Broiler breeder
vaccination against IBD is usually based on the injection of at least one
inactivated vaccine in oil adjuvant, typically included in a combined vaccine. Priming using one or
several IBD vaccine (s)
has been the most common
way to immunize the breeders so far. In summary, protection against vvIBD
challenge in chicks of one commercial genetic line vaccinated in ovo with the HVT-IBD vector vaccine
was demonstrated. The parents' IBD vaccination program, using the HVT-IBD vector vaccine
alone, the HVT-IBD vector vaccine plus IBD inactivated vaccine, and inactivated IBD vaccine alone, did not
impair their progeny's in ovo HVT-IBD
vector vaccine take and subsequent protection against vvIBD virus challenge. An
advantage in terms of immunization of the progeny against vvIBD was shown in
the chicks born to breeders vaccinated with the HVT-IBD vaccine as a primer, as
compared to breeders vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine alone. High level
of IBD maternally-derived antibodies transmitted to the progeny by their parents
induces together with an early onset of immunity by in ovo injection of a HVT-IBD vector vaccine clinical protection,
as monitored on bursas, after vvIBD virus challenge.


In this paper, I question the notion that "The Visual" is a culturally transparent means of communication (Neurath, 1937, 1948). I will be demonstrating how different cultures (Japanese and British) use the resources of visual communication, in ways that are related to their specific underlying value systems. In order to show this I draw on advertisements from both countries and use the visual grammar developed by Kress and van Leeuwen (1990, 1996).
By analysing the forms (visual syntax) that the advertisements take: the semiotic structure of the images, with less emphasis on their content (visual lexis), it is possible to find systematic differences that relate to the specific locations of the advertisements in a given social cultural context.
I have discussed visual representations in Japanese and British advertisements with reference to the three notion of metafunctions. My analysis has demonstrated that both Japanese and British visual semiotics are conditioned by a different underlying spatial semiotic systems. This goes against the notion of culturally transparency of visuals. Visual representations and the way in which they convey meaning is culturally conditioned.
I have focused exclusively on the formal structures of visual representation in this paper. What my discussion suggests is; if visual lexis can serve as cultural representation, so can visual syntax. For the full understanding of visual representations from a cross-cultural perspective, a further systematic study on visual syntax as well as visual lexis should become essential. In conclusion, cultures condition visual forms and visual forms represent cultures.


Prolongation is a speech disfluency that lengthens some portions of speech utterances. It is frequently observed in children's spontaneous speech, while it is rare in read speech. To make acoustic models more robust to children's spontaneous speech, collecting a large amount of children's speech data containing prolongation is usually required, which is very impractical in many cases. To tackle this problem, we propose a novel data augmentation method that virtually generates additional data by simulating prolongation. The method inserts pseudo frames into specific positions of speech utterances to simulate prolongation. The acoustic features of the inserted frames are calculated from the original frames on both sides. This is based on our analysis that many of vowels are actually stretched in children's spontaneous speech. Our proposed procedure can generate partially stretched utterances with low computational costs, unlike a conventional speed or tempo perturbation method that extends and shrinks entire utterances at a uniform rate. The effectiveness of the proposed method were confirmed with the experiments of acoustic model adaptations, in which our proposed method focusing on vowel stretch showed consistent improvement compared with conventional speed and tempo perturbation approach.


Rapid quenching techniques have been successfully applied since long time for the preparation of metallic glasses in ribbon form. Only in the recent years, the research activity addressed towards the synthesis of bulk metallic glasses (BMG), in form of ingots with a few millimetres in thickness. These materials can be obtained by casting techniques only for selected alloy compositions, characterised by a particularly high glass-forming tendency. Bulk amorphous alloys are characterised by a low modulus of elasticity and high yielding stress. The usual idea is that amorphous alloys undergo work softening and that deformation is concentrated in shear bands, which might be subjected to geometrical constraints, resulting in a substantial increase in hardness and wear resistance. The mechanical properties can be further improved by crystallisation. In fact, shear bands movement can be contrasted by incorporating a second phase in the material, which may be produced directly by controlled crystallisation. Soft magnetic properties have been obtained in Fe-based systems and they are strongly related to small variations in the microstructure, ranging from a fully amorphous phase to nanocrystalline phases with different crystal size. The high thermal stability of bulk metallic glasses makes possible the compression and shaping processes in the temperature range between glass transition and crystallisation. Aim of this paper is to present recent results on glass formation and properties of bulk metallic glasses with various compositions. Examples will be reported on Zr, Fe, Mg and Pd-based materials, focussing on mechanical and magnetic properties.


Some early results from an ongoing design representation technology survey and assessment are presented. The objectives were to provide a context for the evaluation of alternatives for representation of software design information and to serve as a catalyst for further research in the area. The scope of the problem and the survey approach are described. A rough 'technology map' of the design representation 'terrain' that resulted from the survey is discussed, along with some observations derived from the survey.<<ETX>>


Aim: The maintenance of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is a critical parameter which needs to be continuously maintained in patients in trauma or recuperating from surgery. The effective means of maintaining it is through intravenous infusions like potent vasoactive drugs like sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and nitro glycerine (NTG). Materials and Methods: Maintenance of MAP is critical, and to keep it control many drug delivery and control strategies powered by fuzzy logic, artificial neural network, and internal model control are used. In this work a modeling and simulation study was attempted to develop and validate a viable computational therapeutic model of the patient infused with the drug. Results and Discussion: The model developed helps us to study and predict the patient's response to the drug during simulation stages. This work considers the modeling of patients based on based on an open source dataset of MAP in response to the drug administered (NTG) collected from a critical care unit. Conclusion: The data obtained was used to develop a therapeutic model based the first order–dead time using the linear time domain system identification method. The obtained models were classified into fast responders, normal responders and slow responders based on the model parameters.


Innovations in how a postgraduate course in knowledge management is delivered have generated better learning outcomes and made the course more engaging for learners. Course participant feedback has shown that collaborative active learning is preferred and provides them with richer insights into how knowledge is created and applied to generate innovation and value. The course applies an andragogy approach in which students collaborate in weekly dialogue of their experiences of the content, rather than learn the content itself. The approach combines systems thinking, learning praxis, and active learning to explore the interdependencies between topics and how they impact outcomes in real world situations. This has stimulated students to apply these ideas in their own workplaces.


A dynamic spectral-domain optical coherence elastography (OCE) imaging technique is reported. In this technique, audio-frequency compressive vibrations are generated by a piezoelectric stack as external excitation, and strain rates in the sample are calculated and mapped quantitatively using phase-sensitive spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. At different driving frequencies, this technique provides contrast between sample regions with different mechanical properties, and thus is used to mechanically characterize tissue. We present images of a three-layer silicone tissue phantom and rat tumor tissue ex vivo, based on quantitative strain rate. Both acquisition speed and processing speed are improved dramatically compared with previous OCE imaging techniques. With high resolution, high acquisition speed, and the ability to characterize the mechanical properties of tissue, this OCE technique has potential use in non-destructive volumetric imaging and clinical applications.


S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) is a critical regulatory enzyme of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway and belongs to a small class of pyruvoyl-dependent amino acid decarboxylases. Structural elucidation of the prokaryotic AdoMetDC is of substantial interest in order to determine the relationship between the eukaryotic and prokaryotic forms of the enzyme. Although both forms utilize pyruvoyl groups, there is no detectable sequence similarity except at the site of pyruvoyl group formation. The x-ray structure of the Thermatoga maritima AdoMetDC proenzyme reveals a dimeric protein fold that is remarkably similar to the eukaryotic AdoMetDC protomer, suggesting an evolutionary link between the two forms of the enzyme. Three key active site residues (Ser55, His68, and Cys83) involved in substrate binding, catalysis or proenzyme processing that were identified in the human and potato AdoMet-DCs are structurally conserved in the T. maritima AdoMetDC despite very limited primary sequence identity. The role of Ser55, His68, and Cys83 in the self-processing reaction was investigated through site-directed mutagenesis. A homology model for the Escherichia coli AdoMetDC was generated based on the structures of the T. maritima and human AdoMetDCs.


We present a hybrid fluid-particle algorithm to simulate flow and transport of DNAladen fluids in microdevices. Relevant length scales in microfluidic systems range from characteristic channel sizes of millimeters to micron scale geometric variation (e.g., post arrays) to 10 nanometers for the length of a single rod in a bead-rod polymer representation of a biological material such as DNA. The method is based on a previous fluid-particle algorithm in which long molecules are represented as a chain of connected rods, but in which the physically unrealistic behavior of rod crossing occurred. We have extended this algorithm to include screened Coulombic forces between particles by implementing a Debye-Hückel potential acting between rods. In the method an unsteady incompressible Newtonian fluid is discretized with a second-order finite difference method in the interior of the Cartesian grid domain; an embedded boundary volume-of-fluid formulation is used near boundaries. The bead-rod polymer model is fully coupled to the solvent through body forces representing hydrodynamic drag and stochastic thermal fluctuations. While intrapolymer interactions are modeled by a soft potential, polymer-structure interactions are treated as perfectly elastic collisions. We demonstrate this method on flow and transport of a polymer through a post array microchannel in 2D where the polymer incorporates more realistic physical parameters of DNA, and compare to previous simulations where rods are allowed to cross. We also show that the method is capable of simulating 3D flow in a packed bed micro-column. Preprint submitted to Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 27 June 2007


The last 3 decades have seen significant developments in all aspects of process management and New Product Development (NPD) in the Built Environment. Many of the characteristics of NPD models have been challenged and new key principles are emerging as necessary for success. The issue of delivering benefits rather than just tasks and processes has become more prominent also.
Previous work related to NPD and Benefits Realisation has focused on the representational and process aspects of their implementation. This paper extends these notions and in particular introduces and explains 'structure' and 'agency' as they are understood in social sciences. In particular the notion of 'structure' will be presented as part of the overarching imperative for action and the actors involved in both undertaking and enacting processes.
Finally, the paper concludes in describing how research should be undertaken within the particular context of benefits realisation. The Unique Adequacy (UA) requirement of methods is critical in researching benefits realisation. As such, researchers need to be competent (in theory and practice) of and in the context, which they investigate. Implications for future research are also identified.


Major international sporting competitions such as Formula 1 GP Championship offer a great opportunity to check the use of the frequency spectrum in many respects, such as operation, regulation, equipment, demands and conflicts between all involved professionals, content producers, technical support and local regulatory agencies. In this piece of work, spectral scanning recordings were performed in the range of 410 to 870 MHz, covering wireless PMSE microphones at the 2018 F1 GP Brazil. The spectral scanning equipment was installed at two different locations, the international technical area for the TV stations (compound) with the UFABC semi-portable 6 GHz R&S spectrum analyzer and the TV Globo booth with APWPT's semi-portable 3 GHz R&S spectrum analyzer in the middle of the pit line. There was a distance of about 2 km between the two locations. The equipment, controlled by specialized software. The radio spectrum was in use both by the technical team and the TV content production teams themselves, as well as the production, transmission and communication content between the various teams and their car drivers and a crew in a helicopter equipped with video cameras. In the three official days of the event from November 9th Friday to 11th Sunday, during many practice laps of the Interlagos racetrack, the official classification laps and the F1 GP Race itself, many links of audio PMSE equipment were recorded, the essential data of which were continuously monitored. Finally, the spectrum recordings were compared with TV Globe's coordination information. This reduced errors in the evaluation of the spectrum recording . Using previous reports since 2014 we can compare the number of microphones used in the Brazilian F1 GP and contrast with analogous recording procedures in Italian F1 GP at the same p eriod.


Wikipedia is a "free" online encyclopedia. It contains millions of entries in many languages and is growing at a fast pace. Due to its volume, search engines play an important role in giving access to the information in Wikipedia. The "free" availability of the collection makes it an attractive corpus for information retrieval experiments. In this paper we describe the evaluation of a search engine that provides focused search access to Wikipedia, i.e., a search engine which gives direct access to individual sections of Wikipedia pages. The main contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we introduce Wikipedia as a test corpus for information retrieval experiments in general and for semi-structured retrieval in particular. Second, we demonstrate that focused XML retrieval methods can be applied to a wider range of problems than searching scientific journals in XML format, including accessing reference works.


Abstract Over the last ∼200 years, since the start of the industrial revolution, the increase in the burning of fossil fuels, cement manufacturing and changes to land use has increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations from ∼280 to 385 ppm. These are the highest levels experienced on Earth for at least the last 800,000 years, possibly for the past 10's of millions of years. The 2007 IPCC report on climate change predicts a continued rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 leading to significant temperature increases in the atmosphere and ocean in the coming decades, as well as other climate changes. The IPCC (2007) also reports, for the first time, that increasing anthropogenic CO2 will result in increased acidity of the world's surface oceans. This process is already happening and further rapid decreases in ocean pH will occur this century, concomitantly with warming seas, creating multiple threats to the marine environment. The future addition of massive amounts of CO2 to surface waters will have a profound impact on ocean chemistry and could have an equally profound impact on biogeochemical cycles, marine organisms, ecosystems and the services they provide. 'Ocean acidification' is a strong additional argument to that of climate change for urgent and substantial reduction of CO2 emissions.


This book contains a collection of works showcasing the latest research into global health economics conducted by leading experts in the field from the Centre for Health Economics (CHE) at the University of York and other partner research institutions. Each chapter focuses upon an important topic in global health economics and a number of separate research projects. The discussion delves into health care policy evaluation; economic evaluation; econometric and other analytic methods; health equity and universal health coverage; consideration of cost-effectiveness thresholds and opportunity costs in the health sector; health system challenges and possible solutions; and others. Case study examples from a variety of low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) settings are also showcased in the final part of this volume.


Supplementation of cows grazing rangelands is often beneficial to overcome nutrient deficiencies or imbalances. However, supplemental feeds and their delivery to the cow herd are expenses and thus supplementation decisions should be carefully made to ensure that costs are minimized and benefits in terms of cow performance exceed supplementation costs. When supplementing cows, there are questions that producers should ask themselves to determine the best management practices to provide the most cost effective supplement program for their operation. The first among these is the type of supplement to be provided in terms of whether it will provide the correct nutrient to overcome a deficiency or imbalance. Selection of the correct supplemental feedstuff based on its nutritional composition can improve the cows' ability to utilize range forage, whereas the wrong feedstuff can reduce utilization of range forage and possibly simply become a substitute for grazed forage. Once the correct supplemental feedstuff is chosen based on its nutrient composition, opportunities to deliver that feedstuff need to be considered to meet two goals: (1) reduce the cost of supplement delivery and (2) ensure that the feedstuff is consumed as uniformly as possible by all cows in the herd. Other goals for cow herd and grazing management may also need to be considered. This paper will address some options for supplement delivery and the economics of those options.


The high sulfidation epithermal gold deposit El Guanaco is located in the Palaeocene-Lower Eocene metallogenic belt in the Antofagasta Region, northern Chile, 215 km SE of Antofagasta city. The deposit is characterized by a system of sub-parallel ledges made of vuggy silica and quartz enargite veins. In the Cachinalito sector, on the north western side of the ore deposit, the ledges system has a discontinuous linear morphology, with a general ENE-OSO orientation, consisting of many ledges segments that change abruptly in orientation, thickness, length and inclination. Grade analysis distribution, detailed mapping at deposit scale, and identification of individual structures (ledges) shows that one of the key factors in deposit genesis is the structural control. The structural analysis allowed visualizing the different segmentations within a general structure, considering the sizes, horizontal and vertical continuity, degree of connection between ledge segments of different orientations, as well as determining the orientations with greater development of mineralized structures. The distribution of the grades allowed to characterize and identify the ore shoots within the ledges, and to interpret the ascending pathways of the mineralizing fluids by dimensioning and separating the high- and low-grade mineralized sectors. This type of analysis and identification represents an important exploration tool and helps exploration and / or production drilling in this type of deposit.


Introduction: The Wilms9 tumor 1 (WT1) protein is a tumor associated antigen that is potentially targetable by immunotherapeutic approaches. We have demonstrated the overexpression of WT1 in myeloma cells by IHC and in HLA-A*0201+ pts by staining with a high-affinity fully human IgG1 mAb (ESK1) specific to the RMFPNAPYL/HLA-A*0201 complex on malignant plasma cells. We report initial results from pts with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (rMM) who have been treated with CD34-selected allo transplants followed by the administration of donor-derived WT1-specific T-cell infusions to induce an immunotherapeutic effect. Methods: In situ expression of WT1 was assessed by IHC analyses using a sequential double staining technique of MoAbs specific for CD138 and WT1.For staining with the RMFPNAPYL/HLA-A*0201 complex, BM samples were blocked with human FcR Blocking Reagent and then directly stained with MoAbs specific for CD38, CD56, CD45 and ESK1 or its isotype control human IgG1 and were analyzed by flow cytometry. WT1-specific T cells were generated from the original stem cell donors by sensitization of CD3+ enriched T-cell fractions with autologous APCs loaded with the pool of overlapping pentadecapeptides of WT1 (Invitrogen, Boston, MA). Cells were propagated in vitro with weekly restimulation and supplementation with IL-2 beginning at day 10-16. After 35-49 days, T-cells were harvested, counted and tested for antigen specific cytotoxicity, HLA-restriction, lack of alloreactivity and sterility. Pts received CD34-selected PBSC allografts after myeloablative cytoreduction with busulfan, melphalan and fludarabine. Pts were treated with 3 infusions of donor-derived WT1-specific T-cell infusions (5x10e6 cells/kg) starting 6 weeks post allo HSCT and at 4 weekly thereafter. Results: Marrow from all pts with immunohistochemical documented plasma cell involvement stained positive for WT1 IHC while WT1 staining remained negative in pts in CR. Only pts expressing HLA-A*0201 that stained positively for WT1 by IHC also demonstrated expression of WT1 by the RMFPNAPYL/HLA-A*0201 complex, whereas pts lacking HLA-A*0201 but with active disease stained positive for WT1 IHC but not ESK1 staining. Of 7 pts, 3 PCL and 4 rMM, treated with WT1-specific T cells, 4 pts had persistent disease post CD34-selected allotransplant. Of these 4 pts 2 pts developed a striking rise of WT1-specific T-cell frequencies and developed a complete remission post WT1 CTL infusions lasting for >2years. Conclusion: WT1 is overexpressed on malignant plasma cells and serves as a target for potential immunotherapeutic approaches in pts with multiple myeloma. Pts with persistent PCL following CD34-selected allografts treated with adoptive transfer of donor-derived WT1-specific cytotoxic T cells can achieve long lasting remission underscoring the therapeutic potential of T-cells specific for immunogenic WT1 peptides expressed on malignant plasma cells. Disclosures O9Reilly:Atara Biotherapeutics: Research Funding.


On the basis of small axial fan with five blades, 6 types of small axial flow fans with different chord lengths splitter blades were designed. Numerical simulation of 6 fan models with splitter blades and prototype fan were done by using Fluent. Based on the obtained simulation results, internal flow characteristics and aerodynamic noise were analyzed and compared. It indicates that: splitter blades with suitable chord length have improved significantly on internal flow characteristics, which inhibits backflow from pressure surface to the suction surface at blade tip and leading edge and restrains flow separation. The 6 model fans are better than prototype fan on aerodynamic noise improvement, but too long or too short chord lengths are both disadvantage to improve aerodynamic noise. The results reveal that 2/6, 3/6 and 4/6 chord length model have relatively better acoustic characteristics and internal flow characteristics. The research program will offer a reference for structural improvements and noise reduction on small axial flow fan.


Drosophila pseudoobscura harbors a rich polymorphism for paracentric inversions on the third chromosome, and the clines in the inversion frequencies across the southwestern United States indicate that strong natural selection operates on them. Isogenic inversion strains were made from isofemale lines collected from four localities, and eight molecular markers were mapped on the third chromosome. Nucleotide diversity was measured for these loci and formed the basis of an evolutionary genomic analysis. The loci were differentiated among inversions. The inversions did not show significant differences among populations, however, likely the result of extensive gene flow among populations. Some loci had significant reductions in nucleotide diversity within inversions compared with interspecies divergence, suggesting that these loci are near inversion breakpoints or are near targets of directional selection. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) levels tended to decrease with distance between loci, indicating that some genetic exchange occurs among gene arrangements despite the presence of inversions. In some cases, however, adjacent genes had low levels of interlocus LD and loosely linked genes had high levels of interlocus LD, suggesting strong epistatic selection. Our results support the hypothesis that the inversions of D. pseudoobscura have emerged as suppressors of recombination to maintain positive epistatic relationships among loci within gene arrangements that developed as the species adapted to a heterogeneous environment.


Energy storage systems cannot be considered energy sources but having the ability of storing and discharging energy. They have a vital rule in the reliability and power quality of power systems. There are several energy storage systems (e.g. compressed air storage, battery, supercapacitors, hydrogen storage and flywheels) which can be selected according to the application requirements. Flywheels are used in electric power systems for frequency support, uninterruptible power supply, voltage sag mitigation, flexible AC transmission and power leveling. The flywheel energy storage system consists of a flywheel, an electric machine and a power conversion system. In this paper, energy storage systems used in power system applications are surveyed focusing on flywheel energy storage systems.


Background: The youths in the areas of developing nations such as Nigeria have been found to exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability towards sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection, other STIs and unintended pregnancy occur through unprotected sex. This study, therefore, sought to determine the risky sexual practices and the use of contraceptives among rural youths in two communities in Southwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used; a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 640 youths (320 in two separate communities) in 2013. Risky sexual behaviour was measured using five items, namely age at first sexual experience, the use of condom at first sexual intercourse, consistent condom use among youths who had sexual intercourse in the 3 months preceding the study, the number of sex partners 3 months preceding the study and the history of transactional sex. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select one respondent per house. Chi-square at P < 0.05 was used to demonstrate the association between categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of risky sexual behaviour and contraceptive use. Results: The mean age was 19.51 ± 2.62 years, whereas the mean age at first sex was 17.33 ± 2.56 years. About 10% of the respondents had engaged in transactional sex. Among respondents who had previously used condom, 31.2% used it at first sexual act, and this was significantly common (P = 0.032) among the males (55.8%) compared to the females (39.7%). About half of the sexually active respondents used condom consistently, and about a quarter (28.6%) had multiple sexual partners. The most popular modern contraceptive methods were male condoms (49.8%) followed by injectables (46.0%) and the pill (30.1%). Male respondents (90.0%) were more likely to know where to procure family planning services (P = 0.001). All sexually active respondents using contraceptives used the male condom, and <5% used hormonal contraceptive namely the pill. Only 22.1% of the sexually active respondents expressed willingness to use contraceptives; within this group, females (29.5%) outscored the males (15.7%) (P = 0.005). More than a quarter (27.9%) reported a past incidence of unintended pregnancy. Conclusion: A high proportion of respondents were observed to engage in risky sexual behaviour. There is an urgent need for community-based sexuality education and contraceptive use to promote behaviour change and a qualitative study to explore reasons why youths are not using contraceptives.


License plate recognition (LPR) is an important component of intelligent transportation systems. Compared with letters and numbers, Chinese characters contain more information, making automatic recognition more difficult. Accurate Chinese LPR (CLPR) is determined by three factors: training dataset, feature extractor, and classifier. Most license plates with benchmark dataset contain only letters and numbers; thus, the authors build a large dataset for CLPR. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be used to extract inherent image features, on all levels of abstraction. CNNs can be used for classification if they have a sufficient number of fully connected layers. This implies that CNNs must be trained using gradient descent-based methods, which often yields sub-optimal results. Extreme learning machines (ELMs) demonstrate impressive performance on classification, with good generalisation. Therefore, the authors propose a novel deep architecture for CLPR which combines a CNN and an ELM. Firstly, a CNN without fully connected layers, working as a feature extractor, learns deep features associated with characters in written Chinese. Then, a kernel-based ELM (KELM) classifier, which accepts CNN features as input, is utilised for classification. Compared with CNNs that use Softmax, support vector machines and ELMs, the CNN that uses KELM yields competitive results in a shorter training time.


confusional states (J Dougall, personal communication). Chest complications were said to have been avoided by the use of spinal anaesthesia. Urbach et al found a similar incidence of postoperative chest complications when patients were randomly allocated to spinal or general anaesthesia.1 Bronchopneumonia was the most common recorded cause of death in the first month after spinal anaesthesia in patients with fractured hips in our studies.2 3 Professor Sikorski and colleagues also comment on the advantages of spinal anaesthesia in total hip replacement. These advantages cannot be assumed to apply to the patient with hip fracture, and, furthermore, some of the evidence quoted is for epidural, not spinal (subarachnoid), anaesthesia. Specifically, in contrast with the findings in hip replacement surgery, spinal anaesthesia is not associated with reduced blood loss in patients with hip fracture.' Lower mortality has been shown with spinal anaesthesia than with general anaesthesia in the patient with hip fracture,-4 but this effect is transient, and, as our studies have shown, long term mortality and other indices of outcome are identical with both techniques. The incidence of deep venous thrombosis assessed by venography is, however, significantly lower in the spinal anaesthetic group,5 and the reduction in early postoperative mortality in the spinal group is probably due to a reduction in thromboembolism. While a useful technique, spinal anaesthesia is potentially dangerous in the hands of inexperienced anaesthetists and for inappropriate patients and is particularly hazardous in the presence of hypovolaemia, common in the elderly patient with a fractured hip. The evidence is now convincing that it does not have any major intrinsic superiority over general anaesthesia for the repair of fractured neck of femur, and it is important that the misconceptions mentioned are corrected.


inferior. Such we have in ii. 14. 3, iii. 5. 5, iv. 12.3, v. 6.4, v. 16.7, all of them discussed by Mr. Carlsson, and with the same conclusion. In ii. 11. 24, however, where Mr. Merrill with MDV reads 'casu an conscientia fuerat,' I pronounced for the reading of F which adds ' incertum' after ' casu.' After reading Mr. Carlsson's note I now think that here too the M D reading may be right, although no exact parallel to this Tacitean ellipse has been cited from Pliny. To the differences, at first sight very puzzling to students of the text, between the two families in the order of words, a whole chapter is devoted, and the greater trustworthiness of the MD tradition is shown from the places where its readings accord better than its rivals' with the requirements of rhythm and Plinian usage. The author is, however, no slave to a formula. He is aware that ' Keine Handschrift oder Handschriftenfamilie ist fehlerfrei' (p. 23) and he gives examples which, as ii. 5. 9 'me esse credam' MV, ' esse me credam' F Douxa, show that the MD family has its lapses. In his third chapter Mr. Carlsson deals with the recently discovered Pierpont Morgan uncial fragment and the Aldine edition. Both these give the BF tradi • tion, which, with its characteristic depravations, thus goes back at least to the sixth century. A fourth chapter discusses the reading of particular passages. J. P. POSTGATE.


We evaluated a new transcutaneous gas monitor designed to measure simultaneously transcutaneous oxygen (PtcCO2) and carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) tensions. A total of 514 simultaneous transcutaneous and arterial gases were obtained in 47 adult ICU patients. Mean PtcCO2 was close (see < 4 torr) to mean Paco2, but mean Ptc CO 2 was considerably less than mean Pao 2. However, PtcCO2 changes larger than 15 torr virtually always indicated respective increases or decreases in Pao2. Similarly, P tcCO2 changes larger than 5 torr almost invariably indicated a parallel change in Paco2. From this study we conclude that monitoring of transcutaneous gases yields reliable trend information on arterial gases and that it is a valuable noninvasive adjunct in the monitoring of gas exchange in adult patients.


We present wide-field imagery and photometry of 43 selected nearby galaxies of all morphological types at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. The ultraviolet (UV) images, in two broad bands at 1500 and 2500 Å, were obtained using the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) during the Astro-1 Spacelab mission. The UV images have ~3'' resolution, and the comparison sets of ground-based CCD images (in one or more of B, V, R, and Hα) have pixel scales and fields of view closely matching the UV frames. The atlas consists of multiband images and plots of UV/optical surface brightness and color profiles. Other associated parameters, such as integrated photometry and half-light radii, are tabulated. In an appendix, we discuss the sensitivity of different wavebands to a galaxy's star formation history in the form of "history weighting functions" and emphasize the importance of UV observations as probes of evolution during the past 10-1000 Myr. We find that UV galaxy morphologies are usually significantly different from visible band morphologies as a consequence of spatially inhomogeneous stellar populations. Differences are quite pronounced for systems in the middle range of Hubble types, Sa through Sc, but less so for ellipticals or late-type disks. Normal ellipticals and large spiral bulges are fainter and more compact in the UV. However, they typically exhibit smooth UV profiles with far-UV/optical color gradients which are larger than any at optical/IR wavelengths. The far-UV light in these cases is probably produced by extreme horizontal branch stars and their descendants in the dominant, low-mass, metal-rich population. The cool stars in the large bulges of Sa and Sb spirals fade in the UV while hot OB stars in their disks brighten, such that their Hubble classifications become significantly later. In the far-UV, early-type spirals often appear as peculiar, ringlike systems. In some spiral disks, UV-bright structures closely outline the spiral pattern; in others, the disks can be much more fragmented and chaotic than at optical wavelengths. Contributions by bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to the integrated UV light in our sample range from less than 10% to nearly 100%. A number of systems have unusual UV-bright structures in their inner disks, including rings, compact knots, and starburst nuclei, which could easily dominate the UV light in high-redshift analogs. A significant but variable fraction of the far-UV light in spiral disks is diffuse rather than closely concentrated to star-forming regions. Dust in normal spiral disks does not control UV morphologies, even in some highly inclined disk systems. The heaviest extinction is apparently confined to thin layers and the immediate vicinity of young H II complexes; the UV light emerges from thicker star distributions, regions evacuated of dust by photodestruction or winds, or by virtue of strong dust clumpiness. Only in cases where the dust layers are disturbed does dust appear to be a major factor in UV morphology. The UV-bright plume of M82 indicates that dust scattering of UV photons can be important in some cases. In a companion paper, we discuss far-UV data from the Astro-2 mission and optical comparisons for another 35 galaxies, emphasizing face-on spirals.


The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) form a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders with an increasing incidence in the elderly population and an emerging impact on healthcare resources. MDS are caused by gene mutations affecting the haematopoietic stem cells, leading to ineffective haematopoiesis, characterised by dysplasia and cytopenia, and a propensity to evolve towards secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Accurate diagnosis and risk assessment are essential for the correct treatment allocation. In lower-risk MDS patients, median survival reaches 3–8 years and mortality is mainly caused by cytopenia (cardiovascular events, infections, and bleeding). Therefore, the treatment for these patients should be focussed on reduction of disease-related complications, disease progression, and improvement of quality of life. In contrast, in higher-risk MDS patients, median survival ranges from 1–3 years and death from transformation to AML exceeds non-leukaemic mortality. Treatment should be aimed to delay progression to AML and improve overall survival. Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant remains the only curative option for higher-risk MDS patients. However, only a minority of patients are eligible for such intensive treatment. Consequently, most patients are managed with supportive care and palliative treatment, including growth factors, immune-modulators, and hypomethylating agents. Since elderly patients with chronic cytopenia are frequently seen in general practice, awareness of the wide spectrum of presentations of MDS and potential courses of lower and higher-risk diseases are important for primary healthcare physicians.


Plasma membrane protein trafficking is of fundamental importance for cell function and cell integrity of neurons and includes regulated protein recycling. In this work, we report a novel role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for protein recycling as discovered in trafficking studies of the ion channel TRPL in photoreceptor cells of Drosophila. TRPL is located within the rhabdomeric membrane from where it is endocytosed upon light stimulation and stored in the cell body. Conventional immunohistochemistry as well as stimulated emission depletion super‐resolution microscopy revealed TRPL storage at the ER after illumination, suggesting an unusual recycling route of TRPL. Our results also imply that both phospholipase D (PLD) and retromer complex are required for correct recycling of TRPL to the rhabdomeric membrane. Loss of PLD activity in PLD3.1 mutants results in enhanced degradation of TRPL. In the retromer mutant vps35MH20, TRPL is trapped in a Rab5‐positive compartment. Evidenced by epistatic analysis in the double mutant PLD3.1 vps35MH20, PLD activity precedes retromer function. We propose a model in which PLD and retromer function play key roles in the transport of TRPL to an ER enriched compartment.


This study aims to evaluate the joint effect of severity of airflow limitation and emphysema on postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and overall survival after complete resection in patients with early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We retrospectively studied 413 male patients with pathologic stage I or II NSCLC between 2007 and 2009. Severity of airflow limitation was defined based on forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Emphysema was defined by ≥5% low attenuation area at −950 HU. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for any PPC, comparing patients with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation to those without airflow limitation, was 2.23, and the aOR comparing patients with emphysema to those without emphysema was 1.77. However, the joint effect of airflow limitation and emphysema was much higher than expected from the independent effects of both factors (aOR 8.90). Moreover, patients with coexisting moderate-to-severe airflow limitation and emphysema had significantly poorer overall survival than any other group. Patients with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation and emphysema had almost nine times the risk of PPCs and poorer survival than patients with neither of these conditions. Integrated assessment of airflow limitation severity and emphysema is necessary for the optimal selection of candidates for lung resection surgery of early-stage NSCLC. Postoperative outcomes after complete resection in early-stage NSCLC depends on both airflow limitation and emphysema http://ow.ly/fAjl3049YKn


Geoscience applications often produce sizable datasets that are vector-valued and increasingly in need of compression algorithms to reduce storage and transmission burdens, particularly when the data are time-varying. In this paper, several advanced interframe-compression techniques are extended from the traditional realm of natural video to the coding of time-varying vector fields. Although similar to natural video in some respects, time-varying vector-field sequences often possess complex temporal evolution of vector-valued features that are important to the analytic quality of the data yet defy the simple motion models widely employed for natural video. To improve coding performance, motion compensation with reduced resolution is proposed such that motion compensation is applied only at low spatial resolution, while high-resolution information, for which the motion model fails, is intraframe coded with no temporal decorrelation. In empirical results on datasets of ocean-surface winds, this reduced-resolution motion-compensation technique results in significant performance improvement and greater feature preservation.


This paper compares the tractability of four discordancy statistics for modelling outliers based on extremeness. They are: the Generlaized Extreme Studentized Deviate (ESD), Grubb's test, Hampel's method and the quartile method. The last two methods are seen to detect outliers even for datasets that are not approximately normal, although Hampel outperforms the quartile method in some cases. However, a multiplier effect of 2.2 is proposed for the quartile method in addition to the robust statistics for accommodating the outliers.


In real-world applications, it is commonplace that the computational models have field responses, i.e., the temporal or spatial fields. It has become a critical task to develop global sensitivity analysis (GSA) methods to measure the effect of each input variable on the full-field. In this paper, a new sensitivity analysis method based on the manifold of feature covariance matrix (FCM) is developed for quantifying the impact of input variables on the field response. The method firstly performs feature extraction on the field response to obtain a low-dimensional FCM. An adaptive feature selection method is proposed to avoid the FCM from singularity. Thereby, the field response is represented by a FCM, which lies on a symmetric positive-definite matrix manifold. Then, the GSA technique based on the Cramér-von Mises distance for output valued on the Riemannian manifold is introduced for estimating the sensitivity indices for field response. An example of a temporal field and an example of a 2-D displacement field are introduced to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method in estimating global sensitivity indices for field solution. Results show that the proposed method can distinguish the important input variables correctly and can yield robust index values. Besides, the proposed method can be implemented for GSA for field responses of different dimensionalities.


This paper examines the status of the right to health under Nigerian law and makes a case for an inter-institutional collaboration for its realisation. The importance of the right underscores the need for the government to engender a workable healthcare framework for its citizens. The paper finds that although there are laws that mandate the Nigerian government to ensure healthcare delivery for the citizens, these laws are not implemented. While arguments have been offered for the constitutionalisation and judicialisation of the right to health, this paper, however, contends that mere constitutionalisation or judicialisation may not bring about a practical or effective realisation of the right, as the present non-realisation is not due to a lack of legal framework but a lack of political will to implement laws and policies on the subject matter. It, therefore, recommends a court-facilitated inter-institutional dialogue among all branches of government and relevant stakeholders, with a view to emplacing a real-world realisation of the right.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To test the effects of different perspective-taking instructional sets, gender, caregivers' personal histories with cancer, and caregiving relationship factors on family caregiver and patient perceptual agreement of symptom experiences of patients with lung cancer.

DESIGN
Counterbalanced.

SETTING
Thoracic oncology outpatient clinical setting in Canada.

SAMPLE
98 dyads consisting of patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers.

METHODS
Data were collected on a one-time basis by employing an abbreviated version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale targeting lack of energy and worrying. Caregivers were randomized to one of six counterbalanced conditions of perspective-taking instructions.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Caregiver discrepancy scores, instructional sets (i.e., neutral, self-report, and imagine-self and imagine-patient perspective-taking), order effects, gender, caregivers' personal history with cancer, and caregiving relationship factors.

FINDINGS
No order effects were found for the instructional sets. Instructions to imagine the patient's perspective over imagining how the caregiver would feel if he or she had cancer were most effective in enhancing the caregiver's ability to estimate the patient's lack of energy and worrying. Gender had no significant effects. The amount of patient-caregiver communication had a positive impact on the accuracy of caregivers' perspectives.

CONCLUSIONS
The patient-oriented instructions had a limited impact on enhancing patient-caregiver congruence on patient symptoms. This likely is related to the study's convenience sample of caregivers who appear to naturally engage in empathic processes of patient-oriented perspective-taking when they assessed and reported on patient symptom conditions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Further exploratory work should identify interpersonal conditions that negatively hamper the effects of caregiver perspective-taking on their reasonable understanding of patient symptoms.


Schlumburger Geco-Prakla (SGP) conducted seismic operations in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes of Louisiana, between October 1997 and March 1998. This area is located on the marsh-swamp interface and contains approximately 40% of the state's nesting bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used spatial buffer zones with a 460-m radius to protect all eagle nests located on properties of the SGP seismic operations. Bald eagle production during seismic operations (1998) was compared to the previous season (1997) and the following season (1999). Production did not differ (P=0.85) for the interaction between year and area (seismic affected nests/non-seismic affected nests). Experimental airboat disturbances were used in the 1998 and 1999 nest- ing seasons to evaluate flush response at distances closer than 460 m. Flush response in- creased as the distance from an airboat to a nest tree decreased. About half of the bald eagles (0.49) flushed when an airboat approached within 230 m of their nest tree. Con- siderably fewer eagles (0.17) flushed when approached to within 310 m of their nest tree. The authors feel that a reduction in the primary protection zone radius from 460 m to 310 m is an appropriate recommendation for the southern portion of Louisiana. There was no detectable impact of SGP seismic operations on nesting bald eagles.


Water quality challenges at local, regional, and national scales have led to increasing pressure to reduce nutrient exports from agricultural land to meet nutrient reduction goals and strategies. Considerable effort and attention have been given to improvements in in-field nutrient management, including 4R (Right source, Right rate, Right time, and Right place) nutrient stewardship. Differences in precipitation and mineralization rates of organic nitrogen (N) combined with the solubility and mobility of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) make it such that in-field nutrient management practices on their own will not be sufficient to meet N reduction goals for challenges such as reducing the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. Cover cropping is another practice that has been increasing in use for nutrient sequestration, erosion control, and soil health benefits. Cover crops will be critical for meeting nutrient reduction goals. However, weather variability and challenges in implementing cover crops in annual row crop systems can limit their performance for NO3 loss reduction, particularly in more northern regions. Additional practices beyond in-field nutrient management and cover crops will, therefore, be needed to meet nutrient reduction goals. Edge-of-field practices have been developed for NO3 loss reduction for use in addition to in-field practices to further reduce loss of…


Abstract Obesity in both women and men is regarded as one of the many factors that may contribute to impaired reproductive health. Obesity can be accompanied by several neuroendocrine and ovarian dysfunctions, including chronic oligo/anovulation, menstrual irregularities, subfertility, and the increased risk of pregnancy in women. Insulin resistance, elevated triglyceride and fatty acid levels, and the secretion of adipocytokines caused by the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue associated with obesity adversely affect reproductive functions. Alterations in sperm quality and motility and hormone levels related to a rise in body mass index (BMI) may predispose men to infertility. The mechanisms of action of obesity on male infertility include endocrinopathy, erectile dysfunction, epididymitis, increased leptin and adipocytes, increased aromatase, inflammatory cytokines secreted by fat tissue, and sperm DNA fragmentation. This study reports that an increased BMI may lead to low semen quality, poor sperm motility, and reduced fertilization rates in men as well as anovulation, pregnancy loss, diminished pregnancy, and low live birth rates in women. Having optimal weight with balanced nutrition enables one to maintain a continuity of reproductive health throughout the entire life cycle, which is extremely important in terms of having a healthy embryo, including pre-foetal life, in the continuity of pregnancy and having a live birth.


Abstract The genesis of the Dabaoshan stratabound base metal deposit has remained in dispute since its discovery. Scheelite is commonly present in both the Cu-S orebody and adjacent porphyry-style Mo-W mineralization and can provide insights into the hydrothermal history. In the stratabound Cu-S orebodies, there are three stages of mineralization: early-stage, Cu-(W), and late-stage. Two types of scheelite (here referred to as SchA and SchB) are identified in the Cu-(W) mineralization stage. SchA is anhedral and disseminated in massive sulfide ores. It coexists with chalcopyrite and replaces the preexisting arsenic-bearing pyrite. SchA exhibits chaotic cathodoluminescent (CL) textures and contains abundant mineral inclusions, including pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, uraninite, and minor REE-bearing minerals. Chemically, SchA displays middle REE (MREE)-enriched patterns with negative Eu anomalies. SchB occurs in veins crosscutting the stratabound orebodies and shows patchy textures in CL images. Based on CL texture, SchB is subdivided into SchB1 and SchB2. SchB1 is CL-dark and occasionally shows oscillatory zoning, whereas SchB2 is CL-bright and relatively homogeneous. Chemically, SchB1 has a high-U content (mean = 552 ppm) and REE patterns varying from MREE-enriched to MREE-depleted. In contrast, SchB2 is depleted in U (mean = 2.5 ppm) and has MREE-enriched patterns. Compared with SchB, SchA is significantly enriched in Ba. Scheelite in the stratabound orebodies has similar Y/Ho ratios and trace-element characteristics as Sch3 in the Dabaoshan porphyry system. In situ U-Pb dating of hydrothermal apatite, collected from the Sch3-bearing veins in the footwall of stratabound orebodies, yielded a mineralization age of 160.8 ± 1.1 Ma. Zircon from the Dabaoshan granite porphyry yielded a U-Pb age of 161.8 ± 1.0 Ma. These two ages are consistent within uncertainty, suggesting that the ore-forming fluid responsible for tungsten mineralization in the stratabound orebodies was derived from the porphyry system. When fluid emanating from the deep porphyry system encountered the overlying Lower Qiziqiao Formation and stratabound orebodies, replacement reactions resulted in dramatic variations in physiochemical conditions (e.g., decrease in fO2, increase in Ca/Fe, As, Ba). During this process, U6+ was reduced to U4+, and As and Ba were leached out of the preexisting pyrite and host rock. Fluid-rock interactions triggered a rapid discharge of fluids, forming SchA with chaotic CL textures and abundant inclusions, but uniform REE patterns. SchB (characterized by patches with different chemical characteristics) may have been formed from repeated injection of ascending fluids into fractures crosscutting the pre-existing massive sulfide ores. We propose that Jurassic porphyry Mo-W mineralization contributed to tungsten mineralization in the stratabound orebodies. Considering that Cu and W mineralization are genetically related, not only in the footwall but also in the stratabound orebodies, we infer that Cu in the stratabound orebodies was locally sourced from the Jurassic porphyry mineralization.


The objective of this thesis was to study the response mechanisms of grapevine to Fe-deficiency and to potential Fe chlorosis prevention strategies. The results show that the presence of bicarbonate in the nutrient solution shifted the activity of PEPC and TCA cycle enzymes and the accumulation/translocation of organic acids in roots of Fe-deprived plants. The rootstock 140 Ruggeri displayed a typical behavior of calcicole plants under bicarbonate stress. The Fe chlorosis susceptible rootstock 101-14 reacted to a prolonged Fe-deficiency reducing the root activity of PEPC and MDH. Noteworthy, it accumulates high levels of citric acid in roots, indicating a low capacity to utilizing, transporting and/or exudating organic acids into the rhizosfere. In contrast, 110 Richter rootstock is capable to maintain an active metabolism of organic acids in roots, accumulating them to a lesser extent than 101-14. Similarly to 101-14, SO4 genotype displays a strong decrease of mechanisms associated to Fe chlorosis tolerance (PEPC and MDH enzymes). Nevertheless it is able to avoid excessive accumulation of citric acid in roots, similar as 110 Richter rootstock. Intercropping with Festuca rubra increased leaf chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis. In addition, intercropping reduces the activity of PEPC in roots, similary to Fe-chelate supply. Applications of NH4+ with nitrification inhibitor prevents efficiently Fe-deficiency, increases chlorophyll content, and induces similar root biochemical responses as Fe-EDDHA. Without the addition of nitrification inhibitors, the effectiveness of NH4+ supply on Fe chlorosis prevention resulted significantly lower. The aspects intertwined in this investigation highlight the complexity of Fe physiology and the fine metabolic tuning of grapevine genotypes to Fe availability and soil-related environmental factors. The experimental evidences reveal the need to carry out future researches on Fe nutrition maintaining a continous flow of knowledge between theoretical and agronomical perspectives for fully supporting the efforts devoted to convert science into practice.


The recent growth of the World Wide Web has sparked new research into using the Internet for novel types of group communication, like multiparty videoconferencing and real-time streaming. Multicast has the potential to be very useful, but it suffers from many problems like security. To achieve secure multicast communications with the dynamic aspect of group applications due to free membership joins and leaves in addition to member's mobility, key management is one of the most critical problems. So far, a lot of multicast key management schemes have been proposed and most of them are centralized, which have the problem of "one point failure" and that the group controller is the bottleneck of the group. In order to solve these two problems, we propose a Key Management Scheme, using cluster-based End-System Multicast (ESM). The group management is between both 1) the main controller (MRP, Main Rendezvous Point) and the second controllers (CRP, Cluster RP), and 2) the second controllers (CRPs) and its members. So, ESM simplifies the implementation of group communication and is efficient ways to deliver a secure message to a group of recipients in a network as a practical alternative to overcome the difficulty of large scale deployment of traditional IP multicast. In this paper, we analyze different key management schemes and propose a new scheme, namely Advanced Transition/Cluster Key management Scheme (ATCKS) and find it has appropriate performance in security.


Localization of nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is important in many applications such as tracking emergency services personnel. At CSIRO we are developing low-cost nodes suitable for cooperative localization in WSN using a single radio for communication and ranging based on time-of-arrival(TOA). In this paper we present the results of network simulations of three previously published algorithms, and propose a new algorithm that overcomes some limitations of these algorithms. The results show the benefits of the new algorithm in networks with low range noise.


Background and Objectives Cancer is a common comorbidity in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Randomized controlled trials that established endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) as the standard of care for large vessel occlusion generally excluded patients with cancer. As such, the clinical benefits of endovascular thrombectomy in the cancer population are currently poorly established. We examine clinical outcomes of patients with cancer who underwent EVT using a large inpatient database, the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Methods The NIS was queried for AIS admission between 2016 and 2019, and patients with cancer were identified. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, reperfusion therapies, and outcomes were compared between patients with AIS with and without cancer. For patients who underwent EVT, propensity score matching was used to study primary outcomes such as risk of intracranial hemorrhage, hospital length of stay, and discharge disposition. Results During the study period, 2,677,200 patients were hospitalized with AIS, 228,800 (8.5%) of whom had a diagnosis of cancer. A total of 132,210 patients underwent EVT, of which 8,935 (6.8%) had cancer. Over 20% of patients with cancer who underwent EVT had a favorable outcome of a routine discharge home without services. On adjusted propensity score analysis, patients with cancer who underwent EVT had similar rates of intracranial hemorrhage (OR 1.03, CI 0.79–1.33, p = 0.90) and odds of a discharge home, with a significantly higher rate of prolonged hospitalization greater than 10 days (OR 1.34, CI 1.07–1.68, p = 0.01). Compared with patients without cancer, patients with metastatic cancer who underwent EVT also had similar rates of intracranial hemorrhage (OR 1.03, CI 0.64–1.67, p = 1.00) and likelihood of routine discharge (OR 0.83, CI 0.51–1.35, p = 0.54) but higher rates of in-hospital mortality (OR 2.72, CI 1.52–4.90, p < 0.01). Discussion Our findings show that in contemporary medical practice, patients with acute stroke with comorbid cancer or metastatic cancer who undergo endovascular thrombectomy have similar rates of intracranial hemorrhage and favorable discharges as patients without cancer. This suggests that patients with AIS who meet the criteria for reperfusion therapy may be considered in the setting of a comorbid cancer diagnosis.


Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, severe mental illness that affects 2-3% of the world's population. In recent years, neuroimaging studies have consistently shown abnormal patterns of activity within corticostriatal thalamocortical (CSTC) circuits in patients with OCD and reported that effective treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) normalizes aberrant CSTC activity. However, the mechanism of this effect is unknown.

Because it is difficult, if not impossible, to investigate cellular and circuit mechanisms in human subjects, our lab turns to translational mouse models. Using Sapap3-knockout (KO) mice, which display a compulsive grooming phenotype and corticostriatal abnormalities, we sought to determine the role of spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in mediating compulsive behavior and to uncover potential neural correlates of effective SSRI administration. Using novel in vivo calcium imaging technology, we observed overall striatal hyperactivity in Sapap3-KO mice at grooming- onset relative to wild-type (WT) littermates, an effect that is driven by increased recruitment of groom onset-activated SPNs. SSRI treatment reduced the compulsive grooming behavior of Sapap3-KOs and decreased the neural correlate of this behavior, the percent of groom onset- activated SPNs observed in Sapap3-KOs.

To investigate the contributions of individual striatal subpopulations to the overall striatal hyperactivity observed in Sapap3-KOs, we used a double-transgenic strategy to generate D1-cre x Sapap3-KO and D1-cre x Sapap3-WT mice. Contrary to our predictions, we observed a significant reduction in activity of D1-SPNs in Sapap3-KOs relative to WT mice. Following 7 days SSRI treatment, the compulsive grooming phenotype of D1-cre x Sapap3-KO mice was significantly reduced, but only minor changes in D1-SPN activity were observed. These findings suggest that D2-SPNs may be responsible for driving grooming-associated striatal hyperactivity in Sapap3-KO mice. While additional research is necessary to attain a more comprehensive understanding of the corticostriatal abnormalities in this translational model, the present findings provide clinically-relevant insights into the circuit level mechanisms underlying compulsive behaviors and the mechanisms by which SSRI treatment effectively reduces them.


A voltage reference circuit operating with all transistors biased in weak inversion, providing a mean reference voltage of 257.5 mV, has been fabricated in 0.18 m CMOS technology. The reference voltage can be approximated by the difference of transistor threshold voltages at room temperature. Accurate subthreshold design allows the circuit to work at room temperature with supply voltages down to 0.45 V and an average current consumption of 5.8 nA. Measurements performed over a set of 40 samples showed an average temperature coefficient of 165 ppm/ C with a standard deviation of 100 ppm/ C, in a temperature range from 0 to 125°C. The mean line sensitivity is ≈0.44%/V, for supply voltages ranging from 0.45 to 1.8 V. The power supply rejection ratio measured at 30 Hz and simulated at 10 MHz is lower than -40 dB and -12 dB, respectively. The active area of the circuit is ≈0.043mm2.


When individuals move to an unfamiliar culture, they are faced with complex decisions regarding maintenance of their original culture and adaptation to the behaviours of the host culture, resulting in four potential adaptation styles (assimilation, integration, separation and marginalisation). This process is known as acculturation and is particularly relevant to international students, who face a combination of academic and cultural challenges during their sojourn. Students who integrate with the host culture have a more enriching student experience and report higher levels of satisfaction with their university.
An acculturation scale was utilised from the literature to investigate the most common acculturation styles used by East Asian students at Northumbria University. A total of 125 respondents completed the 29-item scale online and also submitted demographic information, with internal reliability assessed using Cronbach's Alpha.
The results show that 46% of respondents have adopted an 'integration' approach, showing a willingness to adapt to UK life whilst also retaining elements of their original culture. These results are encouraging for university staff responsible for the well-being of international students. However, the proportion of international students who separate themselves from the host culture (37%) clearly suggests that more can be done to support their cultural adaptation.


Path Choice in Different Wayfinding Tasks Simon Buechner University of Freiburg, Germany Christoph Hoelscher University of Freiburg, Germany Abstract: Path choice behavior in different wayfinding tasks was investigated. Participants experienced a small virtual indoor environment in three different learning conditions (free exploration, uninformed search, path following) followed by a search or a path planning task. To complete the task they had to pass a choice point at which they were forced to choose one of two paths, both leading to the target location. Both paths had a different number of visible further movement options. The least-decision load theory predicts that participants choose the path with fewer options (because the risk of getting lost is smaller) while the maximization theory predicts that participants choose the path with more options to maximize the number of potential successive steps. We hypothesize that the choice is modulated by demands of the current task. The results will be discussed with respect to the attractor and repellor function of choice options in different tasks.


In this paper, we propose an efficient method to provide personal identification using fingerprint to get better accuracy even in noisy condition. The fingerprint matching based on the number of corresponding minutia pairings, has been in use for a long time, which is not very efficient for recognizing the low quality fingerprints. To overcome this problem, correlation technique is used. The correlation-based fingerprint verification system is capable of dealing with low quality images from which no minutiae can be extracted reliably and with fingerprints that suffer from non-uniform shape distortions, also in case of damaged and partial images. Orientation Field Methodology (OFM) has been used as a preprocessing module, and it converts the images into a field pattern based on the direction of the ridges, loops and bifurcations in the image of a fingerprint. The input image is then Cross Correlated (CC) with all the images in the cluster and the highest correlated image is taken as the output. The result gives a good recognition rate, as the proposed scheme uses Cross Correlation of Field Orientation (CCFO = OFM + CC) for fingerprint identification.


The aim of this study was to compare estimates of Pap smear screening and mammogram obtained from household survey and a telephone survey in São Paulo/Brazil in the year 2008, according to sociodemographic characteristics, and to dimension the observed differences from those estimates. The study used data from the ISA-Capital 2008 Survey, conducted in São Paulo city, by Faculty of Public Health of the University of São Paulo with support from the Municipal Health Department, and VIGITEL (São Paulo), a telephone survey conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health towards Surveillance of Risk and Protection Factors for Chronic non-transmittable Diseases. Estimates of Pap smear and mammogram in women, as well as its realisation in the year prior to the interview were compared according to type of survey (household/telephone) by Poisson regression adjusted for age and education. There were no statistically significant differences between the estimates obtained by VIGITEL and ISA-Capital for the prevalence of mammogram in the year prior to the interview. However, estimates for the global estimates of the Pap smear at least once in life and in the last year and mammogram at least once in life, there has been observed statistically significant differences, with higher prevalence among those interviewed by telephone. It shows a tendency to overestimate the prevalence of mammography and Pap smear in the telephone survey data indicating a necessity for new studies that also contribute to a better understanding of the differences observed using different types of surveys.


Through creating slow waves in structures, Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) shows promise for potential vibration control applications. However, it remains unclear whether such phenomena can still occur in a structure undergoing high-speed spinning, and if so, what is the interplay among various system parameters and what are the underpinning physical mechanisms. To address this issue, this work establishes a semi-analytical model for a spinning ABH beam based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory under the energy framework. After its validation, the model is used to reveal a few important vibration features pertinent to the spinning ABH beam through examining its dynamics, modal properties and energy flow. It is shown that the spinning-induced centrifugal effects generate hardening effects inside the structure, thus increasing the overall structural stiffness and stretching the wavelength of the modal deformation of flexural waves as compared with its counterpart at still. Meanwhile, energy flow to the ABH portion of the beam is also adversely affected. As a result, the ABH-induced overall damping enhancement effect of the viscoelastic coating, as observed in conventional ABH beam at still, is impaired. Nevertheless, the study confirms that typical ABH features, in terms of wave compression, energy trapping and dissipation, though affected by the spinning effects, are still persistent in a high-speed spinning structure. This paves the way forward for the embodiment of ABH phenomena in the design of high performance rotating mechanical components such as turbine blades.


L26 (CD20) is one of the most useful markers in the diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasms, but when Gala et al tested a large panel of antibodies for use in Bouin fixed bone marrow, L26 was one of the few antibodies which failed to stain. Vassallo and Pinto now suggest that if Zenker solution is used instead of Bouin solution, satisfactory L26 staining may be obtained. However, Zenker has its own technical and safety disadvantages and we note that, in contrast to the findings of Gala et al, successful immunostaining of Bouin fixed material for L26 has previously been noted and we get consistent, strong immunostaining for L26. We have fixed marrow biopsies in Bouin fluid for many years because of its excellent morphology in haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and for its ease of use. (Following three to six hours of fixation in Bouin, biopsies are decalcified overnight in 10% formic acid. A short daytime processing cycle allows H&E sections to be reviewed late on the day following biopsy.) For immunohistochemistry we use antigen retrieval in antigen unmasking solution (Vector Laboratories) with pressure cooking for two minutes before applying L26 (Dako) followed by the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) technique. In addition to staining B cells, we note that L26 may give weak to moderate staining of megakaryocytes, a finding we have also seen with B5 fixed material. Nucleolar staining, described in epithelial and other cells types and regarded as non-specific, may be seen in some marrow blast cells. Figure 1 shows L26 staining of an infiltrate of hairy cell leukaemia in a Bouin fixed marrow biopsy. Gala et al indicate that there is limited information on the range of antibodies which stain in Bouin fixed marrow so we have reviewed all the immunostains on our bone marrow biopsies for the past year. In addition to the antibodies described by Gala we have found successful staining for L26, leucocyte common antibody, CD79a, CD34, CD68 (PGM1), epithelial membrane antigen, glycophorin A and C, S-100, and tryptase.


The preparation of mullite coatings for the oxidation protection of carbon fibre reinforced composites using a combination of sol-gel synthesis and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has been investigated. Mullite precursor sols were synthesised by controlled hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the metal alkoxides TEOS (tetraethoxysilane) and Al(OBus)3 (aluminiumtri-sec-butylate). The structure and properties of the mullite precursor were strongly influenced by the synthesis parameters, especially by the water to TEOS ratio (rw/Si) and the pH value of the water. A variety of synthesis conditions was tested for optimising the mullite precursor sols regarding their suitability for the electrophoretic deposition. The electrokinetic behaviour of the sols and the charging of the sol particles which is necessary for a successful EPD were investigated by measurements of the Electrokinetic Sonic Amplitude (ESA signal). 29Si CP/MAS NMR measurements were used to get information about the coordination of the silicon and the homogeneity of the Al/Si distribution in the precursors. Heat-treated samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction for investigating the mullite formation. Coatings prepared by EPD and sintering at 1300 °C in Ar enabled an effective oxidation protection in the temperature range 1200 °C ≤ T ≤ 1550 °C.


AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER TRAINING AT THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL AT FARMVILLE, VIRGINIA Betty Jo Whitaker Simmons, Ed.D. The College of William and Mary in Virginia, March, 1988. Chairman: Professor James M. Yankovich The purpose of this study was to trace the development of teacher training at the Virginia State Normal School located at Farmville from its inception in 1884 through 1924 when it became a State Teachers College. The study focused upon seven characteristics identified by Charles Harper in 1939 as being typical of the developmental history of normal schools. Following these seven characteristics as a framework, the study analyzed the contributions made toward the professionalization of teaching by 1) presidents, trustees, and faculty; 2) public support; 3) in-service education; 4) curriculum provision; 5) laboratory experiences; 6} extra-curriculum offerings; and 7) pragmatic efforts. Historical methodology was used in the data collection. Extensive use was made of the Annual Reports of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and of the catalogs and bulletins of the State Normal School. The archives of Dabney Lancaster Library at Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia proved to be a valuable source of primary data. In addition to the review of the literature and numerous other sources, personal interviews and the Minutes of the Trustees and Minutes of the Faculty were invaluable. The study concluded that the State Normal School at Farmville, Virginia conformed to the seven characteristics identified by Charles Harper. In addition the study provided evidence that Farmville was a pioneer institution of higher education in Virginia and that through its professional teacher training leadership, the success of public education in Virginia was advanced.


INAYATUL MAULA. 14111310031. TYPES OF TRANSLATION SHIFTS FOUND IN
'THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND' WITH CATFORD AND
NEWMARK'S THEORIES.
Nowadays, the progress of translation work has been getting more developed, including
in fictional literary works. The term "shift" is admittedly one of the most important areas to be
investigated in such texts, since they contain a lot of figure of speech and frequent references
to prayers, gratitude, humility, etc. whose transfer is not performed as directly as in
nonfictions. Thus, this research was an attempt to investigate the types of translation shifts
found in an English fictional short story and its Indonesian translation. The main objective of
this research was to find what types of translation shifts occured in the story and its translation
drawing on Catford and Newmark"s theories.
This study draws on Catford and Newmark"s theories of translation shifts in which both
classified different types of shift that concern with the same term; translation procedure
involving a change in the grammar from SL to TL. The technique of this research is study of
document and qualitative method. The data was taken from a story entitled "The Adventure of
the Speckled Band" by Conan Doyle (1892), and its Indonesian translation "The Speckled
Band – Pita Berbintik" (2014) translated by Ismanto, Ahmad Asnawi and the others. To
analyze the data, a coding scheme drawing on Catford"s and Newmark"s shift types was
developed to guide the researcher coding all the text. It consists of category names, rules for
assigning codes, and examples. Then finally, the coding consistency of all the text was
assessed to help making a conclusion.
The obtained findings of this study demonstrated that all types of shifts were found in the
data source according to both Catford and Newmark"s theories. Further, the result proved that
structure shifts of category shifts were the most frequently used type of Catford"s shifts.
While the most frequently used type of Newmark"s shifts was the change where literal
translation is grammatically possible but may not accord to the natural usage of the TL. These
results occur due to the structural differences between English and Indonesian, and the
translators" attempts to meet the expectations of the target readers in reading such fictional
story.
Keywords: Catford"s Translation Shifts, Newmark"s Shifts or Transpositions, Literary
Translation


Charts and radiographs of sarcoidosis patients seen at a private university hospital and at a municipal hospital were reviewed to determine whether there was a difference in the severity of disease retrospectively. A standardized abstract form was used to identify and abstract information on new and continuing sarcoidosis patients seen at either Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) or District of Columbia General Hospital (DCGH) during a 2-year period. Because there were too few white sarcoidosis patients for comparison, analysis was done for African-American patients only. African-American patients at GUMC were slightly older, with a higher percentage of women. For GUMC patients, 76% had private insurance and 21% had public insurance, and for DCGH patients, one-half had public insurance and 29% had no insurance. Significantly fewer GUMC patients (7% versus 36%) reported moderate to severe dyspnea. Chest radiographs showed a larger percentage of patients with stage 1 disease at GUMC and more patients with stage 4 disease at DCGH. Spirometry showed more impairment of forced expired volume in one second (FEV1) in GUMC patients, but diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) values were significantly lower among DCGH patients. Less than 8% of GUMC patients showed disease progression compared with almost one-third of DCGH patients. These results demonstrate that substantially less severe pulmonary sarcoidosis was seen in African-American patients treated at a private, nonprofit university hospital compared with a municipal hospital. Factors that determine the use of municipal hospitals, such as limited financial access to care and sources of patients, may have played a major role in the differences seen.


Early experimental work on the heights of origin of muons in Extensive Air Showers, particularly that of Earnshaw et al (1973) is described in detail and the relative merits of the experimental techniques used are considered. As an extension of the work, an extensive series of computer simulations was performed both as an aid to interpretation of experimental data and to indicate measureable parametres for future experiments. Both the temporal and spatial characteristics were simulated and a large amount of data is presented and compared where possible with available experimental results Recent work using a different model for shower cascade development is described and compared with the earlier simulations. A design for a new experiment which has evolved from this work and is now nearing completion is fully described. The experiment consists of two widely separated (250m), heavily shielded spatial angle detectors (employing neon flash tubes) with a particle track resolution better than half a degree. Methods of data extraction and interpretation are described and the likely modes of operation discussed.


OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical status of type II diabetic subjects identified in two population-based surveys, one performed in Mexico City, Mexico and the other in San Antonio, Texas. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In a low income area of Mexico City, 3,517 age-eligible (35–64 years of age) individuals were randomly selected of whom 3,319 were interviewed at home and 2,198 were examined in a clinic (response rates 62.5%). In San Antonio, 2,357 similarly aged low-income Mexican Americans were randomly selected of whom 2,076 were interviewed at home and 1,511 were examined (response rate 64.1%). Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed at both sites and diabetes was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. In Mexico City, 288 type II diabetic individuals were identified, and 255 were identified in San Antonio. The following variables were measured: height, weight, subscapular and triceps skinfolds, waist-to-hip circumference ratios (WHR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (random 0 sphygmomanometer), fasting and 2-h postglucose load glucose and insulin concentrations, and fasting total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) levels. A food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate total calories and the percentage of calories derived from protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Only type II diabetic patients were included in the analyses. Age-adjustment was performed by analysis of covariance for continuous variables and by the Mantel-Haenszel procedure for discrete variables. RESULTS The mean age, the percentage newly diagnosed cases, and the percentage of males were similar in both sites. The percentage of diabetic patients treated with oral agents was significantly higher in Mexico City (56.9 vs. 72.7% in San Antonio and Mexico City, respectively, P < 0.001), whereas the percentage treated with insulin was significantly higher in San Antonio (18.8 vs. 2.1% for San Antonio and Mexico City, respectively, P < 0.001). A significant difference was observed in the percentage of calories derived from carbohydrate (61.7–63.2 vs. 47.1–47.5% for Mexico City and San Antonio, respectively, P < 0.001) and fat (18.4–20.0 and 30.1–33.0% for Mexico City and San Antonio, respectively, P < 0.001). Body mass index (BMI)


Health promotion can't be separated from the media, and radio is one of the electronic media that is close to the community. Communication, information and education on the radio is expected to increase knowledge of adolescents about HIV AIDS. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of Radio Trax FM 90.2 Semarang broadcast exposure to knowledge about HIV AIDS at the 11th grade high school students of SMAN 1 Semarang. This type of research is descriptive analytic with cross sectional approach. The research sample was calculated by the formula slovin and obtained a sample of at least 140 respondents. Data were analyzed by univariate using frequency distribution table and bivariate using cross tabulation and analysis of the relationship using chi-square test. The results showed 75.7% of respondents were 16 years old, 61.4% of respondents were female and 77.1% of respondents are not used to listening to the radio. For the correlation test showed no correlation between, the understanding of the health messages ( ) and the acceptance of the health messages ( ) with knowledge about HIV AIDS. To improve knowledge about HIV AIDS through radio, Trax FM 90.2 radio Semarang is advised to provide a health education every month.


COVID-19 had an immediate and significant impact on the practice of international arbitration. Nevertheless, arbitral institutions, arbitral tribunals, counsel and other participants learned quickly how to deal with this new challenge. The crucial question is whether there will be long-term impacts by these COVID-19 experiences on international arbitration even once this pandemic is over. The spontaneous and probably correct answer would be "Yes". Most probably, more elements of a typical arbitration that were based on physical presence will from now on occur contactless, i.e. in virtual reality. However, it is not only helpful but also necessary to identify which elements of international arbitration could easily take place in virtual reality and for which elements physical presence is and remains desirable or maybe even indispensable. In the end, COVID-19 will most probably speed up processes aimed at more efficiency that had already commenced prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but will not change the core elements of international arbitration, i.e. the search for impartial and independent and—hopefully in most cases fair and just—decision-making in cross-border disputes through a voluntary and flexible process.


We consider the problem of allocating resources for completing a collection of jobs. Each resource is specified by a start-time, finish-time and the capacity of resource available and has an associated cost, and each job is specified by a start-time, finish-time and the amount of the resource required (demand) during this interval. A feasible solution is a multiset of resources (i.e., multiple units of each resource may be picked) such that at any point of time, the sum of the capacities offered by the resources is at least the total demand of the jobs active at that point of time. The cost of the solution is the sum of the costs of the resources included in the solution (taking into account the units of the resources). The goal is to find a feasible solution of minimum cost. This problem arises naturally in many scenarios. For example, given a set of jobs, we would like to allocate some resource such as machines, memory or bandwidth in order to complete all the jobs. This problem generalizes a covering version of the knapsack problem which is known to be NP-hard. We present a constant factor approximation algorithm for this problem based on a Primal-Dual approach.


OBJECTIVES
To find the number of smokers among school-children in Extremadura in the eighth year of EGB/second of ESO, the relationship of their environment with the acquisition of the habit and their attitudes towards tobacco.

DESIGN
Crossover study of a representative sample of the students doing these courses.

SETTING
All the schools in our autonomous community.

PARTICIPANTS
1062 students from various schools.

MEASUREMENTS
We used a self-administered questionnaire with questions on the tobacco consumption of the interviewees, their parents, siblings, friends and teachers. The study included other variables, such as age, sex, alcohol consumption, parents' educational qualifications and other questions pertinent to attitudes to tobacco.

RESULTS
The age of those surveyed was 13-14 (54% boys), of whom 18.27% were habitual smokers (95% CI, 15.95-20.59). Tobacco consumption was higher in boys (20.48% against 15.24% in girls; p = 0.05). The habit is clearly higher in friends, siblings, fathers and mothers of smokers (p < 0.001; < 0.001; < 0.001, and < 0.01, respectively), but not in teachers. Parents of non-smokers had higher educational qualifications. Smokers showed favourable attitudes towards consumption and a positive association with alcohol intake.

CONCLUSIONS
Given their age, the number of smokers is high and is associated with the presence of the habit in their most immediate social environment. Attitudes in our school-children which favour consumption justify the introduction of prevention programmes.


A gas chromatographic procedure for the simultaneous analysis of 14C-labeled and unlabeled metabolic gases from microbial methanogenic systems is described. H2, CH4, and CO2 were separated within 2.5 min on a Carbosieve B column and were detected by thermal conductivity. Detector effluents were channeled into a gas proportional counter for measurement of radioactivity. This method was more rapid, sensitive, and convenient than gas chromatography-liquid scintillation techniques. The gas chromatography-gas proportional counting procedure was used to characterize the microbial decomposition of organic matter in anaerobic lake sediments and to monitor 14CH4 formation from H2 and 14CO2 by Methanosarcina barkeri.


Abstract We studied survival and probable causes of mortality for plains sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus jamesi chicks up to 30 days of age, and for hens during the reproductive period in Alberta, Canada, during 1999-2001. We used the Kaplan-Meier function for estimating survival for >1 radio-marked chick in the same brood and a bootstrapping technique to calculate standard errors while accounting for censored data. Chick survival was 47% over two years (95% CI: 29-64%) with 81% of mortalities occurring during the first 15 days. Predation accounted for 72% of chick mortalities with mammals taking the largest portion. Chick survival was similar when compared between landscapes with <35% vs ≥35% crop and sparsely covered grassland (8 km2). Hen survival was 53% (95% CI: 44-63%) during the reproductive period over three years. Most hen mortalities were from predation (96%), with mammals accounting for the largest portion followed by raptors. Hen survival was similar in landscapes (8 km2) with <35% crop and sparsely covered grasslands compared with those in areas with ≥35%. Our study helps clarify values of two critical vital rates, i.e. early chick survival and hen survival over the reproductive period.


This study aimed to formulate a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) for enhanced pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior of rifampicin and isoniazid using excipients holding innate anti-mycobacterial activity followed with in vivo–in silico predictions using GastroPlus™. The optimized formulations of rifampicin (RIF-OF1) and isoniazid (INH-OF1) were characterized for drug loading efficiency, viscosity, optical clarity, particle size, zeta potential, morphological assessment and in vitro drug release. The oral bioavailability of RIF-OF1 and INH-OF1 was estimated in rats using validated UPLC MS/MS. The results of in vitro studies showed better drug loading, Newtonian rheological behavior and nanosized globular morphology of SNEDDS. In vitro drug release of both drugs was found to be higher at pH 1.2 and 6.8 as compared to their respective suspensions. The AUC and Cmax values of RIF-OF1 were increased by 3.72 and 5.22 fold compared to the RIF suspension, respectively, whereas INH-OF1 has shown that these values increased by 1.604 and 2.69 times compared to the INH suspension, respectively. Parameter sensitivity analysis predicted the considerable effect of solubility and permeability on main PK profiles. GastroPlus predicted maximum compartmental absorption of RIF-OF1 from proximal and distal portions of intestine whereas INH-OF1 was mainly absorbed from the duodenum and jejunum portions followed with improved PK parameters. The MIC value of the optimized formulation was reduced as compared to the pure drug indicating drugs acting in tandem in the explored carrier. The study suggested that the explored strategy could be a suitable alternative to conventional delivery systems for improved oral bioavailability of anti-tubercular drugs working in tandem.


California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) have evolved behavioral defenses against their two predators, the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis oreganus) and Pacific gopher snake (Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer). Two studies were used to examine individual variation in antisnake behavior as it might be affected by selection operating on arousability, fearfulness, and aggressiveness. In Study 1 the behavioral consistency of two litters of lab-reared juveniles was examined at two age periods during encounters with a caged gopher snake and domestic cat. Close-range investigation and tail flagging appeared to be governed by short-term motivational states that were not strongly correlated across age. Age correlations revealed that individual tendencies to throw substrate were relatively consistent for the snake and even more so for the cat. In Study 2, wild-caught adults were obtained from five sites where rattlesnakes and gopher snakes were abundant and from five sites where these snakes were rare or absent. Squirrels in a seminatural laboratory setting were given balanced presentations of a caged rattlesnake and gopher snake separated by 5 days. Snakes were recognized by all squirrels as potentially dangerous, irrespective of experience, age, and selective regime. Substrate throwing also was positively correlated for the two snakes in both groups of adults, indicating that level of aggressiveness is a consistent component of temperament not specific to species of snakes. Physiological arousal was not correlated strongly for the two snakes, but it was significantly lower in squirrels from sites where snakes were abundant. This suggests some specialization to reduce anxiety that possibly enhances tactical decision making.


The Red Sea Water enters the Gulf of Aden through the Strait of Bab El Mandeb as a density current. The Red Sea Water subsequently spreads into the Gulf of Aden under the influence of surface mesoscale eddies, which dominate the surface flow, of topographic features such as rift and capes, and of the monsoon regimes. The dynamics of a bottom density current overflowing in a semi-enclosed basin, as the Red Sea Water outflows in the Gulf of Aden, is investigated by performing idealised numerical simulations, at submesoscale resolution, in which we progressively add topographic and dynamical elements. The rift and cape play an important role, respectively, on the vertical and the horizontal mixing as well as baroclinic and barotropic instabilities undergone by the bottom density current. Mesoscale and submesoscale eddies are generated depending on the model configuration. In the presence of surface mesoscale eddies, the bottom density current water is mainly advected at their periphery. In winter, both mesoscale and submesoscale eddies are generated, while in summer only submesoscale eddies are present. Finally, to put our results based on idealised numerical simulations and Lagrangian experiments in perspective, we analyse the trajectories of three Argo floats, deployed in the Rift of Tadjurah. Clues of submesoscale eddies generation at capes are observed which is in agreement with our idealised numerical simulations.