Developing multiagent systems theory and application in recent years has led to a veritable revolution in modeling complex systems. Commonly used modeling style is the one based on equations. With the help of this type of modeling, the researchers have made many calculations in order to determine equations of projectiles, and missiles motions in the air, some corrections that apply at the time of the adverse conditions to achieve the final goal of hittng the targetThe domain of the agents and the multiagent systems is a new one and dynamic and has associated a technology on maturization. It is clear that this technology will be predominant in the informational applications of the future, in the digital common environment, in the future corporations and in the creation of the intelligent services.
Agents are and will be used in a great variety of applications, from the small dimension systems, as personalised e-mail filters or agents for shoppings to great systems, complex, as organisations and virtual economical systems.The agent concept has became since the XX th century, a central element in a few scientifical disciplines which have e a high development rank. The artificial intelligence, cybernetics, computer science, computational economy frequently use the concept of agent and the abducted methods from this.
 In this moment there exists a rich literature from this domain, which contains a lot of definitions, but from the gained knowledges I will try to describe this concept as simple. In dictionaries, the agent is defined as "someone who, or whereby power is exerted or creates an effect", but this definition is too basic


Purpose: To examine predictors of quality of life gains for type 1 diabetes patients after taking part in a self management training programme (DAFNE). Method: Clinical and questionnaire data were collected from 437 patients with type 1 diabetes from 6 hospital centres at baseline before participation in the DAFNE programme and at 3 further time points (at 6, 12 and 18 month post-DAFNE training). The Diabetes-Specific Quality of Life Scale (DSQOLS) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID) provided quality of life data, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) provided data on psychological wellbeing. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA 1c ), weight and height, and blood pressure levels were recorded by health practitioners at patients' clinic appointments. Age, gender, marital status, education level, years since diagnosis and smoking status were recorded at baseline. Linear mixed models were fitted to identify predictors of change in quality of life at 18 month follow up. Results: Those with high levels of diabetes-related distress experienced greatest improvement in DSQOLS quality of life scores (p=0.001). Those with poor glycaemic control (higher levels of HbA 1c ; p=0.03) and those with high levels of anxiety (p=0.001) experienced greatest reductions in diabetes-related distress. Conclusions: Those with higher baseline levels of anxiety, higher levels of diabetes-related distress and higher baseline levels of HbA 1c are most likely to benefit (in terms of quality of life gain) from participation in self-management programmes like DAFNE.


BACKGROUND
The Global Burden of Disease study has generated a wealth of data on death and disability in Europe. At a time of change for the European Union and European Region of WHO, with a new Health Commissioner and Regional Director, respectively, a review of health trends can contribute to identify outstanding needs and gaps. This paper reports a summary of the burden of disease in the European Union (EU) in 2017 (compared with 2007).

METHODS
For the whole EU and each country, mortality by causes of death, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and life expectancies are reported.

RESULTS
In 2017, the age-standardized mortality and DALY rates were of 452.6 and 19 663.3 per 100 000 inhabitants, respectively. The diseases contributing most to mortality were ischaemic heart disease (IHD), dementias and stroke, while low back pain and IHD accounted for the highest burden of DALYs.

CONCLUSIONS
Overall, there was an improvement in the state of health in the EU but substantial differences between countries remain. Cardiovascular diseases still represent the major burden, although there have been substantial improvements. There are many opportunities for mutual learning among otherwise similar countries with different patterns of disease.


Plasma prolactin levels were measured in 68 pregnant women with hypertension at 32 weeks gestation. They were raised in pregnancies with pre-eclamptic features, most significantly in women with a rising plasma urate level. No correlation was found between the level of the untreated blood pressure and prolactin. Proteinuria did not influence prolactin levels independently of changes in the plasma urate. The differences in prolactin levels could not be ascribed to the drugs administered.


The haemodynamic changes in pregnancy result in decrease in haemoglobin and haematocrit. It has previously been demonstrated that absence of this decrease or even increase in the haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct) values measured in the third trimester or late in the second trimester can be correlated to increased risk of development of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. In the present investigation, the authors have investigated whether the abovementioned complications of pregnancy can also be correlated to high Hb and high Hct measured early in the third trimester. The investigation included 373 healthy pregnant women, 46 of whom had Hb greater than or equal to 8.3 mmol/l in the 13th-19th weeks. Complications of pregnancy occurred in 17.4% of the 46 women. Among the remaining 327 pregnant women with Hb less than 8.3 mmol/l, complications of pregnancy were observed in only 5.8%. This difference is significant. The blood volume increases by approximately 1.5 litre during pregnancy. The plasma volume increases by 50% from the seventh to the 32nd week and thereafter remains constant until delivery. The erythrocyte volume increases first from approximately the 16th week and increases by a total of 25%. The early increase in plasma volume results in a decrease in the haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and in the haematocrit (Hct) value. During the third trimester, Hb and Hct increase again as a result of the increased erythrocyte volume. A positive correlation has been demonstrated between the magnitude of the plasma volume in the third trimester and the birth weight and a negative correlation between Hb in the third trimester and the birth weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Recently, oil–water separation has become an important subject due to the increasing incidence of oil spill accidents. Separating films with underwater superoleophobicity have aroused much interest due to their special oil-repellent and anti-fouling properties. Good environmental stability, such as anti-corrosive ability, is very important for these films in practical applications, because water is in contact with these films intimately during the separating process. Until now, almost all reported separating films with anti-corrosive abilities are made of polymers, and related inorganic separating materials are still rare. In this work, through a simple electrodeposition process, a novel porous structured copper mesh film was prepared. The film shows superhydrophilicity in air and low-adhesive superoleophobicity in water. Using the film for oil–water separation, the separation efficiency is higher than 99% for various oil–water mixtures. Importantly, after immersion into corrosive solutions such as acidic and basic solutions, the wetting properties and the separating performances of the film showed no apparent variation, indicating that the as-prepared film has a good environmental stability. This paper reports a new separating film for oil–water mixtures; the special anti-corrosive properties allow it to be used in many other practical applications, such as anti-fouling, filtration and sewage treatment.


Social and Emotional Development, a new four-volume collection from Psychology Press, brings together the most influential and fundamental research in the area, providing readers with a vital overview of the basic theory and the empirical database regarding social and emotional development. The collection editors present a general developmental picture of the state-of-the-art in each area of social and emotional development. They have also written integrative commentaries (appearing as an introduction at the start of each volume) to situate the collected research topics in their historical and intellectual context, and to provide a snapshot of current issues in the field.


The intrinsic mechanism of drain-lag and current collapse in GaN-based high-electron-mobility-transistors are studied by using two-dimensional transient simulations. The simulated drain-lag characteristics are in good agreement with the reported experimental data. Dynamic pictures of trapping of hot electron under drain-pulse voltages are discussed in detail. The trapped charges may accumulate at gate edge drain side, where the electric field significantly changes, causing a notable current collapse. Quantum-well HEMT structures have been proposed and demonstrated to obtain the optimized performance.


Abstract. Ceilometer lidars are used for cloud base height detection, to probe aerosol layers in the atmosphere (e.g. detection of elevated layers of Saharan dust or volcanic ash), and to examine boundary layer dynamics. Sensor optics and acquisition algorithms can strongly influence the observed attenuated backscatter profiles; therefore, physical interpretation of the profiles requires careful application of corrections. This study addresses the widely deployed Vaisala CL31 ceilometer. Attenuated backscatter profiles are studied to evaluate the impact of both the hardware generation and firmware version. In response to this work and discussion within the CL31/TOPROF user community (TOPROF, European COST Action aiming to harmonise ground-based remote sensing networks across Europe), Vaisala released new firmware (versions 1.72 and 2.03) for the CL31 sensors. These firmware versions are tested against previous versions, showing that several artificial features introduced by the data processing have been removed. Hence, it is recommended to use this recent firmware for analysing attenuated backscatter profiles. To allow for consistent processing of historic data, correction procedures have been developed that account for artefacts detected in data collected with older firmware. Furthermore, a procedure is proposed to determine and account for the instrument-related background signal from electronic and optical components. This is necessary for using attenuated backscatter observations from any CL31 ceilometer. Recommendations are made for the processing of attenuated backscatter observed with Vaisala CL31 sensors, including the estimation of noise which is not provided in the standard CL31 output. After taking these aspects into account, attenuated backscatter profiles from Vaisala CL31 ceilometers are considered capable of providing valuable information for a range of applications including atmospheric boundary layer studies, detection of elevated aerosol layers, and model verification.


The gene for the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium falciparum has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. The gene encodes a protein of 412 amino acids as deduced from the nucleotide sequence. The protein contains 41 tandem repeats of a tetrapeptide, 37 of which are Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro and four of which are Asn-Val-Asp-Pro. Monoclonal antibodies against the CS protein of Plasmodium falciparum were inhibited from binding to the protein by synthetic peptides of the repeat sequence. The CS protein of Plasmodium falciparum and the CS protein of a simian malaria parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi, have two regions of homology, one of which is present on either side of the repeat. One region contains 12 of 13 identical amino acids. Within the nucleotide sequence of this region, 25 of 27 nucleotides are conserved. The conservation of these regions in parasites widely separated in evolution suggests that they may have a function such as binding to liver cells and may represent an invariant target for immunity.


FIGURE: Age standardised peptic ulcer death rates for Australia 1978-1989 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). In reply: We are glad to have the opportunity to reply to the letter from Westbrook et al.' Unfortunately, as the Editor of the Journal asked us to condense into a letter what was originally an article, space did not allow a detailed analysis of crude death rates due to peptic ulcer which are, of course, influenced by changes in the age structure of the population. However, as Westbrook et al. point out, ageing of the population does not account for all of the increase in deaths in females; these are particularly puzzling because of a concurrent decline in the frequency of ulcer generally and the availability of effective treatment. Other explanations for these increased deaths must be sought. We did suggest that, in older patients, failure to investigate dyspepsia by endoscopy and failure to treat peptic ulcer adequately might be one of a number of possible explanations of the increased number of deaths due to ulcer. We are not sure that an unpublished survey of endoscopy findings in the general population is likely to shed much light on the matter. populations. One method which may be used is indirect standardisation. The Figure illustrates age standardised peptic ulcer death rates for Australia between 1978 and 1989. Using regression analysis on these data we found that there was in fact an annual decrease of 2.2% in the death rates due to peptic ulcer disease in males between 1978 and 1989. In comparison female death rates from peptic ulcers increased at a rate of 2.9°Jt) per annum over the same period. These results are a cause for concern. Hugh and Kelly suggested that one reason for the absence of improved peptic ulcer death rates was a failure to promptly investigate older patients who display dyspeptic symptoms. This hypothesis is not supported by the results of a study investigating the use of gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients 65 years and over in New South Wales recently conducted by the Health Services and Evaluation Section of the NSW Health Department. In this study we found that gastrointestinal endoscopy was the most frequently performed procedure on patients aged 65 years and over during 1988 and 1989 in New South Wales. Over 15 800 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed on patients in this age group over this period. Although females 65 years and older had significantly lower rates of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy than did males the rates of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for both males and females increased significantly between 1986 and 1990. However, the increasing rate of endoscopies was not associated with an increase in the rate of peptic ulcers detected at endoscopy. It is clear that further investigation into peptic ulcer deaths in Australia is needed. J I Westbrook, BAppSc(MRA), MHA M I Rob, BSc, MA R L Rushworth, FAFPHM G L Rubin, FAFPHM, FRACP Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Branch Health Department of NSW Locked Mail Bag 961, North Sydney. NSW 2059


There are two approaches to three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction using a 1D array ultrasonic transducer: mechanical linear scanning and free-hand scanning. Mechanical scanning employs a motorized mechanism to translate the transducer linearly. However, the large size and weight of the scanning system sometimes make it inconvenient to use. In free-hand scanning, a sensor (e.g., electromagnetic or optical) is attached to the ultrasonic transducer to measure the position and orientation of the transducer. These techniques are sensitive to the usage environment. Recently, sensorless free-hand scanning techniques have been developed. Seabra et al. reported sensorless free-hand techniques for the carotid artery by monitoring the velocity of the ultrasound probe [J. C. R. Seabra, L. M. Pedro, and J. F. Ferandes: IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 56 (2009) 1442]. This system achieved an accuracy of 2.5 mm [root mean square (RMS) error] of the location. To develop accurate sensorless measurement, we propose a novel method using the phase shift between ultrasonic RF echoes. In this study, we measured the transmit-receive directivity of a linear-array transducer using a silicone phantom and estimated the elevational distance between two 2D US images using the phase shift. An accuracy of 49.9 µm in RMS, which is less than that of the previous sensorless free-hand method, could be achieved by the proposed method.


We have recently reported homozygous mutations in the PINK1 gene in three consanguineous families with early‐onset parkinsonism (EOP) linked to the PARK6 locus. To further evaluate the pathogenic role of PINK1 in EOP and to draw genotype–phenotype correlates, we performed PINK1 mutation analysis in a cohort of Italian EOP patients, mostly sporadic, with onset younger than 50 years of age. Seven of 100 patients carried missense mutations in PINK1. Two patients had two PINK1 mutations, whereas in five patients only one mutation was identified. Age at onset was in the fourth‐fifth decade (range, 37–47 years). The clinical picture was characterized by a typical parkinsonian phenotype with asymmetric onset and rare occurrence of atypical features. Slow progression and excellent response to levodopa were observed in all subject. Two of 200 healthy control individuals also carried one heterozygous missense mutation. The identification of a higher number of patients (5%) than controls (1%) carrying a single heterozygous mutation, along with previous positron emission tomography studies demonstrating a preclinical nigrostriatal dysfunction in PARK6 carriers, supports the hypothesis that haploinsufficiency of PINK1, as well as of other EOP genes, may represent a susceptibility factor toward parkinsonism. However, the pathogenetic significance of heterozygous PINK1 mutations still remains to be clarified. Ann Neurol 2004;56:336–341


During 1971, an epizootic of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) reached the United States. Laboratory tests were performed on a large number of sick, healthy, unvaccinated, and vaccinated horses. Neutralization (N) tests in cell cultures revealed that 153 of 193 (79.3%) equines outside the state of Texas and 175 of 204 (85.8%) within Texas (82.6% overall) had detectable N antibody to VEE virus a week or more after vaccination. Twenty-six of 40 (65%) non-Texas equines and 18 of 29 (62%) Texas equines which had no detectable antibody against VEE virus a week or more after vaccination had N antibody against Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) or Western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus or both, whereas only 50 of 153 (32.7%) non-Texas equines and 82 of 175 (46.9%) Texas equines with demonstrable N antibody against VEE also had N antibody against EEE and/or WEE virus. In vaccinated equines, significant negative correlations were found between the occurrence of antibody to VEE and antibody to EEE and/or WEE virus. These findings support the hypothesis that pre-existing antibody to EEE and/or WEE virus may modify or interfere with infection by VEE virus. The epizoologic significance of this possibility is discussed briefly.


HOW DO SCIENTISTS CROSS CULTURAL BORDERS BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE: A CASE STUDY By Chester Albert Barner III The cultures of science and religion have had different levels of conflict throughout the past several hundred years due in part to the development of the theory of evolution. Although many ideas abound in science education as to the alleviation of this struggle, few studies have examined how scientists who profess religious beliefs deal with this conflict. In general, the study sought to understand the cognitive dynamic of the cultural interaction between the scientific and religious culture within a few individuals. Specifically, the study allowed scientists to explain how they found a measure of compatibility between their faith and their scientific endeavors. Within the boundaries of both the general and specific purposes for the study, the following research question was used: How do college science professors describe the interaction between their faith and their scientific knowledge in reference to their transitioning between a naturalistic or scientific understanding and a super-naturalistic or religious understanding? Three theoretical lenses were used as backdrop to view the cultural interaction. World View (Kearney, 1984), Collateral Learning Theory (Jegede, 1995), and Faith Perspective in relation to the Stages of Faith Theory (Fowler, 1981) constituted the theoretical framework. Because of the qualitative nature of the research, the author used a modified naturalistic paradigm that stressed an emergent quality, grounded categorical design, and a modified case study written format that aided in the understanding of data generated through multiple qualitative methods. Three overlapping themes emerged within the data that offer new insights not only into the complex nature of the conflict but also into the ways scientists themselves find a reason to have faith as well as scientific knowledge. Boundaries based upon a philosophical and world view difference, conflict due to culturally integrative ideas, and cultural bridges without distortion made up the overlapping thematic ideas that were consistently demonstrated by each participant. The insights demonstrated by this study may also enlighten the science education community to the importance of both culture and belief in reference to a meaningful learning experience in science. HOW DO SCIENTISTS CROSS CULTURAL BORDERS BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE: A CASE STUDY by Chester A. Barner III


The gas phase reaction of CH2Cll with ethylene and vinyl fluoride, initiated photochemically and thermally with di-t-butyl peroxide, has been investigated, and the relative rates of addition of chloromethyl radicals to both ends of vinyl fluoride have been determined over a range of temperatures. The mechanism of the reaction is discussed, and the relative Arrhenius parameters for addition to the two alkenes are interpreted in terms of frontier orbital coefficients.


Tourism and hospitality have emerged as one of the pioneering sectors of sharing economy. However, homeowners who lack knowledge background are confused with pricing. Traditional hotel pricing and rental pricing methods may be not suitable for online accommodation rental. Therefore, CRISP-DM, the data analysis framework, is used to solve this problem. The price prediction model is established via the house data from the Airbnb.com. Finally, 33 determinants closely related to the price are found, and the most important 10 determinants are sorted. The study also finds several interesting rules: (1) the basic situation of housing is an important determinant, (2) online rental houses with more convenient transaction conditions have higher price, (3) providing more facilities and services can increase the price, (4) some determinants in traditional hotel pricing are not efficient in sharing houses. These findings can help the homeowners to understand customers and improve their own house and pricing.


Abstract A method is presented to obtain a continuous-energy representation of the neutron spectrum using two-dimensional discrete ordinates calculations with a combination of multigroup (MG) and pointwise (PW) nuclear data. This provides the capability of determining the fine-structure energy distribution of the angular flux and flux moments within the resonance range as well as the smoother spectrum in the high- and thermal-energy ranges. The continuous-energy flux spectra can be utilized as problem-dependent weighting functions within the whole two-dimensional domain to process self-shielded MG cross sections for reactor physics and/or criticality safety analysis so that the two-dimensional heterogeneous effect in the resonance calculation can be fully considered. This calculational method has been implemented in a new PW transport code called GEMINEWTRN that may be executed as a module in the SCALE computer code system. Example applications using ENDF/B cross-section data are presented to study the two-dimensional heterogeneous effect in the resonance calculations.


GEOCBEMICAL STUDIES OF SUB-HORNSTONE BEDS OF MENILITE SERIES FROM ROPA AND GRABOWNICA (CARPATHIANS) The present paper deals with the preliminary characteristics of sub-hornstone beds of menilite series. The studies were made an two profiles: the first profile was from Ropa, near Grybow, the second one from Grabownica, near Sanok. The sub-hornstone beds at Ropa are characteristic of clayey and marly deposits of increased bituminity and of slight admixture of arenaceous fraction. Illite and montmorillonite are·here the main clayey minerals. Moreover, there are also faund intercalations of relatively pure montmorillonites, containing an admixture·of CaCO 3 , at places. The geochemical profiling embraced also the Globigerina marls, as well as clayey and marly rocks of the top of green hieroglyphic schists occurring beneath the marls. The profile of sub-hornstone beds at Grabownica, near Sanok shows a predominance of arenaceous rocks forming intercalations, some metres in thickness, within the ,clayey and marly rocks rich in bitumens. The profile comprises the whole complex of sub-hornstone beds from the top of green hieroglyphic schists to the bottom of hornstones. In general, 3,8 samples from Ropa and 18 from Grabownica have been studied. The results of chemical analysis are shown on Tab. 1 and Tab. 2, and those of colorimetric analysis of rare elements on Tab. 3 and Tab. 4. It may be said on the result of the studies performed that the profiles investigated reflect various sedimentary conditions and diagenesis of the deposits. This is proved by different character of rocks observed in both profiles (presence of bentonites and absence of sandstones at Ropa, and amassment of these latter at Grabownica), as well as by various amounts of sulphur in the profiles. According to this, such elements as V, Mo, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni, which always are connected with bitumens, occur in the profile of Grabownica in greater quantities, than those at Ropa. On the other hand, the contents of chromium connected with clayey rocks, increase in the profile of sub-hornstone beds at Ropa.·It should also be stressed here that a series of marls occurring at the top of the hieroglyphic beds does not show any enrichment in rare elements. Such an enrichment may only be observed at the top of marls (sample No 25 from Ropa and sample No 51 from Grabownica).


OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of using a population-based informatics system for osteoporosis screening and treatment in women aged 65 years or older.

DESIGN
A population-based informatics system (PRECARES: PREventive CAre REminder System) was implemented to meet the needs of the workflow of a primary care practice. Patients treated in either of two sections of a primary care internal medicine department were selected for the intervention, and patients of a comparable third section served as the control group. PRECARES identified women in the intervention group who were due for osteoporosis screening on the basis of age and who had no record of previous screening in our clinical system. If these eligible patients did not have an upcoming outpatient appointment, appointment secretaries sent a letter requesting that they call to make an appointment for a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan.

MEASUREMENTS
At baseline and 3 months after the letters were sent, a database was used to determine the rate of osteoporosis screening in the intervention and control groups.

RESULTS
A total of 689 patients in the intervention group were sent the letter. Three months after the letters were sent, the rate of osteoporosis screening was 76.4% (2409/3152) in the intervention group vs 69% (928/1344) in the control group (p<0.001). In the intervention group, 25% of the 689 patients responded to the letter and completed osteoporosis screening. Patients who had osteoporosis screening received appropriate treatment.

CONCLUSION
A population-based informatics system for primary care practice significantly improved the rate of osteoporosis screening.


ABSTRACT The authors' objective was to investigate the association between Chinese immigrant mothers' authoritative parenting and their children's socioemotional and behavioral difficulties. Participants were 136 first-generation Chinese immigrant mothers with 3–5-year-old children residing in the United States. Authoritative parenting was associated with lower socioemotional and behavioral difficulties in children as reported by preschool teachers. Further moderation analyses revealed that immigrant mothers' English proficiency moderated the association between authoritative parenting and children's difficulties. Specifically, authoritative parenting was significantly associated with fewer total difficulties only for children with mothers who reported higher English proficiency.


OBJECTIVES To report on five patients who developed, 2 to 4 days after an intracranial neurosurgical procedure, new, persistent, focal neurological deficits which were due to inhibitory simple partial (non-convulsive) status epilepticus, and resolved with anticonvulsant treatment. METHODS The age range of the five patients was 15–74 years. The operations were: aneurysm clipping (three patients) and resections of an oligodendroglioma and a cavernous haemangioma (one patient each). The new focal deficits were: right hemiparesis and aphasia (two patients), aphasia alone (two patients), and left hemiparesis (one patient). The deficits were not explained by CT (obtained in all patients) or cerebral angiography (performed in two). RESULTS Electroencephalography showed, in all patients, continuous or intermittent focal seizures arising from cortex regionally relevant to the clinical dysfunction. Subtle positive epileptic phenomena (jerking) occurred intermittently in three patients as a late concommitant. Administration of anticonvulsant drugs resulted in significant improvement within 24 hours in four patients, with parallel resolution of ictal EEG activity. The fifth patient improved more slowly. Two patients relapsed when anticonvulsant concentrations fell, and improved again when they were raised. CONCLUSIONS It is suggested that inhibitory simple partial (non-convulsive) status epilepticus be considered in the differential diagnosis when a new unexplained neurological deficit develops after an intracranial neurosurgical procedure. An EEG may help to diagnose this condition, leading to definitive treatment.


In this paper, a novel microstrip diplexer with tunable bandwidths and switchable channels is presented by using dual-mode square loop resonators (DMSLRs). Two resonators at different electrical lengths are coupled to input and output ports with lumped capacitors, and the isolation between the output ports is optimized by means of these capacitors. In order to obtain tunable bandwidth in each channel, varactor diodes are located at the orthogonal corners of the proposed resonators. In addition, the proposed resonators have reference patch elements at the lateral arms to provide convenience of varactor diode capacitances, such as perturbation elements. Depending on the capacitances of the varactor diodes, the bandwidths of each channel can be tuned. Furthermore, each channel can be switched off. The designed diplexer has two channels at the center frequencies of 1.8 and 2.6 GHz, which are allocated to 4.5G applications. Three-dB bandwidths can be tuned between 60 and 160 MHz for the first channel and between 150 and 350 MHz for the second channel. Isolation between the output ports is obtained as better than 18 dB in each channel. The designed diplexer was fabricated and measured, and the measured results were consistent with the predicted results.


Aim: presents a stress correction method to improve calculation accuracy of doubly curved composite laminated plate with big meshing size to save computational effort. With the application of Marc's secondary development function, a subroutine is embedded to simulate the mechanical properties of material, and the amendment factors are added so that the stress calculation results have the same computational accuracy when the model is compartmentalized to big meshes as the case under small meshes. We Compare the calculation results in big meshes and what in small meshes, which prove the error request can be satisfied.


The unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena synthesize, store and secrete biogenic amines (histamine, serotonin, epinephrine, dopamine, melatonin) and also can take up amines from the milieu. It also has (G-protein-coupled) receptors (binding sites) for these amines as well, as second messengers. The factors infuencing the mentioned processes are shown. For certain amines the genes and the coded enzymes are demonstrated. The amines influence phagocytosis, cell division, ciliary regeneration, glucose metabolism and chemotaxis. There are interhormone actions between the amines, and between the amines and other hormones produced by Tetrahymena. The critical review discusses the role of amines in the early stages of evolution and compares this to their functions in mammals. It tries to give answer how and why biogenic amines were selected to hormones, and why new functions formed for them in higher ranked animals, preserving also the ancient ones.


For the 33 prioritisation (October 2017), 9 drugs were filtered out of 401 identified and were sent to prioritisation. Of these, 5 drugs were ranked as 'highly relevant' by the expert panel, 4 as 'relevant' and none as 'not relevant'. For 'highly relevant' drugs, further information including, for example, abstracts of phase III studies and licensing status is contained in this document.


Silane adhesion promoters are commonly used to improve the adhesion, durability, and corrosion resistance of polymer-oxide interfaces. The current study investigates a model interface consisting of the natural oxide of(100) Si and an epoxy cured from diglycidyl ether ofbisphenol A (DGEBA) and triethylenetetraamine (TETA). The thickness of (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPS) films placed between the two materials provided the structural variable. Five surface treatments were investigated: a bare interface, a rough monolayer film, a smooth monolayer film, a 5 nm thick film, and a 10 nm thick film. Previous neutron reflection experiments revealed large extension ratios (>2) when the 5 and 10 nm thick GPS films were exposed to deuterated nitrobenzene vapor. Despite the larger extension ratio for the 5 nm thick film, the epoxy/Si fracture energy (Gc) was equal to that of the 10 nm thick film under ambient conditions. Even the smooth monolayer exhibited the same Gc. Only when the monolayer included a significant number of agglomerates did the Gc drop to levels closer to that of the bare interface. When immersed in water at room temperature for 1 week, the threshold energy release rate (Gth) was nearly equal to Gc for the smooth monolayer, 5 nm thick film, and 10 nm thick film. While the Gth for all three films decreased with increasing water temperature, the Gth of the smooth monolayer decreased more rapidly. The bare interface was similarly sensitive to temperature; however, the Gth of the rough monolayer did not change significantly as the temperature was raised. Despite the influence of pH on hydrolysis, the Gth was insensitive to the pH of the water for all surface treatments.


In this paper, we present a fast synchronization coding scheme, which uses single insertion/deletion error correcting permutation codes. A possible application to M-ary FSK for the CENELEC A band power-line communications (PLC) is considered. Compared to conventional timing recovery schemes, no redundancies for preamble sequences and no processing delays from decision devices are needed.


Abstract Among statewide consortia, OhioLINK has broken new ground in redefining how successful interlibrary loan can become, by letting patrons directly borrow books from member libraries. We know little about the characteristics of books that are shared among the member libraries of consortia. Although several articles describe the OhioLINK implementation and experience, no previous formal study has been undertaken to describe what patrons borrow. The present work attempts to fill this void by examining 40,742 book requests initiated by patrons on OhioLINK. It describes what books patrons requested in terms of publication date, country of publication, language, and subject scope. It presents the demand for interlibrary borrowing in terms of characteristics of the institutions (for instance, collection strength and student enrollment) and in terms of the patrons' academic status. One finding is that, as a group, undergraduates are a major new category of users (42%). Additionally, about half of the books requested were published in the preceding seven years. Of these requested books, 90% were published in 1960 or later. Findings, such as these, raise new questions about the number of copies of a book that libraries across the nation need to preserve for archival and potential research use.


My Doctorate Research has been focused on the evaluation of the pharmacological activity of a
natural extract of chestnut wood (ENC) towards the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system and
on the identification of the active compounds.
The ENC has been shown to contain more than 10% (w/w) of phenolic compounds, of
which tannins as Vescalgin and Castalgin are the more representative.
ENC cardiovascular effects have been investigated in guinea pig cardiac preparations; furthermore
its activity has been evalueted in guinea pig aorta strips.
ENC induced transient negative chronotropic effect in isolated spontaneously beating right atria and
simultaneously positive inotropic effect in left atria driven at 1 Hz. Cardiac cholinergic receptors
are not involved in the negative chronotropic effect and positive inotropic effects are not related to
adrenergic receptors. In vascular smooth muscle, natural extract of chestnut did not significantly
change the contraction induced by potassium (80 mM) or that induced by noradrenaline (1μM).
In guinea pig ileum, ENC reduced the maximum response to carbachol in a concentrationdependent
manner and behaved as a reversible non competitive antagonist. In guinea pig ileum, the
antispasmodic activity of ENC showed a significant antispasmodic activity against a variety of
different spasmogenic agents including histamine, KCl, BaCl2. In guinea pig proximal colon,
stomach and jejunum, ENC reduced the maximum response to carbachol in a concentrationdependent
manner and behaved as a reversible non competitive antagonist.
ENC contracted gallbladder guinea pig in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. This
effect does not involve cholinergic and cholecystokinin receptors and it is reduced by nifedipine.
ENC relaxed Oddi sphincter smooth muscle. The cholecystokinetic and Oddi sphincter relaxing
activities occurred also in guinea pigs fed a lithogenic diet. The cholecystokinetic occurred also in
human gallbladder. The Fractionation of the extract led to the identification of the active fraction.


OBJECTIVE: To determine whether recycling of arterial and venous cannulae for cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with an increased risk of infectious complications after open heart surgery. DESIGN: A prospective, risk-benefit analysis. SETTING: A university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Five hundred and forty patients underwent a variety of non-transplant cardiac operations, which were performed by one surgeon between October 1988 and July 1993. INTERVENTIONS: Standard techniques of open heart surgery were used. Ascending aortic and vena caval cannulae and the multiple perfusion device for administering cardioplegia down saphenous vein bypass grafts were reused an average of 10 to 15 times after sterilization with ethylene oxide after each use. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The postoperative morbidity and mortality and the estimated savings achieved by recycling the cannulae. RESULTS: The operative mortality (total in hospital plus within 30 days of operation) was 2.8% (15 patients). There were no cases of endocarditis; there was only one case of superficial presternal infection and one case of mediastinitis. Gram-negative organisms were cultured from the blood of two patients and gram-positive organisms from the blood of one patient. Only one patient died of an infectious complication. The estimated cost saving during the study period was more than $50,000. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of wound and hematogenous infection after open heart surgery in which recycled cannulae are used is less than 1%. This rate is lower than that quoted in most recent reports. Reuse of heart-lung bypass cannulae may realize substantial cost savings without detriment to the patient.


This thesis consists of three essays on the political economy of development and focuses on topics related to democratization, redistribution and conflict. It studies one the largest countries in Latin America, Colombia, and examines mostly his history during the 20th century.
The first chapter, "Buying off the Revolution: Evidence from the Colombian National Peasant Movement, 1957-1985", studies the relationship between democratization and redistribution during periods of revolutionary threats. Far from causing an increase in broad redistribution (e.g. social spending), I show that the state organization of a social movement that extends the political rights of the threatening group can be used to identify rebel leaders and provide private goods to them, in return for preventing social unrest and demobilizing their supporters. I study the context of the organization by the state of the most important social movement in Colombian history -the National Peasant Movement (ANUC)- during the decades of a threat of Communist revolution (1957-1985), when the government gave ANUC direct political participation in the executive branch and economic support. Using three newly digitized data set of the Colombian municipalities, I find that this reform did not lead to higher broad redistribution towards the peasantry but it led to an increase in targeted redistribution in terms of public jobs and lands. By matching the names of the peasant leaders to the beneficiaries of the land reform, evidence suggests that peasant leaders disproportionally benefited from land reform and that targeted redistribution towards the peasant leaders was a mechanism to restrain the Communist threat. Finally, I find suggestive evidence that buying off the rebel leaders was an effective counter-revolutionary strategy as it led to less revolutionary activities after the support to ANUC was terminated (1972-1985).
The second chapter, "Roads or Schools? Political Budget Cycles with different types of voters" also studies one form of democratization: the franchise extension. It uses a new Colombian data set (1830-2000), to analyze how changes in the electoral legislation with regard to the characteristics of voters (in terms of education and income levels) have affected fiscal policy in election years. In line with economic theory, I show that after the male universal suffrage law was reformed in 1936 the composition of the expenditure shifted towards social spending (like education, health, and welfare benefits) but there was a decrease in spending on infrastructure and investment projects (like roads). Consistent with the literature, I also find: 1.The timing and the size of the political budget cycles changed after 1936 and 2. After 1936 there was a shift in the funding mechanisms from indirect tax revenues to more debt.
In addition to democratization and redistribution, the third chapter examines the causes of the civil conflict in Colombia. The third chapter "On the agrarian origins of civil conflict in Colombia", co-authored with Fabio Sanchez, investigates the impact of land dispossessions by landlords on the origin of the civil conflict in Colombia. The study exploits variation in floods to identify how peasants' land dispossessions during the export boom (1914-1946) determine the rise of rural guerrilla movements and the consolidation of their rebel activities. It uses a novel municipal-level dataset on natural disasters and land dispossession, and documents that municipalities experiencing floods during the years 1914-1946 were substantially more likely to have
land dispossessions than municipalities where floods was not severe. Floods reduced temporarily the conditions of the land and its value, facilitating the dispossession of the peasants of their lands by large landowners. Using a matching-pair instrumental variable approach, we show that the historical dispossession of lands by landlords
that led to the rise of peasant grievances is associated with the presence of the rural guerrilla movement -The Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC)- during the first stage of the Colombian civil conflict.
We propose two mechanisms through which previous land dispossessions facilitated the emergence of rebel armed groups and use a mediation analysis to test the indirect effects. On the one hand, exposure to previous civil wars gave military training and access to weapons and military experience to the rural population that likely created incentives for the formation of rebel groups. On the other hand, the ideological politics of rebellion by the Communist party exacerbated the grievances and helped to the emergence of rebel armed groups.


The use of performance pay in public organizations is contentious partly because it can crowd out the intrinsic motivation associated with public service. However, not all public employees are service oriented and sensitivity to extrinsic rewards varies between them. Exchange ideology measures the strength of an individual's belief that work effort should be proportional to treatment by the organization. We argue that this psychological trait conditions the relationship between performance pay and pay satisfaction. An analysis of survey data collected from Korean government employees shows that performance pay is positively related to pay satisfaction in the average case, and second that this relationship is stronger for employees with higher levels of exchange ideology. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the size of the moderating effect is nontrivial. We discuss the relevance of our findings to performance-oriented human resource reform in the public sector.


Two oaklins guaiacylcatechinpyrylium (GCP) and syringylcatechinpyrylium (SCP) and a model compound deoxypeonidin (DOP) were synthesized, and the rate and equilibrium constants of the respective pH dependent network of chemical reactions were calculated. In contrast to anthocyanins, the three compounds possess a small cis-trans isomerization barrier and hence the rate of the trans-chalcone formation follows a bell-shaped curve as a function of pH. The three compounds exhibit photochromism obtained by irradiation of the trans-chalcone, which, depending on pH, leads to the colored species flavylium cation and quinoidal base. The flash photolysis together with pH jumps followed by UV-vis absorption and stopped flow is a very useful tool to achieve the rate and equilibrium constants of the network of chemical reactions followed by these molecules. Oaklin compounds which are formed in wine aged in oak barrels present physical-chemical properties more similar to simpler deoxyanthocyanidins rather than anthocyanins and may play a significant role in color changes observed in wine aging. Given their higher stability, they may be regarded as potential food colorants.


To the Editor.— We read with interest an article by Cruickshank et al 1 on the management of heparin therapy. Analyzing the data, we found that the improvement of therapeutic efficacy may not only be due to the use of a nomogram but also to the difference between the mean initial heparin dose given to the study patients and to the control patients during the first 24 hours (32903 IU and 28 563 IU, respectively). Moreover, no data are available about the initial infusion rate in the control group. We carried out a similar study during the past years. The retrospective review of clinical records of 34 patients treated with intravenous heparin for deep-vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism disclosed wide variations in clinical practices, such as absence of initial loading dose (bolus) in 60% of the cases, variation in the timing of the first activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) measurement


This thesis has been divided into three main sections. The first chapter
contains a review of the total synthesis of lactacystin and also its derivatives.
Chapter two consists of our own synthetic work, and experimental details are
provided in chapter three. [Continues.]


: The paper presents the differential diagnostic signs of choroidal tumors, which are revealed by spatial ultrasound analysis of their angioarchitectonics. An algorithm of a study of the angioarchitectonics of choroidal tumors has been developed on the basis of the current ultrasound technologies that can combine B- and 3D-mode grey scale with energy and color Doppler mapping. Fifty-six patients (58 eyes) with various choroidal neoplasms, including 42 patients with choroidal melanomas, 6 with circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas, and 8 (10 eyes) with metastatic choroidal lesion, were examined. Analysis of the results of the study revealed the specific echographic features of each type of a tumor. The proposed procedure of ultrasound analysis makes it possible to expand the spectrum of the analyzed parameters of the angioarchitectonics, to locate spatially, and to trace the association of the neoplasmic vascular bed with the extraocular circulatory system, which is of great importance in choosing an adequate treatment option.


The antitumor activity of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU) against the murine ependymoblastoma, glioma 26, and glioma 261 was compared with the uptake and distribution of the 14C-labeled drug in the murine ependymoblastoma. With a modified Wilcoxon rank-sum test, it was found that CCNU increased life-span in tumor animals from 2- to 4-fold, depending on the dose used and the particular tumor type studied. Uptake and distribution studies of CCNU-14C in intracerebral and subcutaneous tumors, brain adjacent to tumor, and distant (normal) brain indicated that the parent drug had relatively constant tissue/plasma ratio levels. Of the ether-soluble fractions, CCNU had a tissue/plasma ratio of greater than 4 and accounted for 15% of the ether-soluble radioactivity. From the data, it was concluded that the antitumor activity of CCNU is probably independent of preferential uptake of distribution between normal and tumor tissue. Although few conclusions concerning the mode of action of CCNU on gliomatous tumors can be made, nevertheless further consideration of its use in the treatment of human gliomas seems warranted.


The analysis and visualization of data created from simulations on modern supercomputers is a daunting challenge because the incredible compute power of modern supercomputers allow scientists to generate datasets with very high spatial and temporal resolutions. The limited bandwidth and capacity of networking and storage devices connecting supercomputers to analysis machines become the major bottleneck for data analysis such that simply moving the whole dataset from the supercomputer to a data analysis machine is infeasible. A common approach to visualize high temporal resolution simulation datasets under constrained I/O is to reduce the sampling rate in the temporal domain while preserving the original spatial resolution at the time steps. Data interpolation between the sampled time steps alone may not be a viable option since it may suffer from large errors, especially when using a lower sampling rate. We present a novel ray-based representation storing ray based histograms and depth information that recovers the evolution of volume data between sampled time steps. Our view-dependent proxy allows for a good trade off between compactly representing the time-varying data and leveraging temporal coherence within the data by utilizing interpolation between time steps, ray histograms, depth information, and codebooks. Our approach is able to provide fast rendering in the context of transfer function exploration to support visualization of feature evolution in time-varying data.


Over the last several years, the engineering education research community has aimed to disseminate and implement its work in engineering classrooms. Several investigations have explored reasons for and barriers to the adoption of evidencebased practices. Many of these investigations have been housed within STEM Education communities. External avenues, such as the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) network community of faculty developers, represent untapped resources that could enhance these dissemination efforts. Over the past year, we have hosted parallel workshops for engineering education researchers at the Frontiers in Education (FIE) conference and faculty developers at the POD network's Annual Conference. Our parallel workshops were an effort to encourage conversation about engineering faculty development practices across both communities. At FIE, engineering education researchers explored ways POD could aid them in disseminating their research and wrote "messagesinabottle" with things they wanted the POD community to know. At POD, faculty development experts stepped through a simplified version of the engineering design process in response to the messages from FIE participants. This paper brings together our experiences from both workshops to illustrate the challenges and benefits of furthering connections between the engineering education and faculty development communities. Increasing the fluidity of such collaborations may help disseminate educational best practices between them.


Previous studies of the effect of early low-dose gluten introduction on coeliac disease are inconclusive. One aim of a UK randomised controlled trial was to study whether early introduction of high-dose gluten altered the incidence of coeliac disease. In the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) Study, 1303 children from the general population in England and Wales were randomised to consume six allergenic foods including wheat in addition to breast milk from age 4 months (early introduction group (EIG)) or to avoid allergenic foods and follow UK infant feeding recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding until approximately age 6 months (standard introduction group (SIG)). At age 3 years, 1004 children with available serum samples were tested for anti-transglutaminase type 2 antibodies; children with antibody levels >20 IU/L were referred for investigation for coeliac disease. The mean (SD) quantity of gluten consumed between ages 4 and 6 months was 0.49 (1.40) g/week in the SIG and 2.66 (1.85) g/week in the EIG (P < 0.001). Seven of 516 children from the SIG (1.4%) had confirmed coeliac disease versus none of 488 children in the EIG (P = 0.02, risk difference = 1.4%; 95% CI: 0.6–2.6). Early high-dose consumption of gluten should be considered as a strategy to prevent coeliac disease in future studies.


This paper investigates whether changes in the monetary transmission mechanism as captured by the interest rate respond to variations in asset returns. We distinguish between low-volatility (bull) and high-volatility (bear) markets and employ a TVP-VAR approach with stochastic volatility to assess the evolution of the interest rate in relation to housing and stock returns. We measure the relative importance of housing and stock returns in the movements of the interest rate and their possible feedback effects over both time and horizon and across regimes. Empirical results from annual data on the US spanning the period from 1890 to 2012 indicate that the interest rate responds more strongly to asset returns during low-volatility (bull) regimes. While the bigger interest-rate effect of stock-return shocks occurs prior to the 1970s, the interest rate appears to respond more strongly to housing-return than stock return shocks after the 1970s. Similarly, a higher interest rate exerts a larger effect on both asset categories during low-volatility (bull) markets. Particularly, larger negative responses of housing return to interest-rate shocks occur after the 1980s, corresponding to the low-volatility (bull) regime in the housing market. Conversely, the stock-return effect of interest-rate shocks dominates before the 1980s, where stock-market booms achieved more importance.


The cellular delivery of bioactive nucleic acid-based drugs such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) represents a major technical hurdle for their pharmaceutical application. Prodrug-like approaches provide an attractive concept to address the delivery problem. With the aim to prepare RNA-based prodrugs bearing biolabile protections which facilitate cellular uptake and are prone to be removed enzymatically inside cells in order to release functional RNA, we synthesized pro-RNA totally or partially masked in 2'-OH position with pivaloyloxymethyl (PivOM) groups. A suitable strategy has been developed to synthesize and to purify base-sensitive mixed 2'-OH/2'-O-PivOM oligoribonucleotides, and to include them in siRNA. In this strategy, the fluoride labile [(triisopropylsilyl)oxy]-benzyloxycarbonyl group (tboc) as nucleobase protection (for A and C), the TBS group as 2'-OH protection and the Q-linker to solid-support were compatible with the PivOM groups masking some 2'-OH. We have taken advantage of the specific stability of the PivOM group to apply selected acidic, basic, and fluoride ions treatment for the deprotection and release of pro-RNA. This kind of pro-siRNA was studied in a human cell culture-based RNAi assay and preliminary promising data are discussed.


: In the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector, cooperation between actors is essential for projects success. During the building construction activity, organization is both hierarchical and adhocratic. Decision assistance tools have to integrate these heterogeneous parameters. The proposition described here consists of the design of a coordination assistance tool providing synthetic indicators on the statement of the activity and also allowing the user to navigate in the cooperative context through multiple views. This proposition is based on a model architecture allowing us to manage cooperative context information and its visualization.


The study was carried out to assess the socio-economic determinants of the quantity of Irvingia gabonensis (ogbono) harvested by rural dwellers in Sagbama Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. A total of sixty respondents were randomly selected from twelve rural communities of the study area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and personal interview. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis and a willingness-to-accept compensation model were used in the assessment. The majority of the respondents were female (63%). Household size was a significant predictor in determining the quantity of Irvingia gabonensis harvested from the forest. Injuries from knife cuts while opening or picking the fruits, and attacks by wild animals, were the major problems encountered by harvesters. Policies should allow some access to sustainable harvested non-timber forest products, and harvesters should recognize the importance of controls on the levels of harvesting. Keywords : Non-timber forest product; household size; harvesting constraints; over-exploitation


Academic advising is an important part of the college experience but has innate challenges. Much research has been done to try to improve the quality of students' academic advising experiences, but limited research has focused on student factors that contribute to their experiences. This project sought to discover if certain factors impacted students' academic advising experiences for better or worse at one institution. The research question guiding the study was "Is there a relationship between students' academic preparedness, school, gender, class, and ethnicity with their academic advising experiences at a small, private, liberal arts university?" The 2012 NSSE 2.0 Pilot Study, Academic Advising Module served as the dependent variable and Independent Samples T-tests and Analyses of Variances were calculated for the five aforementioned factors. Statistical results indicated that four factors did not strongly correlate to students' academic advising experiences, positively or negatively. However, students' ethnicity (White vs. Non-White) did produce a strong statistical correlation between the means (p = .002). A main reason for this may be the number of international students who were part of the sample and the multiple ways in which they were supported at the institution in the study. While contributing to academic advising literature, the study also draws attention to the high value of multiple touch-points on students' academic advising experiences. The more faculty and staff take time to invest in students' academic success, the greater those students' estimation and satisfaction with their advising.


We investigate the dynamics of N/spl times/N triangular Josephson junction (JJ) arrays and the same arrays where only diamond triangular pairs are retained. The diamond arrays are shown to be more stable and their stability is traced to the dynamical states of a single diamond. Using diamonds with 2 JJ's on each horizontal link is shown to enhance rf output and facilitates the fabrication of arrays with HTS step-edge junctions. The effects of JJ defects and loads on array rf output are also considered.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training materials of a shaken baby syndrome (SBS) prevention programme produced in Western Sydney, Australia, when used with parents in Turkey, and to evaluate the best timing for this training. In this intervention study, a total of 545 mothers, 39.8 per cent of whom were in the first 48 hours after birth (group 1), 43.1 per cent three to seven days after birth (group 2) and 17.1 per cent pregnant (group 3), were tested before and after watching the educational film, for evaluation of their perception, and knowledge of and attitudes towards SBS. The total points measuring the levels of knowledge of shaking hazards changed from an average of 5.0 ± 2.2 pre-intervention to 6.4 ± 1.7 post-intervention (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the pre-test score, whereas in the post-test score group one was significantly lower than the other groups (p = 0.001). In conclusion, training using the SBS Prevention Program was useful for mothers; their level of knowledge about the dangers of shaking increased. Education given prior to the birth and three to seven days after the birth was found to be more useful than during the immediate postnatal period. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGES

Training in the SBS Prevention Program was useful for mothers.
Their level of knowledge about the dangers of shaking increased.
Education given before birth and in the postnatal three to seven days was found to be more useful compared to that given in the immediate postnatal period.


The Tasmanian dairy industry is predominantly pasture-based and pasture consumption is a key driver of dairy farm profitability. Due to this, Tasmanian dairy research, development and extension has a focus on increasing the amount of pasture grown and consumed by dairy cows. At an industry level, average pasture consumption has increased from 8.5 t DM/ha to 10.6 t DM/ha over the past 10 years. Coaching is one of the extension methods used in the Tasmanian dairy industry to develop farmer skills in grazing management. Pasture coaching involves the formation of groups of 4-6 farmers by an extension officer who takes on the role of coach for the group. A pasture coaching group meets 8-10 times over a 12 month period. An assessment of the impact of pasture coaching on grazing management skills was undertaken in 2016-17 through pre-coaching and post-coaching surveys along with one-on-one farmer interviews. Pasture coaching resulted in practice change with more people undertaking best management practices including calculating average pasture cover and cow requirements and determining leaf stage. Not only did more people implement some of these best management practices but there was also an increased frequency that these practices were undertaken throughout the course of the pasture coaching program.


Information and Communication Technologies have, incontestably become integral parts off t he library, notwithstanding their types. It means, therefore, that their availability in libraries is as important as the availability of documents in libraries. Studies have shown that despite the importance of ICTs in libraries, most libraries in Nigeria have either failed to provide them or they are provided purely for administrative purposes. This scenario prompted the researchers to examine the situation of ICTs provision in public libraries in North Central States of Nigeria. Public libraries were del iberately selected for this study because of their importance to the general public (the peoples' university) in Nigeria. The study is predominantly qualitative as most of the variables considered in the study were nominal or discrete in nature. This is qualitative study involve seven public libraries in North Central States of Nigeria. Only four (4) of the seven public libraries in the North Central State of Nigeria with clear evidence of ICTs were involved in the study. The secondary respondents were the Readers and Technical Services Librarians of the libraries. A methodological triangulation involving questionnaire, interview and observation was employed for the study. Data collected were descriptively analyzed. Consequently, it was discovered among oth er findings, that there was truly poor state of ICTs provision in public libraries in North Central States of Nigeria. An appeal was therefore made to the proprietors of these libraries to; as a matter of urgency, provide enabling environment for the provision of these important facilities for the libraries. Key Words: ICT, Public, Library, North, Central, Nigeria.


Preliminary study on the preparation and performance of vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCF) reinforced cement composites was carried out. VGCF were prepared from de-oiled asphalt (DOA) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Results demonstrated that compressive strength and electrical conductivity of VGCF reinforced cement could be significantly enhanced with very low fiber content. The resistivity decreased and compressive strength increased of cement-matrix composites with weight fraction of VGCF increasing from 0 to 0.6% fiber in the paste. The fiber content of 0.4% by mass of cement was recommended, which yielded the resistivity of 1.49×103Ωcm. That was two orders of magnitude lower than that for the same paste without VGCF (3.25×105Ωcm). Furthermore, the compressive strength increased by 28.8% as the VGCF content increases from 0 to 0.4% by mass of cement.


Although the key components of the cellular nuclear transport machinery have largely been characterized through extensive efforts in recent years, in vivo measurements of the kinetics of nuclear protein import/export are patently few. The present study applies the approach of FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) to examine the nucleocytoplasmic flux of a novel human VDRB1 (vitamin D receptor B1) isoform in living cells. Through an N-terminal extension containing a consensus nuclear targeting sequence, VDRB1 is capable of localizing in nuclear speckles adjacent to SC-35 (35 kDa splicing component)-containing speckles as well as in the nucleoplasm, dependent on ligand. Investigation of VDRB1 nucleocytoplasmic transport using FRAP indicates for the first time that the VDRB1 has a serum-modulated, active nuclear import mechanism. There is no evidence of an efficient, active export mechanism for VDRB1, probably as a result of nuclear retention. VDRB1 nuclear import in the absence of serum occurred more rapidly and to a greater extent to nuclear speckles compared with import to other nuclear sites. This preferential transport from the cytoplasm to and accumulation within nuclear speckles is consistent with the idea that the latter represent dynamic centres of VDRB1 interaction with other nuclear proteins. The results are consistent with the existence of specialized pathways to target proteins to nuclear subdomains.


A form of electron ordering similar to that of molecules in liquid crystals has been observed in an iron-based superconductor. Even though electrons in solids form a dense and strongly interacting fluid, electrons in many metals can also be considered as a weakly interacting quantum gas of "quasiparticles." Like a gas, the electron fluid is essentially homogeneous and isotropic. On the other hand, if the electrons interact sufficiently strongly, they crystallize, freezing into an insulating state that exhibits density modulations that are periodic in space. However, both of these conventional descriptions fail dramatically in many of the most interesting electronic materials discovered in the past two decades. In these materials, the electrons appear to organize into phases with a spatial structure that partially resembles the electron crystal but is still a conducting fluid. The behavior of these materials has the characteristics of both, seemingly opposite, states. On page 181 of this issue, Chuang et al. (1) report the observation of such a phase, in a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of an iron-based high-temperature superconductor (2).


Simple Summary Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) is the second most common primary hepatic malignant tumor after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prevalence of lymph node metastases (LNM) detected at surgery for IHCC has been reported as 25–50%, and lymph node metastasis is known to be significantly associated with poor survival outcomes. However, the oncologic value of lymph node dissection in resected IHCC is still controversial. According to the present Korea–Japan international collaborative study, it was found that surgical retrieval of more than four lymph nodes (≥4 LNs) could improve survival outcome in resected IHCC with LNM. Based on preoperatively detectable parameters, a nomogram was established to predict LNM to suggest tailored intraoperative LN management in patients with IHCC. Further prospective research is needed to validate the present surgical strategy in resected IHCC. Abstract Background: This study was performed to investigate the oncologic role of lymph node (LN) management and to propose a surgical strategy for treating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC). Methods: The medical records of patients with resected IHCC were retrospectively reviewed from multiple institutions in Korea and Japan. Short-term and long-term oncologic outcomes were analyzed according to lymph node metastasis (LNM). A nomogram to predict LNM in treating IHCC was established to propose a surgical strategy for managing IHCC. Results: A total of 1138 patients were enrolled. Of these, 413 patients underwent LN management and 725 did not. A total of 293 patients were found to have LNM. The No. 12 lymph node (36%) was the most frequent metastatic node, and the No. 8 lymph node (21%) was the second most common. LNM showed adverse long-term oncologic impact in patients with resected IHCC (14 months, 95% CI (11.4–16.6) vs. 74 months, 95% CI (57.2–90.8), p < 0.001), and the number of LNM (0, 1–3, 4≤) was also significantly related to negative oncologic impacts in patients with resected IHCC (74 months, 95% CI (57.2–90.8) vs. 19 months, 95% CI (14.4–23.6) vs. 11 months, 95% CI (8.1–13.8)), p < 0.001). Surgical retrieval of more than four (≥4) LNs could improve the survival outcome in resected IHCC with LNM (13 months, 95% CI (10.4–15.6)) vs. 30 months, 95% CI (13.1–46.9), p = 0.045). Based on preoperatively detectable parameters, a nomogram was established to predict LNM according to the tumor location. The AUC was 0.748 (95% CI: 0.706–0.788), and the Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit test showed p = 0.4904. Conclusion: Case-specific surgical retrieval of more than four LNs is required in patients highly suspected to have LNM, based on a preoperative detectable parameter-based nomogram. Further prospective research is needed to validate the present surgical strategy in resected IHCC.


The lifetime of this research project has seen two dramatic developments in the area of digital video coding. The first has been the progress of compression research leading to a factor of two improvement over existing standards, much wider deployment possibilities and the development of the new international ITU-T Recommendation H.263. The second has been a radical change in the approach to video content production with the introduction of the content-based coding concept and the addition of scene composition information to the encoded bit-stream. Content-based coding is central to the latest international standards efforts from the ISO/IEC MPEG working group.

This thesis reports on extensions to existing compression techniques exploiting a priori knowledge about scene content. Existing, standardised, block-based compression coding techniques were extended with work on arithmetic entropy coding and intra-block prediction. These both form part of the H.263 and MPEG-4 specifications respectively. Object-based coding techniques were developed within a collaborative simulation model, known as SIMOC, then extended with ideas on grid motion vector modelling and vector accuracy confidence estimation. An improved confidence measure for encouraging motion smoothness is proposed.

Object-based coding ideas, with those from other model and layer-based coding approaches, influenced the development of content-based coding within MPEG-4. This standard made considerable progress in this newly adopted content based video coding field defining normative techniques for arbitrary shape and texture coding. The means to generate this information, the analysis problem, for the content to be coded was intentionally not specified. Further research work in this area concentrated on video segmentation and analysis techniques to exploit the benefits of content based coding for generic frame based video. The work reported here introduces the use of a clustering algorithm on raw data features for providing initial segmentation of video data and subsequent tracking of those image regions through video sequences. Collaborative video analysis frameworks from COST 21 l qual and MPEG-4, combining results from many other segmentation schemes, are also introduced.


Genetic suppression of insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) can extend longevity in worms, insects, and mammals. In laboratory mice, mutations with the greatest, most consistent, and best documented positive impact on lifespan are those that disrupt growth hormone (GH) release or actions. These mutations lead to major alterations in IIS but also have a variety of effects that are not directly related to the actions of insulin or insulin-like growth factor I. Long-lived GH-resistant GHR-KO mice with targeted disruption of the GH receptor gene, as well as Ames dwarf (Prop1df) and Snell dwarf (Pit1dw) mice lacking GH (along with prolactin and TSH), are diminutive in size and have major alterations in body composition and metabolic parameters including increased subcutaneous adiposity, increased relative brain weight, small liver, hypoinsulinemia, mild hypoglycemia, increased adiponectin levels and insulin sensitivity, and reduced serum lipids. Body temperature is reduced in Ames, Snell, and female GHR-KO mice. Indirect calorimetry revealed that both Ames dwarf and GHR-KO mice utilize more oxygen per gram (g) of body weight than sex- and age-matched normal animals from the same strain. They also have reduced respiratory quotient, implying greater reliance on fats, as opposed to carbohydrates, as an energy source. Differences in oxygen consumption (VO2) were seen in animals fed or fasted during the measurements as well as in animals that had been exposed to 30% calorie restriction or every-other-day feeding. However, at the thermoneutral temperature of 30°C, VO2 did not differ between GHR-KO and normal mice. Thus, the increased metabolic rate of the GHR-KO mice, at a standard animal room temperature of 23°C, is apparently related to increased energy demands for thermoregulation in these diminutive animals. We suspect that increased oxidative metabolism combined with enhanced fatty acid oxidation contribute to the extended longevity of GHR-KO mice.


CONTEXT
The duration of protection from tuberculosis of BCG vaccines is not known.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the long-term duration of protection of a BCG vaccine that was previously found to be efficacious.

DESIGN
Retrospective record review using Indian Health Service records, tuberculosis registries, death certificates, and supplemental interviews with trial participants.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Follow-up for the period 1948-1998 among American Indians and Alaska Natives who participated in a placebo-controlled BCG vaccine trial during 1935-1938 and who were still at risk of developing tuberculosis. Data from 1483 participants in the BCG vaccine group and 1309 in the placebo group were analyzed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Efficacy of BCG vaccine, calculated for each 10-year interval using a Cox regression model with time-dependent variables based on tuberculosis events occurring after December 31, 1947 (end of prospective case finding).

RESULTS
The overall incidence of tuberculosis was 66 and 138 cases per 100 000 person-years in the BCG vaccine and placebo groups, respectively, for an estimate of vaccine efficacy of 52% (95% confidence interval, 27%-69%). Adjustments for age at vaccination, tribe, subsequent BCG vaccination, chronic medical illness, isoniazid use, and bacille Calmette-Guérin strain did not substantially affect vaccine efficacy. There was slight but not statistically significant waning of the efficacy of BCG vaccination over time, greater among men than women.

CONCLUSION
In this trial, BCG vaccine efficacy persisted for 50 to 60 years, suggesting that a single dose of an effective BCG vaccine can have a long duration of protection.


This article is part of a larger research project that aims to identify a methodicalway of investigating iconicity in the immensely rich field of media, whichincludes art and other kinds of communication. The first part of the paperfocuses on the intimate connection between sensory perception and cognitionand sketches a basis for analyzing multimodal iconicity (which involves, forinstance, several sensory modes or several spatiotemporal modes). The secondpart scrutinizes Peirce's notions of image, diagram, and metaphor and arguesthat these three types of iconicity should be seen as a continuum that rangesfrom sensorially 'strong' to 'weak' iconicity and from cognitively 'simple' to'complex' iconicity. The third part of the paper analyzes some examples ofmultimodal iconicity, with specific emphasis on spatiotemporal multimodality(for instance, spatial signs representing temporal objects, such as graphsrepresenting population growth); earlier semiotic research has not dealt with thissubject in a systematic way.


Ceramide, a key intermediate in sphingolipid metabolism, is synthesized by acylation of sphinganine followed by dehydrogenation of dihydroceramide to ceramide. Using radioactive sphinganine, we have examined the site and topology of dihydroceramide synthesis in well-characterized subcellular fractions from rat liver. [4,5-3H]Sphinganine was introduced as a complex with BSA and was metabolized to [4,5-3H]dihydroceramide upon incubation of rat liver homogenates or microsomes with fatty acyl CoA. Conditions were established in a detergent-free system in which dihydroceramide synthesis was not limited by either substrate availability or by amounts of microsomal protein or reaction time. The distribution of dihydroceramide synthesis was found to exactly parallel that of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) marker upon subfractionation of microsomes, and no endogenous activity was detected in either purified Golgi apparatus or plasma membrane fractions. Limited protease digestion demonstrated that sphinganine N-acyltransferase is localized at the cytosolic surface of intact ER-derived vesicles. These results are discussed with regard to the subsequent transport of (dihydro)-ceramide from the ER to sites of further metabolism in a pre-Golgi apparatus compartment and in the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi apparatus.


Abstract. The unambiguous retrieval of cloud phase from polarimetric lidar observations is dependent on the assumption that only cloud scattering processes affect polarization measurements. A systematic bias of the traditional lidar depolarization ratio can occur due to a lidar system's inability to accurately measure the entire backscattered signal dynamic range, and these biases are not always identifiable in traditional polarimetric lidar systems. This results in a misidentification of liquid water in clouds as ice, which has broad implications on evaluating surface energy budgets. The Clouds Aerosol Polarization and Backscatter Lidar at Summit, Greenland employs multiple planes of linear polarization, and photon counting and analog detection schemes, to self evaluate, correct, and optimize signal combinations to improve cloud classification. Using novel measurements of diattenuation that are sensitive to both horizontally oriented ice crystals and counting system nonlinear effects, unambiguous measurements are possible by over constraining polarization measurements. This overdetermined capability for cloud-phase determination allows for system errors to be identified and quantified in terms of their impact on cloud properties. It is shown that lidar system dynamic range effects can cause errors in cloud-phase fractional occurrence estimates on the order of 30 % causing errors in attribution of cloud radiative effects on the order of 10–30 %. This paper presents a method to identify and remove lidar system effects from atmospheric polarization measurements and uses co-located sensors at Summit to evaluate this method. Enhanced measurements are achieved in this work with non-orthogonal polarization retrievals as well as analog and photon counting detection facilitating a more complete attribution of radiative effects linked to cloud properties.


The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 (ADA) deregulated the domestic airline industry. Specifically, the ADA ended the dual administrative system, which allowed the states to regulate intrastate airfare and permitted the federal government's Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to regulate interstate airfare. The Act also included a broad preemption clause to prevent the states from reimposing economic regulations on air travel. The preemption clause prohibits a "State . . . [from] enact[ing] or enforc[ing] any law, rule, regulation, standard, or other provision having the force and effect of law relating to rates, routes, or services of any air carrier."

The Supreme Court has interpreted the scope of the ADA's preemption clause expansively and concluded that only state law claims with a "tenuous, remote, or peripheral" relationship to an airline's services survive preemption. Yet, the Supreme Court has never defined the key word: Service. Today, federal circuit courts disagree on the definition of "service," and a majority have adopted the Fifth Circuit's definition articulated in Hodges v. Delta Airlines, Inc.

Applying the Supreme Court's expansive view of the ADA's preemption clause, the Fifth Circuit defined the term "service" as all bargained-for air carrier services, including "ticketing, boarding procedures, provision of food and drink, and baggage handling, in addition to the transportation itself." The Fifth Circuit's definition preempts almost all conceivable state law claims despite the Supreme Court excepting claims with a "tenuous, remote, or peripheral" relationship to an airline's services from preemption. Consequently, the aviation industry largely evades state law.

This Comment argues that courts should interpret the ADA's preemption clause more narrowly to allow more state law claims to survive preemption, particularly claims arising from an airline's mishandling, delaying, or misplacing of a loved one's remains. As the COVID-19 pandemic claims lives and frustrates air travel, a perfect storm threatens to mishandle, delay, or misplace a loved one's remains. Grieving mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives are left without a legal remedy because the ADA shields the airline industry from liability concerning "baggage handling" and the "transportation itself." Courts should interpret the ADA's preemption clause more narrowly based on the ADA's clear purpose, the plain meaning of the ADA's text, stare decisis, and the law's treatment of other entities that mishandle human remains.


The marxist tradition has developed through several phases and it is only in the most recent and least orthodox of which it has devoted extensive attention to questions to do with law and with education. In each context the efforts have been controversial and in the process marxism has been extended, severely criticised and enriched. Hardly at all in this process, however, has social analysis, let alone marxism specifically, considered the interrelationships between education and law. This essay is intended to initiate discussion towards opening both of those spaces. It takes a focus within a standpoint. The broader standpoint is marxism and the marxist traditions and so aims to discuss and illuminate aspects of marxism in relation an hitherto under-explored area of social investigation and critique, namely the education/law interface. However, whilst exploring the issues from this standpoint, the embedded focus is educational rather than legal. Within the aspirations of the marxist tradition of socialist development, radical critique and politics, law and education amount most abstractly to the same things. They are sites of struggles for power, social justice and development for the fullest of human potentials in the face of social, economic and cultural conditions of production, distribution and exchange which fundamentally undermine and deflect these. The educational focus is concerned with making socially productive knowledge, itself paralleling marxism strategies as immanent educational critique and development. As such, this essay is concerned more with marxist educational theory than a complementary 'marxist jurisprudence', though the full model would require the development and articulation of both.


The pervasiveness of bullying in schools is a major concern that needs to be addressed. Bullying culture involves a manifestation of the power dynamics seen in a particular society. Despite the significant amount of research conducted in this area, there is still a lack of literature pertaining to bullying culture in India, especially involving the victimization of children. Indian society feeds off on social inequalities perpetuated by differences in class, caste, or religion. This sets the stage for notable variations in power, and on this stage masquerades the bullies. India finds itself with a bullying culture at different organizational levels; from schools to big companies. Indian schools, which represents a microcosm of society, is a direct reflection of the power dynamics seen in society at large. A lack of research about bullying in Indian schools opens the door to a wider range of concerns that includes a lack of initiative taken by schools or parents to curb the onslaught of bullying. This paper seeks to throw light on how this is the case due to the misperceptions regarding bullying that society propagates. For example, children and adults are often confused as to what constitutes bullying because to them certain acts of bullying mirrors traditionally accepted forms of disciplinary actions taken against children. This paper reviews literature showing how children are often misguided about what bullying is and the role that societal, familial, or school structures play in perpetuating said misconceptions. Furthermore, the paper also provides examples of certain non-traditional forms of bullying that reflect the misguided perceptions that children have about bullying.


Impulse purchasing is a universal yet seldom discussed phenomenon. This research study was oriented with the objective to identify the double-mediated relationship between impulse purchasing behavior and fashion orientation through hedonic consumption and emotions. To achieve this objective, survey research method was deployed and data had been collected from 231 general fashion consumers of Karachi. Process macro developed by \citeA{hayes2012process} was used as a statistical tool in order to study the relationship between the studied variable. The results suggest that hedonic consumption and positive emotions fully mediates the relationship between fashion orientation and impulse purchasing. The implications portrayed that there is a significant positive indirect effect of fashion orientation on impulse purchasing behavior through hedonic consumption and emotions collectively.


Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E.C.H.R.) proclaims that no one may be subjected to torture, punishment or degrading treatment. The legislative correlate in Spain is embodied in Article 15 of the Spanish Constitution, and there must be an overlapping interpretation of both precepts on the ideal plane. While it is true that there are not many cases in which the European Court of Human Rights (E.C.t.H.R. (The Strasbourg Court)) has sanctioned Spain for its failure to investigate complaints of torture, it must be emphasized that the tendency to violate Article 3 of the Convention appears to be on the rise, being necessary to know possible factors that may be affecting it. This proposal addresses the analysis of sentences that directly or indirectly reveal the violation of Article 3 of the European Convention. To carry out the analysis, sentences of the Strasbourg Court have been consulted from 2012 to 2016, being able to address any previous sentences to this period if it provided justified information necessary for the study. After the review it becomes clear that there are two key groups of subjects that request a response to the Strasbourg Court on the understanding that they have been tortured or degradingly treated. These are: immigrants and terrorists. It can not be alien to this study that both the phenomenon of immigration and terrorism respond to patterns that have mutated in recent years, and that national regulations begin to be dysfunctional.


A number of nanocrystalline, mesoporous large area (~0.2- 2 cm2) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are probed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to realize their carrier dynamics such as charge transport resistance (RCT), electron diffusion coefficient (Dη), and electron lifetime (τn) by applying an equivalent electrical model. The experimental upshots reveal that the electron lifetime relates with the device physical parameters which was neglected in previous studies. It is also found that the RCT relates negatively with the device area i.e. it decrease upon increasing photo-exposed area. The observed lowering of current density (JSC) over a series of experiments upon increasing the photoelectrode area is attributed to the decrease in RCT. The charge carriers upon injection into semiconductor layer find increased diffusion pathways and eventually recombine with the hole species when characterized by lower carrier lifetime. The thickness of the electrode film does not play an effective role indicating that the dynamics of larger area DSSCs differs largely from those of a single cell. The experimental results available indicate that a nearly complete collection of charge carriers is possible in large area modules provided the physical dimensions of photoelectrode area are considered. The results from the study hints future directions to build high efficiency DSSC modules and further asserts considering the diffusion length in two-dimensions while fabricating larger area cells.


We describe a case of a 15-year-old girl who developed a spontaneous intracranial arterial dissection with distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions. From the digital subtraction angiography provided, the dissection flap appeared to originate at the internal carotid artery terminus with extension into the right M1 segment and occluding the right anterior cerebral artery, A1 segment. CT perfusion study showed salvageable tissue in the posterior MCA territory, including the motor cortex. In order to avoid further injury to the dissection, clot retrieval systems were not a treatment option. We therefore performed selective thrombus aspiration with the Penumbra system for the occluded central and precentral arteries distal to the non-occlusive dissecting lesion. Sufficient recanalization was achieved and the patient made a marked recovery. Although mechanical thrombectomy with the use of retrieval intracranial stent systems has demonstrated satisfactory recanalization rates, the aspiration methodology remains useful for patients with an accompanying proximal vascular lesion.


Supplementation of fetal calf serum (FCS) during culture of bovine in vitro-produced embryos (IVPE) has been correlated with lipid accumulation, representing a limiting factor on embryo cryotolerance. In the present experiment we studied lipid content and apoptosis in Nelore IVPE cultured in different concentrations of FCS. The experimental design was a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial, in which embryos, exposed or not to the metabolic regulator, phenazine ethosulfate (PES), were cultured in 4 concentrations of FCS. In 16 replicates, 560 IVPE were vitrified after cultured in SOFaa supplemented with 0, 2.5, 5 or 10% FCS. On Day 2.5 of culture, one-half of the embryos in each group were treated with 0.3 μM of PES and then returned to standard culture conditions (5% O2, 5% CO2 and 90% N2 atmosphere at 38.5°C). All embryos were vitrified on Day 7 (Campos-Chillon LF et al. 2006 Theriogenology 65, 1200-1214). After warming, embryos were placed into culture for 12 h under standard conditions. A sample of fresh embryos was stained with Sudan Black B for quantification of small ( 6 μm) cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Apoptosis was analyzed, before and after vitrification, using TUNEL. As a positive control (CV), in vivo-produced embryos were collected from a superovulated Nelore cow. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Tukey's test; and Pearson's linear correlation (P 0.05) on cleavage and blastocyst formation rates (mean of 85.7 ± 2 and 36.6 ± 5, respectively). The total number of cells in fresh embryos was also similar (P > 0.05) among groups (mean of 134.1 ± 28). Additional results are shown in Table 1. Elevated concentrations of FCS increased lipid accumulation (r = 0.9) and the percentage of apoptotic cells in fresh and vitrified embryos, reducing the re-expansion rate after warming. Moreover, the number of apoptotic cells observed in fresh embryos was strongly correlated with the apoptosis observed after vitrification (r = 0.95). Although PES was able to reduce lipid accumulation, it was not efficient at preventing apoptosis in vitrified embryos. In summary, the results of this experiment indicate that the concentration of FCS during culture did not influence cleavage and blastocyst formation in bovine IVPE. We conclude that the apoptosis rate in fresh embryos is a key factor affecting survival after vitrification. Table 1.Lipid droplets, re-expansion, apoptosis of in vivo and IVPE Acknowledgements: FAPESP (07/57766-4).


Software requirement triage and selection in market-driven requirements engineering is a crucial activity for the success of a project, product and company. This paper presents state-of-the-art and state-of-practice in requirements triage and selection through systematic literature review and an industrial survey. Industry practitioner can read solutions that have been proposed in literature and most applicable challenges and factors considered today and factors to be considered ideally to address the challenges, which have been collected through the survey. For researchers, the results show which challenges still needs to be addressed.


I wish to report two cases of an unusual disease occurring in newborn infants—a condition characterized by a definite clinical syndrome, which presents the following picture: A newly born or a young infant suddenly becomes ill with fever and prostration and shows a swelling and redness about the tissues of one eye; this is followed or is accompanied by a purulent unilateral nasal discharge, by swelling and softening of the alveolar border of the superior maxilla on the affected side and by pointing and the formation of abscesses on the hard palate, the alveolar border and often on the face between the eye and the nose. Sequestrums and frequently small teeth are discharged from these sinuses. REPORT OF CASES Case1.—Doris C., born April 2, 1922, was the first child of healthy parents. The birth was normal; she was breast-fed exclusively for fourteen days, and following that received supplementary bottles.