Purpose: A new bidirectional micro multileaf collimator (mMLC) from Acculeaf has been installed in our department. The purpose of this study is to commission the micro multileaf collimator system for Monte Carlo dose calculations. Materias and Methods: The mMLC is attached on a Varian 600C linac. The mMLC is able to shape the field in the two orthogonal directions with four banks of leaves. The maximum field size that is allowable with mMLC attached is 10cm × 10cm. The Monte Carlo commissioning of the system was performed in two steps. Commissioning of the 6MV beam alone and then commissioning with the mMLC on. The EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code was used to simulate the linac and the mMLC. Phase space files were scored before the linac jaws, and after the mMLC for several field sizes. When the mMLC is attached the field size defined by the linac jaws is 10cm × 10cm. Results: For the commissioning of the linac, several fields of various sizes were simulated and compared against measurement in water using ion chamber. Several fields, rectangular and irregular were simulated and compared against measurements in water when the mMLC was in place. The data collected were depth dose curves, dose profiles at various depths and output factors for different field sizes. Conclusions: Agreement between measured and calculated data was better than 1% and less than 1.0mm in the penumbra region for the linac part. With mMLC attached the agreement between measurements and calculations is within 2% and 1.5 mm in the penumbra region.


Sub-Saharan African communities face an urgent need for affordable housing, new working and learning environments, and new technologies to support sustainable development. This paper reframes the Smart City concept in the Sub-Saharan African context and provides insights to the main research questions: 1. How can inclusive engagement process for Smart Community enhanced in an African context? 2. What kinds of information and communication technology (ICT) tools can support such processes? We conducted a focus group study in Keetmanshoop, the Karas region in Southern Namibia. In addition, we interviewed eleven urban planning stakeholders about the urban development situation and participatory urban planning in Namibia. The study confirmed the view according to which participatory model and engagement of people is beneficial approach for the urban development. In terms of transparency and people having a voice in the process, the quality of urban development may be seen improved in terms of "building communities" with feeling of ownership from the community rather just than building houses for those in need. Keywords-Citizen-centric; Smart City; co-creation; virtual reality, Africa, developing economies.


Misunderstanding in intercultural communication may result from many different and possibly interacting sources such as inadequate perception, inappropriate comprehension at different linguistic levels, gaps in interlocutors' knowledge of the world, uncooperativeness on the part of one or both of the interlocutors, or their inability to assemble and realize an intercultural move that is expected by the partner at this particular point in the interaction. Given this complexity, any analysis of misunderstandings must be approached in an interdisciplinary manner such that different research traditions can be taken into account.In this article, an overview of a number of research traditions relevant for investigating intercultural misunderstandings is given and the results of an ongoing project featuring conversations from a corpus of naturally occurring everyday talk, fieldnotes and diary-entries as well as open role plays between members of different linguacultures are discussed. This primary data is triangulated by introspective reports, narrative interviews and metapragmatic assessment data.The results of this project essentially confirm the findings of earlier contrastive pragmatic analyses (German-English), which I conducted with different subjects, data and methodologies. Given this converging evidence, the assumption of deep-seated differences in communitive preferences and expectation patterns between members of the linguacultures I examined may not be totally unwarranted.


During a project focusing on the diversity of meat microbiota associated with beef ripening, a Pseudomonas strain was isolated exhibiting high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities (>99 %) to Pseudomonas carnis DSM 107652T, P. lactis DSM 29167T, P. paralactis DSM 29164T and P. azotoformans DSM 18862T. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete rpoB gene sequences of the isolate V5/DAB/2/5T indicated a separate branch with about 99.0 % nucleotide identities to the closest relatives P. carnis DSM 107652T, P. lactis DSM 29167T and P. paralactis DSM 29164T, while average nucleotide identities (ANIb) calculated from the draft genomes were 94.8, 94.2 and 90.2 %, respectively. Pairwise genome-to-genome distance calculations (GGDC) resulted in values of 67.7, 63.5 and 45.7 %, respectively, lying below the actual species demarcation line as well. A second isolate, UBT403, was detected some years later by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight MS of the microbiota of minced beef. The fatty acid profile of V5/DAB/2/5T consisted of C16 : 0, summed feature C 16 : 1 ω7c/iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C18 : 1 ω7c, C17 : 0 cyclo, C12 : 0, C12 : 0 3-OH, C10 : 0 3-OH and C12 : 0 2-OH. The major cellular lipids were aminopholipids, phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol; the major quinone was Q9 with a minor proportion of Q8. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterizations, the isolates can be considered as representing a novel species, for which the name Pseudomonas paracarnis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is V5/DAB/2/5T (=DSM 111363T=LMG 31846T); a second strain is UBT403 (=DSM 111362=LMG 31847).


The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is one of the artificial neural networks that perform vector quantization and vector projection simultaneously. Due to this characteristic, a SOM can be visualized twice: through the out-put space, which means considering the vector projection perspective, and through the input data space, em-phasizing the vector quantization process. This paper aims at the idea of presenting high-dimensional clusters that are 'disjoint objects' as groups of pairwise disjoint simple geometrical objects – like 3D-spheres for in-stance. We expand current cluster visualization methods to gain better overview and insight into the existing clusters. We analyze the classical SOM model, insisting on the topographic product as a measure of degree of topology preservation and treat that measure as a judge tool for admissible neural net dimension in dimension reduction process. To achieve better performance and more precise results we use the SOM batch algorithm with toroidal topology. Finally, a software solution of the approach for mobile devices like iPad is presented


In today's world, traditional media models are withering and social media started to affect the several industries. The automotive industry is one of the industries, which affected and influenced by social media up to a significant amount. Turkish Automotive consumers' attention have quickly transitioned to social media as well. Thus, the Turkish Automotive brands have recognize this new phenomenon and adopt their strategies accordingly. This study discuss the effectiveness of social media and Facebook strategies of Turkish Automotive brands for the brands with considering the automotive social media audience' behaviors. The study also propose insights and a model for the automotive brands to increase their performance within social media platform.


Emerging data suggest the bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid (ZOL), exerts both indirect and direct anti-tumoral effects by decreasing tumor cell proliferation, increasing apoptosis, and inhibiting angiogenesis. Recent data indicate that anti-angiogenic factors exert cellular effects via suppression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation/respiration and elevation of intracellular ROS levels. This project intended to define proteins involved in response to ZOL-treatment of an osteotropic breast cancer cell line, MDA-231BO. Results demonstrate that MDA-231BO cells are more sensitive to ZOL cytotoxicity and salutary effects are both media- and calcium-dependent. To investigate pro-apoptotic mechanisms of ZOL, total RNA, whole cell protein lysates, or mitochondrial-enriched fractions were isolated from MDA-231BO cells and using a combination of RT-PCR, 1D/2D-PAGE separation and MALDI-MS/MS, we identified several angiogenesis inhibitors that were upregulated and pro-angiogenic factors that were downregulated after ZOL treatment. Functional studies demonstrate the improved efficacy of ZOL on MDA-231BO compared to MDA-MB-231 controls. Taken together, these results further support a model that ZOL tips the 'angiogenic switch' in favor of anti-angiogenic factors in cancer cells with a propensity for bone metastases. Partial research support came from NIH 5P20MD002732 Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4261. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4261


Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 5-1-6 identifies a 51-kDa protein (p51) on rat podocyte foot processes and causes severe complement- and leukocyte-independent proteinuria when injected into rats. In the studies reported here, we used various immunohistological techniques to define the precise location of p51 and its relationship to ZO-1, a known component of the podocyte slit diaphragm in adult rat glomeruli. Our results demonstrate that p51 and ZO-1 lie close to each other on opposite sides of the podocyte plasma membrane at the point of insertion of the slit diaphragm: ZO-1 on the cytoplasmic face and p51 on the slit diaphragm and adjoining outer leaflet of the plasma membrane bordering the filtration slits. In addition to their geographic proximity, there appears to be a relationship between p51 and ZO-1. After MAb 5-1-6 injection, there was a progressive decline in stainable ZO-1 in the podocytes of heavily proteinuric rats. In addition, Western blot analysis of glomerular lysates showed that the decline in staining was due to a loss of immunoreactive ZO-1 rather than redistribution or diffusion of the protein. Simultaneously, the distribution of glomerular-bound MAb 5-1-6 became more clumped, apparently because of partial endocytosis into a lysosomal compartment, while the slit diaphragms remained morphologically intact. These findings suggest that MAb 5-1-6 alters the molecular composition of the slit diaphragm and thereby affects the glomerular permeability barrier.


A finite element method for the compaction process of metallic powder is introduced in the present work. Basic equations for the finite element formulation are summarized. A yield criterion, which is modified by describing asymmetric behavior of powder metal compacts, is introduced and applied to a certain class of powdered metal compaction processes. Two-level flanged solid cylindrical components are analyzed in three different compacting methods with three different compact geometries. The simulation results are summarized in terms of relative density distribution within compacts, pressure distributions along the die-wall interfaces, load-stroke relationships of each punch, average densities as functions of height and radius of the compact, respectively, and average densities of pin and head. For each compact from different compacting method, the best pressing method is chosen for uniform density distributions within the compact.


Pulse Tube Refrigerator (PTR), a regenerative cryocooler is used in cryogenic cooling applications. Thermodynamic and numerical models help in estimating the operation parameters, analysing and thereby predicting the performance of a PTR. A one dimensional simulation model for analytical studies, design and optimization of the regenerator geometry for improving the performance of the PTR is developed. The simulation program is based on the equations obtained from applying the ideal gas laws, energy and mass balances in the Orifice PTR (OPTR). Predictions by the simulation program of the thermodynamic performance are compared with published experimental results (Kral et al , 1992) to validate the program. At 274 K, the refrigerating effect predicted by the program is 12.689 W, whereas the experimental value is 11.57 W, a difference of around 9%. Conflicting requirements for regeneration are satisfied by selecting appropriate material and size of wire screen mesh type regenerator. Based on empirical understanding hybrid regenerators have been used instead of single mesh, showing improved performances. A mathematical model simulating the regenerator is developed and solved numerically. Unconstrained optimisation technique with univariate search method is adopted to design optimal hybrid regenerators and is integrated with the simulation program. Using a hybrid regenerator, instead of single mesh regenerator used in Kral's experiments, the regenerator effectiveness increases by 0.16% and pressure drop decreases by 29.2% when compared to single mesh regenerators. Hybrid regenerators improve the refrigeration capacity of the OPTR system by as much as 40%. The validated simulation program can be used for the design and development of high performance OPTR.


Dual process models of recognition memory assume that memory retrieval can be based on two distinct processes: an assessment of a context-free feeling of familiarity or on the reinstatement of specific context attributes that have been bound together to form a representation of the study episode during encoding (recollection). Recent neurophysiological evidence suggests that familiarity and recollection are mediated by different medial temporal lobe circuitries and accomplished by different binding mechanisms. The assessment of familiarity has been associated with intra-item binding mechanisms of the perirhinal cortex, whereas the explicit retrieval of specific details of a study episode depends on inter-item binding mechanisms mediated by the hippocampal formation and the prefrontal cortex. A related line of evidence for the independence of these memory processes comes from the examination of patients with selective lesions: Vargha-Khadem et al. (1997) reported three cases of early bilateral hypoxic lesions restricted to the hippocampus. Although these patients were unable to acquire and to retrieve episodic information, they were unlike most adult amnesics clearly able to acquire semantic knowledge after their injury. We examined the developmental aspects of recollection and familiarity by means of an event-related potential (ERP) study in two groups of children (6–8 years, 10–12 years) and young adults (20–29 years). Topographical differences of ERP components between the age groups were found in the memory task, but not in an auditory discrimination (oddball) task, suggesting that ERP differences between groups can be ascribed to differential memory processes rather than to general age differences. Our findings support the view of a differential development of recollection and familiarity. We discuss these findings in the light of different memory strategies in children as indicated by a generally lower performance level and a more conservative response criterion.


People with low incomes tend to make less healthy consumption choices than do high income people. In the case of food, agricultural economists have investigated whether this is due to the cost of a healthy diet. Studies of various aspects of the nutrition-income nexus have generally been inconclusive. We investigate a different possibility, motivated by the fact that low income individuals are most likely to be smokers, which cannot be due to limited budgets. Drawing on a body of related literature, we develop a model in which income serves not only as a budget constraint but also as a source of future utility. We test the model by estimating logistic models of beginning and quitting smoking. We find support for the idea that low income consumers make less healthy choices because they face lower costs in terms of foregone future utility.


Simulation of local process disturbances is a computationally intensive task. The VLASIC (VLSI LAyout Simulation for Integrated Circuits) catastrophic-fault yield simulator uses a Monte Carlo method that often requires tens of CPU hours to perform a simulation. In order to reduce the simulation time, DVLASIC, the distributed-environment version developed by the authors, achieves a speedup of 13.3 over VLASIC, with an efficiency of 89%. The authors describe the distributed processing environment and implementation techniques used to obtain this speedup. The distributed processing environment can also be applied to many other CAD problems. >


The adrenomedulla‐imaging agent meta‐iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is concentrated by various tumours of neuro‐ectodermal origin. Radio‐iodinated [131I]MIBG is therefore increasingly used for diagnosis and therapy of these disorders. To study the cause of thrombocytopenia associated with [131l]MIBG therapy, we investigated the uptake of MIBG in human platelets in comparison with that of serotonin. Specific imipramine‐sensitive uptake of [131I]MIBG was much slower than of [3H]serotonin, but after prolonged incubation high and serotonin‐equivalent uptake levels were observed. Accumulation of MIBG saturated at 10‐ to 100‐fold higher concentration than serotonin, and the affinity for uptake and intracellular storage in platelets was much higher for serotonin than for MIBG. Conversely, serotonin was not detectably concentrated by neuro‐adrenergic Uptake‐I in SK‐N‐SH neuroblastoma and PC 12 pheochromocytoma cells. Fluvoxamine inhibited the uptake of norepinephrine and MIBG in PC 12 cells, similarly to that of serotonin in platelets. However, the drug was 100‐fold more effective in inhibiting platelet transport of MIBG than of serotonin. The results indicate that MIBG uptake in platelets is not mediated by a neuro‐adrenergic Uptake‐I, but probably proceeds via the serotonin transport system. MIBG concentration by platelets was at least as efficient as in neuro‐adrenergic tumour cells and has therefore (radio)biological potential for injuring these cells or precursor megakaryocytes. Platelet uptake of MIBG could be selectively blocked by fluvoxamine in concentrations which minimally affected its accumulation in neuro‐adrenergic target cells.


Widespread evidence shows that the modern rates of extinction in many plants and animals exceed background rates in the fossil record. In the present article, I investigate this issue with regard to North American freshwater fishes. From 1898 to 2006, 57 taxa became extinct, and three distinct populations were extirpated from the continent. Since 1989, the numbers of extinct North American fishes have increased by 25%. From the end of the nineteenth century to the present, modern extinctions varied by decade but significantly increased after 1950 (post-1950s mean = 7.5 extinct taxa per decade). In the twentieth century, freshwater fishes had the highest extinction rate worldwide among vertebrates. The modern extinction rate for North American freshwater fishes is conservatively estimated to be 877 times greater than the background extinction rate for freshwater fishes (one extinction every 3 million years). Reasonable estimates project that future increases in extinctions will range from 53 to 86 species by 2050.


The Greek Vergina strain of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus was studied in comparison with 7 other strains by molecular hybridization of nucleic acids and by clinicomorphological markers of pathogenicity for monkeys and Syrian hamsters. By the genetical features the Vergina strain differed from the eastern and western TBE subtypes but was found to be similar to the strains of other subtypes of the Urals-Siberian, east-Siberian (Aina-1448) and Central Asian antigenic variant. This group of strains hybridized with cDNA at 65 degrees C only in the absence of 50% formamide, reacted with probe 1115 complementary to protein E gene, with 1-3 probes complementary to the conservative region of the genome but did not react with the probes corresponding to the variable regions of the genome. The Vergina strain is close to TBE genotype III. The Vergina strain was found to be virulent inducing subacute meningoencephalomyelitis which developed slowly and was accompanied by less marked morphological lesions in the cerebral cortex than those induced by the eastern subtype. The Vergina strain was demonstrated to persist in the brain, liver, spleen, and lymph node tissues.


Cells cooperate, compete, and are attacked in nature, driving the evolution of mechanisms for recognizing self versus non-self. Filamentous fungal cells cooperate to form an interconnected colony while competing with genetically dissimilar colonies... Cells rarely exist alone, which drives the evolution of diverse mechanisms for identifying and responding appropriately to the presence of other nearby cells. Filamentous fungi depend on somatic cell-to-cell communication and fusion for the development and maintenance of a multicellular, interconnected colony that is characteristic of this group of organisms. The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a model for investigating the mechanisms of somatic cell-to-cell communication and fusion. N. crassa cells chemotropically grow toward genetically similar cells, which ultimately make physical contact and undergo cell fusion. Here, we describe the development of a Pprm1-luciferase reporter system that differentiates whether genes function upstream or downstream of a conserved MAP kinase (MAPK) signaling complex, by using a set of mutants required for communication and cell fusion. The vast majority of these mutants are deficient for self-fusion and for fusion when paired with wild-type cells. However, the Δham-11 mutant is unique in that it fails to undergo self-fusion, but chemotropic interactions and cell fusion are restored in Δham-11 + wild-type interactions. In genetically dissimilar cells, chemotropic interactions are regulated by genetic differences at doc-1 and doc-2, which regulate prefusion non-self recognition; cells with dissimilar doc-1 and doc-2 alleles show greatly reduced cell-fusion frequencies. Here, we show that HAM-11 functions in parallel with the DOC-1 and DOC-2 proteins to regulate the activity of the MAPK signaling complex. Together, our data support a model of integrated self and non-self recognition processes that modulate somatic cell-to-cell communication in N. crassa.


ABSTRACT Small toothed whales of the family Phocoenidae and delphinid genus Cephalorhynchus produce long-duration, narrowband biosonar clicks above 100 kHz, that might be seen as an adaptation for short range echolocation in shallow water. This paper presents data showing that the distantly related, and larger pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps (Kogiidae), that is a deep-diving, cephalopod-eating toothed whale, produce narrow-banded high frequency (NBHF) clicks identical to those of Phocoena and Cephalorhynchus (f0 = 130 kHz, Q3dB>10, duration > 80 msec). Thus, NBHF biosonar signals have evolved on three independent occasions in the odontocete suborder, but the apparent functional convergence does not relate to anatomical or niche similarity. Rather, it is suggested that a biosonar strategy adapting to a minimum in ocean ambient noise above 100 kHz in concert with high Q auditory filters have led to convergent evolution of the NBHF biosonar clicks. Since these biosonar signals carry all their energy at frequencies above the upper hearing limit of the killer whale Orcinus orca, predator avoidance may also have been a evolutionary shaping factor of the sonar signals from these non-whistling odontocetes.


Abstract The Sestola Vidiciatico tectonic Unit (SVU) accommodated the early Miocene convergence between the subducting Adriatic plate and the overriding Ligurian prism, and has been interpreted as a field analogue for the shallow portion of subduction megathrusts. The SVU incorporated sediments shortly after their deposition and was active down to burial depth corresponding to temperatures around 150 °C. Here, we describe the internal architecture of the basal thrust fault of the SVU through a multi-scale structural analysis and investigate the evolution of the deformation mechanisms with increasing burial depth. At shallow depth, the thrust developed in poorly lithified sediments which deformed by particulate flow. With increasing depth and lithification of sediments, deformation was accommodated in a meter scale, heterogeneous fault zone, including multiple strands of crack-and-seal shear veins, associated with minor distributed shearing in clay-rich domains and pressure solution. In the last stage, slip localized along a sharp, 20 cm thick shear vein, deactivating the fault zone towards the footwall. The widespread formation of crack-and-seal shear veins since the first stages of lithification indicates that failure along the thrust occurred at high fluid pressure and low differential stress already at shallow depth. Progressive shear localization occurs in the last phases of deformation, at temperatures typical of the transition to the seismogenic zone in active megathrusts.


Today, SiGe HBT and MOSFET cut-off frequencies are higher than 230 GHz (Chevalier et al., 2004) and this increase allows new millimeter wave (MMW) applications on silicon such as 60 GHz WLAN and 77 GHz automotive radar. This study focuses on a wireless communication block with the antenna integration. Functions such as amplifier and filter have been used to perform this block. This is a demonstration of individual component integration and co-integration with antenna/LNA matching. Antenna achieved on advanced sub 120nm HCMOS high resistivity silicon on insulator (HR SOI) (p >1 kOhms.cm) has been designed and integrated. A low noise amplifier (LNA) and a filter have been retained for this first chain. Antenna and block characterizations are led on a dedicated on-wafer test bench. Antenna performances in term of gain and radiation pattern are given. A communication link has been then established between a single antenna (-2 dB gain) and the full communication block with a -19 dB transmission gain at 40 GHz


In this article we explore various network layer concepts that play a crucial role in the design of mobile networking systems. We show that mobility is essentially an address translation problem and is best resolved at the network layer. We describe services that must be supported at the network layer to carry out the task of address translation. Using these service primitives as building blocks, we describe a network-layer architecture which enables smooth integration of mobile end systems within the existing Internet. A summary of some of the key Mobile IP proposals is presented, and it is shown that each proposal can be viewed as a special case of the architecture outlined in this article.


BACKGROUND
Studies have revealed that cancer might be treated with cannabinoids since they can influence cancer cell survival. These findings suggest an alternative treatment option to chemo- and radiotherapy, that are associated with numerous adverse side-effects for the patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Viability staining was conducted on lung cancer, testicular cancer and neuroblastoma cells treated with different concentrations of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 and the percentage of dead cells was compared. Activity of apoptosis-related enzymes was investigated by the presence of DNA ladder in gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS
Treatment with different WIN 55,212-2 concentrations led to a significant dose-dependent reduction of cell viability. A DNA ladder was observed after WIN 55,212-2 treatment of testicular cancer and lung cancer cells.

CONCLUSION
The application of WIN 55,212-2 was found to trigger cell death in the investigated cell lines. The decline in lung cancer and testicular cancer cell viability seems to have been caused by apoptosis. These findings may contribute to development of alternative cancer therapy strategies.


This article talks about how the study of how humans perceive faces can be used to help design practical systems for face recognition. Besides applications related to identification and verification-such as access control, law enforcement, ID and licensing, and surveillance-face recognition has also proven useful in applications such as human-computer interaction, virtual reality, database retrieval, multimedia, and computer entertainment. Continuing research into face recognition will provide scientists and engineers with many vital projects, in areas such as homeland security, human-computer interaction, and numerous consumer applications. The areas we are considering pursuing are recognition from unconstrained video sequences, incorporating familiarity into algorithms, modeling effects of aging, and developing biologically plausible models for human face recognition ability.


The iron deficiency anemia
is relatively common among young women in Tunisia. Phytotherapy has a place in
the treatment of this deficiency anemia. Objective: The objective of this work
is to describe the perception of anemic women vis-a-vis
the use of herbs and dietary and adapted through a survey in Greater Tunis.
Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 124 anemic women, recruited
from public health facilities in Greater Tunis. Results: The majority of women
surveyed (84.7%) had secondary or university education, 10.5% primary and 4.8%
were illiterate. Among the women surveyed, 93.5% received a replacement
iron-based medical treatment. Among the iron-rich foods, they are legumes that
were most appreciated by almost all respondents. While food sources of vitamin
B12 and folate were ignored by the majority of women (68%). Two out of three
women were unaware of the importance of meat products as the main source of
iron, vitamin B12 and folate. Almost half of the women had the habit of
consuming tea every day just after meals and they convict that increases the
amount of blood. The frequency of the use of traditional medicinal plants by
women surveyed in order to treat their anemia was 40%. These women were often
advised to use plants by other anemic women and traditional herbalists whose
skills in this area were acquired by experience and transmitted from father to
son without adequate scientific training. The plants most frequently used were
fenugreek, cumin, oregano, rosemary and parsley. Conclusion: These data clearly
found the need to intervene for better education of women and girls by the
establishment of a nutrition education program associated with other
environmental actions. If herbal keeps a place in iron deficiency anemia, the
practice of herbal medicine and the preparation of its remedies require the
acquisition of institutional competence within the public health authorities
whose training must be constantly updated.


It is recognized that change management is necessary for information technology implementation success. While there are a growing number of interorganizational systems (IOS) designed for the public, there is little study of and lack of clear guidelines on managing change related to their implementation. This research explores the phenomenon through the case study of a country-wide farecard system implemented in Singapore's public transportation system that involved several organizations and the public. Through the case analysis, we identified critical success factors (CSFs) for change management in IOS for the public and interrelated them using a causal loop diagram (CLD). These factors included refinements of existing CSFs identified from the literature as well as new CSFs from our case study. Our case analysis showed that communication through senior management and cooperation of affected organizations in the system implementation was able to overcome resistance to change in these organizations. We also found that while comprehensive publicity could initiate change in the public, a critical mass had to be built up for managing public change by coopting public opinion leaders as well. By interrelating CSFs identified in the case via a CLD, this study provides a preliminary theoretical framework for studying change management in IOS for the public and aims to guide practitioners in implementing such systems.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the adherence to the Mediterranean diet of a university population and to analyze several factors that may condition its nutritional quality.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Distribution of the Kidmed test to a random sample of 570 university students. The Kidmed index (0-12) indicated whether the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low (0-3), intermediate (4-7) or high (8-12). The gender, age, weight, height, and body mass index were gathered from each participant, as well as the type of residence and the province of origin.

RESULTS
The sample comprised 217 men and 353 women aged 18-25 years. 9.5% of the university students had a low Kidmed index, 62.1% intermediate, and 28.4% high. Those students living at their parental home had a high percentage of adherence (35.6%), significantly higher (p < 0.05) to that of those living at a student's residence (11.1%) or at a student's apartment (11.2%). Overweighed students had a low percentage of adherence (15.5%), significantly higher (p < 0.05) to those with a normal nutritional situation (8.5%).

CONCLUSIONS
71.6% of university students need to improve their dietary pattern (low to intermediate adherence to the Mediterranean diet), and we could observe a certain family factor of preservation of the traditional dietary habits. Those university students with low adherence had a higher risk for being overweighed. It would be convenient to develop nutritional education programs in the university curricula.


Introduction: Absence of the ductus venosus (ADV) is a rare vascular anomaly often associated with fetal cardiac/extracardiac anomalies, aneuploidies, and hydrops. This study assesses the abnormal venous circulation, associated malformations, and chromosomal anomalies of ADV. Materials and Methods: The authors performed a retrospective study of 14 cases with ADV diagnosed by the prenatal ultrasound in tertiary referral center from 2009 to 2017. Results: The authors detected 14 patients of ADV. Karyotyping was offered to all cases, and four patients accepted the procedure. Normal karyotype was found in three out of four cases, while one case had 45,X0. Five cases underwent termination of pregnancy, six cases died at neonatal period due to accompanying cardiac anomalies, and heart failure. Three cases survived (the oldest baby is 4-years-old now). Umbilical vein (UV) was connected to portal venous system (PVS) in two cases (intrahepatic drainage, one of them is surviving), while UV was connected to systemic venous circulation in 12 cases (extrahepatic drainage, two of them are surviving). In five cases there was no other reason that might explain cardiomegaly and hydrops except ADV (two of them is surviving). Three cases were diagnosed as cystic hygroma in first trimester additionally found ADV. All of surviving fetuses delivered after 35th weeks of gestation. Conclusion: The presence fetal hydrops, accompanying congenital anomalies, and prematurity are associated with poor prognosis in fetuses with ADV. In isolated cases, the prognosis is generally good.


We have used the technique of antibody reshaping to produce a humanized antibody specific for the alpha toxin of Clostridium perfringens. The starting antibody was from a mouse hybridoma from which variable (V) region nucleotide sequences were determined. The complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) from these V regions were then inserted into human heavy and light chain V region genes with human constant region gene fragments subsequently added. The insertion of CDRs alone into human frameworks did not produce a functional reshaped antibody and modifications to the V region framework were required. With minor framework modifications, the affinity of the original murine mAb was restored and even exceeded. Where affinity was increased, an altered binding profile to overlapping peptides was observed. Computer modelling of the reshaped heavy chain V regions suggested that amino acids adjacent to CDRs can either contribute to, or distort, CDR loop conformation and must be adjusted to achieve high binding affinity.


Three commonly used herbicides for use in broccoli were effective when applied alone or in combinations as a preplant incorporated (PPI) or a preemergence (PE) application. DCPA (Dacthal ®) at 10.0 lb product/A PE gave acceptable control of most weeds. Trifluralin (Treflan® SEC) at 1.0 pt/A and bensulide (Prefar® 4EC) PPI were also effective but mustard weeds were not adequately controlled. Combinations of the herbicides at lower rates did not provide any advantage in improving weed control efficacy.


Calpains become activated in the mammary gland early during weaning, cleaving several proteins located mainly in the cell membrane, but also in other organelles such as lysosomes, mitochondria and nuclei. By immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis, we have demonstrated the nuclear translocation of calpain-1 and calpain-2, together with the cleavage of several cytoplasmic nucleoporins in epithelial cells of the lobulo-alveolar compartment. In vivo and in vitro calpain inhibition prevented this nucleoporin degradation. In addition, calpain-1 was also present in the nucleus of non-epithelial mammary tissue cells, concomitant with adipocyte re-differentiation. Calpain-1 was internalized within nuclei and found to be present in the nuclear chromatin-enriched fraction, associated with histone H3. Furthermore, we have demonstrated, both in vivo and in vitro, the cleavage of the N-terminal residue of histone H3 by calpain-1. Calpain-1 co-localized with both H3K4me3 (histone H3 trimethylated at Lys4) and H3K27me3 (histone H3 trimethylated at Lys27) at the nuclear periphery, a bivalent epigenetic signal essential for cell differentiation. Using ChIP assays we could confirm the presence of calpain-1 in the promoters of key genes expressed in adipose tissue, such as Cebpa (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α) and Lep (leptin). The results of the present study highlight a dual role for calpain-1 in the weaned gland after the pregnancy/lactation cycle, controlling programmed cell death and participating in the epigenetic programme during adipocyte differentiation.


The ever-present gap between the growth of computational power in contrast to the capabilities of storage and network technologies makes I/O the bottleneck of a system. This is especially true for large-scale systems found in HPC. Over the years a number of different storage devices emerged each providing their own advantages and disadvantages. Fast memory elements such as RAM are very powerful but come with high acquisition costs. With limited budgets and the requirement for long-term storage over several decades, a different approach is needed. This led to a hierarchical structuring of different technologies atop of one another. While tape systems are capable of preserving large amounts of data reliably over 30 years, they are also the most affordable choice for this purpose. They form the bottom layer of the hierarchy, whereas high-throughput and low-latency devices like non-volatile RAM are located at the top. As the upper layers are limited in capacity due to their price, data migration policies are essential for managing the file movement between the different tiers in order to maximise the system's performance. Since data loss and downtime are a concern, these policies have to be evaluated in advance. Simulations of such hierarchical storage systems provide an alternative way of analysing the effects of placement strategies. Although there is consent that a generic simulator of diverse storage systems able to represent complex infrastructures is indispensable, the existing proposals lack a number of features. In this thesis, an emulator for hierarchical storage systems has been designed and implemented supporting a wide range of existing and future hardware as well as a flexible topology model. A second library is conceptualised on top offering a file handling interface to the application layer as well as a set of data migration schemes. Only minor changes are required to run an application on the emulated storage system. The validation shows a maximum performance of both libraries in the range of 7 to 9 GB per second when executed in RAM. Analysing the impact of the used block size lead to the recommendation to use at least 100 kB in order to maximise the resulting performance.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the surgical approaches, microsurgical techniques and therapeutic effect of modified cistern magna reconstruction for treating of syringomyelia with Chiari malformations.

METHODS
The clinical data of 35 patients with syringomyelia complicated by Chiari malformations were retrospectively reviewed, and the patients' chief complaints, presenting symptoms, neurological and radiographic findings, surgical approaches, outcomes, and complications were analyzed.

RESULTS
The radiographs revealed type I Chiari in 18 and type II Chiari malformations in these patients. Surgical treatment resulted in symptomatic improvements in 29 patients, and 6 patients showed no obvious changes in the symptoms after the surgery; 3 patients received subarachnoid shunting for syringomyelia. During the follow-up for a mean of 2 years, 32 patients showed obvious clinical improvement, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated complete spontaneous resolution of syringobulbia in 25 patients.

CONCLUSION
Modified cistern magna reconstruction relieves brainstem compression and restores the pulsatile flow of the cerebrospinal fluid at the cervicomedullary junction. Cerebellar tonsil reduction is performed chiefly by electric coagulation and cauterization combined with subpial resection, and the integrity of the pia mater should be maintained as much as possible to avoid potential adhesion and recurrence. The median foramens and Luschka of the fourth ventricle have to be opened to recover normal CSF circulation. Arachnoidal suspension and placement of a patulous dural graft are also important. Modified reconstruction of the cistern magna can be a good option for treatment of syringomyelia complicated by Chiari malformations.


: I have discussed 10 "new" diseases. Some produce heart disease, some produce strokes, and some may produce both heart disease and stroke. It is of great interest to me that some of them are due not to nature's ravages but to the ingestion of agents such as toxic oil, L-tryptophan, ergot, adriamycin, and psychotropic drugs. I classify these man-made diseases as "environmental" diseases. Use of some of the offending agents cannot be justified; for example, toxic oil and L-tryptophan are not needed. On the other hand, drugs such as ergot preparations are extremely useful when used properly.


Purpose To compare an intravitreal high-dose injection of triamcinolone acetonide versus an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for treatment of progressive exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods The comparative non-randomized retrospective clinical interventional study included 305 patients with progressive AMD, divided into a bevacizumab group of 36 patients (1.5 mg bevacizumab) and a triamcinolone group of 269 patients (about 20 mg triamcinolone). All patients were consecutively included, in the first phase of the study for triamcinolone, and in the second phase of the study for bevacizumab. Mean follow-up was 8.5 ± 6.8 months (2-35.7 months).

Results In the bevacizumab group, best visual acuity increased significantly (P<0.001) by 3.2±3.4 Snellen lines, with 25 (69%) eyes and 21 (58%) eyes, improving by at least 2 Snellen lines and 3 lines, respectively. In the triamcinolone group, the visual acuity change was not statistically significant whenever within the first 3 months. Maximal increase in visual acuity, visual acuity change at 2 months after injection, and the percentage of patients with an improvement by at least 2 Snellen lines and 3 lines were significantly (P<0.001) higher in the bevacizumab group than in the triamcinolone group. Intraocular pressure increased significantly (p<0.001) in the triamcinolone group, and did not change significantly (P=0.47) in the bevacizumab group.

Conclusion In exudative AMD, intravitreal bevacizumab (1.5mg) compared with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (about 20mg) results in a higher improvement of visual acuity and does not markedly influence intraocular pressure within 2 months after injection


To fully define the grammar of American Sign Language (ASL), a linguistic model of its nonmanuals needs to be constructed. While significant progress has been made to understand the features defining ASL manuals, after years of research, much still needs to be done to uncover the discriminant nonmanual components. The major barrier to achieving this goal is the difficulty in correlating facial features and linguistic features, especially since these correlations may be temporally defined. For example, a facial feature (e.g., head moves down) occurring at the end of the movement of another facial feature (e.g., brows moves up), may specify a Hypothetical conditional, but only if this time relationship is maintained. In other instances, the single occurrence of a movement (e.g., brows move up) can be indicative of the same grammatical construction. In the present paper, we introduce a linguistic–computational approach to efficiently carry out this analysis. First, a linguistic model of the face is used to manually annotate a very large set of 2,347 videos of ASL nonmanuals (including tens of thousands of frames). Second, a computational approach is used to determine which features of the linguistic model are more informative of the grammatical rules under study. We used the proposed approach to study five types of sentences – Hypothetical conditionals, Yes/no questions, Wh-questions, Wh-questions postposed, and Assertions – plus their polarities – positive and negative. Our results verify several components of the standard model of ASL nonmanuals and, most importantly, identify several previously unreported features and their temporal relationship. Notably, our results uncovered a complex interaction between head position and mouth shape. These findings define some temporal structures of ASL nonmanuals not previously detected by other approaches.


The spatial distribution of public hospitals is a crucial factor in patient access and thus important to health equity, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. In China, a major issue is to improve accessibility to public health care in the face of the limited space for further growth of cities. Therefore, this study assesses the current spatial accessibility patterns to public hospitals in Shanghai, using point density analysis and the comprehensively improved gravity model. The results identify the challenges of inadequate and imbalanced spatial distribution of public hospitals at the district level and show that the central urban area has more high-quality public health care resources and also has higher accessibility levels. Based on the comparisons in each district, the study also summarizes four policy implications for future public hospital and public health care system optimization in Shanghai, which can also be leveraged for the planning of public hospitals in other cities or other public service facilities. The first is to deploy public hospitals in areas with a large population and to introduce branches of top-level hospitals to noncentral areas. The second is the full utilization of community health service centers to relieve the burden of public hospitals to improve accessibility.


In pickup and delivery problems vehicles have to transport loads from origins to destinations without transshipment at intermediate locations. In this paper, we describe an algorithm to solve such problems. The algorithm is based on a set partitioning formulation of the problem and uses new column generation and branching schemes.


His450 of the large alpha-subunit of the multienzyme complex of fatty acid oxidation from Escherichia coli was recently identified as an essential catalytic residue of L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase [He, X-Y., & Yang, S.-Y. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 9625-9630]. To explore the roles of acidic residues in the dehydrogenase catalysis, every conserved acidic residue in the dehydrogenase functional domain except for those in the NAD-binding motif was replaced with alanine. The resulting mutant complexes were overproduced and characterized. Their component enzymes other than the dehydrogenase were affected very slightly. Removal of the beta-carboxyl group of Asp524 and Asp542 caused only a 3- and 4-fold, respectively, decrease in the catalytic efficiency of the dehydrogenase, thereby showing that their involvement in the dehydrogenase catalysis was limited. In contrast, the alpha/Glu462-->Ala mutant complex showed a greater than 160-fold reduction in the kcat of the dehydrogenase in the forward direction without a significant change of the k(m) for the substrate. The catalytic properties of the alpha/Glu462-->Gln mutant complex were found to be similar to those of the alpha/Glu462-->Ala mutant complex except that the kcat of the dehydrogenase in the backward direction was about 4-fold lower and the Km for the substrate of the thiolase was 6-fold higher. It is concluded that the negative charge of the gamma-carboxyl group of Glu462, but not its ability to form a hydrogen bond, is critical for its interaction with His450, thereby assisting in the catalysis of the dehydrogenase. The pKa of His450 in the E.NADH binary complex was virtually unchanged by the replacement of Glu462 with Ala or Gln. It seems that the binding of substrate is necessary for forming a strong interaction between His450 and Glu462 with the result that the electroneutrality in the active site is maintained and the activation energy of the reaction is lowered. Additionally, the negative charge of Glu462 increases the thermostability of the multienzyme complex.


ABSTRACT Relatively few studies have directly examined children's memory of object-based spatial structure of room-sized environments. The current study investigated how children remember the spatial structure of a room, and the role of pictorial working memory (WM) and different testing perspectives in this process. In Experiment 1, 80 children aged 5 to 7 years old participated in a memory of spatial structure task, a pictorial spatial WM task, and a verbal ability test. In the first task, participants explored a square-shaped virtual room where each wall was associated with different objects. The virtual room was viewed on a desktop monitor. Then they recalled wall scenes of different perspectives (0, 90, 180 degrees) relative to a reference wall. Results found that pictorial WM predicted memory of spatial structure after accounting for age and verbal ability. Different from perspective taking tasks, children rarely made egocentric errors. Moreover, the memory of spatial structure is perspective independent because there was no difference in performance between the 90 and 180 degrees conditions. We replicated the basic results in Experiment 2, where 77 children completed the same set of tasks except that the virtual room was round-shaped. Furthermore, the developmental trajectories of memory of spatial structure as a function of pictorial WM varied between different experiments and perspective conditions. Together, our study showed that children aged 5–7 years old could retrieve the spatial structure of a room-sized environment from diverse perspectives, which was also susceptible to pictorial WM capacity, perspectives, and geometric cues.


Background Beliefs and emotions drive behavior. Rheumatologists face a broad range of disorders, and delivering related information can be conflicting to patients' believes and thus evoke offensive emotions; in addition, rheumatologists may have feelings associated with diagnoses and project them with consequences in doctor-patient relationship. Objectives A) To explore connotations and potential offensiveness of 10 different mechanistic labels for rheumatic symptoms in new referred patients with musculoskeletal complaints. B) To explore the potential offensiveness of 10 different mechanistic scenarios in Mexican and Canadian rheumatologists. Methods A) Consecutive patients attending for the first time at rheumatology outpatient clinic in Mexico were interviewed (structured format) before they saw the rheumatologist. Patients were asked about feelings provoked (i.e. angry, hopeful, etc.) if the rheumatologist gave them one out of ten different mechanistic labels (i.e. stress, autoimmunity, etc.); the rheumatologist was asked then for a medical diagnosis. B) Canadian and Mexican rheumatologists were invited to answer an internet based structured questionnaire about the feelings they may have at the moment they identify each of the 10 different provided scenarios. The "offensive score" was calculated as the proportion of individuals who endorsed offensive feelings, as per protocol definitions; then, a "number needed to offend" (NNO) was calculated assuming an ideal world in which no one is ever offended and using standard estimates for number needed to harm. Results 150 patients were included, 78% were females, the mean age ± SD was 49±15 yr and formal education 9.5±4 yr. Overall, inheritance, degenerative and inflammatory labels had fewest negative connotations (NNO 16, 12 and 13, respectively), and psychological, functional, and "idiopathic" the most (NNO 3, 3 and 2). Recoding mechanistic labels into "organic" and "functional" the differences were significant (NNO 9 and 3). Stratification by rheumatic diagnosis, patients with inflammatory systemic diseases expressed more negative connotations with functional, "idiopathic" and "not sleeping well" labels (NNO 3 for each). Patients with diseases such as fibromyalgia accepted better autoimmune, inherited disease or inflammatory labels (NNO 17, 9 and 18, respectively) than psychological, functional and "idiopathic" labels (NNO 2, 3 and 1). By other hand, 186 Mexican rheumatologists (36% response rate) and 71 Canadian rheumatologists (23% response rate) answered the questionnaire. Overall, inflammatory and autoimmune labels had the fewest negative connotations (NNO 90 for both), and idiopathic and somatization the most (NNO 2 and 3). Recoding diagnosis labels into "organic" and "functional" the differences in the NNO were notable (51 and 4 for Mexicans and 47 and 5 for Canadians). No other significant differences were observed between Mexican and Canadian rheumatologist. Conclusions Receiving or giving mechanistic/explanatory labels clearly produce feelings and carries a risk to offend. In this study the NNO in patients and rheumatologists went from 1 to 90. Rheumatologists should seek better ways to deliver accurate information, avoiding idiopathic, functional and psychological labels. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The effects of the Si/H2 ratio on the growth of the epitaxial layer and on the epitaxial defects was studied in detail. A large increase of the growth rate has been observed with the increase of the silicon flux in the CVD reactor. Close to a Si/H2 ratio of 0.05 % silicon nucleation in the gas phase occurs producing a great amount of silicon particles that precipitate on the wafers. The epitaxial layers grown with a Si/H2 ratio of 0.03% show a low defect density and a low leakage current of the Schottky diodes realized on these wafers. For these diodes the DLTS spectra show thepresence of several peaks at 0.14, 0.75, 1.36 and 1.43 eV. For epitaxial layers grown with higher values of the Si/H2 ratio and then with an higher growth rate, the leakage current of the Schottky diodes increases considerably.


I present the contribution of gluinos and scalar quarks to the decay rate of the top quark into a charged Higgs boson and a bottom quark within the minimal supersymmetric standard model, including the mixing of the scalar partners of the left-and right-handed top quark. I show that for certain values of the supersymmetric parameters the standard QCD loop corrections to this decay mode are diminished or enhanced by several tens of per cent. I show that not only the small value of 3 GeV for the gluino mass (small mass window) but also much larger values of several hundreds of GeV's have a non-neglible effect on this decay rate, against general belief. Last but not least, if the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the Higgs bosons are taken in the limit of v 1 ≪ v 2 I obtain a drastic enhancement due to a tan β dependence in the couplings.


ABSTRACT Mineralogical and carbon and oxygen stable isotope compositions in siderite-rich concretions from a marsh within the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain are highly variable. The concretions have sideritic interiors and become more calcitic and dolomitic (ankeritic) near their margins. 13C values of these concretions range from - 10.0 to + 7.4 (PDB) and 1*O values range from -2.4 to - 8.9 (PDB). The stable isotope compositions exhibit two general trends. One is a growth trend that shows 13C an 18O depletion from the centers to the margins of the nodules and bands. The other is a progressive burial trend that shows 13C enrichments and 18O depletions at the centers of the concretions with depth. A zonal model for carbonate precipitation with emphasis on an early fresh water, non-sulfidic, methanic phase, followed by a sulfidic stage associated with marine inundation of the marsh, explains much of the observed carbon isotopic variations. Mixing of fluids plus precipitation in a partially closed chemical microsystem accounts for most of the oxygen isotope fractionations documented between growth layers and casts doubt on the utility of change in 18O shifts as an indicator of depth or relative temperature of concretion formation for concretions that form in coastal environments.


Purpose
The aim of this paper is presenting a new application of material obtained from the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) recycling process from electronic equipment housings. Elements of computer monitors were used to prepare re-granulate, which in turn was used to manufacture a filament for fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing technology.

Design/methodology/approach
The geometry of test samples (i.e. dumbbell and bar) was obtained in accordance with the PN-EN standards. Samples made with the FFF technology were used to determine selected mechanical properties and to compare the results obtained with the properties of ABS re-granulate mould pieces made with the injection moulding technology. The GATE device manufactured by 3Novatica was used to make the prototypes with the FFF technology. Processing parameters were tested with the use of an Aflow extrusion plastometer manufactured by Zwick/Roell and other original testing facilities. Tests of mechanical properties were performed with a Z030 universal testing machine, a HIT 50P pendulum impact tester and a Z3106 hardness tester manufactured by Zwick/Roell.

Findings
The paper presents results of tests performed on a filament obtained from the ABS re-granulate and indicates characteristic processing properties of that material. The properties of the new secondary material were compared with the available original ABS materials that are commonly used in the additive technology of manufacturing geometrical objects. The study also presents selected results of tests of functional properties of ABS products made in the FFF technology.

Originality/value
The test results allowed authors to assess the possibility of a secondary application of used elements of electronic equipment housings in the FFF technology and to compare the strength properties of products obtained with similar products made with the standard injection moulding technology.


Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is associated with progressive social cognitive impairment. Currently a comprehensive pathophysiological model allowing disease effects to be understood and anticipated at the level of the whole brain is lacking. In this thesis I explored candidate cognitive operations underpinning complex behaviours in patients with the canonical syndromes of FTLD; behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and semantic dementia (SD). I correlated behavioural deficits with brain network disintegration using the structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, voxel based morphometry (VBM). I created synthetic scenes to manipulate congruity across semantic and emotional domains (Chapter 3) and showed deficits across both patient groups. The deficits have grey matter correlates in prefronto-parieto-temporo-insular network and a temporo-insulo-striatal network. I used music as a non-verbal syntactic probe to investigate reward anticipation and valuation (Chapter 4) and demonstrated dissociable deficits across dementias. Performance was associated with grey matter in a distributed network including anterior temporal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), previously implicated in computing diverse rewards. I created a novel neuropsychological test of humorous intent (Chapter 5) to model incongruity processing. bvFTD demonstrates a particular difficulty decoding novel humorous situations while SD produces a more general deficit of humour detection. Humour detection accuracy was associated with temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and anterior superior temporal cortical volume which are hubs for processing incongruity and semantic associations. To assess the relevance of these findings (Chapter 5) to daily life behaviour I explored humour preferences across dementias (Chapter 6). Altered sense of humour is particularly salient in bvFTD and SD, but also frequent in AD and may predate more typical symptoms. In conclusion, impairment in incongruity processing and reward allocation was shown across paradigms. The neuroanatomical networks underpinning these processes overlapped with areas known to be targeted by FTLD. These processes have implications for our understanding of the social dysfunction that defines bvFTD.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver neoplasm and current systemic chemotherapy are mostly ineffective. Paclitaxel (PTX) has a clinically significant effect on many malignant tumors. Cells treated with PTX undergo reversible mitotic arrest and although high doses can cause side effects it may also induce apoptosis. We investigated the effect of a sequential combination of PTX and RO3306, a cyclin-dependent kinase 1 inhibitor, on the hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line. The sequential drug treatment protocol involved the addition of PTX (0.2 μmol/L) for 18 h followed by RO3306 (2 μmol/L) for a further 6 h. Cell viability and proliferation were measured using tetrazolium dye (MTT) and colony formation assay. Cell cycle profiles were established by flow cytometry. The expression level of protein was examined by immunoblotting. We observed a synergistic effect of PTX and RO3306 treatment on cell growth and proliferation as well as an increased proportion of cells in sub-G1 phase. Expression levels of cyclin B, cyclin E and phosphorylated Histone H3 demonstrated that RO3306 enhanced apoptosis in PTX treated cells by mitotic slippage. Our data suggested that the combination of PTX and RO3306 may be an effective therapeutic combination for the treatment of liver cancer.


Abstract : A comparison of the critical surface tension of wetting of new but commercially available polymeric solids revealed that a group of polyfluoroesters had the lowest values of any plastics or other solids yet reported. In order to assess their possible utility in cert/in new potential naval applications, experimental studies were made on the effect of high humidity and immersion in organic liquids on thin coatings of the two fluorinated polyesters. No changes in coating adhesion to the underlying resin or metal surface were found after such exposures. Prevention of spreading by fine instrument oils on surfaces of substances such as stainless steel, sapphire, and Pyrex glass was also investigated. The results showed these polymer coatings will have future usefulness in several new types of applications among which are prevention of liquid penetration in electrical, electronic, and mechanical equipment; parting agents or abhesives for mold release applications; barriers to prevent oil spreading in fine instruments; and reduction of surface electrical leakage. (Author)


This article reports the results of a web-based survey of real estate portfolio managers in the pension fund industry. The study focused on ascertaining the real estate research interests of the respondents as well as whether or not research funding should be allocated to various research topics. Performance measures of real estate assets and portfolios, microeconomic factors affecting real estate and the role of real estate in a mixed-asset portfolio were the top three real estate research interests. There was some variation by the type and size of fund providing evidence that segmentation is important within the money management industry. Respondents were also queried on more focused research subtopics and additional questions in the survey focused on satisfaction with existing real estate benchmarks, and perceptions of the usefulness of published research. Findings should be used to guide research practitioners and academics as to the most important research interests of plan sponsor real estate investment managers.


In a repeat business context, past experiences with a service provider affect customers' decisions to renew their contract. How should a strategic firm manage customized service over time to maximize the long-term value from each customer relationship? We propose a dynamic model that relies on behavioral theories and empirical evidence to capture the effect of past service experiences on service quality expectations, customer satisfaction, and retention. Although firms can benefit from managing service expectations at the beginning of a relationship, we find that varying service in the long run is not optimal. Behavioral regularities explain the structure of optimal service policies and limit the value of responsive service. Loss aversion expands the range of optimal constant policies; however, if satisfying experiences are more salient, then firms should constantly vary service levels. Loyal or high-margin customers need not warrant better service; those who anchor less on past service experiences do---provided that retention is improved by better past experiences. The effect of customer memory on service levels is determined by whether habituation or rather goodwill drives defection decisions.

This paper was accepted by Christian Terwiesch, operations management.


Experimental design is an important factor to assess the composite relations between dependent and interdependent variables in scientific research. To assess the associations precisely between the factors that involve in experimental design requires more sophisticated methods in the analysis process. CART is a non-parametric method that analysis complex relations between dependent and independent variables with group effects by classifying the sample into homogenous sub-groups and entering the model. Furthermore, CART has an advantage is that the analysis technique is free from the presumptions of multiple regression analysis such as normality, homogeneity, and interdependency of observations for parametric methods are ignored. The data was based on a survey among college students at Yuzuncu Yil University. The Limitedness Schemas Questionnaire, the General Self Efficacy Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 437 undergraduate collage students (313 males and 124 females). The data was analyzed by using CART analysis. Results were interpreted on a tree diagram obtained from statistical program with CART method. Relations between dependent and interdependent variables could be evaluated with the sub-group effects in the model. It was appeared that the sense of limitedness is a cognitive vulnerability factor for depression.


Dielectric laser-driven accelerators (DLAs) based on grating structures are considered to be one of the most promising technologies to reduce the size and cost of future particle accelerators. They offer high accelerating gradients of up to several GV/m in combination with mature lithographic techniques for structure fabrication. This paper numerically investigates the beam quality for acceleration of electrons in a realistic dual-grating DLA. In our simulations, we use beam parameters of the future Compact Linear Accelerator for Research and Applications facility to load an electron bunch into an optimized 100-period dual-grating structure where it interacts with a realistic laser pulse. The emittance, energy spread, and loaded accelerating gradient for modulated electrons are then analyzed in detail. Results from simulations show that an accelerating gradient of up to 1.13 ± 0.15 GV/m with an extremely small emittance growth, 3.6%, can be expected.


Recent studies suggest that the number of nerve terminals maintained per motoneuron and perhaps other motoneuron properties (Grinnell and Herrera, 1980a; Grinnell and Trussell, 1983) influence transmitter release. We have examined, in detail, the structure and function of motoneurons innervating two different twitch muscles, the sartorius and the ext. long. dig. IV (e.l.d.) in the adult frog using histochemical and electrophysiological techniques. These studies were undertaken with a view towards learning whether differences in the number of nerve terminals per motoneuron were correlated with differences in transmitter release between motoneurons innervating these two muscles. Moreover, these studies provide detailed, quantitative data that are a necessary prerequisite for carrying out additional studies to examine the possible influence of muscle on transmitter release properties. In low Ca2+-high Mg2+ Ringer's solution, mean quantal content (m) and miniature end-plate potential (MEPP) frequency were larger at sartorius than at e.l.d. end-plates. The mean length of nerve terminals was also found to be greater in sartorius than in e.l.d. muscles. When release was normalized for the difference in terminal length, m remained larger in the sartorius, whereas MEPP frequency in the two muscles was similar. Cell bodies of individual sartorius motoneurons were greater in cross-sectional area and maintained approximately 5.6-fold greater aggregate length of nerve terminals per motoneuron than did e.l.d. motoneurons. This greater aggregate length of nerve terminal contact with their respective target muscles is primarily a result of a greater number of nerve terminals supported by sartorius than by e.l.d. motoneurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Servers are a key element of current IT infrastructures, and must often deal with large numbers of concurrent requests. The programming language used to construct the server has an important role in engineering efficient server software, and must support massive concurrency on multicore machines with low communication and synchronisation overheads. This paper investigates 12 highly concurrent programming languages suitable for engineering servers, and analyses three representative languages in detail: Erlang, Go, and Scala with Akka. We have designed three server benchmarks that analyse key performance characteristics of the languages. The benchmark results suggest that where minimising message latency is crucial, Go and Erlang are best; that Scala with Akka is capable of supporting the largest number of dormant processes; that for servers that frequently spawn processes Erlang and Go minimise creation time; and that for constantly communicating processes Go provides the best throughput.


Research into emotion, crime and anti-social behaviour has lacked psychological input and rarely considered the multi-directional associations between emotion, crime and morality. We present a study analysing audio recordings of two community groups meeting in a deprived inner-city area
with high rates of crime, using conversation analytic and discursive psychological techniques to conduct an affective–textual analysis that draws out aspects of participants' moral reasoning 10 and identifies its emotional dimensions. Moral reasoning around crime and anti-social behaviour
took three forms (invoking moral categories, developing moral hierarchies, invoking vulnerable others) and was bound up with a wide range of emotional enactments and emotion displays. Findings are discussed in relation to contemporary government policy and possible future research.


This chapter discusses the anatomy of the gallbladder with the anatomical variations potentially impacting surgical therapy. It is dissertated upon the clinical indication for the surgical therapy with consecutive treatment. The discussion on the surgery focuses on the patient's safety and strategies for safe cholecystectomy with an optimal approach. Even though the efforts to minimise potential complications are made, the complication may arise, and therefore, the last part of this chapter discusses such cases with optimal clinical management.


A big, bold vision for protected areas and re-wilding the Earth, this book presents a spirited argument on the future of conservation. Protected natural areas have historically been the primary tool of conservationists to conserve land and wildlife. These parks and reserves are set apart to forever remain in contrast to those places where human activities, technologies, and developments prevail. But even as the biodiversity crisis accelerates, a growing number of voices are suggesting that protected areas are passe. Conservation, they argue, should instead focus on lands managed for human use, working landscapes, and abandon the goal of preventing human-caused extinctions in favour of maintaining ecosystem services to support people. If such arguments take hold, we risk losing support for the unique qualities and values of wild, undeveloped nature. Protecting the Wild offers a spirited argument for the robust protection of the natural world. In it, experts from five continents reaffirm that parks, wilderness areas, and other reserves are an indispensable, albeit insufficient, means to sustain species, subspecies, key habitats, ecological processes and evolutionary potential. A companion volume to Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of Earth, Protecting the Wild provides a necessary addition to the conversation about the future of conservation in the so-called Anthropocene, one that will be useful for academics, policymakers, and conservation practitioners at all levels, from local land trusts to international NGOs.


A comparative assessment of the performance of enterprises belonging to three strategic ownership groups (state, foreign and indigenous private) is undertaken for the Polish food industry. This analysis draws on two competing theories of enterprise performance (industrial organisation and the resource-based view), which heavily influenced post-socialist policy makers and theorists. Indigenous private companies recorded the best average return on total assets (ROTA) for the period analysed. The determinants of profitability are found to differ significantly among the three strategic groups. For indigenous Polish private and foreign-owned enterprises, firm effects are the primary determinants of variations in ROTA. While regional location is a significant determining factor of performance for indigenous private firms, its influence is negligible in the case of state and foreign-owned companies. To uncover the specific firm resources that are responsible for the superior performance of indigenous private enterprises, in-depth interviews were conducted.


Supportive care is the standard treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivir taken for 5 days may shorten time to recovery in hospitalized patients with evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. Нe impact of remdesivir on survival is not established. In patients requiring respiratory support with at least supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone 6 mg daily for up to 10 days may improve survival. Нe optimal dosing and duration of glucocorticoids has not been fully established. Although many other therapies, including antiviral, antiinflammatory, and antibody-neutralizing medications, have been proposed to treat COVID-19, no evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) currently exists to support use of these therapies. Clinical trials to evaluate potential therapies are ongoing. Favipiravir has shown promise as standalone therapy in in vitro models. Clinical data have shown no benefit for lopinavir-ritonavir as standalone therapy. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin have shown no clinical benefit in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitors are being studied as a therapy in critically ill patients with severe respiratory failure and a pro-inflammatory state. Convalescent plasma has been used with success in other viral infections and appears safe in patients being supported by mechanical ventilation. Clinical trials are ongoing to explore its eٹcacy in the treatment of COVID-19.


Costs related to the control of lactating cows and milk sampling are quite high, but obtained data and their accuracy are not satisfactory. Consequently, results of selection assessment of bulls' fathers and mothers are not complete (Sprengel et al., 2001). Costs of milk productivity control are mostly covered by producers themselves, which directly affects their financial profit. As a solution for such situation, Bavarian authorities in cooperation with scientific institutes started using a new measuring device called Lacto-Corder (Dodenhoff et al., 1999; Dodenhoff et al., 2000). This device is more efficient in assessing cows' productivity, lactating ability and udder health, and is also used for milk sampling (Worstorff, 1993). Lacto-Corder as a measurement device is recognized by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). The device is composed of two parts, one being hydraulic and the other electronic. Hydraulic part regulates milk flow through the measuring area, which further consists of 60 separate electrodes that measure milk flow each 0.7 seconds. Electronic part refers to operational area for data collection and storage (including keyboard and display). Advantage of milking with Lacto-Corder is a direct isolation of milk sample into coded bottle, which is further analyzed. It is relatively light (app. 2.3 kg) and small in size and adjusted to conditions of milking site, thus making measurement procedures easier. It is equipped with rechargeable battery lasting for 16 hours. Additional equipment of Lacto-Corder is: printer, diskettes, diskette reader and laptop. The aim of this paper is to introduce scientific and professional audience with advantages of Lacto- Corder and its potential users.


Abstract Efforts to evaluate the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of conspecific brood parasitism in birds and other animals have focused on the fitness costs of parasitism to hosts and fitness benefits to parasites. However, it has been speculated recently that, in species with biparental care, host males might cooperate with parasitic females by allowing access to the host nest in exchange for copulations. We develop a cost-benefit model to explore the conditions under which such host-parasite cooperation might occur. When the brood parasite does not have a nest of her own, the only benefit to the host male is siring some of the parasitic eggs (quasi-parasitism). Cooperation with the parasite is favored when the ratio of host male paternity of his own eggs relative to his paternity of parasitic eggs exceeds the cost of parasitism. When the brood parasite has a nest of her own, a host male can gain additional, potentially more important benefits by siring the high-value, low-cost eggs laid by the parasite in her own nest. Under these conditions, host males should be even more likely to accept parasitic eggs in return for copulations with the parasitic female. We tested these predictions for American coots (Fulica americana), a species with a high frequency of conspecific brood parasitism. Multilocus DNA profiling indicated that host males did not sire any of the parasitic eggs laid in host nests, nor did they sire eggs laid by the parasite in her own nest. We used field estimates of the model parameters from a four-year study of coots to predict the minimum levels of paternity required for the costs of parasitism to be offset by the benefits of mating with brood parasites. Observed levels of paternity were significantly lower than those predicted under a variety of assumptions, and we reject the hypothesis that host males cooperated with parasitic females. Our model clarifies the specific costs and benefits that influence host-parasite cooperation and, more generally, yields precise predictions about expected levels of host male paternity. These predictions will enable a more rigorous assessment of field studies designed to test adaptive hypotheses of host-parasite cooperation.


Information on crop phenology is essential for evaluating crop productivity and crop management. Phenological phases of rice and jute show great inter-annual variability and also large spatial distribution in West Bengal. Hence, it is essential to map the pheonological patterns. In this study spatio-temporal monitoring of the growing pattern of rice and other crops was carried out using multi-date RISAT-1 MRS data in the major rice growing region of Bardhaman district of West Bengal. RISAT-1 provides C band (5.3 Ghz) SAR data. The MRS (Medium Resolution ScanSAR) mode data with HH polarization having spatial resolution of 25 m and swath 115 km was used for this study. Total fifteen sets of MRS SAR data (with repetivity of 25 days) covering a complete year (May, 2013 to April, 2014) was used. Pre-processing of multi-date MRS data included georeferencing, calibration, image-image registration and speckle removal using Lee filter. Groundtruth collected during various cropping seasons (pre-Kharif, Kharif and Rabi) were used to generate crop signature pattern based on which hierarchical decision based models could be formed for classification. The periodic backscatter pattern of different crops and crop sequences were analysed. Accuracy of rice crop classification was higher by using 4-date data, compared to 3-date data. Rice transplanting patterns (Early, Normal and Late), both for Kharif and Rabi, could be identified using multi-date data. Major transplanting period for Kharif Rice was Early August and that of Rabi Rice was Early February.


The idea that Derrida kept silent on Marx before the publication of Spectres de Marx, in 1993, has become a commonplace in Derrida studies and in the history of Marxism and French 20th century political thought. This idea has often been accompanied by a certain representation of the relationship (or absence thereof) between deconstruction and dialectical materialism, and fed the legend of deconstruction's «apoliticism» – at least before what some have called Derrida's «ethicopolitical turn», usually dated in the early 1990s. Against this narrative, this essay analyzes Derrida's notorious «silence on Marx» before Specters of Marx from the perspective of the archives. Archival research transforms the narrative: Derrida's «silence on Marx» was only «relative». Beyond the scene of publications, archives reveal another scene: multiple engagements with Marx and Marxist thought, marked and remarked in many archival documents – more particularly in a series of early seminar notes from the 1960s and 1970s. How does this archival scene transform our interpretation of Derrida's «silence»?


The answer which Joseph Almog gives to the question which serves as the title of his recent book What Am I? (subtitled: Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem) is based upon his interpretation of (1) and objection to Descartes' argument for the distinction of the mind and the body raised by Antoine Arnauld, as well as Descartes' response to it, and (2) Descartes' letters of 9 February 1645 to Denis Mesland. I will argue that both of these interpretations are incorrect, and as such do not support the conclusions which Almog claims to draw from them. The answer, then to the question of what I am which Almog provides is, I believe, not one Descartes would have held, nor one which his writings support.


Tall buildings play an important role in the modern urban city, where only a few lands are available for the increasing population. In this study a hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) and optimality criteria (OC) method is presented for the optimum design of tall buildings under multi-load cases based on the current Chinese design codes. The entire optimum design procedure is divided into two parts: strength optimum design and stiffness optimum design. Member depths are treated as design variables. A GA with the strategy of adaptive feasible region is proposed to perform the discrete optimization of tall buildings under the strength constraints with the results of the stiffness optimum design as the lower bounds of the member size. The optimum stiffness design is conducted using OC method with the results of the strength optimum design as the lower bounds of the member size. This procedure is repeated until convergence is obtained. A design example is optimized to demonstrate the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method


The current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been defined as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. We aimed to evaluate the clinical features and virological course of non-severe COVID-19 patients with or without symptoms who were admitted to a Chinese cabin hospital. In this retrospective single center study, we reviewed 252 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients treated at one temporary cabin hospital in Wuhan, China. Demographic, clinical, serial chest computed tomography (CT), and serial viral test data were compared between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. The association between clinical features and symptomatic status or patient referral status was analyzed. Among all 252 patients, 74 (29.4%) were asymptomatic and 138 (54.76%) had more than two family members who developed COVID-19. The probability for family clustering was similar between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (59.70 vs. 61.64%, P = 0.79). Asymptomatic patients and symptomatic patients were equally likely to reach a virus-free state during their stay at the cabin hospital (93.15 vs. 86.44%, P = 0.13). The initial chest CT screening showed that 81 (32.1%) patients had no visible pneumonia, 52 (20.6%) had unilateral pneumonia, and 119 (47.2%) had bilateral pneumonia. Symptomatic patients had a higher chance to have bilateral pneumonia (P < 0.0001) and were less likely to show improvement on the follow-up CT scan (P = 0.0002). In total, 69 (27.4%) patients were referred to the designated hospital and only 23 (9.1%) patients were referred due to the progression of pneumonia. Non-severe COVID-19 patients can transmit the disease regardless of their symptomatic status. It is highly recommended that asymptomatic patients be identified and quarantined to eliminate the transmission of COVID-19.


ABSTRACT Studies of life histories often compare species to discern patterns in the evolution of traits. Major components of life histories appear to involve important aspects of species biology, and the first such component appears to be body size. We tested whether the second major component of variation in life histories of mammals is a continuum from species with short lives to long lives, the "fast–slow continuum." Mammalian populations (n = 143) representing 109 species were examined, and life histories were summarized using 5 key variables that reflect reproduction and survival. Body size and phylogeny were significant influences on life histories. Once these influences were removed statistically, a major axis of life history variation that reflected the fast–slow continuum was revealed in a principal components analysis. This component of life history was poorly but significantly associated with indices of the fast–slow continuum, such as the ratio of reproduction to age at maturity and generation time. Fast and slow species were identified among several orders and families of mammals, and one species exhibited fast and slow populations. These results may indicate that fast and slow life cycles are highly phenotypically plastic. Degree of precociality did not appear to be a third major component of life histories. Nomenclature: Wilson & Reeder, 2005.


Center-of-mass (c.m.) correction and rotational correction in even-even Ge isotopes are systematically investigated within the triaxially deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model using the PC-PK1 force. The shell effect and deformation effect on the microscopic c.m. correction and rotational correction are discussed, and the importance of both corrections on reproducing the binding energy is demonstrated.


Objective To evaluate the modes of death and treatment offered in the last 24 h of life to patients dying in 10 Brazilian intensive care units (ICUs) over a period of 2 years. Design and setting Cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective study based on medical chart review. The medical records of all patients that died in seven paediatric and three adult ICUs belonging to university and tertiary hospitals over a period of 2 years were included. Deaths in the first 24 h of admission to the ICU and brain death were excluded. Intervention Two intensive care fellows of each ICU were trained in fulfilling a standard protocol (κ=0.9) to record demographic data and all medical management provided in the last 48 h of life. The Student t test, Mann–Whitney U test, χ2 test and RR were used for data comparison. Measurements and main results 1053 medical charts were included (59.4% adult patients). Life support limitation was more frequent in the adult group (86% vs 43.5%; p<0.001). A 'do not resuscitate' order was the most common life support limitation in both groups (75% and 66%), whereas withholding/withdrawing were more frequent in the paediatric group (33.9% vs 24.9%; p=0.02). The life support limitation was rarely reported in the medical chart in both groups (52.6% and 33.7%) with scarce family involvement in the decision making process (23.0% vs 8.7%; p<0.001). Conclusion Life support limitation decision making in Brazilian ICUs is predominantly centred on the medical perspective with scarce participation of the family, and consequently several non-coherent medical interventions are observed in patients with life support limitation.


A fast and reliable gas chromatographic technique for the direct measurement of carbon disulfide at the parts-per-billion level is introduced. The analytical approach incorporates temperature-programmed capillary gas chromatography for the fast separation of carbon disulfide using a recently introduced inert 6% cyanopropylphenyl and 94% dimethylpolysiloxane column. A newly commercialized diode array detector was employed for analyte detection. With universal response to organic compounds, a flame ionization detector was incorporated in series with the diode array detector to provide additional analytical information without incurring extra time or analyses. With this approach, a complete analysis is accomplished in less than 5 min. Carbon disulfide is measured directly without the need for pre-concentration or derivatization with a detection limit of 60 μg m−3. A relative precision of less than 5% RSD (n = 10) over a range from 51 pg to 106 ng (on column) of carbon disulfide with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.9993 was obtained.


INTRODUCTION
The impact of exercise on blood glucose homeostasis has not been assessed in long-standing type 2 diabetes patients receiving exogenous insulin treatment.

PURPOSE
To study the effects of an acute bout of exercise on the subsequent 24-h blood glucose excursions under free-living conditions in insulin-treated type 2 diabetes patients.

METHODS
Eleven male type 2 diabetes patients (59 +/- 2 yr) performed an acute bout of exercise. One day before the exercise bout, a continuous glucose monitoring system (GlucoDay, A. Menarini Diagnostics) was inserted subcutaneously in the periumbilical region. The glucose sensor continuously measured glucose concentrations in the dialysate during a 48-h period.

RESULTS
The prevalence of hyperglycemic glucose excursions was reduced by 39% during a 24-h period (equivalent to 3 h) after an acute bout of exercise (P < 0.05). Average glucose concentrations 24 h before and after the exercise bout did not differ (NS). Mean dialysate glucose concentrations and the prevalence of hyperglycemic periods correlated strongly with baseline blood HbA1c concentrations (Pearson's R = 0.69, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
An acute bout of exercise effectively reduces the prevalence of hyperglycemia during a 24-h period under free-living conditions in long-standing type 2 diabetes patients on exogenous insulin therapy.


This article considers the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2004 which has introduced large-scale and dramatic reforms to investment services and trading markets across the European Union. Chief among these reforms is the new conduct of business regime which addresses all aspects of the investor/investment firm relationship. The promotion of informed investor choice and competent investor decision-making lies at the core of the new regime which is designed to construct an informed and competent cohort of retail investors for a choice-driven pan-EU investment services market. The new regime represents a landmark in EU investment services policy and the first time the retail markets have been the express target of EU policy-making.
This article outlines the main features of the new conduct of business regime, which will dictate, in great detail, regulation in all 27 Member States of the EU, and considers how it articulates the underlying themes of investor choice and competent investor decision-making which drive the new regime. Although the implications of the new regime remain to be seen, considerable risks exist with respect to how the reforms manage the costs of regulation, the impact of costs on choice, and, in particular, the assumptions the reforms make concerning disclosure and effective decision-making.


Objective: This study investigated how older adults' representations of hypertension relate to their illness experience (years of illness), health literacy and self-rated health. Design: Correlational study. Setting: Community-based older adults diagnosed with hypertension. Method: We measured health literacy (Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults [S-TOFHLA]), hypertension knowledge (Hypertension Knowledge Questionnaire), self-rated health and illness representation (IR by Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire [BIPQ]). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis divided IR into cognitive (chronicity, understanding and control) and emotional (more concern, higher impact of illness on affect) dimensions. Ordinary least-squares regression analyses demonstrated that more years of education, more hypertension knowledge, longer duration of hypertension and natural cause beliefs predicted cognitive IR, while fewer years of education, less hypertension knowledge and behavioural cause beliefs (e.g. diet and exercise) predicted emotional IR. More years of education, emotional IR and belief in natural versus psychosocial causes of hypertension were associated with better self-rated health. Conclusion: More years of illness provides older adults with the opportunity to develop an understanding of their condition. More years of education is associated with a lower emotional impact of illness, perhaps through the development of coping strategies. Emotional IR is more important than cognitive IR in predicting self-rated health. Intervening to promote better health outcomes and self-care should take place not only through health education but also through social support and health care access.


Abstract It has been shown that the formation of calcium phosphate crystals can be detected in patient blood using a polymer microchip manufactured by ultrasonic processing. Ultrasonic processing is recently evolving for the fabrication of low-cost microfluidic devices from thermoplastic polymers. The formation of calcium phosphate crystals can be measured in the blood serum of a patient both optically from a change in turbidity or in electrical resistance.


Three patients with histologic and immunologic features of Ki‐1‐positive large cell lymphoma, who experienced long‐term survival, are presented. These three patients at 2, 28, and 49 years of age had adenopathy; all cases had been initially misdiagnosed as metastatic carcinoma or malignant histiocytosis. On subsequent review, they had sinusal and diffuse growth of large pleomorphic cells that were Ber‐H2 (Ki‐1; CD 30) positive. One case marked as a T‐cell lymphoma with UCHL1, one case expressed T‐cell and B‐cell markers, and one case was negative for both T‐cell and B‐cell markers. All patients received chemotherapy, and two received local radiation. One patient was not treated until 9 years after initial diagnosis. Two patients had several recurrences, but there has been no evidence of lymphoma in any of the three patients for 63 to 301 months; overall survival time has ranged from 14 to 25 years. These cases are the longest reported survivors with Ki‐1 lymphoma; 5 years was the longest survival time previously reported. It also is noteworthy that Ber‐H2 and other lymphoid‐associated antigens appear to be preserved in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissues for prolonged periods. This may allow retrospective studies to evaluate the natural history of Ki‐1 lymphomas, as well as their spontaneous or treatment‐induced regression.