Zebrafish have the capacity to regenerate several organs, including the heart and fins. Fin regeneration is epimorphic, involving the formation at the amputation plane of a mass of undifferentiated, proliferating mesenchymal progenitor-like cells, called blastema. This tissue provides all the cell types that form the fin, so that after damage or amputation the fin pattern and structure are fully restored. How blastema cells remain in this progenitor-like state is poorly understood. Here, we show that the Notch pathway plays an essential role during fin regeneration. Notch signalling is activated during blastema formation and remains active throughout the regeneration process. Chemical inhibition or morpholino-mediated knockdown of Notch signalling impairs fin regeneration via decreased proliferation accompanied by reduced expression of Notch target genes in the blastema. Conversely, overexpression of a constitutively active form of the Notch1 receptor (N1ICD) in the regenerating fin leads to increased proliferation and to the expansion of the blastema cell markers msxe and msxb, as well as increased expression of the proliferation regulator aldh1a2. This blastema expansion prevents regenerative fin outgrowth, as indicated by the reduction in differentiating osteoblasts and the inhibition of bone regeneration. We conclude that Notch signalling maintains blastema cells in a plastic, undifferentiated and proliferative state, an essential requirement for fin regeneration.


The role of calcium ions in the phospholipid hydrolysis by phospholipase D was studied. It was shown that the enzyme does not split egg lecithine in the absence of Ca2+. In the presence of Ca2+ the reaction occurs via different routes, depending on the type of initiation of the reaction. The optimal concentrations of Ca2+ necessary for activation of phospholipase D are different in the systems activated by various treatments (organic solvents, detergents and solid adsorbents). Optimal concentrations of Ca2+ for the hydrolysis and methanolysis catalyzed by phospholipase D are also different. It was found that the need for Ca2+ and their optimal concentrations are determined by the state of phospholipids at the substrate phase. The data suggest that the enzymatic hydrolysis may occur in the absence of Ca2+. Thus, Ca2+-induced activation is merely an alternative pathway of catalytically active conformation of lypolytic enzymes.


Objectives: The heritability of age-related hearing loss has been studied mostly in developed countries. The authors aimed to estimate the heritability of better ear hearing level (BEHL), defined as hearing level of the better ear at a given frequency, and pure-tone averages at the middle (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz) and high (4.0, 8.0, and 12.5 kHz) frequencies among middle-aged and elderly Chinese twins, and to explore their genetic correlations. Design: This population-based twin study included 226 monozygotic and 132 dizygotic twin-pairs and 1 triplet (age range, 33 to 80 years; mean age, 51.55 years). Pure-tone air-conducted hearing thresholds in each ear were measured at the frequencies of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 12.5 kHz with a diagnostic audiometer. Univariate and multivariate twin models were fitted to evaluate heritability and genetic correlations. Results: Our data showed a reverse J-shaped pattern of BEHLs at six frequencies by age and sex. Univariate analysis showed that the heritability of BEHLs at the frequencies between 2.0 and 12.5 kHz ranged from 47.08 to 54.20%, but the heritability at the frequencies of 0.5 and 1.0 kHz was 1.65% and 18.68%, respectively. The heritability of pure-tone average at the middle and high frequencies was 34.77% and 43.26%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed significant genetic correlations among BEHLs at all six frequencies, with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.48 to 0.83 at middle frequencies, and from 0.46 to 0.75 at high frequencies. Conclusions: This population-based twin study suggests that genetic factors are associated with age-related hearing loss at middle and high frequencies among middle-aged and elderly Chinese.


Cardiac murmurs are the sounds produced by the abnormal passage of the blood flow inside the heart due to the diseased valves or tissues. Identifying the type of the murmur can diagnose the cardiac pathology related to that particular murmur. This paper describes a researched digital stethoscope that can be used as a stethoscope as well as a murmur identification device. To capture the heart beat, a chest piece of a traditional stethoscope is used with a condenser microphone attachment. Then the signal is amplified and filters out the noise and sent to the ARM processor. At the processing module, sampling is carried out and stores the sampled data if the data transmission is not being done. Then the sampled data is transmitted to a central location using radio frequency transmitter module to carry out the signal processing. If the user wishes, the signal processing can be done in the stethoscope itself since the ARM processor is in the stethoscope unit.


This study was comprised of two related projects: a viscosity variability study and a trivalent cation study. For the first study, the dependence of viscosity of solutions of the polymer sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) on temperature was quantitatively determined so that the viscosity measurements from four sets of viscosity versus age of solution data could be normalized. The four sets of age of solution data were obtained for two solutions containing Al cation and for two solutions containing Mg cation. The temperature normalization procedure proved viable. Factoring out the variability due to temperature led to a decrease in overall variability of the viscosity data of the three solutions for which temperature fluctuation had been problematic. The trivalent cation study involved addition of Al3+ or Cr3+ cation to solutions ofCMC. The overall objective was to produce high viscosity CMC solutions by promoting crosslinking through the trivalent cations to anionic sites along the polymer chains. Addition of A1C13 solution to the CMC solution was ineffective: at low ionic strengths, polymer precipitated out of solution. To prevent precipitation it was necessary to deliver the trivalent cation more slowly. This was accomplished by adding trivalent cation either in combination with a chelating agent or already in the form of a metal complex. The chelating agents citric acid, malic acid, and EDTA, in combination with Al3+ cation, were ineffective in yielding CMC solutions of high viscosity. Oxalic acid in combination with both Al 3+ and Cr3+ cation as well as basic aluminum acetate and chromium (III) acetate hydroxide did produce high viscosity CMC solutions. In terms of ligands, acetate was even more effective than oxalate. In terms of cations, Cr3+ was even more effective than Al3+.


Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) contends that governments can spend without restraint and large deficits and debt don't matter when the economy is not at full capacity. It asserts that the state, as the issuer of the nation's currency, cannot go bankrupt because it can just keep creating and printing money; taxation exists not to obtain revenue but to oblige people to use a nation's currency and control inflation; and that all public expenditure can be financed by debt or creating money.

MMT, whose theoretical foundations can be linked to the Marxist economic theories of Michal Kalecki, have come to prominence in recent months because of advocacy by the far-left of the Democratic Party in the United States and some left-wing commentators and campaigners in the United Kingdom.

MMT advocacy, particularly in the political sphere, is often driven by Utopian thinking by those who want massive unaffordable public spending programmes.

MMT is rejected by most economists. A recent survey by the University of Chicago found that no economic expert thinks that countries that borrow in their own currency need not worry about deficits because they can print money to finance debt. Similarly, none thought that it is possible to fund as much real government spending as you want by creating money.

There are a number of serious flaws in MMT:

MMT asserts, with limited evidence, that there is substantial unused economic capacity that government spending can activate. However, in practice, when government excessively expands the monetary supply (prints money) the impact is inflationary, if not hyperinflationary - as was the case in the Weimar Republic, Zimbabwe, and today in Venezuela.

MMT depends on governments knowing much more than they possibly could and acting more rationally than politics allows. It depends on government knowing precisely the natural rate of unemployment, and therefore when to spend, to stimulate activity, and when to tax, to drain the excessive inflationary impact of creating money. This ignores ignorance.

MMT is premised on substantial public employment policies to create economic activity for the unemployed. This policy underestimates the bureaucratic costs and the coordination problems that come with public employment policies. Only autocratic governments would have the means to enforce such policies.


SiC particles coated with nano-BN were synthesized and the machinable SiC/BN ceramic nano-composites were fabricated by Plasma Active Sintering (PAS) in N2 atmosphere. The existing and distribution of h-BN phase were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and SEM. For the existing of weak interface between h-BN and SiC grains, the machinability of both SiC/BN micro-composites and nano-composites were improved obviously. Because the nano-sized h-BN crystals were homogeneously dispersed around the SiC grains of the matrix, the fracture strength of the nano-composites was better than the SiC/h-BN micro-composite.


This thesis forms a critical inquiry into historical and contemporary ideologies of musical
value within Irish higher music education and it documents significant implications for issues
of access and opportunity at all levels of music education. In particular, it explores cultural,
structural and agential conditions that affect student and lecturer experiences in higher music
education. Drawing from Bourdieu, the study considers the ways in which musical habitus,
cultural capital and social class impact on students' access to formal musical knowledge and
skills and their experiences and opportunities in higher music education. Through an
application of Bernstein's theory of classification and framing to musical knowledge, the
study highlights the extent to which ideological assumptions of musical value shape
curricula, the 'hidden curriculum', and pedagogy.
Employing complementary research methods, data gathering tools include documentary
analysis in addition to surveys and interviews with students and lecturers across eleven out of
thirteen Irish higher education institutions offering music at undergraduate level. Findings
reveal that unequal access to musical knowledge and skills relates to broader structural
inequalities such as social class background, statutory music education provision, and state
music curricula. The implicit advantage enjoyed by some students with private music theory
tuition in meeting the demands of the higher education curriculum, contrasts with unequal
access to requisite musical knowledge and skills for those who have relied on the state for
music education. In addition, data highlight the role that higher education structures and
political agendas play in bringing ideologies of musical value and knowledge into sharp
focus.
Drawing from theories of social realism by Moore and Young, the thesis argues that
epistemic access to musical knowledge and skills is vital for access, opportunity, and success
within and beyond higher education. Through the construction of a conceptual model, the
relationship between cultural capital within the field of higher education reveals
structure/agency as pivotal in student and lecturer experiences. To conclude, the thesis
proposes a reconsideration of epistemological and pedagogical approaches at all levels of
music education. For it is in reappraising the ways in which musical opportunities ought to be
equally accessible, as well as appropriately challenging, that musical disadvantage can be
addressed.


Present study was conducted to study the carcass traits of Kundhi and Nili Ravi buffalo. The total 100 animals of Kundhi and Nili Ravi breed were randomly selected and divided into A, B, C and D group. In group A and C there were Kundhi and Nili Ravi male whereas, B and D females of both breeds respectively and the age of animals was around 36 months. The selected animals were slaughtered at slaughter house of Seven Star meat processing company Dhabeji, Thatta. The carcass traits studied including live body weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage and boneless weight. The results revealed that carcass traits live body weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage and boneless weight of Nili Ravi male was significantly higher (P>0.05) as compared to the Kundhi buffalo male, while same carcass traits were also observed highly significant (P>0.01) in Nili Ravi female than Kundhi buffalo female. It was concluded that carcass traits of Nili Ravi buffalo are better expressed and produces more beef than Kundhi buffalo. Likewise Kundhi buffalo male is better in beef production than the Nili Ravi female and Kundhi buffalo female produces low carcass yield.


Purpose Early stage (stages I-II) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a highly curable disease typically diagnosed in adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Proton therapy can also reduce the late toxicity burden in this population, but data on its comparative efficacy with photon radiotherapy in this population are sparse. We assessed outcomes in AYAs with cHL in a multi-institution retrospective review. Materials and Methods We identified 94 patients aged 15 to 40 years with stages I and II cHL treated with radiotherapy as part of their initial treatment between 2008 and 2017. We used Kaplan-Meier analyses and log-rank testing to evaluate survival differences between groups of patients. Results A total of 91 patients were included in the analysis. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 89%. Of the 12 patients who experienced progression after radiotherapy, 4 occurred out-of-field, 2 occurred in-field, and 6 experienced both in- and out-of-field progression. There was no significant difference in 2-year PFS among AYA patients by radiotherapy dose received (≥ 30 Gy, 91%; < 30 Gy, 86%; P = .82). Likewise, there was no difference in 2-year PFS among patients who received either proton or photon radiotherapy (proton, 94%; photon, 83%; P = .07). Conclusion Our cohort of AYA patients had comparable outcomes regardless of radiotherapy dose or modality used. For patients with significant risk of radiation-induced late effects, proton therapy is a reasonable treatment modality.


Midwives usually document women's health and maternal histories during booking appointments. This qualitative study of use of the Scottish Woman Held Maternity Record (SWHMR) found some midwifery teams were asking women to document their own histories before these appointments. Pregnant women and midwives from these teams thought this could save midwives time, improve the accuracy of records and lead to more individually appropriate discussions. However, some women were disappointed that midwives had not fully discussed what they had written. Some midwives from teams that had not asked women to document their own histories were sceptical about the likely accuracy and usefulness of women's entries. If the potential advantages of asking women to document their own histories are to be safely realised, support must be available for women with limited English or reading and writing skills, and midwives must have time to review and discuss what women write.


In the article the principle of measuring of tyre/road rolling resistance tyres in road conditions applied in a special measuring trailer is presented. This trailer was built in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Gdansk University of Technology. The construction of two special devices used in this trailer was discussed. These devices eliminate the influence of some chosen confounding measurements factors such as: the inertia force acting on the measuring arm with the wheel and the tested tyre and vibrations of the measuring arm. The operation of these devices was proven in practice. The conclusions arising from the use of these systems are described.


Even if returns are truly forecasted by variables such as the dividend yield, the noise in such a predictive regression may overwhelm the signal of the conditioning variable and render estimation, inference and forecasting unreliable. Unfortunately, traditional asymptotic approximations are not suitable to investigate the small sample properties of forecasting regressions with excessive noise. To systematically analyze predictive regressions, it is useful to quantify a forecasting variable's signal relative to the noisiness of returns in a given sample. We define an index of signal strength, or information accumulation, by renormalizing the signal-noise ratio. The novelty of our parameterization is that this index explicitly influences rates of convergence and can lead to inconsistent estimation and testing, unreliable R2s, and no out-of-sample forecasting power. Indeed, we prove that if the signal-noise ratio is close to zero, as is the case for many of the explanatory variables previously suggested in the finance literature, model based forecasts will do no better than the corresponding simple unconditional mean return. Our analytic framework is general enough to capture most of the previous findings surrounding predictive regressions using dividend yields and other persistent forecasting variables.


The rifle impact on human body is affected by the posture of human for rifling. The interaction human-rifle system influences on a firing accuracy. In this paper, impact analysis of human model for standing posture is carried out. ADAMS code and LifeMOD are used in impact analysis of human model and modeling of the human body, respectively. At the shooting, human model is affected by rifle impact during 0.001 second. Performed simulation time for shooting is 0.3second. Applied constraint condition to human-rifle system is rotating and spherical condition. As the results, displacement of the rifle and transfer path analysis of impact on human model is presented.


Abstract Proton diffusion in brucite was investigated by conducting hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) exchange experiments using multi-anvil high-pressure apparatuses at pressures from 3 to 15 GPa and temperatures in the range of 750-1050 K. The diffusion couple was composed of a natural proton-dominated brucite single crystal surrounded by synthesized D-doped brucite polycrystals. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the diffusion profiles of the samples. The D/H diffusion profile across the boundary between single crystal and polycrystalline D-doped brucite showed an asymmetric pattern characterized by faster diffusion in aggregates. The D/H interdiffusion rate determined from the analysis of the single crystal side indicates that the interdiffusion rate increases with increasing H/D ratio. The H-D interdiffusion rate in the direction perpendicular to the c-axis is about 0.5 orders of magnitude higher than that in the direction parallel to the c-axis. At 3 GPa, the H-D interdiffusion coefficients [D(m2/s)] along and perpendicular to the c-axis of brucite at compositions of CODnorm = 0.2 in the single-crystal region were determined to be 3.30(±1.77) ×10−11exp[-48.2(±5.8) (kJ/mol)/ RT] and 1.43(±1.33) ×10−9exp[-67.5(±23.2) (kJ/mol)/RT], respectively. The H-D interdiffusion rate perpendicular to and along the c-axis increased about one order of magnitude by compression from 3 to 10 GPa, but the pressure enhancement became weaker above 10 GPa. From 10 to 15 GPa, there is almost no pressure dependence of proton diffusion for both directions. As pressure increases up to 10 GPa, enhancement of the proton migration is strongly correlated with the activation of the atomic interaction and decrease of O…O′ distance induced by compression. The positive pressure effect on the proton diffusion in brucite suggests that proton diffusion in higher-pressure hydrous phase becomes faster because of the shorter O…O′ distance.


We describe our experience in deploying the full range of multimedia for a large scale distance education course enrolling over 5000 mature students per year and raise issues about how to effectively balance the types of media. The course introduces computing to both computing majors and non-majors. It represents a radical change in the curriculum, taking a fully object-oriented approach to software development, for example, teaching programming using Smalltalk. The course is large (one sixth of a degree) and the design of materials for the innovative syllabus required experimentation and frequent rebalancing the use of various media. This paper relates the experiences and reflects on the issues encountered.


The study was conducted to screen local and improved bean varieties for resistance to halo blight disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. A total of eight improved (Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) 90, Rojo, Zawadi, Mshindi) and local (Mwasipenjele, Masusu, Kabhaya, Mabula) bean varieties were collected from breeders at SUA and farmers at Ileje district in Songwe region. Isolation of P. syringae pv phaseolicola from bean seeds was conducted using Liquid Assay method. Results indicated that, bacterial isolate L1 from local bean variety Mwikala produced similar characteristics as those obtained from reference strain of P. syringae pv phaseolicola in the biochemical and pathogenicity tests on host plants. Using bacterial isolate L1, there was significance difference (P < 0.05) on incidence and severity of halo blight disease. The highest disease incidence had (89%) was on local bean variety Mabula, while the lowest had (67%) was on improved varieties Zawadi and Mshindi. Disease severity of improved varieties zawadi and mshindi when compared with other varieties were at low severity (disease score 4). It was concluded that the Zawadi and Mshindi were less susceptible to halo blight disease. This study needs to be repeated if same results were obtained aside these two improved varieties (Zawadi and Mshindi) of bean which could be recommended to farmers.

 Key words: Assay, incidence, inoculum, isolate, Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, disease severity.


Purpose An increase in bariatric surgery has led to a rise in postbariatric contouring procedures. Despite a comprehensive preoperative assessment, body habitus in these patients may significantly limit the abdominal exam. Abdominal contouring procedures typically elevate large portions of the skin and fat off the abdominal wall, and unexpected hernia may be discovered intraoperatively. No study to date has characterized such hernia discovery at the time of body contouring surgery. We reviewed our experience of management of incidental hernia found during abdominoplasty or panniculectomy after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods Records of all post–bariatric surgery patients undergoing abdominal contouring procedures between 2007 and 2017 were reviewed to identify patients with incidental hernias discovered intraoperatively. These patients were further examined by reviewing operative details, patient-specific factors, and outcomes. Results Six hundred eighty-one post–bariatric surgery patients underwent abdominal body contouring procedures with incidental ventral hernia discovered in 36 patients (5.3% [45 hernias]). At the time of plastic surgery, average age was 49 years (range, 25–64 years), and body mass index was 30.7 kg/m2 (range 25–43 kg/m2). Of 36 patients with incidental hernia, 26 patients (72.2%) had a single hernia, and the remainder had multiple (27.8%). Mean hernia size was 4.1 cm2 (range, 0.25–24 cm2). Most hernias were located paraumbilical/umbilical (46.7%) or epigastric (37.8%). Ninety-eight percent of hernias were repaired primarily (n = 44) by the plastic surgeon, and in 1 case (2%), mesh repair was performed by a consulting general surgeon. Average follow-up was 1.9 ± 0.3 years. Only 1 patient (2.8%) developed hernia recurrence after 48 months. Other postoperative complications included superficial wound healing problems (19.4%), seroma (16.7%), suture abscess (5.6%), and cellulitis that resolved with antibiotics (5.6%). Conclusions This is the first study to characterize incidental hernia discovered at the time of body contouring in the post–bariatric surgery patient. The body contouring surgeon should be aware of this common finding. Hernias typically discovered during panniculectomy or abdominoplasty arise in umbilical or epigastric regions, likely from prior laparoscopic port sites, and can be safely repaired by the plastic surgeon with low overall complication rates.


ABSTRACT. The anticancer agent miltefosine and the antifungal drug voriconazole were tested in vitro against Balamuthia mandrillaris, Acanthamoeba spp., and Naegleria fowleri. All three amebas are etiologic agents of chronic (Balamuthia, Acanthamoeba) or fulminant (Naegleria) encephalitides in humans and animals and, in the case of Acanthamoeba, amebic keratitis. Balamuthia exposed to <40 μm concentrations of miltefosine survived, while concentrations of ≥40 μM were generally amebacidal, with variation in sensitivity between strains. At amebastatic drug concentrations, recovery from drug effects could take as long as 2 weeks. Acanthamoeba spp. recovered from exposure to 40 μM, but not 80 μM miltefosin. Attempts to define more narrowly the minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal amebacidal concentrations (MAC) for Balamuthia and Acanthamoeba were difficult due to persistence of non‐proliferating trophic amebas in the medium. For N. fowleri, 40 and 55 μM were the MIC and MAC, respectively, with no trophic amebas seen at the MAC. Voriconazole had little or no inhibitory effect on Balamuthia at concentrations up to 40 μg/ml, but had a strong inhibitory effect upon Acanthamoeba spp. and N. fowleri at all drug concentrations through 40 μg/ml. Following transfer to drug‐free medium, Acanthamoeba polyphaga recovered within a period of 2 weeks; N. fowleri amebas recovered from exposure to 1 μg/ml, but not from higher concentrations. All testing was done on trophic amebas; drug sensitivities of cysts were not examined. Miltefosine and voriconazole are potentially useful drugs for treatment of free‐living amebic infections, though sensitivities differ between genera, species, and strains.


The proliferation of assorted brands of toothpaste products in the country has led to cut-throat competition for increased market share being witnessed among the operators in the toothpaste industry. When competition is keen and the consumers are faced with brand choice in the market, it becomes imperative for the manufacturers to understand the major factors that can attract the attention of buyers to their own brand. These then forms the basis for marketing, planning and action. This was a descriptive survey aimed at investigating the influence of brand personality on GlaxoSmithKline products in Nairobi, the case of Aquafresh toothpaste. In order to undertake the study successfully the objectives that were set out included the need to evaluate the influence of brand sincerity on consumer buying decision as well as to establish the brand excitement elements on consumers. The study surveyed 120 randomly selected consumers of Aquafresh toothpaste brand in Nairobi's Eastlands area in the Buruburu locality, it examined the role played by advertising in influencing consumers preference for Aquafresh toothpaste, which is one of the leading toothpastes in the Kenyan market. Results revealed that both male and female of different age groups were equally influenced by advertising strategies of GlaxoSmithKline in their preference for the Aquafresh brand. Most of the consumers showed preference for Aquafresh brand of toothpaste. The major reasons advanced for the preference are the captivating advertising strategies of GlaxoSmithKline and the unique quality of the toothpaste brand. The need for high preference to advertising is therefore highlighted for companies that want to not only retain their position standing but also take positive steps to increase their market share


With Silicon Valley employment still well below the 2000 peak, and rising foreclosures nationwide, this article examines whether the area's housing market is vulnerable to a correction. Recent statistics suggest that several factors have helped support home prices, but that there are uncertainties going forward. Although the San Jose MSA has regained less than one-fifth of jobs lost since 2000, there are now strong signs that employment is in recovery, with job growth occurring in diverse sectors. The San Jose MSA's wage and salary jobs now outstrip the area's resident labor force, suggesting that there may be a pent-up demand for housing from commuters in surrounding communities. This demand may be one of several factors that kept the region's housing prices stable immediately following the dot-com bust, and allowed price increases to follow in the absence of full employment recovery. Other factors include low interest rates; a mobile younger workforce, whose departure affected rent more than home prices; and a shift in investment from stocks to homeownership following the dot-com bust. In the 2007 housing market slowdown, the greatest impact nationwide has been at the low end of the market, while Silicon Valley's expensive housing market has a foreclosure rate well below the statewide average. Nevertheless, there is some evidence of softening. The number of home sales has decreased. The same-home sales price index was down slightly first quarter, as was the median price for new homes. The median price of existing homes is rising, but in part because of the drop off in sales at the low end and in part due to sellers taking homes off the market rather than lowering prices. The paper concludes with several possible scenarios for Silicon Valley home prices going forward--a two-tiered market with price increases in some segments and declines in others; price stabilization across home-types; or a significant recession-induced price decline.


Abstract This multicentre study investigated accuracy of perceived breast cancer risk and breast cancer genetics knowledge in 333 women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. Only women who had never been affected by breast cancer and approached one of 14 familial cancer clinics for advice about their breast cancer risk were assessed prior to their attendance at the clinic. Eleven percent of women underestimated. 57% accurately estimated their risk and 32% overestimated their breast cancer risk. Compared to accurate estimators, overestimators were younger (OR = 0.97: 95% CI, 0.95-1.00;P = .051), had higher breast cancer anxiety levels (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05; p = .0038) and were more likely to fall into the lower breast cancer risk categories (P < .0001). These findings suggest that an approach that exclusively relies on conveying factual information on breast cancer risk is unlikely to succeed in correcting excessive risk perceptions, and that it may be necessary to also address excessive breast cancer anxiety. Furthermore, many women at high risk of developing breast cancer have misconceptions about breast cancer genetics, underscoring the value of referral to comprehensive specialist counselling services.


Tolazoline is a non-selective competitive α-adrenergic receptor antagonist. It is a vasodilator that is used to treat spasms of peripheral blood vessels (as in acrocyanosis).Tolazoline is indicated in the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (persistent fetal circulation) when systemic arterial oxygenation cannot be maintained by supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilation. The fullerene family especially C60 derivatives have appealing photo-, electro-chemical and physical properties for biomedical applications including acting as proand anti-oxidants. In this research work at The first compounds [C60TOLAZOLINE -C65-2X] (X=F, Cl, Br) were optimized. Then the calculation of natural bond orbitals was performed with the NBO technique. All calculations using HartreeFock the 631G * basis set using Gaussian 98 software and in gas phase has been done. The results showed that the energy levels of molecular orbital (HOMO & LUMO) in the R-2F has the lowest value. C65-X has the shortest length and the highest power in R-2F. Comparison of the dipole moments of compounds shows this trend: R-2H > R-2Cl> R-2Br> R-2F. ratio Core / charge and the valence / charge for carbon atoms 31, 55, 65 and 63 in the RF has the highest value


OBJECTIVE--To evaluate a new Doppler echocardiographic index of obstruction in patients with native coarctation or recoarctation. PATIENTS--32 patients (mean age 20, range 3 months--50 years). METHODS--Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to investigate the descending aorta. The cross sectional area of the obstruction was compared with the area of the abdominal aorta as an index of obstruction (CoA index). Doppler echocardiography was used to record the velocities in the coarctation jet and in the abdominal aorta. According to the continuity equation the ratio of these velocities should equal the ratios of the cross sectional areas. The gradients and diastolic half time of the Doppler curve were calculated. RESULTS--There was a close correlation between the MRI index of obstruction and the Doppler velocity ratio (r = 0.92). The sensitivity and specificity of this ratio in detecting a CoA index equal to or less than 0.25 were better than those obtained with gradients only or the combination of gradients and diastolic half time. CONCLUSION--The new Doppler velocity ratio correlated closely with an anatomical index of obstruction. It was easy to record in most patients and it avoided difficulties about the choice of instantaneous or peak to peak gradients and whether or not to subtract proximal velocities for the calculation of gradients.


The current global skilled healthcare workforce brain drain is projected to be more severe in low income countries especially, sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria currently faces the challenge of acute shortage of Nurses and Midwives coupled with frequent industrial disputes which continue to have devastating impact on healthcare delivery. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the influence of organizational factors such as competence development practices, work-life balance, perceived organizational support and organizational commitment to employees on hospital-based registered nurses and midwives' job satisfaction, affective commitment and turnover intention. Using cross-sectional survey design a stratified sample of Nurses and Midwives (N=220) from six public hospitals in Ondo State of Nigeria was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire comprising five sections. Regression analysis showed that competence development practices, work-life balance, perceived organizational support and organization's commitment to employees have significant positive relationship with registered nurses' job satisfaction and affective commitment but a significant negative relationship with turnover intention. Results of the study highlight the important role of organizational factors on nurses' job attitudes and may benefit health care organizations and hospital administration as they seek to improve nurses' commitment, job satisfaction and retention.


Recent progress in ultra-low-power circuit design is creating new opportunities for cubic millimeter computing. Robust low-voltage operation has reduced active mode power consumption considerably, but standby mode power consumption has received relatively little attention from low-voltage designers. In this work, we describe a low-voltage processor called the Phoenix Processor that has been designed at the device, circuit, and architecture levels to minimize standby power. A test chip has been implemented in a carefully selected 0.18 mum process in an area of only 915 times 915 mum2. Measurements show that Phoenix consumes 35.4 pW in standby mode and 226 nW in active mode.


Skeletal muscle and liver tissue from 9-day-old chick embryos were dissociated into separate cells using 0.25 % (w/v) crude trypsin. The effect of rabbit anti-actomyosin sera on the aggregation of these cells was estimated by the gyratory shaker and turbidimetric methods. Studies were also undertaken on the ability of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled rabbit anti-uterine actomyosin serum (FITC-labelled anti-UAM) to stain the cell surface and on the type specificity and species specificity of rabbit anti-chicken actomyosin sera. Antisera against chicken gizzard smooth-muscle actomyosin (anti-GAM) and against chicken pectoralis striated muscle actomyosin (anti-PAM) both gave single precipitin bands with their respective actomyosins on diffusion through agar. The antisera neither reacted with their heterologous actomyosin nor with gizzard tropomyosin; they were type-specific. Serial sections of human cervix were stained in a similar pattern with both anti-UAM and anti-GAM, showing that anti-smooth muscle actomyosin sera were not species-specific. The fibrocytes of the human umbilical cord and human platelets were stained by FITC-labelled anti-UAM serum but not by labelled anti-human PAM. The aggregation of muscle and liver cells over a 24-h period in the presence of antisera against human or chicken PAM was not significantly different from the controls incubated on a gyratory shaker in Eagle9s minimum essential medium (MEM) containing 10% (v/v) rabbit non-immunized serum (NIS) or calf serum. However, anti-UAM and anti-GAM inhibited both the rate of aggregation of liver and muscle cells and the size of aggregates attained in 24 h. This effect could not be simulated with specific rabbit antisera against human plasma proteins. The globulin-enriched fraction of anti-GAM markedly inhibited the aggregation of liver and muscle cells in a range of concentrations between 50 and 500 µg per 2 x 10 6 cells/ml Eagle9s MEM. In contrast, the aggregation of cells incubated with globulin-enriched anti-PAM was similar to the controls. The addition of anti-GAM globulins at 1 or 2 h to muscle cells rotated by the turbidimetric method reduced the aggregative competence of the cells over the remainder of a 4-h period. The possibility that the inhibitory effect of anti-UAM and anti-GAM on cell aggregation is due to impurities in the antisera or to a general reaction with cell surface ATPases is discussed but, in the light of evidence, rejected in favour of a reaction between the antisera and an actomyosin of the smooth-muscle type at the cell surface.


Sea urchins (or regular echinoids) are one of the most common macro-grazers and keystone species in rocky shore systems. However, their ecology is little explored in Sri Lankan waters. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the spatio-temporal variations in the diversity and density of sea urchins off Nilwella in the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. Duwagahawella harbour area and Hirikatiya bay area were selected as disturbed and less disturbed areas respectively considering the presence and absence of a harbour and other anthropogenic impacts. Random permanent strip transects of varying lengths (11-20m×0.5m) were used to estimate the number of sea urchins for 5 months with 20 repeated weekly samplings. Sea urchin density and diversity were estimated for two sites and means were compared. According to the results, a total of 8 sea urchin species were detected from the two areas. Stomopneustes variolaris was the dominant species in both areas. The mean density of Stomopneustes variolaris was significantly higher in disturbed area compared to the less disturbed area ( P ). However compared to disturbed area, densities of Tripneustes gratilla , Diadema setosum , Diadema savignyi , Echinostrephus molaris and Echinometra mathaei were higher ( P ) in less disturbed area. Throughout the sampling, Shannon Weinner index of diversity was higher in less disturbed area ( P ). Results highlighted the dominance of S. variolaris particularly in disturbed area. Further studies are necessary to establish the competitiveness of S. variolaris and if it out-competes the other associated sea urchin species. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljas.v17i0.6854 Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Sciences Vol.17: 35-46


Inherent parallelism is regarded as one of the most important advantages of evolutionary algorithms. This paper aims at making an initial study on the speedup of scalable parallel evolutionary algorithms. First the scalable parallel evo lutionary algo rithms are described; then the speedup of such scalable algorithms is defined based on the first hitting time; Using the new definition, the relationship between population diversity and superlinear speedup is analyzed; finally a case study demonstra tes how population diversity plays a crucial role in generating the superlinear speedup.


Multifunctional agricultural landscapes and the ecosystem services they provide are gaining more attention. One example of this is the reintroduction of native species to cool-season grassland agroecosystems managed for livestock production. While such projects have potential ecological and agronomic benefits, there is little information on how restoration management affects pasture production and quality. The objective of this study was to determine how management to establish native warm-season grasses into temperate pastures affects forage production and quality. We tested this over three years (2004 through 2006) using a field experiment with combinations of disturbance (burning and grazing), soil amendments (ambient, nitrogen, and carbon), and native grass seeding times (fall and spring). We measured aboveground net primary production (ANPP), belowground net primary production (BNPP), and two forage quality parameters—neutral detergent fiber and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility. For ANPP, there was a significant disturbance × soil amendment interaction effect in each year, but the nature of the interaction varied by year. In 2005, plots where nitrogen was applied had lower BNPP than carbon and ambient plots. In 2006, burned plots had greater BNPP than grazed plots. For each level of disturbance, over 50% of the variability in the forage quality parameters was attributed to non-management variables, such as season. Our results showed no consistent effect of restoration management on pasture production or quality. They highlight the complexity of grassland agroecosystems and demonstrate the importance of evaluating the variability of treatment effects over time.


SUMMARY Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important cause of gastroenteritis (GE) and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Incidence of STEC illness is largely underestimated in notification data, particularly of serogroups other than O157 ('non-O157'). Using HUS national notification data (2008–2012, excluding 2011), we modelled true annual incidence of STEC illness in Germany separately for O157 and non-O157 STEC, taking into account the groups' different probabilities of causing bloody diarrhoea and HUS, and the resulting difference in their under-ascertainment. Uncertainty of input parameters was evaluated by stochastic Monte Carlo simulations. Median annual incidence (per 100 000 population) of STEC-associated HUS and STEC-GE was estimated at 0·11 [95% credible interval (CrI) 0·08-0·20], and 35 (95% CrI 12-145), respectively. German notification data underestimated STEC-associated HUS and STEC-GE incidences by factors of 1·8 and 32·3, respectively. Non-O157 STEC accounted for 81% of all STEC-GE, 51% of all bloody STEC-GE and 32% of all STEC-associated HUS cases. Non-O157 serogroups dominate incidence of STEC-GE and contribute significantly to STEC-associated HUS in Germany. This might apply to many other countries considering European surveillance data on HUS. Non-O157 STEC should be considered in parallel with STEC O157 when searching aetiology in patients with GE or HUS, and accounted for in modern surveillance systems.


The alteration of cytosolic free calcium concentration is an important event during cellular ischaemia. Calcium channel blockers have been shown to be beneficial during experimental ischaemic organ protection. To investigate the mechanisms of this protection, the behaviour of type II pneumocyte cultures, subjected to warm and cold metabolic ischaemia (6 h), was studied. The cells were incubated in electrolytic solutions and treated with high doses of verapamil (10 mg/l) or diltiazem (100 mg/l). Alveolar type II epithelial cells were removed from adult rat lungs using the modified Dobbs' method. Cell viability was determined by analysis of the total protein content, and from the rate of protein synthesis as indicated by the [35S]methionine uptake assay. The results show that verapamil does not have a direct cytoprotective or cytotoxic effect on the incubated cells, but diltiazem seems to be toxic to the cells, especially during cold ischaemia when the toxicity is significant (P < 0.05). Thus, the protection from ischaemia previously attributed to calcium channel blockers is ascribed to action on the blood vessels resulting in vasodilatation, rather than to a direct influence on cytosolic free calcium homeostasis.


The authors investigate a 5.25 GHz highly integrated CMOS class-AB power amplifier for IEEE 802.11a wireless local area network. The proposed power amplifier is implemented with a two gain-stage structure which is followed by an off-chip output matching circuit. Moreover, transistor-level compensation techniques are employed to improve the linearity. The power amplifier is designed with an on-chip input matching circuit, whereas the output matching circuit translates the signal power from 50 to 20 Ω load resistance. The measured results indicate over 20% power-added efficiency, over 20 dBm output power and 28.6 dBm output IP3. All the specifications are based on 50 Ω input impedance at 2.4 V supply voltage.


The section of the Liguro-Provencal basin north of the Baļ earic Islands is one of the most productive sites in the whole Mediterranean Sea, with intense phytoplankton bloom lasting about 2 months in late winter-early spring. The phytoplankton species composition of the area was investigated using light and electron microscopy to analyze bottle and net samples collected at several stations in spring 2000 and 2003. Serial dilution cultures established from bottle samples were also examined. A total of 168 phytoplankton taxa was identified, consisting of 73 Coscinodiscophyceae, 47 Dinophyceae, 25 Coccolithophyceae and 4 Prymnesiophyceae, 5 Prasinophyceae, 3 Chrysophyceae, 2 Cryptophyceae, 2 Dictyochophyceae, 1 Euglenophyceae, 1 Pelagophyceae, 1 Choanoflagellidea, 1 Filosea and 3 incertae sedis. We also provided a brief taxonomic description and original micrographs for 25 of the smallest and/or less known species identified in the study area, which may go undetected during routine microscopical analysis of fixed samples. Among these, 10 species were recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, confirming the need of detailed studies to reveal the biodiversity and biogeography of Mediterranean phytoplankton.


This paper is about the set-up and start-up of a decentralized anaerobic pilot plant for producing domestic service water from domestic wastewater. The plant consists of a two-stage anaerobic digestion process for degrading organic matter and a third-stage for ammonium removal using the Anammox process. Each reactor was started independently with synthetic wastewater of stage-specific composition. They were then fed incrementally with municipal wastewater (MWW). The average removal efficiency of the two-stage digestion process operated with 100% MWW was 62% with 24-hour retention time. The Anammox stage achieved a maximum ammonium removal efficiency of 95% with 100% MWW, if the NO 2 -N to NH 4 -N ratio was set at 1.14. The plant was operated for 200 days. The average removal efficiencies were 81% for COD and 96% for NH 4 -N, with average treated effluent concentrations of 39 mg-COD/l and 1 mg-NH 4 -N/l. Thus the self-defined service water limits of 75 mg-COD/l and 10 mg-NH 4 -N/l were achieved easily.


The pan-European phenomenon of low fertility greatly concerns governments, with the majority stating that their fertility is 'too low' and that policies are needed to either raise or maintain it (UN 2008). Due to their controversial nature, however, most countries in Europe do not have any explicitly pronatalist initiatives in place. While state-sponsored projects to boost fertility are some of the most extensively studied forms of pronatalism (Bock 1991; Kligman 1998), civil society organisations are likely to be the leaders of pronatalist ideological projects in nations with strong liberal traditions (Brown and Ferree 2005). This paper examines the role of civil society in promoting policies that encourage childbearing among some or all members of a civil, ethnic, or national group, by focusing on the case of Greece. The Greek government and public are anxious about what is widely known as the 'demographic problem', the primary component of which is 'lowest-low' fertility (Georgiadis 2006). Numerous schemes are available to assist families with four or more children (polyteknoi), gradually in the process of being extended to those with three children (triteknoi). In this paper I will present findings from a series of in-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews with members of a Greek pro-(large)family civil society organisations(conducted in Athens in January 2010), which disclosed their role in influencing pronatalist discourse and the country's family policy agenda.


Erik Gray. Milton and the Victorians. Ithaca and London: Cornell UP, 2009. Milton's influence on the Victorians has hitherto received surprisingly little attention. Many books and articles have been written on Milton and the Romantics, but only two previous critics - James Nelson in The Sublime Puritan (1963) and Anna K Nardo in George Eliot's Dialogue with Milton (2003) - have written books on Milton's reception by the Victorians. It would be easy to infer that Milton's influence abruptly stopped at about the time De Doctrina Christiana was discovered in 1 823. Gray states the problem succinctly: "By general consensus, at least implicit, Milton's sometimes overwhelming influence on forty years of English poetry came to an abrupt halt with the deaths of Keats, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron in the 1820s." But Gray knows better than to settle for easy answers: "There are two things to be said about this view: first, that it is clearly false, and second, that it is just as clearly true" (3). It is false because the Victorians showed a new interest in Milton's prose and produced monumental biographies and editions (by Thomas Keightley and David Masson). It is true because Milton's influence upon Victorian poetry is inconspicuous: "a list of major Romantic poems - The Prelude, Prometheus Unbound, Hyperion - immediately, insistently calls to mind Milton's epic, as a similar list of Victorian masterpieces - Aurora Leigh, Idylls of the King, The Ring and the Book - does not" (4). In Harold Bloom's theory of the anxiety of influence, Milton's influence "always ends in the same place: 'Blake, Wordsworth, Shelley, . . . Keats'" (5). "If Milton continues to exert influence on the Victorians," Gray infers, it is "different from his influence on the Romantics." Gray examines Mlton's influence in the later nineteenth century in an attempt "to find out what it can teach us about Victorian literature above all, but also about Romanticism, about Milton, and about forms of poetic influence" (9). His thesis, explored through six erudite chapters, is that great poets like Milton "can continue to exert a powerful influence while largely disappearing from view" (24). In his second chapter, entitled "Milton as Classic, Milton as Bible," Gray likens Milton's invisibility to that of God in Paradise Lost: "The very fact that Romantic poets so frequently and self-consciously invoked Milton rendered it unnecessary for Victorian poets to do the same." The result was that Milton, like God, became "dark with excessive bright" (25). Gray is particularly good on Milton's ability to make the unfamiliar seem familiar. His second chapter begins with a splendid discussion of Milton's exotic names and the fact that they so often appear in negative similes that tell us what Hell or Paradise or Eve's beauty were not like. T. S. Eliot, following Johnson, thought that Milton used epic catalogues for their musical value alone, but Gray makes the persuasive and (so far as I am aware) original argument that Milton's catalogues and negative similes have the mysterious effect of making us feel at home with the exotic. The big names are not pompous displays of encyclopedic pedantry but concessions to the fallen reader's presumed knowledge: "Johnson, or T. S. Eliot, might object that 'Ternate and Tidore' are mystifying and grandiloquent words, introduced to inflate the image. But the opposite is true: they are part of the mortal world, as Satan is not, and even if we have never heard of them before, we recognize them as concessions to our knowledge" (30-31). The result is "an uncanny sense of familiarity." Gray relates this to the dark brilliance of classic literature. If (as Mark Twain quipped) a classic is "a book which people praise but don't read," a "less cynical definition might be that a classic is a work that seems to be known before it is read. A great book can be read; a classic can only be reread, since the first-time reader finds it already familiar" (32). …


ABSTRACT This research aimed to explore children's play in relation to gender stereotypes and beliefs and practices of educators in preschool settings. A feminist poststructuralist approach framed the design of the research and data were collected in two settings through predetermined categories of play during periods of spontaneous free play. The question asked in this research was, do early childhood educators' perceptions of gender influence children's play? Findings suggest that there were differences between these two settings and these differences are explained through individual beliefs and practices of the educators.


In this article, I argue that labor researchers in North America need to engage more thoroughly with Indigenous studies if they hope to advance social and environmental justice. First, I suggest that researchers approach Aboriginal peoples' relationships to the environment by supporting Aboriginal rights to lands and resources. Second, and related to this point, I raise the issue of the need for Aboriginal-controlled development in northern Aboriginal communities. Finally, I draw on a case study on Inuit and union participation in the creation of the Vale Inco, Voisey's Bay nickel mine in Labrador to discuss how the increasing prevalence of corporate-Aboriginal alliances is creating important challenges to union engagement that need to be addressed.


IT127 is a dinuclear transition metal complex that contains a Pt(ii) and a Ru(iii) metal center. We have shown that IT127 is significantly more effective in binding the 29-base sarcin ricin loop (SRL) RNA in comparison to Cisplatin, a hallmark anticancer agent. Binding site analysis shows that IT127 prefers purine bases and the GAGA tetraloop region of SRL RNA. Our results with a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) model system reveal that IT127 binding to mRNA reduces translation of DHFR enzyme and that the Ru(iii) and Pt(ii) centers in IT127 appear to work in a synergistic manner.


The interaction of sulfonamide antimicrobial agents with smectite clay minerals and humic acid (HA)-clay complexes was investigated in batch experiments to assess the influence of adsorbed humic acid on sulfonamide sorption. Soil HA-clay complexes were produced at HA:clay ratios of 1:5, 1:50, and 1:100 (w/w). Vibrational and electronic spectroscopy indicated the preferential adsorption of polar and aliphatic components of HA to smectite surfaces, a phenomenon most readily discerned at the two lower HA:clay ratios (1:50 and 1:100). Humic acid adsorption to smectite clay minerals enhanced sulfamethazine [2-(p-aminobenzenesulfonamido)-4,6-dimethyl pyrimidine] sorption, especially at the highest HA:clay ratio (1:5). Sulfamethazine sorption to adsorbed HA generally increased with the abundance of carboxyl (and possibly other O- and N-containing) moieties and aliphatic carbon content. Both the smectite surface and the adsorbed humic acids contributed to sulfamethazine sorption-desorption hysteresis; hysteresis in sulfamethazine sorption to the adsorbed humic acids was equal to or larger than for adsorption to the smectites. Competitive sorption with a structurally similar sulfonamide antimicrobial was apparent only at high competitor concentrations. This study indicates that sorption to organic carbon and clay mineral surfaces as well as the hysteretic sorption behavior warrant consideration in predicting the transport of these antimicrobial agents in soils and subsurface environments.


This paper looks at aspects of two institution building and development projects funded by the European Commission (EC) in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Palestine in the fields of pilgrimage, tourism, and the cultural industries. Both projects involved co-operation between universities and civil society organisations within the two partner countries together with academic and other institutions in member states (Italy and the UK in the case of BiH, Finland and the UK in the Palestinian case). They took place during the period between 2003 and 2008, both lasting for about three years. The aim of the projects was to educate and train a cadre of young specialists (25 in the BiH case, 10 in the Palestinian case) in the fields of tourism and the cultural industries, starting with the construction and delivery of a Masters degree in both cases, in order to contribute to the development of tourism and the cultural industries in their respective countries and regions. Both projects were founded on the hope and belief of the authorities both in the two countries and in the EC that these fields would provide a stimulus to post-conflict economic growth. Both projects were part of the EC's TEMPUS Programme. This is a Programme that supports and encourages the development of universities in countries on the borders of the European Union (EU) by encouraging them to link closely to other civil society organisations and institutions in the public and private sectors and then to use the enhanced power and effectiveness of such 'de-centralised co-operation', as the language of the EC has it, to make an decisive and beneficial impact on the field. If the key feature of the TEMPUS Programme in general is the embedding of the activities of higher education institutions within civil society institutions, the central feature of the two projects to be described here was, as has been said, that both of them concerned aspects of 'culture', 'cultural heritage', and the economic and development possibilities that both provide through tourism and allied activities. Thus the paper has three parts. The first briefly discusses the notions of civil society, culture and cultural heritage. The second explores some of the work of the projects as this was manifest in a selection of the Master degree dissertations produced by project participants. The third part looks back at the projects and assesses their relation to the present state of BiH and Palestine.


Examining physiological traits across large spatial scales can shed light on the environmental factors driving physiological variation. For endotherms, flexibility in aerobic metabolism is especially important for coping with thermally challenging environments and recent research has shown that aerobic metabolic scope [the difference between maximum thermogenic capacity (Msum) and basal metabolic rate (BMR)] increases with latitude in mammals. One explanation for this pattern is the climatic variability hypothesis, which predicts that flexibility in aerobic metabolism should increase as a function of local temperature variability. An alternative explanation is the cold adaptation hypothesis, which predicts that cold temperature extremes may also be an important driver of variation in metabolic scope. To determine the thermal drivers of aerobic metabolic flexibility in birds, we combined data on metabolic scope from 40 bird species sampled across a range of environments with several indices of local ambient temperature. Using phylogenetically-informed analyses, we found that minimum winter temperature was the best predictor of variation in avian metabolic scope, outperforming all other thermal variables. Additionally, Msum was a better predictor of latitudinal patterns of metabolic scope than BMR, with species inhabiting colder environments exhibiting increased Msum over their counterparts in warmer environments. Taken together, these results suggest that cold temperature extremes drive latitudinal patterns of metabolic scope via selection for enhanced thermogenic performance in cold environments, supporting the cold adaptation hypothesis. Temperature extremes may therefore be an important selective pressure driving macrophysiological trends of aerobic performance in endotherms.


Numerical simulation of complex computational fluid dynamics problems evolving in time plays an important role in scientific and engineering applications. Accurate behavior of dynamical systems can be understood using large scale simulations which traditionally requires expensive super-computing facilities. In the paper a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based framework is described to accelerate simulation of complex physical spatio-temporal phenomena. Simulating complicated geometries requires unstructured spatial discretization which results in irregular memory access patterns severely limiting computing performance. Data locality is improved by mesh node renumbering technique which results in a sequential memory access pattern. Additionally storing a small window of cell-centered state values in the on-chip memory of the FPGA can increase data reuse and decrease memory bandwidth requirements. Generation of the floating-point data path and control structure of the arithmetic unit containing dozens of operators is a very challenging task when the goal is high operating frequency. Efficiency and use of the framework is described by a case study solving the Euler equations on an unstructured mesh using finite volume technique. On the currently available largest FPGA the generated architecture contains three processing elements working in parallel providing 75 times speedup compared to a high performance microprocessor.


This thesis studies trajectory tracking and coordination control problems for single and multi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. These control problems are addressed for both quadrotor and fixed-wing UAV cases. Despite the fact that the literature has some approaches for both problems, most of the previous studies have implementation challenges on real-time systems. In this thesis, we use a hierarchical modular approach where the high-level coordination and formation control tasks are separated from low-level individual UAV motion control tasks. This separation helps efficient and systematic optimal control synthesis robust to effects of nonlinearities, uncertainties and external disturbances at both levels, independently. The modular two-level control structure is convenient in extending single-UAV motion control design to coordination control of multi-UAV systems. Therefore, we examine single quadrotor UAV trajectory tracking problems to develop advanced controllers compensating effects of nonlinearities and uncertainties, and improving robustness and optimality for tracking performance. At first, a novel adaptive linear quadratic tracking (ALQT) scheme is developed for stabilization and optimal attitude control of the quadrotor UAV system. In the implementation, the proposed scheme is integrated with Kalman based reliable attitude estimators, which compensate measurement noises. Next, in order to guarantee prescribed transient and steady-state tracking performances, we have designed a novel backstepping based adaptive controller that is robust to effects of underactuated dynamics, nonlinearities and model uncertainties, e.g., inertial and rotational drag uncertainties. The tracking performance is guaranteed to utilize a prescribed performance bound (PPB) based error transformation. In the coordination control of multi-UAV systems, following the two-level control structure, at high-level, we design a distributed hierarchical (leader-follower) 3D formation control scheme. Then, the low-level control design is based on the optimal and adaptive control designs performed for each quadrotor UAV separately. As particular approaches, we design an adaptive mixing controller (AMC) to improve robustness to varying parametric uncertainties and an adaptive linear quadratic controller (ALQC). Lastly, for planar motion, especially for constant altitude flight of fixedwing UAVs, in 2D, a distributed hierarchical (leader-follower) formation control scheme at the high-level and a linear quadratic tracking (LQT) scheme at the low-level are developed for tracking and formation control problems of the fixed-wing UAV systems to examine the non-holonomic motion case. The proposed control methods are tested via simulations and experiments on a multi-quadrotor UAV system testbed.


OBJECTIVE
To assess sports participation in young adults with myelomeningocele and its association with personal, disease-related and psychosocial factors, physical activity and fitness.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS
Fifty-one persons (26 males) with myelomeningocele , mean age 21.1 (standard deviation 4.5) years.

METHODS
We assessed self-reported sports participation, ambulatory status, presence of hydrocephalus, functional independence, social support, perceived competence, exercise enjoyment, objective and self-reported physical activity, peak oxygen uptake, muscle strength and body fat. Associations were studied using regression analyses.

RESULTS
Thirty-five subjects (69%) participated in sports. Sports participation was not associated with disease-related characteristics, but was associated with social support from family, perceived athletic competence and physical appearance (p < or = 0.05), and tended to be associated with global self-worth (p = 0.10). Sports participants had higher self-reported physical activity levels than non-participants (p < or = 0.05); objective results did not support this. Furthermore, sports participants tended to be less likely to have subnormal muscle strength (odds ratio = 0.26; p = 0.08) and their peak oxygen uptake was 0.19 l/min higher, but not statistically significantly (p = 0.13).

CONCLUSION
Sports participation seems to be due to personal preferences rather than physical ability; it could benefit from improving social support and perceived competence, and is associated with higher self-reported physical activity.


Current treatment for rectal cancer including TME surgery and pre-operative (chemo)radiotherapy is associated with functional problems. Permanent stomas, faecal incontinence and sexual dysfunction have a great impact on quality of life. Therefore, organ-preserving treatment of rectal cancer has been introduced. Transanal excision without further treatment is only indicated in pT1 tumours with good prognostic characteristics. In more advanced tumours, pre-operative chemoradiotherapy can be used for down-staging. In patients with almost complete clinical response, transanal excision of the remaining lesion or a 'wait-and-see' policy with intensive follow-up can be implemented. Although initial cohort studies are promising, well designed prospective studies still have to prove the safety of this organ-preserving approach.


Rapid diagnosis of patients with acute visual loss is critical1 but is difficult if the retina appears normal ophthalmoscopically. We report the case of a patient who presented with acute unilateral visual loss and a central scotoma.

A 75-year-old man complained of a sudden and painless decrease of vision in his left eye. He had undergone surgery for an unruptured intracranial aneurysm 20 years earlier and was taking 7 mg/day of systemic prednisolone for rheumatoid arthritis. He had also had diabetic mellitus without retinopathy for 5 years. He was being followed for a left hemianopsia and normal tension glaucoma for the previous 3 years.

On examination, a left relative afferent papillary defect (RAPD) was observed, and visual acuity (VA) was 20/30 OD and 20/2000 OS. All …


The chronic nature of substance use disorder requires continuity of care after residential treatment. Only a small proportion of patients, however, adhere to aftercare follow-up plans and the relapse rates remain between 4080% within a year post-discharge. Synthesis of evidence showed that facilitated referral (FR) significantly increased followup adherence and resulted to positive outcomes. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of FR in improving access, follow-up adherence and engagement to aftercare services, and relapse rate after a month postdischarge. After the Institutional Review Board approval, 30 participants were recruited in two residential treatment facilities. Questionnaires, the Assessment of Warning Signs of Relapse and Health leads surveys were utilized to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, McNemar, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results showed that FR significantly increased access to many community aftercare services (p<.05). A significant reduction in relapse risk post-intervention was also noted (Z= -3.180, p= .001). Additionally, most participants discharged with scheduled appointments followed-up and had continued engagement with aftercare services. Eight participants maintained sobriety and 18 were lost to follow-up a month post-discharge, while four relapsed in the facility. Overall, FR increased access to needed aftercare services and significantly decreased the relapse percentage risk post-discharge. FR is a promising intervention that can be implemented for practice. Future research is recommended to further examine the correlation with follow-up adherence and continuous engagement to aftercare services, and relapse rate at 30 days after discharge.


Dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI) is an emerging technique for ionizing volatile molecules directly from complex mixtures for sensitive detection by mass spectrometry (MS). In conventional DBDI, a high frequency and high voltage waveform with pulse widths of ~50 μs (and ~50 μs between pulses) is applied across a dielectric barrier and a gas to generate 'low temperature plasma.' Although such a source has the advantages of being compact, economical, robust and sensitive, background ions from the ambient environment can be formed in high abundances, which limits performance. Here, we demonstrate that high voltage pulse widths as narrow as 100 ns with a pulse-to-pulse delay of ~900 µs can significantly reduce background chemical noise and increase ion signal. Compared microsecond pulses, ~800 ns pulses can be used to increase the signal-to-noise and signal-to-background chemical noise ratios in DBDI-MS by up to 172% and 1300% for six analytes, including dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), 3-octanone, and perfluorooctanoic acid. Using nanosecond pulses, the detection limit for DMMP and PFOA in human blood plasma can be lowered by more than a factor of two in comparison to microsecond pulses. In 'nanopulsed' plasma ionization, the extent of internal energy deposition is as low or lower than in electrospray ionization and micropulsed plasma ionization based on thermometer ion measurements. Overall, nanosecond high-voltage pulsing can be used to significantly improve the performance of DBDI-MS and potentially other ion sources involving high voltage waveforms.


Japan's rapidly aging populace and its accompanying demographic, social, and economic problems are forcing a gradual opening to increased immigration. This paper consequently considers what factors influence public opinion toward immigration in Japan, using multilevel statistical modeling to test hypotheses regarding economic threat, cultural threat, contact, and salience of change.


The paper applies the theory of hidden Markov models (HMM) in digital communications to obtain a complete characterization of the channel, convolutional code, and transmitted constellation in a blind environment, i.e., without the help of a training sequence. The HMM formulation leads to a joint maximum likelihood estimation of both the channel and the transmitted sequence. The Baum-Welch (BW) identification algorithm is able to estimate all the parameters of the model, including the constellation and the probability of each symbol. Minor modifications to the algorithm allow one to consider restrictions or known parameters to improve the estimation of the rest of parameters with methods of lower complexity. An LMS-type adaptive version of the BW algorithm is also developed and tested. The simulation results show the fast convergence of the proposed optimal approaches. They also demonstrate that the performance of the decoder is comparable to that obtained in a known environment.<<ETX>>


Different clones of Myzus persicae, the main vector of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), vary in reproductive performance, host-plant adaptation, insecticide resistance and vector efficiency. In this study some important life parameters related to population increase of five major genotypes of Scottish M. persicae, characterized by the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer fingerprinting technique, denoted type A, B, C, J, and I along with clone 4010 of M. antirrhinii were analyzed. The life parameters measured were average daily offspring production, reproduction time, total offspring production and longevity. These were measured by putting fourth instar nymphs from each genotype on detached leaves of oilseed rape and potato, recording the number of offspring produced by each individual and removing them from the leaves daily until each individual died. The developmental time of the genotypes was also determined by putting one day old offspring of each genotype on detached leaves of the same plants and recording the period from birth to maturity. Significant differences in life parameters of the genotypes were observed. Genotype A was one of the most reproductive genotypes on both hosts and genotype B was so, on potato. It has already been shown that these two genotypes were resistant to insecticides and more efficient vectors of PLRV. Taking these matters into account, it is clear that the existence of such genotypes that are very reproductive, resistant to insecticides and efficient in transmitting PLRV, can potentially increase the spread of the virus if they become established as the predominant genotypes in each area. This in turn, further reinforces the necessity of monitoring M. persicae genotypes with regard to resistance to insecticides, virus transmission efficiency and reproduction capacity in each specific region.


This paper is focused on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for aerospace use. It analyses the performance of commercially available finite element (FE) software packages for the simulation of propagation of ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) in typical aerospace structures. The purpose of the research is to support activities leading to the introduction of UGW based health monitoring on aerospace structures, as well as to support the design of future structures with integrated health monitoring. Activities are demonstrated on panels with growing complexity (adding different materials, sensors, damage types etc.). FE simulations are used to identify "detection areas" of UGW sensors. This output can be directly applied to the design of future aerospace structures with an integrated SHM system (to ensure the proper planning of the placement of UGW sensors).


Back pain is a common problem in all age groups. Different risk factors have been identified including high BMI, Smoking, alcohol, and psychological history. The aim of our study was to identify if there was a difference in the incidence of these risk factors in different age groups. We collected data prospectively for 26 consecutive patients admitted between January and March 2011 with severe back pain who needed an MRI scan to rule out Cauda equina syndrome or nerve root compression in a district general hospital. Demographic details were recorded along with their occupation, BMI, Smoking status, alcohol intake and psychological history. Group A (Younger Group) had 13 patients with a mean age of 38 y (range 29–44). 7 (54%) were female and 6 (46%) male. 6 (46%) were employed, 4 (30%) unemployed and 2 (15%) housewives. The mean BMI was 29 (range 24–40). 7 patients (54%) were smokers and alcohol users and 6 (46%) were non-smoker and non-alcohol users. 5 patients (38%) had associated psychological history. Group B (Older group) had 13 patients with a mean age of 59 years (range 45–79). 11 (85%) were female and 2 (15%) male. 5 (38%) were employed, 2 (15%) retired and 3 (23%) house-wives. The mean BMI was 21 (range-14–32). 6 patients (46%) were smoker and 7 (54%) enjoyed alcohol. Only 2 patients (15%) had associated psychological history. Younger patients with severe back pain were overweight (mean BMI-29) and had higher incidence of psychological history (38%) as compared to older patients (15%). There was no difference in the occupation status, smoking and alcohol consumption in both groups. Younger patients with severe back pain should be routinely assessed for associated psychological history and appropriate advice on weight management should be given.


Research is vital for self-growth and knowledge. While research in Distance Education (DE) is seen as a critical element and is considered to be an indicator of the strength and weaknesses of the distance education system, it quality is always questioned as less than the required. It has been emphasized that the problem dimension of DE research comes from the nature of the people involved in the system, and their less familiarity with the research culture of the discipline. This research makes an attempt to consider the barriers faced by researchers in DE, and also their attitudes toward research in the discipline. The respondents in the study attended a 5 day workshop on 'Research on Distance and Online Learning' at IGNOU, and then responded to a short questionnaire. The results of the study  identify personal and institutional barriers that can be considered by Distance Education Institutes (DEIs) to promote quality research. It also indicates that the respondents were positive towards research in distance education as a discipline, and thus, adequate attention to barriers would improve the quality of research in Distance Education.


Wavelength Modulation Absorption Spectroscopy (WMAS) is one of the modulation techniques which are used to detect the concentration of the molecules in gas phase. The technique has been of interest for long time due to the cheap equipment and the increase of sensitivity of detection in comparison with Direct Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (DLAS). Although the WMAS demonstrates higher signal to noise ratio than DLAS, the detectability of the technique is often limited by background signals originating from etalon. In this thesis, the set up for both DLAS and WMAS is developed for detection of CO molecules in 600 Torr and transition wavelength 6368.0861 cm-1. In order to characterize the background signals, an etalon with a length of 25 mm, which corresponds to free spectral range of 4 GHz is used. The theoretical description of the technique which is given in terms of Fourier coefficients of modulated absorption lineshape is presented and more over it is illustrated that the amplitude of both analytical signal and background signal has strong dependence on the modulation amplitude ( va ). In order to find the maximum signal to noise ratio (SNR), both the background signals and the analytical signals were scanned and plotted in terms of modulation amplitude. Also the optimum modulation amplitude is chosen to be va opt=3.84 GHz. Therefore it is concluded that for the set up with wavelength modulated distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser, in transition wavelength (6368.0861 cm-1) and in combination with etalon reference (4 GHz FSR), the optimum modulation amplitude which makes the setup etalon free is va FSR= 0.96 (for FSR normalized modulation amplitude) and va D= 1.9 (for transition width normalized modulation amplitude).


The alterations in the fine structure of the venous wall are reviewed, and the changes which occur with injury. These are very similar in both arteries and veins, and were also found by us in experiments in which the common iliac veins of rats were completely occluded, with or without partial lymphatic obstruction. It was found that the protein concentration was considerably increased in the vein wall, in the muscle, and in the skin of the leg--especially when the lymphatics were blocked as well as the veins. The effects of various procedures, including partial and semi-complete venous obstruction and lymphatic obstruction were examined. It was shown to be likely that in semi-complete venous obstruction the blood in the occluded vessels is ultrafiltered, causing great increases in protein concentration, which will be transmitted to the tissues in general--although not to the tissue channels and lymphatics. This will not happen in partial venous occlusion. In all of these cases the benzo-pyrones considerably reduced the amount of excess protein in the tissues. This was no doubt partly due to their abilities to cause increased proteolysis, but may also have been due to their effects on blood and lymph vascular tone and functioning.


Weaknesses of sustainable-livelihoods analysis include the neglect of power relations; a focus on the material bases of livelihoods, ignoring social and cultural aspects; and failing to incorporate dynamism. This paper seeks to reinvigorate sustainable-livelihoods frameworks through a broader conceptualisation of institutions which identifies the multiple ways in which they mediate livelihoods. It draws upon Scott's (1995) three pillars of institutions (regulative, normative and cognitive) and the three schools of neo-institutionalism (rational, cultural and historical) to present a more comprehensive approach to understanding the ways in which institutions mediate livelihoods. These approaches are in themselves limited in their understanding of agency and institutional transformation. The paper argues that attention to "complex subjectivities" and contestations over meaning within a broader institutional context can identify entry points for strategic development interventions. The utility of the approach for development practice and research is demonstrated through its application to rural livelihoods in Andhra Pradesh, India.


We put forward a process of automatic airport extraction based on the characteristics of high resolution remote sensing images. First, through image enhancement algorithm, the contrast of target and background is enhanced. Second, we can extract the possible airport through the algorithms of Ostu segmentation, mathematical morphology corrosion and region-labeling. Finally, combined with the geometric structure of the runway, the airfield runway can be extracted through the algorithms of edge detection, progressive probability Hough transform and line connection. Then the possible airport can be verified by the extracted airfield runway. In the process, we proposed an improved fuzzy enhancement algorithm for image enhancement. This algorithm has good effect on the image enhancement and has strong robustness. The results of the experiment indicate that the process of automatic airport extraction is robust and has the advantages of high speed and degree of automation.


The oncogenes (v-onc genes) of rapidly transforming retroviruses have homologs (c-onc genes) in the genomes of normal cells. In this study, we characterized and quantitated transcription from four c-onc genes, c-myb, c-myc, c-erb, and c-src, in a variety of chicken cells and tissues. Electrophoretic analysis of polyadenylated RNA, followed by transfer to nitrocellulose and hybridization to cloned onc probes showed that c-myb, c-myc, and c-src each give rise to a single mature transcript, whereas c-erb gives rise to multiple transcripts (B. Vennstrom and J. M. Bishop, Cell, in press) which vary in abundance among different cells and tissues. Transcription from c-myb, c-myc, c-erb, and c-src was quantitated by a "dot-blot" hybridization assay. We found that c-myc, c-erb, and c-src transcription could be detected in nearly all cells and tissues examined, whereas c-myb transcription was detected only in some hemopoietic cells; these cells, however, belong to several different lineages. Thus, in no case was expression of a c-onc gene restricted to a single cell lineage. There appeared to be a correlation between levels of c-myb expression and hemopoietic activity of the tissues and cells examined, which suggests that c-myb may be expressed primarily in immature hemopoietic cells. An examination of c-onc RNA levels in target cells and tissues for viruses carrying the corresponding v-onc genes revealed no obvious correlation, direct or inverse, between susceptibility to transformation by a given v-onc gene and expression of the homologous c-onc gene.


Blockchain has recently taken off as a disruptive technology, from its initial use in cryptocurrencies to wider applications in areas such as property registration and insurance due to its characteristic as a distributed ledger which can remove the need for a trusted third party to facilitate transaction. This spread of the technology to new application areas has been driven by the development of smart contracts – blockchain-based protocols which can automatically enforce a contract by executing code based on the logic expressed in the contract. One exciting area for blockchain is higher education. Students in higher education are ever more mobile, and in an ever more agile world, the friction and delays caused by multiple levels of administration in higher education can cause many anxieties and hardships for students as well as potential employers who need to examine and evaluate student credentials. Distance learning as a primary platform for higher education promises to open up higher education to a wider range of learners than ever before. Blockchain-based storage of academic credentials is being widely studied due to the advantages it can bring. As with any network-based system, blockchain comes with a number of security and privacy concerns. Blockchain needs to meet several securityrelated requirements in order to be widely accepted: decentralization; confidentiality; integrity; transparency; and immutability. Researchers have been busy devising schemes to ensure that such requirements can be met in blockchain-based systems. Several types of blockchain-specific attacks have been identified: 51% attacks; malicious contracts; spam attacks; mining pools; targeted DDoS attacks; and others. Real-world attacks on blockchain-based systems have been seen on cryptocurrency sites. In this paper, we will at look at the specific privacy and security concerns for blockchain-based systems used for academic credentials as well as suggested solutions. We also examine the issues for academic credentials which are stored "off-chain" in such systems (as is often the case).


Nightmares are vivid, extended and extremely dysphoric dreams that awaken the dreamer. Twin studies indicate that nightmare frequency has a heritability between 36 and 51% providing evidence for genetic factors underlying predisposition to nightmares. Furthermore, while cross-sectional epidemiological findings suggest that heavy alcohol usage, traumatic experiences and psychiatric diseases associate with nightmares, the causal relationships between these conditions and nightmares have remained unknown. To examine the biological mechanisms behind nightmares, we performed a genome-wide association study in 28,596 individuals from Finland and the United States. We identified individual genetic variants that predispose to nightmares near MYOF (rs701873, p=2.18e-8) and PTPRJ (rs11039471,p=3.7e-8), a gene previously associated with sleep duration. We found a strong genetic correlation between the frequency of nightmares and traits related to personality and psychiatric disorders; neuroticism (rg=0.59, p=8e-7), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (rg=0.58, p=0.004) as well as major depressive disorder (rg=0.68, p=7e-4), and sleep traits; and daytime sleepiness (rg=0.62, p=1e-6) and insomnia (rg=0.50, p=1.87e-5). Analysis of directionality using mendelian randomization showed a significant effect from feelings of fed-up (p=0.001), nervous (p=0.004) and miserableness (p=0.0045) to nightmares with no evidence of pleiotropy and no evidence of nightmares predisposing to psychiatric or psychological problems. Our findings suggest that nightmares are caused by unique genetic risk factors, and here we identify the first individual genetic associations. In addition, a substantial effect on nightmares is conveyed through underlying psychological and sleep problems, with psychological problems being causal for nightmares.


This study addresses the issue of organized political participation in nursing. The conceptual framework is the civic voluntarism model (CVM) of Verba, Schlozman, and Brady, which posits that three factors influence organized participation: (a) having the engagement (motivation), (b) having the resources (wherewithal), and (c) having networks of recruitment (cues to action and requests). Multiple discriminant analysis showed that the CVM and its influencing factors and dimensions were useful in predicting nurses' organized participation. Resources and engagement were found to be the most important influencing factors, whereas networks of recruitment were less important. Rank ordering of each influencing factor's dimension was used to develop a parsimonious list of predictors specific to nurses. Free time and personal efficacy were found to be the two most significant dimension predictors of nurses' organized participation. Suggestions and strategies for building organized participation are made based on results of this study.


In this paper a system, which is driven through natural language, that allows operators to select and manipulate objects in the environment using an industrial robot is proposed. In order to hide the complexities of robot programming we propose a natural language where the user can control and jog the robot based on reference objects in the scene. We used semantic networks to relate different types of objects in the scene.


Increased synthesis of insulin-like growth factor-1 is induced in murine macrophages by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha). Accordingly, we have investigated mechanisms regulating synthesis of PGE2 that might contribute to autocrine/paracrine effects on insulin-like growth factor-1 production. In response to zymosan, TNFalpha specifically induced a 5-fold increase in PGE2 synthesis, at the same time decreasing PGD2 production in a reciprocal fashion. Activators of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), such as PGE2 itself or dibutyryl cyclic AMP, did not modify PGE2 production by themselves but potentiated the TNFalpha-induced increase in PGE2; this effect required both RNA and protein synthesis. No significant change in arachidonate release or production of other eicosanoids was observed. The inducible form of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) but not of the constitutive form COX1 was implicated in the generation of both PGE2 and PGD2 in these cells by use of specific inhibitors and effects of dexamethasone. Neither COX1 nor COX2 protein levels were affected by TNFalpha or PKA activators used alone, whereas in association, marked up-regulation of COX2 mRNA and protein was observed. Incubations of cells carried out with PGH2 demonstrated that PGE2 synthase activity was increased after a TNFalpha pretreatment. Taken together, our results suggest that TNFalpha induced a switch from the PGD2 to PGE2 synthesis pathway by regulating PGE2 synthase expression and/or activity and that activators of PKA markedly potentiated the TNFalpha-induced increase in PGE2 through up-regulation of COX2 gene expression.


The development of the systems of the international trade, the systems of technology and the information and communication have led the institutions to live among an open global context characterized by deep and rapid changes. All those factors targeted the permanent survival of the institutions and its continuity. Because these changes become so important, the institution has to be stronger and go beyond in order to reach an excellent level and to ensure a long survival. The institution was seeking for the best ways to realize great achievements which make the production system and its management appeared as a major factor in realizing that goal. Being a crucial element in the institution's activity and a source of the creations of the value, the institution has to improve the methods to develop the system of production. Several techniques that helped the improvements of the production system have appeared in parallel with the development of the aims of the production in each stage. Among these methods we find (system of quality management standard, the re-ingeneering, work's terms). These techniques were based on new basics and concepts, so that they will influence many processes in the institution among which we mention the training, the adoption of these methods will lead to some changes on the working practices. The availability of human resources have played a great role in the realization of these processes and the maintaining of the work status within its basics and principles. This could be achieved through the preservation of the individual's skills and competence. Consequently, the training is a crucial method in realizing this goal.


In recent years, a number of meta-analyses have consistently concluded that CPAP therapy elicits modest, yet significant, reductions in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP).1–4 These improvements in 24-hour BP appear to be more dramatic in patients with resistant hypertension,5 and reductions in nocturnal BP tend to be more dramatic than daytime BP.1–4 There is also evidence indicating that CPAP adherence plays a critical role in the potential BP-lowering effects of CPAP therapy.6

Pepin et al 7 conducted the largest double-blind randomised-controlled trial (RCT) to date comparing the efficacy of 4 months of therapy with fixed-pressure CPAP (FP-CPAP, n=161) versus auto-adjusting CPAP (auto-CPAP, n=161) in reducing BP in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). In an intention-to-treat analysis, there was no difference in the primary outcome of change in office systolic BP between FP-CPAP and auto-CPAP groups.

Auto-CPAP devices analyse flow and pressure signals on a breath-by-breath basis and use a variety of algorithms to adjust the delivered pressure in order to resolve detected residual obstructive events while trying to apply the lowest effective pressure. Thus far, the preponderance of data suggests that this modality is no better than FP-CPAP in improving adherence to therapy or quality of life. What remains unclear is whether the inherent fluctuations in delivered pressure by an auto-CPAP device can lead to microarousals and sleep fragmentation, ultimately leading to less effective reduction in nocturnal and daytime BP compared with FP-CPAP. Accordingly, the study by Pepin et al is important and timely, and the authors are to be commended for executing such a large and well-designed RCT to provide clinically useful information for the care of patients with OSA.

Pepin et al 7 estimated their sample size and set their a priori primary end point of office BP based on a prior smaller …