The number of cases of chronic kidney disease is growing rapidly, especially in the developing world. At a certain level of renal function, progression of chronic kidney disease to endstage renal disease (ESRD) is inevitable. ESRD has become a major health problem because it is a devastating medical condition, and the cost of treatment is a huge economic burden. This article presents data collected from 13 nephrology centers in response to specifically designed questionnaires. These centers were divided into 7 groups on the basis of geographic location. Previous data had given the impression that the incidence and prevalence of ESRD had increased, and the results of this study support these previous data. Since a national registry of ESRD has just been developed for Indonesia and we can present only limited data in this study, the numbers in this article underestimate the true incidence and prevalence rates. Although hemodialysis facilities have been developed rapidly, further development is still required. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis as an alternative renal replacement therapy (RRT) is only now being introduced. Kidney transplantation programs expand very slowly. RRT still imposes a high cost of treatment for ESRD; therefore, these treatments are unaffordable for most patients. Recently, government health insurance has covered financially strained families requiring RRT. Since the cost of RRT for ESRD has significantly increased over time, the management approach should be shifted from treatment to prevention.


Filamentous viruses are long helical structures, and have a natural tendency to form fibres, but neither the viruses nor their constituent proteins can usually be crystallized. Even if crystals of the proteins can be grown, the molecular interactions rarely correspond to the biologically significant interactions in the filaments. Conventional macromolecular crystallography is therefore of little use in studying these structures. Fibre diffraction, however, has been an effective technique for visualizing the molecular structures of a number of filamentous viruses. Methods in fibre diffraction have been developed to the point where, in favourable cases, structures comparable in detail and reliability to crystallographic structures can be obtained. Structures at around 3 A resolution have been determined for four tobamoviruses (plant viruses) and two filamentous bacteriophages, and these structures, together with a number of structures at lower resolution, have illuminated many aspects of viral assembly, host interactions and technological applications.


OBJECTIVE
To obtain an ideal cell block wherein the maximal number of cells are displayed within the smallest area on the block surface.

STUDY DESIGN
Cyto-Rich Red (AutoCyte, Inc., Elon College, North Carolina, U.S.A.) is added to fresh cellular sediment in a centrifuge tube at a ratio of 1:1. After two minutes, three to four drops of plasma and topical thrombin (5,000 U/10 mL) is added. The tube is then gently agitated for two minutes, until a gelatinous clot is obtained. The clot is then slid onto a lens tissue on top of paper towels. The lens tissue is folded once over the clot. By gently squeezing the excess fluid from it through the lens tissue into the paper towels, the clot is transformed into a flat, compact, densely cellular aggregate, which is painted with mercurochrome prior to fixation in formaldehyde.

RESULTS
From each of the 495 cases, including 250 body cavity fluids, 170 fine needle aspirates and 75 endometrial brush biopsies, processed with the above protocol, there was a compact cell block containing packed cells or tissue fragments in a clean background devoid of red blood cells.

CONCLUSION
The compact cell block is about 10-20% the size of a conventional cell block, yet more cells are on display, thus reducing the need for deeper cuts and screening time while increasing the efficiency of cytodiagnosis. The compact cell block technique is particularly helpful for endometrial brush biopsies.


A community live action game over Bluetooth, namely Blue Danger, is proposed in this paper. The market penetration of Bluetooth provides an excellent media for such game in which a large number of players is required. Bluetooth has a relatively short transmission range that allows a dynamic mobile adhoc network environment to be created which is ideal for the action game proposed. In addition, reliability of Bluetooth as well as its detection and tracking have been examined during the development of the game. A prototype game framework has been built and tested.


Complementarity problems are often used to compute equilibria made up of specifically coordinated solutions of different optimization problems. Specific examples are game-theoretic settings like the bimatrix game or energy market models like for electricity or natural gas. While optimization under uncertainties is rather well-developed, the field of equilibrium models represented by complementarity problems under uncertainty – especially using the concepts of robust optimization – is still in its infancy. In this paper, we extend the theory of strictly robust linear complementarity problems (LCPs) to Γ-robust settings, where existence of worst-case-hedged equilibria cannot be guaranteed. Thus, we study the minimization of the worst-case gap function of Γ-robust counterparts of LCPs. For box and -norm uncertainty sets we derive tractable convex counterparts for monotone LCPs and study their feasibility as well as the existence and uniqueness of solutions. To this end, we consider uncertainties in the vector and in the matrix defining the LCP. We additionally study so-called ρ-robust solutions, i.e. solutions of relaxed uncertain LCPs. Finally, we illustrate the Γ-robust concept applied to LCPs in the light of the above mentioned classical examples of bimatrix games and market equilibrium modelling.


Introduction: In Myanmar, malaria problem has become more critical with the development of multi-drug resistance in P. falciparum. This development made the governments to focus their attention for building up vector control program based upon selective spraying, personal protection method, including Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) that can be carried out by the communities Objectives: The present study is aimed to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of community on ITN in Myanmar. Research Methdology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was done in 16 villages. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used with face to face interview to 256 randomly selected households. Only one adult person was interviewed per household. Results: The study results showed that more than three-fifth (62.1%) of the study population had low knowledge level on malaria and ITNs uses and some misconceptions regarding the mode of transmission of malaria. About two-thirds of the study respondents had low attitude score on malaria prevention and use of ITNs. There is significant association between knowledge and attitude level of respondents and their educational status. Conclusion: This study show that there is a need for increasing availability of information on ITN and ITN tablets to prevent malaria transmission in the study township.


We examined how channel system order and complexity influence fish community com- position, abundance, and diet, by comparing first- through fourth-order channel systems at China Camp Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, USA. We sampled 6 channel systems (with replicates of the second- and fourth-order systems) bimonthly from July 2001 to May 2002 using modified fyke nets. We examined the diet of the 3 most common species that occurred consistently over time (seasonally): Atherinops affinis, Menidia beryllina, and Leptocottus armatus. Low-order (first- and second-order) systems supported higher densities of Gambusia affinis and Lucania parva. High-order (third- and fourth-order) systems supported greater species richness and densities of juveniles, including Clupea pallasi, than low-order systems. Prey taxa richness was greater for M. beryllina and lower for L. armatus in the first-order system. There was a positive correlation between high-order channel systems and mean stomach fullness scores for L. armatus, and M. beryllina had greater short-term consumption rates in high-order channel systems. Habitat heterogeneity, and specifically the presence of both low- and high-order channel systems, is necessary to accommodate early life stages, species-specific dietary requirements, and enhanced species richness of fishes at China Camp Marsh. Based on our results, we recommend that the processes and landscape scales that promote channel formation be considered in future salt marsh restoration projects.


Field evidence is presented showing that egg production rate and hatching success in the copepod Calanus sinicus were greatly modified during a major late-winter diatom blooms in the Jiaozhou Bay (Yellow Sea). The diatom species composition in this period had shifted to a dominance of Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira sp, and comprised about 65% of phytoplankton population among all six sampling stations. Calanus sinicus were examined to determine the effects of the diatom bloom on reproduction and recruitment. The results of egg production rate and hatching success were significantly decreased with the increase of chlorophyll a concentration, indicating that diatom bloom induced negative effect on the copepods population recruitment.


This paper critically examines the widespread perception of Ukraine as a multiethnic country with clear boundaries between ethnic groups. It demonstrates that despite the Soviet legacy of rather strong institutionalization and discursive presentation of nationality, the post-Soviet state discontinued or downplayed most of the institutional mechanisms for the reproduction of ethnic distinctiveness and virtually abandoned the use of ethnic categories in official discourse. While several smaller minorities retained some institutional backing and discursive presence, the once very large group of ethnic Russians ceased to be publicly presented and popularly perceived as clearly distinct from the bulk of Ukrainians. At the same time, Ukrainian citizens differ greatly in their ethnocultural practices and ethnolinguistic identifications, hence Ukraine certainly remains ethnoculturally diverse, and this seems to be a more appropriate designation than "multiethnic."


CONTEXT
Maternal and paternal ages are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between advancing paternal age at birth of offspring and their risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

DESIGN
Historical population-based cohort study.

SETTING
Identification of ASD cases from the Israeli draft board medical registry.

PARTICIPANTS
We conducted a study of Jewish persons born in Israel during 6 consecutive years. Virtually all men and about three quarters of women in this cohort underwent draft board assessment at age 17 years. Paternal age at birth was obtained for most of the cohort; maternal age was obtained for a smaller subset. We used the smaller subset (n = 132 271) with data on both paternal and maternal age for the primary analysis and the larger subset (n = 318 506) with data on paternal but not maternal age for sensitivity analyses.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Information on persons coded as having International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision ASD was obtained from the registry. The registry identified 110 cases of ASD (incidence, 8.3 cases per 10 000 persons), mainly autism, in the smaller subset with complete parental age data.

RESULTS
There was a significant monotonic association between advancing paternal age and risk of ASD. Offspring of men 40 years or older were 5.75 times (95% confidence interval, 2.65-12.46; P<.001) more likely to have ASD compared with offspring of men younger than 30 years, after controlling for year of birth, socioeconomic status, and maternal age. Advancing maternal age showed no association with ASD after adjusting for paternal age. Sensitivity analyses indicated that these findings were not the result of bias due to missing data on maternal age.

CONCLUSIONS
Advanced paternal age was associated with increased risk of ASD. Possible biological mechanisms include de novo mutations associated with advancing age or alterations in genetic imprinting.


The article provides a systematic analysis of the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the theory of hybrid warfare, identifies the factors of psycho-emotional impact on citizens and society of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The author has formed a hypothesis of the specific influence of the psychoemotional factor in the context of a hybrid war on the example of the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale, country, society, person; the key directions for preparing the Russian control system for "viral" crises ("second wave", pandemic, biological warfare, etc.) are highlighted. The critical importance of the integrity of approaches to a person in medicine, an interdisciplinary approach not only to diagnosis, but also to treatment, rehabilitation, accompanying patients and their families — these are new social values


PURPOSE
To describe a case of intravitreal silicone oil (SO) migration into the cerebral ventricles with secondary chronic headaches.

METHODS
Retrospective case report. Chart review. Single patient.

RESULTS
A 51-year-old man with a history of proliferative diabetic retinopathy underwent surgery for traction retinal detachment using SO. Postoperatively, he developed elevated intraocular pressure, headaches, and a blind painful eye, which was enucleated. Neuroimaging revealed SO within the cerebral ventricles. Five years after the initial retinal detachment surgery, the patient developed chronic headaches. Lumbar puncture revealed an elevated opening pressure. The headaches were initially managed medically. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed after the headaches persisted, which resulted in their complete resolution at 6 weeks after shunt placement.

CONCLUSION
Ocular hypertension after intravitreal SO placement may play a role in SO intracranial migration. In the case presented, intraventricular SO was the apparent cause of elevated intracranial pressure and headaches. As all published cases of intraventricular SO migration reporting intraocular pressure to this point have described ocular hypertension, careful monitoring of intraocular pressure and aggressive control of ocular hypertension in the presence of intravitreal SO is recommended.


Previous studies addressing functional aspects of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation in normal and transformed keratinocytes revealed complex and seemingly contradictory roles of this transcription factor in this cell type. In normal skin, NF-κB signaling seems to inhibit squamous cell carcinoma development whereas, in squamous cell carcinoma themselves, deregulated NF-κB expression and/or signaling is frequently observed. To further investigate this paradox, we focused on NF-κB activation as it relates to the transformed phenotype of immortalized but nontumorigenic human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). We observed that NF-κB activity contributed to survival and growth of cultured HaCaT keratinocytes as shown by use of pharmacologic NF-κB inhibitors, RNA interference, and inducible overexpression of a dominant interfering IκB construct. NF-κB activation was largely provided through interaction with extracellular matrix components because preventing cell attachment by forced suspension culture markedly reduced NFκB signaling associated with cell death (anoikis); conversely, anoikis was partially reversed by NF-κB activation induced either by tumor necrosis factor-α treatment or by overexpressing the NF-κB p65 subunit in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, overexpression of NF-κBp65 in HaCaT cells induced colony formation in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice. In summary, as opposed to normal keratinocytes, immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes provide a cellular context in which deregulated NF-κB signaling supports multiple malignant traits in vitro and in vivo . (Cancer Res 2006; 66(10): 5209-15)


Freshwater nematomorphs, or gordiids, are parasitic as larvae, but free-living in aquatic environments as adults. Studies based on the collection of adults have reported gordiids to be widespread, but discontinuous in distribution. However, a relatively short adult life span and unknown life history make the detection of adults difficult. An alternative approach to investigate gordiid distribution is to use cysts. Of all paratenic hosts, snails were chosen because they lacked internal defense reactions to the cysts and become easily infected. Here, it is reported that the occurrence of gordiids on the basis of the cyst stage is much more common than previously reported, thus altering the perception of how common these worms are. Using this modified survey procedure, gordiid cysts were found at 70% of sites examined, in an area where extensive sampling over 3 yr yielded adults only at a single site. Of 1,000 snails dissected, 395 were infected with gordiids (intensity range: 1–465). Furthermore, different types of human-modified landscapes did not affect gordiid distribution, suggesting that as urban and suburban areas sprawl, human encounters or pseudoparasitism with nematomorphs may increase. The results of this study indicate that use of organismal-specific sampling techniques can be critical in studies of parasite distribution and biodiversity.


When Ecuador raised its monthly Unified Minimum Wage from $170 to $200 in 2008, it affected 35 percent of all private sector workers. We use this unexpected minimum wage hike under former president Rafael Correa to assess the labor market impacts of the minimum wage. We use an administrative dataset that covers all formal sector workers by month. Adopting a differences-in-differences approach at the firm level, we find that the minimum wage hike led to a decrease in labor demand in affected firms by 0.5 percent after one month and by 2.5 percent after four months. The decrease in labor demand resulted from both an increase in job separations and a slowdown in hiring. At the worker level, we find that the minimum wage hike led to a 2.2 percentage point decline in the probability of remaining employed after one month, and the treatment effect rose to 3.9 percentage points after four months. Last, we estimate the effects of the minimum wage hike on wage changes by wage bin throughout the monthly wage distribution. We find that, after one month, wages increased by 17 to 37 percent for workers who were being paid less than $200 and also uncover wage spillover effects up to the 77th percentile of the wage distribution.


A high density of termite mounds is common in the Maki-Batu area of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. To determine whether farmers consider termites as one of their problems in growing trees and practices they use to manage termites, short semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to farmers selected randomly. To evaluate the efficacy of some non-chemical control methods, Eucalyptus camaldulensis seedlings of five months were transplanted from nursery beds at two experimental sites. The seedlings were planted in three blocks each containing 6 treatments with 3 replicates laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments were: wood ash, cow dung, maize stalk, wood ash + cow dung + maize stalk, Untreated/control and Diazinon 60% EC applied at 2 l/ha as spray on the soil surface and a soil pit drench as a standard check. Plant mortality assessment was recorded once every month for one year. Mortality data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SAS at 5% probability level. To find out the impact of termites on tree seedlings after transplanting in the area, mortality assessment was conducted at five sites on 11 species of tree seedlings transplanted from nursery beds. Termite damage on the seedlings was recorded once every month. After 12 months, seedlings of each plant species damaged during each month were summed and results were computed as percentages. To assess farmers' perceptions of termites as pests, unstructured questionnaires were distributed to 64 farmers randomly selected. Eucalyptus seedling mortality was very low and there was no significant difference among the treatments (P > 0.05) except at one site in which wood ash + manure + maize stover showed higher mortality. Seventy-eight percent of the farmers mentioned that they had planted tree seedlings for different purposes and 72% of them considered termites as the major cause of seedling mortality. Although, higher density of Macroterems termite mounds were found in the area and most farmers considered termites as one of the major constraints in growing tree seedlings, this study showed very low termite damage to the tree seedlings studied for one year after transplanting.

 Key words: Eucalyptus, farmer, Maki-Batu, mortality, pest.


Brazil is one of the world's leading ethanol, sugar and sugarcane producer. Sugarcane is produced by farmers (40%) and ethanol plants (60%). Sugarcane production is limited to a certain radius of the mill to minimize transportation costs and avoid sugarcane quality losses. The distance and harvest timeline limitations aligned with the desire to guarantee sugarcane supply or to create barrier of entry to competing firms make vertical integration, a common practice for mills in Brazil. This study estimates the impact of upstream vertical integration on output-oriented technical efficiency using an output-oriented DEA analysis and a tobit censured model. Inputs considered in the model are the amount of crushed sugarcane and the land used, while the quantities of ethanol and sugar produced are the outputs. The sample consists of 154 mills located in the Center-South area of Brazil. The tobit censured model controlled for the percentage of crushed sugarcane produced on lands owned or rented by mills, the type of mill (i.e. mixed mill or one that produces only sugar or only ethanol), if the mill was in the of Sao Paulo, if it was in the Center-West region and its daily sugarcane crushing capacity. An increase in the percentage of the vertical integration decreases output-oriented technical efficiency by 0.0001 at a 10% level of statistical significance. The continued existence of vertical integration, aligned with the results from this study, implies that mills are adopting this strategy for reasons other than gains in efficiency. Mills may be willing to forgo marginal gains in efficiency, from procuring sugarcane from independent producers, to avoid transaction costs. The Brazilian government may be able to reduce vertical integration by subsidizing sugarcane producers, applying contract enforcement measures and, providing farmers with adequate infrastructure (e.g. paved roads). These measures could increase the number of sugarcane suppliers and eliminate barriers to entry created by mills.


This paper presents two types of dissolved air flotation application together with biosorption (the 'Captivator ® system') as primary treatments. In the first instance, the Captivator ® system is the sole primary treatment for a new plant installation and helps to gain 65% more biogas while requiring only 44% of aeration for COD oxidation, compared to a conventional process with a primary clarifier. In the second application, the Captivator ® system is used to enhance the existing primary treatment for plant capacity expansion. With digested anaerobic sludge recycled as an additional adsorbent, the Captivator ® system in the second application increases the biogas yield by 52% and only generates 59% excess sludge. Overall, the Captivator ® system would help WWTPs to approach energy neutrality by diverting more organics for biogas production and reducing the energy requirements for aeration. In addition, it would help to reduce the installation footprint for primary treatment and save considerable capital cost by eliminating the sludge thickening process.


Since the first demonstration of high-resolution mapping of surface currents by airborne along-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar (along-track InSAR) in the late 1980s, theoretical models of the along-track InSAR imaging mechanism and recommendations for ideal instrument parameters, measuring strategies, and data processing and interpretation techniques have been discussed in a number of publications. However, due to the experimental nature of existing instruments and algorithms and a very limited reference database from actual experiments, potential users have not recognized the along-track InSAR as a readily available tool for current measurements until now. In order to promote the use of InSAR and to validate and demonstrate current measurements on the basis of instrument parameters and data processing techniques proposed earlier, the authors have carried out experiments with an airborne X-band along-track InSAR over spatially varying current fields at two test sites in the German Bight of the North Sea. In this paper, an overview of the experimental scenarios and the acquired data is given, and the newly implemented algorithms for the retrieval of two-dimensional (2-D) surface current fields from the InSAR raw data are described. Using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data and predictions of a numerical circulation model as reference, a root mean square (rms) error of spatial variations in the InSAR-derived current fields on the order of 0.1 m/s at an effective resolution of about 100 m is obtained, which is consistent with theoretical expectations. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed iterative correction scheme for nonlinearities of the InSAR imaging mechanism on the basis of numerical simulations works well and leads to a significant improvement. Altogether, it is concluded that the proposed technique for current measurements by along-track InSAR is efficient, robust, and sufficiently mature for applications that require high-resolution snapshots of surface current fields within areas of some square kilometers, such as the monitoring of bathymetric changes in coastal waters.


BACKGROUND
Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is the recommended psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people. Access to CBT may be limited by a number of factors, including lack of trained therapists, and geographic or financial factors preventing access to a specialized service. Telephone delivery of CBT represents one way of overcoming some of these accessibility issues. This pilot study describes outcomes for a telephone-based cognitive-behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people.

METHOD
Ten participants, aged 13 to 17 years, and their parents received up to 16 sessions of telephone CBT (TCBT). Measures of OCD symptoms were obtained using multiple informants and a repeated measures design. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up.

RESULTS
Improvements were found for OCD symptoms across all informants. Family satisfaction with treatment over the telephone was high.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that TCBT is a clinically effective, feasible and acceptable means of service delivery that offers the potential to make CBT a more accessible treatment for young people. TCBT requires further evaluation in randomized, controlled trials to compare effectiveness with face-to-face CBT, which currently represents the usual care model.


A review is given on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of some cephalosporin antibiotics. The use of the pharmacokinetic parameters serum concentration, serum protein binding, serum half life, and apparent volume of distribution as a basis for the selection of the clinically most effective cephalosporin derivative is discussed. It is concluded that these parameters must be used in conjunction with data on tissue distribution to specialized sites, and with information on antibacterial activity and toxicity.


This guide details how to read a case citation and sets out the print and online sources for finding cases.


The capacity of breast cancer cells to form mammospheres in non-adherent serum-free culture is used as a functional characteristic of the self-renewing stem-like cell population. The present studies demonstrate that silencing expression of the MUC1-C oncoprotein inhibits growth of luminal MCF-7 and HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells as mammospheres. We also show that triple-negative MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells are dependent on MUC1-C for growth as mammospheres and tumor xenografts. Similar results were obtained when MUC1-C function was inhibited by expression of a MUC1-C(CQC→AQA) mutant. Moreover, treatment with the MUC1-C inhibitor GO-203, a cell penetrating peptide that binds to the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain and blocks MUC1-C function, confirmed the importance of this target for self-renewal. The mechanistic basis for these findings is supported by the demonstration that MUC1-C activates NF-κB, occupies the IL-8 promoter with NF-κB, and induces IL-8 transcription. MUC1-C also induces NF-κB-dependent expression of the IL-8 receptor, CXCR1. In concert with these results, targeting MUC1-C with GO-203 suppresses IL-8/CXCR1 expression and disrupts the formation of established mammospheres. Our findings indicate that MUC1-C contributes to the self-renewal of breast cancer cells by activating the NF-κB→IL-8/CXCR1 pathway and that targeting MUC1-C represents a potential approach for the treatment of this population.


In this paper we propose a Two-Tier resource management model for the global Internet. Our solution resembles the current two-tier routing hierarchy and allows individual administrative domains to independently make their own decisions on strategies and protocols to use for internal resource management and QoS support. The aggregate traffic crossing domain borders is served according to relatively stable, long-lived bilateral agreements. End-to-end QoS support is achieved through the concatenation of such bilateral agreements. We describe in detail a realization of this Two-Tier model, where a Bandwidth Broker (BB) acts as the resource manager for each administrative domain. Neighboring Bandwidth Brokers communicate with each other to establish Inter-domain resource agreements. As an illustrative example in this paper we used a simplified RSVP as an intradomain resource allocation protocol for the aggregate traffic between border routers. Our simulation results show that this Two-Tier design can provide effective end-to-end QoS support for user applications.


There are complex considerations when planning to disclose an attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS) diagnosis. In this review, we evaluate ethical, legal, and clinical perspectives as well as caveats related to full, non- and partial disclosure strategies, discuss societal implications, and provide clinical suggestions. Each of the disclosure strategies is associated with benefits as well as costs/considerations. Full disclosure promotes autonomy, allows for the clearest psychoeducation about additional risk factors, helps to clarify and/or correct previous diagnoses/treatments, facilitates early intervention and bolsters communication between providers but there are important considerations involving heritability, comorbidity, culture, and stigma. Non-disclosure advances nonmaleficence by limiting stigma and stress (which may inadvertently exacerbate the condition), and confusion (related to the rapidly evolving diagnosis) in a sensitive developmental period but is complicated by varying patient preferences and the possibility that, as new treatments without adverse effects become available, the risk with false positives no longer justifies the accompanying loss of autonomy. Partial disclosure balances ethical considerations by focusing on symptoms instead of labels, but evidence that laypersons may interpret this information as a pseudo-diagnosis and that symptoms alone also contribute to stigma limits the efficacy of this approach. In addition, there are notable societal considerations relating to disclosure involving conservatorship, the reach of insurance companies, and discrimination. We advocate a hybrid approach to disclosure and recommend future research aimed at understanding the effects of stigma on clinical course and a renewed focus on those help-seeking cases that do not transition but remain clinically relevant.


Excessive sleepiness in drivers greatly increases the risk of traffic accidents. A compact, a three-dimensional system for analyzing visual information from a face photogram using an infrared CCD camera was recently designed to monitor drivers. The present study aimed to examine whether temporal changes in autonomic activity as determined by spectral analysis of electrocardiogram heart rate variability (HRV) and blinking duration obtained with this camera system could predict sleep onset in a driving simulation. Ten healthy adults (mean age, 21.8 ± 0.64 yrs) were enrolled in the study. The subjects sat upright in the driver's seat while we performed standard polysomnography (PSG). HRV was assessed through a spectral analysis of RR intervals of the PSG electrocardiogram. Blinking duration was evaluated by an eyelid movement tracking system within the infrared CCD camera. Blinking duration was significantly prolonged during the 10 seconds before sleep onset compared with that during wakefulness (0.64 ± 0.13 vs. 0.34 ± 0.06 sec, p=0.0004). Subsequently, the high-frequency power of HRV was significantly greater at sleep onset (1201 ± 994.6 vs. 906.9 ± 766.2 ms2, p=0.001). We conclude that simultaneous measurement of HRV and blinking duration can be utilized to predict sleep onset in an automobile driving simulation.


ABSTRACT Current comparative analyses of gender attitudes among adolescents largely focus on individual-level characteristics. Understudied is the role of women's protest on adolescents' gender attitudes. This paper investigates how women's protests reported in national news shape young citizens' gender attitudes across 32 countries. Using the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Study survey data (2009), we test whether women's protests have a positive impact on egalitarian gender attitudes among adolescents. Our multi-level models demonstrate that girls are more egalitarian in their gender attitudes than boys. The gap between boys and girls changes depending on the level of gender equality in a country. In countries with lower gender equality, the gender gap increases slightly as the number of women's protests increases, although the difference is not significant. In countries where gender equality is already high, the gender gap is significant at all levels of protest but narrows as protest increases. Our findings expand scholars' understanding of how protest influences public opinion among young people and have important implications for how gender attitude change occurs and whether women's protest serves as a tool for developing gender equality.


A simple lemma is derived that allows to transform a general scalar (non-Gaussian, non-additive) contin uousalphabet channel as well as a general multiple-access chann el into a modulo-additive noise channel. While in general the transformation is information lossy, it allows to leverage linear coding techniques and capacity results derived for network s comprised of additive Gaussian nodes to more general networ ks.


As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more than 30 million people are expected to be newly insured, many of whom will be seeking a source for primary care. At the same time, media reports and some studies are proclaiming a current or imminent shortage of primary care providers. This Synthesis examines the evidence on the primary care workforce including: the supply and distribution of the workforce; the historical and projected demand on the primary care workforce; the effects of payment policies and scope of practice laws on the workforce; and how the primary care workforce is evolving.


In the context of recent decentralization of regional development in Indonesia, the local authorities and communities need to understand by how potential sources for financing regional development effect the economic growth. There is three sources of financing such as government, private investor and local communities. The purpose of this paper is to explain the role of financing resources of the economic sectors in regional economic growth. Using panel data generated from economic sectors among 20 kabupaten/kota (municipalities) in Jawa Barat Province during 1991-2000 I examine the effect in economic growth of different financing sources. The pattern of development financing was varied among regions. The financing concentration was occurred in some regions where have good available infrastructures and characterised with industry-based development. The results from empirical analysis suggest that the impact of both government and private financing on economic growth is significant in industry-based regions. In the period analysis, communities financing through bank loans supported the regional development significantly in both industry-based and agro-based regions. The implication based on this study is that the local authority should encourage the private financing sources to promote local economic growth.


Natural User Interfaces (NUIs) represent one of the most important steps that computer scientists have taken towards shaping a more intuitive, more detached kind of interaction with the technological sphere. NUIs, which refer to mouse-less interfaces, are advancing swiftly and seeking to replace the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) based on windows, icons, menus and a pointer (WIMP). The term natural is related to the way people interact with the physical world, as it is those experiences that the NUIs are trying to mimic. In this work we focused on gesture based interaction which poses a greater interest than for example touch applications since there is a lot of uncharted territory. Gestures fit into the context of daily life fairly well, but they are not discoverable in the way that menu options are which could lead to user confusion or lack of awareness of the features of the tool. One way to address this problem is to attempt to discover gestures that are actually intuitive by examining which gestures users initially try when asked to perform certain tasks. This research project focused on image editing as a task, in an attempt to accommodate the ever expanding community of people generating pictures. Instead of providing the users with a package of previously created editing gestures, we asked people to provide us with a collection of gestures that they could spontaneously and instinctively think of in the context of image editing. Our main goal was to discover whether there were any common gestures that people shared for specific image editing tasks. In many cases users created similar motions, which validated the approach and provided a starting point for building a gesture-based image editor prototype (which could be expanded to many other gesture-based tools).


An important part of electronic dance music (EDM) is the so-called beat. It is defined by the drum track of the piece and is a style defining element. While producing EDM, creating the drum track tends to be delicate, yet labor intensive work. In this work we present a touch-interface-based prototype with the goal to simplify this task. The prototype aims at supporting musicians to create rhythmic patterns in the context of EDM production and live performances. Starting with a seed pattern which is provided by the user, a list of variations with varying degree of deviation from the seed pattern is generated. The interface provides simple ways to enter, edit, visualize and browse through the patterns. Variations are generated by means of an artificial neural network which is trained on a database of drum rhythm patterns extracted from a commercial drum loop library. To evaluate the user interface as well as the quality of the generated patterns a user study with experts in EDM production was conducted. It was found that participants responded positively to the user interface and the quality of the generated patterns. Furthermore, the experts consider the prototype helpful for both studio production situations and live performances.


The Phillips curve embodies the relationship between measures of inflation and economic activity. This correlation has declined over time in New Zealand and other developed economies, a phenomenon commonly known as the flattening of the Phillips curve. This paper provides a framework to think about the potential causes of the waning correlation between inflation and activity in New Zealand. Does this declining correlation imply that prices have become less volatile due to price-setting by firms becoming less sensitive to demand pressures? Has demand become less volatile due to households becoming less responsive to the interest rate? Have the random disturbances influencing aggregate supply and demand changed? We first run computational experiments in a simple model of demand and supply to demonstrate how the declining correlations observed in the data can be generated by two causal mechanisms: changes in the behaviour of economic actors or changes in the composition of random business cycle disturbances hitting the economy. The key message of the experiment is that if disturbances influencing the supply side of the economy are more potent than those affecting the demand side, the correlation between inflation and activity can diminish. In the next step, we estimate an extended version of the model on New Zealand data to point out potential reasons for the flattening of the Phillips curve over the inflation targeting era. Our methodology does not isolate any particular feature as a single dominant driver of the diminishing correlations observed in the data. Instead, we identify a number of potential mechanisms that contribute to the flattening of the Phillips curve. Our results suggest that changes in the structure of the economy have been fairly mild. However, business cycle disturbances on the supply side have been become much more variable than those influencing the demand side. These supply-side disturbances are very influential in driving the waning correlation between inflation and activity.


Automotive painting shops consume electricity and natural gas to provide the required temperature and humidity for painting processes. The painting shop is not only responsible for a significant portion of energy consumption with automobile manufacturers, but also affects the quality of the product. Various storage devices play a crucial role in the management of multiple energy systems. It is thus of great practical interest to manage the storage devices together with other energy systems to provide the required environment with minimal cost. In this paper, we formulate the scheduling problem of these multiple energy systems as a Markov decision process (MDP) and then provide two approximate solution methods. Method 1 is dynamic programming with value function approximation. Method 2 is mixed integer programming with mean value approximation. The performance of the two methods is demonstrated on numerical examples. The results show that method 2 provides good solutions fast and with little performance degradation comparing with method 1. Then, we apply method 2 to optimize the capacity and to select the combination of the storage devices, and demonstrate the performance by numerical examples.


Extracted from text ... 2 November 2006 Moneyweb's PERSONAL FINANCE
TECHNOLOGY
Choosing the best
broadband option
Don't rush out and sign up for a service you don't need,
and don't get stuck with a two-year contract.
By HILTON TARRANT
that would net them the most commission.
There are a few key factors to
consider when trying to decide what
broadband service would best suit
your needs, and after weighing up
the various options, one would hope
the choice will be obvious.
Your options (as currently exist
in the market) are Telkom ADSL
(where you will need an internet
service provider or ISP), Vodacom ..


It is costly and difficult to meter electricity consumption for different end uses, e.g. space heating, lighting and household appliances. We deduce a model for using cross-sectional data for total annual electricity consumption for a sample of households, together with information from energy surveys, to estimate the end uses within an econometric demand model conditional on appliance ownership. By applying a consistent method to Norwegian data for 1990, 2001 and 2006 (repeated cross-sections), we compare results over time and detect possible trends. We find that electricity consumption for many end use necessities such as washing, water heating and refrigeration varies somewhat from year to year, but they show no trend. We find a steady increase in electricity used for more untraditional end uses and newer types of appliances. Total energy consumption for heating purposes is quite stable over the time period.


Due to the importance, the natural polyphenol studies are being carried out around the world. This study also aimed to determine the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid contetnt (TFC) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH) of three organic and conventional fruits pairs (red apple (Malus domestica), lady finger banana (Musa acuminata) and papaya (Carica papaya). The fruits were extracted by maceration in absolute ethanol. Then TPC of fruit extracts were determine by using Folin-Ciocalteau method with quercetin as standard. Aluminium chloride assay was be used to determine TFC with quercetin as standard. For antioxidant capacity, % inhibition and IC 50 of the extracts were calculated using DPPH radical method along with trolox standard. For every test, the absorbances were measured by using UV/VIS spectrophotometer at certain wavelenght. This researc was carried out in triplicates starting from sample collection. As a result, it is found out that there is no difference in TPC and TFC values between apple pair. TPC and TFC values between banana pair also show no difference while the value of conventional papaya are significantly higher than those of organic papaya. For DPPH test result, organic apple and organic papaya have higher antioxidant capacity than those of conventional ones while there is no difference in antioxidant capacity between banana pair. It is also found out that there is no relationship between TPC and their antioxidant capacity


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In 1990, the Commission for Anti-infectious Agents of the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases decided to monitor trends in hospital consumption of antibiotics to understand better and rationalize their use. This article describes and analyzes the evolution in the use of aminoglycosides in Swiss university hospitals. METHODS: Annual consumption figures for four aminoglycosides were provided by pharmacists of participating hospitals for the period 1990-1993. RESULTS: Between 1990 and 1993, the overall consumption of oral and intravenous (i.v.) antibiotics increased by 22% and 38% respectively. On average, 38% of hospitalized patients were receiving antibiotics in 1993 (0.38 daily defined doses [DDD]/day). Aminoglycosides represented 11.3% of all i.v. antibiotics in 1990. There were wide differences between hospitals (range: 7.9 to 36.3% DDD per 1000 days). The four-year trend showed relative stability of use in four hospitals and wide variations in two. Overall, gentamycin remains the most commonly used aminoglycoside while amikacin is less used and retains its role of second line drug. CONCLUSION: The analysis of hospital consumption of aminoglycosides in Swiss university hospitals shows that the trend in use is not identical in all hospitals and that there are wide differences between hospitals (some hospitals use five times more than others). Although the reasons for these differences remain unclear, this monitoring system provides the data needed to formulate and evaluate recommendations designed to rationalize the use of aminoglycosides.


Summary The incidence and pattern of fractures in children ≤12 years of age living in Nottingham, England, have been reviewed. The annual incidence rate is 16/1,000 children. Fractures are rare in those <18 months of age, and incidence increases with age. The most common cause of fracture was a fall in or around the home; the incidence rate of fractures after road traffic accidents was similar in all age groups. Fractures of the distal radius and ulna accounted for 35.8% of all fractures seen, with hand fractures the second largest group (14.7%). The most common fracture type was a green-stick fracture (51.6%), and 18.5% of fractures were epiphyseal injuries. Epiphyseal injuries in children <5 years of age, were uncommon whereas spiral/oblique fractures were more common. Rotational trauma is more likely to cause a spiral or oblique shaft fracture in a younger child and an epiphyseal fracture in an older child.


IGFI that is generated in the liver is the anabolic effector and linear growth promoting hormone of the pituitary Growth Hormone (GH). In the tissues, IGFs are important regulators of cell survival, growth, metabolism and differentiated functions. Prospective studies suggest that individuals with circulating levels of Insulinlike Growth Factor 1 (IGFI) at the high end of the normal range are exposed to increased risk for several common cancers. This has led to the development of novel IGFI receptor targeting therapies which have impressive antineoplastic activity in experimental system. This review article will focus on the biology of IGFI and its role in health and malignant states.


The study was conducted to assess the income generating activities of rural women in Hawul local government area Borno state, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to identify the socio-economic characteristics, assessed the level of participation in income generating activities of that the respondents in the study area. Primary data was used for the study, the data was obtained through the use of structured questionnaire administered to 210 respondents and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics like multiple regression. The result revealed that respondents were experienced 82%, had household sizes of 5 and 10 persons. Fishing in wet season, crop production in wet season and cotton weaving in dry season were major income generating activities. Marital status (5.388), family size (.005) and education (1.433) had significant relationship with income generating activities among respondents. The study recommended that Nigeria government should establish as well as place recognition on technical schools to enhance women's skills in their occupation. This is evident in higher percentage of the women's involvement in vocational jobs. Also, government policy makers should enact laws that will facilitate women's access to loan and land ownership.


There is an increasing literature that discusses how to measure the middle class. Some approaches are based on an arbitrary definition such as income quartiles or the poverty line. Recently, Foster and Wolfson developed a methodology which lacks of arbitrariness that enables us to compare the middle class of two different income distributions. We apply this new tool jointly with a complementary method - relative distribution approach - to household income data in 1994-2004 and 2004-2010, to analyze the evolution of the middle class and polarization in Uruguay. During the Orst period, which is characterized by an increasing income inequality, we find that the middle class declined and income polarization increased. In the second one, where the Uruguayan economy experienced a recovery from the downturn suffered in 2002, we find that the middle class rose and polarization decreased. However, this last result is attenuated when we do not consider the household income imputation because of the new health system implemented in 2008.


Purpose – According to literature, immigrant entrepreneurs in the US are more likely to start and maintain a business than native-born entrepreneurs. However, there is limited research pertaining to first-generation immigrant entrepreneurs in the US. This paper contributes to the literature pertaining to desire for independence, need for achievement, risk tolerance, other factors that inspire immigrants to start entrepreneurial careers, and related actions that promote business success for Russian-speaking first-generation immigrant entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach – This explanatory study examined the influence of desire for independence, need for achievement, risk tolerance, and other factors to determine inspiration to entrepreneurial careers and actions promoting business success with 11 Russian-speaking first-generation immigrants who moved to the US at age 18 years or older and who own US-based companies with three to 20 staff and annual sales of $50,000–$20,000,000. As a qualitative study it is not intended to provide statistically significant information. Findings – Results indicated that there are 12 subfactors within desire for independence, need for achievement, risk tolerance, and other factors that influenced the inspiration of first-generation Russian-speaking entrepreneurs to start a US-based business in the US alcoholic beverages industry. These factors led to nine actions that promote business success. Research limitations/implications – Because the sample consisted entirely of Russian-speaking entrepreneurs who were active distributors of alcoholic beverages within the import/export industry, findings may not be generalizable to non-import/export industries or nonalcoholic beverage product lines. The exclusion of businesses that have ceased operations eliminated insights gained from associated lessons learned preceding closure. The chain of causal evidence for this multiple-case design was consistent with historical admonitions. A longitudinal design may provide more comprehensive insights for causal relationships between constructs. Future research that includes a comparison analysis of other import/export product lines and other non-English-speaking first-generation immigrant entrepreneurs could add value to this study. Practical implications – Because of this research, knowledge about the success of Russian-speaking immigrant entrepreneurs is available, new immigrant entrepreneurs will have references for success, and a meaningful contribution is made to the existing body of knowledge on immigrant entrepreneurship. Originality/value – Plenty of research addresses the amount of money generated by immigrant entrepreneurship (New American Economy, 2016), the increase in the number of immigrants starting businesses since 2000 (Fairlie, 2012), and the impact of immigrant businesses on the US economy (Balasubramanian et al., 2007). There is also a strong literary presence regarding the survival and growth of immigrant businesses, both economically (Kerr and Kerr, 2016) and socially (Wang, 2010). This research contributes to literature pertaining to risk tolerance, desire for independence, need for achievement, and other factors that inspire immigrants to entrepreneurial careers and related actions that promote business success in a comparatively untapped culture: Russian-speaking first-generation immigrant entrepreneurs.


We have designed a so-called flip-over bimaterial (FOB) beam to increase the sensitivity of micromechanical structures for sensing temperature and surface stress changes. The FOB beam has a configuration such that a material layer coats the top and bottom of the second material at different regions along the beam length. By multiple interconnections of FOB beams, the deflection or sensitivity can be amplified, and the out-of-plane motion of a sensing structure can be achieved. The FOB beam has 53% higher thermomechanical sensitivity than a conventional one. Using the FOB beam design, we have developed a microoptomechanical sensor having a symmetric structure such that beam deflection is converted into a linear displacement of a reflecting surface, which is used for optical interferometry. The designed sensor has been fabricated by surface micromachining techniques using a transparent quartz substrate for optical measurement. Within a sensor area of 100 /spl mu/m/spl times/100 /spl mu/m, the thermomechanical sensitivity S/sub T/=180 nm/K was experimentally obtained.


A mesoscale model of desiccation of soil based on the evolution of the pore system idealized as bimodal is numerically examined. A simplified evolution of the model reveals a series of characteristics that qualitatively agree with the observed macroscopic experimental findings. The principal mechanism is deemed to be driven by the surface evaporation and water outflow generating a pore pressure gradient resulting in the shrinkage mainly of the largest pores. The amount of shrinkage is a function of (negative) pore pressure and is controlled by the compressibility of the solid matrix. The numerical model includes also the ensuing partial saturation stage initiated by the air entry simulated as a scenario with a moving phase interface inside the pore. The proposed model can be extended beyond the two‐mode porosity soils, to include the multi‐modal porosity, or its statistical representation.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Critics of "No Child Left Behind" judge that it oversimplifies the influence of social context and the place of socially ascribed traits, such as social class, race, and gender, in determining achievement. We hold that this is especially likely to be true with regard to gender-related group effects and gender-implicated interaction effects. We make our concerns concrete in a multilevel, repeated measures analysis of reading achievement in a poor, rural school district located in the southern coalfields of Appalachian West Virginia. Our results suggest that as the percentage of students who are male increases, school mean scores in reading achievement decline for three reasons: individual males do less well than females; the greater the percentage of males, the lower the scores for all students; added to that, the greater the percentage of males, the lower the scores for males specifically. Given the accountability measures and sanctions proposed by "No Child Left Behind," having a large percentage of males in a school could be disastrous. We conclude that gender effects in reading achievement are complex, easily overlooked, and have no obvious remedy. As such, they lend credence to the view that "No Child Left Behind" oversimplifies the social context of schooling and underestimates the importance of social ascription.


Much contemporary political philosophy claims to be Kant-inspired, but its aims and method differ from Kant's own. In his recent book, Force and Freedom, Arthur Ripstein advocates a more orthodox Kantian outlook, presenting it as superior to dominant (Kant-inspired) views. The most striking feature of this outlook is its attempt to ground the whole of political morality in one right: the right to freedom, understood as the right to be independent of others' choices. Is Ripstein's Kantian project successful? In this research note I argue that it is not. First, I suggest that Ripstein's notion of freedom is viciously circular. It is meant to ground all rights, but in fact it presupposes an account of those rights. Second, I show that—independently of its inability to ground a whole political morality—such a moralized understanding of freedom is normatively unappealing.


Abstract:Economic recovery since the Great Recession of 2008–09 has been slow, and youth have felt particular and acute effects of this era of economic decline. This article examines the downward mobility contemporary youth are experiencing and assesses the rise of creative employment as a result of both the evaporation of permanent full-time work and a shift in youth values. Analyzing the television series Girls as an example of public pedagogy, this article investigates how contemporary economic issues involving youth are both highlighted and erased in public consciousness and considers the policy ramifications of this minimization of youth struggle.


This article examines the application of proportionality in Chinese administrative litigation over the last two decades and argues that courts in administrative litigation that serve the party-state and tend to uphold state/collective interest have altered proportionality to be state-centric. It finds that the courts invoked proportionality in a negligible portion of all administrative litigation judgments and had inadequate emphases on protecting individual rights. Proportionality has not appreciably assisted the courts in enhancing their oversight of governmental power and protection of individual rights. This article suggests that this is attributable to the restricted function of administrative litigation in China's party-state governance structure and owing to the country's long-held belief that public interest takes precedence over individual rights. Administrative litigation, which China's ruling party employs to resolve principal–agent issues, is seriously constrained. The courts are expected to review the formal legality of executive actions, but not their substance. Informed by the Chinese human rights belief, which favors collectivism over individualism, the courts are skewed toward public interest in the balancing analysis when applying proportionality.


We define Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity for graded modules over non-commutative graded algebras. Two fundamental commutative results are generalized to the non-commmutative case: a vanishing-theorem by Mumford, and a theorem on linear resolutions and syzygies by Eisenbud and Goto. The generalizations deal with sufficiently well-behaved algebras (i.e. so-called quantum polynomial algebras). We go on to define Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity for sheaves on a non-commutative projective scheme, as defined by Artin. Again, a version of Mumford's vanishing-theorem is proved, and we use it to generalize a result by Martin, Migliore and Nollet, on degrees of generators of graded saturated ideals in polynomial algebras, to quantum polynomial algebras. Finally, we generalize a practical result of Schenzel which determines the regularity of a module in terms of certain Tor-modules.


The ability to precisely analyse the composition of liquid mixtures by non-contact techniques in both static and flow situations is extremely desirable for a diversity of industrial, analytical and quality control procedures. Microwave resonators allow very accurate and sensitive characterisation of the dielectric properties of polar liquids due to the strong interaction of the latter with microwave electric fields. They have the useful dual role of both exact characterisation of the complex permittivity of a dielectric sample when it is inserted within a region of high electric field of the resonator, and effective volumetric heating of the same sample if its dielectric loss is large enough to permit heating. They offer tremendous potential for investigation of very small amounts of polar solvents in non-polar hosts. In this regard they are superior to other traditional composition analysis techniques such as liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the speed of analysis ( 1 s), non destructive nature and scope for miniaturisation of the resonator size to suit the system under test. For minute sample volumes, the resonator perturbation technique is extensively used for dielectric measurements on polar liquids. In this project, it has been employed for highly sensitive compositional analysis of two-component dielectric mixtures contained in microcapillary segments. The primary evaluation system used here was mixtures of acetonitrile and toluene, chosen because of the large difference in their molecular electric dipole moments. The results obtained from this first system provided the inspiration to assess mixtures made of acetonitrile and water, which are much more closely matched in terms of their electric dipole moments. Three different types of resonators namely hairpin resonator, split ring resonator and sapphire dielectric resonator were used to analyse both the aforementioned solution systems. The results show very sensitive characterisation and are in close agreement with the theoretical predictions governing perturbation of resonators by dielectric samples. In the last phase of this research, a miniaturised sapphire dielectric resonator was designed and fabricated that provided added enhancement in measured sensitivity of both evaluation mixtures.


Two important matters which concern the physiology of the brain are not disputed. The gray matter of the brain, in comparison to muscle, has a high rate of oxygen consumption, and a continuous supply of blood to the brain is essential. Interruption of the cerebral circulation produces loss of consciousness in six or eight seconds and permanent injury to the nerves in as many minutes. A priori, it would seem probable that the brain should be abundantly supplied with capillaries (the number of capillaries per unit of tissue is usually a gage of the metabolic activity of that tissue) and that blood leaving the brain should remain rich in the amount of oxygen which it carries. It is, therefore, something of a surprise to learn that the number of capillaries in the gray matter of the brain is meager as compared with that of muscle 1 and that blood leaving


The sensing of foreign agents by the innate and adaptive immune system triggers complex signal transduction cascades that culminate in expression of gene patterns that facilitate host protection from the invading agent. Post‐translational modification of intracellular signaling proteins in these pathways is a key regulatory mechanism with ubiquitination being one of the important processes that controls levels and activities of signaling molecules. E3 ubiquitin ligases are the determining enzymes in dictating the ubiquitination status of individual proteins. Among these hundred E3 ubiquitin ligases are a family of Pellino proteins that are emerging to be important players in immunity and beyond. Herein, we review the roles of the Pellino E3 ubiquitin ligases in innate and adaptive immunity. We discuss their early discovery and characterization and how this has been aided by the highly conserved nature of innate immune signaling across evolution. We describe the molecular roles of Pellino proteins in immune signaling with particular emphasis on their involvement in pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) signaling. The growing appreciation of the importance of Pellino proteins in a wide range of immune‐mediated diseases are also evaluated.


This article introduces the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the seemingly oxymoronic context of Chinese "authoritarian capitalism." Following an introduction to the emergence of authoritarian capitalism, the article considers the emergence of CSR in China using Matten and Moon's framework of explaining CSR development in terms both of a business system's historic institutions and of the impacts of new institutionalism on corporations arising from societal pressures in their global and national environments. We find two forms of CSR in China, reflecting the "multiplexity" of its business system: one in the mainly family-owned small and medium-sized enterprise sector reflecting concern with local reputation, and another in the corporate, mainly state-owned enterprise (SOE) sector, reflecting global and national societal expectations. We investigate the dynamics of CSR in China through the interplay of the global and national societal pressures and mediating and even leading roles played by the State and the Party. We consider the conceptual integrity and practical prospects for "state-led society-driven" CSR and future research opportunities, including those opened up by the three contributing articles to this special issue.


A 35 year old female presented with 6 years of amenorrhoea with a background history of menstrual irregularity preceding the amenorrhoea. She was treated as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) but finally found to have a very large pituitary lesion. This was originally thought to be a non-functioning pituitary adenoma, however intraoperative findings suggest the lesion was likely a Rathke's cleft cyst, a relatively rare sellar mass whose hormonal effects were secondary to compression of normal pituitary tissue. Interestingly despite definitive resection and stabilisation of lactotrophs and gonadotroph levels our patient continued to have hypogondotrophic hypogonadism and finally required a hysterectomy for the safe initiation of HRT. Background: Pituitary pathology accounts for 19% of secondary amenorrhoea. Because menstrual disturbances are a large part of the workload in gynaecology it is important for gynaecologists to have an understanding of pituitary aetiologies for amenorrhoea. As well as secondary amenorrhoea, pituitary pathologies can also mimic other gynaecological conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian failure. It is important to consider the pituitary gland as a cause. Gynaecologists are in a good position to recognise the presentation of many pituitary lesions. Approximately 1 in 3 pituitary adenomas are prolactinomas, making it the most common form of pituitary adenoma. High serum prolactin presents with subfertility, oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea, and interestingly, least commonly with galactorrhoea. Many of these symptoms would promote a referral to gynaecology. Other pituitary lesions can also present with these same symptoms purely by mass effect and compression of the pituitary stalk. Stalk compression causes decreased negative feedback by dopamine on prolactin production leading to hyperprolactinaemia. Therefore, the most common presentation of pituitary macroadenomas, both hormone secreting and non-functioning, are also menstrual and fertility dysfunction. The mass effect caused by pituitary lesions is not limited to pituitary adenomas. Rarer lesions include craniopharyngiomas, meningiomas, malignant tumours, hypophsitis and Rathke's cleft cysts. The case I would like to put forward is of particular interest as our case study was found to have a large pituitary lesion which was thought to be a Rathke's cleft cyst, a relatively rare sellar mass, whose hormonal effects were all secondary to compression of normal pituitary tissue. Interestingly despite resection of the lesion our patient continued to have amenorrhea secondary to pituitary tissue damage. She illustrates the strong link between gynaecological symptoms and pituitary and sellar pathology, and is a rare and interesting learning case. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljog.v35i2.6163 Sri Lanka Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2013; 35: 65-66


Mangrove peat soils are home to a variety of microbial communities that may play a vital role in system-level elemental cycling. We examined rates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification in benthic microbial mats on Twin Cays, Belize, a pair of oceanic mangrove islands. A tree-height gradient across the islands created distinct habitats for benthic microbes. Seawater flushing of the benthos and tree height decreased landward from tall, dense trees on the island fringe through a transition zone of high elevation and intermediate tree heights. In the center of the islands, microbial mats with dense communities of cyanobacteria and purple sulfur bacteria covered the benthic surface of shallow ponds and around dwarf trees. Wet-dry seasonality, tidal cycles and elevation controlled the extent of mat exposure to desiccation and UV radiation. Nitrogen fixation was controlled primar- ily by the sensitivity of nitrogenase to oxygen inhibition, whereas denitrification was limited by oxi- dant (nitrate) availability. Diel patterns of nitrogen fixation varied with the type of cyanobacteria dominant in each mat. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration influenced both nitrogen fixation and denitrification rates. Redox conditions contributed to variability in mat nitrogen fixation and denitrification response to nutrient addition, while dissolved organic carbon did not. Microbial mat nitrogen cycling likely contributes to the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) limitation patterns observed in the mangrove trees; in dwarf habitats, mats serve as a source of nitrogen via nitrogen fixation, while in fringe and transition habitats, mats compete with the trees for nitrogen via denitrification.


Context. Agile Software Development has provided a new concept of Software Development based in adaptation to changes, quick decisions, low high-level design and frequent deliveries. However, this approach ignores the value that Software Architecture provides in the long term for increasing the speed in delivery working software, which may have catastrophic consequences in the long term. Objectives. In this study, the combination of these two philosophies of Software Development is investigated. Firstly, the concept of Software Architecture in Agile Projects; then, the major challenges faced concerning Software Architecture in Agile Projects, the practices and approaches that can be used to overcome these challenges and the effects that these practices may cause on the project. Methods. The research methodologies used in this study are Systematic Literature Review for gathering the highest amount possible of contributions available in the Literature at this respect, and also the conduction of Semi-Structured Interviews with Agile Practitioners, in order to obtain empirical knowledge on the problem and support or deny the SLR findings. Results. The results of the Thesis are a unified description of the concept of Software Architecture in Agile Projects, and a collection of challenges found in agile projects, practices that overcome them and a relation of effects observed. Considering the most frequent practices/approaches followed and the empirical support, it is enabled a discussion on how to combine Software Architecture and Agile Projects. Conclusions. The main conclusion is that there is not a definite solution to this question; this is due to the relevance of the context (team, project, customer, etc.) that recommends the evaluation of each situation before deciding the best way to proceed. However, there are common trends on the best-recommended practices to integrate these two concepts. Finally, it is required more empirical work on the issue, the conduction of controlled experiments that allows to quantify the success or failure of the practices implemented would be most helpful in order to create a body of knowledge that enables the application of certain practices under certain conditions.


Three classes of models for time series on acyclic directed graphs are considered. At first a review of tree-structured models constructed from a nested partitioning of the observation interval is given. This nested partitioning leads to several resolution scales. The concept of mass balance allowing to interpret the average over an interval as the sum of averages over the sub-intervals implies linear restrictions in the tree-structured model. Under a white noise assumption for transition and observation noise there is an change-of-resolution Kalman filter for linear least squares prediction of interval averages (Chou 1991). This class of models is generalized by modeling transition noise on the same scale in linear state space form. The third class deals with models on a more general class of directed acyclic graphs where nodes are allowed to have two parents. We show that these models have a linear state space representation with white system and coloured observation noise.


Fluorescence guided surgery (FGS) has been highlighted in the clinical site for guiding surgical procedures and providing the surgeon with a real-time visualization of the operating field. FGS is a powerful technique for precise surgery, particularly tumor resection; however, clinically approved fluorescent dyes have often shown several limitations during FGS, such as non-tumor-targeting, low in vivo stability, insufficient emission intensity, and low blood-brain barrier penetration. In this study, we disclose a fluorescent dye complex, peptide, and protein for the targeted visualization of human glioblastoma (GBM) cells and tissues. Our noble triple receptor-targeting fluorescent complex (named BSA-OXN-SIWV) consists of (i) dipolar oxazepine dye (OXN), which has high stability, low cytotoxicity, bright fluorescence, and two-photon excitable, (ii) tetra-peptide (SIWV) for the targeting of the caveolin-1 receptor, and (iii) bovine serum-albumin (BSA) protein for the targeting of albondin (gp60) and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine receptor. The photophysical properties and binding mode of BSA-OXN-SIWV were analyzed, and the imaging of GBM cell lines and human clinical GBM tissues were successfully demonstrated in this study. Our findings hold great promise for the application of BSA-OXN-SIWV to GBM identification and the surgery at clinical sites, as a new FGS agent.


This paper reports on a study conducted within an alternative high school for students evicted from the mainstream and that utilized the virtual world (Teen Second Life or TSL). The use of selfrepresentations in virtual worlds to enable and facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning is a promising endeavor. At the same time, it is not clear how the ability to construct imaginative self-representations can impact students' abilities to view themselves as STEM learners and doers. Furthermore, questions over whether students should view avatars instrumentally to accomplish virtual tasks, as virtual selves for playful identity construction and performance, or to what degree the avatars should accommodate representing aspects of students' real selves vs. extraordinary fantastic characters. This paper provides pilot evidence, elicited using grounded theory techniques on data collected in a three-year design-based research study into fostering at-risk students STEM learning. We propose a three-axis model of students' stances in relationship to their avatars. Using insights from the cognitive science theory of conceptual blending in order to characterize students' perspectives of their avatars as imaginative integrations of their real and virtual selves, we present a set of case studies illustrating students' stances in terms of our three axes. The upshot is that students in the study tended to fall into three one of three categories: (1) viewing their avatars as necessarily reflections of their real world identities, (2) viewing their avatars as mere proxies for building artifacts in the world, and (3) viewing avatars as characters external to themselves for engaging in a play of identity performance and presentation. Group (1) found the affordances of TSL to be inadequate, hence serving the needs of this group may require alternative design solutions in light of real world behavior.


The degree of contamination of herbage with third stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes was evaluated in paddocks grazed by resistant or susceptible ewes. The trial occurred from November 23, 2007 to July 22, 2008. Initially, fecal egg counts (FEC) were performed with individual samples of 130 adult ewes of the Bergamacia breed. Of those animals, nine ewes with the highest FEC (susceptible group) and 10 with the lowest counts (resistant group) were selected and moved to separate paddocks. The resistant ewes presented lower FEC, higher values of packed cell volume, total plasma protein and blood eosinophils than the susceptible ewes. The weight was also higher in the resistant group. Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp. and Oesophagostomum spp. third stage larvae were recovered from pasture. In average, the amount of Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. third stage larvae in the pasture were 2.19 and 2.31 times, respectively, higher in the paddocks grazed by susceptible group in comparison with those grazed by the resistant animals. Therefore, the susceptible animals should be eliminated from the flock in order to reduce pasture contamination and optimize the prophylaxis of gastrointestinal nematode infections.


The central information system of primary health care of the Republic of Croatia is in an early stage of implementation which for now covers integration of all family doctors' offices into a single comprehensive eHealth network connecting their software solutions with the national payer institute and public health authority. Measuring the quality and efficiency of information systems at an early stage of development is a very difficult task. The main goal of this work is establishing the foundation for a formal methodology to measure and quantify the experience of family doctors in the current use of this system. A questionnaire has been created to support the work which, on one side carefully follows our assumptions for quality criteria, and on the other collects valuable input from the users of the technology and solutions implemented. Our work is closely aligned with worldwide accepted standards and recommendations carefully analyzed and localized to reflect the current environment and health policy. This paper presents some preliminary results based on the survey conducted with family doctors on the field.


In vitro studies identified Y-box–binding protein (YB)-1 as a key regulator of inflammatory mediators. In this study, we observed increased levels of secreted YB-1 in sera from sepsis patients. This led us to investigate the in vivo role of YB-1 in murine models of acute peritonitis following LPS injection, in sterile renal inflammation following unilateral ureteral obstruction, and in experimental pyelonephritis. LPS injection enhanced de novo secretion of YB-1 into the urine and the peritoneal fluid of LPS-treated mice. Furthermore, we could demonstrate a significant, transient upregulation and posttranslational modification (phosphorylation at serine 102) of YB-1 in renal and inflammatory cells. Increased renal cytoplasmic YB-1 amounts conferred enhanced expression of proinflammatory chemokines CCL2 and CCL5. Along these lines, heterozygous YB-1 knockout mice (YB-1+/d) that display 50% reduced YB-1 levels developed significantly lower responses to both LPS and sterile inflammation induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. This included diminished immune cell numbers due to impaired migration propensities and reduced chemokine expression. YB-1+/d mice were protected from LPS-associated mortality (20% mortality on day 3 versus 80% in wild-type controls); however, immunosuppression in YB-1+/d animals resulted in 50% mortality. In conclusion, our findings identify YB-1 as a major, nonredundant mediator in both systemic and local inflammatory responses.


Abstract. Accurate and reliable measurement of ventilation rate is an essential input and can be a major source of uncertainty in animal emission studies. Open-circuit respiration chambers and calorimeters requiring low ventilation rates operated at low static pressures present a unique and potentially costly challenge for volumetric flowrate measurement. Orifice meters, when properly calibrated, are differential pressure flowmeters that provide accurate, economical, and reliable volumetric flow measurement and are found in many industrial processes and engineering applications. In this study, orifice meters were designed and fabricated following ASHRAE and ASME guidelines for flow measurement to accurately provide ventilation to six environmentally controlled respiration chambers. The orifice meters were constructed with 50.8 mm (2 in.) diameter PVC pipe for the entry and exit sections, a 3.175 mm (1/8 in.) thick acrylic orifice plate with a 20.6 mm (13/16 in.) diameter concentric beveled orifice, and four pressure flange taps on both the upstream and downstream sides of the orifice plate. Individual calibration of each orifice meter was completed using a reference system comprised of two sections with a nozzle for flowrates from 279 to 510 lpm (9.9 to 18 cfm). The calibration procedure described here is unique because it was conducted under the low static pressure operation used in the respirations chambers. Concurrent differential pressure measurements across the calibration reference and the orifice meter were recorded, and the corresponding flowrates were calculated using the differential pressures and orifice flow theory. A unique method of calibration was developed. Analysis showed that the bias (non-unity slope) was significant, distinct for each fabricated unit, and eliminated by this calibration method. Linear regression coefficients (standard error of coefficient; ±SE) varied from 0.92 (±2.48 E-03) to 1.07 (±2.50 E-03) for the six orifice meter calibrations. At a nominal 500 lpm (17.65 cfm), the relative standard uncertainty with an applied coverage factor of 2 (approximately 95% CI) ranged from 3.6% to 4.9% across the six orifice meters. Custom designed, constructed, and calibrated orifice meters can be accurate and cost effective (approximately $250 including 5 h of labor each) for volumetric ventilation rate measurement in individual animal emission measurement systems.


Conventional acoustic least-squares migration inverts for a reflectivity image that best matches the amplitudes of the observed data. However, for field data applications, it is not easy to match the recorded amplitudes because of the viscoelastic nature of the earth and inaccuracies in the estimation of source signature and strength at different shot locations. To relax the requirement for strong amplitude matching of least-squares migration, we use a normalized cross-correlation objective function that is only sensitive to the similarity between the predicted and the observed data. Such a normalized cross-correlation objective function is also equivalent to a time-domain phase inversion method where the main emphasis is only on matching the phase of the data rather than the amplitude. Numerical tests on synthetic and field data show that such an objective function can be used as an alternative to visco-acoustic least-squares reverse time migration (Qp-LSRTM) when there is strong attenuation in the subsurface and the estimation of the attenuation parameter Qp is insufficiently accurate.


The escape tail-flip of the crayfish is 'commanded' by two bilaterally paired sets of giant fibre (GF) interneurones, the lateral giant (LG) and medial giant (MG) (see e.g. Wine, 1984, for a review). The two classes of GF respond to different stimuli and initiate tail-flips with different kinematic forms. An arousal stimulus applied to the front of the animal initiates a spike in the MG system, and this causes a tail-flip that drives the animal directly backwards, away from the stimulus. An arousal stimulus applied to the rear of the animal initiates a spike in the LG system, and this causes a tail-flip that drives the animal upwards and forwards, again moving it away from the stimulus. The major motor output path from the GFs is through monosynaptic rectifying electrical connections to a class of powerful trunk flexor motor neurones called the motor giant (MoG) neurones (Furshpan and Potter, 1959 a ). There is one MoG neurone in each hemisegment of the thorax and abdomen.


This paper intends to examine the effects if the length and shape of steel fibers on the mechanical characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Accordingly, the length (l) of the steel fibers with diameter (d) of 0.2 mm is varied as 13 mm, 16.3 mm and 19.5 mm and their corresponding aspect ratios (l/d) are 65, 82 and 98. Straight and wave-shaped fibers are adopted to manufacture UHPC. Thereafter, the effects of the aspect ratio and characteristics of the wave-shape of the steel fibers on the strength characteristics of UHPC are examined through compressive and flexural strength tests. The results showed small differences in the workability and compressive behavior but revealed that changing the length of the fibers and increasing the aspect ratio are improving the flexural behavior of UHPC. Specifically, the flexural strength was enhanced by 25% and the flexural toughness by 30%. Compared to rectilinear fibers, the adoption of wave-shaped fibers is seen to degrade the flexural behavior regardless of the aspect ratio. Consequently, using straight steel fibers and adopting larger aspect ratio seems advisable to improve the toughness of UHPC.


The concept of two-D bar codes is of extraordinary relevance for use in wireless statistics transmission among handheld virtual gadgets. In a well-known setup, any file on a mobile telephone cellphone, for instance, may be transferred to a 2nd mobile phone cellphone through a chain of images at the liquid crystal show which might be then captured and decoded through the digital digicam of the second one telephone cell smartphone. On this have a study, a modern-day-day method for facts modulation in 2-D bar codes is introduced, and its conventional typical overall performance is evaluated in evaluation to unique famous methods of bar code modulation. In this new technique, orthogonal frequency-department multiplexing (OFDM) modulation is used together with differential phase shift keying (DPSK) over adjoining frequency area factors. A completely particular cause of this look at is to installation a device this is proven tolerant to digital digital camera moves, photograph blur, and mild leakage inner neighboring pixels of a liquid crystal display.


The effects of oxide buffer layers on the optical and electrical properties of sputtered Gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) films were intensively investigated for developing the electrodes of photonic devices, which demand high optical transmittance and low resistivity. The use of Al2O3 and SiO2 buffer layers could increase transmittance of GZO films to 90.69% around the wavelength of 550 nm by controlling the optical spectrum. The resistivity of the deposited GZO films was much dependent on the deposition condition of O2 ratio during buffer layer deposition. It is considered that the carrier mobility of GZO films on SiO2 buffer is highly related to the lattice crystallinity of SiO2 and GZO films. In contrast, on the Al2O3 buffer layer, rough surface morphology could increase the resistivity of GZO films due to the doping effect of diffused Al atoms.


Designing for usability and locally relevant features for end-users in generic 'product' or 'packaged' enterprise software projects is challenging. On the generic level, designers must aim at supporting variety, which is contradictory to the specificity needed to make user interfaces usable, and functionality relevant to end-users within specific organizational contexts. Also, addressing these concerns during the implementation of generic software is difficult due to limitations in the design flexibility of the software, time and resource constraints, possible maintenance issues following customization, and a lack of design methods appropriate for the context of software implementation. Reporting from an ongoing Action Design Research project following a global generic health software, this paper conceptualizes a Generic Software Design Lab that aims to equip design on the level of software implementation with flexibility, tools, and methods to efficiently localize generic software. By conceptualizing the approach and discussing how it works to strengthen implementation-level designers' ability to address usability and local relevance, the paper contributes with learnings to research and practice related to design, development, and implementation of generic software.


Characterization of occurrence, density and motif sequence of tandem repeats in the transcribed regions is helpful in understanding the functional significance of these repeats in the modern genomes. We analyzed tandem repeats present in expressed sequences of thirteen species belonging to genera Capsicum, Nicotiana, Petunia and Solanum of family Solanaceae and the genus Coffea of Rubiaceae to investigate the propagation and evolutionary sustenance of these repeats. Tandem repeat containing sequences constituted 1.58% to 7.46% of sequences analyzed. Tandem repetitions of size 2, 15, 18 and 21 bp motifs were more frequent. Repeats with unit sizes 21 and 22 bp were also abundant in genomic sequences of potato and tomato. While mutations occurring in these repeats may alter the repeat number, genomes adjust to these changes by keeping the translated products unaffected. Surprisingly, in majority of the species under study, tandem repeat motif length did not exceed 228 bp. Conserved tandem repeat motifs of sizes 180, 192 and 204 bp were also abundant in the genomic sequences. Our observations lead us to propose that these tandem repeats are actually remnants of ancestral megasatellite repeats, which have split into multiple repeats due to frequent insertions over the course of evolution.


The biosynthesis of cephalosporins has been studied for almost 30 years. Development of cell-free systems began with the later enzymes of the pathway and, in recent years, moved to the early part of the pathway. The first enzyme, delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV) synthetase was one of most difficult to demonstrate in cell-free extracts. We recently developed a reproducible system from Cephalosporium acremonium (Banko et al., 1987) and similar activity has been found in Streptomyces clavuligerus (Jensen et al., 1988). With this assay, we have been able to study the regulation of ACV synthetase formation and action. Our results are summarized in this communication. Our comparison of the intracellular specific activities of the beta-lactam synthetases in both C. acremonium c-10 and S. clavuligerus NRRL 3585 indicates that ACV synthetase possesses the lowest activity and appears to be the rate-limiting step in the cephalosporin biosynthetic process. Since it is the initial enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway common to both penicillins and cephalosporins, this makes sense from a cellular economy viewpoint. It is therefore understandable that ACV synthetase would be subject to greater regulatory control than other steps.


Building vehicular networks in roads and highways is a challenging research topic with a large number of applications ranging from traffic jams and car collisions prevention to efficient route planning. The analysis of the distance between vehicles in roads is a key factor in, e.g., designing vehicular networks protocols or planning a supporting infrastructure to improve vehicular connectivity. This work proposes a Gaussian-exponential mixture model to characterize the time distance between vehicles in a highway lane, based on measurements collected at different locations in several highways of the city of Madrid, in Spain. The model arises from the observed behavior that some vehicles travel very close together, like in a burst mode, showing Gaussian inter-arrival times, while other vehicles are somehow isolated, showing exponentially distributed inter-arrival times. The experiments show that such a Gaussian-exponential mixture model accurately characterizes inter-vehicle times observed from real traces.


Study Design. A newly designed spinal implant was tested to evaluate multicycle stiffness and fatigue resistance. Objectives. To investigate the effect of different materials, connecting plate, and pedicle screw design on the mechanical performance of the spinal implant. Summary of the Background Data. The addition of cross-linkages did not significantly increase implant compression/flexion stiffness, but accelerated fatigue failure at the rod junctions. Both Ti-6Al-4V spinal implants and the 316L stainless-steel counterparts have been used extensively for clinical cases; however, design factors establishing the proposed superiority of the Ti-6Al-4V implant for fatigue resistance have not, as yet, been extensively studied. Methods. Twenty implants with connecting plates (two materials by two screw designs by five implants) and five implants without connecting plates were assembled to UHMWPE blocks and cyclically loaded from 60 N to 600 N at a frequency of 5 Hz. Results. Failure sites for the tested prototypes were at the cephalic screw hubs or rod–plate junctions. All Ti-6Al-4V implants demonstrated reduced stiffness compared to the structurally identical 316L analogs. The use of connecting plates raised the stiffness of the 316L prototypes without cross-links. However, elimination of the connecting plate avoided stress concentration at the rod/plate junctions and increased fatigue life. The Ti-6Al-4V new system with the minimal notch effect at the screw hubs achieved greater fatigue resistance than its 316L counterpart. By contrast, enlargement of the inner-hub diameter resulted in greater gains for fatigue resistance than for stiffness, especially for Ti-6Al-4V variants. Conclusions. Although Ti-6Al-4V was superior to 316L for endurance-limit properties, structural design of the Ti-6Al-4V implant dramatically affects fatigue resistance. This may explain the differences between existing studies and the current report, comparing fatigue life forimplantsmade from these two materials. Our results reveal that Ti-6Al-4V must be carefully treated because of sensitivity to notch, with special consideration given to screw-hub design.


In the present study, we have explored an aspect of teachers' perceptions of biology diagrams. The research was performed in Turkey. The data were gathered from 50 (25 female, 25 male) teachers of primary and secondary schools and 34 (18 female, 16 male) academic staff of different universities in Turkey. Some of the participants are science specialists and the others are non-science specialists. The data were collected in 2012. A qualitative approach was adopted. The data were collected in three steps. First, biology diagrams from the internet were collected and some (12) biology diagrams were chosen by the researchers. In the second step, these selected diagrams were shown to the teachers and academic staff. In this step the participants were asked to think aloud about what they saw when they looked at the diagrams. In the third step, semi-structured interviews were carried out in order to examine further the thoughts of the participants about what they saw in these diagrams. In our study we found there were no significant differences in responses between the science and non-science specialist teachers and academic staff. We conclude that it may be helpful to train teachers in the processes of constructing and reading diagrams.