Abstract Combinations of drugs with distinct and complementary mechanisms of action may offer improved efficacy in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In two 12-week, double-blind, parallel-group studies, patients with COPD were randomized 1:1:1 to once-daily umeclidinium (UMEC; 62.5 μg and 125 μg)
or placebo (PBO), added to twice-daily fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/SAL; 250/50 μg). In both studies, the primary efficacy measure was trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) at Day 85. Secondary endpoints were weighted-mean (WM) FEV1 over 0–6 hours post-dose (Day 84) and rescue albuterol use. Health-related quality of life outcomes (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] and COPD assessment test [CAT]) were also examined. Safety was assessed throughout. Both UMEC+FP/SAL doses provided statistically significant improvements in trough FEV1 (Day 85: 0.127–0.148 L) versus PBO+FP/SAL. Similarly, both UMEC+FP/SAL doses provided statistically-significant improvements in 0–6 hours post-dose WM FEV1 versus PBO+FP/SAL (Day 84: 0.144–0.165 L). Rescue use over Weeks 1–12 decreased with UMEC+FP/SAL in both studies versus PBO+FP/SAL (Study 1, 0.3 puffs/day [both doses]; Study 2, 0.5 puffs/day [UMEC 125+FP/SAL]). Decreases from baseline in CAT score were generally larger for both doses of UMEC+FP/SAL versus PBO+FP/SAL (except for Day 84 Study 2). In Study 1, no differences in SGRQ score were observed between UMEC+FP/SAL and PBO+FP/SAL; however, in Study 2, statistically significant improvements were observed with UMEC 62.5+FP/SAL (Day 28) and UMEC 125+FP/SAL (Days 28 and 84) versus PBO+FP/SAL. The incidence of on-treatment adverse events across all treatment groups was 37–41% in Study 1 and 36–38% in Study 2. Overall, these data indicate that the combination of UMEC+FP/SAL can provide additional benefits over FP/SAL alone in patients with COPD.


A novel formulary has been developed in Nova Scotia with the objective of providing quality treatment with needed medications at affordable cost. Creation of the formulary has involved collaboration among health care professionals, seniors, the Department of Health and pharmaceutical companies. This is the first Canadian formulary to use the Anatomic, Therapeutic, Chemical system. Drug listing is comprehensive rather than exclusive. Colour-coded recommendations on use assist physicians with drug choice. Relative costs are indicated within each therapeutic grouping. Listings indicate drugs approved for reimbursement, interchangeable medications, maximum allowable cost, drug identification number and manufacturer code. Treatment summaries provide brief overviews of therapeutic advice. Updates on new products and new or modified treatment summaries are provided every 6 months. The formulary will be the focus of coordinated educational activities on treatment for seniors and health care professionals.


In studies of genetic diversity in natural microbial populations, we have analyzed nucleotide sequences in the quinolone resistance-determining region of the bacterial gyrA gene in ciprofloxacin-resistant and nonselected soil bacteria obtained from the environment. It is apparent that this sequence is highly variable, and resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics occurring in environmental populations of bacteria is due at least in part to natural sequence variation in this domain. We suggest that the development of new antimicrobial agents, including completely synthetic antimicrobials such as the fluoroquinolones, should incorporate the analysis of resistance mechanisms among microbes in natural environments; these studies could predict potential mechanisms of resistance to be encountered in subsequent clinical use of the agents and would guide chemical modification designed to evade resistance development.


Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) are acute intestinal conditions which could result in mortality and severe morbidity in preterm infants. Our objective was to identify dysregulated micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in small bowel tissues of NEC and SIP, and their possible roles in disease pathophysiology. Methods We performed differential miRNA arrays on tissues of NEC (n = 4), SIP (n = 4) and surgical-control (Surg-CTL; n = 4), and validated target miRNAs by qPCR (n = 10 each group). The association of target miRNAs with 52 dysregulated mRNAs was investigated by bioinformatics on functional and base-pair sequence algorithms, and correlation in same tissue samples. Results We presented the first miRNA profiles of NEC, SIP and Surg-CTL intestinal tissues in preterm infants. Of 28 validated miRNAs, 21 were significantly different between NEC or SIP and Surg-CTL. Limited overlapping in the aberrant expression of miRNAs between NEC and SIP indicated their distinct molecular mechanisms. A proposed network of dysregulated miRNA/mRNA pairs in NEC suggested interaction at bacterial receptor TLR4 (miR-31, miR-451, miR-203, miR-4793-3p), mediated via key transcription factors NFKB2 (miR-203), AP-1/FOSL1 (miR-194-3p), FOXA1 (miR-21-3p, miR-431 and miR-1290) and HIF1A (miR-31), and extended downstream to pathways of angiogenesis, arginine metabolism, cell adhesion and chemotaxis, extracellular matrix remodeling, hypoxia/oxidative stress, inflammation and muscle contraction. In contrast, upregulation of miR-451 and miR-223 in SIP suggested modulation of G-protein-mediated muscle contraction. Conclusions The robust response of miRNA dysregulation in NEC and SIP, and concerted involvement of specific miRNAs in the molecular networks indicated their crucial roles in mucosa integrity and disease pathophysiology.


Four experiments examined people's responses to intergroup violence either committed or suffered by their own group. Experiment 1 demonstrated that Serbs who strongly glorified Serbia were more supportive of future violence against, and less willing to reconcile with, Bosniaks after reading about Serbian victimization by Bosniaks rather than Serbian transgressions against Bosniaks. Replicating these effects with Americans in the context of American–Iranian tensions, Experiment 2 further showed that demands for retributive justice explained why high glorifiers showed asymmetrical reactions to ingroup victimization vs. perpetration. Again in the Serb and the American context, respectively, Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated that post-conflict international criminal tribunals can help satisfy victim group members' desire for retributive justice, and thereby reduce their support for future violence and increase their willingness to reconcile with the perpetrator group. The role of retributive justice and the use of international criminal justice in intergroup conflict (reduction) are discussed.


The topic of the assignment is developing and making a secondary and tertiary display packaging of the craft beer of Brouwersnos. The startup Brouwersnos is producing specialty beers which all have their own story. The beer is brewed in Villa Adriana, located in Groenlo. The company uses various sales channels: the brewery itself, specialized stores, local events and touristic spots. Evidently most important are excellent sales figures. Consumers should feel tempted to buy the beer because it stands out and it appeals to them. That is why Brouwersnos wants a student's help to develop a display packaging which can be used at all retail stores.
The main purpose of this bachelor assignment is therefore: "The making of a secondary and tertiary packaging for the craft beers of Brouwersnos."
To achieve this main purpose, several steps have been taken. The approach starts with an analysis phase is started examining the Brouwsersnos identity, the marketing strategies, competitors and sales channels for specialty beers. This analysis gave rise to one important question that needed answering: "What are the most essential parts of a packaging?". A lot of remarkable and useful features were identified; for example, the importance of following the complete lifecycle of products during the design process, the importance of recyclability of the packaging, and the benefit of additional features. But also, requirements related to the size of the packaging (smaller than a standard-24-bottle crate, no higher than a standard beer bottle) and the demand for different flavors in one packaging. The next step: idea generation. During creating, developing and communicating ideas the criteria were re-formulated repeatedly. User testing results for instance indicated that a packaging must consist of at least three beers to be considered useful. A calculation was made to indicate the forces of the bottle on the packaging and the materials which can resist these forces. Besides, the use of augmented reality (AR) is proposed in a way to tell stories about the beers thus reducing the need for more printing space on the packaging. This agile way of designing finally resulted in the perfect packaging. After the analysis, a program of requirements was drawn up. Basically, it is the starting point for each design process. In creating a packaging a lot of criteria are involved. The used decision tree shows an overview of all the decisions which should be made. The design choices made are also indicated. The final design corresponds to the objective formulated: "The making of a secondary and tertiary packaging for the specialty beers of Brouwersnos." Concerning the tertiary packaging the best way of putting the packaged beer on the pallet had been worked out. The secondary packaging consists of a clamping system made of cork which keeps the bottles together. Unique in terms of design and eye-catching due to the horizontal position in the shelfs. Store-owners will love the concept because it reduces the workload: transport- and display-packaging in one. So, the packaging can be shelved in one go. Creating a prototype was the final design step which produced a tangible result. To make the packaging 'store-ready', a lot of things should be done. Formulating the final cardboard specifications demand special testing and the packaging production methods must be developed. Also, the pricing needs further attention. Finally, the beer stories used in de AR application should be selected. The foundation for a successful introduction has been delivered with the design of a striking, eye catching and useful beer packaging which supports and enhances the Brouwersnos identity.


Schiff-base condensation of 2,6-dlacetylpyridine with diamines on Pb(II) afforded complexes of binucleating [2+2] macrocyclic ligands P (1) and MC (2). The complexes were isolated as the dilead macrocyclic tetrathiocyanate. Interest derives from the unusual binding mode of thiocyanate as a single atom 'N-only' bridge between the pair of lead ions bound by the macrocycle. An X-ray crystallographic structure determination, carried out by Dr. V .McKee, on the dilead MC complex demonstrates the existence of a single thiocyanate 'N-only' bridge between the lead ions. The N-only bridging mode of thiocyanate is retained in derivatives containing two or three triflate anions.

Transmetallation of the P complex, Pb2P(NCS)4 with transition metal triflates gave homobinuclear products with M = Cu(II), Co(II) and heterobinuclear Pb/M products with M = Mn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), whereas transmetallation of the dilead MC complex afforded homobinuclear Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes and heteroblnuclear complexes with M = Mn(II) and Fe(II). Infrared spectra suggest that the 'N-only' bridging mode of thiocyanate exists between the metal ions in the heterobinuclear MnPbMC and FePbMC complexes and X-ray structural confirmation has been obtained for the manganese/lead MC complex. There was evidence of the existence of heterobinuclear FeCuP and FeCuMC complexes which were formed by metal exchange of the lead ion, in the respective FePb macrocyclic complex, for Cu(I).

The cryptand GT, (3) was farmed by Schiff-base condensation of the tripod amine N(CH2CH2NH2)3 with glyoxal, using group (11) metal ions as template. A wide range of metal ion GT cryptates were obtained by transmetallation, including transition metal ion, lanthanide ion and group(1) metal ion cryptates. An X-ray crystal structure of the cobalt(II) GT cryptate has been obtained. Generally the cryptates are mononuclear with respect to the metal ion, an exception being the binuclear copper (I) cryptate. Transmetallation with copper (ID produces either the mononuclear or the dinuclear cryptate depending on conditions employed. The binuclear copper(II) cryptate has a particularly unusual 7-line esr spectrum which suggests formation of a mixed valence Cu(II)/Cu(I) species. Cyclic voltammetry has shown strong stabilisation of the Cu(I) state, with E½ for the reduction lying in the range found for blue copper proteins.

Synthesis of transition metal ion complexes by transmetallation of disilver or dilead 3Bp (4), or metal ion insertion into the 3Bp ligand was investigated. Dicobalt(II) and dicopper (I) cryptates of 3Bp were obtained. The corresponding reduced metal-free cryptand, R3Bp (5), gave an interesting series of binuclear complexes of Ni(II), Cu(I), Cu(II) and Co(II). The dicopper(II) and dicobalt(II) cryptates are of particular interest due to the presence of a hydroxo bridge between the metal ions. Attempted insertion of Mn(II) into R3Bp failed but gave the tetraprotonated R3Bp triflate whose structure was crystallographically determined.

Attempts to insert metal ions into cryptand 3Bm (6) failed. However insertion of Ni(II) gave ring opening and a pendant arm macrocyclic complex was obtained. The reduced metal-free ligand, R3Bm (7) produced a wider range of complexes, including the dinickel(II), dicopper(II) and dicobalt(II) cryptates.

Transition metal complexes throughout, have been characterised using infrared, electronic, and e.s.r. spectroscopy. Magnetic susceptibility measurements and n.m.r. were employed where appropriate. The work described in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 is preceeded by a review of the relevant literature, in Chapter 1.


Dyslipidemia is a lipid metabolism disorder in Indonesians aged >15 years old. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Statin, the drug of choice for dyslipidemia, are influenced by circadian rhytms and thus require timing of pill taking time. The aims of this study are to determine relationship between the respondent characteristics to blood ccholesterol level and the effect of taking Simvastatin in the afternoon on the cholesterol level ' s profile. The results showed that only body mass index (BMI) had an effect on cholesterol level ( p=0,016 ) with Pearson correlation -0,685 ( p=0,029 ). The cholesterol level is lower in respondents whose BMI is not ideal. The difference of pill taking time, at 18.00-21.00 and 21.00-24.00, did not show a difference profile of cholesterol level during one month of therapy. This results indicate that Simvastatin can be taken in the time range 18.00-24.00 to control cholesterol level of dyslipidemia patients.


The production of the antibiotic polypeptide microcin E492 by Klebsiella preunioniae RYC492 has been studied in respect to the composition of the culture medium. The nature of both the carbon and nitrogen sources had a dramatic effect on the levels of the microcin detected in the supernatants of the liquid cultures. Gluconeogenic precursors such as lactate or citrate led to microcin titers 10 to 100 fold higher than those obtained with glucose. However, neither glycerol nor CAMP stimulated the production, ruling out a typical type of catabolic repression by glucose. Limitation of growth by phosphate or nitrogen led to a marked decrease in production. Treatment with mitomycin C did not result in an enhancement of microcin levels.


Belonchilus numenius (SAY, 1832) – In Central Europe soon? Since two years Belonochilus numenius (SAY, 1832) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), originating from North America and living on sycamore trees, seems to spread in the European Mediterranean area. This report describes the first record for Italy and the biology as well as the morphological characteristics which delineate this newcomer from a similar species, Orsillus depressus (MULSANT & REY, 1852). It might be only a question of time, until B. numenius will be found in Central Europe as well.


This report is a terminal evaluation of a UN Environment-GEF project implemented between 2010 and 2018. The project's overall development goal was to accelerate the withdrawal of PCB in use, and the environmental sound disposal of PCB waste at the regional level, in an efficient and cost effective manner in compliance with the Stockholm and the Basel Conventions. The project Objective of this intervention is to enhance the collective capacity of the participating countries in planning and implementing their national policies for the environmentally sound management of PCBs and PCB containing equipment in the context of the above-mentioned Conventions.


Advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep neural networks have led to new discoveries in human and animal learning and intelligence. A recent artificial intelligence agent in the DeepMind family, muZero, can complete a variety of tasks with limited information about the world in which it is operating and with high uncertainty about features of current and future space. To perform, muZero uses only three functions that are general yet specific enough to allow learning across a variety of tasks without overgeneralization across different contexts. Similarly, humans and animals are able to learn and improve in complex environments while transferring learning from other contexts and without overgeneralizing. In particular, the mammalian extrahippocampal system (eHPCS) can guide spatial decision making while simultaneously encoding and processing spatial and contextual information. Like muZero, the eHPCS is also able to adjust contextual representations depending on the degree and significance of environmental changes and environmental cues. In this opinion, we will argue that the muZero functions parallel those of the hippocampal system. We will show that the different components of the muZero model provide a framework for thinking about generalizable learning in the eHPCS, and that the evaluation of how transitions in cell representations occur between similar and distinct contexts can be informed by advances in artificial intelligence agents such as muZero. We additionally explain how advances in AI agents will provide frameworks and predictions by which to investigate the expected link between state changes and neuronal firing. Specifically, we will discuss testable predictions about the eHPCS, including the functions of replay and remapping, informed by the mechanisms behind muZero learning. We conclude with additional ways in which agents such as muZero can aid in illuminating prospective questions about neural functioning, as well as how these agents may shed light on potential expected answers.


With the increasingly rapid growth of urbanization and climate change, urban rainfall monitoring as well as urban waterlogging has widely been paid attention. In the light of conventional siting selection methods do not take into consideration of geographic surroundings and spatial-temporal scale for the urban rain gauge site selection, this paper primarily aims at finding the appropriate siting selection rules and methods for rain gauge in urban area. Additionally, for optimization gauge location, a spatial decision support system (DSS) aided by geographical information system (GIS) has been developed. In terms of a series of criteria, the rain gauge optimal site-search problem can be addressed by a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). A series of spatial analytical techniques are required for MCDA to identify the prospective sites. With the platform of GIS, using spatial kernel density analysis can reflect the population density; GIS buffer analysis is used to optimize the location with the rain gauge signal transmission character. Experiment results show that the rules and the proposed method are proper for the rain gauge site selection in urban areas, which is significant for the siting selection of urban hydrological facilities and infrastructure, such as water gauge.


The objective of the study is to examine whether quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria are allocating their available resources efficiently. In pursuance of this, the study adopted the output orientated DEA model with four input and output variables. The input variables are total asset, shareholder's equity, cost of goods sold and operating expenses while the output variables are sales/turnover, net profit, return on asset, and return on equity. An output orientated DEAP Version 2.1 package was employed for the analysis. The method assumes variable return to scale assumption using multi-stage DEA. The result revealed that there was inefficient allocation of resources with the presence of high slacks for the input variables: total asset (114%), shareholder's equity (77%), cost of goods sold (47%) and operating expenses (71%) in the production process of quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria. Given their high input slack, it is recommended that total asset and shareholder's equity should be depleted from their current allocations, and such resources be shifted to alternative production activities.


Objective
To assess the association between visual-related quality of life (QOL) and the severity of quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) defects in patients with early cataract.

Methods
A cross section design was performed.Ninety-two eyes of 46 patients with early cataract were enrolled in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from March to June in 2017.All subjects completed the Chinese version of the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). The qCSF measurements were performed monocularly and binocularly while the patients wearing full spectacle correction spectacles.Rasch analysis was performed to obtain final NEI VFQ-25 scores.Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)(LogMAR) was measured and the eye with the better or the worse visual acuity was defined accordingly.The correlation between the Rasch calibrated QOL composite scores and the qCSF measurements of the better eye, the worse eye and binoculus, including the area under Log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF), qCSF under cut-off frequency and 1.0, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0, 18.0 c/d were analyzed.This study protocol was approved by the Ethic Committee of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.This study complied with Declaration of Helsinki.

Results
The Rasch calibrated QOL composite score was 64.13±4.76.Significant negative correlations were found between composite scores of QOL and the BCVA of both the better or worse eye(the better eye: r=-0.386, P=0.008; the worse eye: r=-0.413, P=0.004). Significant positive correlations were found between the composite scores of QOL and the AULCSF of binoculus, the better and worse eye (binoculus: r=0.531, P<0.001; the better eye: r=0.524, P<0.001; the worse eye: r=0.711, P<0.001); Significant positive correlations were found between the composite scores of QOL and the qCSF under cut-off of binoculus, the better and worse eye (binoculus: r=0.504; the better eye: r=0.419; the worse eye: r=0.694, P<0.01). The composite scores of QOL was positively correlated with the qCSF under 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0 c/d of binoculus, the better and worse eye (binoculus: r=0.444, 0.544, 0.545, 0.493; all at P<0.05; the better eye: r=0.374, 0.506, 0.530, 0.431; all at P<0.05; the worse eye: r=0.513, 0.679, 0.710, 0.558; all at P<0.05). The composite scores of QOL was positively correlated with the qCSF under 1.0, 18.0 c/d of binoculus and the worse eye (1.0 c/d: r=0.296, 0.292; both at P<0.05; 18.0 c/d: r=0.386, 0.321; both at P<0.05).

Conclusions
The qCSF measurements can reflect visual function of patients with early cataract at different spatial frequencies.The qCSF measurements of binoculus, the better eye and the worse eye show significant correlations with the composite scores of QOL.The QOL of early cataract patients shows a strong dependency on the worse eye.

Key words:
Quick Contrast Sensitivity Function; Quality of life; Cataract


Over the last few years, questions have arisen concerning how the Personal European Pensions Product (PEPP) of the EU should be regulated. Until now, the European Commission and various interest groups have not found a solution to the various problems that exist in developing a common EU regulatory framework. This article discusses how the PEPP could ideally be regulated. It discusses the PEPP and Personal Pension Products (PPP), examines how PEPPs as a 'wrapper product' should be defined, and evaluates how a PEPP passport could be established under future PEPP Regulations.


Authentication is using one or multiple mechanisms to show that you are who you claim to be. As soon as the identity of the human or machine is demonstrated, then human or machine is authorized to grant some services. The modern research study reveals that fingerprint is not so secured like secured a password which consists of alphanumeric characters, number and special characters. This model proposes instead of password iris of the user, which is also one of the strongest physiological biometrics recognition systems. The iris is absolutely fashioned by way of eighth month of adults, and remains stable throughout the life span. In recent years, the usage of Iris for human identification has substantially grown due to the tremendous advantages with traditional or usual or normal authentication techniques based on private identity numbers (PINs) or passwords. In fact, given that iris is intrinsically and uniquely related to a character, they can't be forgotten, without difficulty stolen or reproduced. But, the use of Iris may additionally have some drawbacks related to viable safety breaches. On the grounds that iris traits are limited and immutable, if an attacker has gets access to the database where they are saved, the system security may be irreparably compromised. To deal with this hassle, an iris structure with template protection becomes very much essential. In this paper the different methods of iris recognition are studied with its features. This paper also discusses about multifactor authentication model.


To enhance efficiency of public spending in oil-rich economies, this paper proposes that some of the oil revenues be transferred directly to citizens, and then taxed to finance public expenditures. The argument is that spending that is financed by taxation — rather than by resource revenues accruing directly to the government — is more likely to be scrutinized by citizens and hence subject to greater efficiency. We develop the case as follows: First, we confirm that public expenditure efficiency is lower in oil-rich countries compared with other developing countries. Second, we develop a theoretical model to explain why citizens' scrutiny over public expenditure can be increased by transferring oil revenues to citizens and then taxing them. By receiving transfers and then paying taxes, citizens are better informed about the level of government revenue, and they have an incentive to ensure that their taxes are spent on public goods. Third, we show empirically that enhanced citizens' scrutiny is associated with more efficient government spending decisions and that accountability is stronger in countries that rely more on taxation to finance public spending. We conclude that, while it may be difficult to implement such a proposal in existing oil producers, there is scope for introducing it in some of Africa's new oil producers.


Abstract Background and Objective Cerebral vasospasm (CV) is a serious complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with high morbidity and mortality rates. The mechanism of CV has not been determined. There are many theories related to this unsolved issue, one of which supports CV as a two-stage phenomenon from a pathophysiologic perspective. The first stage consists of inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase by oxyhemoglobin, which results in a decrease of nitric oxide (NO) production. The second stage consists of an increase in the levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine through bilirubin oxidation products (BOXes), which are oxidized by-products of hemoglobin metabolism. These in turn inhibit endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which results in the blockage of the second NO production mechanism. BOXes are sensitive to visible light, as is their precursor bilirubin. The hypothesis of CV prevention using the photosensitivity of BOXes was tested in this study. Material and Methods Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from two patients with SAH was divided in half and either exposed to a standard dose of visible light or not exposed to any light. The CSF was spectrophotometrically investigated and the concentration of BOXes was measured. A comparison between CSF samples exposed to light and not exposed to light was made. Using two groups of 16 rats each, the vasospastic effect of the CSF exposed and not exposed to light on arteries of the cortical surface was measured. The cortex was exposed using the cranial window. Results Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the concentration of BOXes in the CSF decreased significantly after being exposed to visible light (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference of the vasospastic effect of CSF on exposed cortical arteries (p < 0.001). Conclusion The concentration of BOXes and the vasospastic effect of CSF taken from patients with SAH were significantly reduced after being exposed to visible light if compared with CSF not exposed to light.


A viscous fluid flowing over plastic grains spontaneously generates single-thread channels. With time, these laminar analogues of alluvial rivers reach a reproducible steady state, showing a well-defined width and cross section. In the absence of sediment transport, their shape conforms with the threshold hypothesis which states that, at equilibrium, the combined effects of gravity and flow-induced stress maintain the bed surface at the threshold of motion. This theory explains how the channel selects its size and slope for a given discharge. In this light, laboratory rivers illustrate the similarity between the avalanche angle of granular materials and Shields's criterion for sediment transport.


Simulation is a proven tool for evaluating and optimizing technologies for improving the information access in the web, e.g. web caching. However, using simulation for designing and evaluating such technologies for new application domains suffers from insufficient empirical information about the traffic patterns in these scenarios. Nevertheless, the knowledge about the traffic patterns in existing domains augmented by assumptions about the differences between an existing and the new application often allows some prediction about the traffic patterns in new domains. Simulation based on those predictions demands a flexible traffic model that can be parameterized to reflect the specifics predicted for the target application scenario. We present a detailed and flexible traffic model that meets this requirement. Unlike previous work, we distinguish between the characteristics of primary and secondary objects. In addition, we take both cacheable and uncacheable objects into account. Our novel temporal locality model allows modeling of temporal correlation in request streams orthogonally to the document popularity.


Vitamin D (VD) is a steroid prohormone that regulates the body's calcium and phosphate levels in bone mineralization. It is also well described as a fat-soluble vitamin playing an important role in immunomodulation, regulation of cytokines, and cell proliferation. Thus, VD is a powerful hormone with pleiotropic effects, which acts to maintain optimal health. Recent studies demonstrate that VD deficiency is associated with the development of autoimmune disorders. Vitamin D generates many extraskeletal effects due to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) which is present in most tissues throughout the body. This paper reviews the recent data on the role of vitamin D in the genesis of various immunological disorders. The possible role of vitamin D in infections is implied from its impact on the innate and adaptive immune responses. A significant effect is the suppression of inflammatory processes. It inhibits immune reactions in general, but it enhances the transcription of "endogenous antibiotics" such as cathelicidin and defensins. VD inhibits the genesis of both Th1 – and Th2-cell mediated diseases. Th1 – dependent autoimmune diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and so on) are also inhibited by VD due to inhibition of antigen presentation, reduced polarization of Th0 cells to Th1 cells and reduced production of cytokines from the latter cells. VD seems to also be a useful adjunct in the prevention of allograft rejection. Cardiac and coagulopathic features of COVID-19 disease deserve attention as they may be related to vitamin D. There are also intriguing potential links to vitamin D as a factor in the cytokine storm that consist some of the most serious consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Finally, the current clinical data strongly associate vitamin D with SARS-CoV-2 infection, however a putative clinical link that at this time must still be considered hypothetical.


Background: Although several studies have reported that persons from lower socioeconomic groups have poorer health outcomes, few prospective studies have examined whether neighborhood socioeconomic context is associated with mortality. In this study, we prospectively evaluated whether persons residing in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods have higher mortality risk compared to more resourced neighborhoods among a large geographically dispersed cohort. Methods: Between 1995 and 1996, the NIH‐AARP Diet and Health Study recruited an ethnically diverse prospective cohort of 566,402 persons, 50–71 years of age, from six U.S. states and two metropolitan areas. Detailed data were collected on diet, lifestyle, and medical history through questionnaires. Neighborhood socioeconomic information was obtained through linkage to the 2000 U.S. Census data at the tract level. We excluded 705 subjects with incomplete information for geocoding and computed an empirically derived index of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation using principal component analyses. Mortality was ascertained through December 31, 2006. Two‐level continuous‐time survival models were used to derive hazard ratios of time to death from any cause stratified by gender. Results: Of the 565,697 eligible subjects at baseline, the mean age was 62 years, 60% were male, 91% were non‐Hispanic whites, 4% non‐Hispanic blacks and 9% reported a history of cancer. A higher percentage of those in the most deprived neighborhoods reported poorer general health, higher average BMI, and lower Mediterranean diet scores. In multilevel Cox models analyses controlling for dietary and lifestyle factors, the risk of death increased with increasing levels of deprivation in the neighborhood of residence. Compared to the least deprived neighborhood, those residing in areas in the highest quintile of deprivation had a higher risk for death (men: hazard ratio [HR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18–1.25); women: HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.17–1.29). Conclusion: Our study suggests that living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods is associated with a higher risk for death independent of lifestyle and dietary risk factors. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):PR-10.


Seventy-four mothers and 41 fathers and their 6 to 13 year old sons with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) watched videos of child ADHD symptoms, compliance, and noncompliance. Participants were told either that the child was receiving medication, behavioral treatment, a combination of the two, or was not receiving treatment and were asked to rate the cause of the behavior. Parents attributed less control but greater stability to positive child behaviors when the child was receiving medication. However, for negative behaviors, medication increased attributions of control but diminished stability. With behavior management. compliance was seen as more external and stable and noncompliance as more controllable but less stable. For all treatments, boys reported increased control over ADHD symptoms and noncompliance. The implications of these treatment-related attributions for parenting and children's self-perceptions are discussed.


To analyze whether fish oil, as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n‐3 series, could synergize with ethanol to promote collagen I upregulation in vivo, collagen α2(I) promoter‐βGal (COL1A2‐βGal) transgenic mice were fed a diet enriched in fish oil in the presence of ethanol (ethanol group) or dextrose (control group). Ethanol‐fed mice showed mild steatosis, increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), nonsterified fatty acids, and plasma alcohol levels along with elevated cytochrome P450 2E1 activity, lipid peroxidation end products, and low glutathione (GSH) levels, which suggested enhanced oxidant stress and liver injury. Increased transactivation of the COL1A2 promoter assessed by βGal activity was shown in vivo and by transfection with deletion constructs for the collagen α1(I) promoter (COL1A1) and COL1A2 promoters in vitro. Transcriptional regulation of both COL1A1 and COL1A2 promoters was validated by nuclear in vitro transcription run‐on, northern blot analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which was followed by the subsequent upregulation of collagen I protein with no changes in matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP 13). To further analyze the potential mechanism for collagen I upregulation, an in vitro coculture model was designed with primary stellate cells seeded on the bottom plate of a Boyden chamber and the rest of the liver cells plated on a cell culture insert, and fish oil or fish oil plus ethanol were added. The combination of fish oil plus ethanol increased nuclear factor κB binding to the COL1A2 promoter both in vivo and in the cocultures and also resulted in increased phosphorylation of protein kinase C, activation of PI3 kinase, and phosphorylation of Akt. The in vitro addition of vitamin E prevented such activation and collagen I increase. Furthermore, inhibitors of all 3 kinases blocked the increase in collagen I and NFκB binding to the COL1A2 promoter; the latter was also prevented by vitamin E. Conclusion: These results suggest that fish oil (mainly n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs]) can synergize with ethanol to induce collagen I, transactivating the COL1A2 promoter through a lipid peroxidation‐PKC‐PI3K‐Akt‐NFκB‐driven mechanism in the absence of overt steatosis and inflammation. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;45:1433–1445.)


Early life exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution negatively impacts neonatal health. The underlying mechanisms following prenatal exposure, particularly to ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter ≤ 0.1 μm), are not fully understood; To evaluate the role of Nrf2 in response to in utero UFP exposure, we exposed time-mated Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2−/−) or wildtype (WT) mice to filtered air (FA) or 100 μg/m3 ultrafine PM daily throughout pregnancy. Offspring were evaluated for pulmonary immunophenotypes and pulmonary/systemic oxidative stress on postnatal day 5, a timepoint at which we previously demonstrated viral respiratory infection susceptibility; Nrf2−/− offspring exposed to FA had significantly lower average body weights compared to FA-exposed WT pups. Moreover, PM-exposed Nrf2−/− offspring weighed significantly less than PM-exposed WT pups. Notably, PM-exposed Nrf2−/− offspring showed a decreased pulmonary Th1/Th2 ratio, indicating a Th2 bias. Th17 cells were increased in FA-exposed Nrf2−/− neonates yet decreased in PM-exposed Nrf2−/− neonates. Analysis of oxidative stress-related genes in lung and oxidative stress biomarkers in liver tissues did not vary significantly across exposure groups or genotypes. Collectively, these findings indicate that the lack of Nrf2 causes growth inhibitory effects in general and in response to gestational UFP exposure. Prenatal UFP exposure skews CD4+ T lymphocyte differentiation toward Th2 in neonates lacking Nrf2, signifying its importance in maternal exposure and infant immune responses.


Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the degree of crown discoloration induced by a novel bioceramic and conventional endodontic sealers. Materials and Methods: Thirty extracted maxillary central incisors were selected and randomly divided into three groups (n = 10), according to the assigned sealer: G1 – TotalFill, G2 – Apexit Plus, and G3 – AH Plus. Baseline color of the labial surfaces was obtained using a spectrophotometer. Standardized root canal preparation and obturation were completed using ProTaper system and gutta-percha with sealer cement. Access openings were sealed using light-cured resin composite. Specimens were stored in saline and placed in an incubator at 37°C until testing. Crown color was reassessed after 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. Color change from baseline was calculated using the following equation: ΔE* = ([ΔL*]2 + [Δa*]2 + [Δb*]2)½. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, t-test, and Tukey post hoc test (at P≤ 0.05). Result: In the three groups tested, the highest mean value of color change was found after 3 months, whereas the lowest was at 1 week. Changes were significant in all groups (P < 0.001 in G1 and G2, P= 0.009 in G3). At all assessment times, no significant difference was found between the three groups of sealers tested (P = 0.593, P= 0.185, and P= 0.33 at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, respectively). Nevertheless, G1 showed the highest and G3 the lowest color changes at both 1 and 3 months. Conclusion: It was concluded that all sealers tested result in a measurable and gradual tooth color change. While the bioceramic sealer resulted in a slightly higher color change compared to calcium hydroxide- and resin-based sealers, the difference was not considerable.


More than ever, humanitarian aid workers and diplomats are engaging with vulnerable populations in areas once considered too dangerous to touch. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground experience in conflict environments around the world, Van Arsdale and Smith offer this important and revealing guide to the ethics, theory, and practice of work outside so-called Green Zones of safety. On behalf of governments or NGOs, on missions ranging from complex humanitarian emergencies to post-war reconstruction, social scientists in interdisciplinary teams are operating in settings where the line between civilian and military projects is increasingly blurred. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the realities of these new humanitarianisms and for the fields of international relations, anthropology, development studies, and peace studies.


Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is an aggressive primary renal neoplasm that represents a distinct subtype of renal cell carcinoma. Histochemical (eg, mucicarmine) and immunohistochemical (eg, Ulex europaeus) studies, taken in concert with the gross and histologic findings, allow differentiation of CDC from the conventional varieties of renal cell carcinoma in most cases. Collecting duct carcinoma generally pursues a more aggressive course than conventional renal cell carcinoma. Metastases to regional lymph nodes, bone, adrenal glands, lung, and skin have been reported in CDC. We describe the case of a 26-year-old man who presented with a clinical and radiologic impression of multifocal meningioma. Biopsies of the meninges and extracranial soft tissues revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma; subsequent studies suggested metastatic CDC. Ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed on a subsequently identified renal mass, which showed features consistent with CDC. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of meningeal carcinomatosis due to CDC. The diagnostic features of this tumor are discussed.


Background: Fighting cancer by taking advantage of a patient9s own immune system is showing considerable success in oncology research. Targeting therapeutic antibodies against tumor-associated antigens or the host immune system has been shown to prolong survival of patients in various tumor types. However, the lack of experimental immunotherapy models is a major obstacle toward better evaluating new immunotherapeutics and testing their exploratory combination strategies. To address this need, we set out to validate a new platform MiXenoTM by implanting human PBMC to immune-deficient mice. The MiXenoTM mice were partially reconstituted with human immune components. In vivo efficacy of several immunotherapeutics were evaluated. Results: We have reported before that several MiXenoTM models could be used to evaluate anti-human PD-1 or PD-L1 antibodies, where human T cells were well reconstituted in the mouse system. Here one of our MiXenoTM collection: HCC827 model was further optimized and identified as a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor highly sensitive model. Involvement of T cells in the tumor microenvironment was observed in HCC827 tumors. Furthermore, the dynamics of NK cell population in blood, tumor and other organs (e.g. spleen and lymph nodes) was established in MiXenoTM models. NK cell function was evaluated as well. Conclusion: The MiXenoTM model provides an alternative to the full stem cell reconstitution approach, and may allow various types of immunotherapies being evaluated in these partially humanized xenograft models. Citation Format: Juan Zhang, Meng Qiao, Jian Ding, Zhensheng Wang, zhongliang Li, Qian Shi. MiXeno Humanized Mouse Model as an Efficient Tool to Evaluate in Vivo Activity of Anti-Cancer Immunotherapeutics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5184.


The majority of patients convalescent from pneumonia due to Types I, II and III Pneumococcus develop at the time of recovery circulating antibodies for the homologous type of organisms. At the same time an immediate wheal and erythema reaction followed the intradermal injection of the homologous type-specific polysaccharide in 100 per cent of Type I patients, 58.8 per cent of Type II patients, and 44 per cent of Type III patients. In a group of 18 patients repeatedly tested with the type-specific polysaccharides, 10 developed in the second or third week of convalescence circulating antibodies for one or more heterologous types. In none of 21 control patients was this phenomenon observed. It is suggested that the development of circulating antibodies for heterologous types of Pneumococcus was associated with the previous intradermal injections of the type-specific polysaccharides.


. We consider two commuting smooth transformations on Banach spaces, prove the sub-additivity of measure-theoretic entropies and give the condition for equality. This is an extension of Hu's work on commuting diffeomorphisms in a finite-dimensional space (HuHu Yi 1993 Ergod. Th. Dynam. Sys. 13 73-100) to the case of systems on a Banach space.


Online controlled experiments are the primary tool for measuring the causal impact of product changes in digital businesses. It is increasingly common for digital products and services to interact with customers in a personalised way. Using online controlled experiments to optimise personalised interaction strategies is challenging because the usual assumption of statistically equivalent user groups is violated. Additionally, challenges are introduced by users qualifying for strategies based on dynamic, stochastic attributes. Traditional A/B tests can salvage statistical equivalence by pre-allocating users to control and exposed groups, but this dilutes the experimental metrics and reduces the test power. We present a stacked incrementality test framework that addresses problems with running online experiments for personalised user strategies. We derive bounds that show that our framework is superior to the best simple A/B test given enough users and that this condition is easily met for large scale online experiments. In addition, we provide a test power calculator and describe a selection of pitfalls and lessons learnt from our experience using it.


Aims: Cancer is a frequently occurring illness which drastically changes the lives of patients. The consequences of these changes extend beyond the patients themselves and affect their whole family. It is understood that predominantly adolescents between 13 and 21 have an increased risk of developing psychological problems as a result of their parent's condition. The adolescents are in the process of detaching themselves from the family unit and developing their own identity. This process is disturbed by the parent's illness and the consequential changes in family life. Additionally, the adolescents are in a stage of development where they begin to recognize the gravity of the situation and understand the serious concerns of their parents. Until now, little is known about how this focus group is drawn into these interventions. For these reasons, the aims of this article are to categorize and analyze interventions and their effectiveness on adolescents with a parent suffering from cancer. Both the existing literature and the daily practice were consulted as a source. Method: A systematic review was conducted covering both literature and practice. Three electronic databases were used for the literature search: Scopus, Web of Science and Psychinfo. Secondly, an inventory was constructed by telephone communication with academic hospitals which was expanded using the "snowball method". In total, 82 institutes were contacted including 8 academic hospitals, 25 were "inloophuizen", 9 therapeutic centres, one hospital and one non profit organization in Nederland, 36 academic hospitals and two non profit organisations in Germany. As part of both the review and the construction of the inventory, the interventions were assessed based on their effectiveness, content and focus group. Results: In the systematic review 13 interventions were found. The psychological methods used in these were peer-support, psycho-education, communication in a group as well as open communication within the families and an expansion of coping abilities. Only two studies were devoted to the effectiveness of the interventions. In the inventory 29 institutes were found with a program for adolescents with a parent suffering from cancer; these programs range from clinical interventions, creative methods or exercise to interventions in schools or online. The clinical practice is dominated by interventions centered on contact with individuals with similar experiences. Studies of the effects are also lacking in this category
Conclusion: Although few interventions for this focus group were available in the literature, there is an adequate selection in the practice, especially in "inloophuizen". Future work should initially be focused on the effects of existing interventions in order to quantify their effectiveness with respect to this focus group. Following this study, the content of the interventions should be reviewed. Although contact with fellow sufferers is often utilized in the practice, the literature emphasizes the meaning of the whole family during the therapeutic process. Finally, resulting interventions could target adolescents within the focus group specifically. The existing interventions were found to have a broad age focus which may not sufficiently cover the needs of adolescents.


Insect pollination is a vital ecosystem service, essential for both wild and domesticated plants, yet to-date there are no standardised national schemes to monitor its status. Thus this PhD focused on assessment of pollination provision in UK urban green spaces, using a combination of citizen science and field/laboratory methods. Each of the following thesis chapters considers a specific pollination-related theme:

The need for pollination.

Demonstrating how much gardeners need insect pollination is important to underpin public support for pollinator conservation. During 2014-2015, online questionnaires were used to collect information about the crops grown in domestic green spaces and gardening practices used. Participants highly valued 'growing their own', and three of five crops grown by the majority (tomatoes, apples, strawberries) have high requirements for insect pollination. A 'garden shop calculator' spreadsheet was also tested (positively) as a quick way to calculate the equivalent bought-value of garden crops and the proportion directly attributable to insect actions.

Assessment of pollination provision.

Citizen science volunteers undertook a simple direct pollination experiment (exclusion, hand pollination, local), requiring treatment randomisation and accurate yield recording. The main 'Bees 'n Beans' projects used Vicia faba to monitor bumblebee pollination, detecting no national deficit during 2014-2016. This suggests that the domestic pollination needs of V. faba are currently met, and that urban populations of long-tongued bumblebees are sufficient to provide it. The potential of using other plants to cover wider pollinator populations was also explored, identifying Allium hollandicum as suitable.

The effects of companion planting.

Using tomato plants to examine whether co-planting crops with flowering plants boosts pollination provision ('magnet species' effects), or distracts insects. Provided plants were hosted in volunteered gardens and school grounds in Brighton in 2015 & 2016. No effect (improved or detrimental) of co-flowering plants was found on tomato yields at either site type.

Using citizen science to monitor pollination services.

This chapter combined findings from other chapters and a final questionnaire, which focused on participants' motivations and willingness to make behavioural changes after taking part. It concludes that the projects have demonstrated volunteers' ability and willingness to follow experimental protocols under guidance, to collect meaningful data at otherwise-impractical geographical scales.

Suggested protocol.

This details the finalised Bees 'n Beans approach and how it relates to other potential pollination monitoring methods. I propose that this style of project is suitable for incorporation into national monitoring scheme development.


Surgical destabilization of the sti fl e joint via cranial cruciate ligament desmotomy (CCLD) is a routine procedure for the study of osteoarthritis (OA). Traditionally performed in rats, rabbits, cats, and dogs, CCLD in sheep provides an opportunity to study the pathology and treatment of joint instability in a species whose sti fl e better represents the equivalent human femorotibial joint. The surgical approaches for CCLD in sheep are variable and can result in inconsistent outcomes. Eight sheep underwent CCLD for use in a gene therapy study. We report this case in which six of the eight sheep were clinically diagnosed by pathognomonic signs and later con fi rmed by postmortem dissection, with injury of the peroneus tertius (PT) muscle. The PT plays a crucial role in the normal gait of large animals, including sheep. Injury to the PT results in failure of the reciprocal apparatus of the hind limb in which the hock can be extended during sti fl e fl exion creating a varied gait and an indiscriminate increase in instability of the sti fl e and hock joints. Restricted movement postoperatively may provide decreased variability in surgical outcomes. Alternatively, increased sti fl e instability via CCLD coupled with PT transection or PT transection alone could potentially provide a superior model of sti fl e instability and OA development in sheep.


There is a growing interest in developing systems for displaying museum artefacts as well as historic buildings and materials. This work connects with this interest by creating a 3D interactive display for Fishbourne Roman Palace Museum, West Sussex, England. The research aimed to create a reconstruction of the Palace as it would have been at its height, a reconstruction that was interactive in the sense that museum visitors would be able to walk through the buildings and local grounds and experience the site in a way not possible through traditional museum displays. The inclusion of the
interactive element prompted the incorporation of game engines as a means of visualising and navigating around the reconstructed 3D model of the Palace. There are numerous game engines available, and the research evaluated a selection with respect to their functionality, cost, and ease of use. It also applied a technology readiness method to assess potential users' response to the incorporation of different degrees of interactivity.

Research was undertaken regarding the appearance of the Palace and, based on the available archaeology and relevant artistic interpretations, a model was created using Autodesk Maya software. This model was exported into each of the possible game engines, and a comparison was made based of each engine's audio, visual, and functional fidelity, as well as composability and accessibility. The most appropriate engine is chosen based on these results. With reference to the assessment criteria, the hardware and software is in preparation for installation at the Fishbourne Roman Palace Museum. The Technology Readiness Index was applied to determine the effectiveness of such a display compared to a non-interactive representation, a study that concludes that a highly interactive display may not be the most sensible solution for the majority of visitors.


South Africa's policy frameworks for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and adult and continuing education and training (ACET) lecturers require that the work-integrated learning (WIL) element of programmes include WIL in appropriate 'industry settings' to ensure that TVET lecturers develop expertise in both teaching their subjects and preparing their students for the demands of the workplace. Whereas the country's education faculties have a strongly developed practice of school-based WIL, none currently offers a formal programme that includes WIL in industry. International literature on teacher placement in industry thus largely concerns the in-service placement of practising educators to develop and update their industry knowledge and experience. In South Africa, some institutions have embarked on projects that have developedknowledge of industry WIL for TVET college lecturers, one of these being the SSACI-EDTP SETA WIL for Lecturers Project, through which more than 400 college lecturers have completed a work placement, conducted between 2014 and 2017. It provides a significant amount of information on the possible nature and implementation of the industry-based WIL component of the lecturer qualifications currently being developed. Using the Shulman and Shulman (2004) framework on teacher learning, this article analyses the project. It seeks to deepen the understanding of the nature of lecturer learning through WIL and also to contribute to the national, African and broader international discourse on the placement in industry of vocational educators and articulation between the worlds of work and education.


Wireless LANs (WLANs), based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, have become the standard means for indoor wireless connectivity. At the same time, the rising number of smart mobile devices, broadband access speeds, and bandwidth hungry applications (e.g., high definition video streaming) have led to an increase not only of usage but also of demand for higher data-rates. This demand for higher rates is being met with newer IEEE 802.11 standards (e.g., 802.11n/ac) that introduce new features and also increase the different possible settings for each feature. Inherent channel variations and the possible interference conditions when operating in unlicensed spectrum necessitate adaptation of the various medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) layer features to ensure high performance. Selecting the values of those features to optimise a criterion such as throughput is the link adaptation problem. Link adaptation, the focus of this thesis, can play a key role in improving the performance of 802.11 WLANs. Increasing number of features and feature setting combinations with newer 802.11 standards is not only making link adaptation even more important but also more challenging. The contributions made in this thesis significantly advance the state of the art on link adaptation for 802.11 WLANs along three dimensions. First, we show that not knowing the exact cause of loss is not an impediment to effective link adaptation. Nevertheless, actions taken in response to losses are more crucial and they ought to be holistic and not solely dependent on the exact cause of loss. Second, we make significant methodological contributions for analysing the impact of multiple parameters on a given criterion, based on comprehensive experimental measurements. The application of this methodology on 802.11n measurements, examining the interaction of the protocols various parameters on performance under varying conditions, has lead to several valuable findings on how to perform efficient link adaptation in a complex WLAN scenario like 802.11n and future 802.11 standards. Adaptation should be holistic, based on the channel quality instead of the interference scenario, and independent of loss differentiation. Based on these insights, lastly and most importantly, we propose two novel holistic link adaptation schemes for legacy 802.11a/b/g and 802.11n WLANs, termed Themis and SampleLite, respectively. Both Themis and SampleLite take a hybrid approach relying on easily accessed channel quality information at the sender side to perform holistic adaptation. The hypothesis that adaptation should be holistic is validated by our results, with both Themis and SampleLite outperforming the current state of the art.


Environmental Factor represent challenge to human being in fulfilling its requirement, and here role a stand-out technology progressively. Existence a different is same technology in place will bring effect of which not yet is same of course. Because basically different environment will bear different comments to various different problem also. Thereby, society individual which live in an environment will have different culture, such as those which mirror in patterns life of them. Therefore, change of environment promoting new alternatives to solve problem accomplishment of requirement of human being, having tendency to change life pattern an society. Pursuant to some breakdown of above mentioned analysis, researcher interest to check furthermore into research form with title: Social Study Impact of Development Of PLTU Paiton To Society In Countryside of Bhinar District Of Paiton Sub-Province of Probolinggo. Target of this research is wishing to know how social impact that happened effect of existence of development of PLTU to society in Countryside of Bhinar District Of Paiton Sub-Province of Probolinggo. This research pertained at descriptive research type with approach qualitative. execution of research conducted by in Society Countryside of Bhinar RT.09 RW.05 District Of Paiton Sub-Province of Probolinggo with its amount of him counted 46 people of responder.metode its data collecting is conducted by using observation, interview, and enquette of a documentation. nalyse its data use data analysis qualitative by using method qualitative this researcher convince of and trust can and analyse about social impact from existence of development of PLTU Paiton. Result of this research of showing that social impact that happened at countryside society of Bhinar after existence of development of PLTU Paiton seen from some aspect like : economic aspect, existence of PLTU Paiton can open opportunity of is effort informal sector which in the form of booth, house board with, photostat service, telephone-shop, computer rental and also other business unit. This matter also happened in other effort area for example at effort board with and merchant which many there are in this area. Society in Countryside of Bhinar this most town outsider have requirement to clothes especially related to clothes and accomplishment of requirement eat. With existence of accretion in the form of finansial, they even also start can cast aside some of earnings of them, that is for the sake of education of its childs. Its meaning that Countryside society of Bhinar have started to think of about saving, though do not all family can cast aside earnings of monthly them to be saved, but most of they start to think of about family saving so that wait if its childs start to require the expense of superordinate or many, they have owned fund reserve which can be taken and exploited. Negative impact of economic aspect of existence of PLTU Paiton in life of them is the increasing of resulted air pollution of secretory dioxide carbon of smoke hole of PLTU Paiton, despitefully the happening of make-up of accident of traffic effect of change of road;street condition which unfavourable initialy many holey become asphalt so that high vehicle traffic enough noise, etcetera. Decreasing of it wide of land;ground farm able to be made as prop of air atmosfir, loss of some component of biofisik, economic, generated culture or social from project of which wish to be woke up. Positive Impact of Social Aspect. Logical Consequence of development of this PLTU Paiton it is of course bring positive impact and negative impact to countryside society. etymologically, hence impact mean collision, collision or smash-up. Therefore social impact can be interpreted as collision of social, social smash-up or social collision. That thing mean, that in situations of happened certain social of collisions, smash-ups and or collisions. Collision that happened is culture collision especially assessed by culture is negativity by society. Negative impact of social aspect is to expanding prostitution it, the hoisterous of marrying contract and do religion marry and also circulation of liquor which do not be controlled. Initialy, prostitution only having a nest in area of Paiton so called of field area shoot and in so called Besuki of Eagle. After awaking up of PLTU Paiton, in this area start to expand 15 prostitution booth in each location. Norms form which digressing the for example: religion norm and norm punish each of 7,04 %, custom norm and each ethics 22,22 %, courtesy norm 18,5 % and which replying others 22,22%. Positive Impact of Psychological Aspect from existence of development of PLTU Paiton is society like because opening of opportunity of job or activity with the meaning will be able to earnings improving. and storey;level prosperity of their life. Negative Impact of Psychological Aspect from existence of development of PLTU Paiton is less or inexistence admission filling of spare time time and medium of recreation. Recreation and admission filling of spare time time represent basal requirement to life and also subsistence of someone. Recreation and admission filling of spare time time have important function to give balance in life of someone. Someone need refreshing of idea burden and heavy responsibility and also exemption routine atmosphere, is same continuous and also feel saturatedly. Except that, recreation and admission filling of spare time time also represent one of the activity to give satisfaction of requirement or desires of someone. Keyword : Metode penelitian kualitatif, Dampak Sosial Pembangunan PLTU Paiton Link: http://skripsi.umm.ac.id/files/disk1/265/jiptummpp-gdl-s1-2008-joniriangb-13224-NO.1+PEN-N.pdf


The transformations of political economy since its formative period in the late 16th-early 17th century (Bodin, Botero, Serra, Monthchrestien) defines its object as a field of possibilities. A dynamic (that is, historical) view of political economy is therefore a condition for identifying the relationship between different theoretical frameworks addressing the economic domain. The relationship between ends and means is central to the conceptual structuring of that domain and is at the root of the cleavages and overlaps that characterize the dynamics of economic theory. This essay highlights the central role of interdependencies in the construction of economic theory and highlights their importance both for identifying the internal structure of constraints in the economy and for assessing the relative weights of partial interests that are at the origin of collective actions. The essay also highlights the intertwining of material and social interdependencies in the dynamics of economic theory, and discusses the relationship between partial interests and forms of systemic interest. The latter relationship highlights the possible coexistence of coalitions and conflicts within the same system of interdependencies and makes such coexistence to depend on the internal, multi-level structure of interdependencies in the polity. This analytical framework is then applied to the assessment of multiple possible visualizations of systemic interest in the Eurozone.


Employment for persons with disabilities in Malaysia is not uncommon. The movement of self-advocacy has impacted as one of the key focus for persons with learning disabilities to advocate their rights for employment. But, on the other hand, the voices of employers often remain unheard. This study focuses on understanding the experiences of employers and hearing their voices when persons with learning disabilities are employed in their workforce. Through a purposive sampling method, in-depth interviews were conducted with six employers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in which they described their learning experiences. Information gathered has provided a greater understanding and appreciation of the magnitude of impact of employing a person with disabilities upon the entire employment system in Malaysia. The essential themes found can shed light on the issues of employment for persons with learning disabilities. These factors are deemed to be influential in the development and efficacy of the learning opportunities that can be created as intervention support for an inclusive setting in any community development, particularly in support of the government effort to promote the "1 Malaysia�? concept.


Lately, practitioners have increasingly come across different forms of disorders of the temporomandibular joint. The book entitled "Temporomandibular Joint and Airway Disorders" addresses the temporomandibular joint and airway disorders from a translational perspective. The book contains 12 chapters and an index, and is divided into two parts. Part I, Translational Research, presents detailed data on the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the trigeminal network system. And then we become acquainted with neuroimmune and systemic manifestations of neuroinflammation and molecular mechanism of temporomandibular joint disorders. Part II, Translational Effectiveness, presents the head and neck manifestations, trigeminal nerve inflammation and the possibilities of biomechanical dental treatments. After deciphering the relationship between TMJ, orofacial pain and sleep apnea, the immunologic and physiologic effects of the various dental sleep appliance therapy are discussed. The correlation of facial balance, TMD and airway for all ages from orthodontic / orthopedic perspective is presented and convincingly illustrated via a series of cases from orthodontic / orthopedic perspective. Information on the anatomical structures and the local pathology at the level of the temporomandibular articulation within the disorders at this level are exemplified with the help of the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Research centered on the patient-related outcomes is conducted from the perspective of evidence-based medical and dental practice for patients with temporomandibular joint disorders. Finally, future avenues of translational care for patients with temporomandibular disorders are mentioned. The book is a compelling plea for a better understanding of temporomandibular joint and airway disorders; it is a compelling guide for practitioners, residents, interns and students who want to deepen their knowledge in this area of dental practice.


Maintaining long time series of observations of the Cryosphere is a key issue in climate research. Long observational time series involve problems due to change in methodology or observers. In order to extend time series and introduce new methods, careful comparisons must be made to ensure homogeneity in the observational data. We have compared an established method for snow grain-size observations used by the Abisko Scientific Research Station (ASRS) in northern Sweden, based on visual interpretation, with a newly developed method for Digital Snow Particle Properties (DSPP) analysis. Transition from subjective visual method into digital reproducible analysis creates less subjective and more comparable results. The ASRS method generates size classifications excluding quantitative analysis size ranges. By determining the sizes of the classified snow using the DSPP method, actual size ranges for classified snow can be established. By performing a digital analysis of the reference samples and the snow samples classified, we can compare the ASRS classification system to existing official classification systems. The results indicate underestimation of the visual particle size in comparison to the reference samples. Our results show how to quantify the historical data set, which enables us to perform quantitative analysis on the historical data set.


The paper aims to clarify the tax status of pension schemes in the UK and, by using economic and other arguments, to establish a theoretical benchmark that could be considered the 'appropriate' tax regime for pension saving. We consider existing tax regimes for saving (such as the 'ISA' regime) and theoretical regimes (such as a pure expenditure tax and a comprehensive income tax) and we compare the costs different tax regimes impose on defined contribution pension schemes. We conclude that an expenditure tax is an appropriate benchmark tax regime for pension saving, and that other tax regimes impose additional financial as well as administrative costs.


competition between local and global languages such as Spanish, Russian, French and, above all, English. The various regions of Spain where Catalan is spoken, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania show how their medium-sized languages (a term used to distinguish them as much from minority codes as from more widely-spoken codes) coexist alongside or struggle with their big brothers in multilingual families. This comparative analysis offers unique insight into language contact in present-day Europe.


In Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) window length is a critical tuning parameter that must be assigned by the practitioner. This paper provides a theoretical analysis of signal-noise separation and reconstruction in SSA that can serve as a guide to optimal window choice. We establish numerical bounds on the mean squared reconstruction error and present their almost sure limits under very general regularity conditions on the underlying data generating mechanism. We also provide asymptotic bounds for the mean squared separation error. Evidence obtained using simulation experiments indicates that the theoretical properties are reflected in observed behaviour, even in relatively small samples, and the results indicate how an optimal choice for the window length can be made.


Recent advances in avian transgenesis have led to the possibility of utilizing the laying hen as a production platform for the large-scale synthesis of pharmaceutical proteins. Ovalbumin constitutes more than half of the protein in the white of a laid egg, and expression of the ovalbumin gene is restricted to the tubular gland cells of the oviduct. Here we describe the use of lentiviral vectors to deliver transgene constructs comprising regulatory sequences from the ovalbumin gene designed to direct synthesis of associated therapeutic proteins to the oviduct. We report the generation of transgenic hens that synthesize functional recombinant pharmaceutical protein in a tightly regulated tissue-specific manner, without any evidence of transgene silencing after germ-line transmission.


The LT1776 is a wide input range, high efficiency Buck (step-down) switching regulator. The monolithic die includes all oscillator, control and protection circuitry. The part can accept input voltages as high as 60V and contains an output switch rated at 700mA peak current. Current mode control delivers excellent dynamic input supply rejection and short-circuit protection. The LT1776 contains several features to enhance efficiency. The internal control circuitry is normally powered via the VCC pin, thereby minimizing power drawn directly from the VIN supply (see Applications Information). The action of the LT1776 switch circuitry is also load dependent. At medium to high loads, the output switch circuitry maintains fast rise time for good efficiency. At light loads, rise time is deliberately reduced to avoid pulse skipping behavior. The available SO-8 package and 200kHz switching frequency allow for minimal PC board area requirements.


The World Bank is committed to support Sub-Saharan Africa in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This Agenda for Action (AFA) is a road map for the next five years to guide Bank management and staff in fulfilling that commitment. It underscores the lessons learned and outlines a line of action. HIV/AIDS remains and will remain for the foreseeable future an enormous economic, social, and human challenge to Sub-Saharan Africa. This region is the global epicenter of the disease. About 22.5 million Africans are HIV positive, and AIDS is the leading cause of premature death on the continent. HIV/AIDS affects young people and women disproportionately. Some 61 percent of those who are HIV positive are women, and young women are three times more likely to be HIV positive than are young men. As a result of the epidemic, an estimated 11.4 million children under age 18 have lost at least one parent. Its impact on households, human capital, the private sector, and the public sector undermines the alleviation of poverty, the Bank's overarching mandate. In sum, HIV/AIDS threatens the development goals in the region unlike anywhere else in the world.


With the rapid growth of on-line news media, guarding against malicious news articles is becoming an essential requirement for on-line news service providers. Near duplicate articles are one of the most common types of malicious news articles. However, previous research has concentrated on how to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of finding near-duplicate article pairs or clusters, and not so much on the problem of deciding which of the duplicates should be deleted or retained for service. This is important problem for news services providers. Previous techniques on representative selection can be used on normal articles but show many disadvantages when dealing with news articles. In this paper, we propose a novel heterogeneous graph based representative news article selection algorithm named HGRS for finding the most valuable news from a given near-duplicate news articles. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated on real-world dataset and the experimental results show HGRS can select the representative news article effectively.


Abstract To clarify the indoor climate in Japanese college classrooms, an air-conditioned, mechanically ventilated classroom of a university was surveyed. Temperatures, humidity and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in winter and summer were measured before, during and after lessons. The airtightness of the room and the airflow rate of the ventilation system were also measured. In winter, at an outdoor air temperature around 0 °C and with the thermostat temperature of the air conditioners set to 30 °C, the vertical difference in room air temperature exceeded 10 °C. The relative humidity (RH) was about 30% during lesson hours. After half an hour of occupancy, the CO2 concentration exceeded 1500 ppm in the respiration zone. It subsequently reached 2500 ppm, as measured within the respiration zone at half room height, after a continued 1.5 hours of occupancy. No special thermal or humidity problems were found in the summer survey. However, the CO2 level was very close to that of winter. The CO2 concentration decays indicated that the air change rate was 0.82 to 0.87 ac/h, which satisfied the Japanese criterion of 0.3 ac/h for the prevention of formaldehyde, yet it was far below the national criterion of 4.4 ac/h for college classrooms.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate polymorphisms of the VEGF gene in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), their relationship to clinical features and the radiographic progression of joint disease.

METHODS
One hundred and forty patients with RA and 149 healthy unrelated controls were recruited. We examined four polymorphisms of the VEGF gene which are reported to be associated with production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism assay and amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) PCR. Haplotypes were predicted by Bayesian algorithm using the Phase program.

RESULTS
All four polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both patients and controls. The frequency of the 936 T allele, which has been associated with lower production of VEGF, was significantly increased in RA patients compared with controls (22.7 vs 13.4%, P = 0.002). The frequencies of two haplotypes (CGCT and AAGT) which were predicted using the Phase program were significantly increased in RA patients compared with controls [33 vs 14%, odds ratio (OR) 2.636, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-5.04 for CGCT; 17 vs 6%, OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.20-7.92 for AAGT]. The carriers of the susceptible haplotypes in RA patients had a younger age at disease onset but did not show a difference in the progression rate of radiographic joint destruction.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the VEGF gene may play a role in the development of RA


Zinc (Zn) nanoparticles were fabricated by the high-vacuum thermal evapouration technique. The vacuum pressure was modified from 10−6 to 15 Torr and the substrate temperature was increased from room temperature to 100C in order to evaluate the changes in the morphological and structural characteristics of the Zn nanoparticles. Well-faceted hexagonal disk shaped nanoparticles were formed at a vacuum pressure of 10−6 Torr with the substrate kept at room temperature. Aggregation and surface irregularities at the edges of the hexagonal nanodisks were observed with further increases in the vacuum pressure. The nanoscale characteristics of the nanodisks were lost at a vacuum pressure of 10−6 Torr and heating the substrate at 100C. The nanodisks were transformed into Zn wires at a vacuum pressure of 15 Torr with a substrate temperature of 100C. It is suggested that the initial stages of the growth of the Zn wires are governed by the agglomeration of the Zn nanodisks since the structure of the wires was observed to be composed by stacked nanodisks.


Selecting active managers has been a topic of keen debate for years. Many investors have decided to throw in the towel and allocate only to passive mandates. Yet, alpha is available, although it remains a scarce resource. The key to active manager selection is not only to identify good managers but also to know when to terminate managers and when to deselect them. This article explores the ways to identify good managers and avoid bad managers and provides some guidance as to when to terminate those active relationships. TOPICS: Manager selection, mutual fund performance, equity portfolio management Key Findings • Many active managers are actually hidden index trackers, hugging benchmarks and providing little active alpha generation. • Crowding and momentum are linked and indicate a lack of active manager skill. • Active managers tend to flock together with respect to fees rather than justifying their costs based on sustained alpha generation. • Frequent hiring and firing of active managers by asset owners may result in reduced returns to the portfolio.


This is an easily read, practical book written by highly regarded and experienced practicing neurologists. It is primarily for medical students, but it has much information in it for general practitioners, internists, and psychiatrists. Actually, an established neurologist profits from some of the keen observations recorded and opinions expressed. Each of the 19 chapters is concise and lucidly discusses major subjects and conditions with but passing mention of the rare or esoteric. Inter-


SiO$_{2}$ supported core@shell nanoparticles (CSNs) have recently attracted great attention due to their unique, tunable, optical, photocatalytic, and higher adsorption properties. In this study, SiO$_{2}$@CeO$_{2}$~CSNs were synthesized using a chemical precipitation technique and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. XRD analysis showed that SiO$_{2\, }$particles were the core while CeO$_{2}$ particles were the shell. It was seen as a new band at 961 cm$^{-1}$ of the oxygen bridge between Si and Ce atoms from FT-IR results; SiO$_{2}$ and CSNs were spherical (0.5--0.6 $\mu $m) from SEM and TEM analyses. Different parameters such as contact time, initial concentration, pH, and temperature were investigated. The optimum conditions for temperature, pH, and contact time were 25 $^{\circ}$C, 8.0, and 60 min, respectively. In addition, the equilibrium adsorption data were interpreted using Langmuir and Freundlich models to describe the uptake of Hg(II). The Freundlich isotherm model (R$^{2}$: 0.99) fit better than Langmuir and the $q_{max} $value was 153.8 $\mu $g g$^{-1}$ at various concentrations (0.1--1 mg L$^{-1})$. The thermodynamic parameters were also calculated and, from these results, it can be shown that our synthesized particles can be used in water purification systems to remove Hg(II).


This article examines a number of key issues around successful school leadership and leader development. Three metaphors are used to frame, track and analyse recent research and commentary in the area – these are clones, drones and dragons. Although development mechanisms rarely fall neatly within one category, the metaphors provide a useful way to examine some of the ongoing uncertainties around leader development. Clones duplicate what others think they know about successful leadership. Drones carry cloned knowledge and are controlled 'from afar' by centralised authorities or other 'outsiders'. Dragons take organic forms which can mutate in terms of shape, colour and form in line with more localised needs. As such, they aim to nurture leaders who lead change successfully within their communities with reference to but not dictated by standardised knowledge. Issues flowing from interactions between these categories form a set of questions or tensions faced by systems and leaders themselves.


SOIL COMPOSITION DIFFERENCES AMONG VARYING LAND-USE HABITATS ON OMETEPE ISLAND, NICARAGUA Agricultural practices have become more aggressive to increase total yield to meet the demaqds of growing countries. Central American tropical soils have already been considerably altered through different land use practices. However, detailed analyses of its effects on soil composition have not been vastly compared at different elevations. This study examines soil composition among varying land uses on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua, the largest freshwater island in the world. Soil samples were collected and compared throughout three land variables characterized by different land uses. A systematic-point sampling scheme was used within secondary forests, cultivated plantations, and recently burned plantations at the approximate elevations of 50 and 250 meters above sea level. Thirty samples were taken from six plots, each a 20 square meter area. All180 samples were analyzed for percent gravel, percent organic matter, and quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Each variable was compared through an analysis of variance across habitats, elevation, and separate land plots. In general, the higher elevation plots had more organic matter, nitrogen, and potassium than the lower elevation plots, supporting the hypothesis that the lower elevation land was farmed more aggressively. The burned plantations had more organic matter and potassium, and the cultivated plantations had more nitrogen and phosphorus. The low elevation forest had the greatest amount of gravel, the high elevation cultivated plantation had the greatest amount of nitrogen, and the high elevation burned plantation had the greatest amount of potassium.


The Nursing Home Reform Act, OBRA '87, mandated that the protocol used to assess nursing facility compliance with care standards be "developed, tested, and validated by not later than January 1, 1990," the date on which the federal government was required to implement the new assessment protocols and procedures. The requirement wrote into law one of the three key recommendations of the landmark study, "Improving the Quality of Care In Nursing Homes," published by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1986.This article, beginning in the 1970s, reviews decades of studies of the validity and accuracy of nursing home regulation. Using primarily studies and reports prepared by, or at the behest of, the federal government, this article demonstrates that every study of the federal government's nursing home assessment system has concluded that nursing home quality assessment is inconsistent, inaccurate, and unreliable. Yet, government regulators, industry officials, resident advocates, courts, and public policy researchers persist in relying on survey data — and encourage others to do so as well — to pursue enforcement actions, to draw conclusions about the relative and absolute quality of nursing facilities, to make conclusions about the state of nursing facility care generally, and to recommend public health policy initiatives regarding nursing facility care delivery.A series of jurisdictional, procedural, economic, and practical barriers insulate the survey protocol from meaningful challenge and judicial oversight; OBRA '87's commands to test and validate the survey protocol and to measure and reduce inconsistency are thereby rendered largely meaningless. The inability to challenge the validity and accuracy of the survey protocol also means that government regulators are largely unaccountable for failing to correct survey systems flaws.There is little incentive for regulators to assure that surveys produce valid, reliable, consistent, and accurate findings of both compliance and noncompliance. To the contrary, by continually focusing on under-citation, regulators advance the politically and professionally desirable goals of enhancing their image and that of the enforcement agencies as tough on noncompliance and committed to ferreting out problems. Thus, declines in deficiency rates and severity are dismissed — based on speculation and without empirical evidence — as attributable to unknown factors and not indicative of care improvements.Relying on deeply flawed data — and encouraging others to do so — without acknowledging the flaws is a betrayal of the public trust. Most importantly, it deceives those whose health, safety, and welfare depends upon the credibility and effectiveness of the nursing facility survey process. It also sends a message to the regulated, and to the first level regulators, that the survey process is "effective," whether or not it is accurate, because it serves the political interests of regulators and others who rely on the data despite knowledge that the survey is not an accurate or consistent performance measurement tool. Finally, after almost thirty years, it has institutionalized a survey system that is arbitrary, inconsistent, ineffective, and does not promote quality.


The study of bacteriophage lambda has provided key insights into fundamental biological processes. This review recalls some highlights in the history of lambda research, and relates how simple (but elegant) experiments yielded major scientific breakthroughs. What we know about recombination, gene regulation, and protein folding, for example, derives in large part from bacteriophage lambda genetics. Lambda not only represents a model system of scientific logic in a technology-driven age, but continues to reveal new principles of molecular biology.


BACKGROUND
Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory disease characterized by progressive corneal steepening, which leads to decreased visual acuity secondary to high irregular astigmatism.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the one-year outcomes of accelerated vs. standard collagen crosslinking (CXL) in the treatment of keratoconus.

METHODS
A database search of patients who underwent CXL from 2009 to 2017 was conducted at the cornea clinic at Sheba Medical Center. Charts of 99 adult patients (124 eyes) were reviewed. All patients were diagnosed with keratoconus. Main outcome measures were change in keratometry, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA.

RESULTS
We evaluated outcomes in two groups: CXL with standard (3 mW/cm2 for 30 minutes) vs. the accelerated (9 mW/cm2 for 10 minutes) protocol. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to BCVA, UCVA, and mean spherical equivalent (P =0.83, 0.0519, 0.181, respectively). The corneal thickness in the center and thinnest location were higher in the accelerated group than the in the standard group (P = 0.126). Complication rates did not differ between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Accelerated and standard CXL are both safe and effective techniques. Accelerated CXL confers the added benefit of being a faster procedure to both patients and surgeons.


Query processing and optimization of distributed database are the key factors to affect the performance,service efficiency and reliability of system. On the basis of the study of some common optimization algorithm of distributed query, query optimization algorithm based on multi-relation semi join is put forward to apply to this situation that takes buffer zone of distributed database system as the final assembly station of intermediate result of query. The experiment proves that query optimization algorithm based on multi-relation semi join obviously reduces the data volume of intermediate result and effectively decreases the overall cost of network communications. Comparing with common multi-relation semi join algorithm, the optimization benefit of the algorithm in this article is higher.


The UNESCO Chair in Developmental Biology started in 1998, at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. This Chair was a Brazilian-French initiative led by Professor Vivaldo Moura Neto and Professor Nicole Le Douarin, one of the most inspiring Developmental Biologists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The UNESCO Chair wanted to stimulate interest in the Developmental Biology of Brazilian students and scientists by organizing annual international courses at an advanced level in Evolution and Developmental Biology. At the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, the UNESCO Chair established an international laboratory for the permanent training of researchers and the development of research programs in Developmental Biology and related areas. Moreover, the program aimed at establishing an international network connecting Brazilian Universities and research centers in Latin America and Europe. The advanced hands-on courses, symposiums, and workshops promoted by this Chair inspired the careers of many young scientists. They generated new research lines of research in Developmental Biology using a variety of animal models. This review does not intend to bring up all the historical events that marked the beginning of Developmental Biology in Brazil. Instead, it will be dedicated to highlighting one specific initiative that inspired a new generation of Developmental Biologists who established important research lines and contributed to the advance of this scientific field in Brazil.


Umande Trust and GOAL Ireland are partnering in an urban sanitation project in informal settlements
within Nairobi. One of the components of the project is the development of communityowned
sanitation
enterprises. Through these enterprises, the project seeks to achieve the following: link sanitation services
with child protection and community health services; reduce costs to access sanitation services without
interrupting the livelihoods of local small scale service providers; and partially recover capital costs in
order to reinvest into further environmental health interventions. This paper documents strategies to
achieve these objectives as developed in collaboration with CBO partners, and suggests how sanitation
service provision through CBOs can compliment and support the initiatives of private small scale
service
providers.