Droughts occur from a combination of natural factors and human activities rather than just a single natural cause. Spatial factors have also heavily influenced the causes of draught. This study was conducted in the Lam Ta Kong watershed, Thailand. In this study, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) method was applied to evaluate the risk of agricultural drought and the GIS technique was employed to give full consideration to the ambiguity and uncertainty of the agricultural drought risk. There are five risk factors to consider in the agricultural drought risk assessment and they are divided in a total of fifteen criteria: physical factors (slope gradient and elevation), climatic (rainfall and aridity index), soil (texture, drainage, fertility, erosion, and soil salinity), land utilization (land use and land cover) and water resources (precipitation days, stream density, distance from an irrigation canal, and groundwater volume). These criteria determine the weight and score used to evaluate their parental risk factors. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied together with the triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs) method to assess the data obtained from the criteria to achieve the drought risk assessment. The results indicated that the overall risk of the Lam Ta Kong area was at a moderate risk of agricultural drought (50.45%), of which 15.63% of the total area was at a high risk of agricultural drought. Moreover, 0.40% of the total area located at the central part of the watershed was at a very high risk which was due to its saline soil with > 50% dense salt crust. This research indicated that the major factors causing droughts in the watershed were related to the soil factors, especially soil texture, soil fertility and soil salinity. These soil factors were considered as the driving factors of drought. The results of this study can be used for land use planning and water resource management in order to prepare for droughts in the watershed.


X Background: Breast masses occur infrequently in children and adolescents. Most of these masses have proved that benign and conservative approach is the management of choice. Consequently, imaging has become crucial. The knowledge of the ultrasonographic features of childhood and adolescent breast masses is needed for age appropriate medical care. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe and document the ultrasonographic spectrum of breast masses in children and adolescents (0–19) years seen in the Ahmadu Bello University teaching hospital, Zaria. Materials and Methods: A 2-year retrospective review of breast sonograms of 25 consecutively presenting children and adolescents (3 males and 22 females) who had palpable breast masses. Ultrasound scans were performed with a Mindray Machine DC-8 using the linear transducer at 7.5–12 MHz transducer frequency. Histopathological confirmation of the solid masses was also obtained. The statistical analysis of the data collected was done using the SPSS software version 20 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The patients were between 40 days and 19 years old (mean 14.8 years and standard deviation 4.1). The ultrasonographic findings were those of infections, benign tumoral lesions and pubertal endocrine changes. Overall, fibroadenoma was the most common mass, seen in 14 (56%) of the patients. Other findings were simple cysts, non-puerperal and puerperal mastitis, juvenile papillomatosis and normal glandular pubertal breast tissue. The three male patients had gynaecomstia, pseudogynaecomastia and cystic lymphangioma of the chest wall presenting as unilateral breast masses, respectively. There was no malignancy recorded in any of the patients. Conclusion: Ultrasonographically, benign masses predominate which is concordant with surgical findings. Familiarity with these features would obviate the need for unnecessary invasive procedures which should be reserved for only deserving cases.


A critical issue in cross-sectional aging studies is the comparability of subjects of different ages, particularly regarding health status. For example, it is typically assumed that healthy 60-year-old men are equivalent to healthy 80-year-old men when both age groups are selected using the same criteria. The 60-year-old, however, may not survive or be healthy at age 80. To examine this issue, 212 healthy 60-year-old men in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were identified. By life table analysis, 30% were expected to survive and remain healthy to age 80. In this study, 61 healthy 60-year-old men were followed to age 80. When compared with 125 healthy 80-year-old men, they had more heart disease, cancer, stroke, arterial, digestive, and peripheral nervous system diseases. Twenty-seven of the 61 men (44%) actually continued to be healthy at age 80. At age 60, systolic pressure and total serum cholesterol were predictive of who would be healthy at age 80.


Author(s): Liggins, Marc Christopher | Advisor(s): Ganesan, Anand K | Abstract: Epidermal melanocytes synthesize melanin within specialized lysosome-related organelles known as melanosomes. These melanosomes are transferred to neighboring keratinocytes where they surround nuclei to protect against ultraviolet-induced UV damage. The synthesis of melanin, a process known as melanogenesis, is subject to complex and intricate regulation at multiple levels. While extensive studies have elucidated many of the transcriptional and regulatory pathways, melanosomal trafficking comparatively far less understood. To further complicate matters, several lysosomal and autophagic components are utilized during these processes, but it is unclear what delineates the specificity of their regulation. To help elucidate these mechanisms, our laboratory conducted a genome-wide siRNA screen, which identified several novel regulators of melanogenesis. Several autophagy components, including the phosphoinositol binding protein WIPI1, were among those implicated in the screen. Through further investigation, it was determined that WIPI1 regulates both melanosomal transcription and trafficking, but the mechanism by which it coordinated both processes was not thoroughly elucidated. WIPI1 binds to three different phosphoinositides, PI(3)P, PI(3,5)P2, and PI(5)P, the latter two of which are synthesized by the PIKfyve kinase complex. PI(3,5)P2 and PI(5)P have been priorly implicated in regulating membrane trafficking and signaling pathways. Furthermore, mutation in select PI(3,5)P2 effectors or in the PIKfyve complex itself has been shown to affect pigment accumulation, though the mechanisms have not been priorly elucidated. In our studies, we have demonstrated that loss of PIKfyve in vivo results in the progressive loss of pigmentation. Disruption of the PIKfyve leads to defects in vesicle trafficking and severe vacuolization. Our in vitro and in vivo studies have identified similar disruption in melanocytes resulting in the inhibition of melanosome maturation and melanosomal acidification. These mechanisms would suggest an important role of PI(3,5)P2 in melanogenesis. In contrast, partial depletion of PIKfyve depleted WIPI1 and resulted in downregulation of these signaling pathways and expression of MITF-M and TYR, while the addition of PI(5)P had the opposite effect. Taken together these studies demonstrate novel regulatory roles of the PIKfyve complex, elucidating distinct roles of PI(3,5)P2 and PI(5)P in melanogenesis. These studies expand upon the fields of knowledge in both melanocyte and phosphoinositide biology and provide significant insight into the regulatory mechanisms of melanocytes.


type="main"> This article draws attention to the emergent modes of urban sociality and circumscribed mobility that define the lives of traffic-stricken residents in the megacity of Jakarta, Indonesia. I argue that Jakarta traffic has exceeded the scale and discourse of a technopolitical problem of failed infrastructure; rather, the systemic and rhizomic nature of traffic provides the temporal infrastructure that governs the flow of living and leisure, and the patterning of individual desires and struggles in urban Indonesia. I use the term 'absolute traffic' to convey the limit horizon of gridlock as a set of exhausting physical and psychic states that urban residents survive daily. Despite such overwhelming challenges to mobility, particularly for the city's underprivileged populations, I argue for an agentive perspective of absolute traffic in which forms of play, negotiation and disruption form important moments for the public display of infrastructural aptitude. Strategies for surviving and engaging with absolute traffic emerge in ephemeral sites of finely attuned traffic subjectivity––in the sociality of strangers, the political demonstrations of activists, the growing citizen journalism for traffic reports on radio shows and social media sites, and finally, in the artistic sensibility of artists captivated by the vernacular forms of urban chaos.


ABSTRACT Cho, J.H.; Son, Y.B.; Shin D.-H.; Moh, T.J.; Jang S.; Lee S.Y.; Lim D.G., and Kum B.C., 2020. Changes in underwater visibility due to turbidity associated with Typhoon Soulik. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 417-421. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Changes of visibility in the water column off the southern coast of Korea due to the effects of Typhoon Soulik (Aug. 22–23, 2018; 955 hPa; maximum wind speed, 40 m/s) were investigated. The beam attenuation coefficient (BAC) was measured using a transmissometer (C-Star; Wet Labs, Inc.), and visibility range was calculated using the conversion method employed by the US Navy. For comparison and verification of the data, a conductivity–depth–temperature (CTD) probe (SBE19 Plus; Sea-Bird Scientific) equipped with optical backscatter and fluorescence sensors was deployed simultaneously with the transmissometer. The Secchi depth was also estimated during each cast to improve accuracy. The Secchi depth deviated by up to 20% from the calculated visibility range. Additionally, during continuous observation of BAC from the seafloor upward, a light source (color temperature: 6,500 K) was installed on a 5-m bar with length markings, and a video camera recorded changes in visibility. Daily Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) satellite data were used to identify changes in surface visibility in the study area. Before the typhoon, the visibility in the water column was in the range 25–30 m. Near the seafloor, visibility approached 0 m due to a 3–6-m turbidity current. The visibility distance was significantly shorter in the bottom layers based on video images. Four days after Typhoon Soulik had passed over the Korean Peninsula, the visibility was in the range 2.6–9.0 m in the upper layers of the water column, increasing gradually to 11 m in the middle layers. The size of the turbid bottom current did not differ significantly between observations before and after the typhoon. Surface visibility calculated from satellite data also decreased by 20–30% compared to that before the typhoon.


s 12th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Lyon, France S49 diac arrests occur mainly in the victim's home. From these data, there appears little evidence to support large-scale deployment of public access defibrillators.


In this article I engage with MAGEEQ methodology and theoretical assumptions to raise questions around the following themes: intentionality in political practice, meanings of discourse, and understandings of political subjectivity. I make the case that these topics need to be addressed in order to provide insights into the reasons social change is so difficult to achieve. Specifically, I suggest that feminists adopt a practice of «reflexive framing», examining how they represent social «problems», and broaden feminist constituencies through coalition to reduce the possibility of representing «problems» in ways that exclude or harm «others».


Objectives To describe the profile of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with infliximab in Canadian routine care and to assess the effectiveness and safety of infliximab in real world. Setting 46 primary care rheumatology practices across Canada. Participants 303 biological-naïve patients with AS or patients previously treated with a biological for <6 months and who were eligible for infliximab treatment as per routine care within the Biologic Treatment Registry Across Canada (BioTRAC). Intervention Not applicable (non-interventional study). Primary and secondary outcomes Effectiveness was assessed with changes in disease parameters (AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disease Index (HAQ-DI), physician global assessment of disease activity (MDGA), patient global disease activity (PtGA), back pain, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), morning stiffness). Safety was assessed with the incidence of adverse events (AEs). Results Of the 303 patients included, 44.6% were enrolled in 2005–2007 and 55.4% in 2008–2013. Patients enrolled in 2005–2007 had significantly higher MDGA and ESR at baseline while all other disease parameters examined were numerically higher with the exception of PtGA. Treatment with infliximab significantly (p<0.001) improved all disease parameters over time in both groups. At 6 months, 56% and 31% of patients achieved clinically important (change≥1.1) and major (change≥2.0) improvement in ASDAS, respectively; at 48 months, these proportions increased to 75% and 50%, respectively. Among patients unemployed due to disability at baseline, 12.1% returned to work (mean Kaplan-Meier (KM)-based time=38.8 months). The estimated retention rate at 12 and 24 months was 78.3% and 60.1%, respectively. The profile and incidence of AEs were comparable to data previously reported for tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitors. Conclusions Characteristics of patients with AS at infliximab initiation changed over time towards lower disease activity and shorter disease duration. Infliximab treatment significantly reduced disease activity independent of treatment initiation year, although patients enrolled in recent years achieved lower disease activity over 48 months. Trial registration number NCT00741793.


Can mediums communicate with the dead? Do people really believe they've been abducted by aliens? Why do some people make life decisions based on their horoscope?

The Psychology of the Paranormal explores some commonly held beliefs regarding experiences so strange they can defy an obvious scientific explanation. The book explains how psychologists have conducted experiments to provide insight into phenomena such as clairvoyance, astrology, and alien abduction, as well as teaching us fundamental truths about human belief systems.

From debunking myths about Extra Sensory Perception, to considering whether our lives can truly be fated by the stars, The Psychology of the Paranormal shows us that however unlikely, belief in the paranormal will continue to be widespread.


In the important contribution "All pay auctions with certain and uncertain prizes" published in Games and Economic Behavior, May 2014, Minchuk and and Sela analyze an all pay auction with multiple prizes. The specific feature of the model is that all valuations are common except for the valuation of one of the prizes, for which contestants have private valuations. However, the equilibrium characterization derived in the paper is incorrect. This note derives the correct equilibrium of the model.


That greater product market competition has the potential to affect outcomes in labour and product markets is borne out one by one of the key premises of standard economic theory which predicts that, all other things held constant, prices should be lower and efficiency enhanced by more competition. In this paper we test this notion by considering the relationship between product market competition and establishment-level wages and economic performance. We use two microeconomic data sources from British and Australia to consider this relationship. Our results find only a limited role for market competition to impact on wages and productivity. In British workplaces, labour productivity is not raised by more competition, whilst Australia we can only find evidence of the conventionally excepted positive impact in manufacturing workplaces. With respect to wages, the results are more consistent with the competition hypothesis, though effects are not that strong, with significant effects only being found for some of the skill groups within our samples of establishments. Hence, there is only limited support for the key hypothesis of interest that we could consider.


Waterfowl that nest in uplands in the prairie pothole region have had low recruitment rates in recent decades, primarily because of predation. The loss of breeding waterfowl and their progeny has generated interest in management techniques that safeguard incubating hens and their eggs. Developing islands and peninsulas for nesting waterfowl has potential because these sites are naturally attractive to breeding ducks and geese. In fact, dense nesting colonies of ducks developed on some islands when successful females and a portion of their female progeny returned in subsequent years. Managers have successfully duplicated the beneficial attributes of islands by developing various nesting habitats that are protected by water barriers. This chapter addresses the management of existing islands, the creation of new islands, and the modification of peninsulas into islands to increase nesting success in waterfowl.


In recent years, hunger and poverty have become increasingly serious problems for crop farmers and livestock herders in the Sahel region of West Africa. Hausa villages in central southern Niger reveal a high degree of economic differentiation between households. While most households suffer from food shortages, a small number of wealthy households maintain large surpluses of farm produce. This paper examines the local contexts of economic differentiation and the role of a common traditional custom in West Africa, namely, encampment contracts among crop farmers and herders. All of the farmers in the villages seek encampment contracts with herders, but many are unable to raise the cash and crop payments required to enter into such contracts. The supply of nutrients to the soil via manure from the herders' livestock means that these contracts act as a kind of advance investment for farmers. The encampment contracts allow Fulbe and Tuareg herders to move their livestock around freely to graze on vegetation anywhere, regardless of who owns the farmland where they are grazing, but at night they always return to camp on the contracted farmer's plot. The majority of villagers are robbed of nutrients for their soil, which are transferred to soil on the land of wealthy farmers via manure from the herders' livestock. Economic differentiation within the village is exacerbated and food shortages are rendered long-term by the encampment contracts that wealthy villagers are able to use cash reserves earned in urban areas.


The accumulation of improperly folded proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) generates perturbations known as ER stress that engage the unfolded protein response. ER stress is involved in many inflammatory pathologies that are also associated with the production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β. In this study, we demonstrate that macrophages undergoing ER stress are able to drive the production and processing of pro–IL-1β in response to LPS stimulation in vitro. Interestingly, the classical NLRP3 inflammasome is dispensable, because maturation of pro–IL-1β occurs normally in the absence of the adaptor protein ASC. In contrast, processing of pro–IL-1β is fully dependent on caspase-8. Intriguingly, we found that neither the unfolded protein response transcription factors XBP1 and CHOP nor the TLR4 adaptor molecule MyD88 is necessary for caspase-8 activation. Instead, both caspase activation and IL-1β production require the alternative TLR4 adaptor TRIF. This pathway may contribute to IL-1–driven tissue pathology in certain disease settings.


In cell migration, polarization is the process by which a stationary cell breaks symmetry and initiates motion. Although a lot is known about the mechanisms involved in cell polarization, the role played by myosin contraction remains unclear. In addition, cell polarization by mechanical impact has received little attention. Here, we study the influence of myosin activity on cell polarization and the initiation of motion induced by mechanical cues using a computational model for keratocytes. The model accounts for cell deformation, the dynamics of myosin and the signaling protein RhoA (a member of the Rho GTPases family), as well as the forces acting on the actomyosin network. Our results show that the attainment of a steady polarized state depends on the strength of myosin down- or up-regulation and that myosin upregulation favors cell polarization. Our results also confirm the existence of a threshold level for cell polarization, which is determined by the level of polarization of the Rho GTPases at the time the external stimuli vanish. In all, this paper shows that capturing the interactions between the signaling proteins (Rho GTPases for keratocytes) and the compounds of the motile machinery in a moving cell is crucial to study cell polarization.


The layman may readily say that committing suicide is evidence that a person was of unsound mind. However, the first clear demonstration of the intimate connection between psychiatric illness and suicide was presented by Robins and colleagues 1 in 1959. The authors found that nearly all of a consecutive series of 134 suicides had been psychiatrically ill. This finding has been replicated in Seattle, 2 in the United Kingdom, 3 in Sweden, 4*5 in Australia, 6 and, most recently, in San Diego. 7 It is no longer news. While it is clear that psychiatric illness is a virtually See also p 589. necessary precondition for suicide, it is not a sufficient reason in itself. We know that persons suffering from depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia are at high risk in comparison to those with other psychiatric illnesses and even more so compared with the general population. However, the low proportion of


Finding that Amborella trichopoda is sister to the rest of the angiosperms has raised the question of whether it shares certain key functional trait characteristics and plastic responses apparently widespread within the angiosperms at large. With this in mind, Trueba et al. tested the hypothesis that local canopy openness induces plastic responses in Amborella. The authors provide evidence of intraspecific coordination between leaf and stem economic spectra in this key species. Moreover, by presenting the first architectural and biomechanical characterization of Amborella, their study offers new insights for the understanding of the early sequences of angiosperm form evolution.


Introduction: Self-medication means use of medicines by individuals to treat illnesses or symptoms without the advice and monitoring of a physician. Such a practice is common in elderly because of multiplicity of disorders and is also of great concern, since the drugs act differently due to age related changes, increasing the risk of adverse events. Objectives: To evaluate knowledge, attitude and practices of self-medication & other medicine use in elderly patient. Material & Methods: A cross sectional, questionnaire based study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in patients aged 65 years and above. Results: 82 respondents reported having used self-medication. Rural population with low socio-economic status were commonly practising selfmedication. Since self-medication was practised for minor illnesses most commonly used medicine were antipyretics, antitussives and analgesics. Respondents lack knowledge of dose, duration and adverse -effects of medicines. Most common reasons reported for self-medication were time saving and economical. Conclusion: Self-medication is commonly practised by elderly for minor illnesses. Educational intervention should be given to this population to strongly discourage the same. Strict law enforcement regarding dispensing of medicines will be important tool to curtail this practice.


Late-life depression ranges from mild to severe and can lead to significant physical and social limitations. Up to one-third of patients with medical disorders also suffer from depressive symptoms. Differential diagnosis of depression is often confounded by medical conditions that impair cognitive functioning, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Depression is a modifiable risk factor for suicide in old age. Once diagnosed, depression is a highly treatable disease. Treatment modalities include psychotherapy, antidepressants, and electroconvulsive therapy for intractable cases. Many patients are now being treated in primary care settings, due to managed care limits on referrals and to patient reluctance to seek psychiatric care.


Cu-based catalysts have long been applied to convert CO2 and H2 into methanol, and their performances are well known to be markedly influenced by the support and promoter. Herein, several Cu-based catalysts supported on lanthanum oxides were fabricated by varying the preparation methods and characterized by XRD, TEM, ICP-AES, N2 physisorption, N2O chemisorption, CO2 chemisorption, XPS, and CO2-TPD. The results showed that the as-prepared Cu supported on rod-like La2O2CO3 (La2O2CO3-R) exhibited the highest TOFCu, methanol selectivity and yields of methanol for the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. Distinct from conventional promoter addition, the local formation of a new type of Cuδ+ species at Cu/La2O2CO3-R interfaces and the original adsorption performance of basic oxides are the two key factors relating to the catalytic performance. Cu supported on La2O2CO3-R with a higher content of Cuδ+ species and a stronger adsorption for CO2 leads to superior catalytic activities. DRIFTS studies revealed that the generation of synergetic basic sites at the interfacial areas can increase the intrinsic activity of Cu-based methanol catalysts by moderately and selectively stabilizing methanol synthesis intermediates. This work provides new insights into CO2 activation over basic oxide-supported Cu catalysts, and the identification of metal–support interactions between Cu and lanthanum oxides is beneficial for the rational design of stable Cu-based catalysts.


Recent reports of region‐specific vertebral pneumaticity in nonavian theropod dinosaurs have brought attention to the hypothesis that these animals possessed an avian‐style respiratory system with flow‐through ventilation. This study explores the thoracic rib and vertebral anatomy of Sinraptor, Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Deinonychus; four nonavian theropods that all show well‐preserved thoracic vertebrae and ribs. Comparisons to the osteology and soft tissue anatomy of extant saurians provide new evidence supporting the hypothesis of flow‐through ventilation in nonavian theropods. Analyses of diapophyseal and parapophyseal position and thoracic rib morphology suggest that most nonavian theropods possessed lungs that were deeply incised by the adjacent bicapitate thoracic ribs. This functionally constrains the lungs as rigid nonexpansive organs that were likely ventilated by accessory nonvascularized air sacs. The axial anatomy of this group also reveals that a crocodilian‐like hepatic‐piston lung would be functionally and biomechanically untenable. Taken together with the evidence that avian‐like air sacs were present in basal theropods, these data lead us to conclude that an avian‐style pulmonary system was likely a universal theropod trait. Anat Rec, 292:1501–1513, 2009. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We herein propose a novel way of producing highly aligned porous alumina tubes by co-extruding an initial feed rod, which comprised of a pure camphene core and a frozen alumina/camphene shell. This new and simple technique produced alumina tubes (~4.4 ± 0.1 mm in outer diameter) having uniform alumina walls (~1.1 ± 0.12 mm in thickness) with highly aligned pores, which were created by removing the extensively elongated camphene dendrites in the extruded alumina/camphene shell. Furthermore, the heat treatment of the extruded bodies at 33°C, which is close to the freezing point of the alumina/camphene slurry, led to a considerable increase in the size of the aligned pores formed in the alumina walls, from ~<5 to ~54 μm with increasing heat-treatment time from 0 to 6 h. The compressive strength also increased significantly from 21 ± 1.6 to 61 ± 11.6 MPa, which was attributed mainly to the achievement of well densified alumina walls.


Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 metabolizes a number of clinically relevant drugs and is one of the most highly polymorphic human P450 enzymes, with the Lys 262 → Arg substitution being especially common in several genetic variants. Therefore, K262R (2B6*4) was created in the CYP2B6dH background (N-terminal modified and C- terminal His tagged) and expressed in E. coli . The recombinant CYP2B6dH and K262R were purified and studied to investigate the effect of the Lys 262 → Arg substitution with six of the most potent drug inhibitors of CYP2B6, namely clopidogrel, clotrimazole, itraconazole, raloxifene, sertraline and ticlopidine. K262R showed a > 3-fold increase in the K i values with clopidogrel, itraconazole, and raloxifene and ~ 6-fold increase in K i with sertraline, compared with CYP2B6dH. Similarly, K262R showed 2-, 4-, and > 20-fold higher K s values than CYP2B6dH with clopidogrel, sertraline, and itraconazole, respectively. In contrast, when tested with several known type II inhibitors of CYP2B enzymes, K262R showed a 10-fold lower IC 50 with 4-(phenyl)pyridine and ~2-fold lower IC 50 with 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine or 1-(4-phenyl)benzylimidazole than CYP2B6dH. Subsequent analysis predicted possible in vivo drug-drug interactions between the CYP2B6 substrate efavirenz and drug inhibitors clopidogrel, clotrimazole, itraconazole, sertraline, and ticlopidine. Furthermore, Q172H/K262R (2B6*6), which is the most common genetic variant of CYP2B6 harboring K262R, was created in CYP2B6dH, expressed, purified, and characterized for inhibition. Q172H/K262R showed a > 6-fold increase in K i with sertraline and clopidogrel compared with CYP2B6dH. The results suggest that individuals, especially homozygotes, with the 2B6*4 or 2B6*6 allele might be less susceptible to drug interactions resulting from P450 inhibition.


Cross Reservoir, a small mesotrophic reservoir located at the University of Kansas Ecological Reserves (Kansas, USA), contained a dense metalimnetic community of algae and photosynthetic bacteria between early July and late October 1997–1999. Within this community, various Cryptomonas species, primarily C. erosa (Ehrenberg), C. erosa var. reflexa (Marsson), and C. rostratisformis (Skuja), diurnally migrated as indicated by in situ fluorescence monitoring and direct phytoplankton enumeration. The Cryptomonas spp. typically resided near the oxic–anoxic boundary of the water column; however, they actively migrated upward during the day and descended to lower anoxic locations at night, apparently responding to diurnal changes in their local habitat. Their nocturnal environment had moderate levels of sulfide, elevated secondary nutrients, and a community of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, whereas their daytime environment had higher light, lower nutrients, and no local photosynthetic bacteria. Monitoring indicated that the Cryptomonas spp. migration was generally linked to daily variations in absolute light intensity (e.g. sunny vs. cloudy days) and the level of other potentially growth‐limiting resources, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. However, further analyses showed that the primary factor that determined whether the Cryptomonas spp. migrated or not on a given day was the slope of the light gradient immediately above the Cryptomonas spp. peak.


Introduction The discussion of the various opinions which have been put forth from time to time during the last half century as to the age and geological position of the different members of the peculiar series of rocks known among geologists generally by the term "Quebec group," would be an undertaking too great for the limits of an ordinary paper. It is, moreover, to a great extent rendered unnecessary in this place from the fact that the history has already been given with considerable completeness in several publications, among which may be chiefly enumerated papers by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt and Professor Jules Marcou, as well as by the writer, who, in the volume of the Geological Survey of Canada, just issued (1887–888), has gone into the subject with some detail. This course was deemed advisable, and in fact almost necessary, owing to the variety of statements, many of . . .


It is essential for prey species to be able to detect predators to avoid them. The sense of smell is used by a number of prey species for this purpose. The aim of the present study was to assess if one of the odourants that make up a predator odour is sufficient to induce a behavioural response in mice (Mus musculus). Two predator odourants were used, 2,2-dimethylthietane and methyl-2-phenylethyl sulfide, which are both found in the secretions of natural predators of mice. An odourant found in fruits, n-pentyl acetate, was also used. All three odourants were presented at a concentration that was a factor of 100 above the olfactory detection threshold of mice. Ten adult predator-naive CD-1 mice were individually put in a two-compartment chamber one of which contained an odourant while the other contained a near-odourless solvent (diethyl phthalate). The results indicated that methyl-2-phenylethyl sulfide was actively avoided by the mice. Towards 2,2-dimethylthietane and n-pentyl acetate, in contrast, the mice behaved indifferent. Further, the results suggest a significant correlation between the number of switches between the two compartments of the test chamber and the test sessions when the animals were presented with n-pentyl acetate, but not when they were presented with the predator odourants. The results support the notion of an innate fear response towards the predator odourant methyl-2-phenylethyl sulfide in mice, but further studies with more animals and different concentrations of the odourants are necessary.


Insurance is basically a cooperative endeavor. It is a noble portfolio where in assurance is offered against contingencies. The subject matter of assurance may relate to life or non – life matters. In either case, it mitigates the hardships caused to individuals and through them to society. This helps in fulfilling a social obligation, which result in keeping the economy sounds 'Insurance' and 'social wellbeing for social economy' are therefore interwove; flourish of one leads to the flourish of the other and vice versa. Insurance plays a very important role in reducing the strain on national economy and helping it to grow directly and indirectly. Beyond the national
economy also, it forges ahead in the international areas. In life insurance, very big risks are accepted which are beyond the tolerance limit of LIC, the business is ceded to the foreign insurer thereby distributing the risk and reducing the strain on Indian Insurer. In general insurance, reinsurance helps in a big way in distribution and transfer of risks. Beyond the ceding limit the risk is transferred to the foreign reinsurance. Since 1991 India has liberalized its economy by opening a number of industries for private, joint and international investment. Insurance sector had been opened up for competition from Indian private insurance companies. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was established on 19th April, 2000 to protect the interests of holders of insurance policy and to regulate, promote and ensure growth of the insurance industry.


The Story of the Hummel (German Scheitholt). By Wilfried Ulrich. English Translation by Christa Farnon. (Materials Pertaining to the Everyday History and Folk Culture of Lower Saxony, vol. 42.) Cloppenburg: Mu - seumsdorf Cloppenburg and Nieder - sach sisches Freilichtmuseum, 2011. [180 p. No ISBN. i22.] Music examples, illustrations, appendix, bibliography, index. Although the hummel has been around for at least 500 years, its status as a "beggar" or amateur instrument has caused its history and the instrument itself to be largely neglected. While similar types of plucked and struck stringed instruments, such as the long-necked lute and kithara, can be relatively easily traced back to antiquity, the exact origins of the hummel are less clear. Those trying to do research on the hummel will find a scant paragraph in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and the instrument is not usually given even a cursory description in most music history textbooks. The most information one might hope to find on the hummel is on the similar, though organologically distinct, Appalachian dulcimer. Unfortunately, its early history is at best a mere footnote. Therefore, because research on the hummel is sparse, any sort of family tree needs to be pieced together through the few written accounts of the instrument. Fortunately, The Story of the Hummel by Wilfried Ulrich provides quite possibly the most comprehensive history of the instrument to date. While the title suggests a light narrative on the instrument, the book is in fact a detailed historical, organological, and structural study of the hummel. The reader will first be impressed by the abundant iconographic depictions, photos of extant instruments, ample footnotes, and brief instructions for performing hummel tablatures. The book culminates in an impressive 43-page appendix of photographs and detailed dimensions of a variety of hummels. The details provided in the appendix alone are enough reason for any library to add this book to its organology collection. As a luthier, Wilfried Ulrich brings valuable insight into the construction and re construction of period hummels. He frequently conveys a deep understanding of how the instrument should function, and he is adept at honing in on the practical issues that might escape the average scholar. His technical knowledge of how the fingerboard relates to various temperaments and tuning, as well as his understanding of string action, are very useful when considering how extant instruments may have been altered over time. Specifically, easily forgotten technical points, such as fret placement or knowledge of which woods may degrade over time, often provide insight to issues that are not always apparent. In one example, Ulrich points out a hummel on which he discovered that the fret board must have been replaced because its tuning neither matched typical temperaments nor the fret spacing typical on a fretted instrument. In another instance, he provides a case in which the time-honored practice of using iconography to discern performance practices should not be trusted. He notes that the painting "The Frisian Muse of Music" by Carl Gehrts represents a stylized or staged depiction of the instrument. The painting depicts a woman holding a hummel while performing; however, Ulrich points out that not only would holding the instrument preclude using a table as a large sounding board, but also that the position of the strap that held the instrument would too severely limit the performer's hand position (p. 54). The Story of the Hummel provides an account of the least studied years during which and geographical locations where the hummel was used. For example, rather than giving a detailed account of the Appalachian dulcimer, Ulrich focuses on the earliest examples of the instrument in Norway, Germany, Lusatia, Hungary, and the more modern versions found in East Asia. He also traces the various incarnations of the instruments such as the hummel, hommel, scheitholt, huemmelke, and langeleik. …


Most jobs include training and communication tasks, but often the people in these jobs lack pedagogical competences to plan, implement and assess learning. This paper aims to discuss how a learning approach called innovation pedagogy developed in higher education can be utilized for learning development in various organizations. The methods presented how to implement innovation pedagogy such as process consultation and train the trainer model can provide added value to develop pedagogical knowhow in organizations and thus support their internal learning and development. Keywords—Innovation pedagogy, learning, organizational development, process consultation.


The BMA is urging the public to support its campaign against private companies providing NHS care in England, which it says is adversely affecting many parts of the health service.

The BMA's "Look After our NHS" campaign (www.lookafterournhs.org.uk), which was launched to emphasise the problem among doctors in June 2009, is now being extended to highlight the issue to the general public. Successive governmental policies have allowed commercially run firms to compete against existing NHS trusts and GP practices to provide NHS care, to the detriment of the health service, says the BMA.

The BMA's campaign website has been revamped so that members of the public can add their support.

As part of the protest the BMA will be sending "Look …


Understanding of the failure mode and the load carrying capacity of short leg shear wall structures under rare earthquake is a problem of the engineer's concern. Based on the energy principle, the seismic performance of high-rise short leg shear wall structure is analyzed by using the model of concrete damage plasticity, The damage of the structure under different seismic peak and the corresponding plastic damage energy can be obtained. The results show that the plastic energy dissipation can reflect the damage degree of the structure. The damage of the structure under the "resonance" excitation is studied. The damage state of the first two modes is obtained, which is the basic failure form of the structure, and the plastic damage energy of the corresponding basic failure mode is obtained, which is the ultimate bearing capacity of the first two modes. Based on the wavelet analysis principle, the input seismic wave is decomposed by wavelet transform. The seismic wave is decomposed into the wavelet band with the structure of the natural vibration frequency as the center. The plastic energy dissipation of the structure under seismic wavelet is obtained. A representation of the carrying capacity by the energy is proposed. The formula can be used to determine the safety performance of short leg shear wall structure under earthquake action.


LONDON--
 A Kuwaiti site has yielded 7000-year-old bitumen slabs thought to be from a seafaring vessel. If the interpretation of the material is correct, the discovery pushes back physical evidence of boats by more than 2000 years and sheds light on what later became trading routes linking two ancient civilizations: those of the Indus River valley and Mesopotamia. A second team is finishing a controversial reconstruction of a younger ship found in Oman.


This paper investigates the deflection of an EM wave emitted from an airborne radar due to the variance of refractive index (n) with height (h) in the atmosphere. Also, the insertion loss of the atmosphere due to refraction, resulting from the cumulative reflection coefficient, is discussed. The effect of both standard and non-standard refractive index changes with height (n-profiles) is considered, with particular interest in the effect of a generic elevated superstandard layer with an elevated duct. It is verified that these non-standard n-profiles lead to 'eclipse zones', where the rays cannot propagate. The ray path deflection problem is solved by dividing the atmosphere into several discrete layers, evaluating the refractive index within these layers, and then using Snell's law to obtain the angles of refraction for the ray at each layer boundary. The attenuation problem is solved by applying a transmission line analogue to the ray path through the atmosphere.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

To more closely emulate clinical research methodology and improve clinical relevance, researchers are increasingly utilizing clinically-similar group randomization and distribution methods for oncology studies in animals. One common pre-clinical approach, a random number generator in a spreadsheet, is paradoxically the least clinically-relevant, and subject to manual and transcription errors. This method provides no easy way to exclude animals from distribution based on other qualitative or quantitative data parameters. Due to limitations in spreadsheet software, commercially available pre-clinical trial applications can be used to perform the most recommended randomization and distribution methods based on tumor volume or other parameters: deterministic and matched distribution, pure randomization, stratified sampling randomization and block randomization across multiple numeric parameters. Subjects may be excluded initially based on recorded qualitative observations, and then by acceptable value ranges for numeric parameters. Animals can be randomized iteratively in rolling enrollment studies and previously randomized subjects can be re-randomized into new groups as required on drug-resistance studies. ANOVA results are displayed instantly to ensure similarity between groups. Standardizing randomization and distribution using clinically relevant methods improves the efficiency, clinical relevance, and outcome of animal studies relative to spreadsheet-based methods.

Citation Format: Neil O'Brien, Jeffrey L. Kumer, Eric M. Ibsen. A survey of the most common methods of group randomization and distribution in preclinical in vivo studies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4190. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4190


In this paper, we propose the use of dynamic compilation of web services to support workflow management in a hospital setting. Web services related to work practices belong to an organization that have been designed, built and stored in a web services repository. These web services can be shared with multiple functional units within the organization via the intranet or the Internet. The workflow of a health scenario will be presented. Work practice services that were selected will be compiled logically and optimally using the proposed dynamic compilation platform. The final outcome is presented as a web application. The web application can be compiled and recompiled as often as needed whenever changes to the requirements occur. This dynamic platform for workflow management (DPWFM) integrates the decision making process of workflow management for each functional unit in the organization to customize the workflow requirements that suits their needs.


The primate visual system is often divided into two channels, designated M and P, whose signals are relayed to the cerebral cortex by neurons in the magnocellular and parvicellular layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. We have identified a third population of geniculocortical neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of macaques, which is immunoreactive for the alpha subunit of type II calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. This large third population occupies interlaminar regions (intercalated layers) ventral to each principal layer. Retrograde labeling of kinase-immunoreactive cells from the primary visual cortex shows that they provide the geniculocortical input to cytochrome oxidase-rich puffs in layers II and III.


Dirofilaria repens Railliet et Henry, 1911 was for the first time studied in the Moscow Region where 11 patients (6 males and 5 females) aged 4-72 years were recorded in 2000-2002. The geographical distribution (the southern and south-eastern parts of the region) of local cases of dirofiliriasis, was observed. There was a relatively high rate of D. repens in the male genitalia of the infected patients as compared with that reported by other authors. In accordance with the current terminology, D. repens in the Moscow Region is proposed to be regarded as emerging infection. The authors show it necessary to obligatorily record all autochtonous cases of D. repens infection, to make epidemiological surveillance and analysis in order to early detect and prevent dirofilariasis-associated complications.


A technique is given for finding the system inverse to an Hopfield class of continuous time dynamical artificial neural networks, that is, for finding the system which yields the equivalence class of inputs which lead to a given output. This is accomplished by applying the theory of inverse semistate linear systems to the linear part and directly inverting the activation functions. An example is given for a two-input two-output degree two (two neuron) system. The results could be of use in finding the set of patterns which fall into different classes of a neural network dynamic pattern classifier.


Pixel unmixing is commonly performed by employing a least squared (LS) error criterion, making it sensitive to outliers. As an alternative, the least median of squares (LMedS) method is proposed. Not only is it extremely robust, but it is efficient and straightforward both to implement and use.


This paper jointly addresses two major challenges in power system operations: 1) dealing with non-convexity in the power flow equations, and 2) systematically capturing uncertainty in renewable power availability and in active and reactive power consumption at load buses. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a two-stage adaptive robust optimization model for the multi-period AC optimal power flow problem (AC-OPF) with detailed modeling considerations, such as reactive capability curves of conventional and renewable generators and transmission constraints. This paper then applies strong second-order cone programming (SOCP)-based convex relaxations of AC-OPF combined with the use of an alternating direction method to identify worst-case uncertainty realizations, and also presents a speed-up technique based on screening transmission line constraints. Extensive computational experiments show that the solution method is efficient and that the robust AC OPF model has significant advantages both from the economic and reliability standpoints as compared to a deterministic AC-OPF model.


Lipid deposits in the form of globules have been observed in the choroid of a number of the specimens studied in this laboratory. A study was undertaken to determine the incidence and clinical significance, if any, of these lipid globules. The subject of fatty degeneration of the choroid has been reviewed by Jaensch. 1 He considered the presence of large amounts of lipid in the choroid to be a sign of severe pathology in the eye. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the appearance of these lipid globules during life and to describe their histopathologic characteristics in otherwise normal eyes. Methods and Materials Histopathology. —The observations reported in this study are based upon the examination of the choroid of approximately 100 pairs of eyes which were obtained post mortem. The specimens were examined with a dissecting microscope after removal of the retinal pigment epithelium from the choroid.


Abstract Strong thunderstorm activity over Iowa on two successive afternoons was the apparent source of pressure-jump lines (PJL's) which moved SSE at 50 km h−1 through the nocturnal boundary layer and were detected by National Weather Service (NWS) stations as far away as Paducah, Kentucky. Rainshowers and thunder were reported at many NWS stations as the PJL's passed. The Regional Air Monitoring System (RAMS) network at St. Louis provided detailed information on the PJL'S. Arrival there was indicated by an abrupt pressure rise of 1.5 mb, a near reversal of the surface flow, and a vertical displacement of 750 m extending through the lower 4 km of the atmosphere. The passage of each PJL was coincident with the turbulent collapse of the nocturnal jet. The observations of the PJL events seem indicative of an internal bore and are similar to those of the Morning Glory seen in northern Australia. We speculate that the bore originates from a late afternoon convergence produced by thunderstorm outflow and oppos...


The integrated plans for harnessing hydro-graphic basins in Africa were comprehensive and aimed vast territorial areas, such as the one of Zambezi in Mozambique drawn by Portuguese authorities between 1956 and 1965. This plan comprised the construction of a large artificial lake – the Cahora Bassa dam's reservoir – which was then seen as having serious impact on physical and mental health of people affected by the project. This vision was evident in some documents such as the "Reorganization of the population living in the areas to be flood by the Cahora Bassa dam" produced by the Mission for the Development and Settlement of Zambezi Valley (1967-1970) and the "Bases for the Establishment of the General Programme by the Steering Committee of Scientific Research in the Area to be flood by the Cahora Bassa dam" prepared by Falcon et al. (1970). This article presents the analysis of those documents aiming at supporting the hypothesis that the work of those technicians and scientists paved the way for both the Environmental Medicine in Portugal and the current transverse-line of research of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – "Emerging Diseases and Environmental Change".


The photosensitive molecule adsorption on titanium dioxide (TiO2) forms the so-called "dye sensitized TiO2" system, a typical organic/oxide heterojunction, which is of great interest in catalysis and energy applications, e.g. dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Traditionally, the transition metal complex dyes are the focus of the study. However, as the fast development of the organic semiconductors and invention of new pure organic dyes, it is necessary to expand the research horizon to cover these molecules and concrete the fundamental understanding of their basic properties, especially during sensitization.In this work, we focus on two different photosensitive molecules: phthalocyanines and triphenylamine-based dyes. Phthalocyanines are organic semiconductors with symmetric macro aromatic molecular structures. They possess good photoelectrical properties and good thermal and chemical stability, which make them widely used in the organic electronic industries. Triphenylamine-based dyes are new types of pure organic dyes which deliver high efficiency and reduce the cost of DSSC. They can be nominated as one of the strong candidates to substitute the ruthenium complex dyes in DSSC. The researches were carried out using classic surface science techniques on single crystal substrates and under ultrahigh vacuum condition. The photosensitive molecules were deposited by organic molecular beam deposition. The substrate reconstruction and ordering were checked by low energy electron diffraction. The molecular electronic, geometric structures and charge transfer properties were characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy, near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (RPES). Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to directly image the molecular adsorption.For phthalocyanines, we select MgPc, ZnPc, FePc and TiOPc, which showed a general charge transfer from molecule to the substrate when adsorbed on rutile TiO2(110) surface with 1×1 and 1×2 reconstructions. This charge transfer can be prevented by modifying the TiO2 surface with pyridine derivatives (4-tert-butyl pyridine (4TBP), 2,2'-bipyridine and 4,4'-bipyridine), and furthermore the energy level alignment at the interface is modified by the surface dipole established by the pyridine molecules. Annealing also plays an important role to control the molecular structure and change the electronic structure together with the charge transfer properties, shown by TiOPc film. Special discussions were done for 4TBP for its ability to shift the substrate band bending by healing the oxygen vacancies, which makes it an important additive in the DSSC electrolyte. For the triphenylamine-based dye (TPAC), the systematic deposition enables the characterization of the coverage dependent changes of molecular electronic and geometric structures. The light polarization dependent charge transfer was revealed by RPES. Furthermore, the iodine doped TPAC on TiO2 were investigated to mimic the electrolyte/dye/TiO2 interface in the real DSSC.The whole work of this thesis aims to provide fundamental understanding of the interaction between photosensitive molecules on TiO2 surfaces at molecular level in the monolayer region, e.g. the formation of interfacial states and the coverage dependent atomic and electronic structures, etc. We explored the potential of the application of new dyes and modified of the existing system by identifying their advantage and disadvantage. The results may benefit the fields of dye syntheses, catalysis researches and designs of organic photovoltaic devices.


We introduce a distributionally robust minimium mean square error estimation model with a Wasserstein ambiguity set to recover an unknown signal from a noisy observation. The proposed model can be viewed as a zero-sum game between a statistician choosing an estimator—that is, a measurable function of the observation—and a fictitious adversary choosing a prior—that is, a pair of signal and noise distributions ranging over independent Wasserstein balls—with the goal to minimize and maximize the expected squared estimation error, respectively. We show that, if the Wasserstein balls are centered at normal distributions, then the zero-sum game admits a Nash equilibrium, by which the players' optimal strategies are given by an affine estimator and a normal prior, respectively. We further prove that this Nash equilibrium can be computed by solving a tractable convex program. Finally, we develop a Frank–Wolfe algorithm that can solve this convex program orders of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art general-purpose solvers. We show that this algorithm enjoys a linear convergence rate and that its direction-finding subproblems can be solved in quasi-closed form.


The aim of this study was to verify the criterion and cross-validity of accelerometer thresholds for distinguishing different physical activity intensities and identifying sedentary behavior in children and adolescents. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, Sports Discus and Web of Science databases. Inclusion criteria were: a) derivation and/or validation of accelerometer thresholds related to intensity of physical activity in youth (age 2 to 18 years); b) use of indirect calorimetry or direct observation as the reference method; c) original research articles published in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Nineteen studies were selected. The accelerometers most often investigated were ActiGraph, RT3 and Actical. Thresholds showed good to moderate validity in the calibration phase (sensitivity = 68 to 100%; specificity = 61 to 100%). Generalizability of the thresholds was higher when they were tested on independent samples (Kappa = 0.72 to 0.91; sensitivity = 79 to 94%; specificity = 72 to 98%) than during independent activities (Kappa = 0.46 to 0.71; sensitivity = 27 to 97%; specificity = 52 to 95%). One calibration study tested the validity of thresholds in independent samples and activities, and only one threshold validation study was found. In conclusion, limited information is available on the generality of accelerometer thresholds for physical activity monitoring in children and adolescents. Validation studies are needed to identify appropriate thresholds for each type of accelerometer.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the Advanced Illness Coordinated Care Program (AICCP), delivered by allied health personnel to improve care for patients coping with advanced illness and in need of preparation for end-of-life (EOL) care.

STUDY DESIGN
Clinical trial involving 275 patients and 143 surrogates in 6 settings who were randomly assigned to the AICCP or usual care (UC).

METHODS
The AICCP participants met with a care coordinator for assistance with provider communication, care coordination, and support. The AICCP was evaluated for effects on satisfaction with care, advance planning, consistency of care with patient preferences, and healthcare costs.

RESULTS
The AICCP increased patient satisfaction with care and communication (P = .03), and AICCP surrogates reported fewer problems with provider support (P = .03). More AICCP than UC participants completed an advance directive (AD) (69.4% vs 48.4%; P = .006), and the AICCP group completed more ADs per participant (P = .01). Median time to AD documentation was 46 days for AICCP and 238 days for UC (P = .02). There was no difference in survival (AICCP 43% vs UC 42%). Six-month costs were lower with AICCP than with UC (12,123 US dollars vs 16,295 US dollars); however, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS
The AICCP improved satisfaction with care and helped patients develop and revise more ADs, sooner, without affecting mortality. This program may be delivered in a range of managed care, fee-for-service, and group-model settings.


The importance of exercise and physical activity has been well documented. Despite a relatively large number of children and adolescents living with disability, physical activity and sports activity participation is lower in children with disabilities. Risk for obesity is higher in children with disability. There are a variety of factors that affect participation in physical activity and/or sports. Some of these factors include physical, social, and environmental barriers; lack of access to resources; and parental views and support. Participation levels also vary depending on the type of disease process. In order to get children with disabilities more involved in physical activity, there are a few studies demonstrating the benefits of exercise or community exercise and strengthening programs. Similarly, there are a variety of sports and physical activity programs that children can get involved with. As a healthcare practitioner, it is essential to be aware of medical factors, injury risk, and available resources to assist with an individualized program for the child with a disability so the child can improve his/her overall physical and social wellbeing. This review manuscript aims to provide an overview of some of the issues affecting physical activity participation in children with disability and some of the special considerations in getting children involved.


This study aimed to establish an extended design of experiment (DoE)-in vitro in vivo correlation (IVIVC) model that defines the relationship between formulation composition, in vitro dissolution, and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Fourteen sustained-release (SR) tablets of a model drug, donepezil, were designed by applying a mixture design of DoE and prepared by the wet granulation method. The in vitro dissolution patterns of donepezil SR tablets were described by Michaelis–Menten kinetics. The mathematical relationship describing the effects of SR tablet compositions on the in vitro dissolution parameter, i.e., the in vitro maximum rate of release (Vmax), was derived. The predictability of the derived DoE model was validated by an additional five SR tablets with a mean prediction error (PE%) of less than 3.50% for in vitro Vmax. The pharmacokinetics of three types of donepezil SR and the immediate-release (IR) tablets was assessed in Beagle dogs following oral administration (n = 3, each). Based on the plasma concentration-time profile, a population pharmacokinetic model was developed, and the in vivo dissolution of SR tablets, represented by in vivo Vmax, was estimated. By correlating the in vitro and in vivo Vmax, level A IVIVC was established. Finally, the extended DoE-IVIVC model was developed by integrating the DoE equation and IVIVC into the population pharmacokinetic model. The extended DoE-IVIVC model allowed one to predict the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of donepezil SR tablets with PE% less than 10.30% and 5.19%, respectively, by their formulation composition as an input. The present extended DoE-IVIVC model may provide a valuable tool to predict the effect of formulation changes on in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior, leading to the more efficient development of SR formulations. The application of the present modeling approaches to develop other forms of drug formulation may be of interest for future studies.


Removal of cholesterol from the body is the final step in reverse cholesterol transport, the process by which excess cholesterol is moved from peripheral tissues to the liver for excretion. Several provocative studies led us to probe the contributions of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ATP-dependent transporter with broad range of hydrophobic substrates, to the removal of cholesterol and its bile acid metabolites from the body. We used knockout mice lacking both isoforms of Pgp (Abcb1a⁺/1b⁺) fed test diets containing elevated fat and/or cholesterol to determine if Pgp deletion affects murine cholesterol homeostasis. The knockout mice had the same cholesterol phenotype as wild-type mice, measured by cholesterol absorption, circulating lipoproteins, and hepatic storage of cholesterol.
We examined the activation of two key regulatory pathways that maintain cholesterol homeostasis, Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein-2 (SREBP-2) and Liver X Receptor (LXR), to determine if the knockout mice maintain cholesterol balance through compensatory mechanisms. The knockout mice had decreased expression of SREBP-2-target genes in the jejunum and increased expression of LXR-target genes in the liver. These perturbations to cholesterol regulatory networks are indirect evidence that the knockout mice lacked a cholesterol efflux mechanism.
We evaluated efflux of bile acids from the liver to the gallbladder in mice after nine weeks on the test diets. Knockout mice fed elevated fat or cholesterol had a 30-50% reduction in bile acid efflux capacity compared to wild type mice, suggesting that Pgp contributes to murine bile acid efflux. Subsequent analysis revealed that Pgp did not display specificity for a particular class of bile acids.
In summary, we provide evidence that deletion of Pgp did not alter the cholesterol phenotype of mice; however, compensatory shifts in cholesterol regulatory networks maintained homeostasis in the knockout. Additionally, we show that Pgp knockout mice had a reduced capacity to efflux bile acids to the gallbladder. The nature of the changes to the cholesterol regulatory networks and the perturbations to bile acid efflux suggest that Pgp is a non-specific efflux transporter that recognizes both cholesterol and bile acids as substrates.


A microfluidic flow-focusing device is used to explore the use of surfactant-mediated tipstreaming to synthesize micrometer-scale and smaller droplets. By controlling the surfactant bulk concentration of a soluble nonionic surfactant in the neighborhood of the critical micelle concentration, along with the capillary number and the ratio of the internal and external flow rates, we observe several distinct modes of droplet breakup. For the most part, droplet breakup in microfluidic devices results in highly monodisperse droplets in the range of tens of micrometers in size. However, we observe a new mode of breakup called "thread formation" that resembles tipstreaming and yields tiny droplets in the range of a few micrometers in size or smaller. In this work, we characterize the growth of the thread and its maximum length as a function of flow variables and surfactant content, and we also characterize the period of droplet breakup as a function of these variables. Our results suggest possible methods for controlling the process. Using a simple flow visualization experiment as the basis, we report on preliminary efforts to model the thread formation process.


The article is aimed at studying the legal means (ways) of representing (formalizing) interests in the mechanism for the legal regulation of environmental relations.
The conclusion is reached that it deems reasonable to pose a question about an optimal correlation between interests, i.e. about their sound compromise, not a balance between them, since the latter requires balancing them out which is neither factually, nor legally possible.
One characteristic feature of environmental law is its simultaneous use of a permit-based way of the legal regulation by granting the corresponding rights and introducing prohibitions. It contributes to developing a rigid model of the behaviour between the subjects of environmental relations.
One of the criteria determining the degree of the efficiency of the mechanism for the legal regulation of a certain type of relations is, among others, taking a full account of the interests of the subjects of this type of relations by means of representing (formalizing) these interests in legislation, their juridization. There exist several ways aimed at formalizing environmental interests: 1) permits, concerning only citizens and public unions, i.e the powers provided for by the environmental rights of the subjects of environmental law; 2) obligations - prescriptions binding on persons to be fulfilled, designed for state authorities, subjects of economic relations, citizens and their unions; 3) proscriptions.
All of the components of the environmental law mechanism described in the article are complex in terms of their procedure and, in fact, constitute the public law mechanism being aimed at ensuring mostly public environmental interests. Furthermore, its implementation will definitely involve influencing private, often nonenvironmental interests, which should also be taken into consideration. This is what constitutes the very purpose of the environmental law mechanism as a comprehensive coherent system of normatively established measures and requirements, actions and processes aimed at gradually and effectively achieving the objectives of environmental law. This objective lies in developing environmental law and order as a guarantee for the fulfillment of the constitutional environmental rights and nature conservation, including the objective of conserving biodiversity.
Considering the dynamic nature of the development of environmental and other relations with regard to the possibility of the direction of the interests of the subjects of these relations being changed, it deems necessary to reconsider the nature and content of those legal means that constitute the environmental law mechanism.


Miniature devices have become wearable beyond the form factor of watches or rings---functional devices can now directly affix to the user's skin, unlocking a much wider canvas for electronics. However, building such small and skin-friendly devices currently requires expensive materials and equipment that is mostly found in the medical domain. We present DuoSkin, a fabrication process that affords rapidly prototyping functional devices directly on the user's skin using gold leaf as the key material, a commodity material that is skin-friendly, robust for everyday wear, and user-friendly in fabrication. We demonstrate how gold leaf enables three types of interaction modalities on DuoSkin devices: sensing touch input, displaying output, and communicating wirelessly with other devices. Importantly, DuoSkin incorporates aesthetic customizations found on body decoration, giving form to exposed interfaces that so far have mostly been concealed by covers. Our technical evaluation confirmed that gold leaf was more durable and preferable when affixed to skin than current commodity materials during everyday wear. This makes gold leaf a viable material for users to build functional and compelling on-skin devices. In our workshop evaluation, participants were able to customize their own on-skin music controllers that reflected personal aesthetics.


White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in Egyptian shrimp is poorly understood and there is no available information regarding possible WSSV infection of native shrimp in Egypt. Therefore, the main goal of this work was to diagnose WSSV in Egyptian shrimp by histopathological examination and molecular based methods (PCR). A total of 90 shrimp samples showed circular white patches in the cuticle were collected from the local fish markets of high shrimp producing region in three provinces of Egypt. The three regions located at the south coast of Mediterranean Sea, including El-Arish, Dumiatta and Kafr El-sheikh. Histopathological examination of different organs showed intranuclear basophilic inclusion bodies. Single-step PCR results with primers specific for the gene encoding VP28 gave a predicted amplified product at 677 bp. The primer pair designed from WSSV genomic sequence yields a 677 bp fragment by agarose gel electrophoresis.


This thesis investigates contemporary initial teacher training reforms in
Egypt within a comparative and historical context. It pays close attention to
the division between primary and secondary teachers as this is located at the
heart of reform processes. To achieve this, it reflects on the experience of
England, France and the United States, to identify lessons learned in teacher
training reform that could be applied or avoided in order to enhance initial
teacher education in Egypt. The thesis reviews reform efforts based on policy
decisions and educational practices that have taken place in initial teacher
training in Egypt, in particular contemporary changes. It examines the nature
of these reforms and how far they have been successful in achieving their aims.
It also interprets these changes more fully by listening to the voices of those
involved in the system.
The comparative and historical analysis of reform processes in teacher
training in the case studies and Egypt has shown a common pattern of
restructuring rather than values and principles. In particular, Egypt has shown
an interest in reforming initial teacher education that bears comparison with the
reform experience that has been carried out in England, France and the United
States.
Structural aspects of the system of teacher education are usually taken as
an indicator of the success of the policy and practice of teacher education. This
thesis suggests that more attention should be given to the underlying values and
principles of initial teacher education in Egypt rather than only the structural
aspects of the system. A social reconstructionist approach to teacher education
may help to promote a better future for teachers in Egypt


In recent years, dengue has become a shared infection transmitted by mosquitoes, one of the main international health problems. In broad spectrum clinical manifestations, symptomatic dengue virus can occur from gentle febrile sickness to hazardous shock disorder. As a contribution to the manifestation of the disease, both the viral factor and the host have an important role in each infection. It is significant to realize the burden of mortality and morbidity in health care. Early intuition and dengue fever diagnosis in primary health care services can minimize complications if managed appropriately. We must apprehend the intensity of the complication in in relation to clinical picture, treatment, transmission, diagnosis and prevention. Keywords: Dengue, clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment. DOI : 10.7176/JMPB/62-07 Publication date: December 31 st 2019


Introduction: Radicular resorption is an unwanted side effect of orthodontic therapy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare between two radiographic methods in detection of root resorption induced by orthodontic treatment, by comparing panoramic radiographic images (OPG) with cone-beam computed tomography volumes (CBCT) in assessing radicular resorption encouraged by orthodontic treatments.

Methods: The sample of this study consisted of 469 teeth in 20 individuals after the completion of leveling and alignment phase of orthodontic therapy with fixed appliances. This study examined & tested the existence or nonexistence and the degree of radicular reabsorption on the OPG and the corresponding reconstructed 3D CBCT volumes. Radicular resorption was assessed as grade 0 (no resorption), grade 1 (mild resorption), grade 2 (moderate resorption), grade 3 (severe resorption) and grade 4 (extreme resorption).

Results: assessment of OPG radiographs showed that the evaluation of 12 teeth was not possible. There were statistically significant differences found between OPG and CBCT: 165 and 87 teeth revealed no radicular resorption by OPG and CBCT volumes, respectively; 237 and 292 teeth revealed mild root resorption, while 54 and 79 revealed moderate resorption by OPG and CBCT volumes, respectively. Furthermore, 3 teeth evaluated to have grade 3 radicular resorption (severe resorption) when evaluated by OPG, while 10 teeth were assessed to have severe resorption with CBCT.

Conclusion: Radicular resorption during and after orthodontic movement of teeth is underrated when assessed by OPG. CBCT may be a valuable complemental analytic technique to formal radiology, in order to be used when a choice on continuance or adjustment of the orthodontic therapy is needed due to root resorption induced by orthodontic treatment.


We report the first use of a (silicon)/(heavily doped polysilicon)/(metal) structure to replace the conventional high-low junction or back-surface-field (BSF) structure, of silicon solar cells. Compared with BSF and back-ohmic-contact (BOC) control slimples, the polysilicon-back solar cells, show improvements in red spectral response (RSR) and open-circuit voltage. Measurement reveals that a decrease in effective surface recombination velocity S is responsible for this improvement. Decreased S results for n-type (Si:As) polysilicon, consistent with past findings for bipolar transistors, and for p-type (Si:B) polysilicon, reported here for the first time. Though the present polysilicon-back solar cells are far from optimal, the results suggest a new class of designs for high efficiency silicon solar cells. Detailed technical reasons are advanced to support this view.


The increasingly personal and ubiquitous capabilities of computing—everything from smartphones to virtual reality—are enabling us to build a brave new world in the digital realm. Despite these advances in the virtual world, our ability as end-users to transform the physical world still remains limited. The emergence of low-cost fabrication technology (most notably 3D printing) has brought us a dawn of making, promising to empower everyday users with the ability to fabricate physical objects of their own design. However, the technology itself is oblivious of the physical world—things are, in most cases, assumed to be printed from scratch in isolation from the real world objects they will be attached to and work with. To bridge this 'gulf of fabrication', my thesis research focuses on developing fabrication techniques with design tool integration to enable users to expressively create designs that can be attached to and function with existing real-world objects. Specifically, my work explores techniques that leverage the 3D printing process to create attachments directly over, onto and around existing objects; a design tool further enables people to specify and generate adaptations that can be attached to and mechanically transform existing objects in user-customized ways; a user-driven approach allows people to express and iterate structures that are optimized to support existing objects; finally, a library of 'embeddables' demonstrate that existing objects can also augment 3D printed designs by embedding a large variety of material to realize different properties and functionalities. Overall my thesis aspires to make fabrication real—enabling people to express, iterate and fabricate their designs that closely work with real-world objects to augment one another.


Background One-third of the US population is obese, and childhood obesity has tripled since the late 1970s. Childhood obesity is a significant health issue requiring interventions on individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels. Community coalitions offer successful strategies for engaging community partners with health improvement goals. Community Context In 2008, Yakima County, an agricultural community in eastern Washington, was ranked the eighth fattest city in the United States. Recognizing the obesity problem, the Yakima Health District (YHD) established 2 objectives: to decrease rates of childhood obesity in Yakima County and to recruit and establish a community coalition of key stakeholders and experts to help address the problem. Methods The YHD spearheaded a movement to create a community coalition. The coalition applied for and received state and federal grants. In September 2008, the YHD held the first recruitment event for Rev It Up!, its community-based effort to address the obesity problem in Yakima. YHD invited the Washington State Department of Health to advise the coalition-building and action-planning process. Outcome The community coalition achieved 5 of 7 objectives, including developing a common vision, creating an advisory committee, and conducting a community inventory, prioritization process, and action plan. However, unexpected public health challenges in the YHD delayed coalition efforts. Interpretation Creating the Rev It Up! coalition met a community need and engaged community partners. Some potential partners were dissuaded by the 6-month period required to establish the coalition. Rev It Up! continues as a community effort to reduce rates of obesity in Yakima County.


Are safe areas an effective option to protect civilian populations from mass atrocities when they are targeted by their own state? Safe areas disappeared from the international lexicon following the failures in Bosnia and Rwanda. But they are now receiving a second look as a way of responding to mass atrocities without full-scale military intervention. This article argues that the earlier generation of safe areas failed not due to their size or cost, but rather because of problems inherent with their underlying logic. Safe areas were based either on logics of consent or the presence of a credible military force. Hybrid safe areas (such as in Bosnia) were based on neither of these, but instead relied on the legitimacy inherent in the UN Security Council. Crucially, in cases where civilians were being directly targeted by belligerents, both hybrid and consent-based safe areas collapsed. This has direct ramifications for present discussions around the Protection of Civilians agenda and the Responsibility to Protect doctrine.


Extensive multilingualism is one of the most important and fundamental principles of the European Union. However, a large number of official languages (currently 23) hinders communication and imposes substantial financial and legal costs. We address the merits of multilingualism and formulate an analytical framework to determine the optimal number of official languages in the EU. Using the results of a 2005 Eurobarometer survey of languages in the EU 27, we first derive the sets of languages that minimize aggregate linguistic disenfranchisement of the Union???s citizens for any given number of languages. We then proceed by discussing the political-economy framework and feasibility of a potential linguistic reform in the EU under alternative voting rules. We argue that a six-language regime would be a reasonable intermediate choice: a lower number of official languages results in excessive linguistic disenfranchisement whereas adding further languages increases the costs but brings only limited benefits. We also show that even though a linguistic reform reducing the number of official languages to six is unlikely to gain sufficient support at the present, this may change in the future since young people are more proficient at speaking foreign languages.


Fine-grained visual classification (FGVC) which aims at recognizing objects from subcategories is a very challenging task due to the inherently subtle inter-class differences. Most existing works mainly tackle this problem by reusing the backbone network to extract features of detected discriminative regions. However, this strategy inevitably complicates the pipeline and pushes the proposed regions to contain most parts of the objects thus fails to locate the really important parts. Recently, vision transformer (ViT) shows its strong performance in the traditional classification task. The self-attention mechanism of the transformer links every patch token to the classification token. In this work, we first evaluate the effectiveness of the ViT framework in the fine-grained recognition setting. Then motivated by the strength of the attention link can be intuitively considered as an indicator of the importance of tokens, we further propose a novel Part Selection Module that can be applied to most of the transformer architectures where we integrate all raw attention weights of the transformer into an attention map for guiding the network to effectively and accurately select discriminative image patches and compute their relations. A contrastive loss is applied to enlarge the distance between feature representations of confusing classes. We name the augmented transformer-based model TransFG and demonstrate the value of it by conducting experiments on five popular fine-grained benchmarks where we achieve state-of-the-art performance. Qualitative results are presented for better understanding of our model.


Ammonia as a carbon-free fuel used in IC engines always suffers from large cyclic variations and high NOx emissions. Ammonia blending with high-reactivity fuels is recognized as an effective attempt to overcome these shortcomings. In this work, for the first time, the combustion and emission characteristics of n-heptane/ammonia were investigated under reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) conditions in an optical engine. An intake adapter was introduced to modify turbulent flow motion and n-heptane was directly injected to regulate mixture reactivity based on energy ratios. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was employed for in-cylinder flow measurement, high-speed photography and instantaneous pressure acquisition were used for combustion evolutions, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was adopted for NOx and NH3 emissions. The results show both mixture reactivity and turbulence have significant impacts on ammonia combustion. Specifically, n-heptane addition manifesting mixture reactivity dominates combustion processes at early-injection conditions, while the turbulence with increasing intensity becomes significant at late-injection conditions. Visualization images show that the initiation of initial flame kernels is controlled by the local distribution of n-heptane fraction, and that high n-heptane fraction at early injection or low n-heptane fraction at late injection conditions tends to induce homogeneous combustion. Flame stretch analysis confirms the promotion of mixture reactivity and turbulence motion on turbulent flame propagation and identifies that a high n-heptane fraction with swirl-tumble motion exhibits lower flame stretch sensitivity, especially for late-injection scenarios. Besides, low mixture reactivity with early injection and high mixture reactivity with late injection strategies can achieve high-efficiency combustion. However, when considering NOX/NH3 emissions, a high n-heptane fraction at late injection with swirl-tumble motion has the most potential to achieve the compromise between thermal efficiency and emissions. The present work demonstrates that with optimized fuel injection and flow arrangement, ammonia blending with high-reactivity fuels can achieve high-efficient combustion while maintaining NOx/NH3 emissions within reasonable levels.


Intestinal D-fructose absorption in 31 children was investigated using measurements of breath hydrogen. Twenty five children had no abdominal symptoms and six had functional bowel disorders. After ingestion of fructose (2 g/kg bodyweight), 22 children (71%) showed a breath hydrogen increase of more than 10 ppm over basal values, indicating incomplete absorption: the increase averaged 53 ppm, range 12 to 250 ppm. Four of these children experienced abdominal symptoms. Three of the six children with bowel disorders showed incomplete absorption. Seven children were tested again with an equal amount of glucose, and in three of them also of galactose, added to the fructose. The mean maximum breath hydrogen increases were 5 and 10 ppm, respectively, compared with 103 ppm after fructose alone. In one boy several tests were performed with various sugars; fructose was the only sugar incompletely absorbed, and the effect of glucose on fructose absorption was shown to be dependent on the amount added. It is concluded that children have a limited absorptive capacity for fructose. We speculate that the enhancing effect of glucose and galactose on fructose absorption may be due to activation of the fructose carrier. Apple juice in particular contains fructose in excess of glucose and could lead to abdominal symptoms in susceptible children.


BACKGROUND
Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics in primary care is contributing to the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance.

OBJECTIVES
To develop and evaluate a multicomponent intervention for antimicrobial stewardship in primary care, and to evaluate the safety of reducing antibiotic prescribing for self-limiting respiratory infections (RTIs).

INTERVENTIONS
A multicomponent intervention, developed as part of this study, including a webinar, monthly reports of general practice-specific data for antibiotic prescribing and decision support tools to inform appropriate antibiotic prescribing.

DESIGN
A parallel-group, cluster randomised controlled trial.

SETTING
The trial was conducted in 79 general practices in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).

PARTICIPANTS
All registered patients were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was the rate of antibiotic prescriptions for self-limiting RTIs over the 12-month intervention period.

COHORT STUDY
A separate population-based cohort study was conducted in 610 CPRD general practices that were not exposed to the trial interventions. Data were analysed to evaluate safety outcomes for registered patients with 45.5 million person-years of follow-up from 2005 to 2014.

RESULTS
There were 41 intervention trial arm practices (323,155 patient-years) and 38 control trial arm practices (259,520 patient-years). There were 98.7 antibiotic prescriptions for RTIs per 1000 patient-years in the intervention trial arm (31,907 antibiotic prescriptions) and 107.6 per 1000 patient-years in the control arm (27,923 antibiotic prescriptions) [adjusted antibiotic-prescribing rate ratio (RR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78 to 0.99; p = 0.040]. There was no evidence of effect in children aged < 15 years (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.12) or adults aged ≥ 85 years (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.18). Antibiotic prescribing was reduced in adults aged between 15 and 84 years (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.95), that is, one antibiotic prescription was avoided for every 62 patients (95% CI 40 to 200 patients) aged 15-84 years per year. Analysis of trial data for 12 safety outcomes, including pneumonia and peritonsillar abscess, showed no evidence that these outcomes might be increased as a result of the intervention. The analysis of data from non-trial practices showed that if a general practice with an average list size of 7000 patients reduces the proportion of RTI consultations with antibiotics prescribed by 10%, then 1.1 (95% CI 0.6 to 1.5) more cases of pneumonia per year and 0.9 (95% CI 0.5 to 1.3) more cases of peritonsillar abscesses per decade may be observed. There was no evidence that mastoiditis, empyema, meningitis, intracranial abscess or Lemierre syndrome were more frequent at low-prescribing practices.

LIMITATIONS
The research was based on electronic health records that may not always provide complete data. The number of practices included in the trial was smaller than initially intended.

CONCLUSIONS
This study found evidence that, overall, general practice antibiotic prescribing for RTIs was reduced by this electronically delivered intervention. Antibiotic prescribing rates were reduced for adults aged 15-84 years, but not for children or the senior elderly.

FUTURE WORK
Strategies for antimicrobial stewardship should employ stratified interventions that are tailored to specific age groups. Further research into the safety of reduced antibiotic prescribing is also needed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN95232781.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 11. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


The cholera epidemic of 1886, in Tucuman (Argentina) brought about gestures, words and actions, that constituted the mystical- political itinerary of Elmina Paz-Gallo and her companions, who gave themselves over to the care of the most vulnerable in society, making of their home a home for all. The political action of these women of the nineteenth century was above all a politics centred upon relationship, which generated something new in society and a free sense of their existences. The giving room to the Other, to others, to children, led them to forget themselves and open themselves to a transcendent dimension in their lives. The path of interiority and search for God in Elmina did not lead her to a self-indulgent introspection. Her inner world is outside her, in the contact between her body and things. She takes on a mystical language that is a social language, committed to its historical moment. They understood that the key to this itineray is the void, making oneself nothing, the death of the self, so that the totally other might take place. A new politics comes into being in Tucuman, the politics of women, who dare to exercise authority, in the sense of making a beginning, making grow. They learn to let themselves by given by God the impulse to act, to open themselves to a different way of being in the world, not out of a forced conquest but rather out of the receptivity of simply being there.


Minimum Service Standard (SPM) in public work and spatial planning sectors is a provision on the type and quality of basic services in the fields of public work and spatial planning. The service fields are obligatory mandates that must be delivered to citizens. This resesarch aims to examine the extent of implementation of SPM and its achievement towards national target in those fields. Moreover, it will find out the pitfalls that undermine the local government agencies to fulfill the citizens' right. This research applies descriptive analysis and qualitative approach. The results are that 16 indicators from 10 kinds of basic services in the fields performed by three local government units, namely the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Planning, Department of Highways and the Department of Hygiene. However, only 5 of 16 indicators meet the national targets. This poor achievement is caused by various constraints such as: substance, technical, administration, resources, and social problems.


Depression is a mental illness that can negatively impact one's overall quality of life. As of 2017, more than 300 million people across the globe and 17.3 million adults in the United States experienced symptoms of depression. The purpose of this review of literature is to explore the association between a healthy and balanced nutritional intake with self-care and depression. A deficiency in antioxidants, a shift in oxidative stress markers, and inflammatory markers in the body act as modifiable risk factors for depression. The Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects; obesity, smoking, sleep deprivation, and poor diet choices are lifestyle and psychological stressors that can be combated by the anti-inflammatory effects of this diet. The adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), identified to have a direct influence on cognitive abilities and mood, can be regulated to prevent decreased AHN, which coincides with depressive behaviors. Also, nutritional psychiatry is a new field of research that could lead to influential dietary approaches for disease prevention and exploration of therapeutic goals for mental illnesses, such as depression. Increased awareness is needed and socially normalizing depression and mental illnesses should be advocated for and promoted by policy makers, health care providers, family members, and educator figures in order for further research to be conducted to explore in what ways nutrition can affect self-care when diagnosed with depression.


Jacque Antoine was born in a small village in Grenada, and as child knew God was calling her to missions. After higher education in the U.S., she returned to her homeland. She serves as a Foursquare missionary and church planter on the beautiful island, especially ministering in rural areas where villages are steeped in poverty.