Scholarly accounts of sexuality in the ancient world have placed much emphasis on the normative dichotomy of activity and passivity. In the case of female homoeroticism, scholars have focussed largely on the figure of the so-called tribas, a masculinised, aggressively penetrative female who takes the active role in sexual relations with women. My thesis seeks to set out a wider conceptualisation of female homoeroticism that encompasses erotic sensuality between conventionally feminine women. The first chapter surveys previous scholarship on ancient sexuality and gender and on female homoeroticism in particular, examining the difficulties in terminology and methodology inherent in such a project. The second chapter turns to the Callisto episode in Ovid's Metamorphoses, beginning with the kiss between the huntress Callisto and Jupiter, who is disguised as Callisto's patron goddess Diana. The Callisto episode contains hints of previous intimacy between Callisto and Diana, and the kiss scene can be read as an erotic interaction between the two, both of whom are portrayed as conventionally feminine rather than tribadic. The third chapter examines several Greek intertexts for the Callisto episode: Callimachus' hymns to Athena and Artemis, and the story of Leucippus as narrated by Parthenius and Pausanias. These narratives exhibit a similar dynamic to the Callisto episode, in that they eroticise the relationships both between Diana and her companions and amongst those companions. An educated reader of Ovid's Metamorphoses would plausibly have had these Greek texts in mind, and would thus have been more likely to read the relationship between Diana and Callisto as homoerotic. Finally, the fourth chapter approaches Statius' Achilleid from the perspective of female homoeroticism, a move without precedent in past scholarship. The relationship between Deidameia and the cross-dressed Achilles engages intertextually with the Callisto episode, presenting another exclusively female-homosocial environment in which homoerotic desires can flourish.


"Sustainable Urban Implants" (SUIs) are sustainable urban cores based on principles of sustainable urban planning and sustainable architectural design practices that are melded together to achieve a most desirable sustainable living environment. As a combined force of urban planning, architecture and community interaction, this type of sustainable development is capable of changing fossil fuel-based city structures. It provides an alternative lifestyle that is enjoyable, economical, diverse and natural and that can enliven communities and strengthen social interaction.

Planting SUIs on brownfields of Toronto suburbs, near public transportation nodes, is the strategy that has been identified as being effective and one that has been used in this thesis. As a result of this, private car-based commuting will decrease and public transportation will improve. An improvement of the lifestyle of suburbs will also be observed as current residents of the areas surrounding SUIs will also benefit from the newly provided urban spaces and work places that create employment opportunities.


The Swedish Road Administration (SRA) performs cost-benefit studies for road infrastructure projects utilizing a specialized computer program known by its Swedish acronym EVA. This report describes three possible approaches to accomplish sensitivity studies of the SRA's costbenefit studies. A simple example explains how these approaches are applied in the context of the SRA's cost-benefit studies. First, the popular one-factor-at-a-time method is described. The major drawback of this approach is that interaction of factors cannot be addressed. The method of Monte Carlo simulation allows for this possibility. This method uses brute force computational power to calculate a large number of outcomes based on randomly altered values for the included factors. However, Monte Carlo simulation necessitates the assessment of the multivariate stochastic distribution of considered factors. It is generally very difficult to assess multivariate distributions and it is consequently difficult to utilize the full potential of the Monte Carlo technique. We suggest therefore that the SRA's sensitivity studies are based on few simulation runs where the factors are altered simultaneously in each run. The number of runs is kept low by appropriate selection of factor combinations in each run, utilizing statistical design theory for experiments. The so obtained "observations" are used to estimate a response surface, which is essentially a simplified regression relationship between the factors that matter in the context and the resulting ratio between a project's net present value and its cost. This method handles possible interaction between factors, requires from the investigator merely the determination of reasonable upper and lower bounds for included factors, and does not require a large number of simulation runs.Alternativ URL: http://www.vv.se/fud-resultat/Publikationer_000301_000400/Publikation_000326/VTI %20rapport%20591.pdf


Learning the Rules of the Game: The Nature of Game and Classroom Supports When Using a Concept-Integrated Digital Physics Game in the Middle School Science Classroom Phillip Michael Stewart, Jr. Games in science education is emerging as a popular topic of scholarly inquiry. The National Research Council recently published a report detailing a research agenda for games and science education entitled Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations (2011). The report recommends moving beyond typical proof-of-concept studies into more exploratory and theoretically-based work to determine how best to integrate games into K-12 classrooms for learning , as well as how scaffolds from within the game and from outside the game (from peers and teachers) support the learning of applicable science. This study uses a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design with an 8th grade class at an independent school in southern Connecticut to answer the following questions: 1. What is the nature of the supports for science content learning provided by the game, the peer, and the teacher, when the game is used in a classroom setting? 2. How do the learning gains in the peer support condition compare to the solo play condition, both qualitatively and quantitatively? The concept-integrated physics game SURGE (Scaffolding Understanding through Redesigning Games for Education) was selected for this study, as it was developed with an ear towards specific learning theories and prior work on student understandings of impulse, force, and vectors. Stimulated recall interviews and video observations served as the primary sources and major patterns emerged through the triangulation of data sources and qualitative analysis in the software QSR NVivo 9. The first pattern which emerged indicated that scaffolding from within the game and outside the game requires a pause in game action to be effective, unless that scaffolding is directly useful to the player in the moment of action. The second major pattern indicated that both amount and type of prior gaming experience has somewhat complex effects on both the uses of supports and learning outcomes. In general, a high correlation was found between students who were more successful navigating supports from the game, the teacher, and the peer and higher gain scores from preto posttest. However, students with a lot of prior game experience that found the game to be easy without much assistance did not do as well from preto posttest as they did not need as much assistance from the game to do well and therefore missed out on important physics connections to impulse, force, and vectors. However, those students with little prior game experience did not find game scaffolds as useful and did not do as well from preto posttest without significant teacher and peer support to bolster or supplant the game's intended scaffolding. Implications for educators, educational game designers, and games in science education researchers are presented. It is argued that teachers must find ways to extract those scaffolds from the game which are easy to miss or require failure to activate so that all students, even those who find the game easy, are exposed to the intended learning in the game. Ideally, game designers are encouraged to find new ways to present scaffolds such that players of any ability can benefit from the connections from the game to physics.


Abstract The representation of physical systems using qualitative formalisms is examined in this review, with an emphasis on recent developments in the area. The push to develop reasoning systems incorporating deep knowledge originally focused on naive physical representations, but has now shifted to more formal ones based on qualitative mathematics. The qualitative differential constraint formalism used in systems like QSIM is examined, and current efforts to link this to competing representations like Qualitative Process Theory are noted. Inference and representation are intertwined, and the decision to represent notions like causality explicitly, or infer it from other properties, has shifted as the field has developed. The evolution of causal and functional representations is thus examined. Finally, a growing body of work that allows reasoning systems to utilize multiple representations of a system is identified. Dimensions along which multiple model hierarchies could be constructed are examined, including mode of behaviour, granularity, ontology, and representational depth.


For double-sided assemblies, the solder joints on the topside of the board are inverted and reflowed again. During the second reflow, the components are held in place by the surface tension, which may prevent the components from falling off under the gravitational force. A method is needed to determine a component's candidacy for bottom-side attachment based on the component weight and total pad area. In this paper, a theoretical model was introduced to determine the critical value for component fall-off during the second reflow. Design of experiments (DOE) and ANOVA analysis for lead-free solder boards were performed to examine the main process factors which have different effects on the component fall-off for different components, and comparison was made between lead-free and SnPb solders. Optical inspection and cross-sectioning were carried out for further investigation. The test results indicated no significant difference of Cg/Pa value between SnPb and lead-free solders


Digital Object Identifier (DOI) has been internationally recognized as a standard for identifying information resources on the web. It is an advanced tool that provides unique identification or permanent links to find specific journal articles and other information resources online. This paper discusses digital object identifier and their use in accessing online scholarly materials in Africa. It looks at the extent of Uniform Resource Locators (URL), understanding DOI functionalities, and benefits of DOI, scholarly materials with DOI in Africa with a critical examination of African Online Journals (AJOL) which is the biggest database in Africa. It was therefore discovered that the use and application of DOI in accessing online scholarly materials of African origin is still at crawling stage. The study recommends that the publishers in Africa should take advantage of this development by doing the needful and emulate those journals in African Online Journals (AJOL) to register their publications for DOI. This will enhance wider visibility and easy retrieval of African scholarly materials, while African authors also needs to wake up to explore the benefit of the DOI.


Summary Up to 15% of all patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) receive an inferior vena cava filter, and prophylactic placements are increasing. To determine whether current use of filters is based on robust evidence, a global review of the recent (2001–2012) literature on filters was undertaken. The MEDLINE database was searched for articles related to filters appearing during the period 2001–2012, updating a prior search of literature from 1975–2001. All retrieved articles were analysed, classified into predetermined categories and compared to the prior analysis; randomised and large (>100 patients with a filter) comparative non-randomised clinical studies were read in full. The 651 articles, vs 568 in the period 1975–2000, consisted mainly of retrospective series (37.8%), case reports (31.7%), reviews (14.7%, vs 6.7%, p<0.001), animal and/or in vitro studies (7.5%, vs 12.9%, p=0.002), and prospective series or trials (4.9%, vs 7.4%, p=0.07). Of 4 new randomised trials (RCT), none were designed to test the efficacy of the device; to date, only one RCT has attempted to ascertain efficacy, occurring during the period 1975–2000. Eleven large non-randomised studies compared clinical outcomes of patients with and without filters, in VTE patients (n=5) or prophylactic indications (n=6); two studies found statistically significant relationships between filter use and lower mortality rates, though none could demonstrate a causal relationship. Hence, the plethoric literature on filters parallels growing experience with these devices, but still fails to provide reliable evidence that filter use improves relevant clinical outcomes. No indication for filter placement is based on appropriate scientific evidence.


A high precision, dual drive system has been designed and developed for the Wide Field Upgrade to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope* at McDonald Observatory in support of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment‡. Analysis, design and controls details will be of interest to designers of large scale, high precision robotic motion devices. The drive system positions the 19,000 kg star tracker to a precision of less than 5 microns along its 4-meter travel. While positioning requirements remain essentially equal to the existing HET, tracker mass increases by a factor greater than 5. The 10.5-meter long tracker is driven at each end by planetary roller screws, each having two distinct drive sources dictated by the desired operation: one slowly rotates the screw when tracking celestial objects and the second rotates the nut for rapid displacements. Key results of the roller screw rotordynamics analysis are presented. A description of the complex bearing arrangement providing required degrees of freedom as well as the impact of a detailed Failure Modes and Effects Analysis addressing necessary safety systems is also presented. Finite element analysis results demonstrate how mechanical springs increase the telescope's natural frequency response by 22 percent. The critical analysis and resulting design is provided.


We discuss the use of information visualization in digital sociology, (particularly in Controversy Mapping), and its role in outlining issues and objects of study through progressive insights. We believe the differences in visualizations between analysis and presentation are better understood as linked by a chain of transformations, rather than as two separate and stable levels of representation. We propose that, through such chain, two research movements are performed: the reification of issues , related to the construction of a stable consensus, and the reenaction of insights , that points to the role of visualizations as communication tools. We will illustrate such movements and effects by using a few examples of visualizations produced in the EMAPS research project. is because it effectively combined the reification of issues and the reenaction of insights: the final maps communicate by demonstrating.


To the Editor.— In a recent COMMENTARY (242:2291, 1979), Richard S. Blacher, MD, points out that the "life after life" experience of the dying patient tells us nothing of the final state of death itself. Furthermore, he urges that misinterpretation of this experience could be avoided with a closer examination of the phenomenon. I have recently conducted a systematic investigation of these experiences in 107 persons known to have survived an episode of unconsciousness and near death (ie, cardiac arrest and coma). 1 Using standardized interview techniques, the social, religious, and demographic backgrounds of each person were evaluated along with the details of each medical crisis event and any possible recollections from the period of unconsciousness. Like Blacher, I have concluded that these experiences are not by themselves prima facie evidence of life after death. Thus, "near-death experience" (NDE) becomes an appropriate label. Furthermore, I concur that a closer examination


OBJECTIVE
The effects of prenatal cocaine exposure have been examined using neurobehavioral and brain structural evaluations; however, no study has examined the effects of prenatal cocaine on brain metabolism. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) is a noninvasive method to examine the biochemistry of various brain regions. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible neurotoxic effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on the developing brain using (1)H-MRS.

METHODS
Cocaine-exposed children (n = 14) and age-matched unexposed control participants (n = 12) were evaluated with MRI and localized (1)H-MRS. Metabolite concentrations of N-acetyl-containing compounds (NA), total creatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds, myoinositol, and glutamate + glutamine were measured in the frontal white matter and striatum.

RESULTS
Despite an absence of structural abnormalities in either group, children exposed to cocaine in utero had significantly higher Cr (+13%) in the frontal white matter. NA, primarily a measure of N-acetyl aspartate and neuronal content, was normal in both regions examined by (1)H-MRS. Normal NA suggests no significant neuronal loss or damage in the 2 brain regions examined in children exposed to cocaine prenatally.

CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with findings in abstinent adult cocaine users, we found increased Cr in the frontal white matter, with normal NA in children exposed to cocaine. These findings suggest the need to investigate further possible abnormalities of energy metabolism in the brain of children exposed to cocaine in utero. In addition, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using (1)H-MRS to investigate the effects of prenatal drug exposure on the developing brain.


In Gifted Hands: America's Most Significant Contributions to Surgery, Seymour Schwartz reviews the history of surgery in North America, covering the evolution and advances in this field from the colonial period to the present. The book chronicles the stories of individuals who first successfully invaded a body compartment or developed a life-saving technique that changed the way surgery was subsequently practiced. The stories contain fascinating detail about not only the surgeons, but also their patients, some of whom were essentially partners in the high-risk experiment that would either improve or end their lives. There is the unforgettable story of Jane Todd Crawford, the courageous patient who would become forever linked to a "daring" surgeon who launched the field of intra-abdominal surgery in 1809. Upon examining Crawford in her home, Dr. Ephraim McDowell said that he would attempt to remove the tumor (which had been incorrectly diagnosed as a growing fetus) if she could make it to his office. Crawford traveled alone for days on horseback, balancing the tumor on her saddle, but arriving intact for her appointment with history. The surgical proceedings, absent anesthesia or antisepsis, are hard to imagine in the present day. After recuperating for several weeks, she returned home by horseback, alone, and remained very much alive until age 78, having long outlived her surgeon.

Schwartz is at his best in presenting these clinical and timeless descriptions of events that shaped the history of surgery in America. There is the story of the first use of anesthesia in an operation performed by Dr. John Collins Warren, a founding member of the Massachusetts General Hospital, its first surgeon, and founder of the New England Journal of Medicine. At Warren's planned surgery to remove a cervical tumor from a young man in his twenties, the first anesthesiologist, William Thomas Green Morton, arrived 15 minutes late, citing last-minute adjustments to the newly invented glass ether chamber. His tardy arrival marked an almost comical beginning to a persistent unrequited strain between two professionals in the same theater. However, with the tumor successfully excised, the patient reported that he felt no sensation of pain, but instead was only vaguely aware of the feeling that a blunt instrument was passing across his neck. Later, Dr. Warren famously noted that this was "the most valuable discovery ever made." Another surgeon, Harvey Cushing, who would later become known as the father of two fields of medicine, neurosurgery and endocrinology, developed the first anesthesia record when he was a medical student. He had become severely depressed when a patient receiving ether anesthesia by his hand succumbed, so he set out to invent a recording chart to document changes in vital signs and anesthesia delivery that, with little modification, continues to be used worldwide.

Gifted Hands is not a book written "to make them come alive without an agenda . . . ." Schwartz has a clear agenda: to convince the reader that American surgery has earned a leadership role within the discipline. The reader learns of the origin of modern surgical training programs under William Stewart Halsted at Johns Hopkins, who sought to provide not only competent practitioners, but future generations of professors, with expertise in scientific investigation and clinical work. Like Halsted and Cushing before him, Alexis Carrel, the first to be awarded a Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for work performed mainly on American soil, spent years studying and training in Europe. Whereas entire volumes have been written about the history and development of individual fields of surgery, here these topics are covered in a few brief chapters. The argument for American preeminence is presented with little mention or note about the advances in Europe and elsewhere that were occurring in parallel. The more modern history of surgical advances is rife with stories of competition to be first, and for full press coverage. Those who lived through the 1960s and 1970s cannot help but recall the televised daily press conferences reporting the health status of the first heart transplant recipients, and the jingoistic fervor that occurred as international competition erupted to claim the first success. The reader interested in either the societal context that undoubtedly fueled American surgical advances or the "disdain" for American surgery referred to at the outset of the book will likely seek additional sources.

None of this detracts from Schwartz's very descriptive overview of American surgery, and the captivating stories of some of the leading doctors and their patient partners. The author is himself a leader in American surgery, with accomplishments that should be of rights noted in this book, including being founding editor of Schwartz's Principles of Surgery, the renowned textbook that formed the basis for educating generations of students and surgical trainees for decades. Gifted Hands is recommended to students of all ages, to surgical trainees, and to anyone interested in the history of surgery in America. This great read fills a void by previous texts that glossed over the stories of the surgeons and patients.


Objectives: This case study examines the development, design and staff perspectives of selection events for an undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurial Business Management. Aspects of design and delivery promoting student self-selection and individual assessment of fit are described which are intended to have a positive impact on recruitment and retention.

Prior Work: This work-based programme is based on the Finnish 'Team Academy' model (Tiimiakatemia, 2013) where participants work in teams as business owners and learning takes place in the context of establishing and managing those businesses. It was introduced at Northumbria University in September 2013 and, since its introduction, events have been held to support the recruitment of three consecutive student cohorts. This study focuses on the most recent sets of two one-day events conducted in March 2014 and March 2015.

The selection events were developed to provide an immersive experience that informed, inspired and energised prospective candidates so as to increase 'best-fit' enrolment, optimise their course selection and career development decisions, and enable better informed self-selection.

Literature exploring the themes of the growth of entrepreneurial education, the importance of 'fit' between HE programmes and applicants, factors impacting enrolment and admission decisions and why UCAS points alone may not offer a satisfactory criteria for the selection of prospective entrepreneurial students have been reviewed.

Approach: A mixed method was adopted taking quantitative information from a brief applicant satisfaction questionnaire, and qualitative data drawn from the reflections of staff members involved in the selection events, including some of the authors.

Results: Applicant data indicated the events had been interesting, useful and enjoyable and offered several ways in which future events could be enhanced. From a staff member perspective, there were concerns about how well the team working and coaching aspects of the programme were conveyed.

Implications and Value: This case study will be of interest to those developing selection events for undergraduate programmes for which traditional academic performance and UCAS application forms serve as imperfect means of discriminating between applicants. Shifting the pressure of the selection decision from the programme team to the applicants may help to achieve a better student:programme fit, and it is likely that events which allow for two-way selection decisions will prove to be most operationally realistic.

This case study encapsulates the early research stage of a longitudinal study to track applicants through the selection process to eventual graduation and post-graduation. Although small-scale, the findings reported here would indicate that there may be merit in selection events which enable self-selection across a range of this type of non-traditional programmes.


Virtualization has increasingly been adopted in the last decade and the usages of virtualized environments are going to be an important part of how computers are used in the nearby future. There are a lot of advantages with virtualization and different methods have been developed to make it as efficient as possible.Forsmarks Kraftgrupp were interested in the possibility of taking advantage of virtualization in their testing environment.In this report, hypervisors of type 1 and type 2 and containers have been evaluated to determine which method and what program is preferable on a server cluster of four HP ProLiant DL380 Generation 4. Because of the hardware specifications of the DL380, focus has been on virtualization programs that do not require hardware assisted virtualization.The results show that it is possible to use some of the type 2 hypervisors on the HP ProLiant DL380 Generation 4. The suggested virtualization programs are VMware Workstation or Oracle VirtualBox.


Aim: Experimental evidence on the neuromodulatory properties of the Indian resurrection herb 'Selaginella' (a pteridophyte) is limited. Here, we examined the hypothesis that extract of Selaginella delicatula can render protection against 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP)-induced oxidative impairments and neurotoxicity. Materials and methods: Mice provided with supplements S. delicatula aqueous extracts (SDAE) orally (400 mg/kg bw/d, 15d) were challenged with 3NP (50 mg/kg bw/d, i.p. on the last 5 days). Results: Exposure to 3NP induced significant motor deficits, as evidenced by the reduced stride length, increased narrow beam latency and overt behavioral deficits in the open field apparatus. Interestingly, there was a significant delay in the onset and the intensity of neurobehavioral deficits among SDAE prophylactic mice. Biochemical investigation of striatum revealed that SDAE prophylaxis per se modulated the striatal redox status but also attenuated the 3NP-induced redox imbalance, perturbations in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and mitochondrial complex II activity. More importantly, the cholinergic function and dopamine levels were nearly normal among SDAE-mice. Conclusion: Collectively, these data suggest that neuroprotection rendered by SDAE prophylaxis may be primarily attributed to the restoration effect on antioxidant defence and mitochondrial function which lead to improved locomotor phenotype. We propose that Selaginella aqueous extracts may provide new perspectives for the development of therapeutic strategies in protecting the brain against oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative disorders.


The objective of the present study was to evaluate antifeedant, insecticidal, oviposition deterrent and ovicidal activity of different fractions obtained from the crude extracts of H. suaveolens (Lamiaceae) and M. corchorifolia (Sterculiaceae) against Spodoptera litura (Fab.) (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae), four fractions obtained from H. suaveolens, fraction III was found to inhibit the feeding ratio of the S. litura and it is apparent from the table. While in M. corchorifolia only three fractions have been obtained, among them fraction II was found to induced more feeding deterrent activity at 2000 ppm concentration. Ethylacetate extract of H. suaveolens yielded four fractions and diethylether extract of M. corchorifolia yielded five fractions. As per the data fraction III showed statistically significant ovicidal activity. It is also interesting to note that the same fraction was exerted strong ovipositional deterrent activity. Whereas, ethylacetate extract of M. corchorifolia yielded five fractions of which, fraction III showed increased ovicidal activity over the other fractions at higher concentration. Larvicidal activity obtained from the fraction II was significant than the other two fractions of the same extract. The larvicidal activity exhibited by the five fractions of diethyl ether extract of M. corchorifolia is shown in table 5. It is clear that fraction III at 1000 and 2000-ppm concentration was found to have increased activity than the other fractions.


Abstract—This paper proposes the analysis and design of robust fuzzy control to Stochastic Parametrics Uncertaint Linear systems. This system type to be controlled is partitioned into several linear sub-models, in terms of transfer function, forming a convex polytope, similar to LPV (Linear Parameters Varying) system. Once defined the linear sub-models of the plant, these are organized into fuzzy TakagiSugeno (TS) structure. From the Parallel Distributed Compensation (PDC) strategy, a mathematical formulation is defined in the frequency domain, based on the gain and phase margins specifications, to obtain robust PI sub-controllers in accordance to the TakagiSugeno fuzzy model of the plant. The main results of the paper are based on the robust stability conditions with the proposal of one Axiom and two Theorems.


In simulation based research in medicine, there is relative paucity of proof that simulation improves patients' care. That stems from the difficulty of designing and executing a transitional research type 2/3 within the medical field.1 In our study we aim to demonstrate the transfer of skills acquired in simulation to the clinical setting in the management of sepsis. Sepsis was chosen as a condition for its high mortality and poor treatment rates.2 Methodology Ethics approval was obtained. Fourteen junior doctors in our hospital were given an initial lecture on sepsis management, and were all individually videorecorded treating a patient with sepsis. Consent was obtained from doctors, nurses and patients. Trainees were then randomly allocated into two groups. One group received simulation training on sepsis management and the control group attended a lecture, based on the Sepsis 6 (2). All fourteen participants were again videorecorded treating patients with sepsis. Currently all the videos are being watched by two independent and blinded assessors (consultant physicians) and participants' technical and non-technical performance is scored against two validated tools (sepsis 6, and miniCex) Results Statistical analysis (ANOVA) will be used to look for correlations between difference in performance in the three groups (pre intervention, post simulation, and post lecture-control group). We will be able to present our initial results in the conference. Impact Our study is one of the first to capture real time transfer of skills from a simulation to a real environment in medicine. We hope that our results will pave the way for further research in this area. The study is uni-centred and the subject number is small, but we tried to limit this problem by designing a sound research protocol and double blind the process, as the assessors of the videos don't know which group the candidates belong to. References McGaghie WC, Draycott TJ, Dunn WF, Lopez CM, Stefanidis D, ''Evaluating the Impact of Simulation on Translational Patient Outcomes'', Simulation Healthcare Journal 2011;6:42–47 Eichacker PQ, Natanson C, Danner RL, "Surviving sepsis-practice guidelines", New England Journal of Medicine 2006;355:1640–1642


Cautious schedulers, which never resort to rollbacks for the purpose of concurrency control, are investigated. In particular, cautious schedulers for classes WW consisting of schedules serializable under the write-write constraints, and WRW, a superclass of W, are considered. The cautious WW-scheduler has a number of nice properties, one of which is the existence of a polynomial-time scheduling algorithm. Since cautious WRW-scheduling is, in general, NP-complete, some restrictions are introduced which allow polynomial-time scheduling. All of these cautious schedulers are based on the assumption that transaction predeclare their read and write sets on arrival. Anomalies which occur when transaction modify their read sets or write sets during execution are discussed and countermeasures are proposed. >


This research investigates the effect of the amount (from 2.5 % to 15 %) of natural zeolite on the alkali silica reaction resistance (ASR), density, ultrasonic pulse velocity and mechanical properties of mortar. Research revealed that physical and mechanical characteristics of mortar mix improve with higher amount of natural zeolite, however, the appropriate zeolite amount must be selected because overdosing leads to deterioration of mortar mix properties. The impact of natural zeolite and the amount used on the expansion of mortar specimens was tested using Rilem AAR-2 method. Altered composition mortar specimens were tested using SEM and X-ray structure analysis, their mineral composition was determined. Dependence between natural zeolite amount in mortar mix, mineral composition of hardened mortar and expansion was determined. Test results revealed that alteration of mortar composition by natural zeolite not only improves physical and mechanical properties of the mix but also increases alkali silica reaction resistance (ASR) of mortar. The tests revealed that alteration of mortar composition with 15 % of natural zeolite (replacing cement mortar mix) increases durability and resistance to alkaline silica reaction.


Length at age data are a fundamental tool for the assessment of exploited fish populations, their use requiring the identification of the 'unit stock'. At the present, however, the spatial reference for stock assessment in the Mediterranean Sea is based on a grid of 30 arbitrary Geographical Sub Areas (GSA). Since older data rarely respect the GSA borders, the authors propose to reconstruct the historical data within a common frame and to assess a single reference length at age, together with the corresponding von Bertalanffy growth parameters, to be used as a broad benchmark for analyses inter and intra GSAs. This approach was tested using, as a case study, the red mullet (Mullus barbatus L. 1758), one of the most investigated fish of the whole Mediterranean basin. Published and grey literature was browsed, to get direct and/or indirect length at age estimations. To establish a common baseline and maximize the use of partial information, a vBGF (L∞, total length in mm, and Ky-1) was fitted to length at age data whenever possible. 56 Mediterranean sets were utilized; an overall reference growth line was estimated by sex, discussing its adequacy to the life traits of the species.


Human and Organizational Factors (HOF) as a discipline applies tools, theory, principles, data and methods to optimize human, organizational, and overall system performance. To date, there has been relatively little guidance available to pipeline operating companies regarding the integration of HOF within and across organizational management systems, pipeline protection programs, and operational activities. CSA Group Express Document EXP16 (EXP16) entitled Human and organizational factors for optimal pipeline performance is intended to address this deficiency. It builds upon a previously published express document, which was more limited in scope: CSA EXP248 Pipeline Human Factors.
 EXP16 is intended to offer practical guidance regarding the management of Performance Influencing Factors (PIFs) and provide greater content dedicated to organizational factors such as leadership, governance, management system effectiveness, and safety culture.
 EXP16 has been prepared and reviewed by the CSA Group's Development Committee on Human and Organizational Factors for Optimal Pipeline Performance. The committee was comprised of representatives from pipeline companies, consulting firms, regulatory agencies, investigative bodies, and HOF subject matter experts from various technical fields (e.g., nuclear). The goal of the document was to marry the introduction of key concepts with practical guidance and best practices that a pipeline company may apply to support enhanced performance, including the prevention of harm to people, property, and the environment caused by a major hazard accident (e.g., unintended product release, spill, explosion, fire).
 This paper will review the content and application of EXP16. It will discuss seven key HOF principles and introduce several relevant PIFs associated with People, Organization, and Task, Technology, and Workplace. The impact and management of PIFs throughout the pipeline life cycle will be explored.
 This paper will also present the key concept of "the learning organization" and how this outcome may be facilitated through both the proactive and reactive application of HOFs.


In accurate optical inspection of IC chip, it is necessary to recognize and calibrate the IC micro-topography completely and accurately. Positioning method of characteristic points in IC chip's micro-topography based on cross correlation matching and image projection transformation is investigated to realize high precision detection of surface topography. On the basis of extracting wavelet high-frequency components of IC topography conjugate images which is shot by high- definition CCD cameras from different space positions, the coordinate information of some selected topography's characteristic points is shown. Cross correlation matching is applied to definite the characteristic point's relative positions in the projected images, then relationship of image projection transformation is established for calculating and determining the characteristic point's absolute coordinates, which facilitates following topography detection of IC chip. Experiment analysis and data comparison indicate that accurate coordinate positioning results of characteristic points can be obtained by this method, the research basis for following IC topography model structuring and micro- flaw characteristic detecting can also be provided.


Winter is becoming warmer and shorter across the northern hemisphere, and reductions in snow depth can decrease tree seedling survival by exposing seedlings to harmful microclimates. Similarly, herbivory by small mammals can also limit the survival and distribution of woody plants, but it is unclear whether winter climate change will alter small-mammal herbivory. Although small-scale experiments show that snow removal can either increase or decrease both soil temperatures and herbivory, we currently lack snow-removal experiments replicated across large spatial scales that are needed to understand the effect of reduced snow. To examine how winter herbivory and snow conditions influence seedling dynamics, we transplanted Acer saccharum and Tsuga canadensis seedlings across a 180 km latitudinal gradient in northern Wisconsin, where snow depth varied seven-fold among sites. Seedlings were transplanted into one of two herbivory treatments (small-mammal exclosure, small-mammal access) and one of two late-winter snow removal treatments (snow removed, snow unmanipulated). Snow removal increased soil freeze-thaw frequency and cumulative growing degree-days (GDD), but the magnitude of these effects depended on forest canopy composition. Acer saccharum survival decreased where snow was removed, but only at sites without conifers. Excluding small mammals increased A. saccharum survival at sites where the smallmammal herbivore Myodes gapperi was present. Excluding small mammals also increased T. canadensis survival in plots with < 5 cm snow. Because variation in canopy composition and M. gapperi presence were important predictors of seedling survival across the snow-depth gradient, these results reveal complexity in the ability to accurately predict patterns of winter seedling survival over large spatial scales. Global change scenarios that project future patterns of seedling recruitment may benefit from explicitly considering interactions between snow conditions and small-mammal winter herbivory.


We argue that although HR has a lot of tools and practices, it still lacks an overarching decision science that defines how organizations can obtain strategic success through their human resources. In order to support companies' informed HRM decision-making, we recommend establishing a tradition of evidencebased HR practices. Evidence-based HR is a family of practices, combining research evidence with contextual information and individual judgment of HR professionals as essential sources of information. After having reviewed implications for HR practice from scholarly work, economic and societal trends as well as business tools from other managerial domains, we discuss the potential of Talentship as an evidence-based decision science and as a first step towards a general way of thinking to support HR decisions. As such, we believe the present chapter provides a significant contribution to the insights of practitioners and scholars into the further development towards evidencebased HR.


This paper contrasts students' perceptions of feedback practices on written texts and their utilization of the feedback against formative assessment pedagogy. It uses observations of nine lessons of English writing in combination with semi-structured interviews of 39 first year upper secondary students in Norway. The findings show that students in general appreciate the feedback, but have diverging views about the different types and forms of feedback provided. The majority want to have one-to-one discussions with the teacher about their texts in addition to written feedback, and to receive more specific comments on both content and language. Most are content to use feedback in a delayed fashion, as a reference point for future writings. This is a result from the working routine in the classrooms where feedback in most cases comes with a grade – without a strict requirement to follow-up comprehensively, with the exception of correcting language errors. The findings highlight the primacy of form in the feedback provided and, in more than one way, poor quality formative feedback from the students' perspective. It concludes that in order to maximize the formative potential of feedback there is a need to make it more usable, e.g. by giving it to ungraded texts and asking students to produce improved work based on feedback.


An illuminating history of one of the earth's most magnificent creatures-and a passionate plea to save it from extinction. For thousands of years, the majestic elephant has roamed the African continent, as beloved by man as it has been preyed upon. But centuries of exploitation and ivory hunting have taken their toll: now, as wars and poachers continue to ravage its habitat, as disease and political strife deflect attention from its plight, the African elephant faces imminent extinction. What will become of these magnificent beasts? As the elephant's future looms ever darker, Martin Meredith's concise and richly illustrated biography traces the elephant's history from the first ivory expeditions of the Egyptian pharaohs 2500 years ago to today, exploring along the way the indelible imprint the African elephant has made in art, literature, culture, and society. He shares recent extraordinary discoveries about the elephant's sophisticated family and community structure and reveals the remarkable ways in which elephants show compassion and loyalty to each other. Elegant, illuminating, and urgent, offers a beautiful and important tribute to one of earth's most magisterial creatures at


A 34 MDal plasmid harboured by Pseudomonasfluorescens B69 carried a gene coding for the mercuric reductase enzyme, thus promoting mercury resistance in the host strain. Mercurysensitive variants were isolated when a hypersensitive, cured derivative of strain B69 was exposed to 10 pg mercury (11) ml-l. The alteration in mercury transport appeared to be the result of a mutation, since a transconjugant of the mutant, which carried the mercury-resistance plasmid, showed a reduced rate of mercury volatilization compared to the parental resistant strain. In addition, more mercury was tightly bound to the mutant cells. This phenomenon represents a new aspect of bacterial resistance to mercurials.


Serine/threonine kinase proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (Pim-1) plays an essential role in arterial wall cell proliferation and associated vascular diseases, including pulmonary arterial hypertension and aortic wall neointima formation. Here we tested a role of Pim-1 in high-glucose (HG)-mediated vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Pim-1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression levels in arterial samples from streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia rats were increased, compared with their weak expression in normoglycemic groups. In cultured rat VSMCs, HG led to transient Pim-1 expression decline, followed by sustained expression increase at both transcriptional and translational levels. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that HG increased the expression of the 33-kDa isoform of Pim-1, but at much less extent to its 44-kDa plasma membrane isoform. D-glucose at a concentration of 25 mmol/L showed highest activity in stimulating Pim-1 expression. Both Pim-1 inhibitor quercetagetin and STAT3 inhibitor stattic significantly attenuated HG-induced VSMC proliferation and arrested cell cycle progression at the G1 phase. Quercetagetin showed no effect on Pim-1 expression but decreased the phosphorylated-Bad (T112)/Bad ratio in HG-treated VSMCs. However, stattic decreased phosphorylated-STAT3 (Y705) levels and caused transcriptional and translational down-regulation of Pim-1 in HG-treated VSMCs. Our findings suggest HG-mediated Pim-1 expression contributes to VSMC proliferation, which may be partly due to the activation of STAT3/Pim-1 signaling.


Mycoplasma genitalium lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPg) can induce human monocytic cell line THP-1 to produce proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1beta and IL-6, as demonstrated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). This study also investigated the signaling transduction pathways involved in the production of these cytokines. THP-1 cells were stimulated with LAMPg and then examined for the activation of MAPKs, such as SAPK/JNK, p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and NF-kappaB and AP-1. Western blot clearly showed that stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 and ERK1/2 were activated in response to LAMPg, peaking at 30 min. SAPK/JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 slightly suppressed IL-6 production although no evident effects were obtained for TNF-alpha and IL-1beta; ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 blocked both TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, but not IL-6 production. However, p38 inhibitor SB203580 abrogated TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 production. The DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB and AP-1 was also assessed by an electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay, and an NF-kappaB specific inhibitor, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, profoundly inhibited the synthesis and production of the proinflammatory cytokines. Based on these results, this study concludes that MAPKs, NF-kappaB and AP-1 may play important roles in the genital tract inflammatory reaction after mycoplasma infection.


We provide an overview of light detection and ranging (lidar) capability for describing and characterizing desert dust. This paper summarizes lidar techniques, observations, and fallouts of desert dust lidar measurements. The main objective is to provide the scientific community, including nonpractitioners of lidar observations with a reference paper on dust lidar measurements. In particular, it will fill the current gap of communication between research-oriented lidar community and potential desert dust data users, such as air quality monitoring agencies and aviation advisory centers. The current capability of the different lidar techniques for the characterization of aerosol in general and desert dust in particular is presented. Technical aspects and required assumptions of these techniques are discussed, providing readers with the pros and cons of each technique. Information about desert dust collected up to date using lidar techniques is reviewed. Lidar techniques for aerosol characterization have a maturity level appropriate for addressing air quality and transportation issues, as demonstrated by some first results reported in this paper.


CONTEXT
Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased hip fracture risk, despite being associated with higher bone mineral density in the femoral neck.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that composite indices of femoral neck strength, which integrate dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry derived femoral neck size, femoral neck areal bone mineral density, and body size and are inversely associated with hip fracture risk, would be lower in diabetics than in nondiabetics and be inversely related to insulin resistance, the primary pathology in type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN
This was a cross-sectional analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
The study consisted of a multisite, multiethnic, community-dwelling sample of 1887 women in pre- or early perimenopause.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
Composite indices for femoral neck strength in different failure modes (axial compression, bending, and impact) were measured.

RESULTS
Adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, menopausal stage, body mass index, smoking, physical activity, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and study site, diabetic women had higher femoral neck areal bone mineral density [+0.25 sd, 95% confidence interval (CI) (+0.06, +0.44) sd] but lower composite strength indices [-0.20 sd, 95% CI (-0.38, -0.03) sd for compression, -0.19 sd, 95% CI (-0.38, -0.003) sd for bending, -0.19 sd, 95% CI (-0.37, -0.02) sd for impact] than nondiabetic women. There were graded inverse relationships between homeostasis model-assessed insulin resistance and all three strength indices, adjusted for the same covariates.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite having higher bone density, diabetic women have lower indices of femoral neck strength relative to load, consistent with their documented higher fracture risk. Insulin resistance appears to play an important role in bone strength reduction in diabetes.


I feel deeply honored as a WHO staff member, as well as personally, for having been invited to address the Inter-American Malaria Research Symposium. The privilege is even greater since assembled here today are so many well-known research workers, whose contributions to our better understanding of Plasmodium and its relation to vector and host have been invaluable.
It has often been said that research in any field, whether human activities or natural history, is influenced by the political interests of a given society. Malaria is rightly considered as one of the main killing diseases, particularly of children, in some areas of the world and also as a very important factor in reducing the productive potential of mankind wherever this disease persists. Since malaria is not only a health problem, but also a socio-economic problem, malaria research and antimalarial activities tend to be greatly influenced by elements of human society.


The double-mass silicon micro gyroscope prototype, mechanical structure and working principle are introduced, which has high sesitivity. According to dynamic equations, the signal characteristics are analyzed and the mathematical models of scale factro and bias are established. Then the system level model is established on Simulink platform, including mechanical errors and electrostatic coupling errors and the performance are evaluated. Finally, five gyroscope prototypes are tested, and the performance parameters are as follows, the scale factor is 15.63~19.210mV/°/s, bias stability is 8.9~23.9°/h, bias repeatability is 7.5~19.4°/h.


OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the current cumulative risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to diabetic nephropathy in a large, nationwide, population-based prospective type 1 diabetes cohort and specifically study the effects of sex and age at onset. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In Sweden, all incident cases of type 1 diabetes aged 0–14 years and 15–34 years are recorded in validated research registers since 1977 and 1983, respectively. These registers were linked to the Swedish Renal Registry, which, since 1991, collects data on patients who receive active uremia treatment. Patients with ≥13 years duration of type 1 diabetes were included (n = 11,681). RESULTS During a median time of follow-up of 20 years, 127 patients had developed ESRD due to diabetic nephropathy. The cumulative incidence at 30 years of type 1 diabetes duration was low, with a male predominance (4.1% [95% CI 3.1–5.3] vs. 2.5% [1.7–3.5]). In both male and female subjects, onset of type 1 diabetes before 10 years of age was associated with the lowest risk of developing ESRD. The highest risk of ESRD was found in male subjects diagnosed at age 20–34 years (hazard ratio 3.0 [95% CI 1.5–5.7]). In female subjects with onset at age 20–34 years, the risk was similar to patients' diagnosed before age 10 years. CONCLUSIONS The cumulative incidence of ESRD is exceptionally low in young type 1 diabetic patients in Sweden. There is a striking difference in risk for male compared with female patients. The different patterns of risk by age at onset and sex suggest a role for puberty and sex hormones.


This article proposes a numerical strategy to simulate the mass transport by surface and lattice diffusion into a granular packing. This strategy is based on two cornerstones. First, the developed approach is based on a Eulerian description of the problem: the grains are described by using a Level-Set function, and can evolve through a fixed mesh, with respect to the physical laws. In this way, the mesh does not experience large distortions and topological changes, such as the formation of necks or of closed porosity, are implicitly taken into account by the Level-Set method. Second, the computation of the mechanical state into the grains is directly performed when considering the lattice diffusion route. Hence, a mechanical problem, coupling the grain elastic behavior to the fluid behavior of the surrounding phase, is established and solved by finite element. The diffusion flux is then related to the gradient of the pressure field. The results obtained with this numerical strategy are compared with success to the usual geometrical models for two spherical grains. The possibilities of the numerical approach are shown by presenting the changes occurring by lattice diffusion into a granular packing.


We propose a view of gaze following in which infants act as Bayesian learners actively attempting to identify the operating characteristics of the systems with which they interact. We present results of an experiment in which 28 infants (average age 10 months) interacted for a 3 minute period with a non-humanoid robot. For half the infants the robot simulated contingency structure typically produced by human beings. In particular it provided causal information about the existence of a line of regard. For the other 14 infants, the robot behaved in a manner which was not contingent with the environment. We found that a few minutes of interaction with the contingent robot was sufficient to elicit statistically detectable gaze following. There were clear signs that some of these infants were actively attempting to identify whether or not the robot was responsive to them. We propose that the infant brain is equipped to learn and analyze the contingency structure of real-time social interactions. Contingency is a fundamental perceptual dimension used by infants to recognize the operational properties of humans and to generalize existing behaviors to new social partners.


With the rapid development of Information and Communication Technology companies face several problems today. The increasing speed of product development leads to the problem that products and services need to be communicated and explained to potential customers. Shareholders and investors should gain a certain insight into the company's activities - also the public domain and journalists demand to be better informed. At the same time the information overload of corporate community members, like journalists, analysts, customers, shareholders, employees, etc., lead to the problem that the scarce source today is attention. How should companies react to those challenges? A solution could be the design of Corporate Media, which integrate all corporate (sub-) communities to give them tailor made services. Based on the concepts of agent, media, and community, we develop an integrated platform for the exchange of tangible (e.g., products) and intangible (e.g., knowledge) objects.


When learning two languages of the same language family, one will realize quickly that there are similarities. But how deep are language and culture related? For long time the hypothesis that languages are responsible for cultural development was held to be true, later the opposite was assumed, and today it is maybe somewhere in between. With the help of Geert Hofstede's dimensions, comparing cultures on a continuum of nonverbal aspects, a connection between linguistic and intercultural communication can be drawn, giving another view on the relation between languages and cultures


Low-cost, high-efficiency, and large area n-type silicon cells can be processed based on the screen printed Aluminum-alloyed rear junction concept. This process uses fabrication techniques which are very close to the current industry-standard screen printed mc-Si cell process. We compare, by experimental tests and modeling, the differences of using n-type wafers and p-type wafers with this process. An independently confirmed record-high efficiency of 17.4% is achieved on n-type floatzone (FZ) silicon wafers (area 140 cm2). On p-type FZ wafers, with the same process 17.6% is obtained, and 16.8% on p-type Cz wafers. Model calculations allow us to identify the potential for further enhancement of the n-type cell efficiency to slightly above 18.0% by improving front surface passivation. We also discuss experimental characteristics of cells produced by this process from n-type multicrystalline wafers.


This directory lists addresses useful to MLA members in their scholarly and professional activities. Acronyms are given in brackets following the full names of organizations. Learned and professional societies and book publishers (including university presses) known to be interested in books on language and literature are included. Journals and periodicals are not listed; readers should consult the MLA Directory of Periodicals: A Guide to Journals and Series in Languages and Literatures, which is available from the member and customer services office of the MLA. The information was updated in late spring 2000. The list is not comprehensive.


Growth and germination of vegetative cells and endospores of Bacillus cereus were affected by Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in nonfat milk medium and by salts of organic acids in broth mediunm. Growth of the lactic acid bacteria was not affected by B. cereus. B. cereus increased rapidly to about 108 CFU/ml when cells were added at the beginning of growth of lactic acid bacteria; it was inactivated slowly when added after 24 h and rapidly when added after 72 h of lactic acid bacterial growth. Streptococci were more inhibitory to the growth ofB. cereus than lactobacilli were at 24 h. Spore germination was not affected after 24 h, but it was inhibited after 48 and 72 h of lactic acid bacterial growth. Acetate was more inhibitory to the growth of vegetative cells, while formate was more inhibitory to spore germination. Acetate, formate, and lactate (all at 0.1 M) completely inactivated multiplication of B. cereus at pH 6.1, 6.0, and 5.6, respectively. Spores of B. cereus were more resistant to these organic acids compared with the resistance of vegetative cells. Formate, lactate, and acetate (all at 0.1 M) caused 50% inhibition of spore germination at pH 4.4, 4.3, and 4.2, respectively.


The laboratory has been given a central and distinctive role in science education, and science educators have suggested that rich benefits in learning accrue from using laboratory activities. Twenty years have been elapsed since we published a frequently cited, critical review of the research on the school science laboratory (Hofstein & Lunetta, Rev. Educ. Res.52(2), 201–217, 1982). Twenty years later, we are living in an era of dramatic new technology resources and new standards in science education in which learning by inquiry has been given renewed central status. Methodologies for research and assessment that have developed in the last 20 years can help researchers seeking to understand how science laboratory resources are used, how students' work in the laboratory is assessed, and how science laboratory activities can be used by teachers to enhance intended learning outcomes. In that context, we take another look at the school laboratory in the light of contemporary practices and scholarship. This analysis examines scholarship that has emerged in the past 20 years in the context of earlier scholarship, contemporary goals for science learning, current models of how students construct knowledge, and information about how teachers and students engage in science laboratory activities. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed88:28–54, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/.sce10106


Because organizations seek more innovative ways to compete, the ability of their employees to generate new and valuable ideas becomes a fundamental survival skill. To the extent that computer software might enhance the creative performance of individual users, organizations might ultimately apply such tools to enhance the creative performance of their employees. A controlled laboratory experiment was performed to determine whether two popular creativity support applications significantly enhanced the creative performance of individual users. The results suggest that responses generated with software support are significantly more novel and valuable than responses generated by pen and paper. The results also question the previous creativity research practice of not directly controlling for idea fluency prior to experimental manipulation. It is hoped the findings from this investigation can be used to improve individual creative performance, further research concerning factors relevant to creativity, and guide future ICSS development efforts.


Hesperidin, found in citrus fruits, has shown a wide range of biological properties. Nonetheless, a more in-depth investigation is required on the effects on the immune system, and in particular, on the gut-associated lymphoid tissue, together with its relationship with the gut microbiota. Therefore, we aimed to establish the influence of oral hesperidin administration on the intestinal lymphoid tissue and on the gut microbiota composition in healthy animals. Lewis rats were orally administrated 100 or 200 mg/kg hesperidin three times per week for four weeks. Microbiota composition and IgA-coated bacteria were determined in caecal content. Mesenteric lymph node lymphocyte (MLNL) composition and functionality were assessed. IgA, cytokines, and gene expression in the small intestine were quantified. Hesperidin administration resulted in a higher number of bacteria and IgA-coated bacteria, with changes in microbiota composition such as higher Lactobacillus proportion. Hesperidin was also able to increase the small intestine IgA content. These changes in the small intestine were accompanied by a decrease in interferon-γ and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 concentration. In addition, hesperidin increased the relative proportion of TCRαβ+ lymphocytes in MLNL. These results show the immunomodulatory actions of hesperidin on the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and reinforce its role as a prebiotic.


Stroke can lead to damage of brain regions and pathways involved in sensory processing of limb afferent and visual signals. While stroke rehabilitation research often focuses on motor recovery, there is limited knowledge about the prevalence of proprioceptive deficits and their impact on sensorimotor capabilities. The present study characterizes the presence of kinaesthetic (sense of motion) deficits and the ability of individuals to correct for these deficits with vision after stroke.
 Individuals with subacute stroke (N = 107, median age = 59) and non-disabled controls (N = 101, median age = 47.5) performed a kinaesthetic matching task with and without vision using a robotic exoskeleton. The robotic exoskeleton passively moved the stroke patients' affected arm at a preset speed, direction and magnitude of movement. Subjects were instructed to mirror-match the speed, direction and magnitude of the movement as soon as they felt the robot begin to move their affected arm. Stroke subjects also completed a standardized clinical assessment including vision screening, Behavioural Inattention Test (median ± SD = 141 ± 29.71), Chedoke McMaster Stroke Assessment - Impairment Inventory of Arm (5 ± 2.61) and Hand (5 ± 2.49) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) (95.21 ± 23.54).
 As compared to controls, 49% of subjects with stroke displayed larger initial direction errors when performing the task without vision. When vision was provided 25% of these subjects now performed within the control range. Surprisingly, 24% of subjects performed worse with vision. A similar pattern of impairments were observed for movement reaction time. As a group, subjects with field defects and/or hemineglect displayed significantly greater impairments than the rest of the subjects with stroke.
 Our results suggest that kinaesthetic deficits are highly prevalent amongst patients who have had a stroke. The quantification and identification of these sensory deficits using the robotic technology has significant potential for improving diagnosis and prognosis of sensory and motor deficits and performance in daily activities.


In this study, molecular markers were used to determine fungal flora in black olive fruits from field surveys to the table, following the fermentation process. Field samples were collected from different locations of Canakkale province, including Gokceada (Imbros), where organic farming is employed. Some of the fruits from field samples were used for black table olive production and then fungal flora was tracked during the fermentation process. Fungal isolation was also conducted on some commercial samples. Fifty seven isolates from field samples, 56 isolates from the fermentation process and 17 isolates from commercial products were obtained. Among these isolates, 41 Alternaria, 43 Penicillium, 19 Aspergillus, 8 Monascus and 19 other genera were determined using amplified sizes of the Beta-tubulin gene region. Species level identification was carried out based on sequences of Beta-tubulin amplicons, which provided accurate identification, especially where the genera were morphologically highly similar. The occurrence and prevalence of fungal species changed in fungal collections from the field to the fermentation process. While Alternaria alternata was common in field samples, they were absent during fermentation. Many of these identified species, such as Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus niger and Monascus pilosus, which are known as potential toxin producers such as aflatoxin, ochratoxin A and citrinin, were found both in natural and fermented samples, even at the end of the fermentation process. These results showed that some fungal species which survive on olives from the field to the table are potential toxin producers and can be successfully characterized by amplification and sequencing of Beta-tubulin gene.


For a variety of cyber-attacks occurring in a power IoT-Cloud environment, conventional security intrusion incident detection and response technologies typically use pattern- and behavior-based statistical methods. However, they cannot provide fundamental solutions for a security intrusion or attacks, which are becoming more intelligent and diverse as time passes. Therefore, an effective response method that can respond to security intrusions intelligently while using an access control technique based on ontology reasoning is required. This can be achieved by adopting a variety of intelligent reasoning technologies for security intrusion incidents of power systems, such as various reasoning technologies based on the ontology and semantic-web technologies being actively studied in the field of intelligent systems, and malicious code detection technologies based on an intelligent access control model, text mining, and natural language processing technologies. Accordingly, a security context ontology was modeled by analyzing the security vulnerabilities of a power system in a power IoT-Cloud environment, and security context inference rules were defined. Furthermore, this paper presents an appropriate power IoT-Cloud security service framework that can be used in a power IoT-Cloud environment. In addition, a security mechanism that can be efficiently operated in such an environment is implemented. In experiments conducted for this application, attack context scenarios that commonly occur were created using a smart meter as an example, which is an essential power system device. Inference rules were then composed for each attack stage to check the paths of attacks those that exploit the vulnerability of a smart meter system. As a result, it was confirmed that a high level attack detection results can be obtained based on the inference rules.


This paper describes the development phases of an annular type combustor for heavy-duty gas turbine applications. High cycle efficiency and low emissions are required over a wide range of load conditions, with the consequence of reducing margin to thermo-acoustic instability onset and lean blow-out. In addition, in lean premixed combustors, the increased fuel air mixing times required to keep emissions low, may lead to undesired ignition or flashback into the fuel burner ducts.
 All these aspects are matter of this work and focus is on fuel burner design modifications which allowed dry emissions reduction while maintaining a sufficiently wide safe operation window.
 A synergic effort has been put in place, involving experimental campaigns and CFD simulations, with the purpose of assessing design changes initially and doing screening. In the meanwhile, numerical practices have taken benefits form the experience growth. Results of past work on similar components has been leveraged too.
 Test campaign involved different scale facilities, from single burner through full annular combustor up to full scale prototype engine. The progressive reduction of viable option for combustor components design changes, due to high impact of such modifications during the gas turbine late development phases, forced designers to concentrate efforts onto fuel burner optimization, looking for efficient ways to implement modifications and assess their effectiveness of combustion system performances.
 Emissions trends, blow-out and flashback margin for several burner designs are reported. Numerical analysis results are also shown, which revealed to be well aligned with the experimental outcomes, allowing burner optimized solution to be identified. Finally, characterization with respect to fuel gas composition is shown as well as sensitivity to different operating conditions.


Welding, which is a largely used process in the mechanical manufacturing, well known to induce high-level residual stresses. The level of residual stresses is of great importance for the lifetime of welded components used in mechanical engineering industry. The use of the ultrasonic method for the evaluation of the residual stresses is based on the acoustoelastic effect, which refers to the change in velocity of the acoustic waves propagating in a strained solid. In the case of welding, the microstructure modifications observed in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the melted zone (MZ) also induce variations of the velocity of the acoustic waves. The superposition of the two effects, stresses and microstructure, results in over-estimating the levels of stresses. This work which was completed in collaboration with CETIM is a contribution to this problem. The experimental study was carried out on P460HLE and P265 steels welded sheets. The results obtained by the ultrasonic Lcr wave technique were compared with those obtained by the hole drilling technique. This work confirms the possibility of evaluating the residual stresses induced by welding using the ultrasonic method.


The projection bias corresponds to the human tendency to project current preferences into the future as if present tastes remained unchanged. We apply the projection bias to the environmental domain and design a survey experiment to investigate its relevance on two environmentally friendly initiatives, namely solar panels and eco-friendly transport. We found that some attitudes and behavioral intentions are subject to positive change when individuals are solicited a day when the weather is congruent with the proposed changes. We draw several policy and managerial implications for ecological issues.


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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The study aimed to identify predictors of respiratory failure leading to mechanical ventilation (MV) and tracheostomy in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).

METHODS
Two hundred and thirty adult cases admitted to the Neurology Unit of Modena, Italy, between January 2000 and December 2021 were studied. A cut-off of MV starting within 8 weeks from onset of weakness was used. Univariable, multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to determine which pre-specified clinical and diagnostic characteristics were capable of predicting MV and tracheostomy, due to weaning failure. The model was internally validated within the full cohort. The Erasmus GBS Respiratory Insufficiency Score was retrospectively applied.

RESULTS
One hundred and seventy-six cases (76.5%) were classified as classical sensorimotor GBS and 54 (23.4%) as variants. Thirty-two patients (13.9%) needed MV: 84.3% required respiratory support within 7 days. Independent predictors of respiratory failure and MV were older age, facial, bulbar, neck flexor weakness, dysautonomia, axonal electrophysiological subtype, cardiovascular comorbidities and higher disability score at entry. There was no association with abnormal spinal fluid parameters nor with positive serology for recent infections. Twenty-two patients (68.7%) were ventilated for more than 7 days; 4.7% died within 8 weeks. The patients who required MV were treated more often with plasma exchange. Independent predictors of tracheostomy due to weaning trial failure were facial, bulbar, neck flexor weakness, autonomic dysfunction, associated cardiovascular morbidities and axonal electrophysiological subtype on nerve conduction study.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicates distinct predictors of MV and tracheostomy in GBS patients.


Time-series - cross-section (TSCS) data are characterized by having repeated observations over time on some set of units, such as states or nations. TSCS data typically display both contemporaneous correlation across units and unit level heteroskedasity making inference from standard errors produced by ordinary least squares incorrect. Panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE) account for these these deviations from spherical errors and allow for better inference from linear models estimated from TSCS data. In this paper, we discuss an implementation of them in the R system for statistical computing. The key computational issue is how to handle unbalanced data.


Links to databases for management in an engineering context. Also helpful for strategic innovation, project management, teamwork, and related concerns in the engineering field.


Nuclear reactor simulation is often based on multi-group cross-section libraries. The structure and resolution of these libraries have a strong influence on the accuracy and computational time; hence, number of groups and energy structure must be carefully considered. The relationship between group structures and how they impact generated cross-sections can be a critical parameter. Common energy boundaries shared among major group structures were identified and the relative kinship among those was reconstructed in an effort to build a family tree of major group structures. Stochastic code Serpent2 [1] was employed to generate cross-sections of selected isotopes at different reactor compositions and conditions, using the investigated energy group structures. The impact on their generation was quantified by spectral weighted deviation.
 The 35 major energy structures were divided into three basic families. The key parameters distinguishing them were their applicability to thermal or fast reactors and their applicability in neutronic or multiphysics investigations. A sensitivity threshold of the generated cross-sections over the group structure resolution was investigated.
 The aim was to identify a group structure with very low dependency on the actual reactor spectrum.


Shape and attitude of near-Earth objects directly affect the orbit propagation via drag and solar radiation pressure. Obtaining information beyond the object states (position and velocity) is integral to identifying an object. It also enables tracing origin and can improve the orbit accuracy. For objects that have a significant distance to the observer, only non-resolved imaging is available, which does not show any details of the object. So-called non-resolved light curve measurements, i.e. photometric measurements over time can be used to determined the shape of space objects using a two step inversion scheme. It follows the procedure to first determine the Extended Gaussian Image and then going through the shape reconstruction process to retrieve the closed shape even while measurement noise is present. Furthermore, it is also possible to generate high confidence candidates when follow-up observations are provided through a multi-hypotheses process.


BACKGROUND Increased accessibility and rapidity of computed tomography (CT) have led to increased use and radiation exposure to pediatric trauma patients. The thyroid is radiosensitive and therefore at risk for developing malignancy from radiation exposure during cervical spine CT. This analysis aimed to determine which preelementary trauma patients warrant cervical spine CT by defining incidence and clinical characteristics of preelementary cervical spine injury. METHODS This was a retrospective review of pre-elementary trauma patients from 1998 to 2010 with cervical spine injury admitted to a Level I trauma center. Patients were identified from the trauma registry using DRG International Classification of Diseases—9th Rev. codes and reviewed for demographics, mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, injury location, injury type, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS A total of 2,972 preelementary trauma patients were identified. Twenty-two (0.74%) had confirmed cervical spine injuries. Eleven (50%) were boys, and the mean (SD) age was 3 (1.7) years. The most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (n = 16, 73%). The majority (59%) were in extremis, and 12 (55%) arrived intubated. The median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 3 (interquartile range, 3–10); the median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 33 (interquartile range, 17–56). Nineteen injuries (76%) were at the level of C4 level and higher. The mortality rate was 50%. All patients had clinical findings suggestive of or diagnostic for cervical spine injury; 18 (82%) had abnormal neurologic examination result, 2 (9%) had torticollis, and 2 (9%) had neck pain. CONCLUSION The incidence of cervical spine injury in preelementary patients was consistent with previous reports. Missing a cervical spine injury in asymptomatic preelementary patients is extremely low. Reserving cervical spine CT to symptomatic preelementary patients would decrease unnecessary radiation exposure to the thyroid. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level IV.


Amid the rise in commodity investing that started in 2003, many have asked whether commodities now move more in sync with traditional financial assets. Using daily, weekly and monthly data over 18 years, this article provides evidence largely to the contrary. First, dynamic conditional correlation and recursive co-integration techniques are applied to the prices of, and the returns on, key investable commodity and U.S. equity indices. Compared to the 1991–2002 period, both short- and long-term relationships between passive commodity and equity investments are generally weaker after 2003. Even though the correlations between equity and commodity returns increased sharply in the fall of 2008, during a time of extraordinary economic and financial turbulence, they remained lower than their peaks in the previous decade. Second, the co-movements between equity and commodity returns in periods of extreme returns are analyzed. There is little evidence of a secular increase in spillovers from equity to commodity markets during extreme events. Overall, the results suggest that while commodities provide substantial diversification benefits to passive equity investors, those benefits are weaker precisely when they are needed most.


Aims & Objectives: Atypical and malignant meningiomas are uncommon tumors with aggressive behavior and higher mortality, morbidity, and recurrence compared with benign tumors. We report a case report of malignant meningioma. Materials & Methods: A 53 year old male patient, presented with history large ulcerative swelling over the scalp for the past 5 years, with complaints of altered and aggressive behaviour and headache. Patient gives history of operation for benign meningioma 4 years back.Patient underwent MRI & CT Brain plain and contrast. Result: Patient underwent MRI & CT Brain plain and contrast, showed a large heterogeneously enhancing extraxial mass lesion with irregular margins ,significant extracalvarial spread and mushrooming into the brain parenchyma in the temporal & parietal regions. The lesion showed intratumoral cysts within it. On MRS significant choline,lipid and lactate peaks with near total dampening of NAA, Cr , MI peaks. The mean ADC values were (0.5 0.8 × 10−3 mm2/s) was suggesting a high grade cellular lesion. Conclusion: Anaplastic or malignant meningioma (MMen) corresponds histologically to WHO grade III. Frankly malignant meningiomas are rare, representing only 1-3% of all meningiomas. MMens have a striking male predominance. The imaging triad of extracranial mass, osteolysis, and "mushrooming" intracranial tumor is present in most but not all cases of Malignant meningiomas. Key-words: Malignant meningioma, mushrooming,extra-axial


Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been proposed as one of the main factors for differentiating honeys from different botanical/floral origins. In this work, we investigated the volatile profile of honeys, commercially labeled as buckwheat honeys, from the Alps and its relationship with melissopalynological investigation. The results showed that buckwheat honey samples that contained, to different extents, buckwheat pollen grains on melissopalynological analyses showed similar VOCs profiles, distinguishing them from the other honey floral types analyzed. Among VOCs identified, 3-methylbutanal, butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, and isovaleric acid were considerably greater in the buckwheat honey samples from the Alps. Other compounds were identified only in the honeys containing buckwheat pollen grains such as 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, 2-butanone, 2-hydroxy-3-pentanone, 4-methylpentanoic acid, 4-pentanoic acid, butanal, 2-methylbutanal, pentanal, dihydro-2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, 5-methylfurfural, and cis-linalool oxide. These compounds give to buckwheat honey its characteristic aromatic and organoleptic properties and may be considered interesting as potential "variety markers" for botanical determination.


Guided waves testing allows a long-range screening in pipes of different types and represents an effective and powerful non-destructing technique for defect detections using a limited number of points of measures. This kind of testing hence represents an appealing technique not only for the Oil and Gas industries but also for the Nuclear Industry, in particular regarding the Structural Health Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants components. Another point of strength of this technique is that it can be applied in different configurations as the pulse-echo (the same probe is used both for transmission and signal receiving) or the pitch-catch (two symmetric probes are used one for the signal transmission and the second one for the signal receiving). In this way, the guided wave testing with magnetostrictive sensors can be reliably used for the short and long-term monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants components.
 The objective of this paper is to establish a strong theoretical background to pave the way for a robust experimental investigation. In particular, after the characterization through a general theoretical analysis, the focus is on a real steam discharge pipe with a high mechanical complexity used for many years in a research facility and now dismissed. The experimental method applied is the pitch-catch configuration of two magnetostrictive sensors. Preliminary experimental results conducted on a real complex steam discharge pipe are consistent with the theoretical analysis.


The histological diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is challenging because of the wide morphological spectrum and suboptimal performance of conventional immunohistochemical markers. MPNST arising primarily in the bone is exceptional, and its definitive diagnosis, particularly out of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) context, is even more problematic. Recurrent inactivation of EED or SUZ12 in a majority of MPNSTs results in a complete loss of trimethylated histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) immunoreactivity, making it a highly specific biomarker of MPNSTs. In this article, we report a case of sporadic MPNST of the proximal femur that showed complete loss of H3K27me3. The patient was treated with limb-sparing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. He developed multiple lung and bone metastases 4 months after surgery. Our case confirms the utility of H3K27me3 immunohistochemistry to yield a definitive diagnosis of sporadic MPNST in a rare primary site.


The Deutsche Akademie (DA) in Munich was founded in the context of a general upsurge in cultural diplomacy in Germany after the First World War and it was the precursor of today's Goethe Institute. After a difficult start, by the early 1930s the DA had become the leading institution in the promotion of the German language abroad. The emergence of the DA's language policy was closely intertwined with the general development of German cultural diplomacy, which was largely financed by the Auswartiges Amt but executed by private associations. It was also influenced by the discussions in the 1920s about the role of language in shaping German national identity, by contemporary developments in German linguistics and language teaching, and by the discourse of the socalled 'conservative revolution'. Franz Thierfelder, secretary-general of the DA, managed to forge these developments into a coherent argument as to why Germany should intensify its language policy, centre it around the DA, and direct it mainly towards the Balkan countries. The language policy of the DA remained largely undisturbed by the Nazi seizure of power until the outbreak of war, even though the emphasis was now on race rather than language as the determining factor in German national identity. The reason for this was, firstly, that the cultural diplomacy of the Auswartiges Amt and its private institutions such as the DA continued to be dominated for some time by non-Nazis and, secondly, that Germany's cultural diplomacy was dictated more by the constraints and dynamics of international politics and by economic necessities than by ideology. It was only after the outbreak of war that the expansion of the DA's language programme became closely linked to the racially motivated 'new order' for a Europe under Nazi rule.


The current study sought to better understand the experience of individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in accessing care for their debilitating illness. Of 898 participants, less than half had ever seen an ME or CFS specialist, though 99% of participants were interested in specialist care. Participants cited geographic and financial barriers as most frequently precluding access to specialists. Furthermore, satisfaction with specialist care greatly exceeded satisfaction with non-specialist care. These findings suggested that individuals with ME and CFS represent a medically-underserved population, due to lack of available care. The CFS Advisory Committee and NIH Pathways to Prevention Working Group recommended the creation of ME and CFS Centers of Excellence to improve the healthcare access of patients with ME and CFS. The current study documents the need for these centers, as they would ameliorate geographic and financial barriers to quality care.


The Semantic Web can be seen as a large, heterogeneous network of ontologies and semantic documents. Characterizing these ontologies, the way they relate and the way they are organized can help in better understanding how knowledge is produced and published online. It also provides new ways to explore and exploit this large collection of ontologies. In this paper, we present the foundation of a research platform for characterizing the Semantic Web, relying on the collection of ontologies and the functionalities provided by the Watson Semantic Web search engine. We more specifically focus on formalizing and monitoring relationships between ontologies online, considering a variety of different relations (similarity, versioning, agreement, modularity) and how they can help us obtaining meaningful overviews of the current state of


The restriction maps of 85 alleles of the Amy region of Drosophila melanogaster from natural populations were surveyed. A subset of these were also scored for allozyme phenotype and adult enzyme activity of alpha-amylase. Large insertions were found in 12% of the alleles in a 15-kb region surrounding the two transcriptional units of the duplicated Amy locus. The low frequencies at which each of these large insertions were found are consistent with earlier reports of variation in other loci. Four small deletions were found in the region 5' to the Amy genes. Each was also rare in the population. Restriction site variation provided an estimate of per nucleotide heterozygosity of 0.006. Several statistically significant linkage disequilibria were observed between four polymorphic restriction sites and the allozymes. Adult alpha-amylase activity was correlated with the allozymes and with the polymorphism at one restriction site close to the transcriptional units.


Animal life has been shown to exist under the Ross Ice Shelf, from samples obtained with bottom-sampling equipment through naturally occurring cracks in the permanent shelf ice. An abundant fauna, comprising at least nine phyla, was found on a mud and rock bottom. This fauna differs somewhat from that found under nearby seas periodically covered with sea ice 2 to 3 meters thick.


Objective: This study is aimed to explore the understanding of pharmacists about their perceived role in the health care system of Pakistan. Methods: A 15-item questionnaire, which was devised on the basis of literature survey, was self-administered to a convenience sample of practicing pharmacists in Karachi, Pakistan. The questionnaire constituted components regarding their desired practice setting, expectations concerning their professional function and the opinion on the future of profession. Results: The demographic characteristics highlighted male (47.1%) and female (52.9%) to be in equal proportion with more than 65% of the respondents ≤30 years of age (n = 67; 65.7%). Majority of the respondents hold bachelor degree in pharmacy (n = 82; 80.4%). Majority of the respondents had <5 years experience (n = 70; 68.6%). More than 75% of the respondents worked in hospital settings (n = 80; 78.4%). Majority of the respondents (n = 78; 76.5%) expressed their dissatisfaction towards their role as a pharmacist. Nearly half of the respondents (n = 47; 46.1%) visualized themselves as mere dispensers, while around one-fourth of the respondents (n = 24; 23.5%) perceived themselves as drug information pharmacist. In the context to their education and training as pharmacists, the opinion seems to be divided as half of the respondents expressed satisfaction (n = 46; 45.1%), while the other half showed dissatisfaction (n = 49; 48.0%). More than 90% of the respondents agreed to learn new skills a key to achieve career satisfaction. Conclusion: The pharmacists expressed dissatisfaction about their perceived status in the healthcare system of Pakistan. In order to intensify the feel of professionalism, reconceptualization of education and training system is advocated.


Despite recent progress in our understanding of cancer biology and in many areas of cancer treatment, the success rate for cancer therapy remains dismal. Immunotherapy for cancer has long been an exciting field for many cancer researchers due to the possibility to mobilize the body's own immune system to eradicate cancer not only locally but also systemically. Since its initial discovery, cytokine-based immunotherapy has been vigorously and extensively investigated for cancer treatment due to the perception of it as a relatively easily purifiable, injectable form of cancer treatment agent. However, so far most cytokine-based therapy trials have fallen short of expectations. One of main obstacles is the difficulty to achieve therapeutically relevant dosage in patients without generating excessive normal tissue toxicity. The emergence of novel gene therapy approach to deliver therapeutic cytokine to tumors locally generated great excitement since it has the potential of generating sustained high local concentration of immunostimulatory cytokine without raising the systemic levels of the cytokines, which is responsible for most of the observed toxicity. In this review, we will attempt to provide an overview of the field and discuss some of the problems associated with cytokine-based immuno-gene therapy and potential solutions.Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2005;2(2):81-91.


A two year old from a family with typical Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease has extensive ocular and central abnormalities, severe generalized neuropathy, and amyotrophy. Many abnormalities previously described in association with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease are combined in this patient, including chorioretinal degeneration, optic atrophy, facial weakness, oligophrenia, and generalized amyotrophy. Documentation of the diagnosis in the child's ancestors and the precedent for each of his abnormalities suggest that these features represent a virulent expression of the inherited defect.