Production of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by parasitic striga weeds and attack by stemborers and the invasive fall armyworm (FAW), compounded by increasing hot and dry conditions. A climate-smart push-pull technology (PPT) significantly reduces effects of these biotic challenges. To improve further resilience of the system to climate change, more adapted and suitable companion plants were identified and integrated in a new version of PPT, termed 'third generation PPT'. Our study evaluates field performance and farmer opinions of this new version in comparison with the earlier version, climate-smart PPT, and farmers' own practices of growing maize in controlling stemborers, FAW, and striga weeds. Trials were conducted across five locations in western Kenya for two cropping seasons in the year 2019 following a one-farm one-replicate completely randomized design. We assessed infestation on striga, stemborers, and FAW, and yield performance of the three cropping systems. We also sought the opinions of the hosting farmers through semi-structured questionnaires that were administered through individual interviews. Both PPT plots recorded significantly (P < 0.05) lower striga count, FAW, and stemborer damage, and higher grain yield than in plots that followed farmers' own practices. There was no statistically significant difference between the two PPT plots except for stemborer damage for which the third generation PPT recorded higher damage than the climate-smart PPT. However, farmers preferred the third generation PPT for important traits possessed by its companion plants which their counterparts in climate-smart PPT are deficient. The cultivar Xaraes was rated as 'very good' for resistance to spider mites, biomass yield, and drought tolerance while Desmodium incanum was rated 'very good' for seed production and drought tolerance. The third generation PPT is based on companion crops that are more resilient to hot and dry conditions which are increasing rapidly in prevalence with climate change. This version therefore presents a better option to upscale the technology and meet different needs of farmers especially in arid and semi-arid conditions.


A free-spirited wave of creative energy swept through the San Francisco art community after World War II. Challenging accepted modes of painting, Abstract Expressionists produced highly experimental works that jolted the public out of its postwar complacency. Susan Landauer's comprehensive examination of this dynamic movement provides the first clear picture of the artists and influences that came together in San Francisco's invigorating world of Abstract Expressionism. Landauer argues that Abstract Expressionism resulted from a broad collective impulse rather than the inspiration of a small band of New York artists. Documenting the interchanges between the East and West Coasts, she cites areas of mutual influence and shows the impact of San Francisco on the New York School, including artists such as Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt. San Francisco's Beat poets, Dixieland jazz musicians, and the area's stunning vistas were essential parts of Abstract Expressionism, as were artistic and spiritual contacts with Asia. Under Douglas MacAgy and Clyfford Still, the California School of Fine Arts became the undisputed center of vanguard abstraction on the West Coast. Artists such as Edward Corbett, Jay DeFeo, James Budd Dixon, Frank Lobdell, and Hassel Smith produced gritty, provocative images whose impact extended well beyond California. Landauer also notes the importance of Grace L. McCann Morley, director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, who opened the museum to major Abstract Expressionist figures, and Jermayne MacAgy, who brought local and international artists together. Enlivened by oral histories, Landauer's book is a rewarding exploration of a vital period in modern art. Richly illustrated with 96 color plates, it celebrates the energy and lasting impact of a special time.


EDITOR,-The age at which patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) develop colorectal cancer (CRC) is variable, as is the development of extracolonic tumours in the syndrome. This could be due to the effect of different mutations in the responsible gene,l environmental factors or the influence of risk modifier genes. Enzymes that metabolise dietary carcinogens such as N-acetyltransferase2 (NAT2) and cytochrome P450 CYP1A2 are potential modifier genes and fast metabolisers for NAT2 and CYP1A2 have been reported to be at greater risk of sporadic CRC.2 In addition bile from FAP patients has been found to contain higher concentrations of carcinogens3 than that from controls. Therefore, Spigelman et al (Gut 1995; 36: 251-4) have examined the frequency ofphenotypes for NAT2 and CYP1A2 in FAP against controls and also examined the influence of colectomy on the caffeine metabolite ratios used for phenotyping. We believe that a reexamination of their data questions the use of the phenotyping method for NAT2 in these patients and may help to explain the excess risk for fast acetylators seen in phenotyping studies of colorectal cancer. NAT2 has a well characterised polymorphism4 and patients can be classified as fast or slow acetylators either by means of phenotyping, using a probe drug such as caffeine, or by genotyping using a simple PCR based assay for the four common alleles. In healthy young subjects the two methods are well correlated.4 In their paper Spigelman et al state that there is no significant difference in the value of the metabolic ratio for NAT2 phenotype in a group of six patients before and after surgery. However, if we re-examine the data from Fig 2 and look at the apparent phenotype in each subject rather than the metabolic ratio it would seem that one subject had changed from a slow to a fast acetylator after colectomy, one has done the reverse, and another who seems very close to the cut off point of 0-48 before surgery is now clearly a fast acetylator. Thus possibly as many as 50% of subjects seem to have changed their phenotype in this small group of subjects. If this finding were repeated in a larger sample it would invalidate the conclusion that there are more slow acetylators in the FAP group. While fast acetylator status has been associated with greater risk for sporadic CRC in a number of phenotyping studies in white subjects,2 two genotyping studies in Japanese subjects found no increased risk.5 6 It may be that this is due to different dietary risk factors or the high (90%) prevalence of fast acetylators in Japan but clearly it could also result from a disease effect on the phenotyping procedure causing misclassification of patients in the phenotyping studies in white subjects. We believe that phenotyping may be inaccurate in people with concurrent diseases and that the study by Spigelman et al gives some support tO this theory. In contrast, genotyping offers a quick and simple means of assessing acetylator status, which is unaffected by concurrent illness or drugs. Until further studies have validated phenotyping in patients with FAP or CRC we believe that genotyping is the method of choice for NAT2 analysis and a genotyping study is required to establish whether fast acetylator status is truly a risk factor for this disease in white subjects.


Obligate fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) lack the metabolic pathways used in the metabolism of most carbohydrates and differ from other lactic acid bacteria in that they prefer to ferment d-fructose instead of d-glucose. These characteristics are well conserved at the genus or species level. Leuconostoc citreum F192-5 shows similar growth characteristics. However, the strain is metabolically and genomically different from obligate FLAB. This is an example of a strain that evolved a pseudo-FLAB phenotype to adapt to a fructose-rich environment. ABSTRACT Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB), composed of Fructobacillus spp., Lactobacillus kunkeei, and Lactobacillus apinorum, are unique in that they prefer d-fructose over d-glucose as a carbon source. Strain F192-5, isolated from the peel of a satsuma mandarin and identified as Leuconostoc citreum, grows well on d-fructose but poorly on d-glucose and produces mainly lactate and acetate, with trace amounts of ethanol, from the metabolism of d-glucose. These characteristics are identical to those of obligate FLAB. However, strain F192-5 ferments a greater variety of carbohydrates than known FLAB. Comparative analyses of the genomes of strain F192-5 and reference strains of L. citreum revealed no signs of specific gene reductions, especially genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, in the genome of F192-5. The bifunctional alcohol/acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (adhE) is conserved in strain F192-5 but is not transcribed. This is most likely due to a deletion in the promoter region upstream of the adhE gene. Strain F192-5 did, however, ferment d-glucose when transformed with a plasmid containing the allochthonous adhE gene. L. citreum F192-5 is an example of a pseudo-FLAB strain with a deficiency in d-glucose metabolism. This unique phenotypic characteristic appears to be strain specific within the species L. citreum. This might be one of the strategies lactic acid bacteria use to adapt to diverse environmental conditions. IMPORTANCE Obligate fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) lack the metabolic pathways used in the metabolism of most carbohydrates and differ from other lactic acid bacteria in that they prefer to ferment d-fructose instead of d-glucose. These characteristics are well conserved at the genus or species level. Leuconostoc citreum F192-5 shows similar growth characteristics. However, the strain is metabolically and genomically different from obligate FLAB. This is an example of a strain that evolved a pseudo-FLAB phenotype to adapt to a fructose-rich environment.


PurposeThis paper aims to provide a review of the existing literature available on working capital (WC) and working capital management (WCM).Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR) methodology is used to review 187 articles selected from referred journals, books and international conferences for the period 1980-2017.FindingsThis comprehensive review reveals that much of the focus in the existing literature is paid on investigating the empirical relationship between WCM and firm performance. Furthermore, the attention has been paid towards studying the WC practices. The behavioural aspects, qualitative studies, survey studies and systematic theory development have been ignored in most of the prior studies. These areas have a broader scope for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is based on literature review and theoretical in nature. Therefore, it does not have any empirical results.Practical implicationsSo far, a limited literature review studies have been conducted in WCM perspective. This review provides various emerging trends, which may be considered in future research for providing a deep understanding of WCM.Originality/valueThis is the first time a detailed review of WCM literature has been conducted by using SLR for the period of 1980-2017. This review will be useful for researchers, business policymaker, finance professionals and all other having direct or indirect concerns with WCM study.


In spite of an accumulating volume of information about injury to the
musculoskeletal system in recent years, little scrutiny has been focused on the cause
and prevention of injury. The large number of injuries to the knee joint and the
anterior cruciate ligament ACL ligament in particular, is an alarming sign of the
seriousness of this problem facing recreational and athletic people around the world.
The large number of injuries appears to arise from an unfavourable interaction
between `static' connective tissue-related and 'dynamic' muscle-related stabilisers of
the joint system (Gleeson et al., 1998; Myers and Lephart, 2000). The functional
stability is mediated ultimately by the neuromuscular system (Myers and Lephart,
2000) and it is important therefore to understand the function of the neuromuscular
system as fully as possible in order to affect the aetiology and likelihood of injury
favourably. The neuromuscular system includes biological 'machinery' offering
capability for neuromuscular control (proprioception) and neuromuscular
performance (motor actions).
The neuromuscular control was quantified by newly-developed and laboratory-based
assessments involving the dynamic muscular reproduction of a `blind' target force
and the error associated with such efforts may provide greater efficacy of
measurement compared to those tests used in contemporary practice which may not
indicate an individual's true functional capability to resist injury threats, in
particular, to assess the muscular dynamic intensity associated with sporting
endeavours which may functional capability to resist injury threats may be
compromised.
This thesis is presented as a series of three studies. The aim of this study was to
examine between-day reproducibility and single measurement reliability of objective
and self-perceived indices of force error in the knee flexors and extensors in men.
Results showed that the reproducibility and single-measurement reliability of
objective (CE%, VE %) and self-perceived performance (SPCE% and SPVE %)
during between-day assessments of neuromuscular control NCA1, NCA2 and NCA3
offered compromised precision and efficacy. These indices of performance should be
deployed cautiously within both case-study and inter-individual comparisons and
must rely on multiple-trial protocols to achieve acceptable levels of measurement
precision in such circumstances.
The aim of the second study was to examine the effects of serial bouts of acute
fatiguing exercise on objective and self-perceived indices of neuromuscular control
and performance of the knee flexors in men. In summary, results showed that despite
substantial fatigue-related strength and muscle activation impairments,
neuromuscular control as measured objectively by NCAI, NCA3 or RJA was not
influenced significantly by the fatigue task intervention and that capability in this
aspect of neuromuscular control was preserved in response to this type of exercise
stress. Furthermore, constant error associated with self-perceived performance was
similarly not influenced significantly by the fatigue task intervention. It is plausible
2
that in order to provide optimum protection of synovial joints, neuromuscular control
of the knee flexors may be preserved preferentially to neuromuscular performance
when challenged by fatigue-related exercise stresses.
The third study assessed concomitant effects of an episode of muscle damage
interspersed amongst serial bouts of fatigue on objective and self-perceived indices
of neuromuscular control and performance of the knee flexors. This type of exercise
perturbation reflects that associated with acute, transient and metabolically-focused
effects (fatigue) and that during a more prolonged, mechanical type of disruption to
the muscle (EIMD). It was likely to mimic some of the patterns of exercise inherent
in sports and training practice and may serve to disrupt dynamic stabilization around
the knee joint.
Results showed that despite substantial EIMD and fatigue-related strength
impairments (the former confirmed in this experiment by means of indirect
physiological descriptive variables including a reduced range of movement and an
increase in pain upon active movement of the affected limb), neuromuscular control
as measured by objective and self-perceived indices of constant and variable error in
assessment protocols NCA 2, NCA3 and DNCA was not influenced significantly by
the EIMD and fatigue task intervention. It was notable that capability in this aspect
of neuromuscular control was preserved in response to this type of exercise
perturbation in the three different modes of objective assessments of neuromuscular
control used in this study.


With the increasing digitalization of the economy, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations to embrace digital innovation. The emergence of blockchain technology exemplifies the disruptive impact of digital innovation and, simultaneously, poses challenges for organizations. Hence, organizations are in transition with regard to fostering its organizational adoption. This kind of adoption is reflected in far-reaching measures in terms of technology, organization, and people. The measures are governed by project management that aligns internal measures with the outside environment. Based on this framework, our research builds on an empirical study to explore the organizational adoption of blockchain technology. We conducted in-depth interviews in 11 cases with experts leading the adoption of blockchain. The objective of our study is to better understand organizational adoption and to explore the factors influencing adoption. Our results uncover a multitude of factors and inherent tensions. The paper's contributions are twofold. First, our findings can be used as guidelines for organizations planning to adopt digital innovations such as blockchain and to effectively cope with the related phenomena. Second, the factors advance the literature on blockchain by conceptualizing its organizational adoption and aligning the factors to the organizational


The tent is not the shelter it once was. Once, many people found it the central focus of daily life. Now, passing through the passage of culture and time, it has become a mere shell of itself, stripped to the most basic provisions of amenity and comfort.
'Reinventing the tent' looks at the tent as we use it today, and asks why this lightweight structure, for all of the advances in textiles and tensile technology, has become no more than a shelter for temporary events.
A case is made for the architectural beauty of the tent, resulting in an exploration of its unique spatial essence, the fabric of its construction, and of its functional use. This then informs a range of tent designs, rich in expression and comfortable enough to once again call 'home'.
For the important role that the tent once played in the livelihoods of many people, the results of this thesis hold great potential for the way that we use tents in the future, and to redefine perceptions of austere simplicity toward realisations of refined beauty.


Energetic electrons within the Earth's radiation belts represent a serious hazard to geostationary satellites. The interactions of electrons with chorus waves play an important role in both the acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons. The common approach is to present model wave distributions in the inner magnetosphere under different values of geomagnetic activity as expressed by the geomagnetic indices. However, it has been shown that only around 50% of geomagnetic storms increase flux of relativistic electrons at geostationary orbit while 20% causes a decrease and the remaining 30% has relatively no effect. This emphasizes the importance of including solar wind parameters such as bulk velocity (V), density (n), flow pressure (P), and the vertical interplanetary magnetic field component (Bz) that are known to be predominately effective in the control of high energy fluxes at the geostationary orbit. Therefore, in the present study the set of parameters of the wave distributions is expanded to include the solar wind parameters in addition to the geomagnetic activity. The present study examines almost 4 years (1 January 2004 to 29 September 2007) of Spatio‐Temporal Analysis of Field Fluctuation data from Double Star TC1 combined with geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters from OMNI database in order to present a comprehensive model of wave magnetic field intensities for the chorus waves as a function of magnetic local time, L shell (L), magnetic latitude (λm), geomagnetic activity, and solar wind parameters. Generally, the results indicate that the intensity of chorus emission is not only dependent upon geomagnetic activity but also dependent on solar wind parameters with velocity and southward interplanetary magnetic field Bs (Bz < 0), evidently the most influential solar wind parameters. The largest peak chorus intensities in the order of 50 pT are observed during active conditions, high solar wind velocities, low solar wind densities, high pressures, and high Bs. The average chorus intensities are more extensive and stronger for lower band chorus than the corresponding upper band chorus.


The study was designed to assess the effective elimination of total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from pretreated wastewater generated by the splitting of rape oil soapstock rich in phospholipids. The wastewater indicated a high‐TP content (108 mg/L) and COD 1488 mg/L. The optimization tests were carried out using a five‐level, four‐variable central composite rotatable design, and the tested variables included initial H2O2 concentration (X1), Fe2+/H2O2 molar ratio (X2), initial temperature (X3), and wastewater pH (X4). TP and COD mathematical models of changes were developed as a function of tested variables based on the test results. Statistical analysis of the resultant models permits the conclusion that all tested variables substantially influence the effective removal of COD, whereas the initial pH of wastewater has no considerable impact on the effective elimination of TP. The optimal conditions of the Fenton process were achieved for X1 = 4.5 g/L, X2 = 0.1, X3 = 30°C, and X4 = 9. It is possible to reduce TP to 1.05 mg/L and COD to 132.1 mg/L under such conditions. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2010


In vivo and in vitro electrophysiological experiments were performed on the rat dorsal vagal complex (DVC, i.e. nucleus of the tractus solitarius, NTS, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, DMV) to examine the effects of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRF) on the central components of the vago‐vagal reflex control of gastric function. When applied to gastrointestinal projecting DMV neurones, CRF (10‐300 nm) induced a concentration‐dependent membrane depolarization, an increase in action potential firing rate and decrease in amplitude of the action potential afterhyperpolarization (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with the non‐selective CRF antagonist, astressin (0.5‐1 μM) or the selective CRF2 receptor antagonist, astressin 2B (500 nm) attenuated the CRF‐induced increase in firing rate but did not alter basal discharge rate. CRF (30‐300 nm) increased the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked by stimulation of the NTS (P < 0.05). An alteration in the paired pulse ratio indicated the EPSC's increase occurred due to actions at presynaptic sites. In the in vivo anaesthetized rat preparation, bilateral microinjections (20 fmol in 20 nl for each site) of CRF in the DVC decreased gastric motility in rats pretreated with the muscarinic agonist, bethanecol (P < 0.05). The effects of CRF were abolished by systemic administration of the NOS inhibitor, L‐NAME, or by bilateral vagotomy. We concluded that CRF had both a direct and an indirect excitatory effect on DMV neurones via activation of CRF2 receptors and the decrease in gastric motility observed following microinjection of CRF in the DVC is due to the activation of an inhibitory non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic input to the gastrointestinal tract.


Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a major epidemiological problem worldwide. The lack of established chondroprotective agents limits the clinical management of this disease to relief of symptoms, such as pain and joint stiffness. The marked increase in the prevalence and incidence of OA among women after the menopause draws attention to the possible contribution of estrogen deficiency to acceleration of cartilage degradation. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) seems to counter the adverse influence of ovariectomy on the progression of joint lesions in various animal models, including nonhuman primates. Although decreases in the risk of OA associated with long-term HRT were repeatedly observed in large-scale epidemiological studies, the chondroprotective potential of this therapeutic option has received modest recognition among healthcare professionals. The overall diversity of results hampering our ability to draw conclusions at the present time arises from the diversity of methodological approaches and selected outcome measures of OA. Randomized clinical trials using state-of-the-art methodology, such as high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging that allows direct visualization and morphometric characterization of articular cartilage and biochemical markers of cartilage turnover that can provide early indication of therapeutic effects, are awaited to obtain evidence-based answers to the utility of estrogen in the prevention of OA.


Requirements modeling is a critical stage in the development of ECUs (Electronic Control Unit) of automotive systems. A typical automotive system usually involves large amount of requirement items, and possesses restricted timing constraints and complicated interactions, therefore a single modeling language only does not cover the whole characteristics of a system. In this paper, we extend SaveCCM, a component model for automotive software development, with timed automata to form a modeling framework for automotive requirements. The integrated model can be used to analyze the architecture and timed behavior of an automotive system. The proposed approach takes the following advantages that: (1) It can effectively and completely express the architecture and behavior requirements of automotive systems; (2) It can describe the interactions between an ECU and its environment in terms of synchronization channels.


PURPOSE
Changes in auditory thresholds following cochlear implantation are generally assumed to be due to damage to neural elements. Theoretical studies have suggested that placement of a cochlear implant can cause a conductive hearing loss. Identification of a conductive component following cochlear implantation could guide improvements in surgical techniques or device designs. The purpose of this study is to characterize new-onset conductive hearing losses after cochlear implantation.

METHOD
In a prospective study, air- and bone-conduction audiometric testing were completed on cochlear implant recipients. An air-bone gap equal to or greater than 15 dB HL at 2 frequencies determined the presence of a conductive component.

RESULTS
Of the 32 patients with preoperative bone-conduction hearing, 4 patients had a new-onset conductive component resulting in a mixed hearing loss, with air-conduction thresholds ranging from moderate to profound and an average air-bone gap of 30 dB HL. One had been implanted through the round window, 2 had an extended round window, and 1 had a separate cochleostomy.

CONCLUSIONS
Loss of residual hearing following cochlear implantation may be due in part to a conductive component. Identifying the mechanism for this conductive component may help minimize hearing loss. Postoperative hearing evaluation should measure both air- and bone-conduction thresholds.


'Smart' materials can be defined as materials that respond to a certain stimulus with a change in their properties. A specific class herein is halochromic textiles, i.e. fibrous materials that change color with pH. Such halochromic textiles play an important role in the continuous monitoring and visual reporting of the pH with applications in various fields, such as wound treatment and protective clothing. pH-sensitive nanofibrous nonwovens have high sensitivity and a fast response time, and are mostly fabricated by introducing a pH-responsive dye via dye-doping of the feed mixture before fabrication. However, this method suffers from leaching of the dye, which is an undesirable effect that not only reduces the output signal strength but can also be detrimental to the environment by causing, for instance, toxicological responses. In this paper, a new strategy is demonstrated for the reduction of dye leaching in electrospun, nanofibrous materials. Through blend electrospinning of polyamide-6 (PA6) with a dye-functionalized copolymer, large sheets of uniform, halochromic nanofibrous material can be fabricated showing a fast pH-sensitive color change. Polymeric entanglements within the nanofiber are proposed to immobilize the dye-functionalized copolymer in the PA6 matrix, resulting in drastically reduced dye leaching. Such stable nanofibrous, PA6-based, halochromic materials are particularly interesting in the design of new colorimetric sensors applicable in several sectors, including the biomedical field, agriculture, safety and technical textiles.


Right lower quadrant pain is one of the most common symptoms of the emergency patients. For accurate diagnosis and treatment; the patients must be questioned and examined very well. Also accompanying conditions due to right lower quadrant pain may be noticed. In this case presentation, we discussed a patient who was presented with right lower quadrant pain and cervical dystonia. By limiting the usage of metoclopramide the patient was followed seamlessly. In this case presentation we want to accentuate that a patient who with abdominal pain may be presented with rare symptoms such of dystonia. In such conditions a detailed anamnesis and physical examination are the first steps of the evaluation to prevent potential hazardous outcomes. In particular, a surgeon must be always carefully while taking history and examining the patient.


We describe a new T-Jump/time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer for the time-resolved analysis of rapid pyrolysis chemistry of solids and liquids, with a focus on energetic materials. The instrument employs a thin wire substrate which can be coated with the material of interest, and can be rapidly heated (10(5) K/s). The T-Jump probe is inserted within the extraction region of a linear TOF mass spectrometer, which enables multiple spectra to be obtained during a single reaction event. By monitoring the electrical characteristics of the heated wire, the temperature could also be obtained and correlated to the mass spectra. As examples, we present time-resolved spectra for the ignition of nitrocellulose and RDX. The fidelity of the instrument is demonstrated in the spectra presented which show the temporal formation and decay of several species in both systems. The simultaneous measurement of temperature enables us to extract the ignition temperature and the characteristic reaction time. The time-resolved mass spectra obtained show that these solid energetic material reactions, under a rapid heating rate, can occur on a time scale of milliseconds or less. While the data sampling rate of 10,000 Hz was used in the present experiments, the instrument is capable of a maximum scanning rate of up to approximately 30 kHz. The capability of high-speed time-resolved measurements offers an additional analytical tool for the characterization of the decomposition, ignition, and combustion of energetic materials.


Solid phase high energy mechanochemical interaction of α-Fe2O3(hematite) and Fe in powder mixture have been studied. The formation of amorphous iron-based magnetic phase in this process was detected by means of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. The amount of this phase increases with Fe addition in reduced mixture. Its thermal stability have been studied by magnetic and DCS measurements at constant α-Fe2O3 and gradually increased Fe concentrations.


Background: Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is known to predict the overall survival of patients having some solid tumors or B-cell lymphoma. The study investigates the predictive value of ALI in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and the correlation between ALI and prognosis.Methods: A database of 269 MM consecutive patients who underwent chemotherapy between December 2011 and June 2019 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University was reviewed. ALI cut-off value calculated before the initial chemotherapy and post 4 courses treatment were identified according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and its association with clinical characteristics, treatment response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed.Results: Patients in the low ALI group (n=147) had higher risk of β2 microglobulin elevation, more advanced ISS (International Classification System stage), and TP53 gene mutation, with significantly lower median overall survival (OS; 36.29 vs. 57.92 months, P = 0.010) and progression-free survival (PFS; 30.94 vs. 35.67 months, P = 0.013). Independent risk factors influencing the OS of MM patients were ALI (P = 0.007), extramedullary infiltration (P = 0.001), TP53 (P = 0.020), Plt (P = 0.005), and bone destruction (P = 0.024). ALI (P = 0.005), extramedullary infiltration (P = 0.004), TP53 (P = <0.001), Plt (P = 0.017), and complex chromosome karyotype (P = 0.010) were independent risk factors influencing the PFS of MM patients.Conclusions: ALI is a potential independent risk factor predicting the prognosis of newly diagnosed MM patients.


In May 2012, the Web search engine Google has introduced the so-called Knowledge Graph, a graph that understands real-world entities and their relationships to one another. Entities covered by the Knowledge Graph include landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, buildings, movies, celestial objects, works of art, and more. The graph enhances Google search in three main ways: by disambiguation of search queries, by search log-based summarization of key facts, and by explorative search suggestions. With this paper, we suggest a fourth way of enhancing Web search: through the addition of realtime coverage of what people say about real-world entities on social networks. We report on a browser extension that seamlessly adds relevant microposts from the social networking sites Google+, Facebook, and Twitter in form of a panel to Knowledge Graph entities. In a true Linked Data fashion, we interlink detected concepts in microposts with Freebase entities, and evaluate our approach for both relevancy and usefulness. The extension is freely available, we invite the reader to reconstruct the examples of this paper to see how realtime opinions may have changed since time of writing.


Reclamation of saline-sodic soils has great importance in agricultural management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used to apply water and gypsum on hydraulic conductivity of a saline-sodic soil with an electrical conductivity of 28 dS/m and exchangeable sodium percentage of 46%. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions using disturbed and non-cropped soil columns. A total of 45 cm of water was applied to each column with 3, 6, or 9 separate water applications. Finely ground gypsum (< 0.5 mm maximum particle diameter) was either incorporated into the surface 2 to 3 cm of soil or was dissolved into the leaching water at a rate corresponding to 3.82 t/ha. Six or nine separate water applications of gypsum dissolved into leaching water significantly increased hydraulic conductivity (P < 0.01). Soil hydraulic conductivity increased (P < 0.01) with depth at separate applications of gypsum.


Hypothetical bias is a pervasive problem in stated-preference experiments. Recent research has developed two empirically successful calibrations to remove hypothetical bias, though the calibrations have not been tested using the same data or in a conjoint analysis. This study compares the two calibrations in a conjoint analysis involving donations to a public good. Results find the calibrations are biased predictors of true donations but that calibrated and uncalibrated models together provide upper and lower bounds to true donations.


Elmbridge impact website is an information packed website for Young People. This page consists of information regarding healthy lifestyle for young people.


Healthy aging is typically associated with some level of cognitive decline, but there is substantial variation in such decline among older adults. The mechanisms behind such heterogeneity remain unclear but some have suggested a role for cognitive reserve. In this work, we propose the "person-based similarity index" for cognition (PBSI-Cog) as a proxy for cognitive reserve in older adults, and use the metric to quantify similarity between the cognitive profiles of healthy older and younger participants. In the current study, we computed this metric in 237 healthy older adults (55-88 years) using a reference group of 156 younger adults (18-39 years) taken from the Cambridge Center for Ageing and Neuroscience dataset. Our key findings revealed that PBSI-Cog scores in older adults were: 1) negatively associated with age (rho = -0.25, P = 10-4) and positively associated with higher education (t = 2.4, P = 0.02), 2) largely explained by fluid intelligence and executive function, and 3) predicted more by functional connectivity between lower- and higher-order resting-state networks than brain structural morphometry or education. Particularly, we found that higher segregation between the sensorimotor and executive networks predicted higher PBSI-Cog scores. Our results support the notion that brain network functional organization may underly variability in cognitive reserve in late adulthood.


OBJECTIVE This study examined the extent to which therapists who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of evidence-based treatments continued to use them with nonstudy clients after the trial as well as the types of treatment used and the reasons for their continued use. METHODS Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 38 therapists, three clinical supervisors, and eight clinic directors three months after an RCT of evidence-based treatments for depression, anxiety, and conduct disorders among children and adolescents. The therapists had been assigned randomly to one of three conditions: modular (N=15), allowing flexible use and informed adaptations of treatment components; standard (N=13), using full treatment manuals; and usual care (N=10). Grounded-theory analytic methods were used to analyze interview transcripts. RESULTS Twenty-six therapists (93%) assigned to the modular or standard condition used the treatments with nonstudy cases. Of those, 24 (92%) therapists, including all but two assigned to the standard condition, reported making some adaptation or modification, including using only some modules with all clients or all modules with some clients; changing the order or presentation of the modules to improve the flow or to work around more immediate issues; and using the modules with others, including youths with co-occurring disorders, youths who did not meet the age criteria, and adults. CONCLUSIONS The results provide insight into the likely sustainability of evidence-based treatments, help to explain why the outcomes of the RCT favored a modular approach, and highlight the strengths and limitations of use of evidence-based treatments.


Four compounds were isolated from the pet-ether and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanol extract of seeds of Syzygium cumini. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated as 7-hydroxycalamenene (1), methyl-β-orsellinate (2), β-sitosterol (3) and oleanolic acid (4) through extensive spectroscopic studies, including high-field NMR analyses. This report appears to be the first to identify 7- hydroxycalamenene (1) in S. cumini and the Myrtaceae family, although it has been reported in cultured cells of the liverwort Heteroscyphus planus. This is also the first report of the isolation of compounds 2-4 from this plant species.


Inbound tourism to Ireland fell sharply in 2009 and 2010. Visits to Ireland from the UK, the dominant country of origin of visitors to Ireland, did not fall faster than UK visits elsewhere. We use a pooled travel cost model for UK travellers to estimate price elasticities of tourism demand for various market segments. The proposed reduction in the travel tax, and the reduction in the VAT rate for "tourism goods and services" would lead to a modest increase in visitor numbers and expenditure. However, the increase in expenditure is small compared to the forgone tax revenue.


Building on organizational learning theory, and notably on the notion of strategic momentum, we examine the antecedents of cross-border acquisitions, with a specific focus on the effect of experience. In particular, we unbundle firm experience into domestic and cross-border acquisition experience. Using data on 763 acquisitions in the period 2007–2013, our results show the existence of a U-shaped relationship between domestic acquisition experience and the likelihood of cross-border acquisitions: acquisition experience in the domestic market is negatively related to subsequent international M&A activity up to a certain level, after which accumulation of experience in the domestic market generates process-related capabilities that encourage subsequent cross-border acquisitions. Empirical support is provided for an inverted U-shaped relationship between prior cross-border acquisition experience and the likelihood of subsequent cross-border acquisitions: such experience encourages further acquisitions up to the point at which the coordination costs discourage further international expansion.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the success with which laboratories were able to report morning test results on time, the laboratory practice characteristics associated with improved success, and the degree of satisfaction among clinicians with the timeliness of laboratory service.

DESIGN
Hospital laboratories participating in the College of American Pathologist Q-Probes laboratory quality improvement program prospectively calculated the percentages of morning-run complete blood cell count (CBC) and electrolyte results that were reported on or before predetermined reporting deadlines, completed questionnaires concerning their departments' practice characteristics as they related to performing morning blood work, and distributed to physician utilizers of morning laboratory services questionnaires evaluating physician satisfaction with laboratory services.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
A total of 367 public and private institutions located in the United States (355), Canada (5), Australia (2), and 1 each in the United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Korea, and Guam.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
The percentages of morning-run CBC and electrolyte results reported on or before predetermined reporting deadlines.

RESULTS
Participants submitted data on 40 256 CBC and 39 604 electrolyte specimens. In aggregate, a total of 88.9% of these tests (90.2% of CBCs and 87.6% of electrolytes) were reported on or before the reporting deadlines that the participating laboratories set for themselves. Half of the participants reported 94.6% of their CBC results and 95.5% of their electrolyte results on or before their self-imposed reporting deadlines. No specific demographic features or departmental practice characteristics were associated with higher or lower rates of institutional reporting compliance. Most physician utilizers of early-morning laboratory test results believed that the laboratory is sensitive to and meets the needs of clinicians for timely reporting of early-morning test results.

CONCLUSIONS
Most laboratories are capable of reporting 95% of their routine morning laboratory tests on time, and most physicians are satisfied with their laboratories' morning testing service.


This study presents a method of ultrasonic flaw identification using phased array ultrasonic inspection data. Raw data from each individual channel of the phased array ultrasonic inspection are obtained. The data trimming and de-noising are employed to retain the data within the boundary of the inspected object and remove the speckle noise components from the raw data, respectively. The resulting data are passed into a sequence of signal processing operations to identify embedded flaws. A shape-based filtering method is proposed to reduce the intensity of geometric noise components due to the non-uniform microstructures introduced in the manufacturing process. The resulting data matrices are integrated to obtain the intensity matrix of the possible flaw regions. Thresholding is applied to the intensity matrix to obtain the potential flaw regions, followed by a connected component analysis to identify the flaws. The overall method is demonstrated and validated using realistic phased array experimental data.


p42.3 is a tumor-specific gene and found to be over-expressed in many tumor cell lines and primary tumor tissues. It plays a significant role in neoplastic transformation and tumor progression. To date, the association between p42.3 and Renal-Cell Carcinoma (RCC) has not been reported. This study investigated the biological effects and mechanisms of p42.3 in RCC progression. In this study, we found that p42.3 is overexpressed in various kinds of RCC cells, and knockdown of p42.3 dramatically reduced cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. Our studies revealed that overexpression of p42.3 accelerates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression and induces RCC cells proliferation and invasion. Further studies show that p42.3 may involve in activation of β-catenin and participate in RCC cell invasion. Combined, these data indicate that p42.3 contributes to promoting RCC cells proliferation and invasion through accelerates the EMT progression and β-catenin activation.


Poster presentado al: 10th International Symposium on the Nutrition of Herbivores (ISNH).--Herbivore nutrition supporting sustainable intensification and agro-ecological approaches.-- p. 459. 2-6 de septiembre de 2018. Clermont-Ferrand (Francia).


The present study examined the influence of prior familiarity with a perpetrator and gender stereotypes on eyewitness recall and identification accuracy. Participants (N = 257) watched a crime video where the perpetrator was either someone they had never met before (unfamiliar/stranger condition), or was someone with whom they had a 1 minute exposure to prior to the crime (familiar condition). In the familiar conditions the 1 minute exposure included the target talking about their occupation; this occupation was either consistent or inconsistent with gender role stereotypes. There were no significant differences in recall or identification accuracy between the familiar or stereotypes conditions. However, when participants were asked to rate the degree to which they viewed the target as stereotype consistent versus inconsistent, higher stereotype consistency ratings were associated with reporting more total descriptors and higher proportions of correct descriptors. Conversely, lower stereotype consistency ratings predicted more correct identification decisions.


Within the field of graphic design many contemporary designers and educators seek to challenge global corporate homogenization and the exploitation of developing countries (Rawsthorn 2013; Poynor 1999; McCoy 1994). The 'First Things First 2000' manifesto re-booted the Humanist and socially conscious perspective that was originally set out by Ken Garland's 'First Things First' manifesto (1964), arguing that design was not a neutral process, but one that should be more critical and challenging of the consumer focused output, that forms a great deal of graphic design professional practice.
In an increasingly global economy students must develop an intercultural awareness of themselves and other cultures. Within the field of design education Mendoza & Matyo k (2013) argue that design is a transformative and socially engaged practice offering an important platform for student internationalisation. Although there is a growing body of academic literature on the internationalisation of higher education, there is still a lack of research on the students' perspective.
This chapter analyses how UK design students participated and negotiated the implementation of live projects in an African context, specifically Mozambique. The aim was that a cultural learning experience in a very different environment with challenging resources and social conditions would develop student global citizenship and mobility, and would offer alternative approaches to graphic design career development and professional practice.

Keywords - Citizenship, Mobility, Internationalisation, Graphic Design


Hypersensitivity reactions to betalactams (BLs) are classified as immediate or nonimmediate. The former usually appear within 1 h of drug‐intake and are mediated by specific IgE‐antibodies. Nonimmediate reactions are those occurring more than 1 h after drug‐intake, and they can be T‐cell mediated. The diagnostic evaluation of allergic reactions to BLs has changed over the last 5 years, for several reasons. Major and minor determinants are no longer commercially available for skin testing in many countries. In immediate allergic reactions, the sensitivity of skin testing and immunoassays is decreasing and new in vitro methods, such as the basophil activation test, are gaining importance for diagnosis. For nonimmediate reactions, skin testing appears to be less sensitive than previous results, although more studies need to be carried out in this direction. Nevertheless, the drug provocation test is still necessary for diagnosis.


Array comparative genomic hybridization (cgh) is a microarray technology for measuring the relative copy number of thousands of genomic regions. Visual examination of cgh profiles shows that genomic changes occur on a variety of length scales. Such changes may be characteristic of phenotypic variables such as tumor type and gene mutational status. To aid in identifying such features and exploring their relationship with phenotypic outcomes, we are applying wavelet transforms to the analysis of such profiles. This allows us to decompose a cgh signal into components on different length scales, even when the genome is severely aberrated, providing a convenient basis for exploring their behavior. Wavelet transforms may also be useful in the realm of gene expression. The expression signal given by genes in clustered order can be wavelet transformed, which compresses the signal from many genes into a few components, possibly aiding in the development of new tumor classifiers.


The paper considers the task of automatic discourse parsing of texts in Russian. Discourse parsing is a well-known approach to capturing text semantics across boundaries of single sentences. Discourse annotation was found to be useful for various tasks including summarization, sentiment analysis, question-answering. Recently, the release of manually annotated Ru-RSTreebank corpus unlocked the possibility of leveraging supervised machine learning techniques for creating such parsers for Russian language. The corpus provides the discourse annotation in a widely adopted formalisation – Rhetorical Structure Theory. In this work, we develop feature sets for rhetorical relation classification in Russian-language texts, investigate importance of various types of features, and report results of the first experimental evaluation of machine learning models trained on Ru-RSTreebank corpus. We consider various machine learning methods including gradient boosting, neural network, and ensembling of several models by soft voting.


Reactive thrombocytosis (RT; thrombocyte count: > 450 x 109/l) is a condition in which an increase in platelet production, stimulated by cytokines in the bone marrow, is secondary to some condition or circumstance. Although RT does often occur in children, the risk of thromboembolic complications is negligible in this group if they have no other risk factors for thrombosis. In the absence of additional risk factors for thrombosis it seems as though RT in adults does not predispose them to thromboembolic complications either. Patients with RT caused by a non-myeloproliferative malignancy do have an increased risk of thromboembolic complications; antithrombotic prophylaxis might be effective in this group, but there is no scientific evidence for this. We advise a watch-and-wait approach in children and adults with RT who have no other risk factors for thromboembolism, even in patients with extreme thrombocytosis (thrombocyte count: > 1000 x 109/l). In patients who do have an increased risk of thromboembolic complications we advise tailoring prescription or non-prescription of antithrombotic prophylaxis to the individual patient.


An approach for the detection of decorative elements – such as initials and headlines – and text regions, focused on ancient manuscripts, is presented. Due to their age, ancient manuscripts suffer from degradation and staining as well as ink is faded-out over the time. Identifying decorative elements and text regions allows indexing a manuscript and serves as input for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) as it localizes regions of interest within document pages. We propose a robust method inspired by state-of-the-art object recognition methodologies. Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) descriptors are chosen to detect the regions of interest, and the scale of the interest points is used for localization. The classification is based on the fact that local properties of the decorative elements are different to those of regular text. The results show that the method is able to locate regular text in ancient manuscripts. The detection rate of decorative elements is not as high as for regular text but already yields to promising results.


The central aims of this thesis is to provide a work that may be used to start a serious archive that documents the contemporary theatrical work of Britain's individuals and companies that have an Afro-Caribbean cultural background. Such an archive will allow later writers on aspects of modern British theatre the opportunity to move ahead where past generations have had to spend time reinventing themselves as documented resources have been lacking.

The thesis documents and discusses the history and achievements of Talawa Theatre Company. Prior to this discussion the main theories, original research and methodologies used to complete this study are presented in Chapter One.

The historical aspect of the work is divided into two sections. The first section is Chapter Two and provides a historical context for Talawa's performance work. This is done by presenting a chronology of Talawa's performance roots that are shown to begin in Africa, develop in Jamaica, and end in England. The second section is Chapter Three and looks at Talawa's history between 1986 and 2001. Analysis includes discussion of definitions of black British theatre, Talawa's mission statement and the company's residency in the West End.

Talawa's achievements are discussed in the body of the thesis. The notion of achievement is understood within the contemporary British theatrical context highlighting the originality of Talawa's work, and by extension the company's commitment to its mission statement. To this end aspects of Talawa's performance work are discussed thematically in the following three chapters: Chapter Four: Caribbean Plays; Chapter Five: American Plays; Chapter Six: English Plays.

Although Talawa has also performed African plays these performances are not part of the present study. The decision to omit this genre was due to the lack of archival evidence in this area.


This paper describes a wiki-based collective intelligence approach to provide a system environment that enables users to formulate a body of knowledge (BOK) for a new discipline, such as social informatics. When the targeted discipline is mature, for example, computer science, its BOK can be straightforwardly formulated by a task force using a top-down approach. However, in the case of a new discipline, it is presumed that nobody has a comprehensive understanding of it; therefore, the formulation of BOK in such a field can be carried out using a bottom-up approach. In other words, a collective intelligence approach supporting such work seems promising. This paper proposes the BOK+ which is a novel BOK formulation principle for new disciplines. To realize this principle, the BOK Constructor is designed and prototyped where Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) is used to provide its basic functions. The BOK Constructor consists of a BOK Editor, SMW, Uploader, and BOK Miner. Most of the fundamental functions of the BOK Constructor, with the exception of the BOK Miner, were implemented. We validated that the BOK Constructor serves its intended purpose.


Probabilistic Packet Marking (PPM) is known to be one of the better defence methods against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. However, most of the routers in the Internet are not yet ready for PPM. Before a new router that has the PPM function can be deployed, several challenges such as cost, operation, and availability must first be resolved. In this paper, we propose a device for transparent PPM that makes the target router PPM-capable. The device does not change the existing configuration of the router nor do existing routers have to be replaced. We implemented and evaluated our proposed device on Linux with excellent results.


Airborne particulate matter (including TSP, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) were collected at an urban site in Xi'an during winter 2010. Individual particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX). The morphologies, size distributions, and relative abundance of aerosol particles in each size were summarized. The monomodal particle size distribution was found in all the samples under different weather conditions, with the peaks located at less than 1.0 μm. The majority of particles were composed of soot, mineral dust, and tar balls, with minor fly ash particles. Soot aggregates were the predominant species (in numbers), ranging from 56.6% in TSP on a sunny day to 86.3% in PM1 on a cloudy day, with an average of 73.2% in all the samples. The particle mass concentration and chemical composition, including water-soluble inorganic ions, elemental compositions, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) contents of 24-hr integrated PM2.5, were also subject to chemical bulk analysis. Soot was predominantly observed in the PM2.5 samples (from 74.7% to 82.7% in numbers), whereas EC accounted for only a small amount (< 8%) of the PM2.5 mass. Corresponding to the mass concentrations of geological materials (29.2%, 44.5%, and 37.3% on sunny, cloudy, and hazy days), the number concentrations of mineral dust and fly ash particles on the sunny, cloudy, and hazy days were 14.6%, 7.1%, and 7.7%, respectively.


Adverse event (AE) reporting is a critical component of all cancer clinical trials, and the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events™ (CTCAE) is the primary system used by clinicians to describe the severity of AEs. The National Cancer Institute's Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the CTCAE (PRO-CTCAE) assesses patient self-reports of symptoms using a Web-based system that can be incorporated into all cancer clinical trials. Oncology clinical trial nurses are responsible for the protection and safety of patients enrolled in cancer trials and, therefore, should develop an understanding of PRO-CTCAE.


Background Outdoor advertising has been shown to disproportionately promote unhealthy foods, with links to food preferences, purchasing and consumption habits. Given the socioeconomic inequalities in food quality, consumption and obesity, it is also possible that advertisers are disproportionally advertising unhealthy food products in lower socioeconomic areas. The aim of this study was to explore the socioeconomic patterning of food advertising at bus stops in Edinburgh, UK. Our hypothesis was that there would be a higher prevalence of unhealthy (fast food, soft drinks, confectionary etc.) versus healthy (water, low sugar beverages etc.) food advertisements situated in more deprived areas within the city. Methods This study took place in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2015. In the city, there were 2227 bus stops, 447 of which had advertising shelters (20%). 'ODK collect', an open-source application, was used to record data at each bus stop including GPS coordinates, type of area (residential, industrial etc.), details about the food or drink product being advertised and whether a price or special offer was featured. GPS coordinates were converted to postcodes and then the area level measure of socioeconomic deprivation (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation; SIMD). SIMD scores were further converted into quintiles for analysis. Generalised Linear Models were used to compare the patterning of food adverts by area-level deprivation, with and without adjustment for ward size, population and area type. All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 21. Results In total, 562 food advertisements were recorded across 298 bus stops, with a mean of 1.89 food advertisements per shelter. Over 85% of all advertisements were for food products. Nine categories of food and related advertisements were identified including alcohol, confectionary, coffee, fast food outlets, food stores, fruit juices, frozen desserts, iced coffee and soft drinks. No adverts for fresh fruit or vegetables (besides juices), water or low sugar beverages were recorded. Across all nine food categories there were no associations between increased prevalence of these adverts and deprivation level. For example, fast food outlet advertisements (which made up 39% of all food adverts) were no more likely to be present in lower versus higher socioeconomic areas (B=0.248, 95% CI: −0.082, 0.578, p=0.140). Discussion While food advertisements were abundant across the city, there were no patterns related to the socioeconomic status of the areas where these were located. However, all could be classed as advertising unhealthy food and drink products. This study was limited by not considering other forms of outdoor advertising.


This concise and well-organised grammar of classical Arabic, here translated from its original German into English for the first time, provides students of Arabic with a highly useful reference tool. While brief enough to be used with efficiency, the book is also rich in content and thorough in its coverage. Beginning- or advanced-level students working on classical texts and styles will find this grammar quick to use, reliable, and up-to-date. More than just a translation into English, this edition of Wolfdietrich Fischer's Grammar of Classical Arabic includes many revisions and additions provided by Rodgers. In particular, the chapter on syntax offers numerous new text examples and other improvements. The bibliography has been updated to include significant recent contributions to the field of classical Arabic grammar and linguistics. Translated by Jonathan Rodgers with attention to both accuracy and readability, this book is an accessible reference tool that every student of classical Arabic will want to have on hand.


Little is known about leptin's interaction with other circulating proteins which could be important for its biological effects. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration elution profiles of 125I-leptin-serum complex demonstrated 125I-leptin eluting in significant proportion associated with macromolecules. The 125I-leptin binding to circulating macromolecules was specific, reversible, and displaceable with unlabeled leptin (ED50: 0.73 +/- 0.09 nM, mean +/- SEM, n = 3). Several putative leptin binding proteins were detected by leptin-affinity chromatography of which either 80- or 100-kD proteins could be the soluble leptin receptor as approximately 10% of the bound 125I-leptin was immunoprecipitable with leptin receptor antibodies. Significantly higher (P < 0.001) proportions of total leptin circulate in the bound form in lean (46.5 +/- 6.6%) compared with obese (21.4 +/- 3.4%) subjects. In lean subjects with 21% or less body fat, 60-98% of the total leptin was in the bound form. Short-term fasting significantly decreased basal leptin levels in three lean (P < 0.0005) and three obese (P < 0.005) subjects while refeeding restored it to basal levels. The effects of fasting on free leptin levels were more pronounced in lean subjects (basal vs. 24-h fasting: 19.6 +/- 1.9 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) compared with those in obese subjects (28.3 +/- 9.8 vs. 14.7 +/- 5.3). No significant (P > 0.05) decrease was observed in bound leptin in either group. These studies suggest that in obese individuals the majority of leptin circulates in free form, presumably bioactive protein, and thus obese subjects are resistant to free leptin. In lean subjects with relatively low adipose tissue, the majority of circulating leptin is in the bound form and thus may not be available to brain receptors for its inhibitory effects on food intake both under normal and food deprivation states.


Our changing climate will affect human lives in manifold ways. Especially sea-level rise is driven by diminishing amounts of snow and land ice. The cryosphere as part of the Earth's climate system provides interconnecting feedbacks between its components, leading to multifaceted changes. To understand these feedback mechanisms we have to consider the various interactions between the atmosphere, the oceans and the ice covering both polar land and seas. The state and evolution of Earth's glaciers and ice sheets play a key role therein and thus profound ice physics knowledge with respect to ice sheet dynamics is required. Ice sheet dynamics on multiple scales, from microscopic processes to continental-sized phenomena, are in the focus of scientific attention to improve climate predictions on a global scale.

The state and evolution of ice sheets and glaciers is partly recorded in deep ice cores drilled through the Antarctic and Greenlandic ice. Advanced analysis of ice core material can teach us the climate history of our planet and reveal physical mechanisms leading to ice motion. The mapping of ice micro-structures, which are reflecting the deformation and recrystallisation processes that control ice sheet flow reveal the active processes in the material. The connection between ice dynamics, microstructures, process modelling as well as phenomenological modelling of ice deformation then tests and completes our current understanding of ice sheet dynamics and result in improved future projections.


Traditionally, honey is frequently consumed by the local population as a nutrient, as well as for the enhancement of fertility and vitality. This study concerning the effects of honey on sperms motility, abnormality, dead sperm, and in vitro fertilization, after 35 days of honey administration orally. 18 adult male mice were divided into one control and two treated groups containing 6 mice in each group. Treated groups received honey in two different doses i.e 1.2 and 1.8 g/kg body weight, the results showed significant (P<0.05) increase in oocyte maturation, fertilization by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and cleavage of oocyte by IVF between the three groups. Also there is significant increase in sperms motility. Decreased percentage of dead sperms between control and the treated groups and significant decrease in abnormalities of sperms in mice between the three groups.


The present study examined the influence of continuity of reference (i.e., discourse continuity) on children's learning of new objects labels. Four-year-old children were taught three new label/objects pairs, where the speaker's references to objects were either continuous (i.e., clusters of utterances referred to the same object) or discontinuous (i.e., no two sequential sentences referred to the same object). In two experiments, children learned new word/object mappings more successfully when object labels were accompanied by continuous references to the same object. This research reveals how discourse cues support children's encoding of new words, and in doing so, advances our understanding of the specific features of parents' language input that facilitate children's language development.


A dual-bus local computer network is described. Its performance is evaluated using analytical models. Simulation is used where analysis is mathematically intractable. The study shows the tradeoffs of distributing the communication functions on the outbound network interface unit. The impact of hardware/software failures on the network performance is also studied.<<ETX>>


: The proposed Graduate Medical School at the Outram Campus will open in 2007. The main value of this medical school is the transformation of the medical institutions in the campus and SingHealth into Academic Medical Centres. Such centres will train and host quality physicians and physician-scientists. It will help push the development of translational research, complementing the country's investment in Biopolis. It will also underpin Singapore's push into regional medical tourism and its development as an educational hub in the biomedical sciences.


During the spring of 2010, approximately 300 hiring managers working for the US Navy participated in the CDIO survey sampling the desired engineering skills and proficiencies for their workforce of over 30,000 scientists and engineers. The survey results will support engineering education reform initiatives spanning engineering schools across the country, particularly those in which the Navy directly invests. Sponsors sought an opportunity to send a clear "demand signal" to the academic community to promote engineering education reforms and help them align their programs with projected workforce needs. This application is novel in several regards. First, the survey collected data spanning a very large government agency employed in the development of high technology systems. Secondly, data was sought regarding the desired attributes of both new-hires, direct from undergraduate programs, and mid-career individuals, to better distinguish the attributes sought from graduate programs serving the US Government. Finally, adaptations of the traditional CDIO survey method were implemented, several of which were beneficial, yielding interesting results, and at least one which was problematic.


Non-compete and non-disclosure covenants make an appearance in almost every transaction. The language used in these covenants has become familiar, and many view it as "boilerplate." Indeed, most players in the private equity industry use standard forms or templates when a non-compete or non-disclosure covenant is needed. But much of the boilerplate language commonly used in non-compete and non-disclosure covenants is outdated, overly broad, and likely to impede enforcement. This article first discusses the basic principles of non-compete law and then identifies and discusses some commonly used—but legally problematic—boilerplate covenant language.


The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Amendments of 1998 extended support for "career guidance and academic counseling." A wide variety of such interventions are in existence. Since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 emphasizes evidence-based education, it is important to examine the research to determine the value of these programs. This synthesis of the research literature, covering meta-analyses and individual studies on comprehensive guidance programs, career courses, counseling interventions and computer-assisted career guidance, finds many benefits to students of career guidance and academic counseling interventions. On a variety of career-related and academic measures, student subjects did have increased outcomes. However, there are also limitations to the interventions and to the research methods studying them. Many of the interventions are short-term, low-dosage activities, with lasting benefits unclear. In addition, much of the research relies on self-reported responses to psychological inventories. Based on the findings of the research review, recommendations are to focus practice and research on middle-school students, and target resources towards ensuring that all middleand high-school students have regular conferences with counselors to discuss their current and future academic programs. Finally, research should focus on exploring the relationships between guidance interventions and positive student behaviors, rather than attitudes.


The dramatic decline in the demand for union representation among nonunion workers over the last decade is investigated using data on worker preferences for union representation from four surveys conducted in 1977, 1980, 1982, and 1984. Relatively little of the decline can be accounted for by shifts in labor force structure. However, virtually all of the decline is correlated with an increase in the satisfaction of nonunion workers with their jobs and a decline in nonunion workers' beliefs that unions are able to improve wages and working conditions.


Bimorph Piezoelectric Cantilevered (BPC) actuators have been of increasing interest in micro-manipulation processes during recent years. Due to properties such as transverse vibration, the performance and manoeuvrability have considerably improved, compared with conventional longitudinal piezoelectric actuators. Therefore, dynamic modelling of such actuators has been the centre of attraction. For this purpose, a target point on the actuator, e.g. the cantilever end tip, is usually considered as the actuator output. One degree of freedom lumped and continuous type dynamic models have been considered in prior research works. These types of modelling lead to two significant issues. First, the effect of higher vibrational modes in the actuator output is disregarded. Second, a minimum phase dynamic system is achievable for all target points regardless of position. In this paper, these two issues will be analytically and experimentally investigated. To this end, a linear continuous dynamic model for a general BPC actuator is derived and discretized by attaining exact mode shapes. The Prandtl–Ishlinskii (PI) model is utilized to model and identify the non-linear hysteresis behaviour. In contrast to previous works, dynamic behaviour analysis elaborates on the effect of higher modes in the actuator output response. In addition, the possibility of non-minimum phase behaviour based on the location of the target point is investigated. Simulation studies and experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed dynamic model and its behaviour analysis.


Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy female health care workers of accouchement age. Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study Place and Duration of Study: This was conducted at the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi from 1 july 2017_1 novemeber 2018 Materials and Methods: Two hundred and seventy healthy female doctors and nurses were recruited by random consecutive sampling. 25(OH) vitamin D and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured and effects of different variables were noted on vitamin D level. Results: Three subjects out of 270 were excluded because of abnormal PTH levels. Median age was 28±4 years. Mean value of 25(OH) vitamin D was found to be 13.94±6.91. 254 (95.13%) were found to be deficient in vitamin D. Significant correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and use of veil, obesity/malnutrition, married females, fish intake and lack of sun exposure. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency has very high prevalence even in educated and relatively higher socioeconomic groups, even those having enough medical knowledge about its pathophysiology and effects. Corresponding author:


Pancreatic contusion or transection may result from blunt or penetrating trauma. Considerable morbidity and mortality may occur if the injury is not diagnosed and treated promptly. Clinical diagnosis of pancreatic injury due to blunt trauma is difficult, because the symptoms are often delayed and nonspecific. Computed tomographic scanning is the method of choice for the diagnosis of pancreatic injury, although abdominal ultrasound may be particularly useful in children. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is used to assess ductal integrity.


Evaporation plays an important role in many technical applications including beam-based additive manufacturing processes, such as selective electron beam or selective laser melting (SEBM/SLM). In this paper, we describe an evaporation model which we employ within the framework of a two-dimensional free surface lattice Boltzmann method. With this method, we solve the hydrodynamics as well as thermodynamics of the molten material taking into account the mass and energy losses due to evaporation and the recoil pressure acting on the melt pool. Validation of the numerical model is performed by measuring maximum melt depths and evaporative losses in samples of pure titanium and Ti–6Al–4V molten by an electron beam. Finally, the model is applied to create processing maps for an SEBM process. The results predict that the penetration depth of the electron beam, which is a function of the acceleration voltage, has a significant influence on evaporation effects.


Like all the phenomena that the human mind is knowledgeable about, the phenomenon of violence should be regarded as a complex macrosystem, where systems of networks and agents are linked and interact at different interconnected levels. This means that complexity refers to the phenomenon per se, to the various cognitive and emotional processes through which the human mind should examine and evaluate it and to the development of solutions to eradicate violence itself. It is clear that the complexity of these processes of examination and evaluation should be a requisite both of scientists and of laypeople. This does not mean that the scientist or the layperson should be knowledgeable about all the components and aspects of the macrosystem in their complex interconnections but that they should think and act on the grounds of their awareness of this complexity. One of the main issues relating to the study of violence is the definition of violence itself. In this respect, it is here suggested that thoughts and emotions, and not only behaviors, should be included in the definition of violence. As an exemplar of the difficulty regarding this specific issue, some considerations will draw on data obtained in a previous study on children and adolescents' animal abuse experiences. It is also important to point out that complexity does not only refer to the explorations of the connections between systems taken from different research fields (e.g., neurology, biology, psychology, sociology, etc.). It can also refer, for example, to the theoretical premises of the research and of the questions at stake, to the scope and aims of the research and of these questions, and to the methods used in the investigation. In the same way, it is also important to bear in mind that, rooted in the theoretical premises and in the aims, are also specific views of society and life in general and that these views deeply and unavoidably affect the whole investigation process. It is clear that focusing on complexity also means opposing the fragmentation which usually characterizes the scientific study of violence and the interventions aiming to countervail it. Finally, as complexity theory indicates, through this "holistic" approach, a new conceptualization and understanding of violence could emerge so as to lead to more innovative and effective solutions to the problem of violence.


The concentration of Listeria monocytogenes was determined in 66 samples of waste water and of the effluent after the biological step in the waste water pretreatment plant of Braunschweig. 697 strains of Listeria were isolated, 84 per cent of them were L. monocytogenes. The concentration of Listeria varied between 10(3)-2.4 X 10(5) cells/l. Neglecting some exceptions, there were about ten times more Listeria in the sludge than in the clearly filtered waste water. In general, Listeria seem to be not reduced by the biological oxidation during the waste water treatment. On the contrary, we observed a multiplication in 45 percent of all cases. The propagation of Listeria within amoebae or other protozoa is discussed. Finally, the hygienic role of sludge is discussed because Listeria are concentrated in it and they are able to survive many months up to some years.


the next. The advice he gives is that the CPT should be repeated if the result appears inappropriate. Lindsell is concerned that the test we have applied is too stringent and suggests doing the receiver operator curve analysis in another way to improve the correlation value to 0·711. Whilst better than the figure we calculated, this still borders on the category of poor diagnostic accuracy (between 0·6 and 0·7). Whichever criteria are employed, the conclusion is still the same; the test is of no value in assessing an individual in either a medical or a medicolegal setting. Kent refers to the 'gold-standard of the patients symptoms'. We did not. The only data available with which to compare the outcome of the CPT was the claimant's history. This may not be ideal but there is no other way. Our data show that the test and the clinical severity had virtually no correlation. Kent implies that the CPT is more effective in those distantly exposed to vibration compared with those who have had recent exposure. We have looked at this and the interaction was statistically insignificant. Kent states that cold provocation thermography is a useful test but gives no supporting reference. He ignores the findings in our paper and those of Mason from the Health and Safety Laboratories published in Occupational Medicine2 at the same time as our paper. Our views remain unchanged. G. Proud, F. Burke, I. J. Lawson, K. L. McGeoch and J. N. V. Miles C/O Dr Ian Lawson, Chief Medical Officer, Rolls Royce plc, PO Box 31, Derby DE24 8BJ, UK DOI: 10.1002/bjs.4533


Orphan drug legislation has been introduced in a number of countries in order to stimulate the development of treatments for rare diseases by introducing commercial incentives for companies wishing to undertake that development. In order to navigate the maze of regulatory regulations and procedures so that companies can make proper use of the orphan drug incentives, specialist knowledge is required. This article will review the current status of orphan drug development in the EU and the US, explain the incentives and procedures, and touch on the role of patient organisations in the process.


The microstructure and tensile mechanical properties of directionally Solidified NiAl-15Cr alloy at various temperatures have been investigated in this paper. The results reveal that the microstructure consists of dendritic β-NiAl phase, interdendritic γ/γ', γ' phase transient layer and α-Cr precipitation in β-NiAl phase. With the increase of temperature obvious Brittle-Ductile-Transition (BDT) behavior is observed and the BDT temperature (BDTT) is sensitive to initial strain rate. When the initial strain rate increases by two-order magnitude, the BDTT has an approximate 150K increase. In the temperature range of 1123-1373K, the alloy exhibits good tensile plasticity and poor strength comparing with the NiAl/Cr(Mo,Hf) alloy. Superplastic-like deformation behavior with large elongation (exceed 200%) is achieved at 1323K. The balance between strain hardening (by dislocation glide) and strain softening (dynamic recover and recrystallization) is responsible for the large tensile elongation of this alloy.


This paper examines the relationship between news coverage and Bitcoin returns. Previous studies have provided evidence to suggest that macroeconomic news affects stock returns, commodity prices and interest rates. We construct a sentiment index based on news stories that follow the announcements of four macroeconomic indicators: GDP, unemployment, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and durable goods. By controlling for a number of potential biases we determine as to whether each of the series' have a significant impact on Bitcoin returns. While an increase in positive news surrounding unemployment rates and durable goods would typically result in a corresponding increase in equity returns, we observe the opposite to be true in the case of Bitcoin. Increases in positive news after unemployment and durable goods announcements result in a decrease in Bitcoin returns. Conversely, an increase in the percentage of negative news surrounding these announcements is linked with an increase in Bitcoin returns. News relating to GDP and CPI are found not to have any statistically significant relationships with Bitcoin returns. Our results indicate that this developing cryptocurrency market is further maturing through interactions with macroeconomic news.


The current state-of-the-art workflow for endoscopic procedures consists of two steps. The first step involves acquisition and analysis of a three-dimensional computed tomography image to locate suspicious regions of interest and plan routes to reach them. In the second step, the physician attempts to maneuver the endoscope along the pre-planned route through the patient's anatomy to reach these regions of interest. Navigation errors are common in standard practice and stem from the difficulty of pre-operative analysis and from the dissimilarity of the pre-operative data-set and the endoscopic video.
This thesis proposes automated registration and tracking methods for registering the pre-operative data-set to the incoming live video in real-time. The registration locates the bronchoscope with respect to the anatomy and allows navigation routes and regions of interest that are defined pre-operatively within the computed tomography image to be continuously fused with the endoscopic video. The registration and tracking methods form the basis for an endoscopic guidance system described in this thesis. The guidance system uses novel interaction and visualization strategies that can assist a physician in reaching a region of interest and improve the accuracy of hitting a pre-specified anatomical target.
We provide numerous laboratory results characterizing the performance of the registration methods. These results show that the registration algorithm is over 100x faster than previous methods, while simultaneously improving robustness and accuracy. We also present results showing the utility of the guidance system and strategies in phantom studies and in live human procedures.


The paper assesses the possible consequences for Article 42/43 certification of the publication of the ISO/IEC 27701:2019 standard. This new ISO standard establishes a management system that aims to manage 'the processes for protecting the capture, accountability, availability, integrity, and confidentiality of personal data.' The conformity with the standard's requirements is certifiable by the private conformity assessment bodies interested in providing this service to businesses. The paper shows that ISO/IEC 27701:2019 based certification has many assets to dominate the market of data protection certification. It offers operational advantages to businesses that are looking for a readymade solution to streamline information security and data protection. A strong uptake of ISO/IEC 27701:2019 based certification could threaten Article 42/43 certification by creating two competing approaches of data protection compliance. But it could also offer the opportunity to improve the general level of data protection and encourage the European supervisory authorities to clarify the relationships they intend to establish with ISO privacy standards.


Meeting: IDRC / ECA Meeting on the Creation of Centres for Technology Policy Studies in Africa, 5-10 Dec. 1973, Ife, NG


The purpose of this study was to understand the status and influential factors of preschool teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education, given the evidence that attitudes predict successful inclusion for young children with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. We translated the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES, Mahat, 2008) to Simplified Chinese (MATIES-C). We then administered the MATIE-C to a representative sample of in-service preschool teachers (N = 481) in Beijing, China. The confirmative factor analysis and reliability tests suggested an acceptable construct validity and internal reliability of the MATIES-C. We also found preschool teachers in Beijing held positive attitudes towards inclusion across cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of attitudes. The ANOVA results indicate teachers' experience and knowledge about children with disabilities had statistically positive associations with favorable attitudes. Preschool area, teacher age, and educational background were also found to have a statistically significant impact on teacher attitudes.


We propose a method for inducing magnetization reversal using an AC spin current polarized perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetization of the free magnetic layer. We show that the critical AC spin current is significantly smaller than the corresponding DC one. The effect is understood as a consequence of the underdamped nature of the spin-torque oscillators. It allows to use the kinetic inertia to overcome the residual energy barrier, rather than suppressing the latter by a large spin current. The effect is similar to a swing which may be set into high amplitude motion by a weak near-resonant push. The optimal AC frequency is identified as the upper bifurcation frequency of the corresponding driven nonlinear oscillator. Together with fast switching times it makes the perpendicular AC method to be the most efficient way to realize spin-torque memory valve.


Volumetric muscle loss (VML) is a traumatic injury where at least 20% of the mass of a skeletal muscle has been destroyed and functionality is lost. The standard treatment for VML, autologous tissue transfer, is limited as approximately 1 in 10 grafts fail because of necrosis or infection. Tissue engineering strategies seek to develop scaffolds that can regenerate injured muscles and restore functionality. Many of these scaffolds, however, are limited in their ability to restore muscle functionality because of an inability to promote the alignment of regenerating myofibers. For aligned myofibers to form on a scaffold, myoblasts infiltrate the scaffold and receive topographical cues to direct targeted myofiber growth. We seek to determine the optimal pore size for myoblast infiltration and differentiation. We developed a method of tuning the pore size within collagen scaffolds while inducing longitudinal alignment of these pores. Significantly different pore sizes were generated by adjusting the freezing rate of the scaffolds. Scaffolds frozen at −20 °C contained the largest pores. These scaffolds promoted the greatest level of cell infiltration and orientation in the direction of pore alignment. Further research will be conducted to induce higher levels of myofiber formation, to ultimately create an off-the-shelf treatment for VML injuries.


Background The increasing resistance of many bacterial pathogens against antibiotic measures urgently requires new or repurposing therapeutic strategies. Gentian violet is a triarylmethane dye used as a histological stain and for Gram's method of classifying bacteria. It also exerts an antimicrobial effect against certain pathogens, especially dermatological infections. Safranin is the most popular counterstain used in medical laboratories due to its low cost and safe laboratory usage. However, few studies have been conducted on the antimicrobial activity of safranin. Objective With the growing prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, this study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of gentian violet and safranin against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Methods All tested bacteria were multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria isolated from skin infections (abscesses and wounds). Using gentian violet and safranin, antibacterial effects were studied using the well-diffusion method against 20 samples of clinically isolated bacteria, 10 diagnosed as S. aureus, and 10 as P. aeruginosa. Bacteria were diagnosed using the VITEK 2 automated system (bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Étoile, France). Iodine served as the control agent, since both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are sensitive to it. Results Gentian violet dye has been shown to be 100% sensitive to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates. Although safranin also had high sensitivity (100%) to S. aureus isolates, its sensitivity to P. aeruginosa was only 20%. Staphylococcus aureus was more resistant to iodine (40% sensitivity) compared to P. aeruginosa, which was 100% sensitive to iodine. Conclusions Gentian violet and safranin are low-cost and better tolerated topical agents that have potential for use in dermatological applications. Gentian violet had good antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, making it useful for treating bacterial skin pathogens such as S. aureus and P. aeruginosa especially for MDR bacteria. While safranin has good efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus), its effect against Gram-negative bacteria (e.g. P. aeruginosa) is poor.


Previous research has shown that pre-parturient primiparous pigs (gilts) housed in behaviourally restrictive farrowing crates without straw redirect their nest-building behaviour to non-manipulable substrates such as the bars of the crate. These gilts also show elevated plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Cortisol levels, particularly around the peak of nest-building activity, when compared to gilts in larger pens that have been provided with a manipulable substrate (straw). It remains unclear whether these behavioural and physiological responses to crating result from the lack of a suitable nesting substrate or from the restricted space. This study investigated the effects of space (crate [C] versus pen [P] and straw (straw [S] versus no straw [NS]) using a 2 × 2 factorial design. Thirty-four gilts were implanted with an indwelling jugular catheter at around 12 days before parturition. They were moved to one of the four environments five days before parturition, and blood sampling and recording of behaviour were carried out during the pre-parturient period. Penned gilts (P), irrespective of straw availability, spent more time standing and walking and performed more total substrate-directed behaviour than crated (C) gilts. When straw was not available to penned gilts, a large proportion of their substrate-directed behaviour was redirected to the floor. Space also had an effect on ACTH and Cortisol levels across the entire pre-parturient phase, with C gilts having higher levels than P gilts irrespective of straw availability, but particularly so at the peak of nest-building activity. There was no effect of straw on ACTH or Cortisol levels. Overall, it appears that increased space, perhaps through allowing locomotion, increases substrate-directed behaviour of pre-parturient gilts. When space is available but straw is absent, pre-parturient gilts redirect their nest-building behaviour to the floor. The ability to express substrate-directed behaviour as a result of increased space is reflected in lower levels of indicators of physiological stress.


Large, non-symmetrical, inherently chiral bispyridyl ligand (L) derived from natural ursodeoxycholic bile acid was used in coordination to square-planar tetravalent Pd(II) yielding the cationic enantiomer of Pd3L6 coordination complex (1) containing 60 well-defined chiral centers in its flower-like structure. Complex 1 can be readily transformed by addition of chloride into a smaller enantiomerically pure metallacycle Pd3L3Cl6 (2). This transformation is reversible and can be restored by the addition of silver cations. Furthermore, a mixture of two constitutional isomers of the trimer, 2 and 2', can be obtained by direct coordination of L to trans-N-pyridyl-coordinating Pd(II). These intriguing supramolecular assemblies have been thoroughly described by combination of various methods. The interconversion between particular species was followed by 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. The dimensions of complexes determined by 1H DOSY NMR spectroscopy and drift tube ion-mobility mass spectrometry agree well with molecular models. Variable temperature 1H NMR experiment was carried out to study the thermodynamic equilibria between 2 and 2' complexes. The thermodynamic data obtained from the van't Hoff plot agree well with computational calculations.


The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) belongs to a family of five channel-forming proteins that regulate communication between the approximately 10(12) cells of the nervous system. A minimum mechanism of inhibition of the muscle-type nAChR (1) by the noncompetitive inhibitors cocaine and MK-801 [(+)-dizocilpine, an anticonvulsant] indicated they bind to a regulatory site, with higher affinity for the closed-channel form than for the open-channel form, thus shifting the equilibrium toward the closed-channel form and inhibiting receptor function. The mechanism predicts that compounds that bind to this regulatory site with equal or higher affinity for the open-channel conformation than for the closed-channel conformation will prevent receptor inhibition (1). Does a neuronal form of the receptor behave similarly? The mechanism of inhibition of the neuronal nAChR by cocaine and MK-801 using rapid chemical kinetic techniques was investigated. The alpha3beta4 nAChR stably expressed in HEK 293 cells was used in these investigations. Whole-cell currents originated from a major and minor nAChR isoform. Only the major isoform has been characterized. For the dominant, rapidly desensitizing isoform, the carbamoylcholine dissociation constant for the site controlling receptor activation, Kd, is 2 mM; the channel-opening equilibrium constant, Phi(-1), is 4; and the dominant desensitization rate constant, k34, is 20 s(-1). Cocaine inhibits the receptor noncompetitively, with an apparent KI of 84 and 26 microM at high and low carbamoylcholine concentrations, at which concentrations the receptor is mainly in the open- or closed-channel form, respectively. Similar results were obtained with MK-801. A combinatorially synthesized RNA ligand and a cocaine analogue alleviated cocaine inhibition of this neuronal receptor.


This paper addresses the professional preparation of future teachers of social pedagogy (social educators) in the context of current tasks which the social pedagogy in the Czech Republic still has. Based on the results of the research which aims to present the professional characteristics of students of social pedagogy, we propose an innovation of the current curricula in social pedagogy study program and thus strengthen the independence of the profession which has undergone a specific development in our country. BIP questionnaire was used to obtain data.