Context: Globally, nurses provide care to progressively more diverse individuals, groups, communities, and populations. School of Nursing must be able to prepare clinicians who can meet the health and illness needs of increasingly multiracial and multiethnic populations. To be able to do so, Nursing curricula must be informed by the social determinants of health that influence health disparities among diverse populations, coordinate clinical experiences that provide opportunities for students to develop cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity knowledge and skill, and integrate intercultural communication strategies requisite for the provision of culturally congruent care. Therefore, the purpose of this article to underscore the seminal works that have underscored the value and utility of incorporating the concepts of transcultural nursing administration as an organizing framework for nursing education and practice.
Case: Changing consumer demographics, principles of transcultural nursing administration, and the Diversity Competency Model serve as a model case intended to inform the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services to diverse consumers within a healthcare organization.
Conclusion: The consequences of transcultural nursing administration are nursing practitioners who are competent to provide culturally congruent care to diverse individuals, groups, communities, and populations, who can function independently and interdependently as integral members of multicultural, interprofessional healthcare teams, and who are able to expand the scientific body of knowledge related to transcultural nursing.


Dear Editor We would like to report the use of propofol for controlling tremors in a patient for cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia. Propofol has been found to have contrasting effects in movement disorders 1. Propofol has been found to cause myoclonus and dyskinesia but it has also been found to have an opposite effect to suppress tremors in some studies. Anderson 1 et al report suppression of tremors for 8 hrs after propofol anaesthesia for thalamotomy. Fukuda 2 et al report the disappearance of tremors under propofol anaesthesia for stereotactic surgery and reappearance with discontinuation of infusion. We anaesthetised a 79 year old female for cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia. She had a past history of multiple strokes and residual tremors mainly involving her head and neck. She did not have any neurological deficits. Since she could not lie still because of tremors, we decided to use propofol for sedation. After attaching the routine monitors and gaining IV access, target controlled infusion of propofol was started at 2 microgram/ml. Tremors stopped on reaching the target. She was transferred to the theatre and the surgery was performed under topical anaesthesia with no complications. She had supplemental oxygen through out the procedure and was able to communicate to her through out. The target was reduced from 2 to 1.3 microgram/ml during the operation. The infusion of propofol was stopped on completing the surgery and the tremors reappeared immediately. With the successful use of propofol for suppressing tremors in our case, we feel that propofol can be used in suppressing tremors for inserting central or arterial lines and doing regional procedures. References


This thesis uses an action research methodology to develop a framework for improving independent scholarly reporting about interventions addressing social or environmental conflict. As there are often contradictory interpretations about the causes and strategic responses to conflict, the problem confronting scholar-reporters is how to address perceptions of bias and reflexively specify the purpose of reporting. It is proposed that scholar-reporters require grounding in conventional realist-based social theory but equally ability to incorporate theoretical ideas generated in more idealist-based peace research and applied conflict resolution studies. To do this scholar-reporters can take a comparative approach systematically developed through an integrated framework as described in this thesis.

Conceptual and theoretical considerations that support both conventional and more radical constructions are comparatively analysed and then tested in relation to a case study. In 2000 Aboriginal people throughout South Australia deliberated whether their native title claims could be better accorded recognition through conservative court processes or a negotiation process to allay deep-seated conflict. The author, in a scholar-reporter capacity, formulated a report attributing meaning to this consultative process.

As such a report could have been formulated according to alternative paradigms, methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks, the analysis of the adopted framework highlights how different approaches can bias the interpretation of the process and prospects for change. Realist-based conservative interpretations emphasise 'official' decision-making processes where legitimacy is expressed through political and legal frameworks based on precedent. Idealist-based interpretations emphasise that circumstances entailing significant conflict warrant equal consideration being given to 'non-official' 'resolutionary' problem-solving processes where conflict is treated as a catalyst for learning and outcomes are articulated as understanding generated about conflict and how different strategies can transform it.

The developed integrated framework approach establishes the independence of scholarly reporting. Its purpose goes beyond perpetuating scholarly debate about alternative 'objective' understandings of conflict; it focuses primarily on communicating a more inclusive understanding of the contradictions inherent in a particular conflict. It increases the capacity to understand when, where, why and how conflict precipitates social change, and articulates possibilities for reconceptualising what might be the more sustainable direction of change.


Abstract Climate emulators are a powerful instrument for climate modeling, especially in terms of reducing the computational load for simulating spatiotemporal processes associated with climate systems. The most important type of emulators are statistical emulators trained on the output of an ensemble of simulations from various climate models. However, such emulators oftentimes fail to capture the "physics" of a system that can be detrimental for unveiling critical processes that lead to climate tipping points. Historically, statistical mechanics emerged as a tool to resolve the constraints on physics using statistics. We discuss how climate emulators rooted in statistical mechanics and machine learning can give rise to new climate models that are more reliable and require less observational and computational resources. Our goal is to stimulate discussion on how statistical climate emulators can further be improved with the help of statistical mechanics which, in turn, may reignite the interest of statistical community in statistical mechanics of complex systems.


Metastasis, accounting for ~90% of cancer-related mortality, involves the systemic spread of cancer cells from primary tumors to secondary sites such as the bone, brain, and lung. Although extensively studied, the mechanistic details of this process remain poorly understood. While common imaging modalities, including computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offer varying degrees of gross visualization, each lacks the temporal and spatial resolution necessary to detect the dynamics of individual tumor cells. To address this, numerous techniques have been described for intravital imaging of common metastatic sites. Of these sites, the lung has proven especially challenging to access for intravital imaging owing to its delicacy and critical role in sustaining life. Although several approaches have previously been described for single-cell intravital imaging of the intact lung, all involve highly invasive and terminal procedures, limiting the maximum possible imaging duration to 6-12 h. Described here is an improved technique for the permanent implantation of a minimally invasive thoracic optical Window for High-Resolution Imaging of the Lung (WHRIL). Combined with an adapted approach to microcartography, the innovative optical window facilitates serial intravital imaging of the intact lung at single-cell resolution across multiple imaging sessions and spanning multiple weeks. Given the unprecedented duration of time over which imaging data can be gathered, the WHRIL can facilitate the accelerated discovery of the dynamic mechanisms underlying metastatic progression and numerous additional biologic processes within the lung.


High-pressure injection injuries to the hand are associated with severe morbidity if treated improperly. Injuries typically occur in the nondominant hand of patients using industrial equipment in the workplace. Tissue damage is produced by the delivery of both kinetic energy and foreign substances into the hand. The initial clinical course can be deceptively benign and lead to delay in instituting therapy. Early conservative management dramatically increases the likelihood that the injured part will eventually require amputation. Thorough examination for functional and structural impairment is mandated. Aggressive and definitive operative debridement is then undertaken. Postoperatively, a physical program of early mobilization is warranted to prevent fibrosis and the formation of contractures. Although the institution of prophylactic antibiotics is warranted the use of corticosteroids in the management of these injuries remains controversial.


The pollution of atmospheric PM2.5 and ambient air quality were investigated in Wuxiang Town, Shanxi Province, China, and the ecological and health risks of the trace heavy metals in PM2.5 were analyzed. The PM2.5 samples were collected every day using a medium-volume PM2.5 sampler in autumn (from Oct. 22 to Nov. 19, 2014) and in winter (from Jan. 12 to Feb. 13, 2015) on the roof of a building at the Wuxiang Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The mass concentrations of PM2.5 were determined gravimetrically, and the contents of seven trace heavy metals (i. e., As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in PM2.5 were obtained using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The pollution extent, sources, and potential ecological and health risks of the trace heavy metals in PM2.5 were identified and assessed using the geo-accumulation index, ecological risk index, a correlation and principle component analysis, and the exposure risk models of US EPA. Results showed that the average concentration of PM2.5 in winter, approximately three times higher than that in autumn, exceeded the national secondary standard of ambient air quality (GB 3095-2012) on 65% of the sampling days. The heavy metals in PM2.5 mainly originated from anthropogenic activities, with contributions of 58.38% and 18.73% from coal combustion and vehicular emission, respectively. In general, the levels of the heavy metals in PM2.5 followed the order of Cu > Zn > Pb > Cr > As > Ni > Cd, with higher ecological risks from Cd and Cu and higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from Cr compared with other metals. It is suggested that greater coal combustion in winter under the adverse geographical conditions for air diffusion in Wuxiang Town were responsible for the increased atmospheric PM2.5 concentration and their ecological and health risks in heavy metals.


ABSTRACT There are only two reports in the literature demonstrating the presence of Campylobacter spp. in marine mammals. One report describes the isolation of a new species, Campylobacter insulaenigrae sp. nov., from three harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in Scotland, and the other describes the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter lari, and an unknown Campylobacter species from northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) in California. In this study, 72 presumptive C. lari and unknown Campylobacter species strains were characterized using standard phenotypic methods, 16S rRNA PCR, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Phenotypic characterization of these isolates showed them to be variable in their ability to grow either at 42°C or on agar containing 1% glycine and in their sensitivity to nalidixic acid and cephalothin. Based on both 16S rRNA PCR and MLST, all but 1 of the 72 isolates were C. insulaenigrae, with one isolate being similar to but distinct from both Campylobacter upsaliensis and Campylobacter helveticus. Phylogenetic analysis identified two C. insulaenigrae clades: the primary clade, containing exclusively California strains, and a secondary clade, containing some California strains and all of the original Scottish strains. This study demonstrates the inability of phenotypic characterization to correctly identify all Campylobacter species and emphasizes the importance of molecular characterization via 16S rRNA sequence analysis or MLST for the identification of Campylobacter isolates from marine mammals.


Advanced Paediatric Life Support is the internationally renowned manual on emergency paediatric care, written to support the course run by the Advanced Life Support Group. Using their structured approach, a tried and tested practical method of treating children during the crucial first few hours of a life threatening illness or injury, Advanced Paediatric Life Support is used by doctors, nurses and allied health professionals dealing with emergencies in children. Its clear layout and straightforward style make it a highly practical tool both for training and in the event of an emergency.


Home ventilation proved effective in prolonging life in patients suffering from restrictive respiratory disease. It has recently been proposed in obstructive disease especially in patients with frequent exacerbations. We report in this study our experience with home ventilation emphasizing its impact on survival in obstructive compared to restrictive patients.

Patients and methods : Starting from 2005, 82 patients (50% males, mean age: 62±15 years) were prescribed home ventilation via facial/nasal mask and included in the present analysis. A survival analysis with LogRank test was made after a mean follow-up of 29±16 months.

Results : 48 patients had obstructive disease either isolated (n=20), or associated with obstructive sleep apnea (Overlap syndrome, n=28). The remaining 34 had restrictive pulmonary disease (mainly myopathy). At time of censoring, 70 patients were still alive. There was no statistical difference in cumulated survival between obstructive and restrictive patients (LogRank= 0.3).

![Figure][1]

CONCLUSION : Our study shows similar survival patterns with home ventilation in obstructive and restrictive respiratory failure. The impact on quality of life should be compared too.

 [1]: pending:yes


Consider a transmission scheme with a single transmitter and multiple receivers over a faulty broadcast channel. For each receiver, the transmitter has a unique infinite stream of packets, and its goal is to deliver them at the highest throughput possible. While such multiple-unicast models are unsolved in general, several network coding-based schemes were suggested. In such schemes, the transmitter can either send an uncoded packet, or a coded packet which is the function of a few packets. The packets sent can be received by the designated receiver (with some probability) or heard and stored by other receivers. Two functional modes are considered; the first presumes that the storage time is unlimited, while in the second one it is limited by the given time to expire (TTE) parameter. We model the transmission process as an infinite-horizon Markov decision process (MDP). Since the large state space renders exact solutions computationally impractical, we introduce policy-restricted and induced MDPs with significantly reduced state space, and prove that with proper reward function they have equal optimal value function (hence equal optimal throughput). We then derive a reinforcement learning algorithm, which learns the optimal policy for the induced MDP. This optimal strategy of the induced MDP, once applied to the policy of the restricted one, significantly improves over uncoded schemes. Next, we enhance the algorithm by means of analysis of the structural properties of the resulting cost functional. We demonstrate that our method scales well in the number of users, and automatically adapts to the packet loss rates, unknown in advance. In addition, the performance is compared to the recent bound by Wang, which assumes much stronger coding (e.g., intrasession and buffering of coded packets), yet is shown to be comparable


Weber–Christian disease (WCD) is a chronic recurrent organ disease characterized by the formation of painful dense nodes in subcutaneous fat tissues, free from suppuration and accompanied by episodic temperature changes, chills and muscular pain. Sometimes it can involve the visceral organs. WCD often relapses during irregular intervals. It is a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder of subcutaneous adipose tissue. However, lung involvement in WCD is rare. Here we report a man presenting with lung nodules. He was diagnosed as having WCD and successfully treated by corticosteroid and immonosuppressive agents. A 53‐year‐old male presented with a 2.5‐year history of painful subcutaneous nodules on his trunk and limbs, accompanied by fever, night sweats, fatigue and malaise. A skin biopsy showed fat degeneration with foamy cells and infiltration of mononuclear cells. He was diagnosed as panniculitis and effectively treated by corticosteroid therapy at first. However, symptoms relapsed when the dosage of corticosteroid was tapered, and multiple lung nodules were found with the symptom of dyspnea in chest computed tomography scan during the follow‐up period. Histological examination of the biopsy specimens from the lung was compatible with panniculitis change in the subcutanous nodule. Combination therapy of corticosteroid with cyclophosphamide was effective during the following 27 months.


Online hate and harassment poses a threat to the digital safety of people globally. In light of this risk, there is a need to equip as many people as possible with advice to stay safer online. We interviewed 24 experts to understand what threats and advice internet users should prioritize to prevent or mitigate harm. As part of this, we asked experts to evaluate 45 pieces of existing hate-and-harassment-specific digital-safety advice to understand why they felt advice was viable or not. We find that experts frequently had competing perspectives for which threats and advice they would prioritize. We synthesize sources of disagreement, while also highlighting the primary threats and advice where experts concurred. Our results inform immediate efforts to protect users from online hate and harassment, as well as more expansive socio-technical efforts to establish enduring safety.


This thesis aims to understand the process of building state institutions in Uganda's roads sector. Through centering on Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), its recent restructuring exercise as well as its historical predecessors in this sector, I seek to illuminate how they were built, restructured and deployed to carry out the core state agenda of road making throughout different periods from the colonial Protectorate and early postcolonial decades to, most importantly, the contemporary context that witnesses an increasingly polycentric development landscape epitomised by China's 'South-South' interactions with Africa. It is based on a one-year ethnographic fieldwork in Uganda, mainly including participant observation in UNRA, and interviews with Chinese construction contractors, in addition to archival research on Public Works Department in the Uganda Protectorate. This study finds that, firstly, the colonial creation of Public Works Department and later the development interventions by traditional donors, particularly World Bank, in the early postcolonial decades have left sedimented institutional features for Uganda's roads sector and enabled their long-lasting role in engineering institutional changes therein. The recent effort to transform UNRA – itself a sedimented institutional upshot of Western development interventions – into a pocket of effectiveness (PoE) continued to witness heavy imprints from traditional donors. Second, by seeing PoE as a process of always-in-the-making and being embedded within societal relations, my analysis highlights the actual tensions and contestations between the patrimonial and legalrational logics and practices within the restructuring of UNRA. The success of this restructuring was likely to hinge more on the precise combination of or the full reconciliation between these competing logics in lieu of an attempt to make UNRA imperviously waterproof from patrimonialism. Third and finally, contrary to popular portrayals of China dominating Africa or displacing Western influence in the continent, China's growing engagement in Uganda's roads did not yet translate into a noticeable influence on sectorial governance and institution building therein. The content, focus and ways of quotidian mise en oeuvre of Western development interventions remained starkly different from Chinese ones, ensuring its long-lasting influence on sectorial institution building. Chinese actors also did not have a privileged access to shape the restructuring of UNRA, but were learning to grapple with both the formality and informality ingrained in Uganda's roads sector and scrambling around on the outside at times of institutional uncertainty in UNRA.


The development of movement based technology is changing the way we interact with our computer systems. This study aims to answer questions about how this change is occurring and aspects following it. A number of different data collection methods are put to use as twenty informants takes part in a series of experiments regarding different application areas. The movement based technologies utilized by the informants are Leap Motion and Myo. Through the use of user experience and usability the study shows that movement based technology performs worse than the mouse in all tested application areas. On the other hand we found that the user experience is enhanced with the use of movement based technology in all but one of the tested application areas.


A case of severe asthma which did not improve with the usual management is presented. Ventilations was assisted with an orotracheal cannula and the patient was given halothane with a good response and improvement of his crisis. Halothane must be considered as a possibility in the treatment of severe asthma. However, further studies in this area are necesary.


Group A rotavirus (RV) is one of the major pathogens that cause severe acute gastroenteritis and death in children under 5 years old in China. RV vaccination is the most effective measure for prevention and control of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE). This consensus is developed by reviewing RV related literatures, RV disease data in China, World Health Organization(WHO) position paper on RV vaccines and expert discussion. This consensus aims to provide professional staff with scientific information on rotavirus vaccine use, and evidence for developing the immunization strategy of childhood RVGE in China.


A time domain procedure is proposed to analyze by CAD circuit simulators the voltage and current wave propagation in shielded cables taking into account frequency-dependent losses. First, the line is discretized in a series-cascade of line sections. Second, each line section is modeled by a two-port network with lumped time-constant parameters obtained by applying the vector fitting technique. The series-cascade circuits are then analyzed by CAD circuit simulators. The obtained results are compared with those obtained by measurements and by the frequency domain solution of the transmission line equations.


Both Repetitive Stress Injuries and laptop use have increased. The poor ergonomic design of laptops has the potential to create or exacerbate existing RSI. We propose a persuasive Attentive User Interface which provides feedback in order to improve user neck posture. This system measures the angle of the user.s neck and determines the quality of his/her neck posture. We then provide exercises to strengthen the neck and improve the user.s posture. We performed a study which showed an increase in neck comfort among our system.s users. The study demonstrated the potential of our system, which should be further tested.


The design and operation of InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs asymmetric cladding ridge waveguide distributed Bragg reflector lasers is presented. Targeted for the remote sensing of water vapor with absorption lines in the lambda approximately 930 nm region, these devices operate CW with threshold currents as low as 11 MA and slope efficiencies as high as 0.37 W/A. Tbey also operate with over 30-dB side-mode suppression, and the typical CW characteristic temperature, T(sub o), is 95 K.


The suprachiasmatic nucleus is the primary circadian pacemaker in mammals. In turn, the suprachiasmatic nucleus influences circadian physiology, endocrinology and behavior via the synchronization of local oscillators that are operative in the cells of most organs and tissues. Thus circadian pacemaker may play an important role in psychiatric disorders and in psychotherapeutic drugs effect. In this review, we summarize data about the suprachiasmatic nuclei anatomy, physiology and pharmacological sensitivity.


Abstract. It is shown that narrow channels of high electric field are an effective mechanism for injecting plasma into the inner magnetosphere. Analytical expressions for the electric field cannot produce these channels of intense plasma flow, and thus, result in less entry and adiabatic energization of the plasma sheet into near-Earth space. For the ions, omission of these channels leads to an underprediction of the strength of the stormtime ring current and therefore, an underestimation of the geoeffectiveness of the storm event. For the electrons, omission of these channels leads to the inability to create a seed population of 10-100 keV electrons deep in the inner magnetosphere. These electrons can eventually be accelerated into MeV radiation belt particles. To examine this, the 1-7 May 1998 magnetic storm is studied with a plasma transport model by using three different convection electric field models: Volland-Stern, Weimer, and AMIE. It is found that the AMIE model can produce particle fluxes that are several orders of magnitude higher in the L = 2 – 4 range of the inner magnetosphere, even for a similar total cross-tail potential difference. Key words. Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration) – Magnetospheric physics (electric fields, storms and substorms)


Written by David W. Mittlefehldt NASA, Johnson Space Center Pieces of a 56-metric-ton meteorite rained down over a wide area of Canada on January 18, 2000. Many pieces landed on the frozen Tagish Lake, allowing scientists to recover numerous samples, and giving the meteorite its name. Studies show that the meteorite is intermediate in composition between the two most primitive groups of chondrite meteorites, CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites. Observations of its trajectory allowed scientists to calculate its path through the solar system. The calculations show that it hails from the outer asteroid belt, in a place where dark, carbonand water-rich asteroids reside. Tagish Lake is a new type of primitive meteorite that will surely shed light on how the solar system formed.


The 2-dicyanomethylidene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) group has been identified as a particularly strong acceptor suitable for the realization of highly efficient second-order NLO chromophores. To provide guidelines for a further improvement of heterocyclic acceptors, we present Sum-Over-States (SOS) calculations of second-order polarizabilities (β) for a series of donor–π-bridge–acceptor (D–π–A) chromophores. In particular, we investigate the effect of replacing the oxygen atom of the furan ring in TCF by a variety of other groups, X (SiH2, CH2, CCH2, NH, CO, S, CCHNO2, SO, and SO2). Overall β is found to increase with the inductive electron-withdrawing character of X, with β being further increased or decreased when X has π-accepting or π-donating character. Within the framework of the two-level model, the effects associated with the π-donating and accepting character can be understood in terms of destabilizing and stabilizing effects on the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of the dipolar chromophores. When using the stronger 3-methyl-4-cyano-5-dicyanomethylidene-2-oxo-3-pyrroline (TCP) acceptor and replacing the pyrroline nitrogen atom with the same range of X groups, the inductive electron-withdrawing and π-accepting or π-donating characters of X have the same impact on β as in the TCF motif.


This thesis describes the details of an electronic computer capable of generating arbitrary functions of one or more dependent variables. The design of the essential equipment is discussed, and operating instructions as well as complete circuit diagrams are included for easy reference of future researchers.

The computer is used to generate arbitrary functions of an independent variable, and a wide range of functions is shown. Various classical nonlinear problems including Duffing's equation and Van der Pol's equation are solved on the computer and compared with known theory. A discussion, augmented by oscillograms, is presented on nonlinear damping. The computer then is used to improve the response of two feedback control systems. Both systems, which were taken from actual devices met in practice, have inherent nonlinearities. With the aid of the electronic computer the response of these systems is improved. In the solution of the servo system, an interesting nonlinear phenomenon was discovered which is discussed in detail.


Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the differences in hearing results and complications between the conventional technique (CT) and potassium titanyl phosphate laser (KTP) laser-assisted stapes surgery that does not involve the manipulation of the foot plate. Methods: Ninety-eight ears with conductive or mixed hearing loss due to otosclerosis were operated on by using the CT or KTP laser-assisted manipulation. The results of pure-tone audiometry, the duration of postoperative vestibular symptoms, and the presence of damage to the foot plate were reviewed retrospectively. Results: The extent of hearing improvement and the duration of vestibular symptoms were not significantly different between the two groups. The damage to the foot plate was significantly less frequent in the KTP group compared to the CT group. Profound sensorineural hearing loss occurred in one case in the CT group, whereas no significant sensorineural hearing loss was detected in the KTP group. Conclusions: According to our present findings, KTP laser-assisted surgery was safer than CT in terms of the damage to the foot plate even when the KTP laser was not used for opening the foot plate. However, both techniques showed similar results in hearing improvement and vestibular symptoms.


Objective
 We investigate interrelationships between gut microbes, metabolites, and cytokines that characterize COVID-19 and its complications, and validate the results with follow-up, Japanese 4D microbiome cohort, and non-Japanese datasets.

 Design
 We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics on stools and cytokine measurements on plasma from 112 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 112 non-COVID-19 controls matched by important confounders.

 Results
 Multiple correlations were found between COVID-19-related microbes (e.g., oral microbes and short-chain fatty acid [SCFA] producers) and gut metabolites (e.g., branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, SCFAs, carbohydrates, neurotransmitters, and vitamin B6). Both were also linked to inflammatory cytokine dynamics (e.g., IFN-γ, IFN-λ3, IL-6, CXCL-9, and CXCL-10). Such interrelationships were detected highly in severe disease and pneumonia, moderately in high D-dimer level, kidney dysfunction, and liver dysfunction groups, but rarely in the diarrhea group. We confirmed concordances of altered metabolites (e.g., branched-chain amino acids, spermidine, putrescine, and vitamin B6) in COVID-19 with their corresponding microbial functional genes. Results in microbial and metabolomic alterations with severe disease from the cross-sectional dataset were partly concordant with those from the follow-up dataset. Microbial signatures for COVID-19 were distinct from diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and proton-pump inhibitors, but overlapping for rheumatoid arthritis. Random forest classifier models using microbiomes can highly predict COVID-19 and severe disease. The microbial signatures for COVID-19 showed moderate concordance between Hong Kong and Japan.

 Conclusions
 Multi-omics analysis revealed multiple gut microbe-metabolite-cytokine interrelationships in COVID-19 and COVID-19-related complications, but few in GI complications, suggesting microbiota-mediated immune responses distinct between the organ sites. Our results underscore the existence of a gut–lung axis in COVID-19.


Given the increasing number of space-related applications, research in the emerging space industry is becoming more and more attractive. One compelling area of current space research is the design of miniaturized satellites, known as CubeSats, which are enticing because of their numerous applications and low design-and-deployment cost. The new paradigm of connected space through CubeSats makes possible a wide range of applications, such as Earth remote sensing, space exploration, and rural connectivity. CubeSats further provide a complementary connectivity solution to the pervasive Internet of Things (IoT) networks, leading to a globally connected cyber-physical system. This paper presents a holistic overview of various aspects of CubeSat missions and provides a thorough review of the topic from both academic and industrial perspectives. We further present recent advances in the area of CubeSat communications, with an emphasis on constellation-and-coverage issues, channel modeling, modulation and coding, and networking. Finally, we identify several future research directions for CubeSat communications, including Internet of space things, low-power long-range networks, and machine learning for CubeSat resource allocation.


Background Digital mental health tools can promote access to culturally safe early intervention mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Participatory design methodology facilitates user engagement in the co-design of digital resources. However, several challenges have been identified that limit the methodological rigor of this approach. Objective This paper aims to present an in-depth account of the second phase of participatory design in the development of the Aboriginal and Islander Mental Health Initiative for Youth (AIMhi-Y) app. Methods A first idea storyboard, generated from a formative phase of the AIMhi-Y project, was refined through a series of youth co-design workshops and meetings. A narrative review of the literature, 6 service provider interviews, and engagement with an expert reference group also informed the design process. Generative design activities, storyboarding, discussions, and voting strategies were used. Results The participatory design process identified the app features preferred by young people and service providers and assessed their alignment with current recommendations from the scientific literature. Findings from the co-design process are presented across 9 app characteristic domains. Integration of findings into app design proved complex. Although most preferred features identified by young people were included to some degree, other inclusions were restricted by budget, time, and the need to integrate best practice recommendations. A process of prioritization was required. Conclusions Participatory design is often cited in the development of digital mental health resources; however, methods are diverse and often lack detailed descriptions. This study reports the outcomes and strategies used to determine priorities in the second phase of the development of the AIMhi-Y app. We provide an example and the key learnings to inform others seeking to use participatory design with a similar cohort.


In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm called intensity selection (IS) that can be applied to three existing halftone image data hiding algorithms DHST, DHPT and DHSPT to achieve improved visual quality. The proposed IS algorithm generalizes the hidden data representation and select the best location out of a set of candidate locations for the application of DHST/DHPT/DHSPT. It chooses pixel locations that are either very bright or very dark. The IS requires the inverse-halftoned image which implies potentially high computation requirement. Experiments suggest that significant improvement in visual quality can be achieved.


Analysis of 94 patients with 101 non-palpable, radiographically suspicious, breast lesions revealed 46 malignancies (46%). Comparison of the malignant lesions with 225 palpable carcinomas (221 patients) removed surgically during the same period, showed a higher incidence of carcinoma in situ. Contrary, lymph-node metastases and distant metastases were, at the time of operation, distinctly less than in the patients with non-palpable malignant lesions. A breast-conserving therapy was more often feasible in patients with nonpalpable malignant lesions.


A growing number of studies have reported age-related reductions in the frequency of mind wandering. Here, at both the trait (Study 1) and state (Study 2) levels, we reexamined this association while distinguishing between intentional (deliberate) and unintentional (spontaneous) mind wandering. Based on research demonstrating age-accompanied deficits in executive functioning, we expected to observe increases in unintentional mind wandering with increasing age. Moreover, because aging is associated with increased task motivation, we reasoned that older adults might be more engaged in their tasks, and hence, show a more pronounced decline in intentional mind wandering relative to young adults. In both studies, we found that older adults did indeed report lower rates of intentional mind wandering compared with young adults. However, contrary to our expectations, we also found that older adults reported lower rates of unintentional mind wandering (Studies 1 and 2). We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of age-related declines in mind wandering.


Data security breaches are occurring at an alarming frequency, and one of the main causes involves problems authenticating the identity of account holders. The most common approach to authentication is the use of passwords, but passwords are a severely flawed means of authentication. People are being asked to do a nearly impossible task – create unique, long, and complex passwords for each of the numerous accounts they hold, change them frequently, and remember them all. People do very poorly in following these practices, and even if they manage to do so, hackers and phishers can readily trick people into revealing their passwords. There is widespread consensus about the problems with passwords. Better alternative authentication techniques exist, such as two factor authentication, yet organizations have been slow to move to these alternatives. In this essay we argue that in certain circumstances, the FTC should start requiring better methods of authentication than passwords alone. We explore the foundation in current FTC jurisprudence for such action, and suggest how the FTC should start making the push toward improved authentication.


BACKGROUND
Acquired long QT syndrome is a reversible condition that can lead to torsades de pointes and sudden cardiac death.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency, onset, frequency of medications, and risk factors for the syndrome in intensive care patients.

METHODS
In a retrospective chart review of 88 subjects, hourly corrected QT intervals calculated by using the Bazett formula were collected. Acquired long QT syndrome was defined as a corrected QT of 500 milliseconds or longer or an increase in corrected QT of 60 milliseconds or greater from baseline level. Risk factors and medications administered were collected from patients' medical records.

RESULTS
The syndrome occurred in 46 patients (52%); mean time of onset was 7.4 hours (SD, 9.4) from time of admission. Among the 88 patients, 52 (59%) received a known QTc-prolonging medication. Among the 46 with the syndrome, 23 (50%) received a known QT-prolonging medication. No other risk factor studied was significantly predictive of the syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS
Acquired long QT syndrome occurs in patients not treated with a known QT-prolonging medication, indicating the importance of frequent QT monitoring of all intensive care patients.


We present a new method of laser frequency locking in which the feedback signal is directly proportional to the detuning from an atomic transition, even at detunings many times the natural linewidth of the transition. Our method is a form of sub-Doppler polarization spectroscopy, based on measuring two Stokes parameters (I2 and I3) of light transmitted through a vapor cell. It extends the linear capture range of the lock loop by as much as an order of magnitude and provides frequency discrimination equivalent to or better than those of other commonly used locking techniques.


This paper presents an experimental and theoretical investigation of high-Reynolds-number low-density reacting wakes near a hydrodynamic Hopf bifurcation. This configuration is applicable to the wake flows that are commonly used to stabilize flames in high-velocity flows. First, an experimental study is conducted to measure the limit-cycle oscillation of this reacting bluff-body wake. The experiment is repeated while independently varying the bluff-body lip velocity and the density ratio across the flame. In all cases, the wake exhibits a sinuous oscillation. Linear stability analysis is performed on the measured time-averaged velocity and density fields. In the first stage of this analysis, a local spatiotemporal stability analysis is performed on the measured time-averaged velocity and density fields. The stability analysis results are compared to the experimental measurement and demonstrate that the local stability analysis correctly captures the influence of the lip-velocity and density-ratio parameters on the sinuous mode. In the second stage of the analysis, the linear direct and adjoint global modes are estimated by combining the local results. The sensitivity of the eigenvalue to changes in intrinsic feedback mechanisms is found by combining the direct and adjoint global modes. This is referred to as the eigenvalue sensitivity throughout the paper for reasons of brevity. The predicted global mode frequency is consistently within 10 % of the measured value, and the linear global mode shape closely resembles the measured nonlinear oscillations. The adjoint global mode reveals that the oscillation is strongly sensitive to open-loop forcing in the shear layers. The eigenvalue sensitivity identifies a wavemaker in the recirculation zone of the wake. A parametric study shows that these regions change little when the density ratio and lip velocity change. In the third stage of the analysis, the stability analysis is repeated for the varicose hydrodynamic mode. Although not physically observed in this unforced flow, the varicose mode can lock into longitudinal acoustic waves and cause thermoacoustic oscillations to occur. The paper shows that the local stability analysis successfully predicts the global hydrodynamic stability characteristics of this flow and shows that experimental data can be post-processed with this method in order to identify the wavemaker regions and the regions that are most sensitive to external forcing, for example from acoustic waves.


Current National Market System rules do not recognize odd lots in the protected intermarket quote. Thus, liquidity demanders can receive worse prices than they would receive if odd lots were protected. The effect of ignoring odd lots is magnified because off-exchange trades (over one-third of total volume) benchmark executions against the protected quote. The authors identify time intervals with an unprotected odd lot limit order at a price better than the protected quote and examine trades during those intervals for 10 high-priced stocks during one week in 2015. They find over 406,000 intervals, representing 37% of sample stock trading time, in which an odd lot order betters the protected quote. Examining trades within these intervals, they find nearly 55,000 cases in which the trade price is worse than the odd lot price. In total, the price disimprovement in their 10 stocks is $554,675 for the week examined. This previously undocumented trading cost is associated with the corporate decision not to split a stock's price in a market in which odd lot orders are excluded from the protected quote.


Salt hydrates have issues of supercooling when they are utilized as phase change materials (PCMs). In this research, a new method was adopted to prepare a salt hydrate PCM (based on a mixture of calcium chloride dihydrate and calcium chloride anhydrous) as a novel PCM system to reduce the supercooling phenomenon existing in CaCl2·6H2O. Six samples with different compositions of CaCl2 were prepared. The relationship between the performance and the proportion of calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2·2H2O) and calcium chloride anhydrous (CaCl2) was also investigated. The supercooling degree of the final PCM reduced with the increase in volume of CaCl2·2H2O during its preparation. The PCM obtained with 66.21 wt % CaCl2·2H2O reduced the supercooling degree by about 96.8%. All six samples, whose ratio of CaCl2·2H2O to (CaCl2 plus CaCl2·2H2O) was 0%, 34.03%, 53.82%, 76.56%, 90.74%, and 100% respectively, showed relatively higher enthalpy (greater than 155.29 J/g), and have the possibility to be applied in buildings for thermal energy storage purposes. Hence, CaCl2·2H2O plays an important role in reducing supercooling and it can be helpful in adjusting the solidification enthalpy. Thereafter, the influence of adding different percentages of Nano-SiO2 (0.1 wt %, 0.3 wt %, 0.5 wt %) in reducing the supercooling degree of some PCM samples was investigated. The test results showed that the supercooling of the salt hydrate PCM in Samples 6 and 5 reduced to 0.2 °C and 0.4 °C respectively. Finally, the effect of the different cooling conditions, including frozen storage (−20 °C) and cold storage (5 °C), that were used to prepare the salt hydrate PCM was considered. It was found that both cooling conditions are effective in reducing the supercooling degree of the salt hydrate PCM. With the synergistic action of the two materials, the performance and properties of the newly developed PCM systems were better especially in terms of reducing the supercooling degree of the PCM. The novel composite PCMs are promising candidates for thermal energy storage applications.


Pincer-based catalysts possess an exceptional balance of stability versus reactivity, aspects of fundamental interest in catalyst design. This balance has been well-controlled by systematic ligand modifications along with the variation of the metal center. Ruthenium pincer complexes (RPCs), exhibit a versatile chemistry, serve as excellent precursors and find potential applications in many organic transformations. A large number of novel and valuable reactions has been developed using both stoichiometric and catalytic amounts of RPCs. Compared to the traditional ruthenium catalysts, pincer complexes often present high efficiency, selectivity and functional group tolerance. This review highlights different methodologies for the synthesis of RPCs and their catalytic applications for different reactions reported in the last decade. Additionally, the factors affecting the catalytic reactivity of the RPCs and the reaction mechanisms are discussed.


Although there is empirical support for the link between executive functioning (EF) and visual memory among adults, there has been less exploration of this link among children, especially adolescents. We examined the relation between several EF measures and performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (RCF) in a sample of 160 community adolescents. Each was administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and the RCF, scored using Bernstein and Waber's (1996) Developmental Scoring System (DSS). Ability to organize the RCF related to memory encoding/retrieval, but not to long-term storage. Indexes derived from the WCST and CPT failed to correlate with any RCF index, raising questions about the relation between DSS scores and EF. Even so, data supported the convergent validity of the DSS system as a reflection of visual-constructional ability and provided evidence of the importance of organizational strategies to visual memory among adolescents.


In order to argue that contemporary performances of religious roles and theater in Middle America in fact are continuous replays of the original trauma of contact and its rehabilitation, and thus act as immanent conduits of the period of conquest and subjugation, the past sixty years of relevant anthropological texts are analyzed as discursive statements. These disciplinary archives rely on much older historical records and narratives, some of which contain ostensibly pre-Columbian accounts or descriptions. As well, anthropologists, and archaeologists with this regional specialization were interviewed concerning their understandings of culture change and conquest, and their observations regarding ethno-analogy and the interpretation of archaeological data and historical narrative. This project relies on a creative combination of sociology and anthropology to tease out the relationships amongst scientific discourse, historical narrative, and ethnographic observation. The problem that historicism renders what has been as what can only be both fragment and figment is judged to be partially assuaged by the performative interaction amongst non-Western pre-contact elements of cosmological beliefs and Western religious models of time, divinity, nature and the universe.

 Key words: Cosmology, Meso-America, time, contact, conquest, Iberian.


Salinity is one of the most challenging problems that adversely affects growth and development of plants. Therefore, understanding of the mechanisms that enable plants to adapt to salinity stress will ultimately help in the selection of stress tolerant cultivars for exploiting saline soils. The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of NaCl on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of two rice varieties, IR29 (salt sensitive) and FL485 (salt tolerant), exhibiting different sensitivities to NaCl. NaCl induced a progressive increment in Na+ concentration of both cultivars, however, it was more marked in the sensitive cultivar IR29. A higher level of sugar and a delay in chlorophyll degradation together with less chlorophyll degradation were observed in the salt tolerant rice. Salt stress may promote sugar accumulation, thus preventing the degradation of chlorophyll. Salinity stress induced an accumulation of starch in cv. FL485. It is possible that adjusted carbon partitioning could have an important implication on salinity tolerance. It is suggested that allocation of sugars into starch may involve in salinity tolerance by avoiding metabolic alteration.


A 90 year old man presented with progressive dysphagia, generalised weakness, and malaise. He had lost 30 lb (13.6 kg) in the past six months, and his mobility had deteriorated because of progressive leg weakness. He had no visual or constitutional symptoms apart from weight loss and denied any bladder or bowel problems. He had a 25 pack year history of smoking and did not drink alcohol.

Examination showed signs consistent with bilateral pneumonia. His speech was dysphonic, the gag reflex was absent, but other cranial nerves were intact. He had wasting and weakness of the small muscles of the hands and weakness of the proximal muscles of the lower limbs. Reflexes were absent in the lower limbs. Strength in the remaining muscle groups—including ankle dorsiflexion, planter flexion, knee extension, and flexion—was normal. Proximal muscle groups in the upper extremity were strong, although reflexes were reduced bilaterally. No fasciculations were seen and he had no evidence of fatigable ptosis. Sensory examination was normal. Examination of the cardiovascular and abdominal systems was unremarkable.

Investigations showed a white blood cell count of 5.9×109 cells/L (reference range 4.0-10.0), haemoglobin 117 g/L (140-180), platelets 332×109 (320-360), random glucose 10.8 mmol/L (3.6-11), urea 25.3 mmol/L (3.0-7.1), creatinine …


Conventional wisdom credits only entrepreneurs with the vision to create America's commercial airline industry and contends that it was not until Roosevelt's Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 that federal airline regulation began. In Airlines and Air Mail, F. Robert van der Linden persuasively argues that Progressive republican policies of Herbert Hoover actually fostered the growth of American commercial aviation. Air mail contracts provided a critical indirect subsidy and a solid financial foundation for this nascent industry. Postmaster General Walter F. Brown used these contracts as a carrot and a stick to ensure that the industry developed in the public interest while guaranteeing the survival of the pioneering companies. Bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, and politicians of all stripes are thoughtfully portrayed in this thorough chronicle of one of America's most resounding successes, the commercial aviation industry.


Known as a bird poet par excellence, Don McKay's ornithological fascination has received more scholarly attention to date than his poetry and criticism on geological themes. One consequence of this critical orientation is that a significant development in McKay's ongoing critique of Romanticism has not yet been discussed in depth—namely, the shifting terms of his engagement with aesthetics of the sublime. Looking primarily at McKay's most recent essay collection, The Shell of the Tortoise (2011), as well as select poems from Strike/Slip (2006), this essay explores how McKay's geopoetic engagements with aesthetics of the sublime extend his idiosyncratic definitions of "wilderness" and "poetic attention." Moreover, it argues that sustained attention to treatments of sublimity in McKay's work will result in a more textured understanding of his phenomenological poetics.


Drought stress is a major constrain which could influence rice productivity. Enhanced Response to ABA1 (ERA1) gene encoding a β-subunit farnesyltransferase enzyme plays a role to control sensitivity of the guard cells to abscisic acid (ABA), hence regulating drought stress response in plant species including rice. This study aimed to clone the OsERA1 gene into expression vector, introduce it into rice plant, and confirm the positive OsERA1-rice plants conferring drought tolerance. This study was initiated by isolation of the OsERA1 gene from rice cDNAs and cloned it to an expression vector cassette, pCAMBIA1301. The cassette harboring OsERA1 gene was introduced into rice plant cv. Nipponbare mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404.Putative transgenic lines were detected using PCR and Southern blot analyses to confirm the inserted transgene and the positive lines were assayed their tolerance to drought. The OsERA1 gene was successfully isolated and constructed into expression vector to generate pCAMBIA1301-OsERA1. Introduction of the gene into Nipponbare has produced nine putative transgenic rice lines, of which, six lines harbored OsERA1 gene. Southern blot analysis of sixteen T2 plants from two PCR-positive transgenic lines revealed1–3 copies of transgene were integrated into rice genome of transgenic lines. Five transgenic lines of Nipponbare-OsERA1 showed better response to drought at vegetative phase compared to control in term of recovery ability. At generative phase, the five transgenic lines yielded less unfilled grains compared to control. Overall, the transgenic lines obtained from this study could bepotential candidates for developing rice varieties tolerant to drought.


BeamDelta is a tool to help align optical systems. It greatly assists in assembling bespoke optical systems by providing a live view of the current laser beam position and a reference position. Even a simple optical setup has multiple degrees of freedom that affect the alignment of beam paths. These degrees of freedom rise exponentially with the complexity of the system. The process of aligning all the optical components for a specific system is often esoteric and poorly documented, if it is documented at all. Alignment methods used often rely on visual inspection of beams impinging on pinholes in the beam path, typically requiring an experienced operator staring at diffuse reflections for extended periods of time. This can lead to a decline in accuracy due to eye strain, flash blindness as well as symptoms such as headaches and, possibly, more serious retinal damage. Here we present BeamDelta a simple alignment tool and accompanying software interface which allows users to obtain accurate alignment as well as removing the necessity of staring at diffuse laser reflections. BeamDelta is a robust alignment tool as it doesn't require any precise alignment itself.


Autonomy-based theories of contracts tend to ascribe a rather modest role to the law and to conceptualize contract law as a unified body of doctrine governed by one regulative principle. But if autonomy stands for the commitment that people should, to some degree, be the authors of their own lives, both of these typical features are wrong or at least exaggerated. An autonomy-based contract law should be attentive to the pluralist prescription of offering people a sufficiently diverse set of robust frameworks to organize their various endeavors and interpersonal relationships. And it should actively empower people's attempts to form collaborative contractual arrangements ― both discrete and impersonal, as well as long-term and relational ― by providing the necessary background regime for such risky undertakings.


Although understanding the spatial distribution of fish is crucial to effective management of estuaries and coastal wetlands, there has been little systematic study of fish distribution at the cross-sectional scale in tropical estuaries. We tested the generality of a model for the cross-channel distribution of small fish (<200 mm fork length), extrapolated from temperate studies, for tropical and sub-tropical estuaries and coastal wetlands. We used cast nets, which could be deployed across a wide variety of habitats, to directly compare fish abundance between channel edges and adjacent mid-channel areas across a variety of coastal floodplain wetlands, including fully estuarine, brackish and freshwater sites. Cross-channel distribution of fish was more complex than the original model suggested. The original model reliably predicted the distribution of benthic feeding fish in most locations
when mean mid-channel depths were >0.83 m. However, the model was less effective for predicting distributions of benthic feeders in shallow locations or in locations lacking shallow water edges. In those locations there was little difference in the abundance of fish between edges and midchannels. Distributions of planktivores and detritivores in estuarine and brackish areas were not
consistently predicted by either of these models, but varied unpredictably over space and time. An additional model was needed for detritivores in freshwater wetlands with highest abundances in deeper mid-channel areas.


This study explored the influence family relationships have on HIV-related factors among Hispanic or Latino/a/x Mexican sexual minority cisgender males in San Antonio, TX, US. A total of 15 young adults (7 people living with HIV; PLWH) ages 21–30 completed a semi-structured interview. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The following themes emerged: (1) family support; (2) mother-son relationships; (3) father-son relationships; (4) sibling support; (5) family marginalization of sexual minorities; and (6) internalized homophobia. People who reported being HIV negative were more likely to have a prominent mother-son relationship, strong sense of family, supportive siblings, and family acceptance as a sexual minority. PLWH were more likely to report a weak sense of family, being raised in a maternal-led household, and less likely to have a relationship with their father and siblings. Marginalization among participants regardless of HIV status included exposure to religious rhetoric stigmatizing sexual minorities and fathers' reinforcing Mexican traditional gender norms. In addition to encountering homophobia, PLWH were further marginalized by family members due to their HIV status. The findings suggest a need for greater attention to examining the impact of familial support of Hispanic or Latino/a/x Mexican sexual minority cisgender males as young adults with or at risk of HIV.


Pain is an important non-motor symptom in several neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, cervical dystonia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, severe acquired brain injury, disorders of consciousness and dementia, as well as in oncology and neuroinfectivology. To overcome the lack of evidence-based data on pain management in these diseases, the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation (ICCPN) has defined criteria for good clinical practice among Italian neurorehabilitation professionals. Here a review of the literature (PubMed, EMBASE and gray literature) on pain characteristics, treatment and impact of pain in a neurorehabilitation setting is provided. Despite the heterogeneity of data, a consensus was reached on pain management for patients with these diseases: it is an approach originating from an analysis of the available data on pain characteristics in each disease, the evolution of pain in relation to the natural course of the disease and the impact of pain on the overall process of rehabilitation. There was unanimous consensus regarding the utility of a multidisciplinary approach to pain therapy, combining the benefits of pharmacological therapy with the techniques of physiotherapy and neurorehabilitation for all the conditions considered. While some treatments could be different depending on pathology, a progressive approach to the pharmacological treatment of pain is advisable, starting with non-opioid analgesics (paracetamol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as a first-line treatment, and opioid analgesics as a second-line treatment. In cases of pain secondary to spasticity, botulinum neurotoxin, and, in some cases, intrathecal baclofen infusion should be considered. Randomized controlled trials and prospective multicenter studies aimed at documenting the efficacy of pain treatment and their risk-benefit profile are recommended for these conditions.


Aortic dissection is a disease caused by the occurrence of a rupture in the innermost layer of the aortic wall. Due to the pulsation of the heart, blood penetrates through the tear between the layers of the aortic wall, which causes a new, so-called false lumen (FL). The local haemodynamic conditions in the FL significantly contribute to clotting of blood, so the formation of a thrombus. The level of thrombosis in the FL affects patients' prognosis and chances of survival, in which a complete thrombosis is usually beneficial. In recent studies on platelet deposition in the FL, it is demonstrated that haemodynamic conditions influence on platelet activation and aggregation, effectively boosting in regions of recirculation. Blood coagulation has the highest chance of occurrence in these recirculation regions within the FL. Considering the dominant influence of shear rate in FL thrombosis, the non-Newtonian rheological properties and behaviour of blood play a crucial role. The most important rheological factor is the volume fraction of red blood cells in the blood, i.e., the haematocrit value (HCT), which affects the shear rate dependent viscosity and the yield stress observed in regions of low shear rate and stress, respectively, in the blood flow. In the current work, the influence of the haematocrit value on thrombosis in the FL is simulated. The simulations are done in idealized aortic dissection phantom models employing HCT-dependent non-Newtonian haemodynamics. The value for the HCT was varied within a physiological range. On the one hand, an increase in the total volume of thrombus in time was found for all HCT values. On the other hand, with increasing HCT values, less thrombus is formed in the FL. This suggests that high HCT values impede thrombus formation due to rheological effects and that patients with higher haematocrit values have less chance of benefiting from complete thrombosis in the FL.


In this paper, the authors discuss a methodology to enhance multibody systems simulations using Augmented Reality (AR) implementation. The AR deals with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and augmented by the addition of computer generated graphics. The purpose is to illustrate how recent developments in computer-aided design and augmented reality can improve the realism and interactivity when simulating the movement of digital mock-ups. The paper discusses hardware and software implementations and an overview of several illustrative examples. The basic idea is described starting from a simple simulation of a falling body subjected to gravity with the initial conditions set interactively by the user. Then, a more complex interactive simulation of the kinematics of a robot whose end-effector can be grabbed and moved by the user is presented. Finally, the real time dynamic simulation of a slider crank mechanism is discussed. The integration between AR and multibody simulation has revealed to be very useful for didactical purposes and collaborative design.


The optical and structural properties of sol–gel prepared polycrystalline films of Cerium doped Lutetium and Yttrium oxyorthosilicates (Ce:LYSO) are investigated by means of optical spectroscopy, XRD diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The sol–gel samples are compared to commercially available Ce-doped LYSO single crystals, and a detailed study of the emission properties from the different cerium sites is performed. The main result is that the polycrystalline films do show very good radioluminescence properties for possible applications as X-ray scintillating panels. The structural characterization indicates that the sol–gel polycrystals have similar phase composition to commercial monocrystals; concerning the excitation and emission properties, the same radiative recombination channels are observed in the polycrystals and commercial monocrystals with a slightly faster decay time in the first case. In addition, low temperature measurements (8 K) indicate the presence of a non-radiative cross-relaxation mechanism among cerium ions in the sol–gel grown samples in the two possible crystallographic sites. The results indicate the possibility to develop sol–gel synthesized polycrystalline thin films as scintillating materials in the X-ray energy range.


Cationic polymer can capture polysulfide ions and inhibit polysulfide shuttle effect in lithium sulfur (Li-S) rechargeable batteries, enhancing the Li-S battery cycling performance. The cationic poly[bis(2-chloroethyl) ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino) propyl]urea] quaternized (PQ) with a high density quaternary ammonium cations can trap the lithium polysulfide through the electrostatic attraction between positively charged quaternary ammonium (R4N+) and negatively charged polysulfide (Sx2-). PQ binder based sulfur electrodes deliver much higher capacity and provide better stability than traditional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder based electrodes in Li-S cells. A high sulfur loading of 7.5 mg/cm2 is achieved, which delivers a high initial areal capacity of 9.0 mAh/cm2 and stable cycling capacity at around 7.0 mAh/cm2 in the following cycles.


Reciprocal hemizygosity analysis is a genetic technique that allows phenotypic determination of the allelic effects of a gene in a genetically uniform background. Expanding this single gene technique to generate a genome‐wide collection is termed as reciprocal hemizygosity scanning (RHS). The RHS collection should circumvent the need for linkage mapping and provide the power to identify all possible allelic variants for a given phenotype. However, the published RHS collections based on the existing genome‐wide haploid deletion library reported a high rate of false positives. In this study, we report de novo construction of a RHS collection that is not based on the yeast deletion library. This collection has been constructed for the shortest yeast chromosome, ChrI. Using this ChrI RHS collection, we identified 13 allelic variants for the previously mapped loci and novel allelic variants for the growth differences in different environments. A few of these novel variants, which were fine mapped to a gene level, identified novel genetic variation for the previously studied environmental conditions. The availability of a genome‐wide RHS collection would thus help us uncover a comprehensive list of allelic variants and better our understanding of the molecular pathways modulating a quantitative trait. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant, Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum Rheinpfalz, submitted a request to the competent national authority in Germany to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) for the active substance picloram in flowering brassica. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive an MRL proposal for broccoli, cauliflowers and other flowering brassica. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of picloram and its conjugates in plant matrices under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of picloram according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. The reliable end points, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment, are presented.


In recent years, considerable scientific interest has been devoted to amino acid supplementation and its role in regulating skeletal muscle metabolism in health, ageing and disease. This interest has, in part, stemmed from clinical evidence that traditional nutritional supplementation in patients is largely ineffective. In particular, this knowledge has prompted extensive research into the mechanisms responsible for amino acid stimulation of muscle protein metabolism in older adults with sarcopenia. It is well established that ageing diminishes muscle strength and size, contributing to a number of serious health problems such as an increased risk of falls and fractures. Although the reasons behind age-related sarcopenia are multifactorial and involve a complex interplay of hormonal and metabolic stimuli, it is clear that inadequate nutrition and inactivity are strong causative factors. Recently, the idea that elderly muscle is perhaps less anabolically sensitive to amino acids has been put forward as an additional causative factor. In light of this recent evidence, and the further suggestion that the effects of essential amino acids on skeletal muscle are independent of changes in insulin, newer studies are focusing on tailoring the optimal amount and proportion of amino acids needed to stimulate muscle protein synthesis most efficiently in ageing populations. Understanding the mechanisms of amino acid stimulation of muscle protein synthesis may also provide insight into the metabolic regulation of anabolism in skeletal muscle by key hormones such as growth hormone. In this article, we summarize current research concerning amino acids and skeletal muscle, particularly with regard to ageing and inactivity.


Campylobacter pylori, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and smoking are associated with ulcer disease. To define further the role of these factors in ulcer disease, one hundred seven subjects presenting for endoscopy were tested for specific IgG and IgA antibodies to C. pylori, and questioned about nonsteroidal use and smoking. Sixty were dyspeptic patients, 28 were disease controls, and 19 were healthy asymptomatic volunteers. Considering all subjects, 81% (87/107) were either taking nonsteroidals or had antibody to C. pylori, and 32% of these (28/87) had an ulcer. Nineteen percent (20/107) were neither taking nonsteroidals nor had antibody to C. pylori, and none of these had an ulcer, p less than 0.01. Smokers, 41% (11/27), were more likely to have an ulcer than nonsmokers, 20% (16/80), p less than 0.05, but only because of the increased prevalence of ulcers in smokers who also had C. pylori, 73% (11/15) versus 27% (12/45) of nonsmokers with C. pylori, p less than 0.01. The use of nonsteroidals and antibody to C. pylori identify people at risk for ulcers. Smoking increases this risk in subjects with C. pylori. Absence of a history of nonsteroidal use and antibody to C. pylori identify individuals with a low probability of ulcer disease.


AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to derive a model of advertising effects on the firm's sales. A micromodel is postulated and aggregated across individuals and over time to produce a macromodel of the aggregate sales-advertising relationship for a single product. The micromodel postulated is very simple. It incorporates two factors: reach of the ads and rate of decay of their effectiveness over time.This approach to modeling advertising effects is shown to be fruitful in several respects: (1) the coefficients of the aggregate equation are easily interpretable—in terms of the reach and decay parameters; (2) the model derived is nonlinear yet estimable; (3) a special case of the model is very similar to lag models that have been in use; (4) the model can be used whatever the unit of time is; (5) the carryover effect of advertising (as commonly defined) is not constant, but depends upon the previous spending levels; and (6) the model helps illustrate that the duration of advertising may be greatly overstated if aggregate lagged dependent variable models are simplistically interpreted.


Abstract The radiocarbon content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in rivers, lakes, and other non-saline waters can provide valuable information on carbon cycling dynamics in the environment. DOC is typically prepared for 14C analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) either by ultraviolet (UV) oxidation or by freeze-drying and sealed tube combustion. We present here a new method for the rapid analysis of 14C of DOC using wet chemical oxidation (WCO) and automated headspace sampling of CO2. The approach is an adaption of recently developed methods using aqueous persulfate oxidant to determine the δ13C of DOC in non-saline water samples and the 14C content of volatile organic acids. One advantage of the current method over UV oxidation is higher throughput: 22 samples and 10 processing standards can be prepared in one day and analyzed in a second day, allowing a full suite of 14C processing standards and blanks to be run in conjunction with samples. A second advantage is that there is less potential for cross-contamination between samples.


Examination of patients, suffering gastroduodenal ulcer, complicated by hemorrhage, was conducted, using clinical, microbiological, immunohistochemical methods and chromatomassspectrography. Enhanced activity of inducible NO-synthase, contamination of periulcer zone with microorganisms Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus beta-haemoliticus, enhancement of contents of catecholamines and serotonin in the blood serum were revealed. These changes are most expressed in severe blood loss, unstable local endoscopic hemostasis, high risk of a recurrent hemorrhage occurrence. The data obtained permit to prognosticate severity of a pathologic process course and to improve the treatment programe.


To mark ASCE's 150th Anniversary, this outstanding collection of original history and heritage papers documents the emergence and growth of Civil Engineering in America. From John Smeaton, who first sought to raise the stature of the engineer to a professional level, to Benjamin Wright, who is considered the father of American Civil Engineering, to the origins and early years of the American Society of Civil Engineers, you'll witness the birth and early development of the Civil Engineering profession in America. This early development is poignantly illustrated through excerpts from the diary of a young civil engineer visiting the United States in 1837. His diary provides a glimpse of the new frontier where America's rapid growth and expanding boundaries defined a unique engineering approach not found in England or continental Europe. Other papers recognize the engineers and their accomplishments that have made the Civil Engineering profession what it is today. The marvellous efforts of three prominent engineers: Latrobe, Jervis, and Meigs in the design and development of water distribution systems in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, DC, are documented. Transportation history is also covered with stories of the Potomac Canal, the C&O Canal, the National Road, and the B&O Railroad. Important discoveries in material science, such as hydraulic cement and reinforced concrete, are also discussed. Additionally, preservation case studies include special insights into structural renovations to the US Capitol and the geology of the monumental core in Washington, DC. These proceedings support the continuing efforts of the ASCE Engineering Education and History and Heritage committees to develop course material for teaching civil engineering history in universities. An expanded module of Civil Engineering Education History is offered, along with the history of analytical modelling, and the development of testing and monitoring tools. These proceedings for the ASCE 150th Anniversary (1852-2002) contains papers presented at the Fourth National Congress on Civil Engineering History and Heritage held in Washington, DC, November 2-6, 2002, during the ASCE Civil Engineering Conference and Exposition.


Network emulation has been widely used to aid in the development and evaluation of real-time applications. Many of today's applications and protocols need to be tested and evaluated in large scale network environments such as the Internet, which requires emulation tools that meet the requirements of scale, accuracy, timeliness. Due to physical resource constraints in network emulators, existing emulation tools fail to meet these requirements as they are either limited to small and static networks, use simplified network models, or fail to deliver timely emulation results. If more physical resources are devoted to network emulation by utilizing high performance computing facilities, the accuracy and scalability of network emulation can be greatly improved. However, for many users, high performance computing facilities may not be readily available in a local laboratory environment, and co-locating application code with a remote high performance computing facility may be cumbersome and inconvenient.
This thesis proposes a network emulation approach called ROSENET (RemOte SErver-based Network EmulaTion) that utilizes a distributed server-based architecture in which local low-fidelity emulators provide real-time QoS predictions to distributed applications, coupled with a remote large scale high-fidelity simulator that continuously updates and calibrates the local low-fidelity emulators. A library-based modeling approach based on online simulation data collection is proposed and a system identification modeling technique is presented. Experimental results examining emulation end-to-end delay and loss show that ROSENET provides a promising approach to network emulation supporting accuracy and scale while meeting real-time constraints. Challenges faced in applying ROSENET to real world applications are addressed through two case studies including applying synthetic workload on DARPA's NMS network topology for large scale network simulation and a contemporary real-time distributed VoIP application Skype.


BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer (DU) disease. Low DU recurrences and reinfection rates were universally described, when treatment was effective. It has been suggested that short-term triple therapy, comprising a proton pump inhibitor plus two antibiotics (clarithromycin, amoxicillin or a nitroimidazole), should be used as first choice in treating H. pylori infection. Nevertheless, conflicting results have been reported on using these treatment regimens in different countries, due to the resistance of H. pylori against one or more antibiotics. Our aim was to compare the efficacy, for H. pylori eradication, of 1-week triple therapy versus 10 and 14-day triple schedules, in patients with a history of recurrent DU.

METHODS
A total of 159 patients (85 males, mean age 59.2+/-3.2 years) was randomly treated with a triple therapy including a standard dose of omeprazole twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g twice daily and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily. Fifty-three patients received 1-week triple therapy (Group I), 53 subjects were treated with 10-day triple therapy (Group II) and 53 others with 14-day triple therapy (Group III). H. pylori infection at entry and eradication, at least 4 weeks after therapy had ended, was assessed by 13C urea breath test and histology on biopsies from the antrum and the corpus.

RESULTS
Of the 159 subjects randomised into the study, 6 (3 in group II and 3 in group III) were excluded from the per protocol (PP) analysis because of discontinuations. At the end of the course of treatment, the overall H. pylori eradication rate in the intention-to-treat analysis, was 73.5% (39/53) in group I, 71.6% (38/53) in group II and 73.5% (39/53) in group III, without any statistically significant difference. Moreover, the PP analysis also showed no statistical differences, with an eradication rate of 73.5% (39/53) in group I, 76% (38/50) in group II and 78% (39/50) in group III. The reported frequency of side-effects was evenly distributed between the groups, but 6 patients (3.7%) stopped because of adverse events only in groups II and III.

CONCLUSIONS
The present study shows that there is no significant difference between the three regimens although the 14-day triple therapy shows a slightly higher H. pylori eradication rate. There is a strong need, in our region, to put forward surveillance programmes to monitor the prevalence of local resistant strains and to guide treatment on the basis of resistance patterns.


Since glucocorticoids have been shown to inhibit leukocyte accumulation to inflammatory sites (6,9) and endogenous glucocorticoid levels are elevated in our cholestatic rat model, we investigated their role during acute inflammation. Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200 g) were either bile duct resected (BDR) or sham resected (sham). Five days later, a 2% carrageenan solution in saline was injected subcutaneously into preformed air pouches on their backs. Animals were killed 5 h later, and inflammatory response was quantitated by measuring the exudate volume, cell count, and myeloperoxidase (mainly in neutrophils) activity. We also pretreated BDR/sham rats with RU-486 (2 mg/kg ip), a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, 1 h before carrageenan injection. BDR rats exhibited an impaired inflammatory response reflected by 20, 52, and 42% decreases in exudate volume, cell count, and myeloperoxidase activity, respectively (all P < 0.05). RU-486 treatment significantly increased the inflammatory response in BDR rats (to sham levels), but not in sham rats. These results suggest that endogenous glucocorticoid suppresses the inflammatory response in BDR rats.


Staple type sweet potatoes with little or no sweetness after cooking, and that appear to be suitable as everyday starchy foods, have been developed. The reducing and non-reducing sugar contents of these cultivars before and after microwave baking, and before and after storage, were compared with those of conventional sweet cultivars. The non-reducing sugar content is reduced slightly by baking in most cultivars. The reducing sugar content greatly increases with baking except in a few staple types. A series of varieties can be distinguished with respect to sugar changes. Storage at ambient temperature for 1 to 2 months results in slight increases in non-reducing sugar contents and little change in reducing sugars. Sugar contents before or after baking or storage are not related to dry matter, starch or protein contents. However, staple and sub staple cultivars are characterized by a drier mouthfeel.


On the world scene, the energy requirements are mainly based on fossil fuels, however, these compounds reserves are finite and their exploitation has caused serious environmental problems. As a consequence, the demand for alternative renewable sources has been intensified in substitution the rising demand for energy and raw materials. The biomass is emerging as one of the few sources that have potential to meet these challenges of sustainability, as is currently the largest energy resource in the world, and only carbon-rich material available on the planet, apart from fossils. Form, the cashew crop has great potential for technological development of alternative sources of energy, from its industrial waste processing cashew adding value to the product. In this sense, this paper aims to study the characterization of the cashew apple bagasse and to verify (by acid prehydrolysis) the potential of this material for ethanol production. Initially it was carried out physicochemical characterization of cashew bagasse used (pH, moisture content, soluble solids, sugars, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin). Following it was carried prehydrolysis at 105℃ for 1h to obtain fermentable sugars. Analyses of the samples were carried out on HPLC the results showed the saccharification of biomass with glucose (1537.49 mg/L), xylose (3823.22 mg/L) and arabinose (7131.11 mg/L) as well as the capacity of the biomass for ethanol production.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the perioperative morbidity of minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy (MISC) and nonmesh apical vaginal surgeries for repair of vaginal vault prolapse using data from a contemporary nationwide cohort.

METHODS
The American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to identify women who underwent apical prolapse surgery via vaginal approach or MISC from 2010 to 2016. Those undergoing concomitant hysterectomy or transvaginal mesh placement were excluded. Associations of surgical approach with 30-day complications, prolonged hospitalization, and reoperation were evaluated using logistic regression. Readmission within 30 days was calculated using the person-years method and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS
Overall, 6390 women underwent surgery, including 3852 (60%) via vaginal approach and 2538 (40%) via MISC. Patients undergoing MISC were younger (P < 0.0001) and less likely to have hypertension (P = 0.04) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = 0.008), with lower American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (P < 0.0001) and higher preoperative hematocrit (P = 0.009). The MISC cohort had a lower unadjusted rates of minor complications (3.9% vs 5.6%; P = 0.004), urinary tract infection (3.3% vs 4.8%; P = 0.004), and prolonged hospitalization (5.2% vs 7.9%; P < 0.0001), with a higher rate of nephrologic (P = 0.01) complications. On multivariable analysis, there were no significant associations of MISC with the risk of 30-day complications (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92-2.51; P = 0.11), prolonged hospitalization (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.76-1.21; P = 0.72), readmission (HR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.71-1.49;P = 0.88), or reoperation (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.57-1.60; P = 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS
Minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy is associated with similar rates of 30-day complications, prolonged hospitalization, readmission, and reoperation compared with nonmesh vaginal surgeries for apical prolapse.


Abstract The Journal of the North American Benthological Society (J-NABS) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special issue composed of review papers that address the progress of 18 subdisciplines within benthology and the role of the Journal in the development of each subdiscipline. The objectives of our paper were to define the underlying reasons for publishing the Journal by discussing the role of scientific journals, provide a brief history of the Journal, discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid evolution of scholarly publication, and provide a synopsis of the papers in this issue. J-NABS is a highly respected journal within the areas of ecology and marine and freshwater biology. The Journal is most similar to Freshwater Biology and Fundamental and Applied Limnology based on citation patterns. Changes in scientific publishing have created significant opportunities and challenges for the Journal. Digital information technologies and the World Wide Web have changed the way people seek, read, and use information; created opportunities to reach a global audience and to facilitate free and open exchange of information; and created a need among society-published journals for new business models as traditional revenue sources (individual and library subscriptions) continue to decline. The scope of J-NABS is habitat specific and most papers in the Journal address some aspect of stream ecology. Papers published in this anniversary issue of J-NABS fall into subdisciplines in 5 broad categories: 1) the physical environment (5 articles); 2) the interface of chemistry and biology (2 articles); 3) the biota (7 articles); 4) the human factor (4 articles); and 5) a synthesis. Many authors in this issue call for benthologists to find ways to apply their work to manage, conserve, and restore aquatic habitats and organisms.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether blood haemoglobin concentration in preschool-age children (< 5 years of age) is geographically heterogeneous in sub-Saharan Africa and describe its association with environmental variables that drive anaemia of different etiologies.

METHODS
Data were obtained on 24 277 preschool-age children in western Africa (2862 cluster sites) and 25 343 in eastern Africa (2999 cluster sites) from the 2001-2007 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for sub-Saharan Africa. Cluster sites were linked to environmental information on distance to perennial water body, elevation, land surface temperature and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; a proxy for rainfall) in a geographical information system. Statistical associations with environmental variables were determined using multivariate regression models, and the spatial dependence of haemoglobin concentration unexplained by these factors was quantified using semivariograms.

FINDINGS
In eastern Africa, the lowest haemoglobin concentrations (< 70 g/l) occurred in small clusters throughout the region; in western Africa, they occurred in a large cluster straddling the border between Burkina Faso and Mali. Our results show significant continent-wide associations between haemoglobin concentration and environmental variables, particularly in western Africa for land surface temperature and NDVI, and in eastern Africa for elevation. Residual spatial dependence was significant, and the magnitude was greater in western than in eastern Africa.

CONCLUSION
The distribution of anaemia is driven by large-scale environmental factors, and the epidemiological drivers differ in western and eastern Africa. Strategies for anaemia control in preschool-age children in sub-Saharan Africa should be tailored to local conditions, taking into account the specific etiology and prevalence of anaemia.


Objectives: This study was planned to investigate the efficacy of kinesio Tape (KT) application for menstrual symptoms in young women. Patients and Methods: Twenty-eight women aged between 18-22 years were randomly assigned to Kinesio Tape group (KTG, n = 14) and control group (CG, n = 14). The intensity of menstrual symptoms were assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) twice in total, including the first menstruation phase and the subsequent menstruation phase immediately after participating in the study, onset of the bleeding, and after 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. No intervention was performed to CG while KT was applied to KTG after the onset of bleeding in the second menstrual phase. Results: Headache and nausea at 2 hour; abdominal pain and dizziness at 6 hour; abdominal pain, low back pain and fatigue at 12 hour; abdominal pain, low back pain, thigh pain, nausea, dizziness and fatigue at 24 hour; abdominal pain, low back pain and fatigue at 72 hour were significantly lower than the previous menstrual phase in KTG (p <0.05). Dizziness at 6 hour; thigh pain and fatigue at 12 hour were significantly lower than the previous menstrual phase in CG (p <0.05). Conclusion: Young women can benefit from Kinesio Tape application as an alternative, simple, reliable and effective method for reducing menstrual symptoms.


Aim: To investigate secular trends in personality traits in adult female populations. Methods: Two representative, population-based cohorts of women, 38 (n = 318) and 50 (n = 593) years of age participated in a health examination in 1968 and 2004 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Cesarec-Marke Personality Schedule (CMPS) were used to measure personality traits. Socioeconomic and lifestyle variables (personal income, education, marital status, children at home, physical activity and smoking) were reported. Results: In both age groups, secular comparisons in psychological profile subscales showed an increase in dominance, exhibition, aggression and achievement. Only small divergences were seen concerning affiliation, guilt feelings, nurturance and succorance. EPI showed a corresponding rise in extroversion. Social data showed a statistically significant increase in percentage of unmarried women, personal income levels, and higher educational achievement. While around 70% of women in 1968—69 had elementary school education only, around 90% had high school or university education in 2004—05. Conclusions: The results indicate major transitions in the adult Swedish female population in the direction of a more stereotypically ''male'' personality profile, but not at the expense of traditionally socially important female traits, which remained constant. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that society and the environment influence personality.


Cryoplasty is a technique for treating vascular stenosis which combines balloon angioplasty with cold injury. The combination is proposed to reduce the incidence of restenosis by inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia. There have been several clinical studies which purport to show improved patency compared to conventional angioplasty. Unfortunately, these are not comparative or controlled studies and have not been performed, analyzed or reported in accordance with recognized reporting standards for peripheral vascular intervention. The studies on femoropopliteal disease have selected favourable patients. Of greatest concern is the use of surrogate endpoints in lieu of objective demonstration of vessel patency. Critical interpretation of the results fails to demonstrate any convincing superiority of cryoplasty compared to conventional balloon angioplasty. Where little difference in outcome exists between two techniques, a trial comparing them will require hundreds of patients to be sufficiently powered to demonstrate a benefit of one technique over the other. As cryoplasty is significantly more expensive than conventional angioplasty, the cost benefit ratio is unfavourable and such a trial is unlikely to occur. This article is a critical review of the technique of cryoplasty. The reader will be able to: describe expected outcomes from balloon angioplasty; describe the theoretical role for cold injury as a component of angioplasty; recognize the need to adhere to well defined standards when reporting the results of new techniques for treating vascular disease; critically review the results of cryoplasty; understand the limitations and relevance of the published clinical results of cryoplasty.


This article aims to give an overview of Carnap's 1928 book Logical Structure of the World or Aufbau and the most influential interpretations of its significance. After giving an outline of the book in section II, I turn to the first sustained interpretations of the book offered by Goodman and Quine in section III. Section IV explains how this empirical reductionist interpretation was largely displaced by its main competitor. This is the line of interpretation offered by Friedman and Richardson which focuses on issues of objectivity. In section V I turn to two more recent interpretations that can be thought of as emphasizing Carnap's concern with rational reconstruction. Finally, the article concludes by noting some current work by Leitgeb that aims to develop and update some aspects of the Aufbau project for contemporary epistemology.