Dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) deficiency is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder with severe orthostatic hypotension, that can be treated with L‐threo‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylserine (L‐DOPS). We aimed to summarize clinical, biochemical, and genetic data of all world‐wide reported patients with DBH‐deficiency, and to present detailed new data on long‐term follow‐up of a relatively large Dutch cohort. We retrospectively describe 10 patients from a Dutch cohort and 15 additional patients from the literature. We identified 25 patients (15 females) from 20 families. Ten patients were diagnosed in the Netherlands. Duration of follow‐up of Dutch patients ranged from 1 to 21 years (median 13 years). All patients had severe orthostatic hypotension. Severely decreased or absent (nor)epinephrine, and increased dopamine plasma concentrations were found in 24/25 patients. Impaired kidney function and anemia were present in all Dutch patients, hypomagnesaemia in 5 out of 10. Clinically, all patients responded very well to L‐DOPS, with marked reduction of orthostatic complaints. However, orthostatic hypotension remained present, and kidney function, anemia, and hypomagnesaemia only partially improved. Plasma norepinephrine increased and became detectable, while epinephrine remained undetectable in most patients. We confirm the core clinical characteristics of DBH‐deficiency and the pathognomonic profile of catecholamines in body fluids. Impaired renal function, anemia, and hypomagnesaemia can be part of the clinical presentation. The subjective response to L‐DOPS treatment is excellent and sustained, although the neurotransmitter profile in plasma does not normalize completely. Furthermore, orthostatic hypotension as well as renal function, anemia, and hypomagnesaemia improve only partially.


As part of the campaign to protect the Republic of South Africa's limited water resources, legislation has been drawn up stipulating the number and calibre of operators to be employed on a water care works. The registration and classification of both works and their operators will provide essential information for the refining and expansion of present training provisions.

Four new courses in water and wastewater treatment have been approved for inclusion in the National Technical Certificate system.

A preliminary training strategy is outlined and some anticipated improvements and modifications to be made in the years ahead are given.


The drawings in the Chauvet Cave once again show how old and rooted the relationship of man with drawing is. The purpose of this study is to present the views related to drawing together and to raise awareness about the importance of drawing or to make the awareness more vivid. 52 the artist, the designer and the author's Quotes on the drawing were tried to be given. Art schools in Turkey "pattern" is given under the name of the field with the same name is known in the literature. In this study, the term pattern is considered as a drawing and a language unity is tried to be reached in translations.


The effects of anthropogenic climate change are becoming more and more visible as being highlighted by scientists, politicians and media. The causes of droughts, floods, melting ice caps and rising sea levels can all partially be traced back to human activities. In this study, I examine where the future climate refugees of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands should go when inhabitants of these low lying island nations are forced to leave their disappearing territories due to sea level rise. By using a normative method of analysis i egentlig mening, arguments deriving from certain values will be presented to confront the problem. These values originate from Edward A. Page's theories concerning justice in sharing the burdens of climate change. Combined with a complementary utilitaristic value, the conclusion is that Australia is most suitable to host future climate refugees of these particular island nations, while the justice based values alone concludes the US as its preferred choice. In parallel, normative political theory will be evaluated regarding its functionality in the subject of global climate questions. Hence this study contains two purposes; to argue where the islanders should go, and whether a normative methodology is suitable when solving such a problem.


At the beginning of 1996 coral reefs in Morrocoy National Park, Venezuela, suffered an unprecedented mass mortality event. As a consequence, live coral cover dropped to 2-10%. One of the few reefs that kept live coral cover over 35% was Cayo Sombrero; nonetheless, the presence of some coral diseases has been detected within the past 2 years, representing a new source of coral mortality. Due to this situation, this study started a monitoring pro- gram on the incidence of coral diseases and syndromes in the reef of Cayo Sombrero. The CARICOMP protocol was used in order to evaluate reef health. Ten parallel band-transects (20 x 2m) where established at two depth intervals: Five between 3-8 m and five between 8-12 m, and the frequency of both, healthy and unhealthy colonies of each coral species was recorded along each band transect. In addition to other sources of coral damage (predation, silta- tion, etc), significant differences in disease incidence between the two depths intervals were tested with a Kruskall- Wallis test. The main problems observed were coral diseases such as yellow band (4,2%), dark spots (1.61%) and white plague-II (1.4%), mainly affecting Montastraea faveolata, M. annularis and Siderastrea siderea. Siltation, af- fecting massive colonies, such as Colpophyllia natans and Diploria strigosa; algae overgrowth, predation, anchor damage, and bleaching. Significant differences were found in the incidence of unhealthy (Kruskall-Wallis, p<0.05) bleached (Kruskall-Wallis, p < 0.05) and colonies affected by siltation (Kruskall-Wallis, p<0.05). More than 60% of the 585 coral colonies surveyed at both depths were found to be healthy, indicating that the Cayo Sombrero reef is still in good conditions compared to other localities in the Park. This study stresses the need to conduct early moni- toring programs that survey coral disease incidence as a source of mortality for this coral reef.


The development of jaw deformities in the human provides some of the most challenging issues of cause and effect relationships between muscle and bone. Genetic factors provide the underlying control for the development of the craniomandibular region, but the neuromuscular system is intimately woven with the bone. While genetic factors effect the muscle and bone, these two tissues can also interact to effect eachother. The best experimental data supporting this concept is presented. Asymmetrical mandibles can be developed in the experimental animal models when bilateral jaw muscles become unequal in the force across the craniomandibular skeleton (e. g., lesioning many trigeminal motoneurons unilaterally). Mutations that prevent fetal jaw muscle development or impairing muscle contraction in the fetal stage alter the shape and size of the cranioskeleton including the mandible. Clinically, systemic muscular diseases that include the jaw muscles (e. g., masseter, temporalis) lead to significant increases in vertical facial development and the development of a severe retrognathic. Jaw muscles must develop sufficient periodic forces on the craniomandibular skeleton, particularly the dentoalveolar and condylar regions, to control growth of the mandible. The neuromuscular system effects a third property of the craniomandibular bone, the mineralization of the tissue. The pattern of cortical bone mineralization may prove to be one of the effective methods to assess the actual forces developed in the craniomandi-bular skeleton by the jaw muscles.


In this paper, a multiphase battery charger to improve the current utilization of the power supply unit (PSU) and the over voltage problem during negative discharging period is presented. According to output voltage specification of the PSU, maximum output power limitation, duty ratio and current ripples of the output inductor, the desired output voltage and maximum amplitude of the pulse charging current command can be determined for the small capacity sealed lead acid battery. The design procedures of the multiphase battery charger are detailed in this paper. Finally, three 7AH lead acid batteries were used to demonstrate the proposed multiphase pulse charging scheme. From simulation and experimental results show the over voltage problem of the PSU during negative discharging period that can be improved significantly


There is substantial interest in growing crops in closed controlled environments, yet the energy requirements are high. Energy is required to produce light, but also to remove the heat generated when producing light. The goal of the current work examines a possible approach to decrease the energy requirement. The effect of pulsed light treatments was examined by monitoring seedling traits during early photomorphogenic development. Daily light integral remained unchanged between treatments, but the frequency of the pulses was varied. Developmental traits (such as inhibition of hypocotyl elongation rate) were most conspicuous during a normal photoperiod, as in twelve hours light, twelve hours darkness. Consistent with historical reports, when treatments were delivered in shorter durations (e.g. 1 hour on/off) photomorphogenic development was hindered, with the same daily light integral. However, at even shorter light intervals (e.g. seconds) seedlings developed as if they were provided full 12 h treatments. Extension of the dark period following a 5 s pulse was tested to determine the effect on seedling traits. The results showed that the dark period could be extended to at least 10 s without affecting seedling development, and extension to 20 s only had slight effects on seedling traits. The mechanism of the phenomenon was examined in Arabidopsis photosensory mutants, with substantial contributions from the phyA and cry1 pathways. The results suggest that pulsed light with extended dark periods can decrease energy input by at least 30% to >50% without affecting visible seedling traits. These pilot experiments in seedlings demonstrate that implementation of short-interval, pulsed-light strategies may lower energy requirements for growing crops in artificially illuminated environments.


After 24 years of turbulent relationship between East and West wings, Pakistan disintegrated and a bloody liberation movement resulted in emergence of a new country, Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. Although the diplomatic relations established following the mutual recognition extended to each other in 1974, (Ahmar, 2003) the bitterness of the past and the memories of 1971 civil war in East Pakistan continued to haunt the bilateral relations of two independent states Pakistan and Bangladesh, in post-1971 period. However there are instances of better relations, the trust deficit and bitterness revived time and again due to unresolved issues between the two nations. These tough periods are observed when Awami League (AL) comes in power. This paper is an effort to study the outstanding issues between Pakistan and Bangladesh. It also studies the hurdles in resolving these issues. It concludes that a sustainable relationship between two regional powers is essential to counter the Indian dominance in the region and it is only possible when they would come out of the burden of history.


The rise of technology in sport has provided coaches with another tool to aid athlete development, but there is little research on its relationship to coaching practices. Research in non-sport domains has demonstrated a relationship between user trust in and use of technology. The user's confidence can also affect this relationship, where higher confidence is typically associated with less technology use. Minimal work has examined factors that influence technology use within the sports domain; therefore, the present study sought to determine whether coaching experience and coaching efficacy could predict golf coaches' use of technology in training. A one-time survey that gathered demographic information, and measured coaching experience, coaching technique efficacy, trust in technology and use of technology was completed by 83 registered Professional Golfers Association golf coaches and instructors. Results showed that coaching technique efficacy was predictive of coaches' use of technology in training, where more technique efficacy resulted in increased use of technology. Mediation analyses showed that this association was mediated by their levels of trust in technology. There was no relationship between coaching experience and use of technology. Therefore, coaching technique efficacy, rather than experience, seems to be an important variable in predicting coaches' use of technology in training and instruction. Further, because higher efficacy predicted increased usage, the results illustrate the differences between the sport training environment and other non-sport domains regarding the factors that influence technology use. These findings are an important first step towards investigating how technology can be used by coaches to best improve athlete performance.


Novel methodologies to overcome some of the difficulties in standard deposition procedures in focused ion beam (FIB) systems to fabricate 3D nanostructures are described. The geometrical restriction put on by the position of electron and ion columns and the precursor gas needles in a conventional FIB chamber, complicates the 3D fabrication process. As case studies, wide vertical walls and overhanging bridge-type structures of tungsten are fabricated. The overhanging bridge-type structure of tungsten can be used as a nanofilament for producing heat within a few micrometre distances. The heat, produced in the filament, is sensed by a tungsten-platinum nanothermocouple fabricated underneath the filament.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of neonatal circumcision immediately following delisting of the procedure in Ontario and to examine parents' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding circumcision.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING
Perinatal tertiary care centre in southwestern Ontario.

PARTICIPANTS
Of the 151 mothers approached, three were excluded because they did not speak English and two declined participation; 112 of 146 mothers of healthy male newborns responded for a response rate of 77%.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Circumcision status of infant and parents' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour.

RESULTS
The circumcision rate before delisting had been 56.2%; in the months immediately after, the rate was 59.8% (95% confidence interval was 51%, 69%). Mothers of infants in the outcome groups did not differ significantly in any demographic feature other than education, where the group deciding against circumcision reported higher education levels (Wilcoxon nonparametic two-sample test: zeta = 2.29, P = 0.02). Mothers who chose circumcision listed medical (59%) and sociocultural considerations (40%) a most important to their decision. Father's circumcision status was strongly associated with the infant's (chi 2[df 1] = 25.13, P = 0.0001). Although 74% discussed circumcision with their family physicians, many parents were not well informed about risks or benefits. Anesthetic use during circumcision was reported by 29%, but 48% did not know whether any had been used.

CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of neonatal circumcision did not change after delisting. Informed consent was often lacking. Sociocultural issues are important to some parents and need to be addressed in the consultation process.


We show that firms׳ ability to avoid taxes is affected by the quality of their internal information environment, with lower effective tax rates (ETRs) for firms that have high internal information quality. The effect of internal information quality on tax avoidance is stronger for firms in which information is likely to play a more important role. For example, firms with greater coordination needs because of a dispersed geographical presence benefit more from high internal information quality. Similarly, firms operating in a more uncertain environment benefit more from the quality of their internal information in helping them to reduce ETRs. In addition, we provide evidence that high internal information quality allows firms to achieve lower ETRs without increasing the risk of their tax strategies (as measured by ETR volatility). Overall, our study contributes to the literature on tax avoidance by providing evidence that the internal information environment of the firm is important for understanding its tax avoidance outcomes.


This was a relational study to examine the possibly of a correlation between type of high school sex education and types of attitudes and behaviors towards sex within the context of the college social environment. A review of the literature shows that comprehensive sex education has been more effective than no sex education or abstinence only sex education in delaying sexual activity, more effective in providing students information on using contraceptives for safe-sex practices, and more effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and the HIV virus. The literature lacked any substantial information on the effects of sex education specifically for college students. The data for this quantitative relational study came from a questionnaire administered to 100 freshman and sophomores at a private Catholic college in the New England area. Findings showed that there was a significant relationship between having a comprehensive education and having more positive knowledge and behaviors towards sex compared to those who had no sex education or an abstinence only sex education. Those who received a more comprehensive education were also less likely to drink and use illegal substances compared to those who did not have a comprehensive sex education. Future research should be used to determine ways in which sex education can be taught that may influence students to perform less risky behavior within the college social scene.


This concept of hyperergy in measles was presented by von Pirquet almost half a century ago.1 This great clinician, who coined the term "allergy," was audacious enough to formulate as an explanation of the signs and symptoms of measles a theory which remains very much au courant today. Direct experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis is still as scarce at present as it was in the time of von Pirquet, but indirect evidence accumulated during the past 20 years suggests that a "nonspecific" reaction of the host to a virus infection is perhaps one of the few factors which among many others 2 of less importance may decide the ultimate outcome of the infection. Although we have little knowledge of the mechanisms operative in a virus disease of mammalian species, a hypersensitive reaction of the host to the multiplying virus, or to the products of damage inflicted by the virus on


Responses of rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi) from two populations towards a) an active and a passive predatory fish and b) a novel trawl apparatus, were compared. Predator-sympatric fish avoided the fish predators and showed stronger avoidance behaviour in response to the active predator. These fish used predator inspection excursions to rapidly assess the potential risk and their escape responses were consistently effective. In contrast the predator-naive fish ignored the passive predator but were continually drawn towards the active predator possibly due to generalized curiosity and the absence of significant negative feedback from the predator, which was restrained by a clear Perspex partition. Despite this attraction, the predator-naive fish did not display typical predator inspection behaviour and showed very poor escape performance when initially confronted by the trawl apparatus. Many of these fish, however, showed rapid improvement in their escape performance through learning. These results suggest that predator-sympatric rainbowfish have the capacity to assess the level of threat posed by a predator and predator-naive rainbowfish learn to implement appropriate escape strategies when forced to evade a threat.


The Collaborative Corneal Transplantation Studies (CCTS) is a set of two multicenter clinical trials designed to investigate the efficacy of donor-recipient human leukocyte antigen matching and crossmatching. High-risk penetrating keratoplasty patients were enrolled through six clinical centers for either the Antigen Matching Study or the Crossmatch Study. All patients were subject to a common set of examinations, treatments, and evaluation procedures. Standard procedures for the identification of high-risk patients, administration of postoperative medications, and recognition and treatment of immunologic allograft reactions were developed and used successfully. These procedures may serve as guidelines for studies in corneal transplantation. Adoption of these methods by other investigators would facilitate evaluation and comparison of results.


Self Help Groups which are small and informal associations of poor people having preferably similar socio-economic background and who have come together to realize some common goals based on the principles of self-help and collective responsibility. The present paper is an attempt to analyze the working structure of SHGs operating in different Blocks of Koraput District for the success, growth and survival with the objective of appraising its impact on employment, income, health and education of the group members. It was found that through effective group work has not only increased the saving habit of the poor but also helped in reducing the intensity of poverty. It has been helpful in removing illiteracy and making people health conscious. The linkage programmes between Self Help Groups and banks have extended wider opportunities for closer interaction between banks and group members. As a result, the poor masses have been able to earn their living, generate self-employment and uphold their living standards. In other words, effective group work has contributed immensely towards success, growth and survival of SHGs. Keywords: group work, self help group, total score, least score and ideal score


Thin film heterostructures have been at the heart of advances in electronics. The use of material interfaces with confined electron spaces is one of the key areas of research in thin film deposition An example of such a thin fi lm system is ZnMgO/ZnO where confi ned electron spaces occur at the interface between these two materials. The nature of the electron con finement depends upon the nature of the interface. Abrupt interfaces between ZnMgO and ZnO are strained due to lattice mismatch. This strain is relaxed if there is a gradual incorporation of Mg during growth, resulting in a dffi use interface. This strain relaxation is however accompanied by reduced confi nement and enhanced Mg-ion scattering of the confi ned electrons at the interface. Here we experimentally study the electronic transport properties of the diff use heteroepitaxial interface between single-crystal ZnO and ZnMgO fi lms grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The spatial extent of the interface region is controlled during growth by varying the zinc flux. We show that, as the spatial extent of the graded interface is reduced, the enhancement of electron mobility due to electron confi nement more than compensates for any suppression of mobility due to increased strain. In order to better understand the relationship between the material composition of the interface and the electronic properties of the con fined electron space, variations in gradient of Mg are investigated. We use the angular dependence of the magneto resistance to con firm the two dimensional nature of the space. We also looked at the electron scattering times and the associated eff ective mass. Both classical and quantum scattering times are consistent with the dominating eff ect being alloy scattering. Zn/ZnO/Zn heterostructures are a system of interest for application as Josephson junctions. We present initial studies into the superconductivity of MBE deposited zinc and subsequent morphological studies.


Five axis CNC machining centers are widely used in the industries for producing the complex parts. Due to two more axes as compared to the three axes machining, it provides the efficient and flexible way of the machining. Besides this flexibility, accidental collision possibilities between the cutting system and the other moving parts of the machine tools are also increased. These collisions could be avoided by changing the orientations of the tool during the tool path planning or by adjusting the cutter length and the tool holder size after the tool path generation in the part coordinate system. Collision detection and removal by the optimum cutter length depends on the configuration of five axis machine tools. No. of possible candidates for the collision may vary with the configuration of the machine tools. Since the fully utilization of the existing machining facilities in the industry is also in high demand, therefore, after selecting the one of the critical parameter of the cutter length, the maximum utilization of the work space of the 5-axis machine tools is another critical task.
This dissertation comprises of two main works.
 In the first research work, a comprehensive approach for the determination of the optimum cutter length for the specific configuration of five axis machine tool is developed. The complete cutting system (the tool, the tool holder and the spindle), the work in process model and the fixture are the three possible candidates for the collision. The work in process model and the fixture are represented as the point cloud data and the tool holder and the spindle are represented as a regular shape of the truncated cone and the cylinder respectively. Collision checking is conducted in two steps. In the first step the KD-tree data structure is employed on the point cloud data and a method is developed which confines the searching of the point cloud data in the local region and in the second step a new mathematical model for the collision detection between the points in the local region and the cutting system is established. This model also has the capability of removal collision with the optimum cutter length.
 In the second research work, kinematics of the table rotating and spindle tilting 5-axis machine is developed and setup parameters for mounting the part on the table are defined. A precise method for the determination of the setup parameters, which gives the opportunity of fully utilization of the work space of the machine tool, is developed. Many machining simulation software such as vericut can simulate the G-codes for the given setup parameters of the part and can verify the over travel limits of the machine tool as well as accidental collision between the moving parts of the machine. In this research, the developed method for the determination of the setup parameters gives the guarantee of complete machining of the part without over travel limits of the machine translational axes. This research is based on the predetermined machining strategies, which means, tool path is already given in the part coordinate system.


Abstract Game-based learning has been gradually adopted in energy education as an effective learning tool because digital games have the potential to increase energy literacy and encourage behavior change. However, not every learner can benefit from this support. There is a need to examine how human factors affect learners' reactions to digital games for supporting learning. This study addresses this issue by developing a digital educational game and examining the effects of locus of control on behavioral intention and learning performance of energy knowledge in game-based learning. The results demonstrated that learners with internal locus of control (ILC) outperformed external locus of control (ELC) learners in energy knowledge after interacting with the game. Moreover, the proposed game can reasonably reduce the differences in the behavioral intention of the ILC and ELC learners, indicating that ELC learners significantly improved their behavioral intention after playing the game, especially their external behavioral intention in the aspects of persuasion, legal action, and political action. The findings of this study are discussed to enhance the understanding of locus of control on behavioral intention and energy knowledge in the context of digital games.


The human heart has an unremitting and laborious job, to continuously provide all the organs in the body with oxygen and nutrients. An insult occurring to the muscular organ in the form of an ischemic injury, such as myocardial infarction (MI) reduces heart function by causing irreversible damage. Severe injuries to the heart can lead to heart failure (HF) and death. Unfortunately, the human heart has very little ability to repair itself upon injury, predominantly due to the inherent quiescent state of the adult cardiomyocytes (CMs), the major "power house" cell type of the heart. Currently, heart transplants remain one of the most successful therapeutic options for patients in end stage HF. However, even if the extensive recipient list could be met with matched available donors, complications arise in the form of graft dysfunction, immune rejection and infection. Therefore there is a pressing need to develop novel cardiac therapies.


Abstract We review the work of the present authors to employ variational calculus to formulate continuous models for the connections between various carbon nanostructures. In formulating such a variational principle, there is some evidence that carbon nanotubes deform as in perfect elasticity, and rather like the elastica, and therefore we seek to minimize the elastic energy. The calculus of variations is utilized to minimize the curvature subject to a length constraint, to obtain an Euler–Lagrange equation, which determines the connection between two carbon nanostructures. Moreover, a numerical solution is proposed to determine the geometric parameters for the connected structures. Throughout this review, we assume that the defects on the nanostructures are axially symmetric and that the into-the-plane curvature is small in comparison to that in the two-dimensional plane, so that the problems can be considered in the two-dimensional plane. Since the curvature can be both positive and negative, depending on the gap between the two nanostructures, two distinct cases are examined, which are subsequently shown to smoothly connect to each other.


Carbon nanotubes are one of the most intriguing new materials with extraordinary properties being discovered in the last decade. The unique structure of carbon nanotubes provides nanotubes with extraordinary mechanical and electrical properties. The outstanding properties that these materials possess have opened new interesting researches areas in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Although nanotubes are very promising in a wide variety of fields, application of individual nanotubes for large scale production has been limited. The main roadblocks, which hinder its use, are limited understanding of its synthesis and electrical properties which lead to difficulty in structure control, existence of impurities, and poor processability. This book makes an attempt to provide indepth study and analysis of various synthesis methods, processing techniques and characterization of carbon nanotubes that will lead to the increased applications of carbon nanotubes.


Big Data analytics has recently gained increasing popularity as a tool to process large amounts of data on-demand. Spark and Flink are two Apache-hosted data analytics frameworks that facilitate the development of multi-step data pipelines using directly acyclic graph patterns. Making the most out of these frameworks is challenging because efficient executions strongly rely on complex parameter configurations and on an in-depth understanding of the underlying architectural choices. Although extensive research has been devoted to improving and evaluating the performance of such analytics frameworks, most of them benchmark the platforms against Hadoop, as a baseline, a rather unfair comparison considering the fundamentally different design principles. This paper aims to bring some justice in this respect, by directly evaluating the performance of Spark and Flink. Our goal is to identify and explain the impact of the different architectural choices and the parameter configurations on the perceived end-to-end performance. To this end, we develop a methodology for correlating the parameter settings and the operators execution plan with the resource usage. We use this methodology to dissect the performance of Spark and Flink with several representative batch and iterative workloads on up to 100 nodes. Our key finding is that there none of the two framework outperforms the other for all data types, sizes and job patterns. This paper performs a fine characterization of the cases when each framework is superior, and we highlight how this performance correlates to operators, to resource usage and to the specifics of the internal framework design.


A moderately halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium was isolated from continuous cultures containing a suspension of intertidal sediment from the German North Sea coast with hexadecane as the sole carbon source. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, fatty acid analysis and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, it was considered to be a new species belonging to a new genus. It is a Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, whose cell size varies. It grows at concentrations of 0.5-15% (w/v) NaCl and utilizes a restricted spectrum of carbon sources. The G + C content of the DNA is 63.6 mol%. Comparative 16S rDNA studies show a clear affiliation of this bacterium to the gamma subclass of the class Proteobacteria. Comparison of phylogenetic data indicate that it is most closely related to Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus (88.9% similarity in 16S rRNA gene sequence). Since it is impossible to find a sufficiently closely related species, we propose the name Fundibacter jadensis gen. nov., sp. nov. for the bacteria. The type strain is T9T (= DSM 12178T).


Incretin hormones, secreted upon food intake, play an important role in the regulation of blood glucose levels. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, the incretin response is decreased. Substitution of incretin is a novel pharmacological target which restores postprandial glucose homeostasis. Exenatide is a mimetic of the incretin glucagon-like peptide-I (GLP-I). Sitagliptin is an inhibitor of the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4), which breaks down GLP-I. Both drugs increase the GLP-I concentration, thereby improving insulin secretion from pancreatic p cells, restoring glycaemic control, preventing beta cell destruction, delaying gastric emptying, and reducing food intake.


The Sandison and Clark method of intravital microscopy including the implantation of special chambers into different areas of the body in order to study tissues in vivo in the chambers in the passing light was modified and adapted for experiments in rats. With the help of microcinematography the velocity of movement of the regenerating connective tissue of the rat and the velocity of the shift of granulocytes were found to equal 0,3 mm/a day and 50-200 nm/an hour respectively. Functional and morphological distinctions between leucocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts were noticed. The formation of vascular branches of a "stretched" type, arteries, veins and anastomoses between them was studied. The details of intravital staining of different connective units with neutral dyes and bright cresyl blue were investigated.


The world's natural history collections represent a vast repository of information on the natural and cultural world, collected over 250 years of human exploration, and distributed across institutions on six continents. These collections provide a unique tool for answering fundamental questions about biological, geological and cultural diversity and how they interact to shape our changing planet.
 Recent advances in digital and genomic technologies promise to transform how natural history collections are used, especially with respect to addressing scientific and socio-economic challenges ranging from biodiversity loss, invasive species and food security, to climate change, scarce minerals, and emerging tropical diseases. It is not clear, however, how ready these collections are to meet this challenge because relatively little is known about their size, composition or geographical distribution. Similarly, relatively little is known about the extent, expertise or demography of their curatorial workforce.
 To address these questions, a large collaborative team of directors and scientists have collated a global database on natural history collections that comprises more than 70 of the world's largest institutions, including museums, botanic gardens, research institutes and universities. The institutions represented in the database span Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America, with approximately one third of institutions from each of the Global South, Europe and North America. The database includes information on the number of specimens and experts with respect to both geographic regions and collection categories and geographic regions. Geographic regions include both the terrestrial and marine realms, and collection categories span anthropology, botany, entomology, geology, paleobiology, and vertebrate and invertebrate zoology.
 Analyses of this new database reveal that the global natural history collection represents one of the most extensive distributed scientific infrastructures in the world, comprising more than 1 billion specimens that are curated by a workforce of more than 7,000 individuals. The analyses also indicate, however, that a major change in approach is required for these collections to realize their potential to inform future decision making and stimulate the basic research that underpins future questions and knowledge. For instance, at a global scale the collection and expertise does indeed exist to map change in key groups and regions - but this requires large-scale coordination across institutions and countries. Similarly, cross-institution collaboration is required to fill strategic gaps in the collection, particularly for tropical, marine and polar regions. And finally, there is an urgent need for coordinated investment in digital and genomic technologies to make collections available to the global research community and link them with other sources of information. The vast majority of collection information currently exists as 'dark data'.
 We conclude that the global natueral history collection comprises one of the most extensive distributed scientific infrastructures in the world, but a major change in approach is required for them to realize their potential to inform future decision making. In particular, natural history collections need to work more effectively together to develop a global strategy, create a common data platform, accelerate the availability and use of specimen data and pursue major new collecting programs.


The uropathogenic Escherichia coli KS52 strain expresses a mannose-resistant hemagglutinin AFA-I, which recognizes a human erythrocyte site distinct from the alpha-digalactoside glycosphingolipid receptor common to uropathogenic E. coli strains specifying a P adhesin. A 6.7-kilobase chromosomal DNA fragment was cloned from KS52 into pBR322 and was shown to be necessary for host cell mannose-resistant hemagglutination expression and uroepithelial cell adherence (Labigne-Roussel et al., Infect. Immun. 46:251-259, 1984). The genetic organization of the 6.7-kilobase DNA fragment was investigated by generating derivative plasmids, and the polypeptides encoded by those plasmids in isolated minicells were analyzed on polyacrylamide gel. The 6.7-kilobase insert expresses five polypeptides of molecular mass 13,000, 16,000, 18,500, 30,000, and 100,000 daltons encoded, respectively, by the afaA, afaE, afaD, afaB, and afaC genes. The five genes were localized and were shown to belong to the same transcriptional unit. The afaB, afaC, and afaE gene products are required for mannose-resistant hemagglutination expression, whereas mutations in or deletions of either afaA or afaD do not modify host mannose-resistant hemagglutination expression. The afaE gene was identified as the structural gene encoding hemagglutinin. The gene has been sequenced; it encodes a 152-residue protein containing a typical 21-residue procaryote signal sequence and a 131-residue mature polypeptide, the AFA-I adhesin.


ABSTRACT How do older consumers in an ageing society interpret and make sense of cultural media products, such as advertising campaigns, portraying their cohort? A qualitative study analysing 626 advertisements and drawing from 18 consumer interviews in Brazil shows how older consumers reject stereotypical images of their cohort in advertising even when the images are positive. Older individuals seek to distance themselves from stereotypical social images of old age, placing themselves in a liminal state of being 'not too old but no longer young'. This research speaks to the opportunities of cultural media producers to better align their messages with legislative and regulatory efforts to portray older consumers more realistically to successfully destigmatise this section of the population.


Cirrus ice particle sedimentation velocity (vs) is one of the critical variables for the parameterization of cirrus properties in a global climate model (GCM). In this study a methodology to estimate cirrus properties, such as crystal mean fall speed, through successive lidar measurements is evaluated. This "Match" technique has been applied on cirrus cloud observations and then tested with measurements from two ground-based lidars located in the Mediterranean area. These systems, with similar instrumental characteristics, are installed at the Observatory of Haute Provence (OHP, 43.9° N, 5.7° E) in France and at Rome Tor Vergata (RTV, 41.8° N, 12.6° E) in Italy. At a distance of approximately 600 km, the two lidar stations have provided systematic measurements for several years and are along a typical direction of an air path. A test case of an upper tropospheric cirrus, observed over both sites during the night between 13 and 14 March 2008, has been selected and the feasibility of the Match-cirrus approach investigated through this case. The analysis through lidar principal parameters (vertical location, geometrical thickness and optical depth) reveals a case of a thin sub-visible cirrus (SVC) located around the tropopause. A first range of values for vs (1.4-1.9 cm s−1, consistent with simple-shaped small crystals) has been retrieved with a simplified approach (adiabatic transport and "frozen" microphysical conditions inside the cirrus). The backward trajectory analysis suggests a type of cirrus formed by large-scale transport processes (adiabatic cooling of moist air masses coming from the subtropical area around Mexico gulf), which is characterized by a long atmospheric lifetime and horizontal extension of several hundred km. The analysis of this case study reveals that many uncertainties reduce the confidence of the retrieved estimates of the crystal fall velocity. However, this paper allows for assessing the technique feasibility by identifying the main critical issues for future similar investigations. This study shows that such approach is feasible; however, the methodology should be improved and some directions have been suggested for future campaigns.


Reform represents a distinct mode of change within federal systems that can be distinguished from passive adaptation. Through reform, political actors deliberately seek to alter parts of the federal institutional architecture so as to modify or even reverse an established historical trajectory. This study systematically explores the variety of reform patterns in federal systems by looking at instances of institutional reforms in four federations (Australia, Canada, Germany and Switzerland) since the early 1990s. It demonstrates that reform patterns exhibit interesting similarities and differences. To a great extent, these are largely contingent on the nature of problems that different types of federalism tend to produce. The study detects similarities between Australia and Canada, where federal reforms sought to strengthen mechanisms of collaboration and to address the vertical fiscal imbalance, and between Germany and Switzerland, where dis-‐entanglement occurred as the leitmotiv of federal reforms. At the same time, the study finds no systematic connection between one of the two identified reform patterns on the one hand, the sustainability of federal reforms on the other hand. While Australia and Switzerland seem to represent examples of rather sustainable reform pathways, in Canada and Germany the gap between reform rhetoric and reform impact remains large.


A combined grid-connection/power-factor-correction technique for a photovoltaic (PV) system is proposed in this letter. A maximum power point tracking dc/dc converter served as a charger for the battery bank. A bidirectional inverter is applied as a generator/discharger during daytime, supplying power to the load. The inverter can also be used as a charger to maintain the minimum required voltage level of the batteries when the PV power is insufficient. Experiments on a 1-kW PV system show satisfactory results of the power management and the unity power factor at the utility side.


INTRODUCTION
Insulinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors of pancreas. Clinical manifestations include various symptoms of hypoglycemia, which is the result of insulin overproduction. Symptoms of hypoglycemia are heterogenous what most probably contributes to diagnostic delay. In this study we retrospectively evaluated clinical features of hypoglycemia. We discovered that a substantial number of patients suffered from hypoglycemia unawareness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed retrospective analysis of prospectively collected patients with histologically confirmed insulinoma. We evaluated clinical features and signs of hypoglycemia and the duration of symptoms and performed thorough review of the patients' files in order to identify whether patients had been falsely diagnosed previously. Each patient underwent 72 hour fasting test during which levels of immunoreactive insulin (IRI), C-peptide and nadir blood glucose level were obtained. Based on the clinical findings and results of 72 hour fasting test we identified a subgroup of patients with hypoglycemia unawareness. These had an episode of clinically silent hypoglycemia. We compared IRI and C-peptide levels obtained at the time of the fasting test termination in the unawareness group and the group without hypoglycemia unawareness.

RESULTS
Twenty two patients with insulinoma that had been hospitalized in our tertiary center were included in the analysis. Mean age was 51±16.7 years. The most common symptom reported by 63.6% of patients was fatigue, followed by increased appetite with consequent weight gain and the loss of consciousness, both reported by 40.9% of patients. Based on the review of clinical features and the results of the fasting test we identified a group of patients with hypoglycemia unawareness. We labeled the patient accordingly in case of the loss of consciousness in personal history as well as asymptomatic hypoglycemia or severe neuroglycopenic symptoms during the fasting test without any accompanying or preceding clinical signs. There were 7 patients with hypoglycemia unawareness in our cohort (31.8%). Patients with this phenomenon had significantly lower levels of both IRI (2.35±1.25 vs. 5.88±3.92ng/ml, p=0.01) and C-peptide (9.14±7.36 vs. 50±42.8 µU/ml, p=0.01) than the rest of the patients. Nadir blood glucose level during the fasting test showed no significant difference (9.4±8.2 vs. 12.2±8.2 months, p=0.28) in the unawareness group and the rest of the patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION
We described the phenomenon of unawareness to hypoglycemia in the patients with insulinoma. This has not been recognized in insulinoma patients yet since available evidence mostly relates to type I diabetic patients. It might lead to higher morbidity and diagnostic delay. Further studies with prospective evaluation should be performed to further confirm relatively high prevalence in patients with insulinoma.


Recruitment limitation—the failure of a species to establish recruits at an available site—is a potential determinant of plant communities' structure, causing local communities to be a limited subset of the regional species pool. Recruitment limitation results from three mechanisms: (i) lack of seed sources (i.e., source limitation), (ii) failure of available seeds to reach recruitment sites (i.e., dispersal limitation), and (iii) failure of arrived seeds to establish at a location (i.e., establishment limitation). Here, we evaluated the relative importance of these mechanisms in three co‐occurring tree species (Dipteryx oleifera, Attalea butyracea, and Astrocaryum standleyanum) that share seed dispersers/predators. The study was set up on Barro Colorado Island (Panama) at 62 one‐ha sites with varying tree densities. Source limitation was estimated as the proportion of sites that would be reached by seeds if seeds were distributed uniformly. Dispersal limitation was estimated from the number of sites with seeds in the soil bank. Establishment limitation was evaluated by measuring germination and 1‐year survival in seed addition experiments. The effect of conspecific and heterospecific densities on the mechanisms was evaluated at three spatial scales (1, 5, and 9 ha). For all species, seed predation was the most important recruitment component (~80% decrease in seed survival). Establishment varied among species and was affected by conspecific and heterospecific species densities across spatial scales. Given that species identity, distribution, and seed dispersal/predation affect recruitment at multiple scales, multiscale studies are required to understand how recruitment limitation determines community structure in tropical forests.


Co-occurrence of closely related taxa on islands could be attributed to sympatric speciation or multiple colonization. Sympatric speciation is considered to be rare in small islands, however multiple colonizations are known to be common in both oceanic and continental islands. In this study we investigated the phylogenetic relatedness and means of origin of the two sympatrically co-occurring Zosterops white-eyes, the endemic Zosterops ceylonensis and its widespread regional congener Z. palpebrosus, in the island of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is a continental island in the Indian continental shelf of the Northern Indian Ocean. Our multivariate morphometric analyses confirmed the phenotypic distinctness of the two species. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses with ~2000bp from two mitochondrial (ND2 and ND3) and one nuclear (TGF) gene indicated that they are phylogenetically distinct, and not sister to each other. The two subspecies of the peninsula India; Z. p. egregius of Sri Lanka and India and Z. p. nilgiriensis of Western Ghats (India) clustered within the Z. palpebrosus clade having a common ancestor. In contrast, the divergence of the endemic Z. ceylonensis appears to be much deeper and is basal to the other Zosterops white-eyes. Therefore we conclude that the two Zosterops species originated in the island through independent colonizations from different ancestral lineages, and not through island speciation or multiple colonization from the same continental ancestral population. Despite high endemism, Sri Lankan biodiversity is long considered to be a subset of southern India. This study on a speciose group with high dispersal ability and rapid diversification rate provide evidence for the contribution of multiple colonizations in shaping Sri Lanka's biodiversity. It also highlights the complex biogeographic patterns of the South Asian region, reflected even in highly vagile groups such as birds.


From 1990 until 2003 Denmark has reduced N-leaching from the root zone by 50%. However, more measures are required and in recent years the focus has been on how to differentiate measures in order to ensure that measures are implemented where the effect of N-reduction per ha of the measures is the highest. The purpose of the NiCA project has been to estimate the nitrate reduction potential in greater detail than before using a plot size of 1-25 ha. This article builds on these findings and presents the possible economic gains to the farmer when using this information. Targeted measures are especially relevant where the N reduction at the field level varies largely within the same farm. In this paper, the knowledge of spatial variation in N-reduction potential is used to plan where to place measures such as catch crops or set a side in order to gain the largest effect. The detailed N-reduction map is used on 10 farms in the Norsminde Catchment near Århus, Denmark. The findings suggest that the average farm would gain approximately 100-150 DKK per ha per year from targeted measures as opposed to not knowing where to place the measures. The analysis indicates that the economic gain is higher than the costs of providing the detailed maps, which are estimated to be 40-60 DKK/ha/year. When reduction requirements are increased, the economic gains are higher. When combined with new measures like mini wetlands and early sowing, the economic advantage is increased further. The paper also shows that not all farms can use the detailed information on N-reduction and so there is not a clear link between spatial variation in N-reduction at the farm level and possible economic gains for these farms.


Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic subcutaneous mycosis commonly caused by Fonsecaea, Phialophora, and Cladophialophora spp. Out of these, Fonsecaea pedrosoi is the most common etiological agent, implicated in 70%-90% of the cases reported worldwide. The histopathological diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis is based on visualization of medlar or sclerotic bodies in the tissue. These sclerotic bodies divide by planar division. Rarely, budding is seen in these sclerotic bodies. As this entity can be confused with phaeohyphomycosis, it is important to be aware of such a presentation also. We report two cases of chromoblastomycosis that showed budding sclerotic bodies.


Atlantic salmon belongs to the primitive group of protacanthomorph teleost and has two Vtg genes (VtgAsa and VtgAsb) and two VtgR genes (VtgR1 and VtgR2). The focus of our research was to characterize predicted salmon Vtgs and VtgRs by alignment analysis, and to evaluate annual changes in gene expression in four tissues (liver, brain, heart and ovary) during reproductive cycle by qPCR quantification procedure. The annual changes in gonad-somatic index and plasma estrogen concentration were also presented to establish the relationship with Vtgs and VtgRs during reproducing cycle. qPCR revealed that VtgAsa and VtgAsb were predominantly expressed in liver, while weak expression was detected in ovary, brain and heart of female fish. Vtg increased significantly during previtellogenesis, and kept on highest level in vitellogenesis period. VtgR genes were predominantly expressed in ovary but limited in extra-ovarian tissue, and VtgR2 was undetectable in liver tissue. Both VtgR1 and VtgR2 were expressed at highest levels in previtellogenetic, and then gradually decreased with the oocyte growth and E2 accumulation.


The paper focuses on the evolution of the European Union relationship with Russia in the context of the 2004/2007 enlargements, after which, the former became the largest neighbour of the EU. Considered as strategic partners, the European Union and Russia are currently interacting on a huge agenda of common interests and concerns, among which oil and other petroleum related products represent a significant issue. The analysis covers the peculiarities of previous and current economic and political developments of both sides influencing their relationship, mostly from the point of view of the oil industry. Of particular relevance to the issue is considered to be the percentage of the imports and exports of crude oil between the European Union and Russia. The paper analyzes the situation from a strategic perspective, with a focus on latest developments on the global oil market caused by the supplies of the US and OPEC.


The plant survival of three ecotypes of seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz) submitted to freezing temperatures was evaluated by two methods: electrolyte leakage and freeze shock-recovery. Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. cv. Midiron] was used as a check. Acclimated and nonacclimated plants were evaluated from 1994 to 1995 in Georgia by both methods to compare their performance. Results indicated that seashore paspalum was slower to acclimate than Midiron bermuda under the treatment conditions used in this experiment. However, a significant acclimation effect was found in HI-1 paspalum, indicating the presence of variability for this trait within the species. The LT 50 determinations demonstrated the superior cold hardiness of Midiron compared with seashore paspalum. Among the paspalum ecotypes, HI-1 ranked superior to Adalayd and PI 299042, respectively, when plants were acclimated (AC). When nonacclimated (NA), Adalayd ranked superior to the other two ecotypes. These genotypic rankings were consistent for both methods of evaluation, indicating their effectiveness for efficiently screening cold hardiness responses among multiple ecotypes. Electrolyte leakage curves indicated that the lethal electrolyte leakage levels for AC and NA paspalum ecotypes were similar. Additional studies are required to evaluate the mechanism present in HI-1, which showed significant acclimation effects on plant survival.


Schizomus crassicaudatus (Pickard-Cambridge) from Sri Lanka is redescribed from the type series, and lectotypes of Nyctalops crassicaudata and N . tenuicaudata are designated. Hubbardia Cook, previously considered a synonym of Schizomus Cook, is considered valid and rediagnosed to include species from California and Arizona (U.S.A.). The family Hubbardiidae Cook has priority and therefore is used rather than Schizomidae Hansen and Sorensen. Likewise, Hubbardiinae Cook is substituted for Schizominae Hansen and Sorensen. Additional descriptive notes and records are provided and a lectotype is designated for Hubbardiapentapeltis Cook. Hubbardia idria new species is described from San Benito County, California. Additional records are included for H. briggsi (Rowland). A key for identification of males of Hubbardia is presented. The native (introduced elsewhere) North and Central American genus Stenochrus Chamberlin is rediagnosed for most species of the Schizomus mexicanus, pecki, and goodnightorum groups. Sotanostenochrus, new genus, is described for Schizomus mitchelli Rowland and Schizomus cookei Rowland and is known only from caves in San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas, Mexico.


Introduction: This paper presents a model of shared leadership (Pearce 2004) for delivering
higher education award degrees (courses). At the University of Tasmania, a
course coordinator is operationally responsible for standards of curriculum
design and delivery and teaching quality. The Faculty of Health's Quality
Evaluation Learning and Teaching (QELT) unit is responsible to monitor the
quality of courses, initiate remedial action for units of courses when flagged, and
report against a range of institutional and national standards and metrics. QELT
has adapted the Peer Assisted Teaching Scheme (PATS) (Carbone et al., 2014),
renaming it Peer Assisted Course Enhancement (PACE). PACE is integrated with
structures and processes that support learning and teaching. It is a core strategy
to link academics' activities to enhance student learning to Faculty and
institutional quality reporting requirements. PACE functions as a framework for
teaching teams to develop a culture of shared leadership and collective
responsibility for single units, with holistic decision-making on course curricula. Method: In 2013 the Faculty of Health piloted and evaluated five variations of
PATS. PACE was a significant innovation, focusing on course delivery and
facilitated by a shared leadership model in a teaching team with individual
teachers (and professional staff) taking responsibility for leading, or
participating in, actions designed to improve the quality of the curricula or
teaching practice. This cultural change means the course coordinator is
responsible to develop shared leadership within the team, maintaining a clear
articulation of the course goals and building capabilities of members to achieve
them. Teachers can document their contributions and report against
institutional expectations for teaching performance. Identified problems with
units or teaching are the responsibility of the entire team, removing stigma and
fostering a collegial, peer-led approach to remediation. Within the shared
leadership, QELT provides training and professional development for course
coordinators to build teaching team capacity. Participation in PACE is being
linked to individual performance management with standardised processes for
reporting to the Faculty. Links to institutional reward systems are articulated. Results: In 2013-14, three teaching teams adopted a shared leadership model
and culture of peer partnerships to build capability. Student and peer data
provided an evidence-base for improvements to curricula. Individual teachers
nominated to lead activities such as improvement to a unit or teaching; report
against standards or analyse student, peer and self-reflection data for scholarly
purposes. Outputs produced across the three teams included annual evaluation
reports to the Faculty; eight peer-reviewed publications, two successful
applications for Vice-Chancellor's citations for contributions to student learning
with the third team obtaining an award for 'programs that enhance learning'. Conclusion: PACE as shared leadership framework supports collaborative
practices that enhance student learning. Shared leadership is a method to
facilitate a 'teaching team' culture of collective responsibility for the standard of
curricula and teaching. From the Faculty's perspective, shared leadership
framework supports a systemic approach to course quality assurance in
academic roles, linkages to professional development, performance management
and institutional awards and grants.


Yersinia ruckeri causes outbreaks of enteric redmouth disease in salmon aquaculture all over the world. The transient antibiotic tolerance exhibited by bacterial persisters is commonly thought to be responsible for outbreaks; however, the molecular factors underlying this behavior have not been explored in Y. ruckeri. In this study, we investigated the participation of the RNA chaperone Hfq from Y. ruckeri in antibiotic persistence. Cultures of the hfq-knockout mutant (Δhfq) exhibited faster replication, increased ATP levels and a more reductive environment than the wild type. The growth curves of bacteria exposed to sublethal concentrations of ampicillin, oxolinic acid, ciprofloxacin and polymyxin B revealed a greater susceptibility for the Δhfq strain. The time-kill curves of bacteria treated with the antibiotics mentioned above and florfenicol, using inoculums from exponential, stationary and biofilm cultures, demonstrated that the Δhfq strain has significant defects in persister cells production. To shed more light on the role of Hfq in antibiotic persistence, we analyzed its dependence on the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA by determining the persister cells production in the absence of the relA gene. The ΔrelA and ΔrelAΔhfq strains displayed similar defects in persister cells formation, but higher than Δhfq strain. Similarly, stationary cultures of the ΔrelA and ΔrelAΔhfq strains exhibited comparable levels of ATP but higher than that of the Δhfq strain, indicating that relA is epistatic over hfq. Taken together, our findings provide valuable information on antibiotic persistence in Y. ruckeri, shedding light on the participation of Hfq in the persistence phenomenon.


This chapter presents a synthesis of current computer modeling tools that are, or could be, adopted for use in evaluating the cumulative watershed effects of fuel management. The chapter focuses on runoff, soil erosion and slope stability predictive tools. Readers should refer to chapters on soil erosion and stability for more detailed information on the physical processes involved.


: Sickle cell and abnormal hemoglobin screening programs should not be undertaken lightly but rather should have a specific purpose or purposes. If the aim is to detect only sickle hemoglobin, a certain strategy is necessary. If the goal is to detect all abnormal hemoglobins and genetic counseling is planned, another approach should be used. A simple solubility test detects sickle hemoglobin with high reliability, but deals with no other abnormal hemoglobins. Hemoglobin electrophoresis, followed by other tests as indicated, is then necessary to ascertain other abnormal hemoglobins in addition to hemoglobin S.


This paper aims at explaining two stylized facts of the Lost Decade in Japan: rising wage inequalities and increasing firm-level productivity differentials. We build a model where firms can choose between efficiency wages with endogenous effort and competitive wages, and show that it can replicate those facts. Using Japanese microeconomic data, we find support for the existence of efficiency wages in one group of firms and competitive wages in the other group. Based on those results, a simulation shows that the share of firms using efficiency wages has declined, within sectors, during the Lost Decade, as predicted by the model.


A central issue in machine learning is how to train models on sensitive user data. Industry has widely adopted a simple algorithm: Stochastic Gradient Descent with noise (a.k.a. Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics). However, foundational theoretical questions about this algorithm's privacy loss remain open -- even in the seemingly simple setting of smooth convex losses over a bounded domain. Our main result resolves these questions: for a large range of parameters, we characterize the differential privacy up to a constant factor. This result reveals that all previous analyses for this setting have the wrong qualitative behavior. Specifically, while previous privacy analyses increase ad infinitum in the number of iterations, we show that after a small burn-in period, running SGD longer leaks no further privacy. Our analysis departs from previous approaches based on fast mixing, instead using techniques based on optimal transport (namely, Privacy Amplification by Iteration) and the Sampled Gaussian Mechanism (namely, Privacy Amplification by Sampling). Our techniques readily extend to other settings, e.g., strongly convex losses, non-uniform stepsizes, arbitrary batch sizes, and random or cyclic choice of batches.


Urinary incontinence (UI) in patients with genital prolapse is not always related to stress. It may result from dyslocation of the vesicourethral segment. While genital prolapse in young patients after a single normal delivery is common manifestation of connective tissue dysplasia (CTD) at the level of the reproductive system, 51.8% cases of UI may be of neurogenic origin and present as dysfunction of the vesicourethral segment and pelvic diaphragm. Unstability of the bladder and urethra in these cases may represent CTD at the level of the pelvic organs.


ABSTRACT Hindcasting of past levee failures enhances insights in the performance and vulnerability of levees. The scarcity of field evidence makes identifying the cause(s) of failure difficult. Under these circumstances, multiple scenarios and model choices are possible to characterise and to model the failure. This paper shows how probabilistic Bayesian techniques advance the procedure of hindcasting of levee failures. In the developed approach, a-priori levee information, and failure observations are systematically taken into account to determine the most likely scenario and the most representative model choices to characterise the failure most accurately. Observations, such as the slip surface, are taken into account in the probability estimates. The levee failure near Breitenhagen, Germany (2013) is used as a case study. The levee failed during river floods due the instability of the landside slope. The levee failure was most likely triggered by locally weak soil conditions and unexpected high water pressures due a connection between a pond on the riverside of the levee and the aquifer. These conditions were likely caused by the occurrence of a previous breach at this location. The approach developed in this paper is expected to support a more systematic and objective method of analysis of other levee failures.


care providers in the British medical system. The book is well referenced, although most references are to British publications that may be difficult to obtain for some providers. Pertinent information is highlighted in blue boxes, making it easy to quickly find and digest. Diabetes in Practice is a book to be kept on the desk top. The balance of background information for the provider and practical material for the patient makes it a positive addition to


BACKGROUND
The aim of this research was to examine differences among two groups of girls, models and ballerinas (with risk factors - experimental group) and young students (control group), in body image preception, body mass index, neurotic perfectionism, body - image distortion and simptoms of eating disorders.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
The research was conducted with 91 participants divided in two groups, control group - 55 students at University of Sarajevo and experimental group - 13 professional ballerinas, 23 professional models. During this research work we used several measuring instruments: Body mass index; Body Mass Index - Silhouette Matching Test; Neurotic Perfectionism Questioner; Eating Disorders Inventory.

RESULTS
In this study statistically significant differences occur between these two groups of girls which are related to body - image perception and objective position on the body mass index chart. All 91 participants saw themselves as obese. Statistically significant differences occur in body - image distortion and simptoms of eating disorders in the experimental group, they have high scores on body - image distortion, on eating disorders inventory and neurotic perfectionism simptoms.

CONCLUSION
Based on th results in this study, we may conclude that there are groups of people who have risk factors for developing some kind of eating disorder, so it would be desirable to create a preventive intervention for young ballerinas and models, but also for those people who coach them, trainers, instructors and managers. For other population groups with risky behavior such as young children, a prevention plan and modifications of cultural influences on people's opinion of body image are extremely important.


Background
Empirical dose intensification and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of infliximab (IFX) trough levels (ITL) and antibody (ATI) assays are recognised approaches for managing the loss of response (LoR) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.

Aim
To compare these two interventions in a clinical setting, in terms of effectiveness and cost savings.

Methods
Consecutive IBD patients, experiencing LoR, were clinically managed according to a TDM algorithm. A historical group of empirically treated patients, for whom sera for ITL and ATI assays were collected, served as the control group. Clinical outcomes 12 weeks after the therapeutic interventions were compared between the two groups. A cost-minimization analysis was performed to compare the economic impact of these two approaches.

Results
Ninety-six patients were enrolled prospectively and compared with 52 controls. The two cohorts were similar in characteristics and the distribution of TDM results. In the prospective cohort, however, we observed less IFX dose escalations compared with controls (45% versus 71%, p=0.003). Also, more patients were switched to a different anti-TNF in the prospective cohort than in the control one (25% versus 4%, p=0.001). The percentages of patients achieving a clinical response at 12 weeks were 52% and 54% for the prospective and control groups, respectively. By cost analysis, we estimated a savings of 15% if the TDM algorithm was applied.

Conclusions
In our population, applying a TDM algorithm for LoR to IFX resulted in less dose escalations, without loss of efficacy, compared with empirical adjustment. In addition, the TDM approach was cost-effective.


Ultrastructural studies of airway epithelium in airway disease are important for diagnosis and understanding the underlying pathology which helps clinicians to improve the patients' treatment.Airway biopsies from a 5-month old boy with respiratory problems and gastro-oesophageal reflux were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tracheal columnar cells showed accumulation of lamellar bodies, indicative of lysosomal storage disease. The patient was diagnosed with Gaucher disease type 2.Shedding of airway epithelial cells is commonly found in asthma. The attachment of these cells to the basal lamina was investigated by TEM of biopsies from patients with asthma and healthy controls. The contact area between columnar cells and basal lamina in asthmatics was significantly less than in controls. Attachment of columnar cells to the basal lamina occurs mainly indirectly, via desmosomal attachment to basal cells. Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a congenital disease. It is important to differentiate PCD from acquired (secondary) ciliary dyskinesia (SCD). The number of dynein arms determined by TEM was 1.5 and 1.4 for outer and inner dynein arms, respectively in PCD, versus 7.9 and 5.2 for controls and 8.1 and 5.9 in SCD. Compared to PCD patients, SCD patients have more structurally abnormal cilia. A significant difference was found in orientation of the central microtubule pair between PCD and SCD, but also overlap. Leukotriene receptor antagonists are a new treatment for asthma. Both corticosteroids and montelukast caused apoptosis and necrosis of airway epithelial cells, and reduced the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1. Treatment of cells with tumor necrosis factor-α or interferon-γ reduced the fraction of the lateral cell membrane occupied by desmosomes and this effect was counteracted by corticosteroids.


OBJECT
Delayed ischemic deficits (DIDs), a major source of disability following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), are usually associated with severe cerebral vasospasm and impaired autoregulation. Systemic erythropoietin (EPO) therapy has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective properties acting via EPO receptors on cerebrovascular endothelia and ischemic neurons. In this trial, the authors explored the potential neuroprotective effects of acute EPO therapy following aSAH.

METHODS
Within 72 hours of aSAH, 80 patients (age range 24-82 years) were randomized to receive intravenous EPO (30,000 U) or placebo every 48 hours for a total of 90,000 U. Primary end points were the incidence, duration, and severity of vasospasm and impaired autoregulation on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Secondary end points were incidence of DIDs and outcome at discharge and at 6 months.

RESULTS
Randomization characteristics were balanced except for age, with the EPO group being older (mean age 59.6 vs 53.3 years, p=0.034). No differences were demonstrated in the incidence of vasospasm and adverse events; however, patients receiving EPO had a decreased incidence of severe vasospasm from 27.5 to 7.5% (p=0.037), reduced DIDs with new cerebral infarcts from 40.0 to 7.5% (p=0.001), a shortened duration of impaired autoregulation (ipsilateral side, p<0.001), and more favorable outcome at discharge (favorable Glasgow Outcome Scale score, p=0.039). Among the 71 survivors, the EPO group had fewer deficits measured with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (median Score 2 vs 6, p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary study showed that EPO seemed to reduce delayed cerebral ischemia following aSAH via decreasing severity of vasospasm and shortening impaired autoregulation.


A lumbar support system for providing comfort to a driver of an open air vehicle having at least two wheels includes a lumbar support configured to be mounted proximate a center portion of a seat of the vehicle, a central body having a first end and a second end, a supporting means configured to couple the lumbar support to the central body, a seat fixing means for mounting the upper portion on the seat of the vehicle, a first engagement means for coupling the seat fixing means to the seat of the vehicle, and a second engagement means for coupling the system to the seat of the vehicle. The second engagement means includes a second shaft and a bottom plate.


Terrorism organizations are devising increasingly sophisticated plans to conduct attacks. The ability of emulating or constructing attack plans by potential terrorists can help us understand the intents and motivation behind terrorism activities. A feasible computational method to construct plans is planning technique in AI. Traditionally, AI planning methods rely on a predefined domain theory which is compiled by domain experts manually. To facilitate domain theory construction and plan generation, we propose a method to construct domain theory automatically from free text data. The effectiveness of our proposed approach is evaluated empirically through experimental studies using real world terrorist plans .


We elucidate how Chern and topological insulators fulfill an area law for the entanglement entropy. By explicit construction of a family of lattice Hamiltonians, we are able to demonstrate that the area law contribution can be tuned to an arbitrarily small value but is topologically protected from vanishing exactly. We prove this by introducingnovelmethodstoboundentanglemententropiesfromcorrelationsusingperturbationbounds,drawing intuition from ideas of quantum information theory. This rigorous approach is complemented by an intuitive understanding in terms of entanglement edge states. These insights have a number of important consequences: The area law has no universal component, no matter how small, and the entanglement scaling cannot be used as a faithful diagnostic of topological insulators. This holds for all Renyi entropies which uniquely determine the entanglement spectrum, which is hence also nonuniversal. The existence of arbitrarily weakly entangled topological insulators furthermore opens up possibilities of devising correlated topological phases in which the entanglement entropy is small and which are thereby numerically tractable, specifically in tensor network approaches.


Clay has been used in Jordan as a building material for decades. This paper investigates the effects of adding olive husk –another locally available solid waste material- on the mechanical properties of the clay composite, and its modification of the ductility and thermal resistance for use as an insulating material. Laminated Metal Tooling (LMT) process will be used to manufacture the dies required to cast and dry the test specimens. A discussion will also be included regarding the eligibility of the material for the use as a low-cost, high efficiency insulating material depending on the manufacturability of husk-enhanced clay sheets.


Governing by Looking Back examines how governments investigate and learn in a more ad-hoc fashion, from parts of their past that already have become labelled as a 'success' or a 'failure' in professional, public and political arenas. The imperative in learning from a problematic past ('failure') is to avoid its repetition, and to examine carefully whether a failure is due to implementation problems or inherent in an erroneous theory of change that underpins the design of the policy. Conversely, the rationale for looking back at successes is to learn positive lessons about designs and practices that can be emulated, reinforced and transplanted, whilst not ignoring the role played by incidental highly conducive circumstances which are impossible to replicate. The main argument of the paper is that there is a structural imbalance in how the political system and the APS are tuned to detect and attend to government 'failures' (intensely so, and mostly in terms of accountability and blame) as opposed to 'successes' (much more sporadically, and when it occurs mostly in the form of unreflective desires to 'copy' and 'roll out'). This imbalance manifests itself both at the 'supply side' (the provision of performance information and the operation of accountability mechanisms) and at the 'reception side' (APS attitudes and practices in anticipating and responding to such feedback). The first section of the paper conceptualizes 'success' and 'failure' in public policy and describes the distinctive opportunities and challenges that each presents for institutional learning. Inevitably reputational and political considerations, power relations and ingrained organizational cultures and routines shape the ways in which public agencies interrogate their pasts and those of other agencies at home and abroad as well as their appetite for and styles of learning from this engagement with past practices. In the second section we focus specifically on the feedback systems in and around the APS, and how they construe, diagnose and draw lessons from successes and failures. Reviewing both regular and ad-hoc forms of review – for example, royal commissions, senate inquiries, commissioned reviews – we call attention to the structural imbalance that exists between 'success-finding' and 'failure-finding' practices, as well as practices that are driven with an accountability focus as opposed to an institutional learning focus. Here, we find the deck is stacked towards episodic practices which tend focus on failure and treat it in terms of accountability and (risk of) blame. We consider the implications that this has for building and sustaining institutional learning cultures. The final section offers a range of strategies, gleaned both from promising practices at home and abroad, to strengthen the APS's capacity to learn from its own successes and failures as well as those of others. On the supply side, there is a need to strengthen mechanisms and practices of 'success finding' (e.g. the use of 'positive evaluation' methodologies, awards and competitions). On the reception side the APS needs to institutionalise and safeguard learning-enhancing values of openness, curiosity, risk absorption, self-reflection and experimentation – going self-consciously against the Zeitgeist of failure finding, blame avoidance, reputation management and thus predominantly defensive responses to negative feedback. The final pages of the paper offer a smorgasbord of strategies for doing so, gleaned from reviews and research both at home and abroadTra


Critical care medicine has grown from a small group of physicians participating in patient care rounds in surgical and medical intensive care units (ICUs) to a highly technical, interdisciplinary team. Pharmacy's growth in the area of critical care is as exponential. Today's ICU requires a comprehensive pharmaceutical service that includes both operational and clinical services to meet patient medication needs. This article provides the elements for a business plan to justify critical care pharmacy services by describing the pertinent background and benefit of ICU pharmacy services, detailing a current assessment of ICU pharmacy services, listing the essential ICU pharmacy services, describing service metrics, and delineating an appropriate timeline for implementing an ICU pharmacy service. The structure and approach of this business plan can be applied to a variety of pharmacy services. By following the format and information listed in this article, the pharmacy director can move closer to developing patient-centered pharmacy services for ICU patients.


Although the question of Palestine continues to be of deep concern to the Muslim world, a systematic, realistic, and viable Islamic response has been lacking. In the case of Palestine, the concept of jihad has generally been interpreted and defined in terms of armed struggle, which has resulted in only minimal success and has become increasingly detrimental to the cause of Palestinian self-determination. This case is but one that highlights the shortcomings of the classical methodology of interpretation, specifically, the failure to effectively respond to contemporary conditions and realities in the context of conflict resolution. The dominance of the jihad-as-armed-struggle interpretation has obstructed other potentially more effective conceptions of, and approaches to, jihad from developing. Using the Israel-Palestine conflict as a case study, this paper examines the interpretation and application of jihad in Islam. It proposes a contemporary methodology for Quranic interpretation and application based on the integration of the maqasid-oriented approach, contextualisation, and the use of social science research. The paper demonstrates that, based on an inductive analysis of the Quranic verses concerning war and peace, non-violence is a legitimate form of jihad that is consistent with the higher objectives outlined in the Quran. Moreover, this approach is further reinforced by an international legal framework and, in particular, the United Nations (UN) resolutions on the question of Palestine along with the increasing international support for the UN to play the primary role in conflict resolution. Based on such empirical research into this global political and legal context, Palestinian non-violence, rather than the use of armed force, is more conducive to achieving their political aspirations as well as fulfilling the maqasid of jihad.


ABSTRACT Background There are studies comparing USG guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) with bronchoscopy guided PDT. We have compared USG guided PDT to conventional landmark guided PDT using bronchoscopy in both the groups. Objective The primary outcome was the time of procedure and the secondary outcome was incidence of complications in USG guided PDT in comparision to the conventional PDT. Materials and Methods Seventy adult patients were randomly allocated in two groups, i.e., conventional landmark percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) and ultrasonography (USG) guided PDT. Demographic data, injury severity score, time taken for the procedure, attempts of tracheal puncture, major and minor complications, and outcome were compared. Results The median time taken for the procedure was 12 minutes [min., max.; 8, 20] in conventional group 1 and 16 minutes [9, 24] in group 2 (USG guided) which was statistically significant. Minor bleeding was seen in 7 (20%) patients in group 1 and only in 4 patients (11.5%) in group 2. The rate of other complications and the long term outcome were similar in both the groups. Conclusion The use of real time USG during PDT may confer advantage over conventional PDT when using bronchoscopy in terms of decreasing the incidence of minor bleeding but duration of the procedure gets prolonged. How to cite this article Aggarwal R, Soni KD, Goyal K, Singh GP, Sokhal N, Trikha A. Does Real Time Ultrasonography Confer Any Benefit During Bronchoscopy Guided Percutaneous Tracheostomy: A Preliminary, Randomized Controlled Trial. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(5):236–238.


This paper presents and evaluates dynamic management strategies to improve efficiency in event-triggered wireless sensor networks. We are considering mobility, where nodes move themselves to maximize the coverage, and load balancing state-of-the-art techniques, by which the number of nodes sensing the same area is reduced. To explore mobility, we present a simple method by which nodes can dynamically reorganize themselves based on the force fields approach of mobile robotics. Firstly, the strategies are evaluated separately through experiments with different network configurations and, afterwards, a joint evaluation has been conducted to observe the impact of mobility on the efficiency of load balancing techniques. We show that mobile nodes significantly contribute to keeping the coverage as nodes die in mesh and powerfully improving it in random deployments. Load balancing techniques achieve important results, increasing lifetime and the number of sensed events. However, in random deployments, these techniques lose efficiency and become unsuitable strategies. Combining these strategies with mobility, we observe that PS-based technique keeps its contribution in mesh and random deployments, as well as improving its performance for not so dense networks. Ant-based technique when combined with mobile nodes loses performance significantly in mesh and keeps its good performance in random deployed and less dense networks.


The Caspian Sea is the world's largest closed body of water, and it has a number of unique features, not least, the considerable fluctuations in water level during the 20th century. This water level dropped by 3 m from 1929 to 1977, increased rapidly by 2.6 m during thetwo decades following, and from 1995 a slow rate of change continues.

It is likely that the underlying causes of these water level changes are the human activities in the Caspian Sea Basin but literature shows that climate change also had a significant effect. Moreover, these sea level changes occur in a region with a high intrinsic level of seismic activity due to its tectonic setting. Since the sea level fluctuations represent very large scale changes in the loading of the Earth's crust, it seems likely that they are responsible for aspects of the overall seismicity. This is analogous to the problem of Reservoir Induced Seismicity, although even the largest reservoirs are tiny compared to the Caspian Sea. The research reviews the available data to create a reliable database of seismic events in the desired timeframe and location. It was observed that there was a correlation between the Caspian Sea level fluctuations and changes in regional seismicity. Further analysis indicated changes in the b-value of the Gutenberg-Richter Relationship that had an inverse correlation with water level fluctuations, demonstrating that RIS effects are significant. Through statistical examination of the earthquakes listed in the catalogue, the research attempted to find events which could possibly be induced earthquakes.

Another large scale effect of the Caspian Sea level changes is investigated on its coasts where the beach profiles were affected by these changes. This sea is a unique laboratory for studies related to sea level rise and several studies have been performed by other researchers on the northern and western Caspian Sea coast. The southern coast, however, has not been adequately explored, thus this research aimed to investigate this part of the coastline. Three field surveys were made along 700 km of the southern coast. In addition to shore sediment sampling, land forms were mapped. Also, deep sediments were sampled by divers along profiles at right angles to the coast at 5 depths up to a depth of 10 m, and hydrographic profiles were surveyed. Laboratory tests were performed on the collected sediment samples. Several classifications were generated based on different factors, and finally, the southern Caspian Sea coast was classified into four categories with respect to their behaviour in response to sea level change.

This study investigates the cause and two large scale impacts of the changing water level in the Caspian Sea, and provides a database for future studies. The result can be applied to predict future problems if the water level of the Caspian Sea continues to show considerable changes.


Investigating sex interest, including deviant
preferences, can be troublesome, mainly because of the methods chosen
for assessment. Self-report and objective measures are invaluable to
this research, however self-report is subject to socially desirable
responding and phallometry is prone to faking and can be invasive
(Kalmus & Beech, 2005). Consequently, more reliable and less invasive
methods, commonly termed indirect measures have been developed
(Snowden et al., 2011). However, most of these measures are still in
their infancy, difficult to implement in practice, and only provide a
single outcome variable (e.g., response-latency).

Thus, in order to amalgamate the positives of the aforementioned
methods, and lessen their limitations, a new tablet PC application
(M-TASI; Multimodal Tablet for Assessing Sexual Interest) has been
developed for use in an academic capacity, by drawing upon previous
research (Hofmann et al., 2009; Kraus & Hofmann, 2014).

Participants must 'swipe' sexually relevant stimuli towards or
away from them in an approach or avoidance procedure, respectively.
Approach-avoidance procedures have been deemed viable in sexuality
research (Hofmann et al., 2009), yet there is no evidence of using a
tablet-based approach-avoidance paradigm to investigate human
sexuality, thus the M-TASI could contribute to filing this dearth in
the literature.

A pilot study has been conducted to test the viability of the method,
focusing on variables such as 'swipe speed', response time and
location of first touch. These results will be discussed.

This research will, hopefully, give credence to using this methodology
in future, and could be applied to deviant sex interest.


This paper brings the voices of Yemeni women forward. Women were active in the 2011 protests, influencing political developments at key junctures. However, subsequent armed conflicts militarized the political environment and pushed forward a more limited religious agenda that saw more and more women systematically marginalized in the process. This paper outlines these major trends and offers some key recommendations to the government and wider international community to better support women's participation in peace negotiations and involvement in the Yemeni political arena.


As increasingly powerful natural language generation, representation, and understanding models are developed, made available and deployed across numerous downstream applications, many researchers and practitioners have warned about possible adverse impacts. Harmful impacts include but are not limited to disparities in quality-of-service, unequal distribution of resources, erasure, stereotyping and misrepresentation of groups and individuals, they might limit people's agency or affect their well-being. Given that language tasks are often complex, open-ended, and incorporated across a diversity of applications; effectively foreseeing and mitigating such harms has remained an elusive goal. Towards this goal, Natural Language Processing (NLP) literature has only recently started to engage with human-centered perspectives and methods—that are often central to HCI research. In this panel, we bring together researchers with expertise in both NLP and HCI, as well as in issues that pertain to the fairness, transparency, justice, and ethics of computational systems. Our main goals are to explore 1) how to leverage HCI perspectives and methodologies to help foresee potential harms of language technologies and inform their mitigation, 2) synergies between the HCI and the responsible NLP research that can help build common ground, and 3) complement existing efforts to facilitate conversations between the HCI and NLP communities.


This paper describes a strategic approach to examining potential climate change impacts on agricultural, forestry and regional/rural resources. It outlines a holistic framework that links impacts with adaptation actions that is consistent with new thoughts on preparing society for climate change. The assessment of the potential impacts is a logical extension of the land resource evaluation models described in the paper by Hossain et al. (2006) since it links land suitability analysis modelling, developed by Primary Industries Research Victoria (PIRVic), with climate change impacts modelling developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO). The Framework is illustrated by its applications in two regions in the State of Victoria, AUSTRALIA. The project described in this paper is part of a joint national and state effort in Australia to improve the knowledge on, and tools to adapt to, climate change and climate variability.


Venous abdominal aneurysm is a rare entity, especially at the iliac vein. This condition is very rare and is usually grave when the aneurysm ruptures. It requires immediate treatment, surgically or by endovascular technique, to prevent such complications. Most of the iliac vein aneurysm cases are associated with arteriovenous fistula (AVF). We report the case of a 33-year-old male who presented with iliac vein aneurysm secondary to AVF. He was treated surgically after a failed endovascular procedure. The venous aneurysm had numerous feeder vessels which were difficult to manage intraoperatively. It prompted us to ligate the common iliac artery and do grafting between the common iliac artery and the common femoral artery. Iliac vein aneurysm diagnosis requires precise clinical suspicion, and the treatment is based on patients' clinical presentation and radiological features. Use of appropriate imaging modalities facilitates a correct preoperative diagnosis which consequently improves the surgical outcome.