BACKGROUND
Asthma exacerbations can be frequent and range in severity from relatively mild to status asthmaticus. The use of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is one of numerous treatment options available during acute exacerbations. While the efficacy of intravenous MgSO4 has been demonstrated, little is known about inhaled MgSO4.

OBJECTIVES
To examine the efficacy of inhaled MgSO4 in the treatment asthma exacerbations.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Randomised controlled trials were identified from the Cochrane Airways Group "Asthma and Wheez*" register. These trials were supplemented with trials found in the reference list of published studies, studies found using extensive electronic search techniques, as well as a review of the gray literature and conference proceedings.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised (or pseudo-randomised) controlled trials were eligible for inclusion. Studies were included if patients were treated with nebulised MgSO4 alone or in combination with beta2-agonist and where compared to beta2-agonist alone or inactive control.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Trial selection, data extraction and methodological quality were assessed by two independent reviewers. Efforts were made to collect missing data from authors. Results from fixed effects models are presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) for pulmonary functions and relative risks (RR) for hospital admission; both are displayed with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

MAIN RESULTS
Six trials involving 296 patients were included. Four studies compared nebulised MgSO4 with beta2-agonist to beta2-agonist and two studies compared MgSO4 to beta2-agonist alone. Three studies enrolled only adults and 2 enrolled exclusively pediatric patients; three of the studies enrolled severe asthmatics. Overall, there was a significant difference in pulmonary function between patients whose treatments included nebulised MgSO4 in addition to beta2-agonist (SMD: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.1 to 0.63; 4 studies); however, hospitalizations were similar between the groups (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.04; 3 studies). Subgroup analyses did not demonstrate significant differences in lung function improvement between adults and children, or between severe and mild to moderate asthmatics. Conclusions regarding treatment with nebulised MgSO4 alone are difficult to draw due to lack of studies in this area.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Nebulised inhaled magnesium sulfate in addition to beta2-agonist in the treatment of an acute asthma exacerbation, appears to have benefits with respect to improved pulmonary function and there is a trend towards benefit in hospital admission. Heterogeneity between trials included in this review precludes a more definitive conclusion.


Abstract The goals of this work are to review the Northern-Italy ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for amplitude parameters and to propose new GMPEs for frequency content and duration parameters. Approximately 10,000 weak and strong waveforms have been collected merging information from different neighboring regional seismic networks operating in the last 30 yr throughout Northern Italy. New ground-motion models, calibrated for epicentral distances ≤100 km and for both local ( M L ) and moment magnitude ( M w ), have been developed starting from a high quality dataset (624 waveforms) that consists of 82 selected earthquakes with M L and M w up to 6.3 and 6.5, respectively. The vertical component and the maximum of the two horizontal components of motion have been considered, for both acceleration (peak ground horizontal acceleration [PGHA] and peak ground vertical acceleration [PGVA]) and velocity (peak ground horizontal velocity [PGHV] and peak ground vertical velocity [PGVV]) data. In order to make comparisons with the most commonly used prediction equations for the Italian territory (Sabetta and Pugliese, 1996 [hereafter, SP96] and Ambraseys et al. 2005a,b [hereafter, AM05]) the coefficients for acceleration response spectra (spectral horizontal acceleration [SHA] and spectral vertical acceleration [SVA]) and for pseudovelocity response spectra (pseudospectral horizontal velocity [PSHV] and pseudospectral vertical velocity [PSVV]) have been calculated for 12 periods ranging between 0.04 and 2 sec and for 14 periods ranging between 0.04 and 4 sec, respectively. Finally, empirical relations for Arias intensities (IA), Housner intensities (IH), and strong motion duration (DV) have also been calibrated. The site classification based on Eurocode (hereafter, EC8) classes has been used (ENV, 1998, 2002). The coefficients of the models have been determined using functional forms with an independent magnitude decay rate and applying the random effects model (Abrahamson and Youngs, 1992; Joyner and Boore, 1993) that allow the determination of the interevent, interstation, and record-to-record components of variance. The goodness of fit between observed and predicted values has been evaluated using the maximum likelihood approach as in Spudich et al. (1999). Comparing the proposed GMPEs with SP96 and AM05, it is possible to observe a faster decay of predicted ground motion, in particular for distances greater than 25 km and magnitudes higher than 5.0. The result is an improvement in fit of about one order of size for magnitudes spanning from 3.5 to 4.5.


The aim of this study was to assess outcomes from a multilevel social network intervention to promote the health of Black men. Through a community–academic collaboration and using a participatory research approach, we implemented the intervention over 4 years in a 110-block area of an urban neighborhood. The project aimed to implement a neighborhood peer outreach and leadership network to strengthen social support of Black men and increase community and family engagement. Intervention activities included three 12-month intergenerational peer support groups (N = 46), a door-to-door outreach campaign (N = 186), media and communication efforts, and a community partner network. Primary outcomes for the peer support groups were measured using a pretest/posttest cohort design and included social support, perceived stress, social capital, and global self-esteem. Primary outcomes for the door-to-door outreach campaign were measured using a repeated cross-sectional design and included a sense of community, neighborhood social interaction, perceived neighborhood control, and self-rated health status. Significant findings from the peer support groups included an increase in social support overall (p = .027), driven by improvements in guidance, reliable alliance, and reassurance of worth; and an improvement in perceived stress (p = .047). Significant findings from the door-to-door outreach campaign included increases in neighborhood social interaction (p < .0001) and perceived neighborhood control (p = .036). This project provides evidence that a participatory approach to planning and delivering a health promotion intervention aimed at creating positive social spaces and enhancing social connections can result in significant outcomes and successful engagement of Black men.


The principle of stochastic resonance in bistable system is introduced firstly. The medium-low-frequency periodic signal and multi-frequency harmonic signal (the large parameter signal) are common in mechanical failure, but it is difficult to achieve stochastic resonance in these signals detection. The signal modulation characteristic is used in this paper to transform the various frequency components into small parameter signals which satisfy the adiabatic approximation theory. On the basis of that, weak signal detection based on stochastic resonance theory is realized. Then a mixing circuit system based on stochastic resonance is designed, the circuit first makes a frequency selection processing with a mixer on the mixed signal between the measurable signal and a scanning signal, and then it is input to the nonlinear bistable system to realize signal detection based on stochastic resonance. At last, the MATLAB simulation result shows that the circuit can realize the stochastic resonance and detection of weak periodic signal in medium-low frequency from noise background.


US Food and Drug Administration officials had multiple meetings with leaders of the medical device industry to craft legislation that critics say will severely weaken regulatory oversight of the industry, an investigation by the online news service Inside Health Policy has found.

The revelations, discovered in emails and documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, have led to renewed calls by professional and public interest watchdog groups to defeat companion legislation to the proposed 21st Century Cures Act, which has been referred to the Senate. They have also called to oppose the approval of Robert Califf as a nominee for the role of FDA commissioner because he took part in meetings with the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), a trade association for medical technology companies.

The bill, which was passed in the US House of Representatives in July,1 is set to substantially boost funding for the National Institutes of Health, but critics have long said that it will …


Personalized nutrition (PN) collects and analyses individual data iteratively to generate dietary advice tailored to the characteristics of a person. While PN is mainly discussed in the context of Nutrigenetics and non-communicable diseases in developed countries with excessive food supply, this paper contrasts this scenario to one of unequal or short food supply, as found in developing countries. To overcome under-nutrition and avoid untargeted countrywide distributions of supplements, PN could identify individual deficiencies and target these by recommending specific locally available food items. As PN aims at a balanced diet, it simultaneously targets deficient as well as excessive intakes. This might additionally decelerate the prevalence of double burden of malnutrition in developing countries in the course of nutrition transition.


This Special Issue of Innovation has been made possible courtesy of the editorial board of the journal, the Africa Centre of Excellence in Information Ethics at the University of Pretoria, Department of Communications (DoC), African Network on Information Ethics (ANIE) Academic Board, European based International Centre of Information Ethics and Capurro Fiek Foundation. This Issue of Innovation is dedicated on the theme 'information ethics'. It covers several subjects emanating from World Summit on Information Society and the African Network on Information Ethics (ANIE) scholarly debates. These subjects include among others: ethics, governance and democratization, privacy, censorship, public access, e-government, human rights, e-waste management, knowledge society and information ethics integration in the curriculum.


This thesis contains two theoretical essays on reciprocity and one that analyzes the effects of perception biases on learning and decision-making.
In the first chapter, I propose a new theory of intention-based reciprocity that addresses the question of when a mutually beneficial action is kind. When both benefit from the action, a player's motive is unclear: he may be perceived as kind for improving the other player's payoff, or as self-interested and not-kind for improving his own. I use trust as an intuitive mechanism to solve this ambiguity. Whenever a player puts himself in a vulnerable position by taking such an action, he can be perceived as kind. In contrast, if this action makes him better off than his alternative actions do, even if it is met by the most selfish response, he cannot be kind. My model explains why papers in the literature fail to find (much) positive reciprocity when players can reward and punish.
The second chapter extends my theory of reciprocity to incomplete information. I outline how reciprocity can give rise to pay-what-you-want pricing schemes. In the classic bilateral trade
setting, I show that sequential interactions can be more efficient than normal form mechanisms when some people are motivated by reciprocity. Reciprocity creates incentives for information sharing.
The last chapter is co-authored with Manuel Staab. We study the effects of perception biases and incorrect priors on learning behavior, and the welfare ranking of information experiments. We find that both types of biases by themselves reduce expected utility in a model where payoff relevant actions also generate informative signals, i.e. when actions constitute information experiments. However, experiments can be affected to different degrees by these biases. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for when any binary ranking of action profiles can be reversed. Building on these findings, we show that an agent can be better off suffering from both biases rather than just one.


SUMMARY: We observed 2 cases of malignant melanoma arising from the eustachian tube with MR imaging. In this region, we explored further characteristics of primary mucosal melanoma. We discuss the value of using MR imaging to diagnose and treat patients with melanoma in the eustachian tube. In addition, we introduce the key points to differentiate melanoma from some common diseases in the region.


Haydn's Jews, by Caryl Clarke. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 244 pp. $99.00. Prior to the twentieth century, the intersection of Jews and classical music brings to mind Wagner (for his antisemitism), the Mendelssohn family, Mahler, and perhaps Halevy's early Grand Opera La Juive. Dr. Caryl Clarke (whose prior publication has established her a place in Haydn studies) has recently published a new book that takes this intersection back a century, maintaining there was a persistent perception in Haydn's day that Jewishness was a designation of "Otherness." Cultural exoticism - think alla Turca - in Haydn's time included the resident Other (the Jew) as well as the non-resident Other (peoples from Turkey and farther East). While her book's title suggests a focused topic relating the resident Other's stage portrayal and reception, she weaves a multitude of tangents into her research and writing. At times these are intriguing; at times they seem self-indulgent, straining the reader's stamina to remember her main topic. The Introduction, an important component of this book, sets the stage and provides a relevant overview. This said, I recommend reading the Introduction and concluding Apologia as a unit. The reader who embarks upon the central chapters having read her opening questions and her conclusions together will likely fare better in the detail of her supporting arguments. In the Introduction, Dr. Clark raises some intriguing questions and contends that Haydn was most likely familiar "with the lexicon of Jewish theatrical representation and that he exploited the comic potential of this well-known stage stereotype in two works dating from the 1750s and 1760s," referring to his (now lost) apprentice-era opera Der krumme Teufel, and his early Esterhaza opera Lo speziale. Her desire "to uncover possible dialogues and interConnectivities within and between Gentile and Jewish communities," while acknowledging that many of her arguments "rest primarily on circumstantial evidence," leaves us excited to discover that ethnic conflict and stereotype - now accepted as integral to certain music in the nineteenth century - may be proven or disproven to have been an issue a century earlier. Clark builds her case for the intersection of Jew and (Catholic) Austrian at multiple levels, beginning in Chapter One with cultural context, or the ways Jews were represented on stage prior to and during Haydn's early life. What eventually comes to light is that music most likely made the stage stereotype of the Jew - represented sometimes as Fool (Bernardon), sometimes as syphilitic, limping devil - more intense by accentuating the visual and vocal codes already present in the plays of the day. Chapter Two initiates a detailed discussion of the Jewish ghetto in Eisenstadt, postulating that Haydn may well have acquired considerable familiarity with its space and population as he walked to work and to the apothecary for medicines to treat his chronic gastritis. Clark then discusses his Missa brevis St. Joannis de Deo, composed particularly for the Barmherzige Bruder, who ran a hospital and almshouse on the periphery of Eisenstadt. Catholic church history intersects Jewish locale, and Clark postulates that, in a Missa brevis, the telescoping of text (singing multiple lines of the Creed polyphonically at once) and omission of certain liturgical lines of the full Mass (most notably the lines stating Jesus is the Son of God) may point to these Masses being used as "conversion Masses" for Jews in attendance who were not quite "ready" for the full Christian doctrine. Issues of speculation arise here, all of which may be moot, however, since the Mass is not an operatic stage work, and thus is really not on point. A discussion of early operas at the newly built Esterhaza in the 1760s sets the context for a discussion of Haydn's opera Lo Speziale (The Apothecary) in Chapter Three, in which the main focus is upon the elements of ethnic coding found in both libretto and score that make a case for the lead character, Sempronio, being a pejorative caricature of the local Jewish pharmacist. …


Measuring response times has been a staple for evaluating masked semantic priming. Its efficacy, however, has been challenged on several grounds — reported effect sizes of these studies are relatively small, and priming effects pertaining to response time measures are difficult to be replicated. Here, we report a complementary method — recording trajectories of a computer cursor. Participants judged whether two digits were the same or different, preceded by a briefly presented masked prime. Each prime had either positive or negative connotations, and the priming effects were evaluated either by response times or cursor trajectories associated with the area under the curve. Results indicate that the effect size of the congruency effect measured by cursor trajectories (i.e. area under the curve) was far greater than that measured by response times, suggesting that the cursor trajectory measure is more sensitive to masked semantic priming than the response time measure.


Recently, a FDA Safety Communication warned of a dose-dependent risk for QTc prolongation with citalopram, which is metabolized by CYP2C19 of the cytochrome P450 system. We investigate associations between citalopram and escitalopram dose, serum concentration, CYP2C19 phenotype, and QTc. We undertook a retrospective chart review of citalopram or escitalopram patients with the inclusion criteria of consistent medication dose, CYP2C19 phenotype (extensive metabolizers [EM], intermediate metabolizers [IM], poor metabolizers [PM]), and QTc interval on ECG. We further identified 42 citalopram users with citalopram serum concentration measurements and ECG. Regression and one-way ANOVA were used to examine the relationship between citalopram dose, citalopram serum concentration, CYP2C19 phenotype, and QTc interval. Of 75 citalopram patients, the EM group had significantly shorter QTc intervals than a combined IM+PM group (427.1±23.6 ms vs. 440.1±26.6 ms, one-tailed t-test, p=0.029). In the 80 escitalopram cohort, there was no significant difference in QTc between phenotype groups. There was no statistical correlation between citalopram (p=0.62) or escitalopram (p=0.30) dose and QTc. QTc was not associated with citalopram serum level (p=0.45). In contrast to the FDA warning, this study found no association between citalopram/escitalopram dose and QTc. However, PM of the drug tended to have longer QTc intervals. Our findings suggest cytochrome P450 genotyping in select patients may be helpful to guide medication optimization while limiting harmful effects.


Purpose: To examine the feasibility and accuracy of using treatment MV beam and on‐board kV imaging for monitoring of the positions of implanted fiducials during arc therapy. Method and Materials: A Varian Trilogy LINAC with onboard kV imager was used for the study. A phantom with 13 ball bearings at known locations was used to calibrate the hybrid MV/kV imaging system to determine the spatial transformation matrix from the pixel coordinates to the radiation‐source‐centered coordinates. The feasibility and accuracy of the fiducial tracking system was examined using a 4D motion phantom capable of moving in accordance with a pre‐programmed trajectory. During an arc delivery, MV images acquired by the EPID and cine kV images were obtained simultaneously using a two‐channel frame‐grabber for real‐time analysis. A fast fiducial detection algorithm was developed to extract fiducial coordinates. Tracking results are compared with the preset trajectories. The accuracy of the tracking system was evaluated for a number of fiducial motion trajectories and for a variety of kV beam sampling rates ranging 15fps to 0.5fps. Results: The studies showed that it is feasible to use treatment MV beam and the orthogonal kV beam to monitor the fiducial motion in nearly real‐time during arc therapy. A time delay of ∼150ms was observed, which was caused by the imaging electronics and data analysis. This delay does not pose any significant error in fiducial tracking for the motion speed commonly seen in the clinics and can be compensated by a motion prediction algorithm when needed. Overall, the spatial accuracy was found to be better than 1mm. Conclusion: Nearly real‐time monitoring of implanted markers using hybrid MV/kV imaging during arc treatments is achievable. The system requires no hardware modification and delivers much less dose to the patient as compared with the conventional stereoscopic imaging technique.


The aim of this study was to provide a systematic literature review on the osteogenic effects of judo (PROSPERO: CRD42016041803). The online search was conducted according to the inclusion criteria: observational studies and clinical/interventional trials in English from inception to June 2016; bone health, mineral density (BMD), diameters, impact force and turnover markers (BTM) outcomes. Thirty-four studies were included and graded for their methodological quality ("fair" quality: 79.4%). The most used assessment method (44.1%) was X-ray absorptiometry. A positive association between judo and bone health/status emerged. Findings support site-specific BMD accrual in children, adolescents, adult athletes, and in pre- and post-menopausal women practitioners. BTM revealed a hypermetabolic status in high-level judo athletes. The osteogenic stimuli of judo seem to protect athletes from alterations in bone metabolic balance due to weight loss cycling. Sexual dimorphism was found between judoka in bone diameters and mass, and significant differences in bone breadths emerged between elite and non-elite judoka. The fall techniques reduced bone impact force and velocity respect 'natural' fall. Further longitudinal, cross-sectional and interventional researches are required. This paper provides useful information on bone for health sport scientists, coaches, and practitioners, stimulating future research lines on judo. In particular, coaches and physical trainers should consider to introduce judo fall techniques in their training plans to prevent fall-related injuries, especially relevant in the older population. Conversely, coaches are urged to carefully control weight cycling dietary habits of their athletes, which can produce serious metabolic responses on bones.


Abstract The paper deals with the problem of discovering fuzzy clusters with optimal number of elements in heuristic possibilistic clustering. The relational clustering procedure using a parameter that controls cluster sizes is considered and a technique for detecting the optimal number of elements in fuzzy clusters is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is illustrated through numerical examples. Experimental results are discussed and some preliminary conclusions are formulated.


Background: Epigenetic inheritance is a potentially important determinant of health in several mammals. For humans, the existing evidence is weak. We investigate whether disease exposure triggers functional epigenetic inheritance among humans by analyzing siblings who were conceived under different disease loads, and comparing their mortality in later epidemics. Under functional epigenetic inheritance, we expect that those who were conceived under high pathogenic stress load will have relatively low mortality during a later epidemic. Methods: We use data from the Registre de la Population du Quebec Ancien, which covers the historical population living in St. Lawrence Valley, Quebec, Canada. Children born in 1705-1724 were grouped according to their exposure during conception to the measles 1714-15 epidemic. The 1714-15 epidemic was followed by two mortality crises in 1729-1734 which were caused by measles and smallpox. Using proportional hazard Cox regression models with multivariate adjustment and with fixed-effects approach that compare siblings, we analyze whether mortality in 1729-1734 is affected by exposure to the 1714-15 epidemic. Results: hildren who were conceived during the peak of the measles epidemic of 1714-15 exhibited significantly lower mortality during the 1729-1734 crisis than those who were born before the 1714-15 epidemic (mortality hazard ratio 0.106, p


Between 1831 and 1855, the Liberal Catholic Movement, led by Compte de Montalembert, strived for a part in French politics with the password "Catholics first and foremost". They sought visibility through the struggle for the freedom of secondary education in the 1840s. Nevertheless, and as before, their main arena of action was the press, where they could express demands targeting broader domains. This action revealed and emphasized internal contradictions which soon turned into public splits between men and between newspapers. The ambiguities and the brittleness of this Liberal Catholic Movement were exposed by the discords of the "Catholic party." These included the difficulties for an autonomous secular voice and the intricate relations with Roman Church clergy, the various positions of the post-revolutionary society and, finally, the evolutions of the sensibilities of Catholics which heralded the debates of the second half of the 19th century.


Abstract The increased need for efficient material processing and efficient utilisation of more complex raw materials and the need for recycling or reusing byproduct and waste streams, are all increased challenges in material processing. To cope with these challenges, there is a need for new basic physical and thermodynamic data. The present paper gives four examples, as well as preliminary data, of areas where increased knowledge of fundamental parameters will increase the possibility for a sustainable extraction of metals. The examples include measurement of solubility of pure individual slag minerals, determination of distribution of leachable elements between different mineralogical phases in slag, influence of alumina on liquidus temperature of a copper slag and thermal diffusivity measurements in magnetite based iron ore pellets, all important in different ways to increase the sustainability of the respective materials involved.


Piero Sraffa's "Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities" (1960) is a critique of the "modern theory" of value and distribution; on the other hand it aims to a re-construction of the "classical theory". Both classical theory and modern theory are defective. The defects of classical theory, however, can be cured, whereas the defects of modern theory cannot. This is a curious case in the history of science.


Indonesian culture has a strong root in a culture of island communities. The culture, especially philosophy of the island communities is not so much revealed in studies of philosophy and culture. Therefore, this article will explore and explain philosophical values that shape the self-concept of the island communities. Epistemology is used as a formal object, while the material object is the island communities' views and way of life. This article concludes that for the island communities, their islands are not just meant as a territorial locus, but also a cultural and personal locus because the islands have a concept of self and a sense of space and existence. Every community always identifies and conceptualizes themselves in a cosmological and socio-cultural concept. Every community has local knowledges, values, and institutions that are formed by an original natural ratio. The natural ratio grows from cosmic consciousness level to magical (religious) consciousness, and finally social consciousness. Willingness and policies are needed to build resilience and progress of the nation existence through a development of the island communities manifestly. The development of island communities must become one of important features of national development in Indonesia.


Escherichia coli integration host factor (IHF) is a DNA-binding protein that participates in gene regulation, site-specific recombination, and other processes in E. coli and some of its bacteriophages and plasmids. In the present study, we showed that IHF is a direct negative effector of the ompB operon of E. coli. Gel retardation experiments and DNase I footprinting studies revealed that IHF binds to three sites in the ompB promoter region. In vitro transcription from ompB promoter fragments was specifically blocked by IHF. In vivo experiments showed that IHF is a negative effector of ompB expression in growing cells. Analysis of IHF binding site mutations strongly suggested that IHF binding in the ompB promoter region is necessary for the negative effects seen in vivo.


The identification of bee viruses is of great importance where there is no information on their natural occurrence in honeybee populations. Honeybee samples (Apis mellifera L.) obtained from Giza Governorate, Egypt were evaluated for total RNA from the head, thorax and abdomen, and varroa mites. Two fragments of 250 and 540 bp of deformed wing (DWV) and kakugo viruses (KV), respectively, were amplified using conventional real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and were sequenced and analyzed. All bee body parts resulted in a strongly positive DWV sequence except asymptomatic honeybee samples that were negative to the DWV infection. The analysis of varroa mite groups (n = 50) also revealed the presence of DWV which is the first report on this virus in Egypt. Homology search of DWV-PCR amplified fragments revealed 99 and 98% similarities with DWV isolate Warwick-2009 poly-protein gene (accession number: GU109335.1) and the Chilensis DWV isolate, respectively (accession number: JQ413340.1). Also, homology search of KV-PCR amplified fragments using the Genius program 7.1.2 revealed 97 and 90.0% similarities with the KV isolate_Ox genomic sequence (accession number: KC786224.1) and the DWV_Ox genomic sequence (accession number: KC786223.1), respectively. For this study data, a real-time SG RT-Qpcr was found as a fast, simple, sensitive and useful technique to detect and quantify low viral loads in honeybees and varroa mites.

 Key words: Deformed wing virus (DWV), kakugo virus (KV), mite, real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Apis mellifera.


Small paddles used to mix pulp had experienced a high incidence of breakage through the shafts. In some of the shanks, shrinkage was found relatively close to the surface where threads had been cut all the length of the shaft. Chemistries were within normal CF-8M ranges. Metallography showed the parts to be correctly heat treated. Cross sections of several of the parts showed pitting corrosion, and beneath the pits, stress-corrosion cracks in areas where the shafts had been bent during use. All the samples showed deep SCC in the areas where bending had occurred. In several cases, centerline shrinkage from inadequate risering had decreased life by reducing the cross-sectional area. Type CF-8M is not resistant to chloride SCC where the chloride concentration is considerable. The biggest problem was the bending of these parts. Deformed material with high residual stresses would always be susceptible to SCC. Redesign to lower stresses was essential. In addition, change to a high-strength duplex stainless steel with its higher strength and greater resistance to chlorides was recommended. Finally, the part must be adequately risered to produce solid shanks free from shrinkage.


Normal strains of Saccharomyces cereuisiae do not use a-aminoadipate as a principal nitrogen source. However, a-aminoadipate is utilized as a nitrogen source by lys2 and lys5 strains having complete or partial deficiencies of a-aminoadipate reductase and, to a limited extent, by heterozygous lys2l + strains. Lys2 mutants were conveniently selected on media containing a-aminoadipate as a nitrogen source, lysine, and other supplements to furnish other possible auxotrophic requirements. The lys2 mutations were obtained in a variety of laboratory strains containing other markers, including other lysine mutations. In addition to the predominant class of Zys2 mutants, low frequencies of lys5 mutants and mutants not having any obvious lysine requirement were recovered on a-aminoadipate medium. The mutants not requiring lysine appeared to have mutations at the lys2 locus that caused partial deficiencies of a-aminoadipate reductase. Such partial deficiencies are believed to be sufficiently permissive to allow lysine biosynthesis, but sufficiently restrictive to allow for the utilization of a-aminoadipate. Although it is unknown why partial or complete deficiencies of a-aminoadipate reductase cause utilization of a-aminoadipate as a principal nitrogen source, the use of a-aminoadipate medium has considerable utility as a selective medium for lys2 and lys5 mutants. assay of a-aminoadipate reductase activity: a-Aminoadipate


In a world that is marked by a fierce competition, in which the actors that are in play change the rules of the market, forcing enterprises to change the fundamentals of their competivity and their economic performance, holding technological resources has become a major strategic stake for enterprises. SMEs, the backbone of an economy, whether we are referring to the economy of a random state, or the world economy, have to answer these changes and offer competitive goods and services, adjusting the quality of the production factors to these changes. Thus, the competitiveness for SMEs is an essential condition to be able to endure. This paper will adress the evolution and importance of SMEs in the economy. Keywords : economy, business climate, small enterprises, medium enterprises, competitiveness


Previous research suggests that college and universities may use success in big-time intercollegiate athletics to increase tuition. The largest effects have been found at public institutions, especially for out-of-state tuition rates. The present study revisits those findings using a broader sample that includes private schools. Rates are more responsive to athletic success when tuition includes room, board, and fees—more so in the case of football performance than in basketball performance. When the dependent variable is exclusively tuition, there appears to be little relationship with the fortunes of sports teams. These findings point to a need for increasing student fees in order to continue participation in the so-called athletic arms race and the potential of room and board to serve as revenue streams for the host school.


Bronchioloalveolar cancer (BAC) belongs to a high- grade differentiated lung adenocarcinoma, localizes in peripheral parts of the lung and demonstrates an intraalveolar growth. 21 patients with BAC has been operated during the period of 1968-2008yy. It comprised 0,5% of the whole amount of patients operated on lung cancer. Diagnostics of BAC, especially its pneumonia-like form, is considered to be challenging and often belated. Though it was retrospectively proven, that BAC is characterized by a slow growth and rare involvement of lymph nodes. Lobectomy is considered to be a method of choice for the surgical treatment. Long-term treatment results are somewhat better then of other forms of non-small cell carcinoma of lung: of 21 radically operated patients, 11 are alive.


There is accumulating evidence that sex plays a critical role in drug abuse. Female sex hormones have been shown to affect central nervous system function and modulate the effects of drugs of abuse. For example, &ggr;-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor function is positively modulated by progesterone metabolites. There is evidence from preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo studies as well as some clinical research suggesting that progesterone and its metabolites may enhance the behavioral effects of benzodiazepines, which also serve as positive modulators of GABAA receptors. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the independent and combined discriminative stimulus, subjective and psychomotor effects of progesterone and triazolam in healthy adult premenopausal women. Oral micronized progesterone (100 mg), triazolam (0.06, 0.12 and 0.25 mg/70 kg) and placebo were administered to healthy, premenopausal women (n=9) under conditions of low circulating sex hormones. Triazolam alone functioned as a discriminative stimulus and produced prototypical sedative-like effects (e.g., performance impairment, enhanced reports of sedative effects). Progesterone alone produced sedative-like effects on several subjective and performance measures, and the dose combination effects of progesterone and triazolam on several subjective measures of drug effect were similar to the summation of the two drug effects in isolation. Progesterone did not substitute for or modify the discriminative stimulus effects of triazolam. These results suggest that the parent hormone, progesterone, and triazolam have discordant neuropharmacological mechanisms of action. Additional research is necessary to determine the degree to which neurosteroids influence sex differences in benzodiazepine use and abuse.


We have used fibroblast clones expressing muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha and gamma, and alpha and delta subunits to measure the kinetics of subunit assembly, and to study the properties of the partially assembled products that are formed. We demonstrate by coimmunoprecipitation that assembly intermediates in fibroblasts coexpressing alpha and delta subunits are formed in a time-dependent manner. The alpha and gamma- and the alpha and delta-producing transfected cells form complexes that, when labeled with 125I-alpha- bungarotoxin, migrate in sucrose gradients at 6.3S, a value consistent with a hetero-dimer structure. An additional peak at 8.5S is formed from the alpha and gamma subunits expressed in fibroblasts suggesting that gamma may have more than one binding site for alpha subunit. The stability and specificity of formation of these partially assembled complexes suggests that they are normal intermediates in the assembly of acetylcholine receptor. Comparison of the binding of 125I-alpha- bungarotoxin to intact and detergent-extracted fibroblasts indicate that essentially all of the binding sites are retained in an intracellular pool. The fibroblast delta subunit has the electrophoretic mobility in SDS-PAGE of a precursor that does not contain complex carbohydrates. In addition, alpha gamma and alpha delta complexes had lectin binding properties expected of subunits lacking complex oligosaccharides. Therefore, fibroblasts coexpressing alpha and gamma or alpha and delta subunits produce discrete assembly intermediates that are retained in an intracellular compartment and are not processed by Golgi enzymes.


The transport properties and fatigue effect of Ag/Bi0.9La0.1FeO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 heterostructures are described. By examining the I–V curves, an anomalous fatigue effect was found and its influences on resistive states were studied. I–V curves combined with C– f spectra were used to directly analyze the transport properties and fatigue effect. Compared to the first I–V cycle state, this structure shows more than one order increase of resistance after 100 cycles of "I–V curve training". The redistribution of oxygen vacancies in the depletion layer of Ag/Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 is believed to be responsible for the different resistance mechanisms and tenfold magnitude drop in resistance. The resistive switching is understood to be caused by electric field–induced carrier trapping and detrapping, which changes the depletion layer thickness at the Ag/Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 interface.


Sewage sludge consists of a solid mixture of biological and mineral origin. It is the main byproduct of Effluent Treatment Stations. Its final draining has been a relevant environmental problem in several countries. In Brazil, due to the growth of the urban population and the requirements of environmental agencies, efficient ways for sludge disposal or effluent treatment have been investigated. Possible discarding solutions include incineration, pelletization, energy production and addition to fertilizers. This work focuses on the use of sludge in the ceramic industry for the production of light ceramic blocks, since this residue is basically composed of organic substances which volatilize during high temperature sintering. Mixtures containing different contents residue and clayed materials were prepared. For each mixture, after processing, the physical and mechanical properties of the burned pieces were measured, with emphasis on water absorption and linear shrinkage tests carried out as a function of the sintering temperature. Gresification diagrams were plotted for the temperature range of 850 °C to 1150 °C. The addition of the residue provided an increase in the porosity of the material. Light blocks were sintered and presented adequate mechanical resistance for application as building material.


SYNOPSISIn this paper the principle of sensory reflex action is applied to the explanation of color contrast by the method of Ragona Scina. Abney's experiment in which he found the contrast color induced on a white surface by green to be orange instead of the complementary purple is also explained. Consideration is also given to binocular contrast.The theories of contrast of Helmholtz, Edridge-Green, McDougall, Mrs. Ladd-Franklin, Hering and Sherrington are briefly discussed.


Introduction: Self-medication is one of social-health problems and addressing to this matter in sensitive populations such as pregnant women because of their role as role model for other family members is very important. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior of pregnant women towards self-medication, and measures should be done to increase knowledge, improve attitude and practice of pregnant women in subsequent step if necessary. Materials & methods: A descriptiveanalytical study was carried out on 300 pregnant women referring health centers of Ilam in 2.10.2013 up to10.6.2014 via sampling in two steps. Data was collected based on a researcher made questionnaire in four parts. Validity of the scale was confirmed by content validity and its reliability was also confirmed by Cronbach's coefficient (α= 0.85). The Data was analyzed by SPSS16 software. Findings: The results showed that 71 % of the pregnant women had a medium knowledge, 75.7 % have medium attitude and 70 % have weak practice. Chi-square test showed a significant relationship between pregnant women knowledge about self-medication and their education level (p<0.05). Discussion & Conclusions: in this study, women with lower educational level had lower knowledge towards self-medication. Considering the importance of drug use during pregnancy and its adverse effects on the fetus, it is necessary to educate women about side effects of self-medication in pregnancy. Obviously, promoting pregnant women's knowledge is necessary to change the attitude and practice towards selfmedication.


Cell-free (CF) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) has emerged as an alternative deployment for conventional cellular massive MIMO networks. As revealed by its name, this topology considers no cells, while a large number of multi-antenna access points (APs) serves simultaneously a smaller number of users over the same time/frequency resources through time-division duplex (TDD) operation. Prior works relied on the strong assumption (quite idealized) that the APs are uniformly distributed, and actually, this randomness was considered during the simulation and not in the analysis. However, in practice, ongoing and future networks become denser and increasingly irregular. Having this in mind, we consider that the AP locations are modeled by means of a Poisson point process (PPP) which is a more realistic model for the spatial randomness than a grid or uniform deployment. In particular, by virtue of stochastic geometry tools, we derive both the downlink coverage probability and achievable rate. Notably, this is the only work providing the coverage probability and shedding light on this aspect of CF massive MIMO systems. Focusing on the extraction of interesting insights, we consider small-cells (SCs) as a benchmark for comparison. Among the findings, CF massive MIMO systems achieve both higher coverage and rate with comparison to SCs due to the properties of favorable propagation, channel hardening, and interference suppression. Especially, we showed for both architectures that increasing the AP density results in a higher coverage which saturates after a certain value and increasing the number of users decreases the achievable rate but CF massive MIMO systems take advantage of the aforementioned properties, and thus, outperform SCs. In general, the performance gap between CF massive MIMO systems and SCs is enhanced by increasing the AP density. Another interesting observation concerns that a higher path-loss exponent decreases the rate while the users closer to the APs affect more the performance in terms of the rate.


Abstract At given time, wisent's metpopulation in Ukraine is in the state of resumption of biological characteristics of this species, which determines the need to control for the animals origin. Such studies assess the condition of each subpopulation, as well as to carry out the selection measures for conservation of the overall genetic variability of species. In modern conditions the success of wisent restoration depends on implementation of the national and international programs, the help of maecenas, the scale agitation among the peoples as well as the interest of users of hunting grounds and conservation areas.


Partially Premixed Combustion (PPC) is a promising combustion concept with high thermodynamic efficiency and low emission level, and also with minimal modification of standard engine hardware. To use PPC in a production oriented engine, the optimal intake charge conditions for PPC should be included in the analysis. The experiments in this paper investigated and confirmed that the optimal intake conditions of net indicated efficiency for PPC are EGR between 50% and 55% as possible and the lambda close to 1.4. Heat-transfer energy and exhaust gas waste-energy contribute to the majority of the energy loss in the engine. The low EGR region has high heat-transfer and low exhaust gas enthalpy-waste, while the high EGR region has low heat-transfer and high exhaust gas waste-enthalpy. The optimal EGR condition is around 50% where the smallest energy loss is found as a trade-off between heat transfer and exhaust-gas enthalpy-waste. Lambda close to 1.4 results from the trade-off of high gas-exchange efficiency with low lambda and high thermodynamic efficiency with high lambda. The optimal inlet charge condition was also applied to a multi-cylinder engine from low load to high load. The results indicate that the highest net indicated efficiency of the experimental engine was 49.7% at 13.5 bar IMEPn (Net Indicated Mean Effective Pressure), the highest brake efficiency was 44.2% observed at 17.2 bar IMEPn. (Less)


Most modeling studies investigate climate effects of solar geoengineering under prescribed atmospheric CO2, thereby neglecting potential climate feedbacks from the carbon cycle. Here we use an Earth system model to investigate interactive feedbacks between solar geoengineering, global carbon cycle, and climate change. We design idealized sunshade geoengineering simulations to prevent global warming from exceeding 2°C above preindustrial under a CO2 emission scenario with emission mitigation starting from middle of century. By year 2100, solar geoengineering reduces the burden of atmospheric CO2 by 47 PgC with enhanced carbon storage in the terrestrial biosphere. As a result of reduced atmospheric CO2, consideration of the carbon cycle feedback reduces required insolation reduction in 2100 from 2.0 to 1.7 W m−2. With higher climate sensitivity the effect from carbon cycle feedback becomes more important. Our study demonstrates the importance of carbon cycle feedback in climate response to solar geoengineering.


Introduction Welcome to the History 3938 Course Guide. Use this guide to conduct research in a wide range of topics related to the Crusades and medieval history


The Ethical Dilemma of Science and Other Writings. By A. V. Hill. (Pp. 395+xiii. 52s.) New York: Rockefeller Institute Press. London: Oxford University Press. 1960. The subject of Professor Hill's memorable presidential address to the British Association in 1952 gives the title to this volume. Science being universal, his ideal-an ideal shared by all true scientists-would be a worldwide community of learning, irrespective of politics, in which " world society can see a model of international co-operation carried on not merely for idealistic reasons but because it is the obvious and necessary basis of any system that is to work." In this imperfect world the free, open, and disinterested pursuit of knowledge, divorced from political influences, seems impracticable. There are, for instance, the compromises enforced by the demands of secrecy and officialdom, when scientific researches are used for national security; and ethical considerations which perplex the scientist. There is no simple answer to the problem, but the author, out of his wisdom and experience, gives some helpful suggestions. His conclusion (p. 88) is as follows:


The wear mechanism of several kinds of diamond circular saw blades was studied in the different sawing parameters during dry cutting of cement concrete, ferroconcrete and steel fiber reinforced concrete. Seven wear forms of diamond grits were obtained in the sawing experiments. The cobalt based bond shown the best wear resistance. It showed that the damage of blade body was caused by thermal damage and the scratching action of concrete chips. The result indicates that the wear of diamond saw blades arises mostly from the difficult chips removing, high cutting temperature and drastic impacting in dry sawing.


The main goal of the spectroscopy program at COMPASS is to explore the light-meson spectrum below about $2\,\text{GeV}/c^2$ in diffractive production. Our flagship channel is the decay into three charged pions: $p + \pi^-\to \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+ + p_\text{recoil}$, for which COMPASS has acquired the so far world's largest dataset of roughly $50\,\text{M}$ exclusive events using an $190\,\text{GeV}/c$ $\pi^-$ beam.
Based on this dataset, we performed an extensive partial-wave analysis. In order to extract the resonance parameters of the $\pi_J$ and $a_J$ states that appear in the $\pi^-\pi^-\pi^+$ system, we performed the so far largest resonance-model fit, using Breit-Wigner resonances and non-resonant contributions.

This method in combination with the high statistical precision of our measurement allows us to study ground and excited states.
We have found an evidence of the $a_1(1640)$ and $a_2(1700)$ in our data, which are the first excitations of the $a_1(1260)$ and $a_2(1320)$, respectively. The relative strength of the excited states with respect to the corresponding ground state is larger in the $f_2(1270)\,\pi$ decay mode compared to the $\rho(770)\,\pi$ decay mode.
We also study the spectrum of $\pi_2$ states in our data. Therefore, we simultaneously describe four $J^{PC}=2^{-+}$ waves in the resonance-model fit by using three $\pi_2$ resonances, the $\pi_2(1670)$, the $\pi_2(1880)$, and the $\pi_2(2005)$. Within the limits of our model, we can conclude that the $\pi_2(2005)$ is required to describe all four $2^{-+}$ waves properly.


Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at greater risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Data on MSM chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence estimates and associated risk factors are scarce. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the prevalence and the determinants of both chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in MSM in Portugal. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 1832 visits to CheckpointLX, a community-based center for screening blood-borne viruses and other STIs in MSM. Overall prevalence of chlamydia or gonorrhea in our sample was 16.05%, with 14.23% coinfection and 40.73% asymptomatic presentation among those testing positive. Anorectal infection was most common for chlamydia (67.26%), followed by urethral (24.78%) and oral (19.47%) infection. Oral infection was most common for gonorrhea (55.63%), followed by anal (51.25%) and urethral (17.50%) infection. In multivariate analyses, young age (U = 94684, p = 0.014), being foreign-born (χ2 = 11.724, p = 0.003), reporting STI symptoms (χ2 = 5.316, p = 0.021), inhaled drug use (χ2 = 4.278, p = 0.039) and having a higher number of concurrent (χ2 = 18.769, p < 0.001) or total (χ2 = 5.988, p = 0.050) sexual partners were each associated with higher rates of chlamydia or gonorrhea infection. Young and migrant MSM are a vulnerable population to STIs, as are those who use inhaled drugs and those with a higher number of concurrent or total sexual partners. Although Portugal has no guidelines on chlamydia and gonorrhea screening, our results point toward a need for greater awareness about the importance of high-frequency screening for those at increased risk (i.e., every three to six months).


Realistic use of neural networks often requires adhering to multiple constraints on latency, energy and memory among others. A popular approach to find fitting networks is through constrained Neural Architecture Search (NAS), however, previous methods enforce the constraint only softly. Therefore, the resulting networks do not exactly adhere to the resource constraint and their accuracy is harmed. In this work we resolve this by introducing Hard Constrained diffeRentiable NAS (HardCoRe-NAS), that is based on an accurate formulation of the expected resource requirement and a scalable search method that satisfies the hard constraint throughout the search. Our experiments show that HardCoRe-NAS generates state-of-the-art architectures, surpassing other NAS methods, while strictly satisfying the hard resource constraints without any tuning required.


The information "explosion" poses a challenging problem to the engineer or scientist interested in keeping up with his field. While many large-scale systems of information retrieval have been developed, there is a need for small-scale, personal information retrieval systems that may be easily used by an individual. This paper describes what the authors feel is a highly useful solution to this problem.


This research project seeks to explore aspects of the post-reporting phase of the public inquiry process. Central to the public inquiry process is the concept of legitimacy and the idea that a public inquiry provides and opportunity to re-legitimate the credibility of failed public institutions. The current literature asserts that public inquiries relegitimise through the production of authoritative narratives. As such, most of this scholarship has focused on the production of inquiry reports and, more recently, the reports themselves. However, in an era of accountability, and in the aftermath of such a poignant attack upon society, the production of a report may represent an apogee, but by no means an end, of the re-legitimation process. Appropriately, this thesis examines the post-reporting phase of the 9/11 Commission's public inquiry process. The 9/11 Commission provides a useful research vehicle due to the bounded, and relatively linear, implementation process of the Commission's recommendations. In little more than four months a majority of the Commission's recommendations were passed into law. Within this implementation phase the dominant discursive process took place in the United States Congress. It is the legislative reform debates in the House of Representatives and the Senate that is the focus of this research project. The central research question is: what rhetorical legitimation strategies were employed in the legislative reform debates of the post-reporting phase of the 9/11 Commission's public inquiry process? This study uses a grounded theory approach to the analysis of the legislative transcripts of the Congressional reform debates. This analysis revealed that proponents employed rhetorical strategies to legitimise a legislative 'Call to Action' narrative. Also, they employed rhetorical legitimation strategies that emphasised themes of bipartisanship, hard work and expertise in order to strengthen the standing of the legislation. Opponents of the legislation focused rhetorical de-legitimation strategies on the theme of 'flawed process'. Finally, nearly all legislators, regardless of their view of the legislation, sought to appropriate the authoritative legitimacy of the Commission, by employing rhetorical strategies that presented their interests and motives as in line with the actions and wishes of the Commission.


ERS recently constructed a new set of regions depicting geographic specialization in production of U.S. farm commodities. ERS will use the new regions to display results of its analyses in a broad array of venues from briefings to publications, our web site, and journal articles. This pamphlet introduces the new ERS Farm Resource Regions, explains their origin and rationale, and serves as a reference for our clients.


Optical, electrical, and electronic properties of materials are essential in the fabrication of electronic devices. These properties can be improved through doping and reduction of the size of a material to nanoscale. In this study, copper doped magnesium-nickel (CuxMg1-xNiFe2O4, for x=0.00, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60, 0.75, 1.00) ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using the citra-gel auto combustion method. The electronic and optical properties were evaluated using the scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) and UV-visible, respectively. The UV-visible studies revealed that, the band gap energy was at the range of 3.600-3.750 eV. The band gap was noted to increase with copper content up to x=0.45 which then started to decrease. The undoped sample displayed the lowest band gap energy in comparison with the doped. SKPM analysis exhibited the surface potential in the range 4.361-5.002 eV for the area scan and 4.251-5.006 eV for the line scans for the samples. The sample with x=0.75 showed a positive work function for both area and line scans, and all the others had a negative work function. The doped ferrite exhibited the properties that could be applied in optical devices, storage devices, and recording devices.


Background and Aim: The present study investigated the antimicrobial effect of Berberine as an endodontic irrigant on the microorganisms involved in persistent endodontic infections. In this experimental in vitro trial, organisms Enterococcus Faecalis, Staphylococcus Aureus, and Staphylococcus Epidermidis were assessed in a multi-species biofilm tooth model.

Methods: Seventy-five single-rooted anterior teeth were collected and standardized to a length of 10mm. The teeth were randomly assigned into 5 groups. The teeth were then autoclaved to confirm being sterile. Afterwards, a biofilm consisting of the three selected bacteria was inoculated into the teeth and they were incubated for 21 days.

Results: The comparison of the amount of reduction in viable bacterial counts after irrigation by different solutions among the groups was done by Kruskal-wallis test while the changes of viable bacterial counts before and after irrigation with each solution was done by Wilocoxon Signed Ranks test. No significant difference existed among the studied irrigation solutions regarding the mean reduction of total viable bacterial counts, neither did it exist regarding the viable staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis or Enterococcus faecalis counts after irrigation. MIC of berberine against staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis species were 0.5ug/ml, 0.03ug/ml and 1ug/ml, respectively. These values were found to be 0.39ug/ml, 0.09ug/ml and 0.78ug/ml for NaOCl and 0.04ug/ml, 0.04ug/ml and 0.09ug/ml for chlorhexidine, respectively.

Conclusion: it is concluded that Berberine can be used as a natural alternative instead of conventional root canal irrigants. However, more studies are required in order to confirm that characteristics of this substance are appropriate from other aspects.


OBJECTIVES
Oral mucositis is a major cause of pain and delayed cancer treatment leading to poor survival in head and neck cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation. The study evaluated the effect of adjuvant melatonin on minimizing oral mucositis complications to reduce these treatment delays and interruptions.

DESIGN
A randomized, double-blind, double dummy, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

SETTING
Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Hospital, Thailand.

PARTICIPANTS
Thirty-nine head and neck cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation (5 days/week of radiation plus chemotherapy three or six cycles).

METHODS
Patients were randomized to receive 20 mg melatonin gargle (or matched placebo) before each irradiation, and 20 mg melatonin capsules (or matched placebo) taken nightly during 7 weeks of concurrent chemoradiation. Endpoints were oral mucositis events (incidence and time to grade 3 mucositis or grade 2 xerostomia), pain medication consumption and quality of life (QOL).

RESULTS
Melatonin group reported lower incidence of grade 3 oral mucositis (42% vs. 55%) and grade 2 xerostomia (20% vs. 21%); no statistical significance was detected. Melatonin regimen delayed onset of grade 3 mucositis (median 34 days vs. 50 days; p = 0.0318), allowing median time of 16 more patient visits before its onset and fewer interrupted treatments due to oral mucositis were reported (n = 1 vs. n = 5). There was no difference of grade 2 xerostomia (median 32 days vs. 50 days; p = 0.624). Morphine consumption was also reduced (median 57 mg vs. 0 mg; p = 0.0342), while QOL was comparable during the study period.

CONCLUSION
Adjuvant melatonin delayed the onset of oral mucositis, which enables uninterrupted cancer treatment and reduced the amount of morphine used for pain treatment.


While Doppler and cuff blood pressure techniques are prevalent methods of assessing blood pressure in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices, the impact of pulsatility on measurement is not well established. Retrospective chart analysis of clinical variables including pulse perception, blood pressure (Doppler and standard cuff), and aortic valve opening on echo at clinic visit were abstracted. Stable outpatients on continuous flow left ventricular assist devices support with concomitant portable echo assessment were included. Mean average difference was calculated and Pearson's correlation performed for all those patients who had both Doppler and cuff pressure obtained. In all, 74 Heartmate-II patients with a median time from implant of 380 days were analyzed. A pulse was perceived in 82% of patients with persistent aortic valve opening on portable echo and also in 30% of those who had a persistently closed aortic valve. The mean average difference between the Doppler and systolic cuff pressure was ~13 mmHg (r = 0.5, p = 0.004) when a pulse was present and ~11 mmHg when aortic valve was open (r = 0.68, p < 0.0001). Pulse presence seems to reflect aortic valve opening a majority of the time but not always. In the presence of a prominent pulse or persistent aortic valve opening, the Doppler pressure seems to be more reflective of a systolic pressure than mean perfusion pressure. Hence, assessment of pulsatility needs to be incorporated into blood pressure measurement methods for patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices.


Worldwide the energy sector has a major environmental impact. Recent decades have seen exponential growth in population and therefore also in energy demand and environmental concerns. Many countries in the world are currently facing energy shortages, including major developing countries such as China and India. This paper evaluates the link between an energy restricted environment and emissions in South Africa, a country plagued by energy shortages since the middle 2000s. Lessons learned from the South African energy crisis hold important implications for countries facing similar challenges or those whose energy reserves are kept low in order to produce energy at competitive prices. It was found that the South African energy crisis had an undeniably negative impact on emissions. Emissions from large power stations increased due to lowered maintenance and deterioration of the stations. The removal efficiencies of emissions abatement technologies decreased due to the increased pressure on these systems and missed maintenance opportunity. The South African electricity tariff increased dramatically. In combination with weak economic growth (partly due to the energy shortages in the country) and the unreliability of electricity supply, poor households are expected to increasingly make use of solid fuel burning in order to meet their energy and heating demands. Higher income households and businesses, on the other hand, make use of diesel-fuelled back-up generators during times of electricity load shedding.


: The Lata fishes (Ophicephalus punctatus) showed increased alkaline and acid phosphatase activities in liver after immersion for 15-30 days in thyroxine-containing medium (0.025 mug/ml). A single injection of thyroxine (1-2 mug/g of body weight) caused increased acid phosphatase activity in liver of Lata fish in comparison to the controls on the 5th day after experiment but the alkaline phosphatase activity remained unchanged. Both alkaline and acid phosphatases showed increased activities in liver of Lata fishes treated with a single injection of 4 mug of thyroxine per g of body weight on the 5th day. Immersion of Lata fishes in thiourea solution (1 mg/ml) for 15 days did not show any alteration in alkaline or acid phosphatase activities but these enzyme activities decreased after 30 days' immersion in thiourea solution in comparison to the controls. A seasonal variation of alkaline and acid phosphatase activities was observed in liver of Lata fishes. More alkaline phosphatase activity was found in liver of summer fishes than in winter fishes. The winter fishes showed more acid phosphatase activity than the summer fishes. Three consecutive injections of thyroxine (0.1 mug/g of body weight) to toads (Bufo melanostictus) caused increased alkaline and acid phosphatase activities in liver on the 5th day of the experiment, in comparison to the controls.


Silicone room temperature vulcanization elastomers are usually formed through either a platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation or tin-catalyzed moisture cure. In this article, we show that it is possible to create robust, transparent silicone elastomers without the need for metal catalysts. Hydrogen-terminated silicone polymers are crosslinked by tri- or tetraalkoxysilane crosslinkers in a condensation process catalyzed by the presence of trispentafluorophenylborane catalyst to give elastomers and alkane by-products. This procedure allows for very fast cure times (< 30 s to a tack free state): the process is more conveniently controlled with the addition of a small amount of solvent. Physical and mechanical properties are readily modified by control of the chain length of the starting polymer, the functionality and nature of the alkoxy group on the crosslinker. Organofunctional groups, useful for further polymer modification, can optionally be incorporated by judicious choice of readily available starting materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013


Purpose
This study aims to focus on the effects of economic globalisation programme on the problems of criminal activities and on the degree of skilled–unskilled wage inequality.

Design/methodology/approach
A competitive general equilibrium model of a small open economy is developed. Unskilled labour moves from the production sector to the criminal sector. Those who join the criminal sector snatch a part of capitalists' income and skilled workers' income to finance their consumption and face positive probability of being caught and punished. The size of the criminal sector and the rental rate on capital are simultaneously determined in the short-run equilibrium of this model where factor endowments are exogenously given at a particular point of time.

Findings
An increase in the capital endowment resulting from an exogenous foreign capital inflow raises demand for labour and wage rates in both the sectors. So, it lowers the rental rate on capital and thus aggravates the problem of skilled–unskilled wage inequality because the skilled labour using sector is more capital intensive than the other production sector. However, it may lower the size of the criminal sector and thus may raise the level of the gross domestic product.

Originality/value
There exists substantial theoretical works on the problem of skilled–unskilled wage inequality, but none of these works focuses on the general equilibrium allocation of unskilled labour to the criminal sector. On the other hand, existing models specialised to analyse theoretical implications of crime and punishment do not focus on the interaction between crime and wage inequality.


This is the story of my academic journey. The story of a science-minded technician educated within a positivist system, and her decision to engage in an enriching and painstaking process of self-discovery, reflection and awareness of how her experiences and chosen paths shaped her as a person and a professional. As the voices in my mind cried out ever louder, I felt I had to do something. After 13 years working as a cultural heritage manager responsible for several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Brazil, I decided in 2010 to engage in this academic journey because I was battling through personal and professional crises triggered by the inability to find answers and solutions to local preservation problems in Brazil.

When I started asking questions about the impact of political, social and cultural contexts on preservation education, I identified discrepancies that led me down the path of self-inquiry and examining the cultural heritage system that I used to be an integral part of. I adopted different paradigms and approaches along this investigation and, finally, I embraced a critical-constructivist perspective.

In order to address my research questions, I drew upon my own memories and participants' experiences. I set out to find a framework for transforming cultural heritage training and social relationships within the cultural preservation system in Brazil. My autoethnographic journey ended up linking the personal to pedagogical theory, centring attention on relationships between teachers and students, mirroring qualities of a humanizing pedagogy that I discovered and embraced, and which redefined and recreated my always evolving teacher-learner self.

I wrote my 'heroine's journey' in seven chapters, exploring topics, including, among others, autobiography, applied ethnography, critical narrative inquiry, and transformative learning. As a result of an emergent multiparadigmatic approach, the text of my thesis took different forms, including personal narratives, testimonies from my participants, and my drawings.

This academic journey culminated in the need to 'renovate' myself as a transformative educator, in the identification of complexities of working in the cultural heritage field in countries "discovered" by Europeans, and in the discussion of the characteristics of an education system rooted in and underpinned by a history of Western colonisation.

Keywords: Cultural heritage preservation education, World heritage sites management, Critical autoethnography, critical narrative inquiry, transformative learning


Background: Pediatricians frequently confront with elevated body temperature in children and subsequent anxious parents. They practice several approaches in management of fever. A recently addressed issue is administration of alternating doses of acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. This method is relatively common , despite lack of sufficient evidence in this field. Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial. A total of 240 children, aged 6 months to 12 years suffering from gastroenteritis was recruited in this research. Children were classified in 3 groups. First group received Acetaminophen, second group received Ibuprofen and third group were treated with acetaminophen – Ibuprofen every other day alternately. Results: 240 child were taken apart in this research . 112 ones were female (46.66%) and 128 were male (53.33%). The mean time of lowering fever in the first group was 2.07 days. This figure in the second and third groups were 1.82 and 1.87 respectively. Average doses in the first, second and third groups were (in order) 9, 8.17 and 7.13 doses. Medication in the first group minimum effectiveness rather than two other groups. Conclusion: The alternating regimen of Acetaminophen – Ibuprofen is more effective than monotherapy in reduction of fever in infants and children between 6 months to 12 years.


Model Predictive Controllers (MPC) in building Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems have demonstrated significant energy savings when compared to typical on/off controllers. MPCs require information about the building's thermal dynamics which is challenging to model, especially for older structures without buildings specifications. This research investigates the ability to develop a grey box thermal dynamic model that can determine the net thermal dynamics, without any building construction information. Sensors were installed within a test cell to monitor the building automation system (BAS) points, and collect building element surface temperature data. The simulation program Simulink was used to develop and test iterations of grey box models. The final model, that relies solely on BAS points, is able to predict the ambient temperature for a 3-hour Prediction Window to within 1.7% accuracy. This model demonstrates the potential for more buildings to implement HVAC MPC systems with grey box thermal dynamic modeling


ABSTRACTCritical conversion point (CCP) is a very crucial step in production of the ground level O3 chemistry. Thus, a multivariate analysis was applied on the dataset of nine selected locations in Malaysia from 1999 to 2010. It incorporated hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA) to explore the spatial variability of CCP and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the major sources of the air pollutants that influence ozone CCP. High variability in CCP was observed between the monitoring stations that occurred during critical conversion time (CCT) from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The HACA results grouped the nine monitoring stations into three different clusters, based on the characteristics of ozone concentrations during CCT period. Results of PCA for the three clusters showed that the contributions to O3 level variation during CCT by meteorological variables (UVB, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) are higher at 51.6%, 48.5%, and 33.3% than that of primary air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM10) at 19.2%, 21.4%, and 15.2% for cluster 1, cluster 2, and cluster 3, respectively. Therefore, applying a targeted spatial control strategy for ground level O3 precursors during the CCT period is a crucial step.


In our previous study, we reported the renoprotective effect of Hachimi-jio-gan, a Chinese traditional prescription consisting of eight medicinal plants, and also reported the effect of Corni Fructus (Cornus officinalis SIEB. et ZUCC.), a component of Hachimi-jio-gan, on diabetic nephropathy using diabetic rats. In this study, we investigated the effects of morroniside isolated from Corni Fructus on renal damage in streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Oral administration of morroniside at a dose of 20 or 100 mg/kg body weight/d for 20 d to diabetic rats resulted in significant decreases in increasing serum glucose and urinary protein levels. Moreover, the decreased levels of serum albumin and total protein in diabetic rats were significantly increased by morroniside administration at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/d. In addition, morroniside significantly reduced the elevated serum urea nitrogen level and showed a tendency to reduce creatinine clearance. Morroniside also significantly reduced the enhanced levels of serum glycosylated protein, and serum and renal thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Protein expressions related to the advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) level and actions, oxidative stress such as N(epsilon)-(carboxyethyl)lysine, as well as receptors for AGE and heme oxygenase-1 were increased in diabetic rats, but the levels were also significantly decreased by the administration of morroniside. This suggests that morroniside exhibits protective effects against diabetic renal damage by inhibiting hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. These results indicate that morroniside is one component partly responsible for the protective effects of Corni Fructus and Hachimi-jio-gan against diabetic renal damage.


This study explores explicit Back-channel strategy training and effect of sex on Iranian EFL intermediate learners' success in speaking skill. In Yngve's (1970) view, Back Channel refers to short messages such as 'yes' and 'uh huh' which the person who has the turn receives without relinquishing his/her turn. Twenty homogenous learners (10 male, 10 female), who were at intermediate level in terms of general English proficiency based on the results of Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and pre-test oral Proficiency Interview, were selected as the participants of this research. After 18 sessions of treatment of back-channels that were based on the methodological theory of English language teaching suggested by Doff (1990) and Harmer (1991), post- test oral proficiency test was administered for both groups. The researchers recorded all of them in order to transcribe and analyze them. The findings of pretest and posttest oral exams revealed that EFL language learners' oral performance (speaking) in both groups improved. The Chi-square (x²) formula was then conducted to find out whether there were any significant differences in performing back-channels among male and female EFL language learners. The result revealed that females employed back-channels more often than males when they were participating in a conversation.


Study Design. Cross-sectional study. Objective. To establish the relevance of the conventional two-dimensional (2D) rib vertebra angle difference (RVAD) and the relationship with the complex three-dimensional (3D) apical morphology in scoliosis. Summary of Background Data. The RVAD, also known as Mehta angle, describes apical rib asymmetry on conventional radiographs and was introduced as a prognostic factor for curve severity in early onset scoliosis, and later applied to other types of scoliosis as well. Methods. An existing idiopathic scoliosis database of high-resolution computed tomography scans used in previous work, acquired for spinal navigation, was used. Eighty-eight patients (Cobb angle 46°–109°) were included. Cobb angle and 2D RVAD, as described by Mehta, were measured on the conventional radiographs and coronal digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRR) of the prone computed tomography scans. A previously validated, semiautomatic image processing technique was used to acquire complete 3D spinal reconstructions for the measurement of the 3D RVAD in a reconstructed true coronal plane, axial rotation, and sagittal morphology. Results. The 2D RVAD on the x-ray was on average 25.3° ± 11.0° and 25.6° ± 12.8° on the DRR (P = 0.990), but in the true 3D coronal view of the apex, hardly any asymmetry remained (3D RVAD: 3.1° ± 12.5°; 2D RVAD on x-ray and DRR vs. 3D RVAD: P < 0.001). 2D apical rib asymmetry in the anatomical coronal plane did not correlate with the same RVAD measurements in the 3D reconstructed coronal plane of the rotated apex (r = 0.155; P = 0.149). A larger 2D RVAD was found to correlate linearly with increased axial rotation (r = 0.542; P < 0.001) and apical lordosis (r = 0.522; P < 0.001). Conclusion. The 2D RVAD represents a projection-based composite radiographic index reflecting the severity of the complex 3D apical morphology including axial rotation and apical lordosis. It indicates a difference in severity of the apical deformation. Level of Evidence: 4


Background/Context Although numerous studies have emerged shedding light on community college student success, the enduring role of social capital is often overlooked. Furthermore, when conceptualizing social capital in the community college context and its diverse student population, age represents a unique form of diversity in these institutions that warrants further exploration. Purpose This research identifies the sources of social capital and the relationships between different sources of social capital and community college success, taking into account how the identified sources and relationships may vary based on age through the following questions: First, what are the major sources of social capital among first-year community college students, and how do sources of social capital vary based on age of students? Second, how do different sources of social capital influence first-year community college success? Third, how do influences of social capital on first-year community college success vary based on the age of students? Research Design Our study drew on Coleman's conceptualization of social capital, along with survey, administrative, and transcript data from three 2-year colleges in a midwestern state. We performed factor analysis with invariance tests to investigate the sources of social capital among community college students and how the identified factor structure may vary by age. We further conducted a logistic regression to examine the relationship between social capital and community college student success across age. Findings Our findings indicate that social capital needs to be conceptualized differently for community college students across age because they indeed drew on multiple forms of social capital differently, and the sources of social capital that emerged in turn were related to student success in varied ways. Students under the age of 24 relied on institutional agents and academic interaction as dominant forms of social capital, whereas those over the age of 24 relied on significant other's support. Students under the age of 24 were more likely to succeed if they frequently visited advisors for academic reasons. A low or high level of support for schoolwork was related to a higher chance of success for students between 24 and 29 years of age. For the students who were over 30 years old, a moderate level of engagement in their learning network and discussions with academic advisors was related to the lowest level of dropping out. Conclusions This study extends the social capital model by illuminating the varying types of social capital that students of different age groups engage with, particularly in the community college context, and pushes the boundaries of the knowledge base on how social capital functions in relation to student success in postsecondary education. The findings also elucidate new directions for research, policy, and practice in regard to cultivating and maximizing networks and information for community college students of all ages.


Objectives: To describe leprosy-related disabilities, we performed a census including people affected by leprosy in 78 municipalities of Tocantins state in northern Brazil. The study consisted of a review of patient charts, structured questionnaires, and clinical examinations for disabilities of eyes, hands, and feet (August-December 2009), according to WHO standards.

Results: A total of 910 individuals diagnosed from 2006 to 2008 were included (clinical examination and application of questionnaires), but information from patient charts was not available in all cases, resulting in different denominators. The majority (783/858; 91·3%) had completed multidrug therapy. The most common clinical findings included: enlarged/painful peripheral nerves (412/910, 45·3%), namely of ulnar (207; 22·7%), posterior tibial (196; 21·6%), peroneal (186; 20·5%), and radial cutaneous nerves (166; 18·2%); reduction/loss of sensibility 201/907 (22·2%) and reduced motor function (185/906, 20·4%). At diagnosis, 142/629 (22·6%) had Grade 1 disability (G1D), and 28/629 (4·5%) had Grade 2 disability (G2D). At the time of the study, 178/910 (19·6%) presented with G1D, and 84/910 (9·2%) with G2D. Disability grading was significantly higher in males (P , 0·01). Subjects with G2D showed claw hands (26; 2·9%), followed by plantar ulcers (23; 2·5%), abrasion/excoriation on the foot (12; 1·3%), claw foot (7; 0·7%), and drop foot (7; 0·7%).

Conclusions: Leprosy-related disabilities were common in a highly endemic area. Prevention and rehabilitation measures, especially after release from treatment, should be intensified by the primary health care system. Policy makers need to be aware of an ongoing demand for leprosy control programmes, even in a world of constantly reducing leprosy detection.


Background and objective This study aims to develop and apply programs in agriculture and life sciences for promoting divergent thinking in STEAM using classroom wall gardens. The process of the STEAM program such as presentation of the situation, creative design, and success experience is proposed to utilize STEAM education as a distinguished program. Methods Four types of classroom wall gardens were used in this program, such as the 'plaster pot wall garden', 'attachable LED wall garden'. 'coffee pack wall garden', and 'hanging wall garden' for each classroom. For this purpose, official letters were sent to relevant institutions (elementary schools) specified by the research institute, and classes were conducted on the selected elementary school students. Results A satisfaction survey and effect analysis were conducted on the students participating in the program. The program was designed to take a total of 11 hours, comprised of teaching plans including the topics, purpose of production, subject outlines, learning goals, and elements of STEAM subjects and stages. Conclusion According to the survey on student satisfaction and understanding, it was found that students participating in the program have a high level of understanding and participation, as well as increased interest in science. Also, the program helped the students to connect with other subject areas. The level of student satisfaction was especially high in the upper grades. It is believed that the results of this research contribute to the development of STEAM education programs in agriculture and life sciences as well as other subject areas.


In order to unveil the value of network connectivity, discounted both in space and time, we formalize the construction of networks as an optimal control dynamic graph-theoretic problem. The network is based on a set of leaders and followers linked through edges. The node dynamics, built upon the consensus protocol, form a time evolutive Mahalanobis distance weighted by the opportunity costs. The results show that the network equilibrium depends on the influence of leader nodes, while the network connectivity depends on the cohesiveness among followers. Through numerical simulations, we find that — past a threshold level of opportunity costs — the values of shadow prices become stationary. Likewise, the model outputs show that, at a fixed level of foregone gains, agents value the safeguard of connections less in time than in space.


This paper examines the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and links it to debates on state rescaling and urban entrepreneurialism in megaprojects. It is argued that the Olympic megaproject in Sochi follows a model of state dirigisme which accords a salient role to the national state. Although private sector companies act as investors, the national state steers the planning process and directs the investment. This arrangement is reflected in a business–state relationship in which the boundaries between the public and the private sector become blurred, as the state establishes directive control over companies. The model of state dirigisme is underpinned by a nationalist narrative which frames the Olympic Games not primarily as a stimulus for economic development and global competitiveness but as a contribution to Russian greatness. This mode of governing the Olympic Games deviates from the model of entrepreneurial governance and the concomitant state rescaling, dominant in megaprojects in North America and Western Europe, in according a prominent role to the national state rather than to market-led development pushed by cities as lead actors.


The Spanish economic boom over the last decade, and its subsequent swift
progress to economic meltdown within the context of the Global Systemic
Crisis, has popularized the deployment of an array of loanwords from English
as the lingua franca of Economics. Incorporations in various shapes and forms
are borrowed by the national think-tanks and the media to portray the
widespread gloom and the severe wobbles in Spain�s market. Through the
analysis of an ad hoc 800,000-word corpus from economic news-items in
specialised, semi-specialised and informative digital periodicals, the aid of a
number of financial bilingual glossaries intended for the specialised Spanishspeaking
community, and the exploitation of a specific taxonomy on linguistic
incorporations - deployed in our previous study on the subject (Orts & Almela,
2009) - we have developed a system of lexical selection that reunites, analyzes
and explains a representative group of real data. In doing so, our present study
delves into the lexicon of the financial mayhem, in the attempt to enlighten and
facilitate the translator�s task when dealing with the plethora of English loans in
the Spanish economic discourse, and the way in which these are tackled by
standardized sources.


Abstract: In order to understand the nature and extent of solute-solvent interactions, the spectral variations of 2-amino-9, 10-anthraquinone (2AAQ) molecule are analyzed by using the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) concept formulated by Katritzky et al 15 . The independent contributions of general and specific solute-solvent interactions have been calculated using multiple linear regression analysis method. The strength of the dipolarity and polarizability interaction is more than the specific solute-solvent interactions. Further, the solvation studies in cyclohexane (CHX) - ethyl acetate (EA) and ethyl acetate (EA) - acetonitrile (AN) solvent mixtures indicate that this dye is preferentially solvated by CHX in CHX-EA solvent mixture and EA in EA-AN except in the case of EA 20 AN 80 where solute molecule is preferentially solvated by AN rather than EA. The ground- and excited-state dipole moments of 2AAQ have been estimated by solvatochromic shift method. The change in dipole moment is calculated using the correlation of microscopic solvent polarity parameter with the Stoke's shift. The ground state dipole moments are predicted theoretically in gas phase by Gaussian 03 software using B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory and by semi-empirical method (PM6 ).


Peer-reviewed by members of the STRIVE consortium, this series of three technical briefs was prepared by the Department for International Development AIDS Technical Assistance Support Team (DfID AIDS TAST) in response to India's National AIDS Control Programme planning process.

India has a concentrated AIDS epidemic, so this series is designed to focus on high risk groups. The three studies pertain to hard-to- reach MSM (men who have sex with men), women partners of MSM and the overall vulnerabilities of MSM to sexual violence.


The incidence of infection in adult dairy cattle in New York State with Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) theileri (Laveran 1902) was determined by culturing buffy coats of peripheral blood samples in tissue culture growth media. Three sample groups of cattle were studied and revealed an overall rate of trypanosome infection of 44.4% (67 of 151) as determined by a single culture. Fifty-seven cows, representing four herds from three different geographic locations in the Southern-tier region of the state, comprised the first group. The infection rates of these herds ranged from 56.5 to 100%. The second group consisted of 81 cows randomly selected from animals admitted to the Large Animal Clinic of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Trypanosoma theileri was cultured from 25.9% (21 of 81) of these animals. Repeated blood cultures from a third group of thirteen yearling heifers during the spring and summer revealed an increase in the infection rate from 0% in May, to 66.7% (8 of 12) in September, with 76.9% (10 of 13) positive at least once during this period. These findings are compared with the reported incidence of bovine T. theileri infections in other areas of the United States and in other countries.


This essay explores Norman O. Brown's conception of politics and metapolitics. Brown describes politics via Freud's family romance, as a sphere of conflict between fathers and sons. The first part of the argument focuses on Brown's notion of the fraternal—collectivities organized via metaphorical extensions of brotherhood—as a central, underemphasized, and socially ambiguous aspect of his understanding of politics. The second part discusses Brown's use of figures drawn from ecological or environmental spaces, in particular trees and forests, to outline a notion of metapolitics, even while he also critiques conventional connections between the natural world and motherhood as still beholden to familial frameworks. The essay closes by arguing that Brown's forest imagery combines functional competent stewardship with playful wilderness pleasure, aiming to articulate forms of collective life that transcend Oedipal drama.


Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medicine are two specialties which are
similar in the multidisciplinary involvement during the acute phase of
the disaster. Recently, there was an increase in the number of
disasters in the world but not many physicians are familiar with the
principles for dealing with such situations, the unique organizational
demands, coordination and the urgent need for medical assistance and
relief. This case report delineates our experiences at a tsunami
disaster area and the approach to setting up a medical relief team in
the affected area. A medical reconnaissance team comprising of an
emergency doctor from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (H.U.S.M) and
two MERCY Malaysia members was assembled. The team flew to Colombo on
day 5 after the tsunami with medical supplies and related materials.
The mission started from December 31st 2004 until January 8th 2005. Our
surveillance area covered the Southern and Eastern Province with a
total distance of 1700 km along the coast. The strategies employed
during this medical reconnaissance included risk analysis, devising a
resources matrix, developing lines of communication and rapport with
other relief teams, Sri Lankan government agencies, and local and
international non-government organizations. As a result, our team was
able to set up a medical relief camp and distribute the relief items to
the tsunami victims. In conclusion, the Disaster Emergency Medical
Assistant Team (DEMAT) from H.U.S.M and MERCY Malaysia were able to set
up and provide medical relief with our limited resources to a large
scale disaster situation.


This research aims to analyze the originality in which Sean Scully caught using geometrical abstract forms with the details and his contemporary approach in seeking for humanistic values. The artist believing that it is impossible to escape from abstraction for our age draws attention of the art critics with the density of details in his paintings and the emphasis upon humanistic values in recent years. He considers it necessary to reflect human sensation, human sensibility in mechanizing world more than absolute formal elements such as color, form, line. His approaching to the horizontal-vertical quadrangle forms adding an extraordinary amount of sensational density and his highlighting the spiritual side of the art which has become complicated nowadays with the help of his paintings and writings are of the important reasons for analyzing him.


The Cloud offers virtually unlimited resources and the ability to scale up or down applications as needed on the fly. Hence, the Cloud emerged as a suitable solution for large-scale IoT applications to cope with the rapidly increasing devices and data volume. Furthermore, IoT broadened the scope of the Cloud to the real world and enabled new service models such as the Sensing as a Service model. The convergence of both technologies stimulated innovations in both fields, we refer to this convergence as the Cloud of Things. The Cloud of Things enables users to request a complex IoT service (IoT application composed of several interconnected micro services) and deploy it seamlessly. However, deploying a complex IoT service in the Cloud of Things infrastructure is a difficult process due to the different types of physical nodes (Cloud data centers, IoT devices, gateways, etc.) and multiple architectures to collect and process data. Furthermore, network usage largely depends on the placement of different services across the network. In this paper, we present an efficient provisioning model of IoT services formulated as a Mixed Integer Problem. The objective is to minimize the cost of the deployment of IoT services in Cloud of Things infrastructure, through optimizing resources usage across physical nodes and bandwidth consumption over the network.