnerability of forests, each of which has produced a report. In addition a fifth group was engaged to create a summary and synthesis report of the project.

This report – Biophysical impacts of climate change on Australia's forests - is the second in the series. It presents a review of the primary literature on evidence of impacts of climate change on Australian forests. Existing evidence for climate change impacts in relation to direct stresses (CO2, temperature and rainfall), indirect stresses (fire, pests, pathogens and weeds) and plant processes (growth, transpiration and phenology) is discussed. The report concludes with a discussion of the overall impact of climate change on vegetation and the ecosystem services provided by forests. It should be noted that there have been several excellent reviews of climate change impacts on Australian forests as well as reports on
climate change impacts on natural heritage and biodiversity. Conclusions drawn from these earlier reviews are not repeated. Instead, the report focuses on drawing evidence from the primary literature, including grey literature. Relevant literature was identified by bibliographic searches and in consultation with experts across Australia.

This review highlighted a number of uncertainties involved in assessing forest vulnerability to climate change. These include uncertainty over changes in the climate, the ecosystem-scale responses to climate change, and interactions of climate change impacts with other global change processes. There is, however, clear evidence of the impact of some individual factors.


• To introduce the fundamental mathematical skills you will need to complete basic chemistry questions and problems Measurements may be accurate, meaning that the measured value is the same as the true value; they may be precise, meaning that multiple measurements give nearly identical values (i.e., reproducible results); they may be both accurate and precise; or they may be neither accurate nor precise. The goal of scientists is to obtain measured values that are both accurate and precise. Suppose, for example, that the mass of a sample of gold was measured on one balance and found to be 1.896 g. On a different balance, the same sample was found to have a mass of 1.125 g. Which was correct? Careful and repeated measurements, including measurements on a calibrated third balance, showed the sample to have a mass of 1.895 g. The masses obtained from the three balances are in the following table: Balance 1 Balance 2 Balance 3 1.896 g 1.125 g 1.893 g 1.895 g 1.158 g 1.895 g 1.894 g 1.067 g 1.895 g


Aluminium alloys are more and more important for the automotive industry due to their high strength to weight ratio and their elevated ductility; they are used for many different parts in automobiles as exterior panels, structural parts, brake housings and others. However, their formability at room temperature is limited. This inconvenient can be improved by increasing the forming temperature of the part. That lack of formability has lead to this research project dealing with the tensile behaviour of aluminium alloys sheets, at different conditions of temperature and strain rate. The analyzed material has been 6082 aluminium alloy, under two different heat treatment conditions (O and T6). Material testing has been carried out in a temperature range between room temperature and 250°C, and a strain rate range between 0.001s-1 and 0.1s-1. Testing samples have been obtained from laminated sheet of 1.5mm thickness. This article shows that the alloy under T6 condition has a reduced formability, even in warm conditions. In order to get higher deformation values an annealed condition is proposed to form the material. The effect of T6 heat treatment and O annealing treatment in the uniaxial warm formability is discussed and a microstructural analysis is also presented in order to understand the differences on the alloy behaviour.


Abstract Dermal fibroblasts are commonly used as donors of genetic material for somatic cell nuclear transfer in mammals. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a cytokine that regulates proliferation and differentiation of different cell types. The study was aimed at optimizing the cell culture protocol for cat dermal fibroblasts by assessing the influence of culture media and different doses of bFGF on proliferation of fibroblasts and their viability in terms of cell banking and somatic cloning of felids. In Experiment I, skin biopsies of domestic cats were cultured in DMEM (D) and/or DMEM/F12 (F), both supplemented with 5 ng bFGF/ml (D-5, F-5, respectively). After the primary culture reached ~80% of confluency, the cells were passaged (3–4 times) and cultured in media with (D-5, F-5) or without (D-0, F-0) bFGF. To determine the optimal doses of bFGF, in Experiment II, secondary fibroblasts were cultured in DMEM with 0 (D-0), 2.5 (D-2.5), 5 (D-5) or 10 (D-10) ng bFGF/ml. The results showed that in D-5 the cells proliferated faster than in D-0, F-5 and F-0. Due to their poor proliferation, passages IV were not performed for cells cultured in F-0. In experiment II, a dose-dependent effect of bFGF on proliferation of cat dermal fibroblasts was found. In D-5 and D-10, the cells exhibited higher (P<0.05) proliferation compared with D-0. In D-2.5 the cells showed a tendency to proliferate slower than in D-5 and D-10 and at the same faster than in D-0. In conclusion. DMEM supplemented with bFGF provides better proliferation of domestic cat dermal fibroblasts culture than DMEM/F12. Supplementation of culture medium with bFGF has a beneficial effect on cat dermal fibroblast proliferation and could be recommended for addition to culture media.


ABSTRACT
Ketamine is often used in pain clinics for refractory chronic pain, but its long-term efficacy is poorly reported. The main objective was to assess the long-term effect of ketamine on pain and health variables in patients with refractory chronic pain.A prospective, multicenter, one-year follow-up observational study (NCT03319238) was conducted in thirty French pain clinics where ketamine is commonly prescribed. This study focused on patients with one ketamine delivery procedure (n=256). The primary endpoint was pain intensity (0-10 numerical pain rating scale) before and after ketamine every month for one year. Secondary outcomes aimed to identify pain trajectories by semi-parametric mixture models and to collect adverse events.The following data were obtained for 256 patients: pain intensity decreased significantly (6.8±1.8, n=240 at baseline versus 5.7±1.8, n=93 at 12 months, p<0.001). The effect size of the main endpoint was 0.61 (95%CI: [0.40; 0.80]; p<0.001). Three pain trajectories were identified: 16.0% of patients in "mild pain" (mostly neuropathic pain), 35.3% in "moderate pain" and 45.7% in "severe pain" (mostly fibromyalgia) trajectory. Neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia presented opposite outcomes, pain severity being associated with anxiety, depression and a poorer quality of life. Adverse events occurred at one week in 108/218 [50%] patients and this rate gradually decreased throughout the follow-up.This real-life study in chronic pain identified distinct pain trajectories and predictive variables of ketamine efficacy. It is now pivotal to further study and optimize the subtyping of patients to provide the most effective and safe ketamine treatment in this vulnerable population.


In this paper, we consider signal interpolation of discrete-time signals which are decimated nonuniformly. A conventional interpolation method is based on the sampling theorem, and the resulting system consists of an ideal filter with complex-valued coefficients. While the conventional method assumes band limitation of signals, we propose a new method by sampled-data H∞ optimization. By this method, we can remove the band-limiting assumption and the optimal filter can be with real-valued coefficients. Moreover, we show that without band-limited assumption, there can be the optimal decimation patterns among ones with the same ratio. By examples, we show the effectiveness of our method.


We have fabricated large-area, flexible pressure sensors using printed organic field-effect transistor (FET) active matrices. Polyimide precursors and silver nanoparticles are patterned on a polyimide film by using an inkjet printing system and cured at 180degC to form gate dielectric layers and electrodes for organic FETs, respectively. The channel layer of organic transistors is pentacene deposited in the vacuum system. The mobility of the transistors is 0.7 cm2/Vs and the on/off ratio exceeds 106.


SUMMARY Urine was cultured from 151 healthy preterm babies. If the initial bag specimen grew more than 50 000 organisms/ml, a second bag specimen was cultured. After two positive bag specimens a suprapubic urine wascultured. Significant bacteriuria was excluded on the basis of one or two bag specimens in 90% of the babies. Suprapubic urine was sterile in a further 11 babies. Four babies with positive bag specimens were unfortunately not completely investigated: 2 had mixed growths and 2 had pure growths of 100 000 organisms/ml. As we


ABSTRACT Distributed team arrangements are becoming "the new normal". The present study considers the evolution of electronic commerce into an area where operational interaction and coordination of work occurs when previously only commerce occurred. As more teams are moving online, the need to understand the conditions supporting team coordination is becoming increasingly prevalent. By examining the moderating roles of initiated and received task interdependence on the relationship between perceptions of self-management and coordination in distributed teams, we aim to advance research in the area of e-commerce and benefit distributed teams in current and future practice. Results based on a survey of 101 professionals working in distributed teams indicate that the level of team self-management is positively related to perceived coordination when the level of initiated task interdependence within a team is high, as well as when the level of received task interdependence is low. These findings further indicate that initiated and received team task interdependence represent difference team coupling structures that can enable or hinder team coordination. Theoretical and practical implications for the boundary conditions to sustain coordination in self-managing teams are discussed.


Set within the context of the current fiscal and political climates, community colleges have received growing attention with their role being articulated as critical to economic recovery. Recent initiatives have heightened the expectations placed on community colleges to improve institutional efficiency and effectiveness in addressing the nation's workforce needs and increasing degree attainment rates. This emphasis on community colleges creates an opportunity for this sector of higher education to better define assessment measures to guide data-driven decisions. To inform these efforts, this study aims to provide a better understanding of the institutional factors that promote persistence, particularly in the areas that may be within the discretion of community college leaders to initiate change. Community college scholarship has contributed greatly to an understanding of the student experiences that promote successful outcomes, yet these inquiries struggle to provide a more sophisticated understanding of institutional contexts. The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study is utilized in this study to examine a nationally representative sample of 5,410 community college students, following their trajectories from initial enrollment in postsecondary educational in 2003-04 through 2009. The study offers a unique perspective in examining students' mobility by accounting for every institution attended in students' 6-year trajectories, which resulted in an institutional sample of 1,584 colleges. After an extensive search of the literature, this study appears to be one of the first in the field of higher education to date to utilize multiple membership random effect modeling (MMREM) in applied research on college students. Advancing the statistical inquiry is particularly critical for community college research, because 2-year students have the highest student mobility rates nationally (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center [NSCRC], 2012b). Furthermore, with the improved accuracy in estimates, researchers seeking to contribute to the national dialogue on community college accountability should be confident in their capacity to publish findings with a high degree of confidence.In addition to informing research, the results have implications for theory, practice, and policy. Institutional effects were identified in several areas where strategic decisions could be made to implement change, regarding the percentage of part-time faculty, distance learning offerings, and career placement services. Perhaps the most informative results come from the many student-level and college-level findings that point to the critical role of intentional efforts to engage students through academic integration, involvement, and interaction. Paired with these conclusions is the finding that larger investments in academic support expenditures have a strong positive impact on persistence. Higher education decision-makers need to evaluate their prioritizing of funds to determine ways to minimize nonacademic overhead and support costs to be able to divert more resources to academic support. This research clearly highlights the importance for a variety of community college stakeholders to better understand the relationship between institutional efforts and student outcomes.


The Health and Social Care Bill in England has passed into law after months of bitter debate. Medically qualified critics of the Bill never gained sufficient access to the media to communicate effectively with the public. While most professional bodies in the UK eventually set their face against health secretary Lansley's ideas, the proposed changes were so complex and far-reaching that many organisations lacked sufficient understanding to crystalise their opposition. At least, not until it was far too late to influence the politicians. It is a measure of the scale of this piece of legislation that it absorbed 2000 amendments before passing into law, without becoming any more attractive to the majority of its critics outside parliament.

Readers beyond these shores may wish to know the essence of what Lansley terms healthcare reforms, but which others have identified as the end of our National Health Service (NHS) in England. It is difficult to state simply with any degree of objectivity, but we are discussing a major structural reorganisation that entails ditching the local commissioners of secondary care services as well as the regional bodies responsible for strategic planning and surveillance. In place of these two layers, a national commissioning board and locality commissioning groups, mostly made up of general practitioners with all the administrative support of the previous commissioners, are expected to commission services from 'any qualified provider'.1 That means established NHS hospitals, and not-for-profit non-governmental organisations and commercial organisations, large or small.

In the sense used here, commissioning has a specific meaning in the UK semimarketised health system. It involves negotiations with providers, setting out the units of healthcare to be purchased, the tariff for the units of care and the quantity to be undertaken before different pricing structures are enforced. Effective commissioning delineates the responsibilities of secondary …


This research is motivated by the frequent occurrence of work accidents in construction projects during 2017-2018, this gives a meaning that there is still a lack of attention to aspects of occupational health and safety (OHS). Therefore a plan is made which, if implemented in a project, can minimize the occurrence of work accidents called the construction safety plan. The purpose of this research is to make a construction safety plan by identifying any risks that can cause work accidents in construction projects.
This research is based on direct observation methods on construction projects and literature studies related to risk and OHS. This research begins by identifying risks based on the Minister of Public Works Regulation PERMENPU NUMBER: 05 / PRT / M / 2014 where there will be hazards that can cause workplace accidents and how to control them, then a construction safety plan consisting of work safety policies, targets and work safety programs, and implementation of workplace safety activities in the field.
The results of this study are that there are 36 risk variables that can cause work accidents, consisting of 7 variables with high risk, 21 variables with moderate risk and 8 variables with low risk. The targets made were the achievement of zero accidents with safety induction programs, safety precautions, safety talk, safety meetings, safety patrols and the use of personal protective equipment. Then the implementation plan of work safety in the field includes evacuation route planning, building protection planning, planning to work at height, etc.


Purpose
Fire safety of a building is becoming a prominent consideration due to the recent fire accidents and the consequences in terms of loss of life and property damage. ISO 834 standard fire test regulation and simulation cannot be applied to assess the fire performance of 3D printed concrete (3DPC) walls as the real fire time-temperature curves could be more severe, compared to standard fire curve, in terms of the maximum temperature and the time to reach that maximum temperature. Therefore, this paper aims to describe an investigation on the fire performance of 3DPC composite wall panels subjected to different fire scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach
The fire performance of 3DPC wall was traced through developing an appropriate heat transfer numerical model. The validity of the developed numerical model was confirmed by comparing the time-temperature profiles with available fire test results of 3DPC walls. A detailed parametric study of 140 numerical models were, subsequently, conducted covering different 3DPC wall configurations (i.e. solid, cavity and rockwool infilled cavity), five varying densities and consideration of four fire curves (i.e. standard, hydrocarbon fire, rapid and prolong).

Findings
3DPC walls and Rockwool infilled cavity walls showed superior fire performance. Furthermore, the study indicates that the thermal responses of 3DPC walls exposed to rapid-fire is crucial compared to other fire scenarios.

Research limitations/implications
To investigate the thermal behaviour, ABAQUS allows performing uncoupled and coupled thermal analysis. Coupled analysis is typically used to investigate combined mechanical-thermal behaviour. Since, considered 3DPC wall configurations are non-load bearing, uncouple heat transfer analysis was performed. Time-temperature variations can be obtained to study the thermal response of 3DPC walls.

Originality/value
At present, there is limited study to analyse the behaviour of 3DPC composite wall panels in real fire scenarios. Hence, this paper presents an investigation on the fire performance of 3DPC composite wall panels subjected to different fire scenarios. This research is the first attempt to extensively study the fire performance of non-load bearing 3DPC walls.


The incidence of infections with Candida albicans and also with non-albicans yeast species is increasing rapidly, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Eight Candida and Torulopsis species were compared for their ability to stimulate production of complement components C3 and factor B by monocytes. In addition, the release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was determined, because this cytokine affects monocyte complement production. The highest ranked pathogenic yeasts, i.e., C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, were the most effective inducers of C3, factor B and GM-CSF production. C. krusei and T. glabrata showed intermediate activity, whereas C. kefyr, C. guilliermondii and T. candida had only a moderate stimulatory effect on C3 production and did not affect either factor B or GM-CSF release. The stimulated cytokine and complement production in response to the yeasts was highly variable in monocytes from different donors, but there was a consistent inverse relationship between C3 and GM-CSF concentrations in the monocyte supernates. This is in agreement with the previously described suppressive effect of GM-CSF on yeast-induced C3, but not factor B production. The monocyte responses elicited by a specific yeast species may be linked to its pathogenicity, and may also explain the predilection of some yeasts for particular underlying diseases.


The carbon monoxide-sensitive liver microsomal mixed-function oxiodase has recently been solubilized and resolved into three components: cytochrome P-450, TPNH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and a heat-stable fraction. Of a variety of compounds tested as possible substrates in the reconstituted rat liver enzyme system, d -benzphetamine ( N -benzyl- N ,α-dimethylphenylethylamine) was the most active. A series of n -alkanes (hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, dodecane, tetradecane, and hexadecane) were shown to serve as substrates, as well as compounds such as cyclohexane, ethylmorphine, hexobarbital, aminopyrine, and norcodeine, which are known to undergo hydroxylation in intact microsomal suspensions. Trilaurin, diolein, and triolein appeared to be active, whereas certain other lipids, including a series of fatty acids, and aniline were not.

In the reconstituted rabbit liver enzyme system, hexane was the most active substrate, followed by cyclohexane and benzphetamine. A series of fatty acids front hexanoate to palmitoleate were found to undergo hydroxylation, in contrast to the results obtained in the rat liver enzyme system.

An absolute requirement for the heat-stable lipid fractoin was shown for the hydroxylation of the various drugs as well as of several alkanes. A study of the stoichiometry of benzphetamine demethylation resulting from hydroxylation of the methyl group and liberation of the resulting hydroxymethyl group as formaldehyde) indicated that equimolar amounts of TPNH and molecular oxygen were consumed and of formaldehyde were produced. The results corresponded to the stoichiometry expected of a mixed-function oxidase, provided that catalase was added to the enzyme system. In the absence of catalase, a significantly greater oxygen uptake was observed.

The Km of benzphetamine was 1.8 x 10-4 in the reconstituted enzyme system, and the Ks of benzphetamine, which was unaltered in the absence of the heat-stable lipid fraction, was 5.5 x 10-4 M. Aniline and octante were shown to act as competitive inhibitors with respect to benzphetamine.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT We wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of Miss Joanne Heidema.


In the process of transition and globalization, the creation of an efficient system of economic activities has to be based on the market- oriented economy and adequate measures of economic policy. The strengthening and enlargement of the role of the market and economic laws becomes a need all the more as the market is the best factor of valuation of all values. However, economy cannot show optimal economic results if it rests only on the market. It requires certain measures of macroeconomic policy in the field of economic activities, employment, price stability, that is, inflation and problems regarding foreign economy. The starting point for economic policy should be the market and the market effects, in the sense that it corrects or removes its randomness, adjusts the development and contributes to efficiency and rationality. Therefore, the existence of certain lavel of complementarity between the market and economic policy is very important for accomplishing development strategy, that is for rational and successful economic activities Of the same importance is the coordination and intergration of monetarycredit and fiscal policy(.public revenue and tax policy). The instruments of economic policy, monetary and fiscal policy, are two economic disciplines, only two parts, two sub-systems of the inique financial policy. Joint activity of monetary and fiscal policy becomes a necessity – the law of modern finances. What is needed is that both policies are complementary and at the same time used with other partial policies in order to accomplish stability in the broadest sense of the word. The strategy for successful economic reforms in our economy has to be aimed at strengthening the competittion in tne market, at making more decisive steps towards market reforms, privatization administration and judicial reform, and all this in accordance with legal and administrative standards of the European Union. In other words, our economy needs new investments, a clearly-stated development strategy, more rapid growth of industrial development, new technologies and repositioning in the market in order to achieve a better position compared to our competition and more dynamuc marketing in the foreign market. The aim of all these activities is macroeconomic stability and joining the European Union.


This paper presents an analysis, using Cognitive Dimensions (Blackwell & Green, 2003), of a representative selection of user interfaces for algorithmic composition software. Cognitive Dimensions are design principles for notations, user interfaces and programming language design, or from another viewpoint 'discussion tools' for designers (Green & Blackwell, 1998). For the purposes of this report, algorithmic composition software is software which generates music using computer algorithms, where the algorithms may be controlled by end users (who may variously be considered as composers or performers). For example, the algorithms may be created by the end user, or the user may provide data or parameter settings to pre-existing algorithms. Other kinds of end-user manipulation are also possible. A wide variety of algorithmic composition software is considered, including visual programming languages, text-oriented programming languages, and software which requires or allows data entry by the user. The paper considers a representative, rather than comprehensive, selection of software. The analysis also draws, where appropriate, on related discussion tools drawn from Crampton Smith (Moggridge, 2006), Cooper et al. (2007) and Rogers et al. (2011). Finally, the paper reflects on the compositional representation of time as a critical dimension of composition software that is not satisfactorily addressed by Cognitive Dimensions, or any of the other discussion tools.


Increasing interest has been seen for the new kinds of complex structure, yolk–shell and nanorattles, in which the properties of hollow and core–shell structures have been combined. It has also been reported that small bimetallic nanoclusters in hollow carbon spheres show outstanding catalytic performances. Therefore, we have simulated bare Ag/Au nanoclusters and Ag/Au nanoclusters encapsulated into hollow carbon spheres (AgAu@C) with various structures (core–shell, hollow core–shell, rattle core–shell, and alloy nanoclusters) from 300 to 700 K. To investigate the stability of the different nanoclusters, we have calculated the structural stability parameters and the strain distributions among the cores and shells of the different structures. We have also investigated the radial chemical distribution functions (RCDFs) and the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of the different nanoclusters to further study the structures of the cluster atoms. The results indicated that the relative stability of the bare Ag/Au nanoclusters at 300 K is in the order: alloy ≥ rattle core–shell > core–shell > hollow core–shell. By increasing the temperature up to 500 K, the stability trend of the nanoclusters changes and the hollow core–shell nanocluster shows a higher stability than the other clusters because of the occupation of its hollow core. The relative stability of the supported nanoclusters, AgAu@C, is almost the reverse throughout the temperature range: hollow core–shell@C > core–shell@C ≥ alloy@C > rattle core–shell@C. These results mean that the carbon capsulation of the nanoclusters is an effective way of stabilizing the unstable clusters, especially the hollow core–shell clusters.


The night has historically been neglected in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research. To some extent, this is not surprising, given the diurnal bias of human researchers and the difficulty of performing work at night. The night is, however, a critical element of biological, chemical, physical, and social systems on Earth. Moreover, research into social issues such as inequality, demographic changes, and the transition to a sustainable economy will be compromised if the night is not considered. Recent years, however, have seen a surge in research into the night. We argue that "night studies" is on the cusp of coming into its own as an interdisciplinary field, and that when it does, the field will consider questions that disciplinary researchers have not yet thought to ask. J 2020, 3, 1–6; doi:10.3390/j3010001 www.mdpi.com/journal/j


We present a family of safe memory reclamation schemes, Hyaline, which are fast, scalable, and transparent to the underlying lock-free data structures. Hyaline is based on reference counting -- considered impractical for memory reclamation in the past due to high overheads. Hyaline uses reference counters only during reclamation, but not while accessing individual objects, which reduces overheads for object accesses. Since with reference counters, an arbitrary thread ends up freeing memory, Hyaline's reclamation workload is (almost) balanced across all threads, unlike most prior reclamation schemes such as epoch-based reclamation (EBR) or hazard pointers (HP). Hyaline often yields (excellent) EBR-grade performance with (good) HP-grade memory efficiency, which is a challenging trade-off with all existing schemes. Hyaline schemes offer: (i) high performance; (ii) good memory efficiency; (iii) robustness: bounding memory usage even in the presence of stalled threads, a well-known problem with EBR; (iv) transparency: supporting virtually unbounded number of threads (or concurrent entities) that can be created and deleted dynamically, and effortlessly join existent workload; (v) autonomy: avoiding special OS mechanisms and being non-intrusive to runtime or compiler environments; (vi) simplicity: enabling easy integration into unmanaged C/C++ code; and (vii) generality: supporting many data structures. All existing schemes lack one or more properties. We have implemented and tested Hyaline on x86(-64), ARM32/64, PowerPC, and MIPS. The general approach requires LL/SC or double-width CAS, while a specialized version also works with single-width CAS. Our evaluation reveals that Hyaline's throughput is very high -- it steadily outperforms EBR by 10% in one test and yields 2x gains in oversubscribed scenarios. Hyaline's superior memory efficiency is especially evident in read-dominated workloads.


Debates on art censorship often have proved to offer a fertile ground for research on the issues of art, autonomy and freedom. Through an analysis of four case studies, this study aims to offer an analytical survey on censorship on visual arts in Istanbul from the recent historical context of 2002 – 2009, during the rule of recent Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP – Justice and Development Party) government. The selected cases are situated within the framework of modernization, political Islam and Kemalism and are analysed as cultural expressions of the contemporary Turkish political scene. The cases are selected according to the variety and the possibilities offered by the censorship mechanisms as well as the positioning of the artists within the processes. Interviews with the artists discuss (a) the norms of censorship; (b) the engagements of the artists within the processes; (c) self-censorship; (d) the censors' justifications for each case. The research suggests that although recent censorship on visual arts in Turkey always reflects a specific socio-cultural context, the general formulation of censorship has its roots in moral justifications, in both political Islam and the state nationalism, as a response directed against the representators of any kind of perceived oppositon in its political and social sense.


-- Summary. The method currently used for determining races of Phytophthora clandestina requires isolation of pure cultures of the pathogen and testing of their pathogenicity on a range of differential cultivars. To date, the pathogen has not been isolated directly from soil and isolation of the pathogen from naturally infected seedlings is laborious. A bioassay involving the planting of differential cultivars in soil samples in small planting trays was developed to identify races of I? clandestina in soil. The specific races of the pathogen in the soil were determined by assessing the disease severity and the extent of sporulation of the pathogen on the roots of the differential cultivars. A more rapid baiting method using cotyledons of differential cultivars in flooded soil samples was also developed to determine the presence of different races in the samples. Both bioassays were used to confirm the presence of race 0 and race 1 in separate paddocks at Rutherglen, northern Victoria, over 4 seasons. The presence in field soil of another root rot pathogen of subterranean clover, Aphanomyces euteiches, was also detected using these techniques.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key gene regulators in most biological and pathological processes, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The possibility of using circulating or fecal miRNA expression levels as non-invasive biomarkers open interesting possibilities for their potential clinical utility. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have changed the approach to complex genomic studies, including those on noncoding RNAs, providing a reliable and accurate method for grouping individuals on the basis of their molecular profiles. We report our study on the search of CRC biomarkers in surrogate specimens by a concomitant evaluation of miRNA expression profiles in plasma and stool samples from healthy subjects and patients with CRC or precancerous lesions. In particular, miRNA expression profiles were characterized by NGS (small RNA sequencing) in exosome isolated from plasma and in stool samples of a discovery set (n=130) of CRC/adenoma/inflammatory disease patients and healthy subjects recruited at colonoscopy. An optimized workflow for miRNAs quantification from NGS and an analysis pipeline has been developed for pre-processing the raw sequences, aligning the data to a known reference sequence and finally, analyzing the compiled sequence. Information on lifestyle and dietary habits were collected at the time of enrolment, together with biological samples. Preliminary results of a set of 96 plasma/stool samples showed that several miRNAs resulted dysregulated in all categories of subjects with disease in comparison with healthy subjects. In particular, in stool of CRC patients more than 140 miRNAs showed altered expression levels in comparison with healthy controls after adjusting for multiple testing. Among them, we have recorded miRNAs already observed in primary tissue, such as over-expressed miR-92a and miR-21, but also miRNAs previously not described. A group of eleven miRNAs showed similar trends between plasma and stool samples. The most relevant identified dysregulated miRNAs will be validated by qPCR in an additional group with similar distributions of cases/controls. The present study shows the importance to use high-throughput techniques and complex computational analyses to globally define miRNA signatures involved in colorectal carcinogenesis in surrogate specimens. Stool miRNAs analyzed by NGS for the first time in the present study seem to provide reliable and comparable results to other specimens (number of mapped sequences/identified miRNAs). Their future use in clinical practice may help to avoid unnecessary and expensive colonoscopies in low-risk patients. Citation Format: Alessio Naccarati, Sonia Tarallo, Gaetano Gallo, Giulio Ferrero, Antonio Francavilla, Giuseppe Clerico, Alberto Realis, Mario Trompetto, Francesca Cordero, Barbara Pardini, Paolo Vineis. Stool and plasma miRNA profiles by next-generation sequencing: a study on subjects with colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-330. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-330


Titanosilicates, layered manganese oxides and an antimonysilicate were tested for their ability to take up the reprocessing spent fuel transuranium isotopes americium-241 and plutonium-236. This was performed in different concentrations of acid, and sodium and calcium nitrate solutions to represent the conditions of nuclear waste treatment. The purpose was to assess the waste types (acidic or low-medium-high-salt) most suited to treatment by these materials. The experiments were carried out by the batch method and the results obtained expressed as distribution coefficients. Variation in the magnitude and mechanism of actinide sorption by the materials was attributed to the differences in the frameworks, physical properties (porosity, crystal size and chemical composition) and surface charges of the ion exchangers. In nitric acid solutions, the H-antimonysilicate proved to be a better sorbent than H-birnessite for both actinide elements. The void space of AM-4 layered titanosilicate material made it appropriate for actinide removal in sodium salt solutions. The differences in selectivity of Ca-antimonysilicate and Ca-birnessite for americium-241 and plutonium-236 in 0.01 M calcium nitrate solution reflected the preference of each material for actinides over calcium ions.


See also the article 'Tourism and Long-run Economic Growth in Aruba' in the International Journal of Tourism Research (2014). Volume 16, issue 5, pages 472-487. Tourism has over the past decades turned into a core activity for accelerated growth. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of tourism in the economy of Aruba. More specifically, this investigation attempts to answer the following questions: (1) is there is a long-run equilibrium relation between tourism development (TD) and economic growth in Aruba?; and (2) if so, what is the causality direction between TD and economic growth? This exercise involves applying an econometric methodology consisting of unit root testing, cointegration analysis, vector error correction modeling (VECM), and Granger causality testing. The results show there is one cointegrating relation between these two variables, while the VECM comprises both a short- and a long-run relation. The short-run dynamics of the model suggests a speed of correction of 0.25%, meaning that it would take about 10.5 years to correct for disturbances back to equilibrium. The long-run relation indicates that a 1% change in tourism revenues would lead to a 0.49% increase in real GDP in the long-run, ceteris paribus. Our findings have also empirically verified the presence of the Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis (TLGH) in the case of Aruba. They show that tourism is in part an endogenous growth process, requiring a systematic allocation of resources (e.g., financial means, leadership, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship) to sustain its development for local and regional economies.


Fatty acid esters of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and glycidol are a newly identified class of food process contaminants. They are widespread in refined vegetable oils and fats and have been detected in vegetable fat-containing products, including infant formulas. There are no toxicological data available yet on the 3-MCPD and glycidol esters, and the primary toxicological concern is based on the potential release of 3-MCPD or glycidol from the parent esters by lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract. Although 3-MCPD is assessed as a nongenotoxic carcinogen with a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 2 μg/kg body weight (bw), glycidol is a known genotoxic carcinogen, which induces tumors in numerous organs of rodents. The initial exposure estimates, conducted by Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) under the assumption that 100% of the 3-MPCD and glycidol are released from their esters, revealed especially that infants being fed commercial infant formula could ingest harmful amounts of 3-MCPD and glycidol. However, the real oral bioavailability may be lower. As this gives rise for toxicological concern, the currently available toxicological data of 3-MCPD and glycidol and their esters are summarized in this review and discussed with regard to data gaps and further research needs.


ABSTRACT Wang, P.; Adam, J.D.; Cheng, J., and Vallée, M., 2020. Morphological and sedimentological impacts of Hurricane Michael along the northwest Florida coast. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(5), 932–950. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. On October 10, 2018, category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall at Mexico Beach, generating a nearly 5-m storm surge. The greater landfall area is characteristic of a cuspate headland protruding into the Gulf of Mexico for up to 50 km. The headland is composed of several barrier islands with different orientations fronting a large estuary. The hurricane-impacted areas include densely developed small beachfront communities, modestly to sparsely developed shoreline communities, mostly pristine state parks, and a completely pristine national wildlife refuge. Therefore, Hurricane Michael provides an excellent opportunity to study the impact of an extreme storm over various coastal environments with different degrees of human developments. Because of the shoreline orientation and bathymetry changes induced by the headland, the wave field associated with the hurricane is complicated, with different locations for the highest wave and the landfall site where the surge and wind speed were the greatest. Numerical wave modeling revealed two wave-focusing points along the headland where barrier-island breaching occurred. Beach-dune erosion and impact to infrastructure were examined and compared among various natural–human coastal systems. The magnitude of dune erosion was mostly controlled by the storm wave height and prestorm beach width, but the height of the prestorm dune was not a determining factor. Sedimentological characteristics of storm deposits along the barrier islands, within Apalachicola Bay, and in the surrounding coastal marsh were examined using 116 sediment cores and 40 grab sediment samples. Characteristics of storm deposits and their preservation are described for various subenvironments, including beaches, dunes, interior wetlands, back-barrier bay, and coastal marsh along the landward side of the estuary. The landward penetrations of identifiable sandy overwash deposits were less than 150 m along the barrier islands and less than 30 m along the mainland marshes. These results should have potential implications on paleostorm study.


The effects of hot compression deformation (300°C/0.1s-1) and annealing on the microstructural evolution of ZK60+0.8Zn (ZK60M) alloys were investigated in the present works. Lots of sub-structures were studded in the shear bands under the deformed conditions, and after annealing, the sub-structures in the shear bands occurred static recrystallization following by the growth of recrystallized grains. With the increase of annealing temperature, amounts of twins decrease while static recrystallization (SRX) grains increase while dislocations rearrange forming sub-grains ultimately induced static recrystallization. And that, the micro structural evolution and grain boundary distribution of the specimen as-deformed and as-annealed at different temperatures were analyzed by electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) data.


Summary Duplication of genes, genomes, or morphological structures (or some combination of these) has long been thought to facilitate evolutionary change. Here we focus on studies of the teleost fishes to consider the conceptual similarities in the evolutionary potential of these three different kinds of duplication events. We review recent data that have confirmed the occurrence of a whole‐genome duplication event in the ray‐finned fish lineage, and discuss whether this event may have fuelled the radiation of teleost fishes. We then consider the fates of individual duplicated genes, from both a theoretical and an experimental viewpoint, focusing on our studies of teleost Hox genes and their functions in patterning the segmented hindbrain. Finally, we consider the duplication of morphological structures, once again drawing on our experimental studies of the hindbrain, which have revealed that experimentally induced duplicated neurons can produce functionally redundant neural circuits. We posit that the availability of duplicated material, independent of its nature, can lead to functional redundancy, which in turn enables evolutionary change.


This contribution describes mechanical properties of the whisker system of rats. The motivation for the work was to achieve a better understanding of the functionality of this remarkable sense organ by defining structure-function-correlations. Special features of the different types of whisker are interpreted in terms of their morphological background, e.g., object recognition and texture discrimination. The whiskers are found to be conical in shape. Theoretical considerations of rod types reveal certain advantages of conically shaped rods over cylindrical rods. There is a difference in deformation, with the higher values applying to conical rods. Whiskers have a very flexible tip which is sensitive to very small forces. Uniaxial bending tests using actual whiskers were performed to characterize the static parameters. From experimental data obtained, the spring constant, the Young's modulus and the flexural stiffness are calculated. Young's modulus is one standard parameter for the characterization of materials. It was found that this can be regarded as constant along the whiskers with an average value of 7.36 GPa. Flexural stiffness was found to depend on the hair diameter and decrease from base to tip. The short vibrissae exhibit the lowest flexural stiffness, which means they are sensitive to very small forces. The experimental results obtained might well be used as a basis for the optimization or the construction of bioinspired technical sensor systems.


Abstract Planetary transits are used to measure the solar radius since the beginning of the 18th century and are the most accurate direct method to measure potentially long-term variation in the solar size. Historical measures present a range of values dominated by systematic errors from different instruments and observers. Atmospheric seeing and black drop effect contribute as error sources for the precise timing of the planetary transit ground observations. Both Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) made observations of planetary transits from space to derive the solar radius. The International Astronomical Union approved the resolution B3 in 2015, defining a nominal solar radius of precisely 695,700 km. In this work, we show that this value is off by more than 300 km, which is one order of magnitude higher than the error of the most recent solar radius observations.


Based on the premise that providing support for university teachers in designing for their teaching will ultimately improve the quality of student learning outcomes, recent interest in the development of support tools and strategies has gained momentum. This article reports on a study that examined the context in which Australian university teachers design in order to understand what role design support tools and strategies could play. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 30 academics across 16 Australian universities. The findings suggest that most Australian university teachers have a high degree of flexibility in their design decisions suggesting that opportunities exist for learning design tools and strategies to be adopted.


Dr Aphrodite Evangelatou recently completed her practice-based PhD research which investigates potential pathways for the student-actor to access emotion safely and with ease. In this paper she will discuss some key findings from the research, focusing on the question of pedagogy. In addition to identifying particular 'lures' for emotional activation, such as working with musicality and breath, her research indicates that the pedagogue's role is crucial for the activation of emotion. Challenging the politics of power in classroom and/or rehearsal and the hierarchical relationship between teacher and student, the discussion will highlight the importance of qualities such as warmth and care, as well as their role in actively encouraging the creation of a positive and safe learning environment, where the trainer can function as an enabler of emotion. The paper will also discuss the importance of pleasure in the training process - particularly in relation to the activation of so-called negative emotions- and propose ways to achieve this through examining Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow.


Researchers routinely adopt composite endpoints in multicenter randomized trials designed to evaluate the effect of experimental interventions in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Despite their widespread use, relatively little attention has been paid to the statistical properties of estimators of treatment effect based on composite endpoints. We consider this here in the context of multivariate models for time to event data in which copula functions link marginal distributions with a proportional hazards structure. We then examine the asymptotic and empirical properties of the estimator of treatment effect arising from a Cox regression model for the time to the first event. We point out that even when the treatment effect is the same for the component events, the limiting value of the estimator based on the composite endpoint is usually inconsistent for this common value. We find that in this context the limiting value is determined by the degree of association between the events, the stochastic ordering of events, and the censoring distribution. Within the framework adopted, marginal methods for the analysis of multivariate failure time data yield consistent estimators of treatment effect and are therefore preferred. We illustrate the methods by application to a recent asthma study. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The aim of this study is to present the case of an 18-year-old male who developed non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) after the operation for temporal lobe herniation. The herniation of meningeal and brain tissues into the middle ear and mastoid cavity is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. Temporal lobe herniation might occur after otologic surgeries which are often related with an iatrogenic bony defect of tegmen tympani. NCSE can be defined as prolonged seizure activity and is an extremely rare complication of otological surgeries. To our knowledge, this is the first case for NCSE which developed after otologic surgery in the literature.


Drawing on system voltages obtained from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and wide-area communication network, a secondary voltage control formulation is developed, with particular reference to a power system having SVCs and STATCOMs. Based on the system load-flow equations linearised about the operating point defined by measured nodal voltages, the control procedure is formulated in terms of constrained optimisation with a quadratic objective function and a set of linear constraints derived from operating limits of reactive-power compensation systems and generators. The variables in the optimisation are the reference voltages of SVCs, STATCOMs and synchronous generators. The problem formulated is solved by standard quadratic programming method which is well-established and efficient in terms of computing time requirement in the context of online application. The procedure developed is applicable to any changes in loads and/or system configuration. Representative results of voltage control co-ordination are presented in the paper.


Purpose The aim of the present study was to analyze quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) parameters to identify clinically relevant cutoff values able to detect clinically different Stargardt's disease (STGD) subgroups. Methods Consecutive STGD patients were recruited and underwent complete ophthalmologic examination, including multimodal imaging. Several quantitative parameters were extracted both from structural OCT and OCTA images and were statistically analyzed. A post hoc analysis was performed to identify a quantitative cutoff able to distinguish two clinically different STGD subgroups. Main outcome measures were total retinal thickness, central macular thickness (CMT), retinal layers thickness, retinal and choroidal hyperreflective foci (HF) number, vessel density (VD), vessel tortuosity (VT), vessel dispersion (Vdisp), and vessel rarefaction (VR) of macular and optic nerve head plexa. Results Overall, 54 eyes of 54 STGD patients (18 males) and 54 eyes of 54 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were included in the analysis. All quantitative parameters resulted significantly worse in STGD than controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, a VT cutoff of 5 allowed to distinguish the following two categories: a functionally and anatomically better STGD group and a worse group. BCVA resulted 0.42 ± 0.28 logMAR in the best group versus 1.09 ± 0.36 logMAR in the worst (P < 0.01). Structural OCT and OCTA parameters significantly differed between the two STGD groups. Conclusions Quantitative OCTA was able to detect different morphofunctional STGD phenotypes. Translational Relevance OCTA-based classification of STGD patients detected different patients' subgroups, differing in terms of morphologic and functional features, with a potential impact on clinical and research settings.


Summary Medical biochemistry is the usual name for clinical biochemistry or clinical chemistry in Serbia, and medical biochemist is the official name for the clinical chemist (or clinical biochemist). This is the largest sub-discipline of the laboratory medicine in Serbia. It includes all aspects of clinical chemistry, and also laboratory hematology with coagulation, immunology, etc. Medical biochemistry laboratories in Serbia and medical biochemists as a profession are part of Health Care System and their activities are regulated through: the Health Care Law and rules issued by the Chamber of Medical Biochemists of Serbia. The first continuous and organized education for Medical Biochemists (Clinical Chemists) in Serbia dates from 1945, when the Department of Medical Biochemistry was established at the Pharmaceutical Faculty in Belgrade. In 1987 at the same Faculty a five years undergraduate study program was established, educating Medical Biochemists under a special program. Since the academic year 2006/2007 the new five year undergraduate (according to Bologna Declaration) and four-year postgraduate program according to EC4 European Syllabus for Postgraduate Training in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine has been established. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health accredited these programs. There are four requirements for practicing medical biochemistry in the Health Care System: University Diploma of the Faculty of Pharmacy (Study of Medical Biochemistry), successful completion of the professional exam at the Ministry of Health after completion of one additional year of obligatory practical training in the medical biochemistry laboratories, membership in the Serbian Chamber of Medical Biochemists and licence for skilled work issued by the Serbian Chamber of Medical Biochemists. In order to present laboratory medical biochemistry practice in Serbia this paper will be focused on the following: Serbian national legislation, healthcare services organization, sub-disciplines of laboratory medicine and medical biochemistry as the most significant, education in medical biochemistry, conditions for professional practice in medical biochemistry, continuous quality improvement, and accreditation. Serbian healthcare is based on fundamental principles of universal health coverage and solidarity between all citizens.


We propose a scheme that can avoid obstacles by using the parabolic trajectory of two- dimensional finite-energy Airy beams in order to extend application scenarios of free space optical communications. Two approaches for adjusting the Airy beam trajectory have been experimented, including shifting the location and changing the pattern of the phase mask. Results confirm that the applying of Airy beams can provide a bonus of larger obstacle size than conventional Gaussian beams.


Generalized mean values of size distributions are defined via the general power mean, using Kronecker's delta to allow for the geometric mean. Special cases of these generalized mean values are the superarithmetic, arithmetic, geometric, harmonic and subharmonic means of number-, length-, surface-, volumeand intensity-weighted distributions. In addition to these special cases, however, our generalized r-weighted k-mean allows for non-integer values of k, which can be an advantage for describing material responses or effective properties of heterogeneous materials or disperse systems that are determined in a different way by different parts of a size distribution. For these generalized mean values a theorem is proved, which contains Herdan's theorem as a special case and turns out to be identical to Alderliesten's symmetry relation for moment ratios. In contrast to the moment-ratio notation, however, the interpretation of our notation is simple, intuitive and self-evident.


Background The Strategy on HIV infection and AIDS 2011–2015, and the Strategic Plan for the Response to the HIV Epidemic in the Republic of Serbia, both recognise the need for conducting behavioural surveys every two years among populations most at risk to HIV. Method The survey was conducted in 2012, as a third repeated cross-sectional (KAP) study on a representative sample of 613 respondents in 16 prisons in Serbia. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire completed by respondents. Results The survey findings showed that syringe/needle sharing practises are much more present among those prisoners who have had experience of intravenous drug use (38.2%), and who think drugs can be obtained inside a prison (32.8%). Use of non-sterile tattooing tolls was reported by 13.1% prisoners. Sex with non-regular partners and irregular use of condoms is detected more often among male prisoners. Knowledge on HIV/AIDS is satisfactory among 31.6% prisoners, which is a lower percentage compared to 2010 (35.1%). One in seven prisoners (15.2%) in Serbia took HIV test during 12 months before the survey, and knows their result. Among prisoners included in the MoH of Serbia project "HIV Prevention/harm reduction among prisoners", a higher percentage of those with satisfactory level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS was detected (35.8%), as well as those tested for HIV (32.9%). Knowledge of prisoners related to sexually transmitted diseases is unsatisfactory, as prisoners do not recognise the symptoms, nor do they report to their physicians when they get them. The percentage of prisoners satisfied with healthcare services is significantly higher than in 2010 (38.3% compared to 29.7%). Conclusion It is necessary to revise and redefine programme activities aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS in prisons, and pay specific attention to HIV prevention programmes among vulnerable groups: youth, women and injecting drug users in prisons.


Horticultural food producers and processors typically have Food Excess and By-products (FE&Bs) generated during their operations, the value of which is underutilised. FE&Bs still often end up in landfill, improperly composted, or given away as animal feed, despite there being no shortage of technical strategies available to deal with this issue. FE&Bs are a rich source of water, bioactive compounds and fibre and could be used to produce high value nutritional and food products, as well as structural enhancements for composite material systems, including packaging. Techno-economics, missing links in the food supply chain to connect FE&Bs to these alternative product pathways, and lack of infrastructure are current hurdles. Investigations are nearing completion to determine the best FE&Bs processing and valorisation 'ecosystem' that approaches viable full circular economy by overcoming these hurdles. Development of such an 'ecosystem' to transform FE&Bs could increase the value of food producers' product, and create new industries. To analyse such a system, we propose here a FE&Bs valorisation model, which takes into account several key influencing factors, including material composition and energy content, transport distance and cost, processing type (mobile or fixed), processing costs and time. The model also examines weighting these factors, based on effort of implementation from an economic viewpoint and/or perception of importance from a social virtue perspective. A simple processing and valorisation ecosystem test scenario is presented, highlighting the benefits of FE&Bs process symbiosis/integration. Australian food production test cases are presented here, but this model could be modified for most situations.


17 selected flavones derivatives, flavonoids, were analyzed through a systematic B3LYP/6-311++G** computational study with the aim of understanding the molecular factors that determine their structural and energetic properties in gas phase. Flavonoids were selected in a systematic way to infer the effect of the number and relative positions of hydroxyl groups on molecular properties. Different conformers for each flavonoid were analyzed and the strength and topology of the intramolecular hydrogen bonds studied through the computation of the corresponding torsional profiles. Atoms in a Molecule, and Natural Bond Orbital methodology was applied to the analysis of charge distribution along the studied molecules, and the intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Molecular shapes were studied through full geometry optimization, and the position of the catechol ring analyzed through dihedral scans.


In this paper, we study a novel forwarding technique based on geographical location of the nodes involved and random selection of the relaying node via contention among receivers. We provide a detailed description of a MAC scheme based on these concepts and on collision avoidance and report on its energy and latency performance. A simplified analysis is given first, some relevant trade offs are highlighted, and parameter optimization is pursued. Further, a semi-Markov model is developed which provides a more accurate performance evaluation. Simulation results supporting the validity of our analytical approach are also provided.


Seasonal performance assessments of air-conditioning and heat-pump systems are typically carried out based on performance measurement of equipment in a test laboratory. The performance ratings that arise from these assessments are important in providing information to consumers, and in influencing policymakers to determine appropriate incentives for high-efficiency equipment in the marketplace. The current testing and rating approach for performance evaluation of residential air-conditioning and heat-pump systems is based on steady-state performance measurements, with a degradation coefficient to account for the cycling losses that occur during part-load operating conditions. However, this current methodology fails to appropriately characterize the true performance characteristics of these systems in the field, and as a consequence, SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) improvements have not resulted in proportional savings in energy. As an alternative, a load-based testing methodology has been developed with the motivation of capturing realistic equipment performance in a laboratory setting while operating similar to field application conditions. In this approach, the equipment responds to a simulated virtual building load, and the system dynamic performance is measured with its integrated controls and thermostat. However, there is a lack of field-testing data to characterize how well the load-based testing approach captures equipment performance and dynamic behavior compared to a typical field application. To fill this gap, a 3-ton heat pump system was tested within the Residential Home Ecosystem at the Helix Innovation Center where a 2-story house is located within an environmental chamber that can vary external ambient temperature and humidity conditions. During tests, the house was subjected to cooling loads resulting from different outdoor temperature conditions, and its air conditioning system responded accordingly. Similar cooling equipment was also tested within psychrometric chambers at the Ray W. Herrick Laboratories using the load-based testing methodology. A comparison of the test equipment performance and its dynamic behavior in cooling mode between testing performed at the Helix Center and at the Herrick Laboratories is presented in this paper.


Long-wavelength infrared detectors operating at elevated temperatures are critical for imaging applications. InAs/GaAs quantum dots are an important material for the design and fabrication of high-temperature infrared photodetectors. Quantum dot infrared photodetectors allow normal-incidence operation, in addition to low dark currents and multispectral response. The long intersubband relaxation time of electrons in quantum dots improves the responsivity of the detectors, contributing to better hightemperature performance. We have obtained extremely low dark currents (Idark = 1.7 pA, T = 100 K, Vbi• = 0.1 V), high detectivities (D* = 2.9x10 cmHz" /Zw, T = 100 K, Vba•= 0.2 V), and high operating temperatures (T = 150 K) for these quantum-dot detectors. These results, as well as infrared imaging with QDIPs, will be described and discussed.


Increasing production and improving the quality of garlic products is an important production problem. Under the conditions of the vertical zonality of the North Caucasus with varying agroecological conditions, the yield of this crop largely depends on the technology of cultivation and the level of its intensity. Important factors determining the yield and quality of garlic products are varieties adapted to these agro-climatic conditions, quality planting material, cultivation technology that meets the requirements of the crop and the agro-climatic conditions of the region. Currently, the potential productivity of the varieties used in the republic is realized only by 30-40 percent. This is due to the insufficient development of technologies for their cultivation, taking into account the specific environmental conditions of the region. In this regard, research aimed at studying the basic laws of the formation of yield and product quality varieties of garlic is a pressing issue.


Considering that the squat exercise requires flexion and extension of the knee and hip joints, a resistance training program based on squat exercises should efficiently increase the flexion and extension strength of both the knee and hip. To our knowledge, however, no study has simultaneously investigated the effects of squat training on both flexion and extension strength in both the knee and hip. Low-intensity squat exercises at slow speeds can be expected to effectively and safely improve knee and hip flexion and extension strength in a wide range of individuals. This study aimed to clarify whether knee and hip flexion and extension strength improved after an 8-week low-intensity squat training program at slow speed. Twenty-four untrained young men were randomly assigned to a training or control group. Participants in the training group performed 40% one-repetition maximum parallel squats at slow speed (4 s for concentric/eccentric actions), 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Before and after the intervention, isometric peak torque of the knee and hip flexors and extensors during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was determined. For the knee flexors and extensors, muscle volume was also measured. There were significant training-induced increases in peak torque (P < 0.05). The training effects on knee and hip extension torque (effect size = 0.36–0.38) were higher than those on knee and hip flexion torque (effect size = 0.09–0.13). The squat training used here increased both knee and hip flexion and extension strength, but the training effects on the flexion strength were less than those on the extension strength. Regarding the knee extensors, a significant training-related increase in muscle volume was found (P < 0.05) without neuromuscular adaptations. In addition, there were significant correlations between the training-induced increases in muscle volume and peak torque of KE. These results suggest that muscle hypertrophy may be responsible for increased muscle strength of the knee extensors after an 8-week low-intensity squat training program at slow speed.


Despite heavy investment in health and social care sectors in the UK, large scale deployment of assisted living technologies and services (ALTS) continues to face significant obstacles, and the lack of sustainable business models (BM) is widely regarded as one of the greatest hindrances. Based on a systematic review of previous studies, this paper identifies current trends in digital technologies and how they are used in assisted living. We categorise and analyse these technologies and through the lens of diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), we review the concepts and frameworks of BM as used in the literature to suggest conceptual frameworks for sustainable BMs for scalable ALTS in digital economy. This is expected to help in reducing the pressure on the already stretched health and social care services in the UK and other similar economies. Our approach suggests that BM canvas and DOI innovation diffusion characteristics are complements, not substitutes.


OBJECTIVE
Intraatrial Mustard baffle repair of dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) is vulnerable to complications, typically obstruction and leaks. Because patients often require pacemakers or intracardiac electrophysiology studies (EPS)/ablation for arrhythmias, narrowed or obstructed baffles restrict cardiac access hindering intracardiac procedures. Current guidelines recommend clinical as well as comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic/Doppler (TTE) studies to identify baffle problems. This study reviews the effectiveness of these guidelines in detection of baffle issues pre-EPS catheterization and need for ancillary vascular interventions.

DESIGN
Data from all patients with repaired d-TGA referred for hemodynamic catheterization or EPS between 1995 and 2009 at our institution were reviewed, including symptoms and TTE findings. Obstruction was defined as either a disturbed color Doppler flow or mean velocity >1 m/s above the mitral valve or directly measured pressure gradient >4 mm Hg or more than 50% baffle diameter narrowing by venography.

RESULTS
Of 59 patients (34 pacemaker, 9 ablation, 16 routine hemodynamic) ages 8-39 years (mean 22.8), only three (5%) had symptoms of obstruction. However, baffle complications were found in 33 patients (56%), some with more than one problem: superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction in 32, inferior VC in two and leak in four. Baffle stenting was required in 24 patients and leak closure in two. Precatheterization TTE was available in 51 patients and showed 34% sensitivity, 61% specificity, 63% negative predictive value, and only 37% positive predictive value in recognizing baffle complications when compared with the actual catheterization findings.

CONCLUSION
This study reports that baffle complications in patients with d-TGA following Mustard operation are more common than previously reported. However, comprehensive TTE and clinical symptoms are not effective enough to recognize these complications. Suspicion of and better noninvasive imaging prior to catheterization is required.


The paper addresses some theoretical and practical aspects of data mining, focusing on predictive data mining, where two central types of prediction problems are discussed: classification and regression. Further accent is made on predictive data mining, where the time-stamped data greatly increase the dimensions and complexity of problem solving. The main goal is through processing of data (records from the past) to describe the underlying dynamics of the complex systems and predict its future. Traditional classification algorithms can be limited in their performance on highly imbalanced datasets. A popular stream of work for countering the problem of class imbalance has been application of a sundry of sampling strategies. In this work, we focus on the problem of class imbalance. We incorporate different "rebalance" heuristics.


Conventional cancer therapy, such as γ-irradiation and cytotoxic drugs, acts via DNA damage-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation. Major problems with conventional cancer therapy are that only subgroups of patients respond favourably to a given treatment, and that side effects often limit the dose efficiency of the treatment. The immune cells of the patient may for instance commit to apoptosis as a result of the therapy. It is therefore a constant search for modulators of DNA damage responses to improve such cancer therapies. To identify potential modulators it is important to have good read out systems. One of the key proteins down stream of the DNA damage checkpoint is the tumour suppressor p53. Upon DNA damage, the transcription factor p53 is stabilized and activated to affect target genes involved in growth arrest, DNA repair and apoptosis. Testing the efficacy of a given modulator of DNA damage responses may therefore include analysis of p53 expression and activity. Vitamin A plays an important role in the immune system to protect against infection, and deficiency of this vitamin affects more than 100 million children throughout the world. One of the important metabolites of vitamin A is retinoic acid (RA), and RA is a well known regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation of numerous cell types, including lymphoid cells. The purpose of the present study was to explore a possible role of RA as a modulator of DNA damage responses in lymphocytes, and in particular we wished to elucidate the effects of RA on regulation of p53 expression in this process. Freshly isolated lymphocytes from healthy blood donors were stimulated with mitogens and treated with RA prior to induction of DNA damage by γirradiation. The amount of apoptotic cells was measured by flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis was performed to identify p53 expression. We were able to show that although RA stimulates and inhibits the proliferation of normal T and B cells, respectively, DNA damage-induced apoptosis was inhibited in both cell types. The effect of RA was particularly strong in TPA-stimulated T cells, and we could show that apoptosis induced by both γ-irradiation and the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin 14 was inhibited. Importantly, we also showed that the RA-mediated inhibition of DNA damage-induced apoptosis was associated with reduced expression of p53, indicating that RA affects the DNA damage checkpoint. The physiological implications of the present results in that the vitamin A status of a cancer patient receiving chemotherapy or irradiation might influence the effect of the treatment, both by affecting the killing of malignant lymphocytes, as well as to protect the immune system from unwanted damage during irradiation or chemotherapy.