The action of light on dyed fibres in air appears in many cases to involve an oxidation of the dye. The present work has been a preliminary to the fuller investigation of the photochemistry of azo dyes several series of simple monoazo dyes have been examined. A study of thermal oxidation in solution by common oxidising agents was followed by comparison with a series of measurements of relative light fastness in an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of the light fading process. The work has confirmed that oxidation of azo dyes in aqueous media, with several common reagents, e.g., ceric sulphate, potassium dichromate or hydrogen peroxide, disrupts the azo group and leads to the formation of a diazo compound and a quinone. subsequently, these further decompose to give, respectively, a phenol and nitrogen (in acid media); and phthalic acid. The reaction thus appears to be common to many types of oxidising agent, since previous workers have observed similar effects with, e.g., sodium hypochlorite, lead dioxide and ozone. An acceptor has been used to combine with the quinone formed and thus enable it to be identified without danger of its further oxidation. By boiling the acid solution after oxidising the dye a quantitative yield of nitrogen from the azo group is obtained, except when free amino groups are also present. This procedure could be used in quantitative analysis. An hypothesis is put forward suggesting that the initial step in such chemical oxidation is one of hydrolytic attack on the -C= N- bond of the dye, when it is present as the hydrazone and not the azo tautomer. In order to confirm or disprove the postulated hypothesis, several dyes containing nitro, chloro, methyl, methoxy or sulphonic and carboxylic acid groups in various positions in the phenyl nucleus in the following parent dyes, were prepared. The rates of oxidation of the water-soluble dyes in presence of various oxidising agents, such as neutral and alkaline hydrogen peroxide, potassium persulphate and dilute nitric acid were studied quantitatively. In the case of the insoluble dyes the rate of nitrogen evolution was examined as a measure of ease of oxidation. To correlate the oxidation of azo dyes with their relative light fastness, the above dyes were exposed in graded depths on substrates of wool, cellulose (cotton and filter paper), unglazed tile, and anodised aluminium. The last two materials were chosen in the hope they might he inert substrates. Fading and oxidation data were plotted against Hammett sigma values to determine the effect of substituents in the phenyl nucleus. The results appear to show that fading on wool is caused by hydrogen peroxide, which it is suggested may be produced by photolysis of the fibre itself, whereas on other substrates some other disruption process of the dye molecule occurs, perhaps by attack of atmospheric oxygen. The results also signify that the initial step in fading is a simple reaction involving attack at one of the unsaturated centres of the dye molecule.


A study has been conducted to examine the influence of slag evolution on BOF dephosphorisation. An experimental technique was developed where slag / metal emulsion samples were obtained from the BOF during processing. The observed evolution of slag composition was consistent with many previous studies, where in the first half of the blow slags high in (%SiO2) and low in (%FeO) are generated. During the second half of the oxygen blow, (FeO) generation and lime dissolution improve the slag basicity and contribute to the transfer of phosphorus from metal to slag. Poor levels of phosphorus removal during the centre region of the blow were found to coincide with a minimum in the (%FeO) composition. By the end of blow, 70% of the mass of phosphorus in the furnace is present in the slag, and the extent of phosphorus removal is proportional to the slag basicity and the (%FeO) concentration in the slag. By utilising mass balance calculations to estimate the mass of slag in the furnace, it was shown that at tap, approximately 30% of lime and 50% of magnesia remain undissolved in a liquid slag saturated in both components. It was concluded that the mass of lime added to the furnace could be reduced without influencing the dissolved concentration of (%CaO), and therefore without deteriorating the extent of dephosphorisation.


Most investigators have documented a notable frequency of educational problems in children who received treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Seventy-four children born between 1972 and 1976 and in NICUs were followed up prospectively. At ages 3 to 6 years, preschool development was within the normal range on the McCarthy scales. A school problem, defined as grade repetition and/or special help in school, occurred in 32 (48.8%). Those with school problems had significantly lower scores on the McCarthy scales at 4 to 6 years and on the Woodcock Johnson test than the group without school problems. Children with school problems were classified correctly 60.3% of the time by duration of neonatal hospitalization, and 72% to 80.9% of the time by preschool development. If replicable, the data indicate that potential school problems can be identified sufficiently early in NICU nursery graduates that intervention could be started before they enter school.


A novel approach is proposed for generating ultra-wideband (UWB) doublet pulses using a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM). In this scheme, a polarization controller is used to shift the NOLM transfer function so that for a fixed operating condition (pump power), we can access the nonlinear portion of the transfer function. The UWB doublet pulses are then modulated using on-off keying and transmitted over a 10-km span of standard single-mode fiber to assess system performance. Error-free transmission is achieved with a power penalty of 1.5 dB compared with the back-to-back measurement.


A venom-specific cDNA encoding for a thrombin-like enzyme designated as mucrosobin has been cloned and sequenced from the cDNA library of the venomous gland of Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus. The full-length cDNA of mucrosobin was assembled by oligonucleotide screening and 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA consists of 257 amino acid residues with a putative signal peptide of 24 residues. It is highly homologous to the other thrombin-like enzymes (batroxobin, mucofirase, and calobin), suggesting that it is a serine proteinase with a conserved catalytic triad of His(41), Asp(84) and Ser(179) in the deduced form of mucrosobin protein. Northern blot analysis revealed that the mucrosobin gene encodes an mRNA of 1.5 kb and suggested a tissue-specific expression in the venomous gland. In an effort to study the biological property of mocrosobin, we have expressed the 28-kDa protein as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. For analyzing enzymatic activity, the inclusion bodies were solubilized and the recombinant protein was refolded with a two-step dialysis protocol. The refolded recombinant protein exhibited a specific beta-fibrinogenolytic activity. This study offers a possibility of using genetic engineering to acquire a functional snake venom protein with therapeutic potential.


When measuring income inequality over long periods of time, accounting for population and productivity growth is important. This paper presents three alternative measures of top income shares that more explicitly account for population and income growth than the standard measure. We apply these measures to long-term income data from the United States and find that the U-shaped inequality trend over the past century holds up, but with important qualifications. Using measures that allow top groups to change not only in relative income but also in group size suggest more accentuated top income share growth since 1980 than when keeping top groups fixed. For earlier historical periods, our analysis shows that choice of income deflator (CPI or GDP) matters greatly. Using distributional national accounts data does not change these results. Altogether, our study's findings suggest that one may want to use several complementary top share measures when assessing long-term income inequality trends.


The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of respiratory viruses associated with severe pneumonia among children less than 2 years of age in the rural district of Matiari in Sindh, Pakistan. This study was a community‐based prospective cohort active surveillance of infants enrolled at birth and followed for 2 years. Cases were identified using the World Health Organization's Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses' definition of severe pneumonia. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained for assessment by multiplex RT‐PCR for eight viruses and their subtypes, including RSV, influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, enterovirus/rhinovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and human bocavirus. Blood cultures were collected from febrile participants. A total of 817 newborns were enrolled and followed with fortnightly surveillance for 2 years, accounting for a total of 1,501 child‐years of follow‐up. Of the nasopharyngeal swabs collected, 77.8% (179/230) were positive for one or more of the above mentioned respiratory viruses. The incidence of laboratory confirmed viral‐associated pneumonia was 11.9 per 100 child‐years of follow‐up. Enterovirus/rhinovirus was detected in 51.7% patients, followed by parainfluenza virus type III (8.3%), and RSV (5.7%). Of the uncontaminated blood cultures, 1.4% (5/356) were positive. Respiratory viruses are frequently detected during acute respiratory infection episodes in children under 2 years old in a rural community in Pakistan. However, causal association is yet to be established and the concomitant role of bacteria as a co‐infection or super‐infection needs further investigation. J. Med. Virol. 88:1882–1890, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Some characteristics of digital 3D models of building form are discussed. There are aspects of materiality and location-in-context in making digital models that are more developed than in conventional physical models. Site, light and shade, texture and pattern, and colour and translucency can all be expressed more convincingly than in physical models. This leads to the emergence of symbol systems that map differently on to the building being modelled. There are also fundamental differences in the way digital and physical models are presented and viewed. A physical model is available in its totality for the viewer to shift attention rapidly from detail to whole. A digital model is typically represented in a narrative, where a story is told by the model builder using images and animations, or as a space to be explored, where the viewer builds up a mental picture of the modelled building through interactive manipulation of the model.


Cereal grain and food drying are done as an aid to warrant minimization of grain damage, on one side and economic feasibility on another side.Proper drying procedures can eliminate the potential of spoilage during subsequent storage and improve the quality of grain. Appropriate dryer should be designed for reducing the damage to grain and for economically feasibility. The drying method and conditions effectively determine type and characteristics of the final product. The drying performance of a tapered fluidized bed dryer on wheat grains and mustard seeds are studied. An investigation is undertaken to study the effects of temperature, time, moisture content and gas velocity on the drying performance in a tapered fluidized bed. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic aspects e.g. pressure drop and minimum fluidization velocity are also studied. The results show that the efficiency increases with increase in temperature and time of drying. This clearly indicates that the moisture transfer from the material depends strongly on the air temperature. The drying rate decreases with increase in particle size. A good agreement is obtained between the predicted hydrodynamics and the obtained results.


This paper presents the development of a rainfalltriggered landslide module within an existing physically based spatially distributed ecohydrologic model. The model, tRIBS-VEGGIE (Triangulated Irregular Networks-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator and Vegetation Generator for Interactive Evolution), is capable of a sophisticated description of many hydrological processes; in particular, the soil moisture dynamics are resolved at a temporal and spatial resolution required to examine the triggering mechanisms of rainfall-induced landslides. The validity of the tRIBS-VEGGIE model to a tropical environment is shown with an evaluation of its performance against direct observations made within the study area of Luquillo Forest. The newly developed landslide module builds upon the previous version of the tRIBS landslide component. This new module utilizes a numerical solution to the Richards' equation (present in tRIBS-VEGGIE but not in tRIBS), which better represents the time evolution of soil moisture transport through the soil column. Moreover, the new landslide module utilizes an extended formulation of the factor of safety (FS) to correctly quantify the role of matric suction in slope stability and to account for unsaturated conditions in the evaluation of FS. The new modeling framework couples the capabilities of the detailed hydrologic model to describe soil moisture dynamics with the infinite slope model, creating a powerful tool for the assessment of rainfall-triggered landslide risk.


India is a developing country which had shown
several successful faces in various fields. Though there is a good
rate of social, economic and political development in our country
on one hand, the amount of violence, crimes and illegal activities
are increasing on the other hand. With regard to this, a survey of
National Crime Records Bureau had stated that the fourth most
common crime in our country is Sexual Assault. To ensnare the
victims of sexual assault, women trafficking, robbery and other
crimes related to women, criminals most probably uses date rape
drugs. In this paper, we had put forth an idea of developing an
Electronic Band which would be help for automatic indication
and earlier rescue of the victim. This E-ORNAMENT is fitted with
system interfaced with sensors which keeps an eye on the body
conditions of women wearing the band. When there is a sudden
change in usual pulse rate, body temperature and activity state of
the victim, an automatic message of changes noticed in the body
conditions along with the location of the victim is generated from
the e-band and sent to her family or friends such that they can
ensure with the victim about her safety (or) In case of no response
received from her, they can rescue the victim as soon as possible.
We hereby use tools such as Microcontroller, Pulse Rate
Monitoring Sensor, Temperature Sensor and Panic safety button.


Benign breast disease affects almost all women, although only one out of 11 will eventually develop breast cancer. Fibrocystic disease or benign breast mastopathies have been associated with an increased propensity to progress to malignancy. However, the increased relative risk for women with benign breast disease developing breast cancer appears to be associated with proliferative benign disease in association with atypia. Their cumulative risk may be as high as 30%. These women represent 3-5% of women with benign disease. They clearly warrant more careful screening and follow-up. The etiology of benign breast mastopathies is unknown, but its incidence and relationship to hormonal events suggests that many of the histologic entities represent an endocrine response. Many hormonal manipulations have been shown to decrease mastodynia and reduce the incidence of breast aspirations and biopsies. However, these and other therapeutic interventions have not been shown to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in women who are at high risk.


ABSTRACT
 We surveyed the life history of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), in southern Japan, including seasonal changes in the flight activity of adults and composition of R. ferrugineus in different developmental stages in a total of 17 infested Phoenix canariensis trees which were cut down in 2003–2005. The flight of adults began in Mar, showed some peaks in summer and autumn, and ceased in mid-Dec. Various stages of individuals inhabited infested P. canariensis trees throughout the year. The composition of individuals at different stages in late fall was dependent on the resource (white intact tissue) availability in P. canariensis trees. In P. canariensis trees where considerable resource remained, all stages of larvae, pupae, and adults were found, whereas in palm trees with no resource, few young- and medium-stage larvae were observed. The temperature in the infested part of a palm trunk was 30°C or higher even in winter. From these results, we view the life history of R. ferrugineus in southern Japan as follows: Adults emerge from host trees in spring and continue to attack host trees until late fall. Rhynchophorus ferrugineus grows even in winter if intact tissue remains at the peripheral part of trunks, and there may be 3 or 4 generations per year. A cold winter probably does not have any negative effects on successful colonization of R. ferrugineus in Japan.


Abstract A hybrid asymptotic-numerical method is developed to approximate the mean first passage time (MFPT) and the splitting probability for a Brownian particle in a bounded two-dimensional (2D) domain that contains absorbing disks, referred to as "traps", of asymptotically small radii. In contrast to previous studies that required traps to be spatially well separated, we show how to readily incorporate the effect of a cluster of closely spaced traps by adapting a recently formulated least-squares approach in order to numerically solve certain local problems for the Laplacian near the cluster. We also provide new asymptotic formulae for the MFPT in 2D spatially periodic domains where a trap cluster is centred at the lattice points of an oblique Bravais lattice. Over all such lattices with fixed area for the primitive cell, and for each specific trap set, the average MFPT is smallest for a hexagonal lattice of traps.


The instants of time emission of photoelectrons generated by a detector immersed in an optical field constitute a point compound Poisson process. A complete definition of such a process is introduced to calculate some average values of the distribution. The shot noise due to this point process is also considered and we study the difference between the ``deterministic'' and the ``random'' shot noises. They are completely defined by the set of their characteristic functions. We consider also the asymptotic properties of the shot noise and we show that for large mean density of the point process the fluctuations are not described by a Gaussian, but by a Gaussian compound random function. Thus the central limit theorem is not strictly valid. An experimental setup to obtain these fluctuations is described and some statistical properties of the asymptotic shot noise are presented.


Concern for migratory tree-roosting bats in North America has grown because of possible population declines from wind energy development. This concern has driven interest in estimating population-level changes. Mark-recapture methodology is one possible analytical framework for assessing bat population changes, but sample size requirements to produce reliable estimates have not been estimated. To illustrate the sample sizes necessary for a mark-recapture-based monitoring program we conducted power analyses using a statistical model that allows reencounters of live and dead marked individuals. We ran 1,000 simulations for each of five broad sample size categories in a Burnham joint model, and then compared the proportion of simulations in which 95% confidence intervals overlapped between and among years for a 4-year study. Additionally, we conducted sensitivity analyses of sample size to various capture probabilities and recovery probabilities. More than 50,000 individuals per year would need to be captured and released to accurately determine 10% and 15% declines in annual survival. To detect more dramatic declines of 33% or 50% survival over four years, then sample sizes of 25,000 or 10,000 per year, respectively, would be sufficient. Sensitivity analyses reveal that increasing recovery of dead marked individuals may be more valuable than increasing capture probability of marked individuals. Because of the extraordinary effort that would be required, we advise caution should such a mark-recapture effort be initiated because of the difficulty in attaining reliable estimates. We make recommendations for what techniques show the most promise for mark-recapture studies of bats because some techniques violate the assumptions of mark-recapture methodology when used to mark bats.


Background: Purine nucleoside analogs (PNAs) are highly effective for first-line treatment of hairy cell leukemia (HCL). In clinical trials of single PNAs, several adverse events (AEs) were reported; however, little is known regarding the costs and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) resulting from AEs in HCL patients (pts) treated with PNAs in non-clinical trial settings. Objective: Determine the costs and HRU of high incident and clinically important AEs associated with PNA therapy in HCL pts in the Truven MarketScan database. Methods: Adults (aged ≥18 years) with ≥2 HCL diagnosis codes ≥30 days apart during January 1, 2006–December 31, 2015 were included. Pts had ≥1 prescription claim for a PNA (cladribine or pentostatin ± rituximab) after HCL diagnosis date. First PNA claim date was defined as the index date. Pts had continuous health plan enrollment for ≥6 months at baseline and ≥12-months follow-up with no PNA in the baseline period. Pts were placed into cohorts based on the occurrence of myelosuppression (MSPN) and opportunistic infections (OI) as these were highest incident and clinically important AEs observed. Generalized linear models were used to compare outcomes during the 12-month follow-up. Results: Of the 219 pts with no history of MSPN, 101 developed MSPN (incidence [I]: 461 per 1000 pt-years) and of 619 pts with no history of OI, 26 developed OI (I: 42 per 1000 pt-years). Demographics were similar between pts with and without MSPN and OI. Pts who developed OI or MSPN had significantly higher inpatient admissions and costs (Table 1). Conclusions: PNA-treated HCL pts who developed MSPN or OI incurred higher HRU than those who did not develop either condition. This indicates the need for new therapeutic strategies to reduce HCL-treatment-associated toxicities.


Abstract : Predictive maintenance asks for efficient indicators and methods to detect incipient failures. Numerous studies have been made in this domain, but some difficulties stay to isolate the defected elements, to foresee through signal analysis, causes that produce faults, especially when different technological elements are involved simultaneously (gears, bearings, ...). In the first part of this paper, experimental study have been performed on gear faults: manufacturing faults (profile error, deviation, ...) and operating faults (wear, pitting,...) in order to establish a kind of data base for fault identification. Then, operating faults were examined and a procedure of identification of faults nature have been developed. Statistical treatment of both time and time- frequency (wavelet analysis) domains give arise to robust indicators. The second part deals with the definition of thresholds for machinery stops. Calculations of the dynamic behavior of the geared system show that how a gear fault modify the gear profile and the kinematic transmission error, while stiffness modification have almost no significant effect on the system response.


A simple, sensitive and rapid assay method has been developed and validated for the estimation of enzalutamide, N-desmethylenzalutamide (active metabolite of enzalutamide), darolutamide and ORM-15341 (active metabolite of darolutamide) on mice dried blood spots (DBS) using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry with electro spray ionization in the positive-ion mode. The method utilizes liquid extraction of enzalutamide, N-desmethylenzalutamide, darolutamide and ORM-15341 from 3 mm punched disks from DBS cards (spiked or study samples). The extracted sample was chromatographed using an isocratic mobile phase (0.2 % formic acid : acetonitrile; 30:70, v/v) on an Atlantis dC18 column. The total run time was 2.5 min. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were m/z 465 → m/z 209, m/z 451 →  m/z 195, m/z 399 → m/z 178, m/z 397 →  m/z 194 and m/z 481 → m/z 453 for enzalutamide, N-desmethylenzalutamide, darolutamide, ORM-15341 and the IS (apalutamide-d3), respectively. Method validation was performed as per regulatory guideline. The assay had a good linearity over the range of 0.93-2000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-batch accuracy and precision (%RE & RSD) across quality controls met the acceptance criteria for all the analytes. Stability studies showed that all the analytes were stable on DBS cards for one month. This novel method has been applied to analyze the DBS samples of enzalutamide, N-desmethylenzalutamide, darolutamide and ORM-15341 obtained from a pharmacokinetic study in mice.


BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of Er:YAG and diode laser treatments of the root surface on intrapulpal temperature after scaling and root planing with hand instruments.

METHODS
Fifteen extracted single-rooted teeth were scaled and root planed with hand instruments. The teeth were divided into 3 groups of 5 each and irradiated on their buccal and lingual surfaces: group A: Er:YAG laser, 2.94 microm/100 mJ/10 Hz/30 seconds; group B: diode laser, 810 nm/1.0 W/0.05 ms/30 seconds; group C: diode laser, 810 nm/1.4 W/0.05 ms/30 seconds. The temperature was monitored by means of a type T thermocouple (copper-constantan) positioned in the pulp chamber to assess pulpal temperature during and before irradiation. Afterwards, the specimens were longitudinally sectioned, and the buccal and lingual surfaces of each root were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS
In the Er:YAG laser group, the thermal analysis revealed an average temperature of -2.2 +/- 1.5 degrees C, while in the diode laser groups, temperatures were 1.6 +/- 0.8 degrees C at 1.0 W and 3.3 +/- 1.0 degrees C at 1.4 W. Electronic micrographs revealed that there were no significant morphological changes, such as charring, melting, or fusion, in any group, although the specimens were found to be more irregular in the Er:YAG laser group.

CONCLUSIONS
The application of Er:YAG and diode lasers at the utilized parameters did not induce high pulpal temperatures. Root surface irregularities were more pronounced after irradiation with an Er:YAG laser than with a diode laser.


We explore exploits possible for cheating in real-time, multiplayer games for both client-server and serverless architectures. We offer the first formalization of cheating in online games and propose an initial set of strong solutions. We propose a protocol that has provable anti-cheating guarantees, is provably safe and live, but suffers a performance penalty. We then develop an extended version of this protocol, called asynchronous synchronization, which avoids the penalty, is serverless, offers provable anti-cheating guarantees, is robust in the presence of packet loss, and provides for significantly increased communication performance. This technique is applicable to common game features as well as clustering and cell-based techniques for massively multiplayer games. Specifically, we provide a zero-knowledge proof protocol so that players are within a specific range of each other, and otherwise have no notion of their distance. Our performance claims are backed by analysis using a simulation based on real game traces


The presented study deals with philosophical analysis of modern and postmodern notions of public space. The actual problem of relativism in European culture is a consequence of essentialism, the belief that the world, reality or universe, has some inner essence which cannot be grasped in the language. Text analyzes the two main themes. Firstly, the treatise attempts at an philosophical analysis of the category – public space. It points out the dissension between the traditional and postmodern definition of this conception and the consequences resulting from these different attitudes. As far as the methodology is concerned, the study is based on French postmodern philosopher J. F. Lyotard, presenting the postmodern approach as a greater contribution. In postmodern public area we can meet two basic types of dissentions, while only the first of them can be solved by further grow of specialization and the expertlike know. The second part of the study discusses Richard Rorty's philosophy, influence of Rorty's ideas on solving some traditional philosophical topics, especially the question of relativism. Richard Rorty's untraditional, provocative and inspiring version of neo-pragmatism enables us to view all the theories created so far by human culture as a case with tools. Physics and astronomy can be seen as a way to cope with some aspects of the Universe, philosophy, religion or literature as ways that help us cope with other aspects of the reality. One form of research results in statements, another in images, mathematical equations or stories. The emphasis is put on the analysis of the influence of neo- pragmatism and continental postmodernism on Rorty's writings. The main motto of the article is the statement that if we take care of free and critical public space, the truth will take care of itself.


Mini-laparoscopy uses 1.9 mm diameter optical instruments allowing examination of the abdomen following a single puncture. It is an extremely safe and only minimally invasive technique allowing accurate staging of liver disease as well as sensitive detection of tumor dissemination. It can be performed as an outpatient procedure. Its most common indication is for accurate staging of liver fibrosis, where it is much superior to all other techniques.


Using a large-scale panel data set, we trace the evolution of incomes and well-being around the entry into 'solo self-employment' – that is, running a business without employees. We find that solo selfemployment is used to self-insure against employment shocks: employment rates fall and poverty rates rise in the run-up to entry, and many who fell out of employment report being dismissed or made redundant from their previous job. However, their average earnings do not fully recover within three years of entry. For those who move into solo self-employment directly from employee jobs, for whom this transition is more likely to have been voluntary, earnings remain lower and poverty rates higher for at least two years after entry. Despite the effect on incomes, becoming solo self-employed is associated with improvements in well-being across a number of measures. We see a large and sustained rise in job satisfaction, even among groups who are likely to be using solo self-employment to self-insure. Comparing entries into solo self-employment with entries into or moves between employee jobs, we find that well-being trajectories are remarkably similar despite significantly lower earnings in solo selfemployment. This suggests that there may be intangible benefits that compensate for lower earnings, that (on average) apply even to those who are 'pushed' into solo self-employment. JEL codes: J31, J32, J65, J81, I31


This article traces Irish responses to the crisis of the Hispanic monarchy (1808–25) and the struggle for sovereignty in Spanish America, comparing reactions in Ireland to those of the Irish diasporic community in the United States. It argues that although the Irish were overwhelmingly sympathetic to the cause of the insurgents in Spanish America, their support took different forms and meanings. Whereas contemporaries in Ireland saw the benefits of Spanish American independence for the prosperity and security of the British Empire, Irish radical exiles in New York or Philadelphia viewed the struggle as an opportunity to emphasize the validity of revolutionary and republican principles across the New World. In stressing the relevance of the geopolitical context and of transnational interactions to the development of contradicting imperial and anticolonial views, the article moves beyond prevailing narratives of military involvement and highlights the richness of the Irish experience of the Age of Revolutions.


Based on previous work on individuals' attitudes and beliefs about their information systems environment, a theoretical model of the determinants of security concern is presented. An approach to testing the main assertions of the model, using a cross-study comparison of security perceptions from two different survey instruments is described. The first study, conducted in 1985-6, used a sample base of 1063 randomly selected Data Processing Management Association members. The second study surveyed 357 end-users in 10 organizations in the 1986-7 time frame. The data elicited by these research questions will be analyzed in the near future, but the analytical procedures are delineated in the article.<<ETX>>


Synopsis In this paper, I explore recreational mathematics from two perspectives. I first study how the concept appears in educational policy documents such as standards, syllabi, and curricula from a selection of countries to see if and in what way recreational mathematics can play a part in school mathematics. I find that recreational mathematics can be a central part, as in the case of India, but also completely invisible, as in the standards from USA. In the second part of the report, I take an educational historical approach. I observe that throughout history, recreational mathematics has been an important tool for learning mathematics. Recreational mathematics is then both a way of bringing pleasure and a tool for learning mathematics. Can it also be a tool for social empowerment?


Abstract. The sensitivity of climate models to the characterization of African aerosol particles is poorly understood. Africa is a major source of dust and biomass burning aerosols and this represents an important research gap in understanding the impact of aerosols on radiative forcing of the climate system. Here we evaluate the current representation of aerosol particles in the Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) with ground-based remote retrievals across Africa, and additionally provide an analysis of observed aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD550 nm) and Angstrom exponent data from 34 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites. Analysis of the 34 long-term AERONET sites confirms the importance of dust and biomass burning emissions to the seasonal cycle and magnitude of AOD550 nm across the continent and the transport of these emissions to regions outside of the continent. In general, CCAM captures the seasonality of the AERONET data across the continent. The magnitude of modeled and observed multiyear monthly average AOD550 nm overlap within ±1 standard deviation of each other for at least 7 months at all sites except the Reunion St Denis Island site (Reunion St. Denis). The timing of modeled peak AOD550 nm in southern Africa occurs 1 month prior to the observed peak, which does not align with the timing of maximum fire counts in the region. For the western and northern African sites, it is evident that CCAM currently overestimates dust in some regions while others (e.g., the Arabian Peninsula) are better characterized. This may be due to overestimated dust lifetime, or that the characterization of the soil for these areas needs to be updated with local information. The CCAM simulated AOD550 nm for the global domain is within the spread of previously published results from CMIP5 and AeroCom experiments for black carbon, organic carbon, and sulfate aerosols. The model's performance provides confidence for using the model to estimate large-scale regional impacts of African aerosols on radiative forcing, but local feedbacks between dust aerosols and climate over northern Africa and the Mediterranean may be overestimated.


In a brief period of time after the 2001-2002 crisis, there was a dramatic fall in informal salaried employment in Argentina. Informal employment—also called "non-registered employment"—refers to employment for which no social security contribution is made. This indicator dropped by fifteen percentage points, from 49% to 34% from 2003 to 2012. This paper analyzes the recent evolution of informal employment and the main policies designed to reduce its scope and to encourage the creation of quality employment. It has been observed that the decline in informal employment, measured as non-registered salaried employment, is primarily due to net creation of formal employment and, to a lesser extent, to net destruction of non-registered employment. The rate of informal employment declined in all sectors of the economy and in establishments of all sizes. Extensive mobility between non-registered salaried employment and inactivity (mainly among low-skilled women workers) has been observed as well and, albeit to a lesser extent, between non-registered salaried employment and formal employment. Since most informal workers are unskilled and perform their jobs in work units that are difficult for public policies to identify, a comprehensive policy approach is necessary, one that considers economic, social and employment issues.


A study was undertaken to make an evidence-based case for the value of social workers in efficient discharge of patients from acute care hospitals and to assist hospital managers in making informed staffing decisions. Hospital administrative databases from March 1 to November 30, 2008, were used for the analysis of inpatient discharges on days when social workers were on vacation compared with days fully staffed with social workers. Two performance measures, daily discharge rate and average length of stay, were evaluated. During the study period, 1825 patients were discharged from the General Internal Medicine inpatient service. Team discharge rates were significantly lower on social work vacation Fridays versus regular Fridays. In contrast, the average length of stay for patients discharged on social work vacation Fridays was significantly shorter than that for patients discharged on regular Fridays. It was concluded that daily discharge rate better quantified the role of social work in patient discharge. More generally, these results provide preliminary support for the need for adequate social work staffing in timely and efficient patient discharge.


In this paper, the radiation characteristics of a new microstrip electrically controllable scan antenna are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Both longitudinal and transverse currents are taken into account. The substrate of this antenna consists of a ceramic-polymer composite with modified ferroelectric powder Ba0,65 Sr0,35TiO3 and an appropriate polymer. The permittivity of the substrate can be varied by an applied electric control dc-bias field. It allows to change electrically phase constant of the propagation wave and, in turn, changes the main beam direction. It is shown that the main beam position changes over 30deg when dc-bias field is applied up to 200 V. The comparison with experimental results has fully confirmed the usefulness of the scan-antenna concept and method of analysis. Presented results of the electrical scanned antenna investigation are promising for various fixed-frequency applications where frequency scanning is impossible


Epidermal growth factor receptor is a trans-membrane glycoprotein with an extracellular epidermal growth factor binding domain and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain that regulates signaling pathways to control cellular proliferation. Epidermal growth factor receptor binding to its ligand results in autophosphorylation by intrinsic tyrosine/kinase activity, triggering several signal transduction cascades. Constitutive or sustained activation of these sequences of downstream targets is thought to yield more aggressive tumor phenotypes. Mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor have been discovered in association with some lung cancers. Lung adenocarcinomas with mutated epidermal growth factor receptor have significant responses to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, although for unselected patients it does not appear to have a survival benefit. However, in a subset of patients (non-smoking Asian women with adenocarcinoma, particularly with a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma), there appears to be a significant survival advantage. Both EGFR mutation and gene amplification status may be important in determining which tumors will respond to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.


The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an instrument to measure the quality, quality changes and the efficiency of a service system with dependency loops on an ongoing basis in order to provide timely feedback for decision-makers and to set the basis for a continuous improvement cycle. This instrument is developed using an engineering educational system as the prime example.The first outcome has been a data driven Strengths and Weakness (SW) analysis. It consists of four steps - data collection, data summarization, display of proportions (data aggregated into positive, neutral and negative perceptions), and the construction of a SW table by using a set of heuristic rules that reflects the decision-maker's desired level of sensitivity for the methodology. The core of the method resides in selecting the category with the largest proportion for a finite population where each element is classified into exactly one of k mutually exclusive categories. The heuristic rules used for classification are justified using the concepts of statistical ranking and selection procedures. Applications of the SW table in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses are given. Special graphs, e.g. the one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrows that help the analysis have been constructed so as to provide aid to the decision makers in the engineering educational system.The second outcome provides a scheme for the evaluation of the relative efficiency of processes within this type of service system. Data Envelopment Analysis has been used iteratively to evaluate the efficiency of levels and programs within an engineering educational service system. This is used to chart the changes in students' perceptions as they progress during their career from the freshmen to the senior level.


The author describes an architecture for implementing electronic meeting system (EMS) applications in an object-oriented programming (OOP) environment (C++). EMS applications enable group tasks such as negotiation, problem solving, and system design to be performed. The OO-EMS architecture is a three tier structure having layers for base classes, tools, and applications. The design addresses concurrency control, addressing, duplicated objects, and broadcast communications. Implementation details include the results of performance testing on IBM token ring and AT&T STARLAN local area networks.<<ETX>>


Prolonging therapeutic levels of a drug within the vitreous to treat blinding diseases is one of the most important goals in ophthalmic drug development. Intravitreal (IVT) injections of therapeutic proteins and the use of steroid implants in the vitreous cavity are currently the best clinical methods to achieve prolonged exposure in the back of the eye. Therapeutic biologics registered for ophthalmic use by IVT injection comprise a PEGylated-aptamer (Pegaptanib), antibody fragment (ranibizumab), and an Fc fusion (alfibercept). The monoclonal antibody (mAb), bevacizumab is also widely used as an unlicensed medicine to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is anticipated that ophthalmic protein-based medicines, which tend to be potent and have a rapid onset of action, will continue to be developed as molecular mechanisms involved in blinding diseases become better understood.
Mass exchange within the eye is dominated by aqueous flow, which is secreted at 2.0–2.5 µL/min into the vitreous from the ciliary body. There are two main drug elimination pathways from the vitreous: (a) the aqueous outflow into the anterior chamber and (b) permeation through the retina via retinal-choroid-sclera (RCS) pathways. Therapeutic proteins are high molecular weight (MW) and charged molecules, and they clear predominantly by the anterior route. Proteins consequently have longer half-lives (t1/2) i.e. days in the vitreous cavity than low MW drugs i.e. hours, many of which are lipophilic and permeable.
There is much research focused on developing new strategies to increase the vitreous residence times of macromolecular drugs to decrease the frequency of IVT injections. A two-compartment, aqueous outflow model scaled to the human eye called the PK-Eye was created to aid the development of new ocular drug formulations and delivery systems. The PK-Eye was shown to be particularly useful in evaluating protein PK and stability properties, and for the preclinical evaluation of novel, long-acting formulations, which are particularly difficult to evaluate in animal models because of the generation of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs).
Ranibizumab and bevacizumab were used to validate the PK-Eye using simulated vitreous to give clearance t1/2s that were comparable to human values. The model was also used to determine the outflow clearance t1/2 of triamcinolone acetonide (TA, Kenalog®),which is clinically administered as a suspension. The clearance t1/2 for TA was overestimated by the PK-Eye compared to the human t1/2 since the model does not measure RCS clearance. Prolonging the vitreous residence time of low MW molecules relies on at least a 2-step process: (i) dissolution or release from an implant and (ii) clearance of solubilised drug from the

vitreous. The first step will often be the rate-limiting step that defines the overall clearance time of a candidate preparation. Once the active is in the vitreous solution, the model has the capacity to provide a good estimate of clearance by the anterior outflow route. To model RCS clearance, invitro in vivo correlations (IVIVCs)can be developed using the PK-Eye data for outflow clearance times obtained from suspensions implants. The PK -Eye clearance t1/2for Kenalog ®
and was used with TA
permeability data in the literature to better estimate the human clearance time for TA. This was an important first step for developing IVIVCs that would be needed for ocular DDS of small molecules. Other DDS using electrospun (ES) fibres and microparticles were investigated using small MW drugs to examine the utility of the PK-Eye. Permeability and clearance data from the PK-Eye for dexamethasone release from microparticles were used to estimate the possible human clearance t1/2.
The utility of the PK-Eye was also examined to evaluate therapeutic proteins. If more stable protein formulations are developed, higher molar concentrated IVT doses may become more routine where a therapeutic tail can be exploited to extend duration of action. Increasing doses of bevacizumab were examined in the PK-Eye where it was possible to observe a therapeutic tail. Hydrogels and in-situ forming gels have been extensively investigated for a wide range of applications. The highly hydrated state of hydrogels could be a good environment for maintaining protein stability. PEGylated-ranibizumab (PEG10-Fabrani) when encapsulated within a crosslinked NIPAAM in-situforming gel displayed an extended clearance time in the PK-Eye compared to non-encapsulated PEG10-Fabrani. In contrast, no difference in clearance times were observed between NIPAAM hydrogel encapsulated and non-encapsulated bevacizumab. Since PEG is a random coil, PEG10-Fabraniappeared to be more entangled within the hydrogel compared to bevacizumab, which may explain the prolonged clearance times that were observed.
Considering that an in situ forming gel collapses on injection, controlling the burst release of the encapsulated protein is a challenge. To maintain the protein in a highly hydrated state, affinity based drug delivery was examined in the hope that the vitreous could be made into a depot that could extend the duration of action. Both endogeneous and exogeneous affinity anchors were examined. Much effort was focused on developing a bispecific antibody mimetic with one Fab targeted to collagen II as an endogenous depot anchoring site and the other Fab targeted to VEGF to inhibit angiogenesis. Implantable exogeneous anchors were also examined. Proof of concept experiments using the PK-Eye to anchor albumin as a model anchor suggest that more work is justified to develop an affinity based drug delivery strategy in the vitreous.


The last few years have seen a surge in enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"). As of late-2009, U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") officials said that there were approximately 130 open FCPA investigations, which are increasingly focused on the financial services industry. The activities of private equity firms and investors, as well as the activities of the portfolio companies in which they invest, can create significant FCPA risks for those firms and investors. This article provides an overview of the FCPA, describes the FCPA risks for private equity firms and investors, examines recent FCPA cases that illustrate the relevant FCPA risks, and suggests a range of effective compliance measures.


The story of reparations advocacy is a story of ideas. The language of slavery reparations varies widely – it can be radical or practical, framed in dry legalese or soaring moral sermons. These rhetorical choices are more than just semantic differences; they illuminate reparations goals, shape the debate, and ultimately create or close off possibilities for reparations action.Framing is especially important because of the unusual position of the reparations movement, with signs of both danger and promise. Federal courts recently dismissed two different cases seeking different kinds of reparations for slavery, effectively bringing to a close the possibility of achieving reparations through the courts in the near future. A lawsuit-propelled settlement, like those in the tobacco or Holocaust cases, is also now unlikely. Public support for reparations, particularly among non-Blacks, remains alarmingly low, with some recent surveys placing white support for reparations at a mind-boggling five percent. Broad legislative responses are also unpromising. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) has introduced a bill to study the effects of slavery in every Congress since 1989, but it has never come to a vote.On the other hand, discussion of reparations remains at an all-time high, with new academic conferences and symposia proliferating. Even more curiously, certain specific and targeted proposals, such as local apologies and information-spreading statutes, are actually succeeding on the legislative front. For example, California recently passed legislation requiring that insurance companies disclose their ties to slavery. Similarly, ordinances passed in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles, and other cities require that companies doing business with those cities to disclose any connection to slavery.How does this mix of success and failure reflect the types of arguments used in the debate? This article sets out an intellectual history of reparations. It examines reparations rhetoric and its role in the movement's successes and failures. Part I briefly sets out some of the principal arguments used by reparations advocates through 2000. Part II shows that reparations advocacy has been an interplay between two main types of arguments: radical and practical. Part III discusses post-millennial reparations advocacy and the rise and fall of reparations lawsuits. Part IV analyzes the failure of the legal narrative, and discusses its effects on the reparations movement. Finally, Part V looks at ways to strengthen the reparations movement by building on the strengths of both practical and radical approaches.


The aim of this retrospective study was to cephalometrically evaluate and compare the skeletal and dental effects of a transverse sagittal maxillary expander (TSME) and a Hyrax-type expander (RME) in children with maxillary hypoplasia. Fifty subjects (26 males and 24 females), aged from 6 to 15 years, with a maxillary crossbite caused by basal apical narrowness, were divided into two equal groups. Twenty-five were treated with a TSME and the other 25 with a RME. For each patient, a lateral cephalogram was obtained before treatment (T0) and at the end of the retention period (T1). Changes in the two groups during the observation period were calculated, compared, and statistically analysed with a paired samples t -test. In the TSME group, SNP-A, I SN, and I FH and in the RME group SN-SNP.SNA, N-Me, and U6.PP displayed a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05). The increase in SNP-A, I SN, and I FH in the TSME group was significantly greater following treatment than in the RME group. The results support the use of the TSME to produce skeletal changes and dentoalveolar modification and to correct maxillary hypoplasia. It was also demonstrated that in patients with an anterior open bite, the use of the TSME is not contraindicated as the anterior vertical dimension did not increase significantly.


Background: α-glucosidase inhibitors controls postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG) by lowering sharp rise in blood glucose levels after ingestion of carbohydrate rich meal in type 2 diabetic (T2D) individuals. Acalypha indica commonly known as Indian copper leaf is used in traditional medicinal system to treat various diseases. In our previous in-vitro investigation, methanolic extract of A. indica stems (AIS) proved to be an effective a-glucosidase inhibitor, antioxidant, and well tolerated in acute and subchronic toxicity studies in albino wistar rats Objective: In this perspective, this study was designed to evaluate postprandial antihyperglycemic potential of AIS in maltose, sucrose, and glucose loaded streptozotocin (STZ)-induced normal and diabetic rats. As, the acute hyperglycemia at postprandial period has more triggering effect on oxidative stress, study was also aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of AIS on STZ-induced Albino-Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were treated with AIS (300-600 mg/kg b.w.) to investigate effect of AIS in controling PPHG after carbohydrate loading. Hepatoprotective activity of AIS is evaluated in diabetic rats by treating them at the dosages 300-600 mg/kg b.w. Results: Studies revealed 69.10 and 80.35% blood glucose-lowering effect of AIS in maltose and sucrose loaded diabetic rats in comparison with the diabetic control group. AIS recovered the liver damage caused by streptozotocin Conclusion: The present study confirmed high potential of AIS in controling PPHG by inhibiting a-glucosidase enzyme in maltose and sucrose loaded diabetic rats. AIS also exhibited hepatoprotective activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thus, AIS could be used as a nutraceutical supplement to treat T2D effectively. Abbreviations used: AIS: Acalypha indica Stems, ALP: Alkaline Phosphatase, b/w: Body Weight, PPHG: Postprandial hyperglycemia, SE: Standard Error, SGOT: Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, SGPT: Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, SOD: Superoxide dismutase, STZ: Streptozotocin, TB: Total Bilirubin, T2D: Type 2 diabetes


We demonstrate a 33-mode piezoelectric structure with zigzag shape for high sensitivity magnetoelectric laminates. In contrast to the 33-mode macro fiber composite (MFC), this zigzag shape piezoelectric layer excludes epoxy bonding layer between the electrode and piezoelectric materials, thereby, significantly improving the polarization degree, electromechanical coupling, and the stability of loss characteristics. The polarization degree was monitored from the change in phase angle near resonance, and the loss stability was determined from the changes in dielectric loss and rate of capacitance variation defined by (C − Cf)/Cf, where C is capacitance at a given frequency and Cf is capacitance at 100 Hz. Magnetoelectric composite with zigzag patterned piezoelectric layer was found to exhibit giant magnetoelectric response both in low frequency off-resonance region (6.75 V cm−1 Oe−1 at 1 kHz) and at anti-resonance frequency (357 V cm−1 Oe−1).


Purpose: The aim of the article is to develop a solution for customer profiling and segmentation using modern machine learning methods. Design/Methodology/Approach: Models were developed to improve the analysis of data, human behavior, data mining business processes, and as a result, the creation and provision of new improved solutions using machine learning algorithms. The GRU method was used, which is a simplified but also a more streamlined version of the LSTM cell offering similar performance with a much lower computation time. Findings: The main purpose of the developed solution is to enable and improve the analysis of profiling and segmentation of customers for forecasting sales, due to the possibility of detecting or determining additional seasonal effects. Practical Implications: Effective tools have been developed to enable customer segmentation. A more complex model was used, taking into account the sale, especially in the sense of the time series in which the sale took place. In its form, the model consists of a trend function modeling non-periodic changes in the value of time series periodic changes. Originality/Value: A novelty is the use of the GRU network, which is an improved version of the standard recursive neural network and a simplified version of the standard LSTM network. Similarly to LSTM networks, it aims to solve the problem of a vanishing gradient, i.e., its disappearance or explosion. In the presented solution, a more complex model was used, consisting of several components and taking into account sales, especially in the sense of the time series in which the sale took place.


The authors suggest a regularization method for determining scales for edge detection adaptively for each site in the image plane. Specifically, they extend the optimal filter concept of T. Poggio et al. (1984) and the scale-space concept of A. Witkin (1983) to an adaptive scale parameter. To avoid an ill-posed feature synthesis problem, the scheme automatically finds optimal scales adaptively for each pixel before detecting final edge maps. The authors introduce an energy function defined as a functional over continuous scale space. Natural constraints for edge detection are incorporated into the energy function. To obtain a set of optimal scales that can minimize the energy function, a parallel relaxation algorithm is introduced. Experiments for synthetic and natural scenes show the advantages of the algorithm. In particular, it is shown that this system can detect both step and diffuse edges while drastically filtering out the random noise. >


Abstract The purpose of this review is to further our knowledge about what is meant by inclusion in research addressing the topic. While it is common to remark that inclusion is defined in different ways in research, few attempts have been made to map and analyse different types of definitions and whether there are patterns to be find in how the concept is used. The 30 most cited journal articles from a North American and a European research arena were selected for analysis. Each article was analysed in relation to genre, theoretical tradition and inclusion concept used. The review yielded several important results. To name a few, a divide was identified between position articles, with developed discussions about and analyses of the meaning of inclusion, and empirical articles, where inclusion signifies that children with disabilities are placed in the mainstream. In addition, writing within a critical theoretical tradition was much more common among positional papers. Further, both arenas are dominated by Anglo-Saxon researchers. It is argued that the conceptual confusion characterising the field impedes its development.


This study aimed to investigate the histopathological changes occuring in the femoral head and joint capsule of the hip in 15 patients with intracapsular femoral fracture. The mean age of patients was 69,5 and, 14 had undergone hemiarthroplasty with Thompson endoprosthesis while 1 patient had total hip arthroplasty. Femoral heads and joint capsules were removed for histopathological investigation intraoperatively. Early findings evident of ischemic necrosis were discovered in 12 patients (80%). The fracture age was not found to be related with these changes (5 day-9 month). Hemiarthroplasty indications in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures were discussed and emphasized.


This paper provides a comprehensive up-to-date review of the medical and invasive management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS), and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), as supported by recent updates to the ACC/AHA Guidelines. The authors have summarized findings from key clinical trials published in recent years that contribute to clinician's understanding of how best to optimize therapy. The goals for the management of NSTE-ACS and STEMI are rapid and accurate risk stratification, appropriate and institution-specific triage to interventional versus medical strategies and optimal pharmacologic therapy - all of which provide for a smooth and seamless transition of care between the emergency department and the cardiology service. High-risk features or absolute treatment trigger criteria that support more aggressive medical therapy (i.e., addition of a small molecule gylcoprotein [GP] IIb/IIIa inhibitor to a core regimen of aspirin, enoxaparin or other anticoagulants, and in most cases, clopidogrel) and/or that would direct clinicians toward percutaneous interventional strategies as the preferred modality include, but are not limited to the presence of one or more of the following: 1) elevatedcardiac markers (troponin and/or CK-MB); 2) age older than 65 years; 3) presence of ST-T-wave changes; 4) TIMI Risk Score >/= 5; 5) clinical instability in the setting of suspected NSTE-ACS. Although additional refinements and changes in ACS management are still to come, evidence-based strategies suggest that prompt mechanical revascularization is associated with the best possible clinical outcomes, particularly for patients with high-risk features and in whom benefits of adjunctive, pharmacoinvasive antithrombotic therapies can be consolidated. Transfer for cardiac catheterization/percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is strongly recommended in patients who manifest high-risk features and/or aggressive treatment trigger criteria, so that this high-risk subgroup may receive definitive, interventional and/or cardiology-directed specialty care at appropriate sites of care. When available, interventional management is preferred in these patients. The importance of safe and effective anticoagulation in the spectrum of management strategies has been confirmed, and the evidence in support of enoxaparin and other antithrombotic agents has been reviewed. Dosing recommendations for enoxaparin use in the setting of PCI have been issued by the CATH Panel and have been summarized in this consensus report. Similar recommendations have been presented for the use of oral antiplatelet agents and GP IIb/IIIa antagonists. The addition of statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-blockers is also stressed as part of a comprehensive secondary cardioprotective strategy for patients with coronary heart disease.


Purpose: Optometrists are becoming more integrally involved in the diagnosis of and care for glaucoma patients in the UK. The correlation of apparent change in non contact tonometry (NCT) IOP measurement and change in other ocular parameters such as refractive error, corneal curvature, corneal thickness and treatment zone size (data available to optometrists after LASIK) would facilitate care of these patients. Setting: A UK Laser Eye Clinic. Methods: This is a retrospective study study of 200 sequential eyes with myopia with or without astigmatism which underwent LASIK using a Hansatome and an Alcon LADARvision 4000 excimer laser. Refraction keratometry, pachymetry and NCT IOP mesurements were taken before treatmebnt and agian 3 months after treatment. The relationship between these variables anfd teh treatment zones were studied using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: There was a mean difference of 5.54mmHg comnparing pre and postoperative NCT IOP. IOP change correlates with refractive error change (P < 0.001), preoperative corneal thickness (P < 0.001) and treatment zone size (P = 0.047). Preoperative corneal thickness correlates with preoperative IOP (P < 0.001) and postoperative IOP (P < 0.001). Using these correlations, the measured difference in NCT IIOP can be predicted preoperatively or postoperatively using derived equations.Conclusion: There is a significant reduction in measured NCT IOP after LASIK. The amount of reduction can be calculated using data acquired by optometrists. This is helpful for opthalmologists and optometrists who co-manage glaucoma patients who have had LASIK or with glaucoma pateints who are consideraing having LASIK.


Tanycytic ependymoma is the rarest variant of ependymoma and occurs primarily in the spinal cord. Intracranial cases are even rarer. Only 9 ventricular and 5 subcortical tanycytic ependymoma have been reported in the literature. Amongst the 9 ventricular cases, only one tumor arose from the third ventricle. We report here another case of tanycytic ependymoma arising from the third ventricle completed with immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular pathology study. The patient was a 44 year-old male who presented with headache, nausea and visual disturbances of a few months duration. Neuroradiological findings showed a well-defined mass arising from the posterolateral wall of third ventricle. Histologically the tumor was composed of monotonous spindle cells arranged in fascicles without definitive perivascular rosettes. The tumor cells were diffusely positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and epithelial membrane antigen, showed faint immunoreactivity for synaptophysin but were negative for neurofilament proteins and Ki-67 was less than 1%. Molecular studies showed absence of isocitrate dehydrogenase gene 1 and 2 mutation. A diagnosis of tanycytic ependymoma (TE) was made. From literature review with our current case included, intraventricular tanycytic ependymomas ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 cm. The age of patients ranged from 3.5 to 75 years with a mean age of 37.5 and a male predominance. The tumors occurred as well-defined, solitary ventricular mass without significant peritumoral edema with or without cystic changes. Histopathology and immunohistochemical profile are rather similar among different tumors. The immediate to short term outcome is excellent but long term follow up data is lacking.


Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are shuttle-vectors that can be amplified in bacteria and employed for the cloning and manipulation of large deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) inserts (up to 3 Mb pairs) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Artificial chromosomes can be conveniently built and modified in yeast cells using in vivo homologous recombination, a novel process known as 'recombineering'. The capacity of YACs to accommodate large DNA fragments is exploited to clone clusters of genes surrounded by their native DNA context, where regulatory elements are located. This is important for biotechnology, when YACs are used for engineering genetic determinants of new biochemical pathways for production of secondary metabolites and for heterologous protein expression. YACs can be retrofitted with the appropriate selectable markers and transmitted to cells of different organisms allowing the generation of transgenic animals. Finally, YACs are largely employed in the production of full-scale genomic libraries, for mapping and functional analysis purposes.

Key Concepts:

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) represent the top instruments for the study of eukaryotic genomes and for mobilisation of large genetic elements among bacteria and eukaryotes.

YACs behave like naturally existing chromosomes, provided that they are of the proper size, showing comparable stability.

YACs can be manipulated directly by classical genetic engineering as well as by modern recombineering technology.

Properly retrofitted, YACs can be used in many different organisms, for cloning or genome analysis.

Chromosomal translocation can be studied using disposable YACs that do not harbour genetic information essential for cell function.

Keywords:

ARS;
centromere;
DNA cloning;
genome manipulation;
genomic library;
recombineering;
recombinagenic targeting;
telomere;
transgenic organism;
yeast vector


The State of Idaho and local water users are concerned that streamflow depletion in the Portneuf River in Caribou and Bannock Counties is linked to ground-water withdrawals for irrigated agriculture. A year-long field study during 2001– 02 that focused on monitoring surfaceand ground-water relations was conducted, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, to address some of the water-user concerns. The study area comprised a 10.2-mile reach of the Portneuf River downstream from the Chesterfield Reservoir in the broad Portneuf Valley (Portneuf River Valley reach) and a 20-mile reach of the Portneuf River in a narrow valley downstream from the Portneuf Valley (Pebble-Topaz reach). During the field study, the surfaceand ground-water relations were dynamic. A losing river reach was delineated in the middle of the Portneuf River Valley reach, centered approximately 7.2 miles downstream from Chesterfield Reservoir. Two seepage studies conducted in the Portneuf Valley during regulated high flows showed that the length of the losing river reach increased from 2.6 to nearly 6 miles as the irrigation season progressed. Surfaceand ground-water relations in the Portneuf Valley also were characterized from an analysis of specific conductance and temperature measurements. In a gaining reach, stratification of specific conductance and temperature across the channel of the Portneuf River was an indicator of ground water seeping into the river. An evolving method of using heat as a tracer to monitor surfaceand ground-water relations was successfully conducted with thermistor arrays at four locations. Heat tracing monitored a gaining reach, where ground water was seeping into the river, and monitored a losing reach, where surface water was seeping down through the riverbed (also referred to as a conveyance loss), at two locations. Conveyance losses in the Portneuf River Valley reach were greatest, about 20 cubic feet per second, during the mid-summer regulated high flows. Conveyance losses in the Pebble-Topaz reach were greatest, about 283 cubic feet per second, during the spring regulated high flows and were attributed to a hydroelectric project. Comparison of water levels in 30 wells in the Portneuf Valley during September and October 1968 and 2001 indicated long-term declines since 1968; the median decline was 3.4 feet. September and October were selected for characterizing long-term ground-water-level fluctuations because declines associated with irrigation reach a maximum at the end of the irrigation season. The average annual snowpack in the study area has declined significantly; 1945– 85 average annual snowpack was 16.1 inches, whereas 1986 through 2002 average annual snowpack was 11.6 inches. Water-level declines during 1998 – 2002 may be partially attributable to the extended dry climatic conditions. It is unclear whether the declines could be partially attributed to increases in ground-water withdrawals. Between 1968 and 1980, water rights for ground-water withdrawals nearly doubled from 23,500 to 46,000 acre-feet per year. During this period, ground-water levels were relatively constant and did not exhibit a declining trend that could be related to increased ground-water withdrawal rights. However, ground-water withdrawals are not measured in the valley; thus, the amount of water pumped is not known. Since the 1990s, there have been several years when the Chesterfield Reservoir has not completely refilled, and the water in storage behind the reservoir has been depleted by the middle of the irrigation season. In this situation, surface-water diversions for irrigation were terminated before the end of the irrigation season, and irrigators, who were relying in part on diversions from the Portneuf River, had to rely solely on ground water as an alternate supply. Smaller volumes of water in the Chesterfield Reservoir since the 1990s indicate a growing demand for ground-water supplies. Introduction The State of Idaho and local water users are concerned that streamflow depletion in the Portneuf River is linked to ground-water withdrawals for irrigated agriculture. In Surfaceand Ground-Water Relations on the Portneuf River, and Temporal Changes in Ground-Water Levels in the Portneuf Valley, Caribou and Bannock Counties, Idaho, 2001– 02


The object of this is to evaluate the influence of several micronutrients on the survival rate of septic patients following abdominal surgery. A retrospective assessment was done of sixty-one patients suffering from neoplastic or non-neoplastic pathology associated to septicemia. On admission the following parameters were determined: number of total lymphocytes, serum albumin, transferrin, zinc, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and copper/zinc levels. The differences obtained between surviving and non-surviving patients were analyzed. The most relevant findings revealed statistically significant lower serum albumin, zinc and transferrin values in the latter group. We conclude by stating that such parameters may be of prognostic value in this type of patients, and that supplemental micronutrients must be administered in order to improve prognosis.


Every resource in social tagging system have hundreds even thousands tags. To every certain resource, tags always have different popularity. The higher popularity a tag has, the more it suit for represent features of resource. This paper first find Top30 tags are popular tags, but the average tagging rate is quite low while approaching the 30th tag. Thus, six groups of resource that have vary saved times are taken for further analyzing. In all six groups, Top9 tags have high ATR, as well as ATR deviation, which mean these tags have obvious advantages while compare with others. Thus we take Top9 as representative tags. Finally, a user profile construction algorithm is given out based on representative tags.


In this paper, a novel method based on the memetic algorithm for downlink spatial division multiple access (SDMA) optimization technique of smart antennas by is proposed. Via the phase-amplitude perturbation method, the radiation pattern formulas available for searching optimal solutions are deduced to search the optimal weighting vector of the array factor of a smart antenna. In a smart antenna system, one user's signal must be considered as other users' interfering signal. An optimal radiation pattern of a smart antenna can not only adjustably suppress interferers by placing nulls at the directions of the interfering sources but also provide a maximum main lobe in the direction of the desired signals at the same time, i.e., to maximize the signal to interference ratio (SIR). In order to achieve this goal, a new convergent method referred as the two-way convergent method for memetic algorithms is proposed. The optimal radiation pattern design of downlink smart antennas can be achieve spatial division multiple access (SDMA) optimization by using the phase-amplitude perturbation method.


The banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae] is a major pest of East African highland bananas and plantains. Its larvae bore in corm tissue damaging the root system, disrupting nutrient and water uptake, compromising plant anchorage, reducing yield, and shortening plantation life. Yield losses in bananas and plantains may exceed 50%. Available technologies for the management of the pest include cultural control, biological control, and chemical control. These methods may be costly, labor intensive, or ecologically unsustainable. Such effects, together with developed pesticide resistance, have led to various efforts searching for sustainable alternatives. To achieve this, there is a need to understand the biology of the pest and the currently available management options which includes use of cultural practices, resistant banana varieties, biological and microbial control, pheromone trapping and chemical and botanical insecticides. This article reviews the research status concerning C. sordidus biology, distribution, management options, including current innovations such as genome editing, and suggests future research directions for the management of the pest. Research findings suggest that no single control strategy will provide complete control. The integration of appropriate conventional C. sordidus management options with genetic engineering and other ecologically friendly methods such as use of botanicals and infochemicals will manage the pest and sustainably increase banana production.


Common recurrent neural architectures scale poorly due to the intrinsic difficulty in parallelizing their state computations. In this work, we propose the Simple Recurrent Unit (SRU), a light recurrent unit that balances model capacity and scalability. SRU is designed to provide expressive recurrence, enable highly parallelized implementation, and comes with careful initialization to facilitate training of deep models. We demonstrate the effectiveness of SRU on multiple NLP tasks. SRU achieves 5—9x speed-up over cuDNN-optimized LSTM on classification and question answering datasets, and delivers stronger results than LSTM and convolutional models. We also obtain an average of 0.7 BLEU improvement over the Transformer model (Vaswani et al., 2017) on translation by incorporating SRU into the architecture.


Cyclin E is one of the G1 cyclins that play an important role in cell proliferation. Overexpression of cyclin E protein has been reported in several solid tumors, but little is known about the involvement of cyclin E in leukemia. In this study, we analyzed the expression of cyclin E gene product in 85 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) by Western blot analysis. In 23 of 85 AML samples (27%), cyclin E expression was enhanced in blasts. Among the French-American-British classification of AML, the ratio of the samples with enhanced cyclin E expression was high in M5 and low in M2 and M3. No rearrangements were observed by Southern blot analysis in these AML blasts with enhanced cyclin E expression. Flow cytometric analysis showed no correlation between overexpression of cyclin E and cell cycle distribution. Immunoblot analysis of cyclin D1 showed no correlation between overexpression of cyclin E and that of cyclin D1. Interestingly, p27 expression detected by Western blotting was apparently enhanced in 18 of 23 AML cells with enhanced cyclin E expression but none of 14 AML cells without enhanced cyclin E exhibited enhanced p27 expression. The rates of complete remission and of disease-free survival of the patients with M4 or M5 leukemia blasts with overexpressed cyclin E seemed to be low. Therefore, we suggest the necessity of a larger-scale study to elucidate the contribution of cyclin E overexpression to the phenotype and the prognosis of certain AML.


This paper explores the socio-historical, demographic and cultural aspects of Caribbean migration to New York as a traditional entrepot of immigration and as an indicator of the degree of economic and political development of the United States. The Caribbean emigration movement is an old one and predominantly urban in character. The recent increase in the Caribbean presence in New York City implies serious changes for its cultural and ethnic configuration, greater cosmopolitization, and international lin? kages. Similarly, the movement emphasizes the need for a new and more egalitarian, integrated and multi-level public policy and attitude on the part of the United States toward these immigrants, their source countries, and their cities of settlement.


Naturally occurring or surgically related hormonal deprivation at menopause is associated with cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular complications. Hormonal replacement therapy helps to prevent and treat these complications, not only symptoms associated with menopause (which continue to be their major indication) but also bone and cardiovascular related problems. It is well known that oral contraceptive use is one of the most common reversible causes of secondary hypertension. This is, in part, why the use of hormonal replacement therapy has provoked such suspicion among clinicians who have mainly believed that a similar effect on blood pressure would probably occur with the use of hormonal replacement therapy. However, the results of a variety of clinical studies and surveys do not confirm these suspicions. These beneficial effects have to be weighed against the risk of endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer and breast cancer (among other unwanted effects) that could occur when long-term therapy is implemented. If one considers that the overall risk associated with cardiovascular mortality is more than four times higher than the risk associated with gynecological malignancies, even a modest decrease in the cardiovascular risk could easily outweigh other risks and result in an overall improved risk profile in postmenopausal women.


Change detection is one of the most important subjects of remote sensing discipline. In this paper, a new unsupervised change detection approach is proposed for multi-temporal remotely sensed optic imagery. This approach does not require any prior information about changed and unchanged pixels. The approach is based on Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) based image fusion and Backtracking Search Optimization Algorithm (BSA). In the first step of the approach, absolute-valued difference image and absolute-valued log-ratio image is calculated from co-registered and radiometrically corrected multi-temporal images. Then, these difference images are fused using DWT. The fused image is filtered by median filter for edge information preservation and by wiener filter for image smoothing. Then, a min-max normalization is applied to the filtered data. The normalized data is clustered into two groups with BSA as changed and unchanged pixels by minimizing an objective function, unlike classical methods using CVA, PCA, FCM or K-means techniques. To show effectiveness of proposed approach, two remote sensing data sets, Sardinia and Mexico, are used. False Alarm, Missed Alarm, Total Alarm and Total Error Rate are selected as performance criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of new approach using ground truth images. Experimental results show that proposed approach is effective for unsupervised change detection of optical remote sensing data.


Identifying the root cause of damage of a pulled bit as soon as possible will aid preparation for future bit runs. Today, such bit damage analyses are often anecdotal, subjective and error-prone. The objective of this project was to develop a software algorithm to automatically analyze 2D bit images taken at the rig site, and to quickly identify the root cause of bit damage and failure.
 A labelled dataset was first created whereby the damage seen in bit photos was associated with the appropriate root cause of failure. Particular attention was given to the radial position of the cutters that were damaged. Using the 2D bit images (which can be obtained at the rig site), a convolutional neural network along with other image processing techniques were used to identify the individual cutters, their position on the bit, the degree of wear on each cutter. A classifier was then built to directly identify root cause of failure from these images.
 This work utilized a large dataset of wells which included multiple bit images, surface sensor data, downhole vibration data, and offset well rock strength information. This dataset helped relate the type of dysfunction as seen in the downhole and surface sensor data to the damage seen on the bit. This dataset however only covered some types of dysfunctions and some types of bit damage. It was therefore augmented with bit images for which the type of failure was determined through analysis by a subject- matter expert. A classifier was subsequently developed which properly identified the root causes of failure when the bit photo quality met certain minimum standards. One key observation was that bit images are not always captured appropriately, and this reduces the accuracy of the method.
 The automated forensics approach to Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) bit damage root cause analysis described in this paper can be performed using 2D bit photos that can be easily captured on a phone or camera at the rig site. By identifying the potential root causes of PDC damage through image processing, drilling parameters and bit selection can be optimized to prolong future bit life. The algorithm also enables uniformity in bit analysis across a company's operations, as well as the standardization of the process.


Sulfoxides are a class of organic compounds that find wide application in medicinal and organic chemistry. Several biocatalytic approaches have been developed to synthesise enantioenriched sulfoxides, mainly by exploiting oxidative enzymes. Recently, the use of reductive enzymes such as Msr and Dms has emerged as a new, alternative method to obtain enantiopure sulfoxides from racemic mixtures. In parallel, novel oxidative approaches, employing nonclassical solvents such as ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), have been developed as greener and more sustainable biocatalytic synthetic pathways. This minireview aims highlights the recent advances made in the biocatalytic synthesis of enantioenriched sulfoxides by employing such unconventional approaches.


Abstract Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a life threatening situation, and may be secondary to several mechanisms; mainly penetrating or iatrogenic lesions and blunt trauma. Although penetrating mechanisms predominate, the number of patients with aortic disruption due to blunt trauma has continued to increase. This paper shows an overview focusing on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, timing and type of treatment regarding traumatic injuries of the thoracic aorta; it also reports the experience of one single center that deals with these lesions. The major difficulty in the evaluation data on blunt aortic injury is that retrospective reviews often group together patients with all types of aortic lesions, comparing outcomes for injuries in different locations, with diverse methods of repair and different surgeons and/or institutions.


SIR,-We read with interest the short report by Dr R Butland and others (29 May, p 1607) on walking tests in respiratory disease. We agree that while a 12-minute walk is a useful measure of exercise tolerance it is time consuming to perform. They attempted to shorten the test by reducing the specified time in which the patient walks from 12 to six or even two minutes. This, however, produces difficulties since, as they and others" have observed, patients usually start walking at a faster pace before settling to a remarkably constant speed. Shortening the walking time thus tends to measure the initial spurt rather than the true exercise tolerance. A much better method is to determine the patient's walking pace over a constant distance; we have found 100 m to be the optimum distance (two lengths of a 50 m corridor). Patients are instructed as for a 12-minute walk and the time taken for each 50 m is recorded. Most patients rapidly reach a constant pace, as shown by almost identical 50 m times. Time taken to walk the next 100 m is then recorded, and if required the 12-minute walking distance may be calculated. Initial results in 13 patients show a high degree of correlation between actual and calculated walking times. We are hopeful that the 100-m walk will prove the simplest, quickest, and most accurate method of producing an index of exercise tolerance in respiratory disease. ALYN MORICE T SMITHIES


The initial idea of using Lego Mindstorms Robots for student courses had soon to be expanded to a simulation environment as the user base in students grew larger and the need for parallel development and testing arose. An easy to use and easy to set up means of providing positioning data led to the creation of an indoor positioning system so that new users can adapt quickly and successfully, as sensors on the actual robots are difficult to configure and hard to interpret in an environmental context. A global positioning system shared among robots can make local sensors obsolete and still deliver more precise information than currently available sensors, also providing the base necessary for the robots to effectively work on shared tasks as a group. Further more, a simulator for robots programmed with Fujaba and Java which was developed along the way can be used by many developers simultaneously and lets them evaluate their code in a simple way, while close to real-world results.


The drawback of several metaheuristic algorithms is the dropped local optimal trap in the solution to complicated problems. The diversity team is one of the promising ways to enhance the exploration of searching solutions in algorithm to avoid the local optimum trap. This paper proposes a diversity-team soccer league competition algorithm (DSLC) based on updating team member strategies for global optimization and its applied optimization of Wireless sensor network (WSN) deployment. The updating team consists of trading, drafting, and combining strategies. The trading strategy considers player transactions between groups after the ending season. The drafting strategy takes advantage of draft principles in real leagues to bring new players to the association. The combining strategy is a hybrid policy of trading and drafting one. Twenty-one benchmark functions of CEC2017 are used to test the performance of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results of the proposed algorithm compared with the other algorithms in the literature show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the competitors in terms of having an excellent ability to achieve global optimization. Moreover, the proposed DSLC algorithm is applied to solve the problem of WSN deployment and achieved excellent results.


This study was designed to examine changes in cytochrome P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase (C17) and aromatase (ARO) mRNA contents in the theca layer of preovulatory follicles (POF) as turkey hens transit from egg laying to incubation. Hens were grouped into the following categories: 1) laying hens--laid one egg per day and nested 1-2 times per day; 2) transitional hens--laid one egg per day and nested > 4 times per day; and 3) Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5 incubating hens--laid no eggs for 2, 4, or 6 days, respectively, and nested > 4 times per day. Small white follicles (SWF) and the theca layer from the largest (F1) and the third (F3), fifth (F5), and seventh (F7) largest POF were dispersed and challenged with testosterone (T) for 5 h. Relative levels of C17 and ARO mRNA were examined from the theca layers of F1, F3, F5, F7, and SWF. The number of atretic follicles increased from 0 (layers) to 8 (Day 5 incubating hens). Serum LH, progesterone (P), and estradiol (E), but not T, declined on Day 1 of incubation. Basal levels of P, T, and E from theca and SWF cells declined in incubating hens. Both basal and T-stimulated theca and SWF production of E decreased in incubating hens. C17 and ARO mRNA declined in SWF, F7, and F5 during follicular atresia. It is suggested that reduced gene expression of ovarian steroidogenic enzymes may be a partial determinant of reduced circulating sex steroid levels in incubating hens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The DNA sequence of the 15,532-base pair (bp) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the chiton Katharina tunicata has been determined. The 37 genes typical of metazoan mtDNA are present: 13 for protein subunits involved in oxidative phosphorylation, 2 for rRNAs and 22 for tRNAs. The gene arrangement resembles those of arthropods much more than that of another mollusc, the bivalve Mytilus edulis. Most genes abut directly or overlap, and abbreviated stop codons are inferred for four genes. Four junctions between adjacent pairs of protein genes lack intervening tRNA genes; however, at each of these junctions there is a sequence immediately adjacent to the start codon of the downstream gene that is capable of forming a stem-and-loop structure. Analysis of the tRNA gene sequences suggests that the D arm is unpaired in tRNA(ser)(AGN), which is typical of metazoan mtDNAs, and also in tRNA(ser)(UCN), a condition found previously only in nematode mtDNAs. There are two additional sequences in Katharina mtDNA that can be folded into structures resembling tRNAs; whether these are functional genes is unknown. All possible codons except the stop codons TAA and TAG are used in the protein-encoding genes, and Katharina mtDNA appears to use the same variation of the mitochondrial genetic code that is used in Drosophila and Mytilus. Translation initiates at the codons ATG, ATA and GTG. A + T richness appears to have affected codon usage patterns and, perhaps, the amino acid composition of the encoded proteins. A 142-bp non-coding region between tRNA(glu) and CO3 contains a 72-bp tract of alternating A and T.


At the present time, glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine valves appear to be a reasonable alternative in valvular replacement. The expected durability limit of 8-15 years with the models currently commercially available is counterbalanced by a lower risk of acute complications; particularly thromboembolism. This allows the patient to be free from drugs and related problems. Our opinion is that the patient should take part in choosing between a bioprosthesis and a mechanical prosthesis. This critical choice will depend upon the relative importance for each individual of an improved quality of life with a bioprosthesis versus a lower risk of reoperation with a mechanical valve.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro adhesion potential of psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from buffalo milk. The biofilm formation was evaluated on stainless steel and on a polypropylene surface at temperatures of 7oC, 23oC and 30oC for 24, 48 and 72 h. They were also tested for adhesion to stainless steel at 7oC, in sterilized milk buffalo. Other tests on stainless steel were conducted with the adhesive strains, in co-cultivation with the Staphylococcus coagulase positive A710-2 strain. The co-culture was tested in sterilized buffalo whole milk on a stainless steel surface at 7oC. Isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in order to consider Pseudomonas fluorescens PL5.4 e Pseudomonas fluorescens PL7.1. These psychrotrophic bacteria were able to adhere under the conditions tested, with biofilm cell counts exceeding 5.65 and 6.16 log CFU/cm2 on stainless steel and 6.3 and 6.37 log CFU/cm2 on polypropylene, for P. fluorescens PL5.4 and P. fluorescens PL7.1 respectively. Both strains showed higher adhesion to a polypropylene. Regarding the test for stainless steel adhesion, at 7oC in sterilized buffalo milk, the tested strains showed counts of 4.85 and 5.09 log CFU/cm2 for P. fluorescens PL5.4 and P. fluorescens PL7.1 respectively. Both psychrotrophic strains were able adhere in co-culture with the Staphylococcus coagulase positive A710-2 strain. This study shows that psychrotrophic bacteria, originally isolated from refrigerated raw buffalo milk, can adhere to stainless steel and polypropylene surfaces at different temperatures, indicating that once present in milk, they may become a source of recontamination.


Two of the most studied brain areas related with learning and memory are prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, serious inconsistencies arise when these regions are analyzed in relation to the role of estrogens on cognitive deterioration. Some of these contradictions are reviewed in the context of the recently proposed critical period hypothesis, which takes into account the frame-time after cessation of ovarian function. Other factors related with cognition and influenced by estrogens include their role on; a) cholinergic central transmission, b) spinogenesis and synaptogenesis at hippocampus, and c) classical genomic and rapid non genomic effects. Understanding the cellular and molecular basis of these phenomena is vital for designing novel therapeutic actions applicable to human health and disease.


Evolutionary computing has proven to be a straightforward and robust approach for optimizing a wide range of difficult analysis and design problems. This paper discusses the application of these techniques to an existing space vehicle power subsystem resource and performance simulation in a parallel processing environment. Using this method, engineers can trade off subsystem goals of mass, cost and performance then automatically size power elements based on their anticipated performance. Our results show that this approach has the potential to improve the space system trade study process.