BACKGROUND
 Patients and health care professionals are becoming increasingly preoccupied in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that can also be called nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs). In just a few years, this supportive care has gone from solutions aimed at improving the quality of life to solutions intended to reduce symptoms, supplement oncological treatments, and prevent recurrences. Digital social networks are a major vector for disseminating these practices that are not always disclosed to doctors by patients. An exploration of the content of exchanges on social networks by patients suffering from breast cancer can help to better identify the extent and diversity of these practices.

 OBJECTIVE
 This study aimed to explore the interest of patients with breast cancer in CAM from posts published in health forums and French-language social media groups.

 METHODS
 The retrospective study was based on a French database of 2 forums and 4 Facebook groups between June 3, 2006, and November 17, 2015. The extracted, anonymized, and compiled data (264,249 posts) were analyzed according to the occurrences associated with the NPI categories and NPI subcategories, their synonyms, and their related terms.

 RESULTS
 The results showed that patients with breast cancer use mainly physical (37.6%) and nutritional (31.3%) interventions. Herbal medicine is a subcategory that was cited frequently. However, the patients did not mention digital interventions.

 CONCLUSIONS
 This exploratory study of the main French forums and discussion groups indicates a significant interest in CAM during and after treatments for breast cancer, with primarily physical and nutritional interventions complementing approved treatments. This study highlights the importance of accurate information (vs fake medicine), prescription and monitoring of these interventions, and the mediating role that health professionals must play in this regard.


The article discusses the results of surgical management of postoperative and posttraumatic hernias with large defects in the anterior abdominal wall in 66 patients. In 56 (80.2%) patients the defect in the abdominal wall measured more than 400 cm2 (20 cm in diameter). The authors developed a method for closure of the defect with a 2-3-layer biosynthetic prosthesis without reducing the volume of the abdominal cavity. The lower layer of the prosthesis is formed by a biological tissue which is covered in sequence with synthetic prostheses (layers) with an increasing destruction period. The authors claim that the method does not require prolonged preoperative management for the prevention of cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal complications because it supposes maintenance of the optimal volume of the abdominal cavity. No complications on the part of the respiratory organs and disorders of gastrointestinal activity were encountered in the early postoperative period. Peripheral necrosis of the skin occurred in 7 patients, accumulation of serous fluid was encountered in 4 cases and a ligature fistula in one case. The late-term results were studied in 60 patients in follow-up periods of 12 months to 5 years. Recurrent hernias were not found.


Abstract Annually dated ice cores from West and East Antarctica provide proxies for past changes in atmospheric circulation over Antarctica and portions of the Southern Ocean, temperature in coastal West and East Antarctica, and the frequency of South Polar penetration of El Niño events. During the period AD 1700–1850, atmospheric circulation over the Antarctic and at least portions of the Southern Hemisphere underwent a mode switch departing from the out-of-phase alternation of multi-decadal long phases of EOF1 and EOF2 modes of the 850 hPa field over the Southern Hemisphere (as defined in the recent record by Thompson and Wallace, 2000; Thompson and Solomon, 2002) that characterizes the remainder of the 700 year long record. From AD 1700 to 1850, lower-tropospheric circulation was replaced by in-phase behavior of the Amundsen Sea Low component of EOF2 and the East Antarctic High component of EOF1. During the first phase of the mode switch, both West and East Antarctic temperatures declined, potentially in response to the increased extent of sea ice surrounding both regions. At the end of the mode switch, West Antarctic coastal temperatures rose and East Antarctic coastal temperatures fell, respectively, to their second highest and lowest of the record. Polar penetration of El Niño events increased during the mode switch. The onset of the AD 1700–1850 mode switch coincides with the extreme state of the Maunder Minimum in solar variability. Late 20th-century West Antarctic coastal temperatures are the highest in the record period, and East Antarctic coastal temperatures close to the lowest. Since AD 1700, extratropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere have experienced significant climate variability coincident with changes in both solar variability and greenhouse gases.


This paper explores the creative opportunities children might have to attend to their emotions and feelings following the death of a parent, grandparent or close friend. It presents the position that often children are left out of the process of caring for an adult when they are terminally ill and that has long term psychological implications. It also suggests that this has antecedents for the white New Zealand culture that were noted historically. Hospice palliative care services in New Zealand identify the need to be proactive in their holistic care for the family when a person is dying and this care must include the family which invariably includes children. In this research the author describes a personal journey that has shaped her current work as a hospice practice manager. She has chosen to highlight a neglected aspect in services in New Zealand. The writer explores literature in psychological aspects of removing children from the dying room, creative therapies and the importance of sacred memories for the living child to be enfolded in through their life. The need to create memory that will embrace the child as a cloak enfolds them in their crisis stimulated the writer to offer a text in the personal narrative form. This text is presented in this form to enable other clinicians to access their own memories as survivors of grief in their own families. Through enabling children and family to explore the importance of relating in the palliative phase of a person's life journey it is suggested that doors open that build good memories for the survivors. I regard my specific form of interest as pursuing the idea of building memory creative 'corners' and fun experiences for children at my work. The reasons why such an experience would be beneficial now and in the future for children and their families will be the focus for conducting my literature research. Children were important in the final days of her father's life. He directed the family to accept the roles he saw would be theirs. Memories became their treasures.


Most existing trackers based on discriminative correlation filters (DCF) try to introduce predefined regularization term to improve the learning of target objects, e.g., by suppressing background learning or by restricting change rate of correlation filters. However, predefined parameters introduce much effort in tuning them and they still fail to adapt to new situations that the designer did not think of. In this work, a novel approach is proposed to online automatically and adaptively learn spatio-temporal regularization term. Spatially local response map variation is introduced as spatial regularization to make DCF focus on the learning of trust-worthy parts of the object, and global response map variation determines the updating rate of the filter. Extensive experiments on four UAV benchmarks have proven the superiority of our method compared to the state-of-the-art CPU- and GPU-based trackers, with a speed of ~60 frames per second running on a single CPU. Our tracker is additionally proposed to be applied in UAV localization. Considerable tests in the indoor practical scenarios have proven the effectiveness and versatility of our localization method. The code is available at https://github.com/vision4robotics/AutoTrack.


Teff is the main source of the Ethiopian economy in terms of human food and animal feed as well. Due to its high level of demand at the local and global market, teff considers as a cash crop. This study aimed to promote high yielding teff varieties to increase teff production and productivity. The study was carried out in Wag-Himra and North Wollo zones for the 2013 and 2014 main cropping season. We applied two improved teff varieties, which are Kuncho and Zoble in the study above area. A total of 254 participant farmers who had 0.25 ha average farm; 131 and 123 farmers from Wag-Himra and north Wollo zones were selected, respectively. Those varieties covered a sum of 69 ha land. The result showed that the performance of Kuncho and Zoble varieties had a significant difference over the local. The mean grain yield of Zoble and Kuncho in Wag-Himra and North Wollo zones were 1.21 ton ha−1 and 1.45 ton ha−1; Kuncho and Zoble had yield advantage of 0.599 ton ha−1 over the local varieties. Also, there was a significant mean difference between female and male-headed farmers because female farmers had more workload both in the field and home and had a small labour force to accomplish farm activities than maleheaded farmers. Thus, about 89.4 % of the sample farmers were highly enthusiastic to use improved teff technologies in their future teff farm production instead of local teff varieties and traditional cultivation system. The super interesting approach to popularize the target teff technology was organising farmers' field day and stakeholder workshops. Thus, due to the spillover effect, the aforementioned improved varieties disseminated for 670 farmers (both in-village and out-village) in the following years. Besides, we found each participant farmer had transferred the improved teff varieties averagely for two other fellow farmers in any exchanging system in terms of money or in-kind. Thus, we safely recommended for further scale-up/out of those varieties through establishing sustainable seed multiplying cooperatives in each respective zones to keep its sustainability.


Objective To evaluate the results of partial and total ossicular reconstruction prostheses entirely made of hydroxylapatite. Study Design A retrospective review of cases followed-up between 1997 and 2000. Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients One hundred adult patients (60 men and 40 women) were studied. The mean age was 55 years (range, 25 to 65 years). Fifty patients had a previous tympanoplasty. The series included 45 cholesteatomas (45%), 37 chronic otitis media without cholesteatoma (37%), 13 retraction pockets (13%), and 5 posttraumatic ossicular displacements (5%). Intervention A one-stage ossiculoplasty with a partial ossicular reconstruction prosthesis (n = 65) or a total ossicular reconstruction prosthesis (n = 35) was performed. This was associated with a simple mastoidectomy in 70 cases and a radical mastoidectomy in 10 cases. Main Outcome Measures All patients were followed-up at 1 year, and 50 were reexamined 2 years after surgery. Clinical and audiometric data were collected in a database at each visit. Results A prosthetic extrusion was noted in two cases (2%). A prosthetic displacement occurred in 10 cases (10%). A revision surgery was carried out in 10 cases because of an ossiculoplasty failure or a disease recurrence. At 1 year, the residual air-bone gap was lower in cases with a partial ossicular reconstruction prosthesis than those with a total ossicular reconstruction prosthesis (16 ± 9.3 versus 23 ± 13.7 dB, p < 0.05). The gain in mean air conduction threshold was 21 ± 12.8 dB in cases of partial ossicular reconstruction prosthesis and 19 ± 11.3 dB in cases of total ossicular reconstruction prosthesis (not significant). Revision surgery, canal wall-down mastoidectomy, or cholesteatoma yielded poorer functional results. Conclusion Partial ossicular reconstruction prosthesis and total ossicular reconstruction prosthesis entirely made of dense hydroxylapatite yielded high rates of air-bone gap reduction and high anatomic stability.


Abstract
Background: Routine EPI reports have shown an upward trend in immunization coverage in recent years in Ethiopia, however, regional disparities exist.
Objective: To determine regional coverage of child and TT immunization and assess reasons for not utilizing immunization services.
Methods: The revised 2005 WHO-EPI regional coverage cluster survey method was used to determine the sample size for the study. Regional immunization status of 12-23 months of children and mothers with 0-11 months of infants for child immunization and TT immunization respectively were taken as the unit of analysis. A sample of 6,903 children between 12-23 months and 6,952 mothers with infants between 0-11 months from 468 clusters in 11 regions of the country were surveyed in June 2006.
Results: The weighted national immunization coverage assessed by card plus history for children aged 12-23 months vaccinated before the age of one year was BCG 83.4%, DPT1 84.3%, DPT3 66.0%, measles 54.3%, and fully immunized children 49.9%. The weighted national TT2+ coverage and rate of Protection at Birth (PAB) assessed by card plus history was 75.6% and 63.0% respectively.
Conclusion: The survey showed a 10 percentage point of increment in DPT3 coverage compared to 2001 survey coverage. However, progress was not uniform in all regions of the country. Despite the improvement in the access to immunization in the country, DPT3 coverage was less than 30% and dropout rate remained very high in three emerging regions. Effective behavioral change communication (BCC) strategies need to be designed and implemented to tackle high dropout rate in the program. Besides, health workers training program on interpersonal communication and Reaching Every District (RED) approach should be fully implemented to increase and sustain high level of immunization coverage in Ethiopia. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2008;22(2):148-157]


A community of practice (CoP) approach aims to create opportunities for the dissemination and development of best practice in teaching and learning and pedagogic inquiry by fostering multiple and overlapping communities of interested parties across the institution. This session focuses on the issues and challenges involved in developing communities of pedagogic practice (CoPP). The findings from a qualitative study of four leading practice institutions, with recently launched and/or established communities, are described. Findings from a staff preference survey and initial first year experiences of 'pump priming' a CoPP at one HEI in the UK are discussed.


We address the problem of detecting changes (faults) in systems and signals. We establish new results on a class of quadratic change detection algorithms which are based on the /spl chi//sup 2/ statistic (/spl chi//sup 2/-CUSUM, /spl chi//sup 2/-GLR and /spl chi//sup 2/-FSS algorithms). We compare optimal sequential and nonsequential (fixed-size sample) strategies in the problem of abrupt change detection in multivariate Gaussian signals. However, the optimal sequential algorithms lead to a burdensome number of arithmetical operations. In order to reduce the computational burden we examine the recursive versions of the /spl chi//sup 2/-CUSUM and /spl chi//sup 2/-GLR algorithms. It is shown that these recursive algorithms have statistical performances which are similar to the original algorithms. We also propose a very simple heuristic solution to the case of unknown magnitude of change. This solution is a competitor for the window-limited GLR algorithm.


Challenges facing higher education are acute in Colorado. Over the course of just eight years state funding of CU-Boulder's annual budget dropped from 15% in 2002 to 3.4% in 2010. Moreover, technology shifts enabling on-line higher learning alternatives – ranging from massive open on-line courses offered by universities (so-called "MOOCs") to sites such as the Khan Academy – pose disruptive long-term threats to the traditional university model.In addition to stresses felt generally across campus, law schools operate amid other challenges particular to the legal profession. The business model of law is undergoing a transformation. Demand for recent juris doctorate recipients has lagged. While some difficulties may be cyclical, there is a growing sense that trends – such as disaggregation of legal work to low cost providers, do it yourself automated legal solutions, and encroachment by other professionals upon traditional legal tasks – are structural shifts that will continue into the future.


Today, the design and remodeling of urban environments is being sought in order to achieve green, healthy, and sustainable cities. The effect of air pollution in cities due to vehicle combustion gases is an important part of the problem. Due to the indirect effect caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, political powers in Europe have imposed confinement measures for citizens by imposing movement restrictions in large cities. This indirect measure has given us a laboratory to show how the reduction in vehicle circulation affects in a short time the levels of air pollution in cities. Therefore, this article analyzes the effect in different European cities such as Milan, Prague, Madrid, Paris, and London. These cities have been chosen due to their large amount of daily road traffic that generates high levels of pollution; therefore, it can clearly show the fall in these pollutants in the air in the analyzed period. The results shown through this study indicate that the reduction in combustion vehicles greatly affects the levels of pollution in different cities. In these periods of confinement, there was an improvement in air quality where pollutant values dropped to 80% compared to the previous year. This should serve to raise awareness among citizens and political powers to adopt measures that induce sustainable transport systems.


LOFT is one of the four medium mission candidates (M3), selected by ESA in the framework of the Cosmic Vision Programme (2015-2025), for feasibility study. If approved by ESA in 2014, its launch is foreseen in 2022-2024. LOFT is being designed to observe X-ray sources with excellent temporal resolution and very good spectral capability. Its main objectives are to directly probe the motion of matter in the very close vicinity of black holes (Strong Field Gravity), as well as to study the physics of ultra dense matter (Neutron Stars). The payload includes a Large Area Detector (LAD) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM). The LAD is a collimated (< 1 degree field of view) experiment operating in the energy range 2-30 keV, with a 10 m2 peak effective area and an energy resolution of 260 eV at 6 keV. The WFM will operate in almost the same energy range than the LAD, 2-50 keV, enabling simultaneous monitoring of a few-steradian wide field of view, with an angular resolution of < 5 arcmin. In addition to its main scientific objectives, LOFT will also do a complete plan of observatory science, studying with unprecedented detail in the 2-80 keV range several transient phenomena, like accreting white dwarfs in cataclysmic variables, novae in outburst (internal and external shocks in the ejecta in classical novae, and shocks with the wind of the companion in symbiotic recurrent novae) and post-outburst novae (once accretion is re established).


Purpose: Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GIONFH) is a common disease after long-term or high-dose glucocorticoid use. The pathogenesis of GIONFH is still controversial, and abnormal bone metabolism caused by glucocorticoids may be one of the important factors. Exosomes, owing to their positive effect on bone repair, show promising therapeutic effects on bone-related diseases. In this study, we hypothesised that exosomes reduce osteocyte apoptosis in rat GIONFH via the miR-21-PTEN-AKT signalling pathway. Methods: To evaluate the effects of exosomes in GIONFH, a dexamethasone-treated or exosome-treated in vitro cell model and a methylprednisolone-treated in vivo rat model were set up. In vitro, a CCK-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining were performed to evaluate the proliferation of osteocytes. Further, a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate-propidium iodide staining, and western blotting were conducted to evaluate the apoptosis of osteocytes. In vivo, we used micro-computed tomography and histological and immunohistochemical analyses to assess the effects of exosomes. Moreover, the mechanism of exosome action on osteocyte apoptosis through the miR-21-PTEN-AKT pathway was investigated by high-throughput RNA sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridisation, luciferase reporter assays, and western blotting. Results: High-throughput RNA sequencing results showed that the AKT signalling pathway was up-regulated in the exosome group. Quantitative PCR and western blotting confirmed that the relative expression of genes in the AKT pathway was up-regulated. Western blotting revealed that AKT activated by exosomes inhibited osteocyte apoptosis. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation and luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm the interaction between miR-21 and PTEN. According to the experiment in vivo, exosomes prevented GIONFH in a rat model as evidenced by micro-computed tomography scanning and histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Conclusions: Exosomes are effective at inhibiting osteocyte apoptosis (in MLO-Y4 cells) and at preventing rat GIONFH. These beneficial effects are mediated by the miR-21-PTEN-AKT signalling pathway.


Abstract When in 1955/1956, for the first time in divided postwar Germany, a major Picasso exhibition took place in Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg, it came to be a cultural event that reached and emotionalized the German audience, media, and sciences to an unprecedented extent. The exhibition Picasso 1900 – 1955 contributed significantly to the popularization of Picasso at all levels of society and gave the German people access to modern art on a much wider scale than the first documenta held concurrently in Kassel. The undisputed eye-catcher of that spectacular exhibit was Guernica, on display in Germany for the first and only time. Its controversial reception reveals that at that time there was no intention to see the work in Germany in a memorial relationship with Germany's own historical responsibility. Thus it virtually functioned as a symbol for a collective amnesia of the West German postwar society, whereas the socialist East of the Republic stylized the painting into an anti-fascist icon.


BACKGROUND
This phase I/II trial evaluated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics of afatinib plus temozolomide as well as the efficacy and safety of afatinib as monotherapy (A) or with temozolomide (AT) vs temozolomide monotherapy (T) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM).

METHODS
Phase I followed a traditional 3 + 3 dose-escalation design to determine MTD. Treatment cohorts were: afatinib 20, 40, and 50 mg/day (plus temozolomide 75 mg/m(2)/day for 21 days per 28-day cycle). In phase II, participants were randomized (stratified by age and KPS) to receive A, T or AT; A was dosed at 40 mg/day and T at 75 mg/m(2) for 21 of 28 days. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival rate at 6 months (PFS-6). Participants were treated until intolerable adverse events (AEs) or disease progression.

RESULTS
Recommended phase II dose was 40 mg/day (A) + T based on safety data from phase I (n = 32). Most frequent AEs in phase II (n = 119) were diarrhea (71% [A], 82% [AT]) and rash (71% [A] and 69% [AT]). Afatinib and temozolomide pharmacokinetics were unaffected by coadministration. Independently assessed PFS-6 rate was 3% (A), 10% (AT), and 23% (T). Median PFS was longer in afatinib-treated participants with epidermal growth factor receptor (EFGR) vIII-positive tumors versus EGFRvIII-negative tumors. Best overall response included partial response in 1 (A), 2 (AT), and 4 (T) participants and stable disease in 14 (A), 14 (AT), and 21 (T) participants.

CONCLUSIONS
Afatinib has a manageable safety profile but limited single-agent activity in unselected recurrent GBM patients.


Estimation of the I(2) cointegrated vector autoregressive (CVAR) model is considered. Without further restrictions, estimation of the I(1) model is by reduced-rank regression (Anderson (1951)). Maximum likelihood estimation of I(2) models, on the other hand, always requires iteration. This paper presents a new triangular representation of the I(2) model. This is the basis for a new estimation procedure of the unrestricted I(2) model, as well as the I(2) model with linear restrictions imposed.


Pilot projects appear in many forms in policy making and management. In an effort to understand the nature and use of pilot projects and improve their effectiveness, we undertake a practice-based and theoretical study of the pilot project phenomenon. First, we examine the roles assigned to pilot projects in the policy development literature and explore their use in a Dutch water innovation platform. Second, we determine characteristics of pilot projects to deepen insights into the nature of the pilot project phenomenon and the dimensions useful in the design of pilot projects. Third, we identify three pilot types and nine ways to use a pilot project and we develop a Pilot Project Nonagon that can be used to assess pilot projects' uses and to compare stakeholders' perspectives on these uses. Fourth, we identify hurdles to diffusion of the knowledge developed from pilot projects and suggest strategies to overcome these. Lastly, we formulate a research agenda aimed at addressing the identified knowledge gaps.


This is a 10-year follow-up survey of a 1996 study of all dentists in Illinois holding a permit to administer sedation or general anesthesia. The survey describes the scope of sedation and anesthesia services provided in dental offices in Illinois. A mail survey was sent to 471 dentists who were registered with the department of professional regulation to administer sedation or general anesthesia. Classification by specialty area of practice showed: 63% (84% in 1996) are oral and maxillofacial surgeons, 20% (11% in 1996) general dentists, 6% (5% in 1996) periodontists, 9% (0% in 1996) pediatric dentists, 1% (less than 1% in 1996) dentist anesthesiologists. Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) training was reported by 90% (85% in 1996) of the respondents. The total number of sedations and general anesthetics administered for the year was 115,940. Two mortalities and two cases of long-term morbidity were reported for the 10-year period. Respondents reported that 30 patients required transfer to a hospital but suffered no long-term morbidity. Other practice characteristics were detailed.


The development in food network perspective forces the demand for a proper configuration of the risks that occur from the ongoing trend towards the globalized supply chain. The paper shows the requirement shift through globalized procurement. As an effect towards long distance purchasing activities the direct control of production, logistics processes and processing are out of direct control for most of the person in charge in downstream processes. Process transparency and information readiness are essential to reduce risk in (e-)business networks. Outputs of this requirement are vertical coordinations through interorganizational agencies as EurepGap and IFS. Especially for brand marks relationship management and vertical coordination are needed to secure the continuously high quality of the product. That is directly related to controlling the whole value chain fulfilling additional traceability requirements in case of risk. A comprehensive control platform for decision makers is required.


Persistent torticollis in younger patients, particularly after trivial trauma or an upper respiratory tract infection, suggests a diagnosis of atlantoaxial rotary fixation. The diagnosis can be confirmed by cineroentgenography. Anterior displacement of the atlas, indicating a deficient transverse ligament, should be ruled out by flexion-extension lateral roentgenograms. If conservative management fails to achieve reduction or is followed by a recurrence of the deformity, arthrodesis is indicated.


Author(s): Garcia-Delmuro, Ces'Ari Racine | Advisor(s): Anderson, Kathryn M.; Hansen, Mark P. | Abstract: Teachers are the foundation for effectively implementing personalized learning environments. This comparative case study investigated 16 teacher's experiences with a personalized learning program by focusing on users of the Pinnacle Learning program at two, low-income school sites in southern California. This research's conceptual framework is based upon Venkatesh and Davis' (2000) determinants of perceived usefulness and Venkatesh and Bala's (2008) determinants of perceived ease of use. Ultimately, this study reveals that in general teachers perceive personalized learning as relatively advantageous to their role in the classroom due to its fairly high level of ease and high level of usefulness, thus making teachers more likely to continue acceptance of this technology at their school sites. During this study's exploration of teacher beliefs about the Pinnacle Learning program, four specific areas were explored: training, use of program elements, classroom roles of teachers using a personalized learning program, and site implementation issues. By understanding teacher beliefs and attitudes on their use of and experience with personalized learning technology, this study was able to identify areas of concern that can be addressed and areas of strength that are beneficial to continue at each school site. Teacher input on the adoption of a personalized learning platform provides the often missing teacher voice from the research available on personalized learning. Input about how the role of teacher is changing may inform preparation programs and ongoing professional developments for teachers. Additionally, data from this research may help low SES schools who are considering the adoption of an online personalized learning platform as there have been limited studies which solely focus on this student demographic.


Providing high hardness, low friction coefficient, as well as, relatively good corrosion resistance, chromium-plated coatings (∼20 μm) are widely used for steel cylinder rods in marine environment. However, the standardized corrosion test method (ISO 9227, NSS) used to evaluate efficiency of this type of coatings does not take into account in-service mechanical loadings on cylinder rods. Nevertheless, the uniform initial network of microcracks in chromium coating is changing under mechanical loadings. Propagation of these microcracks explains premature corrosion of the steel substrate. The aim of the study was to evaluate relationship between mechanical loadings, propagation of microcracks network and corrosion resistance of chromium coatings. After monotonic pre-loading tests, it was demonstrated by microscopic observations that the microcracks propagation started at stress levels higher than the substrate yield stress (520 MPa). The microcracks become effective, i.e. they have instantly undergone through the whole coating thickness to reach the steel substrate. The density of effective microcracks increases with the total macroscopic level, i.e. the intercrack distance goes from 60 ± 5 μm at 1% of total strain to approximately 27 ± 2 μm at 10%. Electrochemical measurements have shown that the higher the plastic strain level applied during mechanical loading, the more the corrosion potential of the sample decreased until reaching the steel substrate value of approximately −0.65 V/SCE after 2 h of immersion. The polarization curves have also highligthed an increase in the corrosion current density with the strain level. Therefore, electrochemical measurements could be used to realize quick and comprehensive assesment of the effect of monotonic pre-loadings on corrosion properties of the chromium coating.


Higher-order brain areas such as the frontal cortices are considered essential for the flexible solution of tasks. However, the precise computational role of these areas is still debated. Indeed, even for the simplest of tasks, we cannot really explain how the measured brain activity, which evolves over time in complicated ways, relates to the task structure. Here, we follow a normative approach, based on integrating the principle of efficient coding with the framework of Markov decision processes (MDP). More specifically, we focus on MDPs whose state is based on action-observation histories, and we show how to compress the state space such that unnecessary redundancy is eliminated, while task-relevant information is preserved. We show that the efficiency of a state space representation depends on the (long-term) behavioural goal of the agent, and we distinguish between modelbased and habitual agents. We apply our approach to simple tasks that require short-term memory, and we show that the efficient state space representations reproduce the key dynamical features of recorded neural activity in frontal areas (such as ramping, sequentiality, persistence). If we additionally assume that neural systems are subject to cost-accuracy tradeoffs, we find a surprising match to neural data on a population level.


A practice-based theory of nursing leadership, the Integrated Leadership Practice Model, promotes job satisfaction and motivates staff to participate in activities that will produce quality customer outcomes. The author lists applications for nurse leaders.


A field study was carried out at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan (Lat.7° 25 ' N; Long. 3° 25 ' E) to evaluate the effect of NPK fertilizer formulations on the growth and yield of three cocoa genotypes in Ibadan, South-Western Nigeria. The treatments consisted of two NPK-liquid fertilizer types (Nutrico 1 and 2) applied at a rate of 10 ml/15 L water and NPKsolid fertilizer 15:15:15 (applied at 40 g/tree) and a control (no fertilizer application). The four treatments were applied to three cocoa genotypes (T65/17×N38, T65/35×T30/13 and T82/27×T16/17). The treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results indicated that all the fertilizers irrespective of rates of application and types of NPK formulations enhanced the growth and yield parameters of cocoa relative to the control in the three genotypes. The effect of Nutrico 1 liquid fertilizer was comparable to NPK (15: 15: 15) on stem girth of cocoa and number of mature and ripe pods. Nutrico 1 liquid fertilizer significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the number of cherelles and mature pods in T65/35×T30/13 and T82/27×T16/17. The fertilizer treatments were not significant on the number of diseased pods in the three genotypes. It could be inferred that the NPK liquid-fertilizers particularly the Nutrico 1 is a very promising fertilizer that could improve the productivity of cocoa in Nigeria.


Aims: This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of chlorohexidine gelfoam on the salivary Tumor Necrosis factor and Interleukin-6 after extraction of the lower third molar to compare these effects before and after extraction ' and to know the benefit of using chlorhexidine gelfoam after extraction of the lower third molar. Materials and methods:-twenty four patients were involved, patients classified into group 1[control group],group 2 [chlorhexidine group] saliva was taken from all patients by using salivette before extraction and seven day after extraction then measure TNF andIL-6 by using [ELISA] kits' Results: In control group there is significance difference in (IL-6) after one week of extraction without treatment from the baseline (before extraction) and the result respectively was (1.96±0.51),( 6.20±5.22), the result of (TNF-α) appeared no significance difference before and after treated the result after treatment is(25.9±30.8) and before treatment is (95.2±131.6) and the result of group used chlorhexidine gelfoam showed significance difference in both (IL-6, TNF-α) after and before treatment, the result of IL-6 after treatment is (16.99±13.31) and before treatment is (1.57±0.18) and the result of (TNF-α) after treatment is (56±79.3) and before treatment is (102.9±133.3). Conclusion: the use of chlorohexidine gelfoam after extraction produce a significant effect on the salivary TNF-α and. the level of IL-6 when compared with the control group which enhance the healing process and decrease the chance of infection


"On Higher Education" is about the consequences of the student revolt of the 1960's and the decline of faculty influence. This shift from emphasis on academic merit to student consumerism is one of two great reversals of direction in the history of American higher education. This is a book for those curious about our society and its institutions and for all who share a civic concern about the society's future.


The constituent countries of the MENA region---defined in this thesis in conformity with the regional definition of the International Energy Agency and encompassing 17 Muslim countries in North Africa, in the Levant, on the Arabian Peninsula, and Iran---have developed very rapidly over the past decade. Two figures best exemplify the region's tremendous transformation: Total population has expanded by more than 20% and its aggregate economic output has more than doubled. As much as this development is desirable, said development trends have also dramatically reshaped the energy policy environment in the MENA region and began causing problems of their own---affecting the region's large oil exporters and its energy importers alike. Having traditionally enjoyed high energy security and handsome resource rents by virtue of their abundant and cheap fossil fuels, new realities in the domestic energy systems demand a new policy focus on domestic energy issues. Energy challenges have emerged which threaten security of supply, fiscal stability, and environmental integrity. The challenges differ in magnitude from country-to-country and reflect the specific national conditions and circumstances. However, given the similarity in the underlying drivers and the governing energy policies, the energy challenges resemble each other across borders. More specifically, ballooning domestic energy demand consumes a rising share of national energy production and thus increasingly imperils the constant flow of the much needed proceeds from oil and gas exports. In the MENA countries with less abundant hydrocarbon resources, domestic demand growth has heightened energy dependence and, to make matters worse, the tighter supply situation in the energy exporting neighbors may eventually also lead to a discontinuation of the preferential supply agreements which they have benefitted from in the past. As a further corollary of demand growth, massive capital-intensive infrastructure investments are necessary to keep pace with the growth on the demand side. The regional tradition to sell energy commodities domestically at prices non-competitive prices or even below cost, however, limits the national energy sectors' own capability of mustering the required capital. Finally, the universally observable heavily fossil fuel-dominated national energy mixes in the region render the study countries vulnerable to supply shocks. The virtually complete reliance on the regionally available hydrocarbons for meeting energy demand is also a principal contributor to environmental degradation and at the core of the large carbon footprint of energy consumption in MENA countries. Given current policies in combination with the emerging demographic and economic trends, these challenges must be expected to become more severe in the years to come. Rising living standards, especially in the region's expanding urban population, are likely to boost per capita energy consumption. The projected, continued demographic and economic growth will further drive commodity demand. And the supply side cannot be counted on to mitigate the challenges under given policies. On the contrary. Although no reliable production projections are available, it stands to reason that production from the region's most prolific oil and gas fields---some of which have been producing for several decades now---will increasingly require the use of costly secondary and tertiary recovery methods and that some will eventually [...]


The kaolin beneficiation industries produce waste that is rich in Al2O3 and SiO2, oxides that when sintered at high temperatures react to form mullite. Due to the rare occurrence of the mullite mineral in nature, the number of studies in order to obtain it has been growing in recent years due to its properties excellent. This study aims to examine the feasibility of the use of microwave energy as an alternative to synthesize mullite from kaolin residue, since the use of microwave energy in the synthesis of materials has gained importance for the speed and economy when compared to conventional methods. The compositions studied (residual kaolin + alumina) were established according to the stoichiometry of mullite. The samples were sintered in a microwave oven home changed, varying power and time. It was observed that with the increase of these variables the intensity of the peaks of the mullite phase increased.


This study aimed to analyze, through a systematic literature review with meta-analysis, the success rates of the use of autologous lymph node transplantation for the management of upper limb lymphedema in mastectomized patients, regarding the reduction of excessive volume in the affected limb. The most relevant studies originally published and indexed in any language until August 2019 were analyzed, in the US National Library of Medicine, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. The sample consisted of 10 publications that met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 194 patients with 50.0 years average age, being followed up for 31.7 months average. Most patients had the right upper limb affected by lymphedema (58.1%), with symptoms that started more than a year before lymph node transplant surgery (86.4%). Only four patients (2.6%) did not undergo lymphadenectomy during the treatment of breast cancer. Lymph node transplantation provided an average reduction of 52.18% in the excessive volume presented by patients in the limb due to lymphedema. Most of the patients surveyed had a volume reduction higher than 50%. It is concluded that autologous lymph node transplantation is a good option for the management of lymphedema related to breast cancer, providing a considerable reduction in the excessive volume of the affected limb. ■ ABSTRACT


In recent years, studies have been performed in which cancer tissues are exposed to high temperatures in order to damage/kill cancer cells. This treatment is referred to as hyperthermia, and the goal of this work is to develop a model that describes the heat transfer and temperature profile throughout a cancerous tumor undergoing hyperthermia. The model consists of two portions: linear and nonlinear aspects. The linear aspects of this transient model involve the accumulation and conductive transport terms of the model, while the nonlinear aspect of the model involves the heat sources term resulting from applied hyperthermia treatment. The resulting model equation is a second-order, non-homogeneous partial differential equation and is challenging to solve using standard methods such as separation of variables, etc. Instead, a Green's function approach is employed which allows the problem to become decoupled and solved through the use of integral equations and associated eigenvalue problems.


Decontamination of spent ion-exchange resins, corrosion-unstable metal structures, soil, ground, and construction materials contaminated by fission, corrosion and transuranic radionuclides remains one of the most urgent and complicated ecological problems. Among the existing methods having different efficiencies in regard to such materials decontamination, application of selective sorbents put into a humid medium to be decontaminated (ground, bulk materials) appears to be rather extensive. However, the efficiency of such an approach is significantly limited by difficulties concerned with uniform sorbent distribution in porous media and completeness of spent sorbents removal for final disposal. In this paper we suggest a principally new approach to preparation of colloid-stable selective sorbents for cesium uptake using immobilization of transition metals (cobalt, nickel, and copper) ferrocyanides in nanosized carboxylic latex emulsions. The effects of ferrocyanide composition, pH, and media salinity on the sorption properties of the colloid-stable sorbents toward cesium ions were studied in solutions containing up to 200 g/1 sodium nitrate or potassium chloride. The sorption capacities of the colloid sorbents based on mixed potassium/transition metals ferrocyanides were in the range 1.45–1.86 mol Cs/mol ferrocyanide with the highest value found for the copper ferrocyanide. It was shown that the obtained colloid-stable sorbents were capable to penetrate through bulk materials without filtration that makes them applicable for decontamination of solids, e.g. soils, zeolites, spent ion-exchange resins contaminated with cesium radionuclides. After decontamination of liquid or solid radioactive wastes the colloid-stable sorbents can be easily separated from solutions by precipitation with cationic flocculants providing localization of radionuclides in a small volume of the precipitates formed. Besides, functionalized latex particles can be used for preparation of carbon fiber/ferrocyanide composite materials for cesium uptake using electrodeposition method. Application of the carbon fibers as an inert support for ferrocyanides, in general, significantly improves the sorption kinetics, but washing out of ferrocyanide fines from the fiber surface limits the potential of such materials. When ferrocyanides are deposited in a form of nanocrystals stabilized by latexes which undergo electropolymerization on the fiber surface, the thin polymeric film formed substantially improves the stability of the composite and prevents loss of ferrocyanide during sorbent application. The effect of electrodeposition conditions on composite morphology, ferrocyanide loading and cesium distribution coefficient in media with different salinity has been discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in maintaining soil productivity and accounting for the promotion of biological diversity. The main components of the SOM are the humic substances which can be fractionated according to its solubility in humic acid (HA), fulvic acids (FA) and humin (HU). The determination of the chemical properties of organic matter as well as its interaction with metallic species is an important tool for understanding the structure of the humic fractions. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been studied as a source of information about what is happening at the molecular level in these compounds. Specially, soils of Amazon region are an important ecosystem of the planet. The aim of this study is to understand the molecular and structural composition of HA samples from Spodosol of Amazonia using the fluorescence Emission-Excitation Matrix (EEM) and Time Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRFS). The results showed that the samples of HA showed two fluorescent components; one has a more complex structure and the other one has a simpler structure, which was also seen in TRFS through the evaluation of each sample lifetime. Thus, studies of this nature become important because it aims to evaluate the molecular and structural characteristics of the humic fractions in the region that is considered as one of the most important regions in the world, the Amazon. Keywords—Amazonian soil, characterization, fluorescence, humic acid, lifetime.


Background: There is scarce information available about adult congenital spine deformity (ACSD) in the literature, especially its impact after the pediatric age. The aim was to define ACSD characteristics and to establish the drivers for surgical intervention. Methods: Cross-sectional study of data collected in an adult deformity multicenter database. Only ACSD patients were included. Demographic and radiographic data, as well as patient-reported outcome measures, were assessed. Conservatively (C) vs surgically (S) treated patients were compared using Student t test, χ ², and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Fifty-two patients were included. They were young adults ( x = 37.7 years), mostly female (71%). Among them, 60% had single hemivertebrae (HV), 35% had multiple HV, and 5% had segmentation defects. Also, 75% had mainly coronal deformity (Cobb 62.5° ± 29.6) and 25% had sagittal deformity. Mean Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was 29.6% ± 17 and mean Scoliosis Research Society 22-item survey (SRS-22) total score was 3.2 ± 0.8. Of note, mean SRS-22 self-image score was 2.8 ± 0.9 and 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical function score was 40.9 ± 11. Thirty patients were treated conservatively (C), whereas 22 patients underwent surgery (S). No differences were found regarding age, type or location of the deformity, comorbidities, or radiographic parameters. Operated patients had worse Core Outcome Measurement Index (COMI) back scores (C: 3.8 ± 2.4 vs S: 6.7 ± 2.4; P = 0.004); worse SRS-22 self-image (C: 3 ± 0.9 vs S: 2.5 ± 0.9; P = 0.047), and SRS-22 total scores (C: 3.4 ± 0.8 vs S: 2.9 ± 0.7; P = 0.01); worse SF-36 physical component summary (C: 43.3 ± 10.8 vs S: 36.7 ± 10.4; P = 0.048); and worse SF-36 physical role, function, and social function. Conclusion: Adult congenital deformity patients were mainly female young adults, with formation defects (HV), worried about their image and presenting some degree of functional impairment and pain. These symptoms were the essential drivers for surgery, rather than the radiographic deformity itself. Clinical Relevance: One of the few studies describing the characteristics and clinical concerns of patients with congenital spinal deformities. Level of Evidence: 3.


Twenty-one samples from throughout the Mull Tertiary igneous succession were dated. Of these, eight gave a satisfactory age plateau and the dates show a systematic decrease throughout the succession. Extrusion of the lavas began c. 60 Ma ago, contemporaneous with the bulk of activity in the British Tertiary igneous province. Igneous activity continued until c. 57 Ma. Probably the lavas were extruded during the reversely magnetized chron 26r; development of the central igneous complex continued into the normal chron 26, while the late dykes were intruded during 25r. If this is so then, according to the polarity timescale of Harland et al. 1982, the duration of igneous activity lies between 0.7 and 4.7 Ma, consistent with the dates. The usefulness of the age plateau selection criteria of Lanphere & Dalrymple (1978) is supported by the results.


This paper discusses the problem of finding an optimal satellite constellation for the SOLVE (Satellites Observing Lakes and Vegetation Environments) Mission. A key requirement of this mission is a temporal resolution of several observations per day. A semi-analytical approach is proposed. After some analytical design steps which reduces the problem space to circular sun synchronous orbits, a genetic algorithm is used for finding all remaining orbital parameters. The result is an easy to use tool which allows to study cost impact from given science requirements enabling a good understanding of the relation between temporal, spatial resolution and cost.


The green turtle Chelonia mydas is an Endangered species that forms aggregations at neritic foraging sites where juveniles spend, in some cases, over a decade before moving to adultor subadult-dominated foraging sites. Here, we used photographic identification, behavioural observations, paired-laser and stereo-photogrammetry to determine the population dynamics of a coastal aggregation of green turtles in Oslob, Philippines. We identified a total of 82 individual turtles between May 2012 and October 2018. We recorded behavioural observations during individual identification and found that turtles changed behaviour in 25% of instances. Some turtles were identified consistently throughout the study period, indicating strong site fidelity and residency. Modified maximum likelihood models suggest turtles spend the majority of their time within the study area (>92%), although some (8%) excursions outside the area do occur. Markrecapture models suggest this foraging aggregation exhibits a pattern similar to that of a closed population. This is likely due to the extended residency periods of some individuals at the site, and the relatively low recruitment rate over time. We measured 18 turtles using paired-laser photo grammetry, with estimated straight carapace length of 55.3 cm, and mean growth rates of 3.4 cm yr−1. Stereo-photogrammetry measurements were consistent and more accurate than visual or paired-laser photogrammetry estimates. Our results highlight the use of in-water methods to understand population dynamics of green turtles, and the importance of coastal, juvenile-dominated habitats for green turtles, as well as the need for effective conservation and management strategies to safeguard them.


: Polyps in the large intestine is a frequent disease in children. It is more often observed in boys than in girls aged 4 to 9. In most cases solitary polyps are observed (in 73,35%). Two-three polyps are met in 21,62% of cases. Polyposis is a rare disease--0,91%. The main symptom of polyps in children is hemorrhage from the anal orifice. The method of treatment is dependent on the amount, size, height of the situs and spread of the polyps. Dissection of polyps through the rectal speculum is used more frequently, rectoromanoscope is used in rarer cases (electroexcision and coagulation). Resection of the large intestine or colotomy and ablation of polyps can be successfully used in polyposis and high situs of polyps.


Documenting Death is a gripping ethnographic account of the deaths of pregnant women in a hospital in a low-resource setting in Tanzania. Through an exploration of everyday ethics and care practices on a local maternity ward, anthropologist Adrienne E. Strong untangles the reasons Tanzania has achieved so little sustainable success in reducing maternal mortality rates, despite global development support. Growing administrative pressures to document good care serve to preclude good care in practice while placing frontline healthcare workers in moral and ethical peril. Maternal health emergencies expose the precarity of hospital social relations and accountability systems, which, together, continue to lead to the deaths of pregnant women.


Abstract If one wants to compute with infinite objects like real numbers or data streams, continuity is a necessary requirement: better and better (finite) approximations of the input are transformed into better and better (finite) approximations of the output. In case the objects are constructively generated, they can be represented by a finite description of the generating procedure. By effectively transforming such descriptions for the generation of the input (respectively, their codes) into (the code of) a description for the generation of the output another type of computable operation is obtained. Such operations are also called effective. The relationship of both classes of operations has always been a question of great interest. In this paper the setting is extended to the case of multifunctions. Various ways of coding (indexing) sets are discussed and their relationship is investigated. Moreover, effective versions of several continuity notions for multifunctions are introduced. For each of these notions an indexing system for sets is exhibited so that the multifunctions that are effective with respect to this indexing system are exactly the multifunction which are effectively continuous with respect to the continuity notion under consideration. Mostly, in addition to being effective the multifunctions need also possess certain witnessing functions. Important special cases are discussed where such witnessing functions always exist.


: Assessment of the head-stem taper junction requires the estimation of material loss from the taper surfaces of both femoral head and stem. This paper describes a method for the measurement and analysis of material loss from the modular taper junction of hip replacements, in particular femoral stem tapers where generally the entire taper surface has been engaged. In such cases no direct unengaged datum surface is readily identifiable to assess material loss. The highly anisotropic topology of some stem designs poses additional challenges to the measurement and analysis process. Estimation of material loss of retrieved femoral stems is further complicated by retrieval damage or surface deposits often present on the taper surface. The femoral head tapers typically exhibit areas of pristine surface attributed to the difference in taper length compared to the engaging stem. These areas can be selected as unworn when employed in the analysis process, provided they do not show surface damage or deposits. Measurement of the taper surfaces has been performed using a Talyrond (Ametek, Inc., US) out-of-roundness measurement instrument equipped with a 5µm diamond tip stylus. Vertical axial traces were employed to digitize the surface of the taper. Measurement data has been analyzed using a multi stage process that has been specifically adapted for stem tapers. The underlying stem taper geometry is determined by means of a morphological filter applied to the high aspect ratio microstructure. This paper presents a study of 40 retrieved LHMoM hip replacements that have been analyzed to ascertain the material loss at the modular taper junction. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the viability of characterizing material loss from the stem taper junction and to provide insight into the overall material loss contribution.


Motivated by biological applications, this paper addresses the problem of network reconstruction from data. Previous work has shown necessary and sufficient conditions for network reconstruction of noise-free LTI systems. This paper assumes that the conditions for network reconstruction have been met but here we additionally take into account noise and unmodelled dynamics (including nonlinearities). Algorithms are therefore proposed to reconstruct dynamical (Boolean) network structure from time-series (steady-state) data respectively in presence of noise and nonlinearities. In order to identify the network structure that generated the data, we compute the smallest distances between the measured data and the data that would have been generated by particular Boolean structures. Information criteria and optimisation technique balancing such distance and model complexity are introduced to search for the true structure. We conclude with biologically-inspired network reconstruction examples which include noise and nonlinearities.


We examined a relationship between p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 and cell-cycle-related proteins in 12 human liver tumor cell lines (JHH-1, -2, -4, -5, -6, -7; HLE; HuH-7; Hep3B; PLC/PRF/5; HuH-6; HepG2). Seven (JHH-1, -2, -5, -6, -7; Hep3B; HepG2) out of eight cell lines having p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 protein overexpressed cyclin E protein, although one of them (JHH-5) overexpressed a reduced size of cyclin E. The rest (HuH-6) of the 8 cell lines with p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 showed a decreased expression of cyclin E. Four cell lines (JHH-4; HLE; HuH-7; PLC/PRF/5) deficient of p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 protein did not overexpress cyclin E protein. As to expression of the other cell-cycle-related proteins, cyclin A, cyclin D1, CDK2 or CDK4, no significant difference was detected among the 12 cell lines. These findings indicate that the human liver tumor cell lines which have the p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1-inducible barriers of the cell cycle progression can go through the G1/S checkpoint by overexpressing cyclin E.


In this research we have addressed the study of the qualitative behavior of nonlinear variable speed axial compressors model exhibiting surge and stall instabilities. Such a study can shed some light on the development of an effective control approach being capable of simultaneously controlling the speed and instabilities. The controller can stabilize the system around an effective operating point and improve performance and reliability of variable speed axial compressors widely used in aeronautic industries. Although previous studies [1, 2] have focused on developing a model for non-constant speed axial compressors, qualitative characteristic of such a model is still unclear and its active control including both rotating stall and compressor speed is still a challenging problem. In this study we are particularly interested in investigating effects of the acceleration of the compressor rotor on qualitative properties of the model. To this end, bifurcation analysis of an axial compressor model with spool dynamics was performed and the simulation of the model was developed along the way. Preliminary surprising results revealed that the type of instability, surge or rotating stall, not only depends on the final speed as thought before but is also deeply affected by the rate of the rotor acceleration. Impacts of the initial speed on the qualitative properties of the model were demonstrated as well. Furthermore previous work [1, 2] showed that amplitudes of stall harmonics grow during the speed transition and cause a temporary pressure drop at the compressor output. Our simulation results supporting the bifurcation analysis of the model revealed that during speed transitions both amplitudes of high order stall harmonics and the number of dominant harmonics also depend on the rate of the acceleration and the initial speed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


There has been tremendous progress on the distributed control of mobile autonomous multi-agents, mainly driven by the need to achieve desirable group behavior for the multi-agents based only on local information exchange and feedback control. In this review article, a small-gain approach is proposed to design a new class of distributed nonlinear controllers for leader-following formation control of unicycle robots without global position measurements. With the proposed distributed controllers, the formation control objective can be achieved without assuming any tree sensing structures. More interestingly, the distributed controller is robust to position measurement errors and the linear velocities of the robots can be restricted to specific bounded ranges. The generality and the power of the proposed small-gain approach are supported by its application to tackle the distributed nonlinear control of other important classes of multi-agent systems modeled either by double-integrators or the well-known output-feedback form.


Detecting the travel modes such as walking and driving a car is an important task for user behavior understanding as well as transportation planning and management. Existing solutions for this task mainly train a generic classifier for all users although the walking or driving behaviors may differ greatly from one user to another. In this paper, we propose to build a personalized travel mode detection method. In particular, the proposed method can be divided into two stages. First, for a given target user, it applies user similarity computation to borrow data from a set of pre-collected data for transfer learning. Second, it estimates the data distribution in feature space, and uses it to reweight the borrowed data so as to minimize the model loss with respect to the target user. Experimental evaluations on real travel data show that the proposed method outperforms the generic method and the transfer learning method with kernel mean matching in terms of prediction accuracy.


Abstract Objective: This study sought to better understand the patient s perspective of the experience of recovery from cancer that appeared to defy medical prognoses. Methods: Fourteen cases of medically verified exceptional outcomes were identified. A qualitative approach, employing long narrative interviews was used. Data was analyzed using a cross case thematic analytic approach. Results: The major overarching theme was connections, both internal and external. Internal included connections with God or a higher power and with oneself. The external connections, the focus of this paper, included 1) personal connections with friends and family, 2) connections with the medical system: the physician, nurses and other staff, and 3) connections with other patients. They described the nature of these relationships and the importance of frequent contact with family and friends as providing significant emotional and instrumental support. They expressed confidence in receiving care from a reputable clinic, and with very little probing illustrated the importance of the relationship with their providers. They articulated the significance of the compassionate qualities of the physician and identified communication attributes of their physician that were important in establishing this connection. These attributes were demeanor, availability, honesty, sensitivity in the decision making process. They provided examples of positive connections with nurses and other staff as well as with other patients through their illness process. Significance of results: The importance of connections in these illness narratives was richly illustrated. These issues often are overlooked in clinical settings; yet they are of crucial importance to the health and well-being of the patients.


Background: Kashan's rose-water has a high celebrity in Iran and around the world. Rose-water has used in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of cardiac and rheumatic pain and in food indust r ies such as production of ice cream and cookies. This research is conducted for determination of essence value of produced Rose-water in Kashan, Spring of 2005. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive study. Rose-water samples were collected from workshops, factories and supplying centers in Kashan in 2005 (398 samples) and transferred to lab. In the laboratory, chemical tests for determination of the essence value were carried out according to the Pantan method. Minimum acceptable of Rose-water essence is 12mg/100cc, thus, any Rose-water is classified to three type light (0.1- 11.9), middle (12-35) and high (> 35). Findings were analysed by the use of t test. Results: Essence quality of produced Rose-water in Rose-water workshops and supplying shops showed that essence values were 76.7 of the workshops and 27.5 of supplying shops higher than 12mg/100 (p< .0001). Thus, essence value of factories were higher than 12mg/100 (58.3). Conclusions: Essence value of Rose-waters were acceptable in most factories but essence value samples in most supplying shops were low. Thus, Kashan health politician's and administrators should arrange appropriate strategies for standardization and increasing of rose-water quality.


Drawing on rich longitudinal data covering a period of more than 15 years, our study highlights specific affective and non-financial components of the entrepreneurial process in the context of community- based entrepreneurship (CBE). Without an understanding of the concrete role of the community in exit, re-entry, and growth, community members of such ventures may lack the awareness and resources to engage in a perennial venture. Despite the importance of community ventures in fostering economic development and growth, little is known about the antecedents, context and processes of entrepreneurial exit and re-entry in the realm of CBE. We, therefore, address this gap through an in-depth case study of a community-based initiative in the Cauca region of Colombia. We investigate how three distinct cultural communities reach successful collaboration after overcoming an initial organizational death. Our findings illustrate that exit was the result of several factors including the lack of a strong sense of community identity. However, over time the community members developed a solid sense of belonging, trust and reliance as they tackled difficult events such as exit and market struggles on one hand and engaged in positive community building events on the other hand. Moreover, the sense of belonging that the three different communities developed are comparable to a unique extended family business, whereby the non-financial aspects of the enterprise meet the communities' affective needs. We term this affective component "community socio-emotional wealth".


The authors report on a prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of lethal osteochondrodysplasia achondrogenesis type I (Parenti-Fraccaro) in the 17th week of pregnancy. The prenatal findings were confirmed by necropsy after termination of the pregnancy. The possibility to recognize lethal skeletal disorders early in pregnancy is discussed as well as the patho-anatomical criteria and possible patho-physiological mechanisms of achondrogenesis.


Background. There are not too many studies that deal with the organizational commitment of emergency physicians. This commitment has been shown to impact organizational performance. The aim of this paper is to analyse the degree of commitment of the emergency physicians in Spanish public hospitals and the factors that may influence it. Method. Online survey using SurveyMonkey to emergency physicians in Spanish public hospitals. Results. Two hundred and five questionnaires were received, 162 from physicians and 43 from heads of the emergency service. Results show an intermediate level of commitment, with affective commitment showing the lowest level and continuance commitment showing the highest level. The capabilities of the physician have an influence on their affective commitment; specific training in emergency procedures and seniority has an influence on their continuance commitment; and the opinion they hold about the organization of their service influences affective commitment. Conclusions. Emergency physicians show an average involvement in the hospital in which they work (average 3.8 on a range of 1 to 5), feel an average affection for it (3.4), and have a high intention to keep working there (4.0). The resources the hospital has due to its level do not have an influence on this commitment, while the training and perceptions of the service do have an influence.


: [ Objective ] This paper aims to identify rumors automatically with the help of sentiment analysis. [ Methods ] First, we chose high-quality and low-quality information sources. Then, we calculated the sentiment value and difference between the information from different sources. Based on the assumption that the information from high-quality source was more reliable, information from low-quality channels could be listed as rumor if the sentiment difference between them exceeded the pre-set threshold. [ Results ] We applied the proposed method to information on food and health as well as health and medical issues, and then successfully identified twenty-three rumors from thirty suspected cases. The accuracy rate of rumor detection was 76.67%, the F-value was 83.34%, the recall and precision was 71.42% and 100%, respectively. For non-rumor message, the F-value, recall, and precision were 72.73%, 100% and 57.14%. [ Limitations ] We did not extract the data automatically from different sources and the sample size was relatively small. [ Conclusions ] Sentiment analysis could help us identify rumors effectively.


HIV-1 latently infected cells in vivo can be found in extremely low frequencies. Therefore, in vitro cell culture models have been used extensively for the study of HIV-1 latency. Often, these in vitro systems utilize defective viruses. Defective viruses allow for synchronized infections and circumvent the use of antiretrovirals. In addition, replication-defective viruses cause minimal cytopathicity because they fail to spread and usually do not encode env or accessory genes. On the other hand, replication-competent viruses encode all or most viral genes and better recapitulate the nuances of the viral replication cycle. The study of latency with replication-competent viruses requires the use of antiretroviral drugs in culture, and this mirrors the use of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in vivo. We describe a model that utilizes cultured central memory CD4(+) T cells and replication-competent HIV-1. This method generates latently infected cells that can be reactivated using latency reversing agents in the presence of antiretroviral drugs. We also describe a method for the removal of productively infected cells prior to viral reactivation, which takes advantage of the downregulation of CD4 by HIV-1, and the use of a GFP-encoding virus for increased throughput.


Background There is no clear and in-depth statistics about STI among the Macedonian population. There is no comprehensive Clinic for STI in the country. Our objectives are to identify social factors associated to lower STI screening, and to examine availability of data related to HIV and STI in Macedonia. Methods A descriptive analysis of information and a quantitative study have been undertaken, using official reports, national researches and documents in the period 2002–2012. Results Epidemiological reports show significant data for HIV/AIDS. During the period of 11 years, the average HIV/AIDS morbidity have been 0.3 per 100.000, with availability to different characteristics of HIV/AIDS situation in Macedonia. These data are currently available only from two referent institutions in Macedonia (Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Institute for Public Health). On the other hand, there are numerous shallow and insufficient information on other STI. The average morbidity with other STI: Syphilis –0.1, Gonorrhea –0.2, Chlamydia –3.0, Hepatitis C –3.9, and Hepatitis C 8.7. Available data on basic STI characteristics does not exist. All the information have been received from the District Public Health Centers, by collecting data from different health providers in the country. Patients have fear and prejudice to discuss openly their sexuality, sexual attitudes and STI, which implies that patients` refuse to go to the doctor, they take antibiotics on their own hand, or delay visiting doctors until their health situation becomes heavily deteriorated. Consequently, this leads to imprecise diagnostics and keeping them distant from the relevant institutions. Conclusion HIV/AIDS morbidity is greater than the one with other STI diseases (like syphilis and gonorrhoea). Establishment of unique services that treat all STI would render clear and precise information on the factual epidemiological picture of all STI in Macedonia and would promote confidence depiction and stigma overcome with patients.


EIF3e is a component of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF-3) complexes, which is an essential factor for initiation of protein synthesis in mammalian cells. Translational control plays key roles in the complex mechanism of cancer development and progression. However, the clinical significance of eIF3e in colon cancer remains to be elucidated. We analyzed the eIF3e expression in a tissue microarray (TMA), which contained 173 colon cancer tissues paired with adjacent normal mucosa and lymph node metastasis. The expression of eIF3e was significantly elevated in colon cancer tissues in comparison with those in adjacent normal mucosa (P < 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). The high expression of eIF3e in colon cancer was significantly correlated with tumor size (P < 0.001), lymph node involvement (P < 0.001), distant metastasis (P < 0.001), clinical stage (P < 0.001), histopathologic classification (P < 0.001), and vessel invasion (P = 0.036). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that eIF3e is an independent prognosis factor for overall survival and disease-free survival in colon cancer. Down-regulation of eIF3e in vitro inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation, clonality and promoted cell apoptosis. Taken together, high eIF3e expression may contribute to tumor progression and predict poor prognosis in colon cancer.


While the global trend toward redefining marriage to include same-sex couples is evident in a number of jurisdictions, the trend thus far has reached only a relatively small number of countries. The vast majority of states still do not permit same-sex marriage. Those states that do have done so by redefining their marriage law through a legislative process, with Brazil and a few U.S. states being the sole exceptions. These legislative processes have permitted a more nuanced approach to the redefinition of marriage and the array of legal and social changes that a major shift in family law systems necessarily entails. It is not unreasonable to allow the legislative institutions to deal with the complex issues involved in a way that minimizes the risks of precipitous change. This approach allows legislative institutions to address acknowledged injustices of the past without dismantling the traditional institution of marriage with a single judicial stroke. Judicial imposition of a constitutional result in this domain could lock in patterns of polarization that could get in the way of legislative compromises that may ultimately provide better long-term solutions for society as a whole. Care needs to be taken to avoid putting at risk fragile and sometimes unseen virtues of family institutions that have served humankind well down through the ages and across civilizations. The assumption that mere animus or bigotry is the only explanation behind the legal structures of most nations of the earth is a charge aimed at blocking the quest for genuinely reasoned and good faith solutions that can be reached best in the political arena. Accordingly, with very few exceptions, national and supranational courts have held that such decisions must be left to democratic action by citizens or their legislative representatives.


In epithelia, a primary damage of tight junctions (TJ) always leads to a secondary disruption of adherens junction (AJ), and vice versa. This response, if occurring in the testis, would disrupt spermatogenesis because the blood–testis barrier (BTB) must remain intact during the transit of spermatids in the seminiferous epithelium, which is associated with extensive apical ectoplasmic specialization (apical ES, a testis-specific AJ type) restructuring. As such, apical ES restructuring accompanied with the transit of developing spermatids during spermiogenesis must be segregated from the BTB to avoid an immunological barrier breakdown in all stages of the seminiferous epithelial cycle, except at stage VIII when spermiation and BTB restructuring take place concurrently. We report herein a mechanism involving restricted spatial and temporal expression of Arp2/3 complex and N-WASP, whose actin branching activity associated with apical ES and BTB restructuring in the seminiferous epithelium. High expression of Arp3 at the apical ES was shown to correlate with spermatid movement and proper spermatid orientation. Likewise, high Arp3 level at the BTB associated with its restructuring to accommodate the transit of preleptotene spermatocytes at stage VIII of the epithelial cycle. These findings were validated by in vitro and in vivo studies using wiskostatin, an inhibitor that blocks N-WASP from activating Arp2/3 complex to elicit actin branching. Inhibition of actin branching caused a failure of spermatid transit plus a loss of proper orientation in the epithelium, and a "tightened" Sertoli cell TJ permeability barrier, supporting the role of Arp2/3 complex in segregating the events of AJ and BTB restructuring.


Among a wide range of success of deep learning, convolutional neural networks have been extensively utilized in several tasks such as speech recognition, image processing, and natural language processing, which require inputs with large dimensions. Several studies have investigated function estimation capability of deep learning, but most of them have assumed that the dimensionality of the input is much smaller than the sample size. However, for typical data in applications such as those handled by the convolutional neural networks described above, the dimensionality of inputs is relatively high or even infinite. In this paper, we investigate the approximation and estimation errors of the (dilated) convolutional neural networks when the input is infinite dimensional. Although the approximation and estimation errors of neural networks are affected by the curse of dimensionality in the existing analyses for typical function spaces such as the Hölder and Besov spaces, we show that, by considering anisotropic smoothness, they can alleviate exponential dependency on the dimensionality but they only depend on the smoothness of the target functions. Our theoretical analysis supports the great practical success of convolutional networks. Furthermore, we show that the dilated convolution is advantageous when the smoothness of the target function has a sparse structure.


Increasingly, the relationship of business to the communities in which it operates is the focus of attention among management scholars. In this paper I wish to go beyond the view that communities should be seen as stakeholders and/or as the target of corporate social responsibility. I will argue that certain cultural endowments in certain communities may in fact contribute a sustained advantage to enterprises embedded in those communities. I will focus on a concentrated form of this embeddedness: 'Community-Based Enterprises': ventures in which communities act collectively as both entrepreneur and enterprise. An outline of the conditions in which they typically arise, the features they characteristically display – especially their blend of social and economic goals – and their participation in the global economy, offer fertile suggestions as to the way that their cultural endowments contribute a rich supply of non-monetary resources to their operations. These resources can constitute an important and sustained competitive advantage. The article recognises important challenges faced by these remarkable ventures, before drawing some provisional conclusions and suggestions for further enquiry.


PURPOSE
The authors sought to identify cell surface markers of photoreceptor and its precursor cells.

METHODS
The expression of surface CD antigens that label both temporally and spatially distinct populations of mouse retinal cells were examined. Of the antibodies that showed positive signals in retinal cells, CD73 was focused on for more detailed analyses.

RESULTS
Mouse retinal subpopulations that expressed CD73 first appeared around birth and subsequently increased dramatically in number, eventually representing more than 90% of the retinal cells in the adult. CD73(+) cells were postmitotic and mostly rhodopsin-negative at postnatal day 1. However, in the adult retina, most of these cells expressed rhodopsin but not s-opsin. In reaggregation cultures, CD73(+) cells differentiated into rhodopsin-positive cells more rapidly than CD73(-) cells, which supports the idea that CD73 is an early photoreceptor lineage marker. The effects of ectopic expression in retinal cells of Nrl and Crx, both of which are transcription factors known to be expressed in photoreceptor lineage, suggest that CD73 is genetically downstream of Crx in the rod cell differentiation lineage. Adult retina of the common marmoset monkey also showed correlation of the expression pattern of rhodopsin and CD73.

CONCLUSIONS
CD73 is a cell surface marker of cone/rod common precursors and mature rod cells in mice and is genetically localized between Nrl and Crx. The expression of CD73 was conserved in primate rod cells, and CD73 provides an useful tool to purify photoreceptor cells for transplantation aimed at the regeneration of photoreceptors.


1. Community concordance measures the level of association between the compositional patterns shown by two groups of organisms. If strong community concordance occurs, one group could be used as a surrogate for another in conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring. In this study, we evaluated the variability in the strength of community concordance, the likely mechanisms underlying community concordance and the degree to which one community can predict another in a set of Neotropical floodplain lakes (Upper Parana´ River floodplain, Brazil). 2. We used a data set including six aquatic communities: fish, macrophytes, benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton and periphyton. We used Mantel and PROTEST approaches to evaluate the levels of community concordance in up to four sampling periods. Also, we used partial Mantel test and information about biotic interactions to investigate reasons for observed patterns of concordance. Finally, we used co-correspondence analysis to evaluate the performance of one taxonomic group in predicting the structures of other communities. 3. The levels of community concordance varied over time for almost all cross-taxa comparisons. Concordance between phytoplankton and periphyton probably resulted from similar responses to environmental gradients, whereas other patterns of concordance were likely generated by interactions among groups. However, the levels of predictability were low, and no particular taxonomic group significantly predicted all other groups. 4. The low and temporally variable levels of community concordance cast doubts on the use of surrogate groups for biodiversity management in Neotropical floodplains.


Tobacco smoking has been found to be a major environmental factor associated with generalized
forms of severe periodontitis. Altered serum and gingival crevicular fluid inflammatory cytokine
profiles, immune cell function, and altered proteolytic regulations are noticed in smokers. These
observations are not consistent, and to date, there has been no clear mechanism to explain how
smoking may affect periodontal disease. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the
impact of smoking on serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in smokers with periodontitis and its
potential role as a risk indicator of the disease process. 40 subjects (15 smokers and 15 nonsmokers
with chronic periodontitis, 10 healthy controls) were included in the study. Smoking history
was assessed according to a standardized interview and a questionnaire, Fagerstom Test for
Nicotine Dependence. Serum immunoglobulin IgG was estimated with immunoturbidimetric assay.
IgG levels were significantly decreased with longer duration of smoking. In addition levels of serum
IgG were significantly lower in smokers compared to non-smokers with chronic periodontitis
and healthy controls (P < 0.001). Current observations indicate that cigarette smoking may be associated
with the suppression of B-cell function and immunoglobulin production. The alteration of
antibody levels further explains the potential mechanism by which smoking exacerbates periodontal
disease. Further studies at the molecular level may highlight the specific mechanism by
which tobacco can interact with cells of the immune system and its impact on periodontal disease
process. Additional controlled, longitudinal studies may expound the significance of serum antibodies
as potential markers for periodontal disease.


The efficiency of resolution-based logic programming languages, such as Prolog, depends critically on selecting and executing sets of applicable clause heads to resolve against subgoals. Traditional approaches to this problem have focused on using indexing to determine the smallest possible applicable set. Despite their usefulness, these approaches ignore the nondeterminism inherent in many programming languages to the extent that they do not attempt to optimize execution after the applicable set has been determined. Unification factoring seeks to rectify this omission by regarding the indexing and unification phases of clause resolution as a single process. This article formalizes that process through the construction of factoring automata. A polynomial-time algorithm is given for constructing optimal factoring automata that preserve the clause selection strategy of Prolog. More generally, when the clause selection strategy is not fixed, constructing such an optimal automaton is shown to be NP-complete, solving an open trie minimization problem. Unification factoring is implemented through a source code transformation that preserves the full semantics of Prolog. This transformation is specified in the article, and using it, several well-known programs show significant performance improvements across several different systems. A prototype of unification factoring is available by anonymous ftp.


How computers will be used will be determined in part by technology trends, and in part by trends in the needs of people for computation, and by changes in living and activities. These changes are parts of feedback loops: for example, changes in needs cause changes in investments which cause changes in technology which enable changes in lifestyle. Beyond a few years the scene is no more predictable in shape than any other chaotic system. I nonetheless propose some strong attractors based on what seem to be stable regions extrapolated from the present.


The Benchmark Validation Experiment for RANS/LES Investigations (BeVERLI) aims to produce an experimental dataset of three-dimensional non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers with various levels of separation that, for the first time, meets the most exacting requirements of computational fluid dynamics validation. The application of simulations and modeling in high-consequence engineering environments has become increasingly prominent in the past two decades, considerably raising the standards and demands of model validation and forcing a significant paradigm shift in the design of corresponding validation experiments. In this paper, based on the experiences of project BeVERLI, we present strategies for designing and executing validation experiments, hoping to ease the transition into this new era of fluid dynamics experimentation and help upcoming validation experiments succeed. We discuss the selection of a flow for validation, the synergistic use of simulations and experiments, cross-institutional collaborations, and tools, such as model scans, time-dependent measurements, and repeated and redundant measurements. The proposed strategies are shown to successfully mitigate risks and enable the methodical identification, measurement, uncertainty quantification, and characterization of critical flow features, boundary conditions, and corresponding sensitivities, promoting the highest levels of model validation experiment completeness per Oberkampf and Smith. Furthermore, the applicability of these strategies to estimating critical and difficult-to-obtain bias error uncertainties of different measurement systems, e.g., the underprediction of high-order statistical moments from particle image velocimetry velocity field data due to spatial filtering effects, and to systematically assessing the quality of uncertainty estimates is shown.


Today's CPUs consume a significant amount of power and generate a high amount of heat, requiring an active cooling system to support reliable operations. In case of cooling system failures, these CPUs can reduce clock speed to prevent damage due to overheating. Unfortunately, when these CPUs are used in a real-time system, a clock control based on frequency-throttling can cause missed deadlines. In this paper, we first develop and validate a system-wide thermal model that can account for various thermal fault types such as failure of a CPU fan, faults in the case fan and air-conditioning malfunctions. Then we validate the thermal model through experimentation and measurements in AMD Linux boxes. Our soft real-time power-aware load-distribution algorithm for data centers incorporates a thermal model to minimize the number of missed deadlines that can be caused by thermal faults. We implemented the algorithm in a webserver farm simulator to test the efficacy of thermal-aware load-balancing. Our results show that the new algorithm helps keep CPU temperatures within the desired thermal envelope, even in the presence of thermal faults. When thermal faults occur, our algorithm improves the QoS, at the expense of higher energy consumption.


Specific resistance loops appear in different shapes influenced by different resistive properties of the airways, yet theirs descriptive ability is compressed to a single parameter (slope). We aimed to develop different parameters reflecting the opening of the loop and explore mechanism behind it in obstructive airways diseases. Study included 134 subjects with completely performed pulmonary function tests, divided into groups: 1/ Healthy controls (N=22), 2/ Asthma, with non-obstructive lung function (N=22), 3/ COPD, including all disease stages (N=90). Opening of the expiratory part of the loop was described with geometrical parameters: 1/ area under the loop, 2/ roundness, 3/ asynchrony. No significant difference was found comparing developed parameters in asthma and healthy groups. However, significant difference was observed comparing these two groups with COPD. Grouping mild COPD subjects by open-not open shape revealed significant difference between geometrical parameters, but also lung function: FEV 1 , RV and RV/TLC. Multiple logistic regression indicated RV/TLC ratio as only predictor of loop opening with OR =0.84, 95%CI of (0.73 – 0.94), p value =0.0006 and R 2 =0.35. Methacholine induced airway narrowing in asthma showed equal shape descriptors as COPD non-openers, but not slope. In contrast, all shape descriptors were significantly different comparing to COPD openers, yet slope was identical. RV/TLC was the main lung function determinant that differentiated obstructive asthma and COPD openers. This study introduces new parameters describing differences in the shape of specific resistance loops affected by different resistive mechanisms in obstructive airways diseases.


An examination of several historical texts in the Maya codices reveals that droughts were a significant concern to the pre-Columbian Maya that ultimately resulted in the collapse of their civilization. The effects of such droughts mentioned in those texts include damage to crops, famine, and wildfires. The dates assigned to five droughts in the codical texts agree with dates obtained from the analysis of lacustrine cores and stalagmites in caves by climatologists.


Sometime in the last century, the world entered a new era. It occurred with no fanfare. It happened gradually in terms of human perception, but was an amazingly rapid event if placed in the perspective of the 4000 years of recorded human history, or the millions of years of life on earth. The world entered an era of human domination of global ecosystems. This era poses some of the greatest challenges humanity has faced. These challenges span areas ranging from environmental management to agriculture, economics, law, philosophy and ethics. What does human domination of global ecosystems mean? For first time in history of the globe, there are so many people, doing so much, that humans have become the major movers and shapers of global ecosystems. Humans now exert a greater impact on many critically important global processes than all other natural forces combined. Should we be concerned? What kind of world are we creating? What will future generations experience? What can we do about it? These questions are the focus of Dr. Tilman's talk.


An acritarch from the highest Dalradian Macduff Slate of northeast Scotland is confirmed as Veryhachium cf. lairdii. Its presence implies that the Macduff Slate is Ordovician. This conclusion is compatible with the view that there is stratigraphical and structural continuity between the Dalradian and Lower Palaeozoic rocks in the vicinity of the Highland Border (e.g. the Lower Cambrian Keltie Water Grit Formation), but runs counter to other lines of evidence, notably biotite cooling ages, which suggest that the Dalradian had undergone metamorphism by the Late Cambrian. Further investigations are needed to reproduce and confirm the biostrati-graphical evidence for the age of the Macduff Slate.


I enjoyed reading the excellent article by Marantz and associates 1 on whether clinical evaluation is as useful as radionuclide ventriculography in the management of patients with congestive heart failure. I agree completely with their conclusion that the clinical diagnosis of congestive heart failure, based on clinical evaluation and chest roentgenogram, is a valid predictor of mortality and provides information independent of the radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction in determining prognosis in these patients. In this era of high technology, laboratory studies cannot substitute for a careful clinical assessment. The authors are so correct when they said "Rather, it is the thorough clinician who judiciously orders and interprets tests of cardiac function who can best make an accurate prognosis." 1 I would like to make three comments. First, although the title of the article is "Prognosis in Ischemic Heart Disease," the text concerns exclusively congestive heart failure, one of the