Pregnancy rhinitis is a common condition with longstanding nasal congestion; troublesome for the mother, possibly also affecting the fetus. There is need for a safe, effective treatment. Nasal corticosteroids, indisputable in other types of rhinitis, have not been evaluated in pregnancy rhinitis. In this placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study with parallel groups, we evaluated the effect of 8 weeks of treatment with fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray in 53 women with pregnancy rhinitis. Daily symptom scores and nasal peak expiratory flow, as well as acoustic rhinometry before and after treatment, did not show any difference between the groups. Placebo resulted in 6/27 responders, compared with 5/26 for active treatment. There was no detectable influence on maternal cortisol as measured by morning S-cortisol and overnight 12-h-U-cortisol, or any difference in ultrasound measures of fetal growth or pregnancy outcome. Altogether, our study indicates no significant effects of the treatment described here.


The transfer of momentum between the atmosphere and ocean is dependent upon the velocity difference between the seawater and overlying air. This is commonly known as relative wind, or ocean current interaction, and its direct effect is to damp mesoscale ocean eddies through the imposition of an opposing surface torque. If an ocean model neglects the ocean velocity in its bulk formulae, this can lead to an increase in power input to the ocean and a large increase in Eddy Kinetic Energy (EKE). Other secondary effects that are dependent upon the current system under consideration may also occur. Here we show that the neglect of relative wind leads to an ∼ 50% increase in surface EKE in a circumpolar model of the Southern Ocean. This acts to increase the southwards eddy heat transport, fluxing more heat into the seasonal ice zone, and subsequently reducing ice cover in all seasons. The net reduction in planetary albedo may be a way for a largescale impact on climate.


Intraguild predation (IGP) by a dominant predator can drive the spatial dynamics of a subordinate predator and may explain space-use patterns that deviate from theoretical predictions that species will use areas that maximize the availability of limited resources (resource availability hypothesis). Intraguild predation may suppress the distribution and abundance of mesopredators, but spatial resource partitioning may facilitate coexistence, with the subordinate carnivore utilizing suboptimal habitats. In arid systems, free-standing water was historically scarce, limiting the distribution of larger-bodied predators and offering large areas of refugia for smaller, arid-adapted species, such as the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis). In these systems, the development of artificial water sources may facilitate an increase in the distribution and abundance of larger carnivores (e.g., coyotes [Canis latrans]), perhaps to the detriment of kit foxes. We coupled noninvasive genetic sampling and dynamic occupancy models to evaluate the spatial dynamics of kit foxes and their intraguild predators, coyotes, in western Utah, United States. We evaluated the influence of habitat characteristics on coyote occupancy patterns, and then investigated the role of habitat and coyotes on kit fox space use at multiple scales. Coyote occupancy was unrelated to water availability, but was positively related to the proportion of shrubland and woodland cover, a pattern consistent with predictions of the resource availability hypothesis. Supporting predictions of IGP theory, kit fox occupancy was negatively related to shrubland and woodland cover, minimizing overlap with land-cover types favoring coyote occupancy. Furthermore, kit fox probability of local extinction was positively related to coyote activity. Interestingly, kit fox detection was positively related to coyote activity (i.e., kit fox detection was higher on spatial surveys with greater coyote sign), suggesting that at finer scales, kit foxes utilized riskier habitats to secure sufficient resources. Our results identified two alternative states predicted by IGP theory (i.e., intraguild predator dominated and coexistence of intraguild predator and intraguild prey) in a single system and elucidated the importance of considering dynamic processes and scale when investigating IGP.


Thoroughbred horse jump racing is popular in Great Britain (GB). Unfortunately it is associated with inherent risk of injury to the horses involved and it has been shown that the risk is significantly higher in jump than in flat racing. As a result, jump racing has been made a priority in racehorse injury investigation by the racing authorities in GB and is the focus of this thesis.
Data about injuries and fatalities collected by veterinary surgeons, from all official race meetings between 2000 and 2009 was made available by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Following initial examination of the data, review of the literature and discussion with the BHA, a list of outcomes (injuries and fatality) was defined for further investigation. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was employed to investigate associations between potential risk factors and the outcomes. Model validation techniques were then used for outcomes with the greatest frequencies. In addition, post-mortem (PM) findings from a subset of the available data provided the opportunity to evaluate the accuracy of the information provided.
Outcomes selected for further investigation were: fatality, tendon strain, epistaxis, hind limb fracture, pelvic fracture, and proximal forelimb fracture. Multiple risk factors were identified as being significantly associated with each outcome which can be used to guide legislation or further investigation. Risk factors common to many of the outcomes were: season, surface firmness (going), race distance and previous racing history (especially previous flat start history). Notably in some instances the relationships between these common risk factors and the outcomes varied, such that a risk factor might be associated with increased likelihood of one outcome but a decreased likelihood of another.
Attempts to validate the models with the most frequent outcomes (fatality, superficial digital flexor tendinopathy and epistaxis) against a novel data set (from the year 2010), demonstrated variable calibration and discrimination and relatively poor predictive ability for all of the models. This was thought to be related to the low outcome frequencies and potentially related to risk factors unaccounted for in the models. Evaluation of the accuracy of the recording system for fatal distal limb fractures using PM findings demonstrated good identification of fracture presence, but relatively poor definition of all affected bones.
Frustratingly it was concluded that making policy decisions based on the risk factor models will not be straightforward. Few risk factors had strong associations with all outcomes, not all risk factors are readily modifiable and many potential modifications (such as stopping horses from racing) would have major long term deleterious implications for horses. However, new risk factors for injury were identified providing some additional information about injury aetiology; previously recognised associations (such as firm ground and injury) are supported by the work; and sensible recommendations can be made to the industry, such as: closer monitoring of horses based on their previous racing careers or previous injuries. In addition, further training of racecourse veterinarians and/or provision of diagnostic aids (such as radiography) can be recommended to help with diagnoses made at the racecourses.


Arctic sea ice is declining rapidly, making it vital to understand the importance of dif- ferent types of sea ice for ice-dependent species such as polar bears Ursus maritimus. In this study we used GPS telemetry (25 polar bear tracks obtained in Svalbard, Norway, during spring) and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sea-ice data to investigate fine-scale space use by female polar bears. Space use patterns differed according to reproductive state; females with cubs of the year (COYs) had smaller home ranges and used fast-ice areas more frequently than lone females. First-passage time (FPT) analysis revealed that females with COYs displayed signifi- cantly longer FPTs near (<10 km) glacier fronts than in other fast-ice areas; lone females also increased their FPTs in such areas, but they also frequently used drifting pack ice. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of fast-ice areas, in particular close to glacier fronts, especially for females with COYs. Access to abundant and predictable prey (ringed seal pups), energy con- servation and reluctance to cross large open water areas are possible reasons for the observed pat- terns. However, glacier fronts are retracting in Svalbard, and declines in land-fast ice have been notable over the past decade. The eventual disappearance of these important habitats might become critical for the survival of polar bear cubs in Svalbard and other regions with similar habi- tat characteristics. Given the relatively small size of many fast-ice areas in Svalbard, the results observed in this study would not have been revealed using less accurate location data or lower- resolution sea-ice data.


This is an updated version of the original work ten years after release: A documentary history of the Anarcho-punk scene in the UK during the early 1980's. Not so much the definitive history but rather a video document, which acknowledges and facilitates discussion around the problematic concept defined as Anarcho-punk.

This project seeks to explore how people embraced and engaged with anarchist politics in the UK while assessing the impact of the Anarcho-punk movement, socially, politically and personally through conversation with some of the scenes prime motivators and activists. This version includes interviews with: Penny Rimbaud (Crass), Colin Jerwood (Conflict), Colin & Kevin (Flux of Pink Indians) Dick Lucas (Subhumans), Zillah Minx (Rubella Ballet), Gary Buckley (Dirt), Steve Lake (Zounds), Mark Wallis (Liberty), Gee Vaucher (Crass), Dave Hyndman (Hit Parade), Rob Millar (Amebix), Rodney Relax (Alternative), Stringy & Snout (Erratics) and Gerard Evans (Flowers in the Dustbin), all of whom help situate a complex mosaic of meaning which underpins the concept of Anarcho-punk in the UK from its conception to present.

Contributors recall key events and developments whilst providing a framework of internal and external contradiction through political correctness, which dominated the scene through its formative years. The DVD does not seek to provide a 'grand narrative' or define a 'theoretical position' but rather works to provide a platform for dialogue and ongoing debate inside and outside of the Anarcho-punk scene.

Produced, directed and edited by Wallace, the work adheres to the core punk-punk philosophy of 'Do It Yourself' as he researches, shoots, edits and produces his own works, informing the filmmaking approach which endeavours to point us toward underlying political deficiencies and hypocrisy in contemporary society.
Not so much, a nostalgic retrospective which celebrates the passing of Anarcho-punk but rather an overdue catalyst for further research, dialogue and documentation of the UK's most influential yet under-represented music scenes. Ignored or derided by the mainstream media, punk-punk has always relied on itself to produce its own artefacts and in true punk-punk tradition; Wallace brings forth one such visual document.

The music and poetry used in the work provides us with a soundtrack to the punk-punk lifestyle, which is complex and contradictory often veering to the limits of taste and acceptability as a means to provoke and disturb any comfortable interpretation of a coherent music scene. Soundtracks include: Crass, Conflict, Subhumans, Liberty, Toxic Waste, Chumbawamba, Sacrilege, Inner Terrestrials & many more.


Deep convolutional neural networks are hindered by training instability and feature redundancy towards further performance improvement. A promising solution is to impose orthogonality on convolutional filters. We develop an efficient approach to impose filter orthogonality on a convolutional layer based on the doubly block-Toeplitz matrix representation of the convolutional kernel, instead of the common kernel orthogonality approach, which we show is only necessary but not sufficient for ensuring orthogonal convolutions. Our proposed orthogonal convolution requires no additional parameters and little computational overhead. It consistently outperforms the kernel orthogonality alternative on a wide range of tasks such as image classification and inpainting under supervised, semi-supervised and unsupervised settings. It learns more diverse and expressive features with better training stability, robustness, and generalization. Our code is publicly available.


This paper describes a variety of methods that can be used to create realistic, random 3D environments for serious games requiring real-time performance. These include the generation of terrain, vegetation and building structures. An interactive flight simulator has been created as proof of concept. An initial evaluation with two small samples of users (remote and hallway) revealed some usability issues but also showed that overall the flight simulator is enjoyable and appears realistic and believable.


Abstract Flow at ice divides, their shape, size and internal structure depend not only on local conditions, but also on the flow regimes and past histories of the surrounding ice masses. Here we use field data from Kealey Ice Rise, Ellsworth Land, West Antarctica, in combination with flow modelling to investigate any possible signs of transients in the flow of the surrounding ice masses. Kealey Ice Rise shows linear surface features running parallel to its ridge in satellite imagery and a conspicuous layering in the ground-penetrating radar data known as double-peaked Raymond bumps. Through numerical modelling, by using an anisotropic full-Stokes thermomechanical flow solver, we analyse the evolution of Kealey Ice Rise and the timescales involved. We conclude that the features observed in the stratigraphy of Kealey Ice Rise require at least 3 ka of near-stationary flow conditions. However, we cannot exclude the possibility of a recent flow reorganization in the last century. We stress that the signs of stationary flow in radar stratigraphy observed in Kealey Ice Rise have been observed in other ice divides in the East Ellsworth Land area, suggesting stationary flow conditions over a millennial timescale in the region.


The in vitro treatment of the mouse spleen cells immunized by the ram erythrocytes with the rabbit and mouse sera against the thermoaggregated mouse immunoglobulins resulted in the inhibition of antigen binding receptors of rosette forming cells. The mouse serum, unlike the rabbit one, induced the inactivation of receptors in rosette forming lymphocytes both in the non-immune and immune mice on the 8th day after the antigenic stimulation. The treatment of bone marrow cells from the intact mice with these sera increased insignificantly the number of hemopoietic colonies in the spleens of lethally irradiated syngenic recipients and stimulated markedly the migration of spleen cells. This may be due both to the direct effect of these sera and to their mediated (through the humoral factor) influence. The inactivation of antigen binding receptors in the spleen rosette forming cells suggests the presence of immunoglobulins on the membrane of B-lymphocytes in the aggregated state or in the form of antigen--antibody complexes.


The Controller Area Network standard represents one of the most commonly used communication protocol present in today's vehicles. While it's main properties facilitate the communication between different control units, several protocol design considerations represent security problems. While it's trivial for an attacker to gain access and control the system, solutions capable of mitigating such incidents lack from a vehicle's network. The current work proposes a Statefull Firewall, together with a signature based Intrusion Detection System as a response. Beside this, a Secure Logging unit is brought up in addition to support our methods, enforcing them with integrity verifiable logs.


RNA synthesis in the oocyte and granulosa cell nuclei of growing follicles has been studied in the mouse ovary. The RNA precursor [3H]uridine was administered intraperitoneally to adult mice and the amount of label incorporated into ovarian RNA was quantitated autoradiographically using grain-counting procedures. Uridine incorporation into the nucleus is low in oocytes of small, resting follicles but increases during follicle growth and reaches a peak prior to the beginning of antrum formation. Thereafter uptake rapidly declines and is very low in the oocytes of maturing follicles. Uridine incorporation into granulosa cell nuclei, in contrast to that found in the oocyte, increases gradually during most of the period of follicle growth. Qualitative studies of the activity of endogenous, DNA-dependent RNA polymerases have also been made in fixed oocytes isolated from follicles at different stages of growth. Polymerase activity is demonstrable in the nucleolus and nucleoplasm of oocytes from growing follicles, but is absent from maturing oocytes of large follicles.


Two contributions in this issue, Grant and Lebo and Keele, Linn, and Webb, recommend using an ARFIMA model to diagnose the presence of and estimate the degree of fractional integration, then either (i) fractionally differencing the data before analysis or, (ii) for cointegrated variables, estimating a fractional error correction model. But Keele, Linn, and Webb also present evidence that ARFIMA models yield misleading indicators of the presence and degree of fractional integration in a series with fewer than 1000 observations. In a simulation study, I find evidence that the simple autodistributed lag model (ADL) or equivalent error correction model (ECM) can, without first testing or correcting for fractional integration, provide a useful estimate of the immediate and long-run effects of weakly exogenous variables in fractionally integrated (but stationary) data.


THE question of safety is of primary importance in all forms of transport and, of course, particularly in aerial transport, This plain fact is stressed over and over again in all publications, in the service regulations, and in all questions concerning design, construction, and improvement of the materials. An element of paramount importance, however, is a proper appreciation of these questions by public opinion, without the support of which this branch of aviation will never be in a flourishing condition. The public will never consent to entrust life and limb to a mode of transport unless they have the assurance that it possesses a high degree of reliability. The public are ignorant of the result of the working of the airlines; of the progress made and the set‐backs suffered; of the improvements secured; of the causes of damage; and other features of the kind. Their judgment is therefore based on scanty information which Teaches them in a haphazard manner, together with news items supplied on the subject of aviation performances and reports of accidents, which, owing to the interest generally taken in aviation, and to its novelty, make a far greater impression than motoring accidents, for instance. To this must be added the fact that our generation, which has witnessed the particularly unremuncrative early years of aviation, has not yet come to consider it as one of the indispensable routine items of everyday life. There is consequently some excuse for the sensation made by every report of an accident, which strengthens existing misgivings, and creates the impression that aerial transport is not making any progress in matters of safety; and it is only to be regretted that such complaints are made without taking into consideration that many accidents happen at sports displays, in the course of training, or in countries where aviation is still in its infancy, and that the considerable increase of the mileage flown, of the number of flights and of passengers transported, is completely left out of account. The purpose of this pamphlet is to show the actual facts, without partisanship or attempts at pleading extenuating circumstances.


We report a case of a secreting paraganglioma developed on the organ of Zuckerkandl. Paragangliomas are tumors that arise from tissue of the extra adrenal sympathetic nervous system. They may or may not produce catecholamines. One of the most uncommon complications of adrenal paragangliomas is the extensive necrosis within the tumor that is said to be associated with the attacks of alternating hypertension and hypotension due to catecholamine release. To our knowledge, this is the first cases of a secreting paraganglioma of the organ of Zuckerkandl with a large central area of necrosis.


Abstract
Sixty-two children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides were treated with a single dose (5 mg per pound) of pyrantel pamoate. Fifty-three (85.5%) were cured as judged by a negative, direct fecal smear and ZnSO4 concentrate one week after treatment. Egg counts were much reduced in the remaining positive cases. A 2-day regimen (5 mg per lb daily) cured 37 of 38 (97.4%) Ascaris-infected children. Forty-three patients with hookworm infections were given 5 mg per pound of pyrantel on 3 consecutive days. Cure was achieved in 36 (83.7%) patients. The drug produced only mild side-effects. The chief complaint was low-grade abdominal cramp during the time when the ascarids were being expelled. There were no abnormal changes in the urinalysis, SGOT, or the serum bilirubin levels after single- or triple-dose regimens.


Abstract Summer diets are crucial for large herbivores in the subarctic and are affected by weather, harassment from insects and a variety of environmental changes linked to climate. Yet, understanding foraging behavior and diet of large herbivores is challenging in the subarctic because of their remote ranges. We used GPS video‐camera collars to observe behaviors and summer diets of the migratory Fortymile Caribou Herd (Rangifer tarandus granti) across Alaska, USA and the Yukon, Canada. First, we characterized caribou behavior. Second, we tested if videos could be used to quantify changes in the probability of eating events. Third, we estimated summer diets at the finest taxonomic resolution possible through videos. Finally, we compared summer diet estimates from video collars to microhistological analysis of fecal pellets. We classified 18,134 videos from 30 female caribou over two summers (2018 and 2019). Caribou behaviors included eating (mean = 43.5%), ruminating (25.6%), travelling (14.0%), stationary awake (11.3%) and napping (5.1%). Eating was restricted by insect harassment. We classified forage(s) consumed in 5,549 videos where diet composition (monthly) highlighted a strong tradeoff between lichens and shrubs; shrubs dominated diets in June and July when lichen use declined. We identified 63 species, 70 genus and 33 family groups of summer forages from videos. After adjusting for digestibility, monthly estimates of diet composition were strongly correlated at the scale of the forage functional type (i.e., forage groups composed of forbs, graminoids, mosses, shrubs and lichens; r = 0.79, p < .01). Using video collars, we identified (1) a pronounced tradeoff in summer foraging between lichens and shrubs and (2) the costs of insect harassment on eating. Understanding caribou foraging ecology is needed to plan for their long‐term conservation across the circumpolar north, and video collars can provide a powerful approach across remote regions.


Decision makers must know if their cyber assets are ready to execute critical missions and business processes. Net-work operators need to know who relies on a failed network asset (e.g. IP address, network service, application) and what critical operations are impacted. This requires a mapping between net-work assets and the critical operations that depend on them, currently a manual and tedious task. In addition, because of the dynamic nature of networks and missions, manual mappings of network assets to operational missions rapidly become outdated. This paper describes one approach to modeling the complex relationships between cyber assets and the missions and users that depend on them, using an ontology developed in conjunction with practitioners and cyber mission assurance researchers. We de-scribe the "Camus" (cyber assets, missions and users) proof of concept, which uses this ontology and automatically populates that model from data already on the network. We discuss the technical approach and provide examples of query results returned by the model. We conclude by describing ongoing work to enhance this proof of concept and its potential applicability to support mission assurance and mission impact solutions.


This paper describes an e-learning initiative made possible by improved electronic communications and computer skills of staff in Africa, and not just in the capital city.
The analysis of climatic data is important in many development sectors including agriculture, food security, health, water supply, building and flood prevention. National Meteorological Services in Africa are decentralising their climatic activities, a change made possible by the wide availability of computers and improved communications infrastructure. The staff in the individual Met stations need training in data analysis, as do the many potential users of climatic data.
A training course, called SIAC, Statistics in Applied Climatology, is designed to support producers and users of climatic data to develop their skills in the analysis of the historical records. Since 2005, part of this training has been given as a facilitated e-learning course. The paper describes the importance of a "virtual community of practice" for sustained learning and how an online platform can offer the opportunity and space to engage with other climatologists across the continent. It narrates the challenges of an online course for professional development in Africa and the positive impact of e-SIAC on motivation and collaborative on-line problem solving.


In enterprise education, learning is problem-focused and holistic. A learning process that encourages people to learn by doing develops their problem-solving skills, participation, interaction, and decision making. Craft making includes practice, development, creativity, innovativeness, and the problem-solving process, and the craft teaching aims to promote students' substance skills of crafts and the skills they need in everyday life. Craft skills make people more active and help them to find practical solutions. Decision making seems to be one of the connecting themes between crafts and enterprise education. In this study, we examine school students' decision making during a craft process. The study was conducted during the spring term of 2013 and examines how the students make various decisions during the craft making process. Eight 13-year-old students were interviewed and the interview data analysed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that the quality of the students' decision making during a craft process is dependent on their personal goals, self-confidence, and previous experiences. In addition, there is a connection between the students' decision making and the social environment when they want to emphasize their own personality or similarity to their peers.


This research dealt with the impact properties of glass fiber reinforced composites manufactured from different structures of three-dimensional braided preforms. Three different architectures of the braid structures, 4-Direction, 5-Direction and 6-Direction, were investigated together with three further various braiding angles of each architecture. The effect of architecture and braiding angle parameters upon the impact was examined. Damage morphology of the impacted materials was characterized. It has been found that the parameters affected the damage resistance and tolerance of composites evidently. 6-Directional composites showed higher impact toughness than the others with same braiding angle. Failure of the specimens with small damage area revealed the brittle characteristic of 3D braided composite.


Delayed recovery of platelet count post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has been associated with worse transplant outcomes. Thrombopoietic agents have been successfully used in immune mediated thrombocytopenia or thrombocytopenia from bone marrow failure syndromes; however, the experience regarding their use after allo-HSCT is limited. Here we report on the safety and efficacy of romiplostim used in 3 consecutive patients with thrombocytopenia post allogeneic transplantation. Two patients had prolonged platelet recovery due to poor graft function while one had secondary failure of platelet recovery, likely immune mediated, post transplantation. Successful use of such agents post-transplant may improve platelet recovery, decrease rates of complications and potentially improve outcomes.


When performing a radiological assessment for a trauma case with associated head injury, a fragment of dense tissue detected near the craniovertebral junction would rapidly be assessed as a fractured bone fragment. However, if further imaging and evaluation of the cervical spine with computerised tomography (CT) did not demonstrate an obvious fracture, then the possibility of ligament calcification would be considered. We present a case involving a previously healthy 44-yearold man who was admitted following a severe head injury from a road traffic accident. CT scans of the head showed multiple intracranial haemorrhages, while scans of the cervical spine revealed a small, well-defined, ovoid calcification in the right alar ligament. This was initially thought to be a fracture fragment. Although such calcification is uncommon, accident and emergency physicians and radiologists may find this useful as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with neck pain or traumatic head injury.


Adult intussusception is a rare clinical entity that is most often caused by a tumor, such as a lipoma, adenoma, or malignant tumor. A case of adult intussusception due to intestinal tuberculosis of the ileocecal region is reported. There are few cases of intussusception due to intestinal tuberculosis. Background Intestinal tuberculosis continues to be a major problem in many regions of the world. In the abdomen, tuberculosis may affect the intestinal tract, lymph nodes, and peritoneum. The lack of specific signs and symptoms of abdominal tuberculosis involving the intestinal tract frequently leads to missed or delayed diagnoses, which can result in severe complications that are associated with intestinal tuberculosis, including obstruction, perforation, and fistula formation [1], though intussusception is uncommon. The case of a 76-year-old female who developed intussusception due to intestinal tuberculosis is reported. Adult intussusception is rare, and few cases caused by intestinal tuberculosis have been reported. Generally, a surgical procedure is needed for adult intussusception, and the outcome is often poor [2,3]. Early and proper diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis is necessary to prevent severe complications. Case report A 76-year-old female who had never smoked came to the hospital because of chronic cough. The chest radiograph showed bilateral consolidation with a cavity (Figure 1). The chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed multiple consolidations in both lungs with cavities in the left upper lobe (Figure 2). The acid-fast stain of the sputum smear was positive, and the sputum culture and the PCR were also positive for M. tuberculosis. Thus, the patient was diagnosed as having pulmonary tuberculosis, and she was admitted to hospital for treatment. Three days later from admission to prior hospital, the patient developed acute abdominal pain with guarding. An abdominal radiograph showed marked dilatation of the small intestine (Figure Published: 13 July 2008 Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials 2008, 7:16 doi:10.1186/1476-0711-716 Received: 26 May 2008 Accepted: 13 July 2008 This article is available from: http://www.ann-clinmicrob.com/content/7/1/16 © 2008 Nakamura et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


A failure analysis has been performed to investigate the root cause for the rejection of the H10 (DIN 1.2365) hot work tool steel of the Hatebur forging machine. The punch is subjected to intensive thermal shocks, cyclically variable loads and high pressure at high temperatures. Although several surface defects are found related to different degradation phenomena, the higher thermal expansion occurred at the surface, compared with the inner part of the die, makes thermal fatigue the main failure responsible. In fact, thermal conductivity of an alloy will depend upon temperature and microstructure and therefore time and of course chemical composition. Damage analysis including dimensional control, surface analysis and metallographic analysis is completed by ThermoCalc and JMatPro calculations done for the standard 1.2365 tool steel. These are very useful tools to know in advance which are the stability ranges of the phases present (at equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions), the elements in solid solution, the nature of the carbides, CCT curves and some other features for a better understanding of the failure analysis of the described system.


This contribution analyzes four versions of the traditional analogy between a human being and a machine: medieval Christian ideas of creation, Descartes, La Mettrie, as well as mechanistic and deterministic ideas used in human genetics. The analysis takes into account the intended depth of the analogy (comparison, metaphor, model, theory, or ontology) as well as the varying concepts of a "machine".


The home health nursing movement is expanding rapidly. Home health nursing agencies (HHNAs) are expected to demonstrate that the care provided does make a difference for the client receiving the services. The purpose of this study was to explore client outcomes from home health nursing. Outcome indicators include: Services utilized (emergency services, re-hospitalization), physiological status (catheter indwelling status, consciousness level, wound severity-number and wound stages) and functional status (reflected by Barthel Index). A prospective research design was used to collect the results. Five hospital-based HHNAs were invited to participate in this research. Clients newly admitted to HHNAs and diagnosed as non-cancer patients were recruited, and the researchers gathered outcome indicators over a six-month period. Data were analyzed using SPSS 8.0 computer software. There were 75 clients in this study. Results showed that most of the clients (64.0%) received service for more than 180 days. The client characteristics were dominated by elderly (66.6% age above 70), female (53.3%) and married (74.7%). The three leading care needs were NG tubing service (84.0%), Foley tubing service (45.3%) and wound care (38.7%). The Kruscal Wallis Test revealed that there was no difference in emergency service frequency and re-hospitalization between clients who received service for more than 180 days and those who received service for less than 180 days. The Wilcoxon Sign rank test showed that within one half-year, catheter indwelling status, functional status, and wound severity were not significantly different, with the exception only of conscious level (p = .001). The results of this study can be viewed as preliminary data to assist in shaping home health nursing services in Taiwan.


Cooperative activation of Meis1 and Hoxa9 perturbs myeloid differentiation and eventually leads myeloid progenitors to leukemia, yet it remains to be clarified what kinds of subsequent molecular processes are required for development of overt leukemia. To understand the molecular pathway in Hoxa9/Meis1-induced leukemogenesis, retroviral insertional mutagenesis was applied using retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. The mice that received Hoxa9/Meis1-transduced bone marrow cells developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and Tribi, Evil, Ahi1, Rara, Pitpnb, and AK039950 were identified as candidate cooperative genes located near common retroviral integration sites. Tribi and Evil were up-regulated due to retroviral insertions, and coexpression of these genes significantly accelerated the onset of Hoxa9/Meis1-induced AML, suggesting that Tribi and Evil are the key collaborators. Furthermore, Tribi by itself is a novel myeloid oncogene, enhancing phosphorylation of ERK, resulting in inhibition of apoptosis. These results demonstrate the importance of specific oncogene interaction in myeloid leukemogenesis.


Human consumption of omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFA) has increased due to reported health benefits. Despite the benefits of n-3 PUFA eggs, the addition of omega-3 enriched feedstuffs like flaxseed and fish oil may reduce egg quality. A standard n-PUFA diet containing flaxseed and fish oil (Diet A), a standard n-PUFA diet supplemented with vitamin B6 (Diet B), a standard n-PUFA diet without fish oil (Diet C) and a conventional milo ration (Diet D) were fed to four separate groups of laying hens to evaluate the effect of these diets on egg quality. Three individual shipments of eggs collected from hens fed these diets were received from a commercial layer operation, where these hens were reared. The eggs were stored for three weeks in a refrigerator to simulate consumer storage conditions. The eggs were evaluated for quality by determining whole egg weight, yolk weight, albumen thickness and Vitelline Membrane Strength (VMS). Significant increases in egg weights were observed in Diet B samples in the first egg shipment and Diets B, C and D in the third egg shipment. Yolk weights were significantly increased with Diet B samples from the third collection. No differences were observed in albumen thickness in any of the three shipments of eggs. Numerical increases in VMS were observed in Diets B, C and D in each of the three shipments, but only the third shipment had significant differences with these treatments. These data suggests that the addition of flaxseed and fish oil may negatively affect egg quality. The addition of vitamin B6 or the removal of fish oil to a standard n-PUFA diet may be comparable to a conventional layer ration's effect on egg quality.


Perimedullary anesthetic techniques (epidural or spinal anesthesia), by themselves or combined with general anesthesia offer several advantages in the postoperative period when compared with general anesthesia alone. The incidence of postoperative respiratory and cardiovascular complications is decreased. The physiologic stress reaction, with its associated hypercoagulable state and immune depression, is attenuated. Finally, the resumption of gastrointestinal function is hastened. These benefits of central neural blockade are noted most clearly when the techniques are used for several days postoperatively, most often by catheter based epidural analgesia. The use of local anesthetic agents in the analgesic mixture would appear to be important. This is likely because these substances inhibit the sympathetic nervous system and spinal reflex axes. The role of this inhibition in the advantages of perimedullary techniques is probably important. It is important to note that inhibition of the sympathatetic nervous system can be associated with indesirable consequences in certain patients. These techniques must therefore be used cautiously, and patients who benefit from them must receive careful surveillance.


In the context of adaptive nonparametric curve estimation problem, a common assumption is that a function (signal) to estimate belongs to a nested family of functional classes, parameterized by a quantity which often has a meaning of smoothness amount. It has already been realized by many that the problem of estimating the smoothness is not sensible. What then can be inferred about the smoothness? The paper attempts to answer this question. We consider the implications of our results to hypothesis testing. We also relate them to the problem of adaptive estimation. The test statistic is based on the marginalized maximum likelihood estimator of the smoothness for an appropriate prior distribution on the unknown signal.


Data provided by spatial sensors combined with remote sensing techniques and analysis of the optical properties of waters allow the mapping of the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in aquatic bodies. For this, estimation models require data with the lowest possible amount of atmospheric artifacts. In this study we compared the water remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) of the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir in Porto Velho-RO, Brazil, after applying three different atmospheric corrections algorithms in Sentinel-2/MSI imagery products. The atmospheric corrected reflectances of the MODIS sensor were also used for reference. SSC was calculated with models based on the red and near-infrared (NIR) bands over three distinct regions of the reservoir. Reflectance data showed significant variations for Sentinel-2, bands 4 and 8a, and MODIS, bands RED and IR, when different atmospheric correction algorithms were used. SSC maps and estimates were produced to show sediment load variation as a function of hydrological regime. The analyzes showed that the SSC estimates done with Sentinel-2 / MSI satellite images using GRS (Glint Remove Sentinel) atmospheric correction presented an average difference of 27.3% and were the closest to the in situ measurements. SSC estimates from MODIS products were around 34.6% different from estimates made using the GRS atmospheric correction applied to Sentinel-2 / MSI products.


The influence of stratospheric warming on the atomic oxygen emission at 557.7-nm wavelength (airglow) was investigated based on data obtained at the Geophysical Observatory of ISTP SB RAS (52°N, 103°E) in 1997–2005. In this period, several cases of anomalous behavior of the 557.7-nm emission intensity in the absence of strong geomagnetic disturbances have been recorded. It has been found that these cases of the growth of intensity of atmospheric emission at 557.7 nm in the height region of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, have been caused by strong stratospheric warming when the disturbance covers a wide range of atmospheric altitudes. It should be emphasized that high concentration of centers of stratospheric warming is characteristic of Asia and, in particular, of the East Siberia that can result in the formation of regional peculiarities in characteristics of the airglow.


The objective of this study is to investigate the seismic performance of reinforced concrete columns constructed with low quality of concrete and insufficient transverse reinforcement before and after retrofitting. Totally twenty nearly full size specimens with rectangular cross-section were tested under constant axial load and reversed cyclic lateral loads. Both longitudinal and transverse reinforcements were plain bars. Ten of the specimens had insufficient lap splice length of longitudinal reinforcement between stories as well. Both pre-damaged and undamaged columns with these deficiencies were retrofitted with FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) composite jackets or prefabricated HPFRCC (high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composite) panels. The test results showed that all reference specimens, which were not retrofitted, failed with a premature loss of performance either due to buckling of longitudinal reinforcement or loss of bond, while retrofitted ones exhibited a significantly superior performance, particularly in terms of ductility. It should be noted that the enhancement in performance was less remarkable for the specimens with inadequate lap splice lengths. An analytical work is also presented for prediction of the behavior of the specimens both for continuous and lap spliced longitudinal reinforcement cases.


Federated Learning allows distributed entities to train a common model collaboratively without sharing their own data. Although it prevents data collection and aggregation by exchanging only parameter updates, it remains vulnerable to various inference and reconstruction attacks where a malicious entity can learn private information about the participants' training data from the captured gradients. Differential Privacy is used to obtain theoretically sound privacy guarantees against such inference attacks by noising the exchanged update vectors. However, the added noise is proportional to the model size which can be very large with modern neural networks. This can result in poor model quality. In this paper, compressive sensing is used to reduce the model size and hence increase model quality without sacrificing privacy. We show experimentally, using 2 datasets, that our privacy-preserving proposal can reduce the communication costs by up to 95 % with only a negligible performance penalty compared to traditional non-private federated learning schemes.


: Sixteen feet with hallux valgus and metatarsus primus varus have been treated by excision of the exostosis of the first metatarsal head, advancement of the medial capsule and the abductor hallucis, release of the lateral capsule and adductor tendon, and open-wedge osteotomy at the base of the first metatarsal inserting a bone graft. During a three-year period ther have been no nonunions of the osteotomy, and satisfactory maintenance of the corrections has occurred. This method is preferred over distal metatarsal osteotomy.


A modeling framework for the evaluation of high-occupancy toll (HOT) facilities is discussed. It is based on a traffic simulation-assignment model interfaced with an unordered multinomial logit mode-choice model. The model allows for the prediction of high-occupancy, transit, and single-occupancy vehicle modal shares, based on prevailing traffic conditions and tolls. Also presented is an illustrative investigation of the sensitivity to various elements of the modal-choice function using the methodology and of the effect of different HOT facility features on HOT lane usage and associated system performance. These features include HOT lane configurations, pricing levels, carpooling attractiveness, changing departure times, and sensitivity to generalized cost. A representation of the south-central part of I-35W and the supporting roadways in the Fort Worth, Texas, area was used in the study. The results of the simulations were analyzed under each of the operating and behavior characteristics to evaluate the potential success of an HOT facility. Improving the carpooling attractiveness decreases the number of vehicles on the roadway but may not necessarily improve the average travel time for the system as a whole. The larger the departure-time window, the easier it is for travelers to carpool; however, the relatively small number of people choosing the HOV mode may inhibit the average travel time for the system from reflecting the impacts of the reduced vehicle trips. Increasing the sensitivity to time, or generalized cost, raises the HOV mode share when there is an HOT facility available.


It has been well documented that immigrants' clustering of residence in large cities has been associated with the creation of a number of ethnic enclaves. The intensive exposure to own-ethnic population could affect immigrant labour market involvement positively or negatively. However, no extant Canadian research has provided empirical evidence on the sign of these enclave effects. In this paper, I use the 1981-2001 Censuses to estimate the impact of residence in ethnic enclaves on male immigrants' labour force participation rate and employment probability. For recent immigrants who arrived in Canada within the preceding ten years, the intensity of enclave residence is negatively associated with their labour force participation rate, but positively related to their employment probability in all censuses. However, living in an enclave has no significant effect on the labour force activity of older immigrants who have lived in Canada for more than twenty years. Since immigrants could be attracted to areas with more job opportunities and hence enlarge the size of an enclave, the estimated effects from probit regressions might be positively biased. I then use instrumental variable (IV) method to address this endogeneity problem, and the IV estimates are consistent with the probit regression results.


Infection of Vero cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 results in the appearance in soluble extracts of a DNA primase activity. The partially purified enzyme, Mr, approximately 100,000, is identical in resistance to alpha-amanitin, pH profile, Mg2+ dependence, salt sensitivity, and KmATP to the catalytic core of Vero cell mitochondrial RNA polymerase. Moreover, the products synthesized are those expected of an RNA polymerase rather than a DNA primase. Inasmuch as the enzyme is not present in soluble extracts of uninfected Vero cells, we presume that the specific appearance of RNA polymerase in extracts of herpesvirus-infected cells results from infection-induced disruption of the mitochondrial membrane, followed by release of the enzyme into the cytosol.


The current construction supply chain is characterised by multiple subcontractors who perform most work on a construction project; provide their own resources, and coordinate between themselves under the general guidance of a main contractor. In fact, subcontractors' schedules are integrated only at master level within the general contractor's schedule and can be considered as distributed and heterogeneous. As a result, their coordination and integration can be a very challenging task. Although schedule coordination and integration could provide important benefits to the time and cost of construction projects, it has not attracted much attention from researchers and commercial software providers. This paper outlines the development of a solution for the coordination of schedules in the construction supply chain. While enabling coordination, the solution aims to put minimum constraints on planners; to accommodate planning information coming from different commercial planning tools, and to provide decision making capabilities. In addition, the solution is integrated within a 5D planning environment where the integrated schedules can be visualised and rehearsed.


Human M-ficolin is a pathogen-associated molecular recognition molecule in the innate immune system, and it binds to some sugars, such as GlcNAc (N-acetylglucosamine), on pathogen surfaces. From previous structural and functional studies of the FD1 (M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain), we proposed that the ligand-binding region of FD1 exists in a conformational equilibrium between active and non-active states depending on three groups with a pK(a) of 6.2, which are probably histidine residues, and suggested that the 2-state conformational equilibrium as well as the trimer formation contributes to the discrimination mechanism between self and non-self of FD1 [Tanio, M., Kondo, S., Sugio, S. and Kohno, T. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 3889-3895]. To investigate the origins of the pH dependency, mutational analyses were performed on FD1 expressed by Brevibacillus choshinensis. The GlcNAc binding study of a series of single histidine mutants of FD1 demonstrated that His(251), His(284) and His(297) are required for the activity, and thus we concluded that the three histidines are the origins of the pH dependency of FD1. Monomeric mutants of FD1 show weaker affinity for the ligand than the trimeric wild-type, indicating that trimer formation confers high avidity for the ligand. In addition, analyses of the GlcNAc association and dissociation of FD1 provided evidence that FD1 always exchanges between the active and non-active states with the pH-dependent populations in solution. The biological roles of the histidine-regulated conformational equilibrium of M-ficolin are discussed in terms of the self and non-self discrimination mechanism.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one relapsing and lifelong disease that affects millions of patients worldwide. Increasing evidence has recently highlighted immune-system dysfunction, especially toll-like receptors (TLRs)-mediated innate immune dysfunction, as central players in the pathogenesis of IBD. TLRs and TLR-activated signaling pathways are involved not only in the pathogenesis but also in the efficacy of treatment of IBD. By understanding these molecular mechanisms, we might develop a strategy for relieving the experience of long-lasting suffering of those patients and improving their quality of life. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the potential mechanisms of TLR signaling pathways in IBD and the novel potential therapeutic strategies against IBD.


Emerging classes of bioresorbable electronic materials serve as the basis for active biomedical implants that are capable of providing sensing, monitoring, stimulating, and other forms of function over an operating period matched to biological processes such as wound healing. These platforms are of interest because subsequent dissolution, enzymatic degradation, and/or bioresorption can eliminate the need for surgical extraction. This report introduces natural wax materials as long‐lived, hydrophobic encapsulation layers for such systems, where biodegradation eventually occurs by chain scission. Studies of wax stability as an encapsulation material demonstrate the ability to retain operation of underlying biodegradable electronic systems for durations between a few days to a few weeks during complete immersion in aqueous solutions in ex‐vivo physiological conditions. Electrically conductive composites result from the addition of tungsten micro/nanoparticles, as a conductive, printable paste with similar lifetimes. Demonstrations of these materials in partially biodegradable wireless light‐emitting diodes and near‐field communication circuits illustrate their use in functional bioresorbable electronic systems. Investigations in animal models reveal no signs of toxicity or other adverse biological responses.


Several attempts have been made by various governmental, non-governmental and international organisations to address agricultural related challenges in the sub-Saharan African region, but without any meaningful positive impact. In recent time however, FARA came up with a new research paradigm known as the IAR4D (which has now been tested to be a potent instrument to be used in addressing these challenges. This study is therefore conceived to among other things; evaluate the impact of the IAR4D on marketed crop outcomes, making use of the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method of imapct Assessment. The PSM in this study makes use of the counterfactual framework via the IAR4D's Innovation Platforms. Average marketed values of cereals of the treated (IAR4D farmers) sample due to participation in the IP activities based on the PSM (ATT) was $ 249 (p<5%), for legumes, $ 192 (p<1%) and for fruits/vegetables, $ 229 (p<5%). These values are indication of the impact of the IAR4D intervention on the marketed crop outcomes. This suggests that, agricultural research and intervention programmes that make use of innovation systems approach such as the IAR4D' Innovation Platforms have a stong positive impact on marketed crop outcomes and therefore have a better potential of having much stronger and positive impact on other livelihood outcomes.


The present study determined the presence of constitutive and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase activities in intestinal isolated epithelial cells and the effects of NO induction on intestinal epithelial cell viability. Epithelial cells were isolated from rat proximal small intestine by dispersion using citrate and EDTA. Constitutive NO synthase activity, determined by [14C]arginine conversion to citrulline that was inhibited by in vitro incubation with the arginine analogue NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 300 microM) or ethylene glycol-bis (beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA; 1 mM), was observed in these cells. Administration of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 3 mg/kg iv) significantly augmented NO synthase activity (determined 4 h later), which was inhibited in vitro by incubation with L-NMMA but not by EGTA. The highest level of constitutive and inducible NO synthase activity occurred in intestinal villus cells, and the lowest was in crypt cells. Induction of NO synthase activity was associated with a decrease in cellular viability as assessed by a decrease in trypan blue exclusion. Dexamethasone pretreatment (1 mg/kg iv 2 h before LPS administration) significantly reduced both induction of NO synthase activity and the reduction in cellular viability. Likewise concurrent administration of the NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10 mg/kg sc) ameliorated the reduction in cell viability induced by LPS administration, an effect abolished by pretreatment with the NO substrate L-arginine (350 mg/kg sc). Whereas constitutively formed NO may have a physiological role in these cells, the results in this study suggest that induction of NO synthase in epithelial cells may represent a mechanism of local intestinal damage.


The effects of temperature and flow rate on enthalpies of transfer and the resulting vaporization enthalpies measured by correlation-gas chromatography are examined at the mean temperatures of measurement for a series of alkanes. The study is an effort to understand the parameters affecting the magnitude of the enthalpy of transfer of the analyte from the stationary phase of the column to the gas phase. An endothermic enthalpy of solution or association of the analyte with the stationary phase of the column, ΔslnHm(Tm), is observed which appears quite sensitive to temperature. A considerably less endothermic ΔslnHm(Tm) value is observed with (d)- and (l)-menthol, and this becomes weakly exothermic with (d)- and (l)-limonene on chiral columns containing cyclodextrin and its derivatives. The endothermicity and sensitivity to temperature observed on achiral columns offers an explanation of how it is possible to measure enthalpies of vaporization of large hydrocarbons that exceed the strength of the weakest b...


Plague, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been responsible for at least 3 pandemics. During 1582–1583, a plague outbreak devastated the seaport of Alghero in Sardinia. By analyzing contemporary medical texts and local documentation, we uncovered the pivotal role played by the Protomedicus of Alghero, Quinto Tiberio Angelerio (1532–1617), in controlling the epidemic. Angelerio imposed rules and antiepidemic measures new to the 16th-century sanitary system of Sardinia. Those measures undoubtedly spared the surrounding districts from the spread of the contagion. Angelerio seems to have been an extremely successful public health officer in the history of plague epidemics in Sardinia.


Dendritic cells (DC) have been found to accumulate in lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, localized in lymphoid follicles together with activated T and B cells. However, their pathogenetic relevance in pulmonary fibrosis is poorly defined. We here found that mice exposed to adenoviral gene transfer of biologically active TGF-β1 (AdTGF-β1) to trigger pulmonary fibrosis responded with significantly increased accumulation particularly of CD11bpos DC, but also CD103pos DC in their lung tissue, compared to control mice. Gene expression profiling of sorted lung DC subsets from AdTGF-β1 versus control vector exposed mice revealed CD11b DC much more than CD103 DC to express markers of extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover such as MMP-2 and -7 as well as tissue inhibitors of MMPs, suggesting particularly lung CD11b DC to contribute to regulation of ECM deposition. Diphtheria toxin treatment of AdTGF-β1 exposed chimeric zDC+/DTR mice, leading to selective depletion of DCs while sparing macrophages, led to significantly reduced numbers of lung DC accompanied by progressive lung fibrosis in mice. Moreover, FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 ligand (Flt3L) KO mice characterized by congenital lack of major lung DC subsets responded to AdTGF-β1 exposure with progressive lung fibrosis in the absence of lung DC accumulation, relative to WT mice. Together, the data show that i) pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by increased accumulation of DC subsets in lung tissue of mice, and that ii) selective depletion of lung DCs in diphtheria toxin-dependent and –independent model systems aggravates pulmonary fibrosis, thereby suggesting a regulatory role of lung DCs in pulmonary fibrogenesis.


The delivery and assessment of quality health care is complex with many interacting and interdependent components. In terms of research design and statistical analysis, this complexity and interdependency makes it difficult to assess the true impact of interventions designed to improve patient health care outcomes. Interrupted time series (ITS) is a quasi‐experimental design developed for inferring the effectiveness of a health policy intervention while accounting for temporal dependence within a single system or unit. Current standardized ITS methods do not simultaneously analyze data for several units nor are there methods to test for the existence of a change point and to assess statistical power for study planning purposes in this context. To address this limitation, we propose the "Robust Multiple ITS" (R‐MITS) model, appropriate for multiunit ITS data, that allows for inference regarding the estimation of a global change point across units in the presence of a potentially lagged (or anticipatory) treatment effect. Under the R‐MITS model, one can formally test for the existence of a change point and estimate the time delay between the formal intervention implementation and the over‐all‐unit intervention effect. We conducted empirical simulation studies to assess the type one error rate of the testing procedure, power for detecting specified change‐point alternatives, and accuracy of the proposed estimating methodology. R‐MITS is illustrated by analyzing patient satisfaction data from a hospital that implemented and evaluated a new care delivery model in multiple units.


PURPOSE
The predictive value of topoisomerase-II alpha (topo-II) has been evaluated in advanced breast cancer patients randomly treated with single-agent doxorubicin or docetaxel.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Primary tumor samples from patients enrolled in a randomized, phase III clinical trial comparing single-agent doxorubicin (75 mg/m(2) q3wks) with docetaxel (100 mg/m(2) q3wks) were collected and topo-II status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (clone KiS1).

RESULTS
Topo-II status was evaluated in 108 samples, 55 (51%) in the doxorubicin arm and 53 (49%) in the docetaxel arm. An increment of 10% in cells expressing topo-II is associated with a statistically significant odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval) of 1.09 (1.03-1.15; P = 0.002) for overall response to doxorubicin versus 1.002 (0.94-1.07; P = 0.95) in the docetaxel arm. With increasing topo-II, the favorable OR for overall response to docetaxel compared with doxorubicin decreases to become not significant in patients with topo-II tumor content >10%. In a multivariate analysis, (a) HER-2 status seems positively correlated with overall response to chemotherapy (OR, 2.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-6.27; P = 0.09). (b) Overall response to doxorubicin is significantly lower than overall response to docetaxel (OR, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.64; P = 0.009) but with a significant interaction term for doxorubicin-treated patients with topo-II tumor content >10% (OR, 8.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.86-37.03; P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
(a) Topo-II overexpression confers a higher probability of response in the doxorubicin arm only. (b) Despite being a small retrospective study, this study is in line with previously reported studies and the hypotheses raised are now being tested in a prospective neoadjuvant trial.


In efforts to save premium, some farmers are considering lowering coverage levels and relying more on Agricultural Risk Coverage at the county level (ARC-CO) to provide a revenue safety net. Also, there may be a move to yield insurances under the assumption that ARC-CO can provide price protection. Both changes would be moving away from the current practice of using either Revenue Protection (RP) or Area Revenue Protection (ARP) at high coverage levels (see farmdoc daily January 20, 2016). The following analysis uses a McLean County example to evaluate protection offered by ARC-CO and plans within the Combo product. This analysis suggests lowering coverage levels may be imprudent. Moreover, yield insurance has limited abilities to reduce downside revenue risks as compared to Revenue Projection (RP). RP at high coverage levels is still a good choice for crop insurance. A possible alternative to RP could be RP with the harvest price exclusion (RPwExcl); however, there are risks associated with using RPwExcl.


The large-scale analysis of historical events data makes it possible to trace key points of cultural and social exchange in history. There has been research focused on facilitating the integration and interpretation of events from heterogeneous sources (such as memoirs, books, and biographies) mainly considering events as a sequence of spatiotemporal objects. However, exploring and discovering new connections (e.g., collaborations, interactions) between people does require characterising those events with dimensions that are relevant to the scholarly enquiry such as the actual participants and nature of the event. This paper describes the concept of historical meetup to represent the encounters (for instance, collaborations, exchanges, links) between personalities of European history and formalise its constituent parts as an ontology. Furthermore, we report on preliminary work undertaken to generate a Knowledge Graph of historical meetups extracted from encyclopedic sources, i.e. biographies collected from Wikipedia. We discuss our results and illustrate the challenges of extracting such type of knowledge from biographical sources. The current experimental setting explores historical meetups in the European musical culture between 1800 and 1945. Our work sketches the basis for applying event knowledge graphs to cultural and social history research, providing support for the analysis, and exchange of ideas and practices.


Background/Aim. It is considered that over 450 million people worldwide suffer from some form of mental disorder. Previous studies in other countries have shown that schizophrenia is among the most frequent. Oral health is significant for general health and should not be separated from mental health. Studies in other countries have shown an increased incidence of carious and extracted teeth, and less incidence of filled teeth in this group of psychiatric patients. The aim of this study was to establish condition of the existing teeth, to determine the prevalence of caries and to consider possible risk factors that contribute to the current oral health status of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Methods. The study comprised 190 patients with schizophrenia, hospitalized at the Clinic for Psychiatric Disorders "Dr. Laza Lazarevi ć " in Belgrade, and 190 mentally healthy patients at the Clinic for Periodontology and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine in Belgrade. The decayed, missing, filled (DMF) index, sociodemographic and economic characteristics were registered in both groups, as well as characteristics of the primary disease of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Results. The value of DMF index (representing the sum of carious, extracted and filled teeth), in the hospitalized patients with schizophrenia was 18.57 ± 7.07 and 12.47 ± 5.64 in the healthy group ( p = 0.000). The structure of the DMF index in the study group showed that caries and extracted teeth dominated with 88.1%; in the control group, filled teeth dominated with 55.6%, which was a statistically significant difference for all the three observed variables. Conclusion. Hospitalized patients with schizophrenia had twice as many caries and extracted teeth, and five time less filled teeth than healthy people. The patient's age and taking antiparkinsonics were estab-lished as predictors of the increased DMF index in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.


The impact of structural changes in fiscal policy on macroeconomic stability in Australia and other developed economies since the mid‐1970s is assessed. The evidence points to a destabilising influence from fiscal policy from the mid‐1970s to the mid‐1980s, with a more stabilising influence since then. Within Australia, there is some evidence that structural changes to fiscal policy may have helped to stabilise interest rates and the real exchange rate over the period since the mid‐1980s. However, this stabilising influence on the real exchange rate may have reduced the extent to which real exchange rate movements have countervailed world commodity price changes in Australian dollar terms.


This research paper focuses on the investigation of a chain of events in the life of a little girl named as Malala Yousaf Zai, who has proved herself as a source of courage in the way of every obstacle that hampers the achievement of her aims and objectives. Malala Yousaf Zai is a symbol of pride and strength for the acquisition of education in Pakistan. She started campaigning for girls' education against Taliban who imposed restrictions on the acquirement of girls' education in the region of Swat valley in North West Pakistan. Little Malala is a gigantic challenge for them in the way of achievement of their atrocious aims.


Agonistic and antagonistic analogs of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) inhibit the growth of various cancers in vivo. This effect is mainly exerted through the suppression of the pituitary-gonadal axis and the creation of a state of sex steroid deprivation. In addition, much evidence has been accumulated in the past few years that LHRH analogs can also have direct effects on tumor growth mediated by specific LHRH receptors (-R) on tumor cells. Although an involvement of LHRH in the proliferation of some cancer cells has been postulated, it is still not clear at present whether LHRH produced locally has a stimulatory or inhibitory effect. In the present study we investigated whether LHRH can function as an autocrine growth factor in ovarian cancer. ES-2 human ovarian cancer cell line expresses mRNA for LHRH, which is apparently translated into peptide LHRH and then secreted by the cells, as demonstrated for the first time by the detection of LHRH-like immunoreactivity in conditioned media from the cells cultured in vitro. ES-2 cells also express mRNA for LHRH receptors. [D-Trp6]LHRH agonist at 10 ng/ml stimulates the proliferation of ES-2 in vitro after 48 h, but is inhibitory after 72 h and at concentrations of 1000 ng/ml. LHRH antagonist Cetrorelix inhibits growth of ES-2 cell line only at 1000 ng/ml. The incubation of ES-2 ovarian cancer cells in vitro with an LHRH antibody inhibited cell proliferation in a time and concentration-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest that LHRH may function as an autocrine growth factor in ovarian cancer.


The problem of this paper lies in the weakness of teaching ethical professional practices in the academic programs of architecture colleges. Students have some shortcomings in the knowledge of professional ethical deviations that occur in building construction projects, and how they are handled, because of the lack of inclusion and coverage of professional ethics in the curricula of the current architecture taught to students. This could result in falling in the lapses that disturb work, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The paper reviewed an analysis of the programs and plans of architecture colleges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The search included the application of the (Delphi Method) in interviews with experts from the faculty members at King Saud University, King Abdul Aziz University and Abdul Rahman Al Faisal University. The research resulted in the proposed final framework for the programs and plans of the architecture colleges, and the need to integrate the teaching of professional ethical practices in the curricula of architecture colleges. The results include the following: Professional science for project management, contracts and documents by (33%), while the environmental control by (31%), and reached the lowest percentage of documents design and architectural details by (4%), while construction and construction percentage was close by (16%).


The detection of non-baryonic dark matter through its gamma-ray annihilation in the centre of our galaxy has been studied. The gamma fluxes according to different models have been simulated and compared to those expected to be observed with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), during a long-term mission on board of the International Space Station. Under the assumption that the dark matter is composed of the lightest, stable supersymmetric particle, the neutralino, the results of the simulations in the framework of mSU GRA models, show that with a cuspy dark matter halo profile or a clumpy halo, the annihilation gamma-ray signal would be detected by AMS. More optimistic perspectives are obtained with the Anomaly Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking (AMSB) model. The latter leads also to a cosmologically important 6 Li abundance. Finally, the discovery potential for the massive Kaluza-Klein dark matter candidates has been evaluated and their detection looks feasible.


Students with learning disabilities (LD) are increasingly expected to master content in the general education curriculum, making the need for effective instructional supports more important than ever before. Science is a part of the curriculum that can be particularly challenging to students with LD because of the diverse demands it places on cognitive performance. In this summary we review a number of strategies that have been validated for learners with LD. The strategies include supports for (a) verbal learning of declarative information, (b) processing information in texts, (c) activities-based instruction/experiential learning, (d) scientific thinking and reasoning, and (e) differentiated instruction. We also summarize the research regarding the impact of teacher behavior on achievement for students with LD in science education. The strategies reviewed yield tangible and positive effect sizes that suggest that their application to the target domain will substantially improve outcomes for students with LD in science education.


Differences in plasma membrane mobility or clustering of an opioid receptor may underlie the different effects of its agonists. Spatiotemporal opioid receptor signaling The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is a GPCR that mediates the effects of endogenous opioids and opioid analgesics, such as morphine. Different MOR agonists produce different biological effects, in part by differentially regulating receptor phosphorylation and internalization. In cells transfected with MOR, Halls et al. examined downstream signaling in the absence of receptor internalization. Whereas the synthetic opioid DAMGO stimulated receptor movement within the plasma membrane and transiently increased ERK activity in both the cytosol and nucleus, morphine stimulated a protein kinase C–dependent pathway that restricted MOR movement and produced prolonged cytosolic ERK activity. Similar effects were observed in mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, suggesting that the differences in plasma membrane mobility or clustering of MOR may underlie the differential effects of its agonists in vivo. Differential regulation of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), a G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein)–coupled receptor, contributes to the clinically limiting effects of opioid analgesics, such as morphine. We used biophysical approaches to quantify spatiotemporal MOR signaling in response to different ligands. In human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells overexpressing MOR, morphine caused a Gβγ-dependent increase in plasma membrane–localized protein kinase C (PKC) activity, which resulted in a restricted distribution of MOR within the plasma membrane and induced sustained cytosolic extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. In contrast, the synthetic opioid peptide DAMGO ([d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin) enabled receptor redistribution within the plasma membrane, resulting in transient increases in cytosolic and nuclear ERK activity, and, subsequently, receptor internalization. When Gβγ subunits or PKCα activity was inhibited or when the carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation sites of MOR were mutated, morphine-activated MOR was released from its restricted plasma membrane localization and stimulated a transient increase in cytosolic and nuclear ERK activity in the absence of receptor internalization. Thus, these data suggest that the ligand-induced redistribution of MOR within the plasma membrane, and not its internalization, controls its spatiotemporal signaling.


This thesis, entitled The Headmaster and the Music, is based on interviews with four headmasters, who are all working in the Swedish compulsory school. The purpose is to investigate how they view music, both in general and as a school subject. Since the research on this topic is scarce, the study can be described as explorative. The result shows that the headmasters' personal experiences have an impact on the way they view music. Four different focus points on music in school have emerged from the material, and these represent the four very different views that each headmaster holds. The study also presents a diversity of opinions on the value of music as a school subject. This diversity can be looked upon as problematic, but can also be seen as representing the versatile potential that music comprises as a subject in the Swedish compulsory school.


SUMMARY: Clupein at 0·02-0·05% in the liquid nutrient medium used to cultivate nodule bacteria, rapidly killed the bacteria and slowly inactivated a bacteriophage that attacked them. When added to a bacterial culture in liquid medium before adding phage, clupein prevented phage and bacteria from combining; when added after the two had combined, clupein interrupted further stages of phage-host interaction. Clupein at 0·0016% acted bacteriostatically and slowed phage multiplication but did not stop it. Trypsin and chymotrypsin hydrolyse clupein, trypsin breaking about twice as many peptide bonds as chymotrypsin. At a concentration corresponding to 0·02-0·05% clupein, the peptides produced by chymotrypsin acted bacteriostatically in the liquid nutrient medium; the peptides inactivated phage much more slowly than did intact clupein, and they inhibited phage multiplication by interfering with the combination between phage and host. When added after phage and bacteria had combined, the peptides did not interfere with further stages of phage-host interaction. The smaller peptides produced by trypsin had no effect on host bacteria, phage, or phage/host interaction.
Phage preparations partially inactivated by clupein had their activity partially restored by incubation with trypsin or chymotrypsin.
Clupein, but none of its hydrolytic products, made phage with much non-phage material sedimentable by slow-speed centrifugation.


Many democratic nations are experiencing increased levels of false information circulating through social media and political websites that mimic journalism formats. In many cases, this disinformation is associated with the efforts of movements and parties on the radical right to mobilize supporters against centre parties and the mainstream press that carries their messages. The spread of disinformation can be traced to growing legitimacy problems in many democracies. Declining citizen confidence in institutions undermines the credibility of official information in the news and opens publics to alternative information sources. Those sources are often associated with both nationalist (primarily radical right) and foreign (commonly Russian) strategies to undermine institutional legitimacy and destabilize centre parties, governments and elections. The Brexit campaign in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald Trump in the United States are among the most prominent examples of disinformation campaigns intended to disrupt normal democratic order, but many other nations display signs of disinformation and democratic disruption. The origins of these problems and their implications for political communication research are explored.


Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiency has been known as a key factor in limiting crop production in calcareous soils of arid and semi-arid regions. Since the components of organic matter can change Fe and Zn availability, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of humic treatments including humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), vermicompost (Verm), HA+FA and HA+FA+Verm and mycorhiza inoculation on some growth characteristics of soybean and Fe and Zn uptake under greenhouse conditions. Results showed that significant differences among humic substances and mycorrhiza were recorded for soybean growth and Fe and Zn uptake. The response of soybean plants to humic substances was different. The largest increases in plant height, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight and root dry weight were found in humic acid amended soil, being 0.9 fold, 2.37 fold, 6.11 fold, 3.54 fold and 5.5 fold, respectively, as compared to the control. Mycorrhiza also improved soybean growth characteristics. Humic treatments (with an exception for humic acid and vermicompost) increased Fe and Zn content of soybean aerial parts. The highest Fe content (657.3 mg/kg) and Zn content (87.4 mg/kg) was measured in plants treated with fulvic acid. Mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in 10% increase in Fe and 64% in Zn content of soybean as compared to control plants. The results of this research revealed that application of humic acid and mycorrhiza can improve soybean growth by increasing the uptake of Fe and Zn.


Recent Supreme Court decisions declaring unconstitutional both capital punishment (Roper v. Simmons, 2005) and life without parole (Graham v. Florida, 2010) in cases involving juveniles might lead a casual observer to think that we are now in an era in which dignity of juveniles is privileged in the legal system and in which humiliation and shame are subordinated. This observation, sadly, would be wrong.
Inquiries into a range of issues involving juveniles – commitment to psychiatric institutions; trials in juvenile courts; aspects of criminal procedure that, in many jurisdictions, bar juveniles from raising the incompetency status or the insanity defense; waivers that allow juveniles (some younger than 14) to be tried as adults; caselaw that has developed on the question of the validity of Miranda waivers in juvenile cases; conditions in juvenile punishment facilities – reveal that, regularly, juveniles are subject to shame and humiliation in all aspects of the legal system that relate to arrest, trial, conviction and institutionalization, shame and humiliation that are often exacerbated in cases involving racial minorities and those who are economically impoverished.
First, we discuss the meanings of shame and humiliation, and contextualize them into the juvenile justice system that we discuss in this paper. Next, we look specifically at how this is reflected in caselaw involving psychiatric institutionalization and the criminal process (including, but not limited to, juvenile delinquency prosecutions, matters involving mental status defenses, and the correctional system. We then consider these findings through the filters of therapeutic jurisprudence and international human rights laws, urging that these approaches be relied upon so as to best remediate the current state of affairs and infuse this system with some badly-needed dignity. Although scholarship by judges concludes that "Juvenile justice professionals should treat family members with dignity and respect" (Burkemper, Balsam & Yeh, 2007), it is clear that this is, more often than not, not the case.
Remarkably, there is a paucity of recent legal scholarship available on much of what is discussed in this paper. We hope that this paper encourages others – judges, scholars, policymakers – to think carefully about the questions we seek to address, and to weigh equally carefully the ultimate impact that out current policies – drenched in shame and humiliation – have on the population in question.


The problem of image reconstruction from incomplete data can be formulated as a linear inverse problem and is usually approached using optimization theory tools. Total variation (TV) regularization has been widely applied in this framework, due to its effectiveness in capturing spatial information and availability of elegant, fast algorithms. In this paper we show that significant improvements can be gained by extending this approach with a Markov Random Field (MRF) model for image gradient magnitudes. We propose a novel method that builds upon the Chambolle's fast projected algorithm designed for solving TV minimization problem. In the Chambolle's algorithm, we incorporate a MRF model which selects only a subset of image gradients to be effectively included in the algorithm iterations. The proposed algorithm is especially effective when a large portion of image data is missing. We also apply the proposed method to demosacking where algorithm shows less sensitivity to the initial choice of the tuning parameter and also for its wide range of values outperformes the method without the MRF model.


The authors investigated the association of dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes in a 4-year prospective study of 36,787 adults in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (1990-1994). A total of 31,641 (86%) participants completed follow-up, and 365 cases were identified. Four factors with eigenvalues of greater than 2 were identified using the principal factor method with 124 foods/beverages, followed by orthogonal rotation. Variables with factor loadings having absolute values of 0.3 or greater were used in interpreting the factors. Odds ratios for diabetes incidence across quintiles of factor scores were computed by use of logistic regression, adjusting for age, energy intake, family history of diabetes, country of birth, and other factor scores. Factor 1, characterized by olive oil, salad vegetables, and legumes and by avoidance of sweet bakery items, margarine, and tea, was associated with country of birth but not with diabetes. Factor 2, characterized by salad and cooked vegetables, was inversely associated with diabetes. Factor 3, characterized by meats and fatty foods, was associated with increased diabetes risk. A range of fruits loaded strongly on factor 4, which showed little association with diabetes. Avoidance of a dietary pattern including meats and fatty foods, as well as adherence to a pattern including salad and cooked vegetables, is recommended.


Two cases of intestinal obstruction caused by peaches are reported. In the first case steamed dried peaches were eaten by a 56-year-old woman who had undergone a Billroth I gastrectomy 18 years previously, while in the second case canned peach halves were swallowed whole by a 75-year-old edentulous man. The cases both typify the usual clinical setting of bolus obstruction, certain aspects of which are discussed. The responsibility of the attending practitioner to advise his high-risk patients with regard to their diets is emphasized.


We isolated cDNA clones that represent genes whose expression is enhanced when resting Swiss mouse 3T3 cells are stimulated to proliferate with serum. Two clones (designated pME1 and pMR6) were analyzed further. A partial sequence analysis of the pME1 insert DNA indicated that it contained a 104-base-pair stretch with extensive homology to the 3' untranslated region of gamma actin. Similar analysis of the insert DNA from the pMR6 clone indicated that it did not correspond to any previously reported gene sequence. We used the pME1 clone as a probe to determine the level of gamma actin-specific transcript in 3T3 cells under a variety of conditions. The level of gamma actin-specific mRNA began to increase in resting cells upon serum stimulation and reached a peak at 6 h. Thereafter its level declined, and by 24 h it was hardly detectable. In contrast, pMR6-specific transcript was detectable in resting cells but remained elevated even at 24 h poststimulation. The level of gamma-actin mRNA was elevated in resting cells by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, calcium ionophore A23187, and bombesin and to a lesser extent by cholera toxin, fibroblast-derived growth factor, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. However, insulin, vasopressin, or epidermal growth factor failed to enhance gamma-actin mRNA levels in resting cells. Inhibitors of transcription diminished the induction of gamma-actin mRNA. Gamma-actin gene was superinduced in serum-stimulated cells by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of translation. Analysis of proteins from serum-stimulated cells by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis indicated that enhanced transcription of gamma-actin mRNA resulted in a concomitant increase in the corresponding actin protein. The possible role of gamma actin, a component of the cytoskeleton, in the regulation of cell growth is discussed.


Pier concrete is vulnerable to cracking when using concrete rapid construction after long off period. In order to solve this problem, crack mechanism and effects of several temperature control measures of thin-walled structure concrete is analyzed. Through analyzing the temperature and stress time-space variation using 3D finite element method, it can be found that stress is more sensitive to controlling concrete placing temperature than other measures. It also shows that under the condition of taking other proper temperature control measures, low placing temperature can not be spared.


After analysis of reproduction records of two types of karyotypes (2n=50 & 2n=49) of triple crossbreed buffaloes (TCB) and studies of synaptinemal complex and sperm chromosome of 2n=49 TCB, the results showed that 2 sorts of normal gametes (n=24 and n=25) and 2 sorts of abnormal gametes (n=24+1 and n=25-1) were produced in 2n=49 TCB. Thus, both male and female of 2n=49 TCB are reproducible, and chromosomal polymorphyism (2n=50, 2n=49 & 2n=48) occurred in the progenies after intermating. But its fertility decreased because of aneuploidy combined between normal and abnormal gametes. Compared with 2n=50 TCB, the conception rates for individual inseminations and for whole year reduced 12.3% and 6.4%, calving interval were prolonged by 97.6 days, and calf numbers in its lifetime (up to 11-year old) were lower by approximate 1.5 calves, respectively.


Background Knowledge of injury patterns, an integral step towards injury prevention, is lacking in youth handball. Objective To investigate if an increase in weekly handball participation is associated with increased shoulder injury rates compared with decrease or a minor increase, and if a potential association is influenced by scapular control, isometric shoulder strength, or glenohumeral range of motion (ROM). Design Prospective cohort study with weekly reports on shoulder injury, and handball participation over 31 weeks using the SMS, Phone and Medical Examination system. Assessment of shoulder isometric rotational and abduction strength, ROM and scapular control was performed at baseline and mid-season. Setting Danish elite youth handball. Participants 686 players were enrolled. Seven players were excluded, and data from 36 players were censored. Assessment of Risk Factors Weekly change in handball participation categorised into (1) <20% increase or decrease (reference), (2) increase between 20–60%, (3) increase >60% relative to the weekly average amount of handball participation the preceding four weeks. Scapular control, isometric shoulder strength and ROM were included as effect measure modifiers. Main Outcome Measurements Any handball-related shoulder problem irrespective of the need for time loss or medical attention. Results An increase in handball participation by >60% was associated with greater shoulder injury rate (Hazard Ratio (HR):1.91; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.00; 3.70, p=0.05) compared with the reference group. The effect of an increase in handball participation between 20% to 60% was exacerbated amongst players with reduced external rotation strength (HR:4.0; 95% CI 1.1; 15.2, p=0.04) or scapular dyskinesis (HR 4.8; 95% CI 1.3; 18.3, p=0.02). Reduced external strength also exacerbated the effect of an increase above 60% (HR: 4.2; 95% CI 1.4; 12.8, p=0.01). Conclusions A large increase in weekly handball participation increases the shoulder injury rate in elite youth handball players; particularly in the presence of reduced external rotational strength or scapular dyskinesis.


What explains the origins and survival of the first states around five thousand years ago? In this research, we focus on the role of productivity shocks for early state development in a single region: ancient Egypt. We introduce a model of extractive state consolidation that predicts that political instability should be low whenever environmental circumscription is high, i.e., whenever there is a large gap between the productivity of the area under state control (core) and that of the surrounding areas (hinterland). In these periods the elite can impose high levels of taxation that the population will be forced to accept as exit is not an attractive option. In order to test this hypothesis, we develop novel proxies for historical productivities on the basis of high-resolution paleoclimate archives. Our empirical analysis then investigates the relationship between proxies of the productivity of the Nile banks and of the Egyptian hinterland on the one hand, and political outcomes such as ruler and dynastic tenure durations and the intensity of pyramid construction on the other, during 2685 - 750 BCE. Our results show that while both too high or too low Nile floods are associated with a greater degree of political instability, periods with a greater rainfall in the hinterland (and hence a lower degree of environmental circumscription) are associated with an immediate rise in military and pyramid construction activity but also with a delayed increase in political instability, since the decline in effective circumscription provides the farming population with an outside option in the hinterland.


A simple bio-economic model of a single industry exploiting a single resource stock was set. The model was applied empirically to determine the optimal economic rents of the Lake Victoria Nile perch fishery. The theoretical model is based on the Schaefer (1954) model on dynamics of population and the Fox (1970) exponential surplus model for optimisation. The main elements of this model are (i) a biomass growth function, (ii) a harvest function and (iii) a fisheries profit function. The current biomass, fishing effort, profits and economic rents were determined against those of an optimal sustainable fishery at an equilibrium level. The fishery inefficiency was determined and an optimal recovery path devised. An efficient management system was proposed to induce efficiency in the fishery and give incentives to fishers in the implementation of a fishery recovery strategy and for sustainable fishery management.


Fusicoccin (FC), a fungal phytotoxin, stimulates the H -ATPase located in the plasma membrane (PM) of higher plants. The first event in the reaction chain leading to enhanced H -efflux seems to be the binding of FC to a FC-binding protein (FCBP) in the PM. We solubilized 90% of the FCBP from oat (Avena sativa L. cv Victory) root PM in an active form with 1% octyl-glucoside. The FCBP was stabilized by the presence of protease inhibitors. The FCBP was purified by affinity chromatography using FC-linked adipic acid dihydrazide agarose (FC-AADA). Upon elution with 8 molar urea, two major protein bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with molecular weights of 29,700 and 31,000 were obtained. Successive chromatography on DEAE Bio-Gel A, hexyl agarose, and FC-AADA resulted in the same two bands when the FC-AADA was eluted with sodium dodecyl sulfate. A direct correlation was made between 3H-FC- binding activity and the presence of the two protein bands. The stoichiometry of the 29,700 and 31,000 molecular weight bands was 1:2. This suggests that the FCBP occurs in the native form as a heterotrimer with an apparent molecular weight of approxi- mately 92,000.


This study focuses on the mediating role of the HPO framework between knowledge management and organisational performance in an emerging market. A cross-sectional survey was used to obtain data from 186 managers from the insurance industry. With the use of SmartPLS, the results of the study revealed that KM acquisition enablers and KM dissemination demonstrated direct relationships with organisational performance. The HPO factors of long-term orientation, continuous improvement and renewal as well as workforce quality demonstrated mediation between KM dimensions and organisational performance thereby suggesting a synergy for a model of high performance organisations. Since managers are confronted with the challenge of ensuring that their organisations become HPOs, this study provides insight into which indicators contribute to enhancing organisational performance and can be promoted to optimise HPOs. The study is one of a few studies that combine the HPO framework with KM to develop a model for HPOs in an emerging market context.