Meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia are systemic infections caused by the Gram negative diplococcus Neisseria meningitidis . Despite the recent success of the national vaccination programme against serogroup C disease, meningococcal septicaemia and meningitis remain frightening for both parents and clinicians. The advent of antimicrobial therapy in the last century reduced the mortality rate from 20% to 10%,1 2 but overall mortality has not fallen further since the mid-1990s when aggressive resuscitation and paediatric intensive care became an accepted standard of care. The death rate in children with meningococcal disease admitted to paediatric intensive care units (PICU) in the UK between 2004 and 2006 was 5.9%.3 This article considers the conventional and experimental therapies used in meningococcal disease, it focuses on treatment rather than prevention and concentrates on the drugs available to those working in high income countries (fig 1).

Figure 1 A patient's journey. FFP, fresh frozen plasma; IV/IO, intravenous/intraosseous; PICU, paediatric intensive care unit.

In the UK there are about 1500 laboratory confirmed cases of meningococcal disease every year (table 1), but it is thought that there may be up to 5000 cases in total.4 In the US there were 1194 notified cases in 2006 and 974 in 2007.5

View this table:

Table 1 Laboratory confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in the UK in 2006 and 2007

### Drugs used in both meningococcal septicaemia and meningococcal meningitis

#### Antibiotics used in pre-hospital care

Early recognition of meningococcal disease is important as children can deteriorate quickly. Once a case of meningococcal disease is suspected, pre-hospital treatment with benzyl penicillin is recommended in the UK.7 It is generally believed that the bacteria are in a phase of rapid growth in the blood stream of patients presenting to health care, and even a few hours' delay may result in increased bacterial load. An alternative view is that bactericidal antibiotics may cause a rapid release of endotoxin and thus increase the severity of the disease. However, studies of endotoxin levels following penicillin administration have not shown any increase associated with antibiotic administration.8 Nevertheless, there is also …


We further explore a recent proposal that the vector mesons in QCD have a special role as Chern-Simons fields on various QCD objects such as domain walls and the one flavored baryons. We compute contributions to domain wall theories and to the baryon current coming from a generalized Wess-Zumino term including vector mesons. The conditions that lead to the expected Chern-Simons terms and the correct spectrum of baryons, coincide with the conditions for vector meson dominance. This observation provides a theoretical explanation to the phenomenological principle of vector dominance, as well as an experimental evidence for the identification of vector mesons as the Chern-Simons fields. By deriving the Chern-Simons theories directly from an action, we obtain new results about QCD domain walls. One conclusion is the existence of a first order phase transition between domain walls as a function of the quarks' masses. We also discuss applications of our results to Seiberg duality between gluons and vector mesons and provide new evidence supporting the duality.


Serum κ and λ free light chains can be markedly elevated in monoclonal gammopathies; consequently, serum free light chain (sFLC) immunoassays are susceptible to inaccuracies caused by antigen excess. As a result, diagnostics manufacturers have attempted to automate antigen excess detection. A 75-year-old African-American woman had laboratory findings consistent with severe anemia, acute kidney injury, and moderate hypercalcemia. Serum and urine protein electrophoresis and sFLC testing were ordered. The sFLC results initially showed mildly elevated free λ light chains and normal free κ. The pathologist noted that sFLC results were discrepant with the bone marrow biopsy, electrophoresis, and immunofixation results. After manual dilution of the serum, repeat sFLC testing revealed significantly higher λ sFLC results. Antigen excess causing falsely low sFLC quantitation may not be detected by immunoassay instruments as intended. Correlation with clinical history, serum and urine protein electrophoresis results, and other laboratory findings is essential when interpreting sFLC results.


There is an urgent need to discover and develop novel drugs to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in humans. Alkaloids have been shown to have wide-ranging therapeutic application and could be ideal candidates for drug development, and research is underway to develop new anti-tubercular drugs from natural sources. In this regard, the current research deals with finding novel lead compounds from the Withania somnifera (WS) plant. Broad health benefits of WS are due to the presence of diverse chemical constituents which include anaferine and anahygrine and which belong to the alkaloid family. In the present study, these two compounds have been theoretically studied to understand their electronic properties using the density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311 + G (d,p) level. HOMO and LUMO properties and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface were calculated. Further, to understand the mechanism of action of these compounds and to identify their putative drug target, molecular docking and dynamics studies were employed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). It was determined that NADP+ affects stability of the complexes by reducing fluctuations of residues 14-23 and 117-126. It was also found that Ile5 and Gln28 play an important role in complexation. Electron density analysis (using the AlteQ method) of the intermolecular region, analyzing both the anaferin-NADP+ and anahygrin-NADP+ complexes showed that anaferin and anahygrin complexes are more stable in the presence of NADP+. It has been established that in most intermolecular contacts the contribution of the ligand to the electron density is greater than that of NADP+. The present study thus provides an excellent way to analyze the effect of anaferine and anahygrine in essential processes of M. tuberculosis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.


Mixed transform techniques represent signals using combinations of basis functions, chosen from two or more transform domains simultaneously, to achieve higher energy compaction than can be achieved using a single transform. The parallel adaptive mixed transform (PAMT) technique has been shown to produce excellent energy compaction and greatly reduced computational burden compared with previous adaptive mixed transform techniques. In this paper, the PAMT algorithm is formally developed and its convergence properties examined. It is shown that convergence of the algorithm can be guaranteed independent of the transforms chosen, as long as those transforms are orthonormal in their own domains.


ABSTRACT Teenagers currently spend an estimated $153 billion a year on everything from computers to cars to clothes (Brand, 2000). Trend conscious teens are very active in utilizing the media and advertising in seeking out the latest products, services, and fashions (Zollo, 1995). A greater understanding of teens' role model influences can help organizations and their advertising agencies more effectively target and communicate to this growing market. In this study, we examine the effect of athlete role models on teenagers' purchase intentions and behaviors. Results from a survey of 218 adolescents are discussed with implications and future research directions for advertising and sports marketing researchers.


Streambank erosion and reservoir sedimentation are primary concerns of resource managers in Kansas and throughout many regions of the United States and negatively affect flood control, water supply, and recreation. The Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers drain into John Redmond Reservoir, and since reservoir completion in 1964, there has been substantial conservation-pool sedimentation and storage loss in John Redmond Reservoir, causing storage capacity losses more rapidly than most other Federal reservoirs in Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, has monitored water quality (temperature, specific conductance, and turbidity) on the Cottonwood River (upstream from the reservoir) and Neosho River (upstream and downstream from the reservoir) since 2007 with additional sites added in 2009. The purpose of this report is to quantify suspended-sediment concentrations, loads, and yields entering and exiting John Redmond Reservoir during January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. Three water-quality monitoring sites were upstream from the reservoir (Cottonwood River near Plymouth, Kansas [USGS site 07182250; hereinafter referred to as "Cottonwood"]; Neosho River at Burlingame Road near Emporia, Kans. [USGS site 07179750; hereinafter referred to as "Burlingame"]; and Neosho River at Neosho Rapids, Kans. [USGS site 07182390; hereinafter referred to as "Neosho Rapids"]), and one water-quality monitoring site was downstream from the reservoir (Neosho River at Burlington, Kans. [USGS site 07182510; hereinafter referred to as "Burlington"]). The Neosho Rapids streamgage is downstream from the confluence of the Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers and has a contributing drainage area accounting for 91 percent of the total contributing drainage area to John Redmond Reservoir. Continuously measured streamflow, water quality, and discrete water-quality data were used to develop updated regression models to compute suspended-sediment concentrations, loads, and yields upstream and downstream from John Redmond Reservoir in east-central Kansas. Several turbidity sensors were deployed during the analysis period, and there are no established relations between the sensors; therefore, individual models for each sensor were developed. Model statistics for the turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration linear regression models were better (based on the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and model standard percentage error) than the streamflow and suspended-sediment concentration linear regression models, indicating better model performance. Computed concentrations, loads, and yields do not account for the ungaged 9 percent of the drainage basin downstream from the Neosho Rapids streamgage. Mean daily suspended-sediment loads upstream from the reservoir were largest at Neosho Rapids (2,250 tons), second largest at Cottonwood (2,180 tons), and smallest at Burlingame (624 tons). Streamflow at Burlington was predominately regulated by reservoir releases, and mean daily suspended-sediment loads were smaller (286 tons) than at upstream sites. Among the upstream sites, Cottonwood had the largest mean daily suspended-sediment concentration (179 milligrams per liter [mg/L]), followed by Neosho Rapids (162 mg/L), and Burlingame (108 mg/L). Burlington had the smallest mean daily suspended-sediment concentration of all sites (46 mg/L). Annual reservoir trapping efficiency ranged from 82 to 94 percent, and the largest sediment mass trapped was during 2019 (2,230,000 tons). Reservoir storage decreased an estimated 7,750 acre-feet during 2010 and 2014–19. Using the mean trapping efficiency to estimate suspended-sediment loads during years with missing data (2011–13), the total estimated reservoir storage lost to sedimentation for the analysis period (2010–19) was 8,690 acre-feet, about 17 percent of the remaining storage space reported in 2007. The mean annual sedimentation rate during the analysis period (747 acre-feet per year) was about 85 percent larger than the design sedimentation rate (404 acre-feet per year) originally projected during construction. Different reservoir outflow management strategies, including operating near normal capacity as opposed to higher flood pool levels, could reduce the total reservoir storage lost by 3 percent (about 261 acre-feet), which is equal to 14 percent of the total sediment removed during the dredging operation in 2016. 2 Sediment Concentrations and Loads Upstream from and through John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 2010–19 During the study period, about 56 percent of the total suspended-sediment load was transported during streamflows greater than the National Weather Service flood action stage at the upstream sites (0.1–5 percent of the record; Cottonwood mean: 48 percent; Burlingame mean: 40 percent; Neosho Rapids mean: 78 percent). Disproportionately large sediment loads were delivered during short periods of time, and localized efforts of stream erosion protection (streambank stabilization, riparian buffers) were likely to be overwhelmed. Precipitation frequency and intensity are projected to continue to increase in this region; therefore, future sediment reduction strategies that account for extreme episodic events may be beneficial. Changes to reservoir outflow management could also minimize sediment accumulation while still preserving flood control. Continued investigation of sediment reduction measures is necessary for future mitigation with the understanding that sedimentation rate is largely driven by high flows. Results from this study can be used to calibrate sediment models, explore sediment reduction strategies, highlight the importance of continued water-quality monitoring to determine effectiveness and changes in sediment transport, and assess the ability of John Redmond Reservoir to support designated uses into the future.


In this study, we investigated the occurrence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in primary influent (n = 42), secondary effluent (n = 24) and tertiary treated effluent (n = 34) collected from six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs A–F) in Virginia (WWTP A), Florida (WWTPs B, C, and D), and Georgia (WWTPs E and F) in the United States during April–July 2020. Of the 100 wastewater samples analyzed, eight (19%) untreated wastewater samples collected from the primary influents contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA as measured by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. SARS-CoV-2 RNA were detected in influent wastewater samples collected from WWTP A (Virginia), WWTPs E and F (Georgia) and WWTP D (Florida). Secondary and tertiary effluent samples were not positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA indicating the treatment processes in these WWTPs potentially removed SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the secondary and tertiary treatment processes. However, further studies are needed to understand the log removal values (LRVs) and transmission risks of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through analyzing wastewater samples from a wider range of WWTPs.


The hypothesis is advanced that the circadian pacemaker in the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is composed at the molecular level of a nonredundant double complex of circadian genes (per1, cry1, and per2, cry2). Each one of these sets would be sufficient for the maintenance of endogenous rhythmicity and thus constitute an oscillator. Each would have slightly different temporal dynamics and light responses. The per1/cry1 oscillator is accelerated by light and decelerated by darkness and thereby tracks dawn when day length changes. The per2/cry2 oscillator is decelerated by light and accelerated by darkness and thereby tracks dusk. These M (morning) and E (evening) oscillators would give rise to the SCN's neuronal activity in an M and an E component. Suppression of behavioral activity by SCN activity in nocturnal mammals would give rise to adaptive tuning of the endogenous behavioral program to day length. The proposition—which is a specification of Pittendrigh and Daan's E-M oscillator model—yields specific nonintuitive predictions amenable to experimental testing in animals with mutations of circadian genes.


PURPOSE
To compare the antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the levels of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood samples of thyroid cancer patients compared to healthy controls.

METHODS
43 control subjects (mean age 44+/-13 years) and 43 patients (43+/-13 years) presented with multinodular goiter whose fine needle aspiration revealed malignant cytology were included into this study. The SOD, MDA and GSH-Px activities were measured in control subjects, and before/20 days after thyroidectomy in thyroid cancer patients.

RESULTS
SOD activities of pre-thyroidectomy, post-thyroidectomy and control groups were not different (p>0.05). Before thyroidectomy GSH-Px activities were lower (p<0.05) and MDA levels were higher (p<0.05) than the control group. In post- thyroidectomy, GSH-Px activity (p<0.05) increased, and MDA levels (p<0.05) decreased compared to prethyroidectomy levels. After thyroidectomy GSH-Px activity was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Although post-thyroidectomy MDA levels significantly decreased, they were still higher than the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION
The superoxide dismutase does not seem to change with thyroid cancer and thyroidectomy but both antioxidant glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde do. These preliminary findings may point out oxidant/antioxidant imbalance associated with thyroid cancer.


Abstract As a conceptual framework, Sustainable Development (SD) intends to improve current Well-Being, while preserving or maintaining the basis for future Well-Being (Solow, 1991). In order to measure Sustainable Development various indicators were chosen, among which health has been considered as an important indicator. As a result, we see a huge focus on health in Sustainable Development frameworks. But, the emphasis of frameworks has been only on the physical and epidemiological factors affecting the health. In contrary, in context of a highly political turmoil zone, it is the psychological well-being that is severely affected. This component of health i.e., psychological well-being is neglected to find a significant place in Sustainable Development frameworks. Since, these frameworks are crucial for national level policy making and it is likely that policies formulated on such frameworks may not replicate the same successful results in every context (such as in Armed Conflict). With such understanding in the background, this paper will show the need to focus on mental health in armed conflict situations in Sustainable Development frameworks. This paper will attempt to show how ignoring mental health in armed conflict situations impede development. The need to develop a holistic framework which focuses on mental health in Armed Conflict situations will be highlighted in context of Kashmir.


This thesis documents the cult of St AEthelwold, a tenth-century bishop of Winchester, from its inception (c. 984) until the late Middle Ages. During his life, AEthelwold was an authoritative figure who reformed monasteries in southern England. Those communities subsequently venerated him as a saint and this thesis examines his cult at those centres. In particular, it studies how his cult enabled monasteries to forge their identities and to protect their rights from avaricious bishops. It analyses the changing levels of veneration accorded to AEthelwold over a five hundred year period and compares this with other well-known saints' cults. It uses diverse evidence from hagiographies, chronicles, chartularies, poems, church dedications, wall paintings, and architecture. Very few studies have attempted to chart the development of an early English saint's cult over such a long time period, and my multidisciplinary approach, using history, art, and literary studies, offers insight into the changing role of native saints in the English church and society over the course of the Middle Ages.
The thesis has five chapters, excluding the introduction and conclusion. Chapter 1 compares AEthelwold's early cult and the concepts of sanctity displayed in his hagiography with contemporary English and continental cults and their written saints' lives. Chapter 2 analyses the cult in the turbulent post-Conquest period. Chapter 3 demonstrates that c.1111 there was a hitherto unstudied revival of the cult, which spread AEthelwold's relics across southern England. Chapter 4 analyses AEthelwold in twelfth-century monastic literature, examining the different depictions of AEthelwold, and how and why AEthelwold was employed by monastic communities to protect their rights and lands. Chapter 5 examines the cult in the later Middle Ages, analysing the continued liturgical veneration of AEthelwold at monastic houses throughout England, and how the community of Winchester used his cult to foster their internal monastic identity. The thesis places AEthelwold's cult in context and broadly examines how saints' cults, as a cultural phenomenon, developed and functioned in medieval society.


The antibacterial effects of aqueous garlic extract (AGE) against 17 multidrug-resistant gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial isolates, including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Proteus spp., were studied. Antibacterial activity of different concentrations of AGE by well-diffusion method was characterized by inhibition zones of 15 Gram-positives and two Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed in Bacillus subtilis and the minimum was observed for Proteus sp. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was in the ranges of 6–11 mg/mL and 7–21 mg/mL, in Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms respectively. The MIC values at 24 and 48 hours were not significant in the tested isolates. Further analysis revealed the antimicrobial efficacy of AGE is time and temperature dependent. Antibacterial efficacy of AGE maintained at room temperature was for maximum 7 days. At -20°C temperature the activity was maintained for 90 days. In summary, the AGE showed a wide spectrum activity and appears to satisfy all of the criteria for antibacterial agents. These results suggest that garlic can be used to protect food and consumers from the risk of contamination from pathogenic microorganisms.


Languages play an essential role in China's drive for modernization and in its interactions with the rest of the world. Discussions in this paper are designed to offer an overview of China's language services, which have grown into a sizable industry with more than 70,000 businesses. In addition to its growth in size, the language services industry has also been a leader in introducing CAT technology in translation and adopting advanced technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, etc. Language service providers (LSPs) have also worked with institutions of higher learning in various forms of collaboration to provide internship opportunities to students of translation and other forms of support to universities. In order to promote the healthy development of the industry, the Translators Association of China (TAC) has done a huge amount of work in organizing industry efforts to develop guidelines for different kinds of language services, and help the industry to exercise self-regulation. This paper also discusses the challenges that the industry faces today and offers recommendations to the industry as it moves forward.


Between 2001 and 2010 six research groups conducted coordinated multi-year, prospective studies of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in US workers from various industries and collected detailed subjectlevel exposure information with follow-up symptom, physical examination, electrophysiological measures, and job changes. Objective. This analysis of the pooled cohort examined the incidence of dominant-hand carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in relation to demographic characteristics and estimated associations with occupational psychosocial factors, adjusting for confounding by personal risk factors. Methods. 3,515 participants, without baseline CTS, were followed up to 7 years. Case criteria included symptoms and an electrodiagnostic study consistent with CTS. Adjusted hazard ratios were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. Workplace biomechanical factors were collected but not evaluated in this analysis. Results. Females were at elevated, though statistically non-significant, risk for CTS (HR=1.30; 95%CI: 0.98-1.72). The incidence of CTS increased linearly with both age and BMI over most of the observed range. High job strain increased risk (HR=1.86; 95%CI: 1.11-3.14) and social support was protective (HR=0.43; 95%CI: 0.23-0.78). There was no effect modification of gender on age, BMI or high job strain. Conclusions. Personal factors associated with an increased risk of developing CTS were BMI, age and being female, though no effect modification by gender was evident. Workplace risk factors were high job strain while social support was protective.


Objective: Recent years have seen a considerable wealth of studies conducted on the potential usefulness of telomerase determination in diagnosis, prognosis and targeted cancer therapy. The frequently used Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol assay suffers from some drawbacks, the most important being the rate of false positives. In situ analysis using well characterised antibodies directed against the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) would therefore appear to be important to morphologically identify the nature of telomerase positive cells. Methods: We performed immunostaining in a series of cultured cells and in normal, preneoplastic and tumour tissues from different organs using a monoclonal antibody directed against the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Results: Immunoreactivity was not observed in perennial cells of terminally differentiated cardiac and skeletal muscular tissues or in small pyramidal cells of the cerebral cortex. Conversely, it was found in other normal somatic tissues as well as in precancerous lesions and in all tumour histotypes. Conclusions: Immunohistochemistry with a well characterised hTERT-specific monoclonal antibody permitted the identification of hTERT immunopositive cells in normal somatic tissues. Whether hTERT protein detected by immunostaining with hTERT-specific Tel 3 36-10 antibody is actually the degraded form of the protein that retains hTERT antigenicity but not enzymatic function, or whether it represents the real, potentially functional catalytic subunit of the enzyme, immunohistochemistry would not seem to represent a useful tool to investigate the role of telomerase and the mechanisms involved in its regulation.


In the Japan Home versus Office Blood Pressure Measurement Evaluation (J-HOME) study, we examined the current situation with respect to the prescription of diuretics, including the prevalence of diuretic treatment and the dosages used for patients with essential hypertension in primary care settings. Of the 3,400 hypertensive patients included in the study, 315 (9.3%) patients (mean age: 66.9±10.4 years; males: 43.5%) were prescribed diuretics. Compared with patients who were not using diuretics, those who were using diuretics were more obese and had more complications. The most commonly prescribed diuretic among the 331 prescriptions in the 315 diuretic users was trichlormethiazide (44%), followed by indapamide (15%) and spironolactone (14%). Among patients being treated with diuretics, monotherapy was used in only 5% of patients; in the majority of patients combination therapy including diuretics (95%) was used. Relatively low dosages of diuretics were generally used. There was a difference between the actual dosages prescribed and those recommended by the Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) guidelines or the product information approved in Japan. Compared with previous estimates of the prevalence of diuretic use in hypertensives in Japan (4.0–5.4%), the rate in the J-HOME study (9.3%) was higher. This may be attributable at least in part to the results of the many published, large-scale intervention trials confirming the clinical significance of diuretics. Although a relatively high dosage is recommended in the diuretic product information and in the JSH guidelines, dosages of diuretics should be reconsidered in Japan.


This paper identifies managers who require ethics training in using IT at work. The identification of these managers is mainly based on studying the impact of their individual characteristics on a set of seven ethical issues and attitudes, which translated into IT ethical scenarios. This paper proposes a canonical model by treating individual characteristics of managers as predictor variables and considering information describing their beliefs on those seven ethical issues and attitudes as explained variables. A questionnaire survey was used for data collection and 249 managers participated in this study. The results show that the significant explained variables are based on a combination of six ethical events of accountability, conflict of interest, disclosure, personal conduct, protection of privacy, and social responsibility. The significant predictor variables are based on a combination of four individual characteristics of age, educational level, organizational level, and working experience. Discussion on the implication of the results and recommendations for remedial action are also provided in this paper.


Thirteen dairy bacteria strains belonging to the genera Streptococcus, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and four commercial lactic cultures (Visbyvac Joghurt 709, MyBlO2 Ezal, LBA Ezal, BL Ezal) were screened for antifungal activity against Aspergillus (A.) flavus NRRL 2999, A. parasiticus, Penicillium (P.) expansum, Fusarium poae, Mucor spp. and Geotrichium spp. and the yeasts Candida (C.) rugosa Cr1, C. vini Cv1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC738, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc5, Debaryomyces hansenii Dh2 and Debaryomyces hansenii Dh3. Among the mould cultures, P. expansum was found the most sensitive indicator culture against antifungal substances produced by the test bacteria. Lactobacillus (L.) delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCC 855, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCC 861 and commercial yogurt culture (Visbyvac Joghurt 709) completely inhibited mycelium growth of P. expansum. The cell free supernatant of Bifidobacterium longum NCC 435 produced an inhibition zone of 2-4 mm against C. rugosa. However, other lactic acid bacteria did not have an effect on mould and yeast growth.


Research Findings: We assessed the quality of child care in a nationally representative sample of 200 Dutch child care centers using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale–Revised and/or Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised and compared it with a previous assessment in 2005. The Caregiver Interaction Profile (CIP) scales were used to rate the quality of caregiver–child interactions. Results showed a significant and substantial decline in quality compared to 2005, with 49% of the groups now scoring below the minimal level. The CIP scales showed relatively high scores for the basic caregiver interactive skills of sensitive responsiveness, respect for autonomy, and structuring and limit setting but much lower scores for the more educational skills of verbal communication, developmental stimulation, and fostering positive peer interactions. Caregiver sensitive responsiveness was significantly lower in infant groups (0–2 years) than in preschool groups (2–4 years); caregiver respect for autonomy, verbal communication, developmental stimulation, and fostering positive peer interactions were significantly lower in infant groups than in preschool groups and mixed-age groups (0–4 years). Practice or Policy: Quality of child care is not stable across the years, and regular quality assessments are therefore needed to monitor child care quality. The low scores on the more educational versus the more basic caregiver interactive skills indicate that these skills deserve more attention in caregiver education and training. Training programs should be attuned to the individual interaction skill profile of caregivers.


Background and Objective: The identification and diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients presented with chest pain pose significant challenges, as the rate of missed AMI cases among patients who present to the emergency department remain inappropriately high. The aim of this work was to study the performance of three cardiac biomarkers, these are heart-type fatty acid binding protein (HFABP), troponin I (3 generation TOSOH AIA pack-assay) and myoglobin, for early identification of acute myocardial infarction. Material and Methods: This study was designed as a case –control study. Participants were divided into two groups, the first one included 82 patients diagnosed to have AMI and the second group included 50 apparently healthy control subjects. Troponin I and myoglobin were measured by AIA-Pack assays from TOSOH bioscience while H-FABP was measured by ELISA technique. Results: The area under the curve (AUC) for troponin I was the highest between the tested biomarkers (0.972 ± 0.012) compared with H-FABP and myoglobin which were found to be (0.968 ± 0.013) and (0.921±0.022) respectively. Furthermore, by using the optimal cut-off values of the tested biomarkers, the sensitivity of H-FABP was the highest for those patients presented within the first six hours of the onset of chest pain (90.6%), followed by troponion I and myoglobin (81.3% and 78.1% respectively). From the other hand, the sensitivity of troponin I was the highest (98%) for those patients presented after the sixth hour up to 12 hours from the onset of chest pain compared by H-FABP and myoglobin (90% and 78% respectively). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that both improved sensitivity troponin I assay and H-FABP can provide valuable information for the diagnosis of AMI. However, for those patients who presented within the first 6 hours of the onset of chest pain, H-FABP will provide superior sensitivity, as application of an early biomarker potentially reduces diagnostic uncertainty for patients with suspected AMI that allow an earlier initiation of treatment, while for those patients who presented later after the 6 hour up to 12 hours of the onset of chest pain, it is more appropriate to use troponin I assay as it provide higher sensitivity.


Two patients with ectopic pancreas, associated with pancreas divisum are presented. In one of these patients MDCT examination showed an island of pancreatic parenchyma, isolated from the pancreatic head and located within the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb, where ectopic pancreas could be confirmed by endoscopy. The other patient suffered from acute pancreatitis according to the clinical and laboratory findings. However, MDCT showed a normal pancreas. Here the only abnormality on CT was found in an area of inflamed and infiltrated fatty tissue ventrally to the descending duodenum and the pancreatic head, which was clearly separated from pancreatic head. While these CT findings alone were non-specific, MRT allowed to identify an island of ectopic pancreas within this area of inflammation. Additionally both patient showed pancreas divisum. These two cases nicely demonstrate, that ectopic pancreas may be recognized by MDCT. However, familiarity with the embryology of the pancreas and knowledge about a probable association of pancreas divisum and ectopic pancreas may be helpful for the correct interpretation of imaging findings. Furthermore, in cases of ectopic pancreatitis CT may show only nonspecific extrapancreatic soft tissue inflammation and MRT may become necessary to identify the enclosed island of ectopic pancreatic tissue.


The coronavirus outbreak has brought unprecedented measures, which forced the authorities to make decisions related to the instauration of lockdowns in the areas most hit by the pandemic. Social media has been an important support for people while passing through this difficult period. On November 9, 2020, when the first vaccine with more than 90% effective rate has been announced, the social media has reacted and people worldwide have started to express their feelings related to the vaccination, which was no longer a hypothesis but closer, each day, to become a reality. The present paper aims to analyze the dynamics of the opinions regarding COVID-19 vaccination by considering the one-month period following the first vaccine announcement, until the first vaccination took place in UK, in which the civil society has manifested a higher interest regarding the vaccination process. Classical machine learning and deep learning algorithms have been compared to select the best performing classifier. 2 349 659 tweets have been collected, analyzed, and put in connection with the events reported by the media. Based on the analysis, it can be observed that most of the tweets have a neutral stance, while the number of in favor tweets overpasses the number of against tweets. As for the news, it has been observed that the occurrence of tweets follows the trend of the events. Even more, the proposed approach can be used for a longer monitoring campaign that can help the governments to create appropriate means of communication and to evaluate them in order to provide clear and adequate information to the general public, which could increase the public trust in a vaccination campaign.


Recent years have witnessed significant interest from both the scientific community and the media regarding the influence of exercise on subsequent appetite and energy intake responses. This review demonstrates a consensus among the majority of scientific investigations that an acute bout of land-based endurance exercise does not stimulate any compensatory increases in appetite and energy intake on the day of exercise. Alternatively, preliminary evidence suggests that low volume, supramaximal exercise may stimulate an increase in appetite perceptions during the subsequent hours. In accordance with the apparent insensitivity of energy intake to exercise in the short term, the daily energy balance response to exercise appears to be primarily determined by the energy cost of exercise. This finding supports the conclusions of recent training studies that the energy expenditure of exercise is the strongest predictor of fat loss during an exercise programme.


Background and Objectives: In the era of global industrialization, enzymes are being used extensively in the various sectors including food processing. Owing to the high price of enzymes, various initiatives have been undertaken by the R&D sector for the development of new processes or improvement in the existing processes for production of cost effective enzymes. With the advancement in the field of biotechnology, different bioprocesses are being used for utilization of different agro-industrial residues for the production of various enzymes. This review focuses on different types of agro-industrial wastes and their utilization in the production of enzymes. The present scenario as well as the future scope of utilization of enzymes in the food industry has also been discussed. Results and Conclusion: The regulations from the various governmental as well as environmental agencies for the demand of cleaner environment have led to the advancement in various technologies for utilization of the wastes for the production of value-added products such as enzymes. Among the different types of fermentation, maximum work has been carried under solid state conditions by batch fermentation. The research has indicated the significant potential of agro-industrial wastes for production of food-grade enzymes in order to improve the economics of the process. Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.


Recent evidence suggests that a Ca++, phospholipid, diacylglycerol-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, plays a role in the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by target cells. In this investigation we have examined the role of protein kinase C in human NK cell-mediated cytolysis of K-562 cells. The protein kinase C inhibitor, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) inhibited human NK cell-mediated cytolysis in a dose dependent manner. On the other hand, N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (HA1004), a specific inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide dependent protein kinases had no effect on human NK cell-mediated cytolysis of K562 cells. There is little or no effect on protein synthesis or N-glycosylation activity in human NK cells by H-7. The relative inhibitory ability of the two inhibitors suggest that protein kinase C, acting synergistically with Ca++ mobilization, plays a role in the early stages of human NK cell-mediated cytolysis of K562 target cells.


When artists draw a picture of photorealistic scene in an image, they describe only specific parts that represent characteristic features carefully, but they express the parts about less important region roughly. In study about Non-photorealistic rendering, image abstraction research reflects such artist's character. Thus, methods about image abstraction commonly preserve image features and flatten non-feature area. Recently, Kyprianidis et al. [2009] introduced Anisotropic Kuwahara Filtering (AKF) which generates feature preserved image abstraction using the smoothed structure tensor. However since they used only color information to defining anisotropic ratio, different regions that have similar color are conquered by each other unintentionally. Hence, we propose the depth-based AKF method that considers not only color, but also depth to generate image abstraction where boundary feateures are effectively preserved.


An adaptive membership function scheme for general additive fuzzy systems is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme can adapt a proper membership function for any nonlinear input-output mapping, based upon a minimum number of rules and an initial approximate membership function. This parameter adjustment procedure is performed by computing the error between the actual and the desired decision surface. Using the proposed adaptive scheme for fuzzy system, the number of rules can be minimized. Nonlinear function approximation and truck backer-upper control system are employed to demonstrate the viability of the proposed method.


A major curriculum reform was implemented in Maldives in 2015. Little is known about how the new curriculum has been used and implemented in classroom teaching. This qualitative multiple-case study aims to examine the teacher-tool relationship of six teachers teaching sixth grade English and the factors that shape the teacher-tool relationship. The teachers were situated in four schools with distinct contexts – a densely populated urban context, a sparsely populated island with multi-grade classrooms, an island dependent on fishing and an island dependent on tourism. Data collected include three video-recorded observations of each teacher as well as post and pre-observation interviews. Brown's Design Capacity for Enactment Framework (DCEF) was used as a basis to see whether teachers offload, adapt or improvise the curriculum. In addition, an analysis of the descriptive data, across and within the cases was done to identify factors that shape the way teachers use the curriculum. The analysis revealed that teachers use the curriculum in distinctive ways and included multiple layers of offloading, adapting, improvising and omitting. The way teachers use the curriculum varies from one teacher to another, from one lesson to another, and from one activity to another. Curriculum tool features, individual characteristics as well as the island context played significant roles in shaping how teachers use the curriculum in their teaching. The results of the study can provide curriculum developers with a different perspective in designing curriculum tools, particularly to create flexible affordances within the curriculum to allow for differing teacher and locational characteristics.


Breath-hold divers compete with regard to depth, time and/or distance. The present observations were carried out on athletes performing static apnea where they perform one breath-hold for as long a duration as possible with the body and face immersed in water. Heart rate was measured on eight competitors participating in the Swedish Championship in static apnea 2001, both during the competition and during a separate training session using the Polar NV system. The duration of apneas during the competition ranged from 3 minutes 27 seconds to 5 minutes 33 seconds. The divers exhibited significantly faster heart rates prior to and during the first 90 seconds of apnea in connection with competition, than during training. One subject experienced a loss of motor control during the competition. We suggest that mental stress in humans, caused here by a competitive situation, leads to an increase in the heart rate during apnea.


Residential segregation of America's neighborhoods by income has been increasing over the past 40 years, with nearly 9 million people now living in census tracts with poverty rates of 40 percent or more (Watson, 2009, Kneebone, Nadeau, and Berube, 2011). Because housing policy affects the geographic concentration of poverty in a variety of ways, policymakers have long been concerned about the possibility that living in a distressed neighborhood could have some harmful effects on the life outcomes of adults and children. The list of plausible reasons why neighborhood poverty might adversely affect people's well-being and behavior is long and includes limited exposure to peers and role models who support pro-social behaviors such as schooling and work, neighbors who are willing and able to cooperate and work together to improve community life, high-quality local public institutions such as schools, police, health care and housing, and elevated exposure to risk factors like pollution or crime (...).


It has been proposed that periosteal residual tensile strains influence periosteal bone apposition and endochondral ossification. The role of bone growth rates on the development of residual strains is not well known. This study examined the relationships between specific growth rate and residual strains in chick tibiotarsi. We measured length and circumference during embryonic days 11–20 using microCT. Bones grew faster in length, with longitudinal and circumferential specific growth rates decreasing from 17 to 9% and 14 to 8% per day, respectively. To calculate residual strains, opening dimensions of incisions through the periosteum were analysed using finite element techniques. Results indicate that Poisson's ratio for an isotropic material model is between 0 and 0.04. For the model with Poisson's ratio 0.03, longitudinal and circumferential residual strains decreased from 46.2 to 29.3% and 10.6 to 3.9%, respectively, during embryonic days 14–20. Specific growth rates and residual strains were positively correlated (p < 0.05).


This paper analyses the behavior of different density functionals in the description of the most stable structures of Cu(2+)-(H(2)O)(n) complexes (n = 1-6). From n = 3 to n = 6, different coordination numbers of the metal cation were considered. The structures and energies of the complexes were theoretically determined by means of density functional methods that include different amounts of exact exchange: the BLYP functional (0% of exact exchange), the B3LYP functional (20% of exact exchange), the MPWB1K functional (44% of exact exchange), and BHLYP functional (50% of exact exchange). In addition, CCSD(T) calculations with a large basis set were carried out. It has been found that the functionals with lesser amount of exact exchange, especially BLYP, fail to describe the relative energies between the different structures of each cluster because these functionals tend to overestimate the stability of low-coordinated structures. The inclusion of the exact exchange into the functional improves the results, those obtained with MPWB1K and BHLYP being in very good agreement with the CCSD(T) ones. This behavior is related to the poor description of the second ionization energy of Cu by pure functionals, which leads to a too delocalized spin density in the complex with GGA functionals.


Use of mobile equipment has increased exponentially over the last decade. As use becomes more widespread so too does the demand for new functionalities. The limited memory and computational power of many mobile devices has proven to be a challenge resulting in many innovative solutions and a number of new standards. Despite this, there is often a requirement for additional enhancement to improve quality. The focus of this thesis work has been to perform enhancement within two different areas; audio or speech encoding and video encoding/decoding. The audio enhancement section of this thesis addresses the well known problem in the GSM system with an interfering signal generated by the switching nature of TDMA cellular telephony. Two different solutions are given to suppress such interference internally in the mobile handset. The first method involves the use of subtractive noise cancellation employing correlators, the second uses a structure of IIR noth filters. Both solutions use control algorithms based on the state of the communication between the mobile handset and the base station. The video section of this thesis presents two post-filters and one pre-filter. The two post-filters are designed to improve visual quality of highly compressed video streams from standard, block-based video codecs by combating both blocking and ringing artifacts. The second post-filter also performs sharpening. The pre-filter is designed to increase the coding efficiency of a standard block based video codec. By introducing a pre-processing algorithm before the encoder, the amount of camera disturbance and the complexity of the sequence can be decreased, thereby increasing coding efficiency.


Abstract This paper examines the relationship between human sin and divine hiddenness, drawing on views that are widely acknowledged within the Reformed tradition. It argues, first, that according to these views there is no inculpable nonbelief, and thus, second, that a crucial premise in the atheistic argument from divine hiddenness is untenable. The overarching question here is: If there is a sensus divinitatis, is it possible to be an inculpable nonbeliever? To answer this question, the cognitive effects of sin on our sensus divinitatis as a faculty of producing basic beliefs about God will be assessed. I conclude that the premise which many find plausible—that there is inculpable nonbelief—is in fact controversial and dubious.


Purpose: Patients previously treated with ketoconazole were excluded from phase III trials of abiraterone acetate due to potential overlapping mechanism of action. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical utility of abiraterone and its impact on circulating androgens following ketoconazole. Experimental Design: Chemotherapy-naïve patients with progressive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and prior ketoconazole therapy ≥28 days received abiraterone acetate 1,000 mg daily and prednisone 5 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with PSA response, defined as ≥30% PSA decline at 12 weeks. H0 = 0.30 versus H1 = 0.50 (α = 0.05, power = 0.83). Circulating androgen levels were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Thirty-nine patients were included in the final analysis. Twenty (51%; 95% confidence interval, 36%–66%) patients had ≥30% PSA decline; the null hypothesis was rejected. Sixteen (41%) had ≥50% PSA decline. Median PFS (progression-free survival) was 16 weeks; median radiographic PFS (rPFS) was 36 weeks. Samples for measurement of baseline androgens were available in 37 patients. The PSA response proportion was 59% in 29 patients with DHEA ≥ limit of quantitation (LOQ), compared with 13% in 8 patients with DHEA < LOQ (P = 0.042). Median PFS was 6 and 16 weeks in DHEA < LOQ and DHEA ≥ LOQ patients, respectively (P = 0.017); median rPFS was 14 and 36 weeks in DHEA < LOQ and DHEA ≥ LOQ patients, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Abiraterone demonstrates modest clinical efficacy in mCRPC patients previously treated with ketoconazole. Patients with DHEA ≥ LOQ were more likely to demonstrate PSA responses and longer PFS. Analysis of circulating androgens merits further investigation as a biomarker for response to androgen synthesis inhibitor therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 20(24); 6269–76. ©2014 AACR.


In this research, we simultaneously examined the relative applicability of person-environment fit and relative deprivation theories in explaining the interactive effects of perceived overqualification and collectivism cultural orientations on positive outcomes. We hypothesized that the negative (positive) influence of perceived overqualification on person-environment fit (relative deprivation) will be weaker among employees with high collectivism cultural orientation. We also examined which of these two different mechanisms would explain the hypothesized interactive effects in predicting these workers' citizenship behavior, personal initiative, work engagement, and life satisfaction. We tested our hypotheses in two studies. In Study 1, we recruited professional staff (n = 852) and their coworkers (n = 301) from 95 universities and tested our hypotheses in a matched sample of 190 employees and their peers. The moderated mediation results supported the idea of person-environment fit (but not relative deprivation) as the mechanism explaining why collectivism orientations assuaged the negative effects of perceived overqualification on these outcomes. We constructively replicated these results in Study 2, which was a time-lagged design with full-time employees (n = 224). Study 2's results further supported the robustness of our model by testing alternative moderators, mediators, and outcomes.


The central concern of the paper is with the formulation of tests of neglected parameter heterogeneity appropriate for model environments specified by a number of unconditional or conditional moment conditions. We initially consider the unconditional moment restrictions framework. Optimal m-tests against moment condition parameter heterogeneity are derived with the relevant Jacobian matrix obtained as the second order derivative of the moment indicator in a leading case. GMM and GEL tests of specification based on generalized information matrix equalities appropriate for moment-based models are described and their relation to the optimal m-tests against moment condition parameter heterogeneity examined. A fundamental and important difference is noted between GMM and GEL constructions. The paper is concluded by a generalization of these tests to the conditional moment context.


Morphology can be adaptive through its effect on performance of an organism. The effect of performance may, however, be modulated by behavior; an organism may choose a behavioral option that does not fully utilize its maximum performance. Behavior may therefore be decoupled from morphology and performance. To gain insight into the relationships between these levels of organization, we combined morphological data on defensive structures with measures of defensive performance, and their utilization in defensive behavior. Scorpion species show significant variation in the morphology and performance of their main defensive structures; their chelae (pincers) and the metasoma ("tail") carrying the stinger. Our data show that size-corrected pinch force varies to almost two orders of magnitude among species, and is correlated with chela morphology. Chela and metasoma morphology are also correlated to the LD50 of the venom, corroborating the anecdotal rule that dangerously venomous scorpions can be recognized by their chelae and metasoma. Analyses of phylogenetic independent contrasts show that correlations between several aspects of chela and metasoma morphology, performance and behavior are present. These correlations suggest co-evolution of behavior with morphology and performance. Path analysis found a performance variable (pinch force) to partially mediate the relationship between morphology (chela aspect ratio) and behavior (defensive stinger usage). We also found a correlation between two aspects of morphology: pincer finger length correlates with the relative "thickness" (aspect ratio) of the metasoma. This suggests scorpions show a trade-off between their two main weapon complexes: the metasoma carrying the stinger, and the pedipalps carrying the chelae.


The astronomical and geodetic observatory OCA, located on the karst plateau of Calern (Caussols, France), has been monitoring earth deformation for several years. Two long baseline tiltmeters have been installed in a shaft in 2007, along with classical hydrogeological monitoring tools in order to investigate the relationship between current karst deformation and hydrology. Dye tests have shown that the plateau is drained towards the East, to the spring of Bramafam, except for its Western third. Karst tilting, as recorded by the tiltmeters, is linked to rainfall events. These instruments bring additional information to characterize different reservoirs: the deep karst aquifer of Bramafan with high amplitude oscillations of its water table, up to 100 m, the perched aquifer of Moustiques shaft whose response is attenuated, and several slope aquifers with reduced oscillations (Fontaniers, Castel Bon Pré). Tilt deformation reaches 8 μrad with a definite orientation between N90°E and N100°E. The best correlation between hydrology and tilts is observed for the deep aquifers. If the first autumn rainfall is ineffective on tilt, it recharges the epikarst and refills the reserves. The winter rains cause the water to flush towards the eastern deep aquifer and provokes a quick tilting of the plateau. Finally, the long term variations in tilt and water table show a very good correlation The relationship between current hydrological deformations and tectonics is also analyzed; broken and shifted speleothems in the shafts indicate a general shift of the plateau towards the south.


Salmonellosis, a disease caused by pathogenic strains of Salmonella , has been reported to have an essential degree in morbidity and mortality of humans (especially farmers) and poultry resulting in low productivity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the synergistic effects of probiotics and autogenous bacterin against inositol negative motile Salmonella species isolated from different poultry feed collected from Orlu-west Local Government Area of Imo State. A total of 40 representative feed samples were aseptically collected and screened for the presence of inositol negative motile Salmonella species using pour plate method. The colonies generated from the primary isolation were sub-cultured, characterized and identified using their colony description, morphological and biochemical characteristics. The pathogenic potentials of the organism in broiler chicks were investigated by challenging the chicks orally using 0.5ml of the inoculum (10 8 cells/ml).The protective effects of locally prepared autogenous bacterin (B), commercially prepared probiotics (P) and autogenous bacterin plus commercially prepared probiotics (BP) were investigated using in vivo technique. The study revealed the presence of inositol negative motile Salmonella species in the studied samples. There significant (p<0.05) pathological features and lesions in the liver and spleen of the infected chicks. The mean plate counts were significantly (p<0.05) recorded more in the liver than spleen. The in vivo study showed that P, B and BP showed pronounced activity against the tested isolates of which BP proved to be more effective.


The aims of this research are to study the different of growth and the result from several chrysanthemum varieties which is cultivation to agriculture system semi-organic
and non-organic, to study the chrysanthemum varieties which can grow more better and give the highest result than the other varieties and the function of this research to study
the application of agriculture system which more effective to chrysanthemum cultivation.
This research was conducted in Greenhouse chrysanthemum plant in Nongkojajar with the height 1080 meter under suface of the sea. Beginning on May 20 until August 21
2007.
This research was arrange with factorial Split Plot Design with 2 factor, first factor is agriculture system consist of two level that are S1 (Agriculture Non-Organic System), S2 (Agriculture Semi-Organic System) and second factor is chrysanthemum variety consist from nine level that are ( V1 : Salmon Impala, V2 : Uero Orange, V3 : Snock Down, V4 : Super Red, V5 : Yellow Improved, V6 : Linecker Dark, V7 : Wembley White, V8 : Carerra Dark, V9 : Reagan). Both factor we have result treatment combination, and repeat that on 3 time.
The parameter of growth consist of tall of the plant, the diameter of stem, leave totaly and leave wide. The parameter result consist of flower totaly, the diameter of
flower crown, the tall of stalk flower and the stamina flower.
The result of Anova is interaction existance between fertilizer treatment about chrysanthemum varieties of tall of the plant variabel ( 56 HST), the diameter of stem (14
HST), leave wide ( 28 HST and 56 HST), the diameter of flower crown and the stamina flower after time harvest. Separate in a manner, agriculture system indicated effect is
very real about the tall of the plant parameter ( 42 HST and 56 HST), leave wide ( 28 HST and 56 HST), the diameter of flower crown, and the stamina flower after time harvest and variety indicated is very real about the tall of the plant parameter (56 HST), leave wide (28 HST and 56 HST), the diameter of flower crown and the stamina flower
after time harvest.
Generally, the combination between agriculture semi-organic system and Reagan varieties, shows relatively highest plant, relatively bigger diameter of stem, widely leaves, less flower, bigger diameter of flower crown, shorter stalk of flower and a long periode of the bloom flower after harvest time.


Despite the proliferation of large-scale displays in the workplace, creating groupware applications that take advantage of their potential for collaboration and communication remains a challenge. Interactions with large displays yield user experiences that are quite different from interaction with conventional desktop groupware. Thus, unique hurdles exist for designing and deploying large display groupware applications (LDGAs) that are useful and adopted into actual work practice.
In this dissertation we uncover and address some of the primary challenges for large display groupware applications though the design, development, deployment and evaluation of LDGA systems, as well as through the analysis of existing deployed LDGA systems. We present novel LDGA designs that address the issues of information awareness and informal communication through the use of large shared displays in workplaces and describe the findings from evaluations of their deployments. We then discuss a broad study of several existing LDGAs that we conducted and a framework of adoption challenges that we subsequently derived. We describe the application of this framework to the design a large display groupware application for supporting lightweight communication among workgroup members.
We also present a field study of the use of LDGAs within the context of multi-display environments, looking specifically at the display technologies used by NASA scientists and engineers for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions. This work uncovers how the display environment provides flexible support for science tasks as collaboration styles and mission goals evolve. We offer suggestions for how LDGAs should be designed and evaluated in light of our findings regarding the roles of LDGAs within an ecology of displays. Finally, we use the results of this evaluation as input for further refining our framework for LDGA adoption challenges.


In this paper, it is explored the material removal mechanism in vibration-assisted finishing process. On the basis of some experiments, the finishing characteristics are represented summarily. Though the analysis, it is shown that the vibration assistance method may increase cutting distance and speed of abrasive and material removal in per unit finishing distance which is affected by vibration frequency and amplitude, in-process abrasives behavior. What more, the increase in material removal rate is mainly due to an increase in material removal per unit finishing distance which is affected by the effects of abrasives cross-cutting.


The "fair benefits" approach to international research is designed to produce results that all can agree are fair without taking a stand on divisive questions of justice. But its appealing veneer of collaboration masks ambiguities at both a conceptual and an operational level. An attempt to put it into practice would look a lot like an auction, leaving little reason to think the outcomes will satisfy even minimal conditions of fairness.


AIM
To compare angiotensin II receptor blockade, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and renin inhibition as pharmacological methods of inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system.

METHOD
Review of published results of studies using the three methods, with a particular emphasis on measurement problems.

RESULTS
Whenever an attempt is made to block the renin-angiotensin system, by whatever approach, there is a compensatory rise in renin secretion which determines the effect of the drug. Accurate biochemical methods must be available to assess the efficacy of each approach. ACE inhibitors have been very successful and are generally well tolerated but cough is a common side effect, possibly related to their lack of specificity. High doses stimulate renin secretion. Renin inhibitors are theoretically more attractive than ACE inhibitors because of their specificity, and renin inhibitors with adequate oral bioavailability are now available. Due to the reactive rise in renin, however, the effects of the renin inhibitors so far available appear to be very short in duration. There is insufficient evidence to show whether prolonged administration may be successful. With present methods, only circulating angiotensin I and II levels can give an accurate indication of the effectiveness of the drug. The first non-peptide angiotensin II inhibitor, losartan (DuP753, MK 954), is still undergoing clinical trials. Dose-dependent inhibition of the pressor response to exogenous angiotensin II has been obtained in normotensive volunteers, the effect being closely related to circulating levels of the active metabolite E 3174. The reactive rise in plasma renin activity and angiotensin II was highly variable. A preliminary study in hypertensive patients showed effective blood pressure reduction at doses based on the results obtained in normotensive volunteers.

CONCLUSIONS
Renin inhibitors and angiotensin antagonists represent potentially exciting alternatives to the ACE inhibitors. At present, only orally active angiotensin II antagonists are available for extensive clinical evaluation, and the results so far look promising. Whether these compounds will compare favourably with ACE inhibitors requires further investigation.


To enhance the comparability of research results, a uniform terminology is proposed for the description of the duration of transient hyperechoic images of white matter seen on cranial ultrasound scans of very-low-birthweight infants. The term 'flare' should be restricted to any hyperechoic image that resolves completely without any abnormality in its place. A flare should be termed 'brief' if it resolves within 6 days of its appearance, 'intermediate' if it disappears between 7 and 13 days after onset, and 'prolonged' if it disappears on day 14 or later.


Background: Several times during the day at hospital wards, report is done at shift changes between nurses. The report usually occurs at the nurse's office in the absence of the patient. Reporting may include the nurse's personal views regarding the patient and their relatives. With Bedside shift report (BSR) the report is moved into the patient's room so that the patient can be involved. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe nurses and patients experiences of the BSR method. Method: A literature study with qualitative approach. Nine articles where chosen to be read, reviewed and analyzed according to Fribergs analysis model. Results: Four themes appeared. The themes were: safe healthcare environment, the meeting: meet and be met, participation & sensitive topics, privacy and confidentiality. Conclusion: The study shows that both nurses and patients experience the BSR to have many advantages as a reporting method.


The purpose of this report is to identify, map, and evaluate the most relevant European policies seen to influence permanent grassland (PG) management. To accomplish this, an interdisciplinary, crossnational team from the UK, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, and Sweden reviewed over 50 in-depth policy frameworks. With direction from expert stakeholders and a review of the policy landscape, we identified the most relevant policy instruments influencing PGs across five different biogeographic regions in Europe (Alpine, Atlantic, Boreal, Continental, and Mediterranean). The mapping of each country's policy mix was guided inter-alia by a 'cascade framework' to illustrate the entry points, intermediary actors, mechanisms and pathways through which policies deliver their intended effects on PGs. This entailed an in-depth analysis of publicly available government sources documenting the aims, objectives, targets, monitoring systems, outputs and outcomes of each policy instrument. In total, 24 policies were mapped using 50 different criteria, with 15 of the policies unique to the case study countries. This resulted in an extensive excel database of over 3400 unique cells containing rich qualitative data. The excel data were coded in a consistent manner across the country teams so that they could be compared, synthesized, and used to identify patterns in the policy mix and logic of intervention. We show, for instance, that across Europe, the dominant policy logic uses regulations and incentives to influence farmer adoption of desired landscape compositions. This directly influences, but does not guarantee, the range of ecosystem services (ES) that are possible from the landscape. At the same time, we discovered a lack of policies targeting consumer demand for PG ecosystem services and only a few designed to drive sustainable PG management by directly promoting the value of PGs with beneficiaries. To complement the policy mapping, stakeholders' assessed the perceived effectiveness of the policy mix in each country. This evaluation included over 50 interviews with key stakeholders across Europe representing government, academia, farmers, and special interests, and covered perceptions of democracy, legitimacy, relevance, efficiency and impact in relation to the effectiveness of policies relevant to the management of PG. Our findings reveal generally positive perceptions of grassland policy effectiveness across Europe, with special interest groups being the least positive and governments the most. The in-depth country case studies reveal striking similarities, as well as differences between countries and stakeholder groups, which are illustrative of the problems, challenges, and barriers confronting policy effectiveness. We conclude this report by offering insights and policy implications. In particular, we suggest that the following four points are taken into consideration to improve the PG policy landscape: 1) Reduce complexity and administrative burden to make policies more understandable and accessible. 2) Require stakeholder involvement when developing strategic plans and assessing policy. 3) Encourage consideration of trade-offs between PG management and ES delivery, by designing policies to explicitly target the interaction between landscape structures and ES (or target them in parallel). 4) Encourage a balance of policy logic, by moving away from targeting farmers with regulation or subsidies to manage the landscape towards targeting consumer demand for ES (through information) and the value of ES (such as direct payments for regulating and cultural services).


Changes in environmental conditions in early life can cause changes in the tempo and pattern of growth and development in animals. Natural selection favours processes that enable animals to make decisions that maximise Darwinian fitness. These decisions are influenced by trade-offs between current and future benefits. An episode of poor conditions (i.e. reduced nutrition, low temperature and changes in photoperiod) is generally linked to a slowing of growth. If adequate conditions are restored after this episode, growth rate is accelerated and normal adult size can be reached; in other words, 'compensatory' growth occurs. Compensatory growth has benefits in enabling a return to the typical size-at-age growth trajectory. Although this ability to alter growth rate provides a degree of adaptability, there is now increasing evidence that resource allocation to rapid growth carries various long-term costs. While there is experimental evidence that poor environmental conditions in early life can induce subsequent compensatory growth, little is known about the long-term effects of compensatory growth on locomotor and reproductive performance, and on lifespan.
In this thesis, I investigated how different growth trajectories affected subsequent performance (i.e. locomotory capability, reproduction and lifespan), and how any such effects were influenced by the perceived time until the key life history event of reproduction. Using juvenile three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), I showed that temperature manipulations early in life in three temperature treatments (low, intermediate and high, independent of food supply) or food restriction (with a constant temperature) affected skeletal growth trajectory not only during the manipulation itself, but also during a subsequent compensatory phase. To investigate the effects of time of year, all experimental groups of temperature and food manipulations were replicated at different seasonal periods (= Winter or Spring); to manipulate apparent time of year while holding initial size and maturity constant, a photoperiod manipulation was also undertaken at both seasonal times (ambient or delayed photoperiod).
While there was compensatory growth (i.e. accelerated growth) in the food manipulation, temperature manipulations induced both positive compensatory growth (i.e. growth acceleration following exposure to low temperature) and also 'negative' compensatory growth (decelerated growth following exposure to high temperature). The outcome of these changes was that fish in all treatment groups reached the same average size by sexual maturity, despite having different growth patterns. However, early growth trajectories influenced both pre-breeding swimming endurance and its decline over the course of the breeding season, such that swimming ability was negatively correlated with compensatory growth whereas 'negative' compensatory growth reduced swimming ability less (Chapter 2). Reproductive investment (males: sexual ornaments and ability to build nests; females: first clutch size and mean egg size) was negatively affected by compensatory growth; positive effects of 'negative' compensatory growth on reproduction were found (Chapter 3). Interestingly, the effects of growth rate on subsequent swimming and reproductive performance were greater when the perceived, or actual, time until the breeding season was shorter (Chapter 2 and 3). These results implied that increased metabolic rates and cellular damage (e.g. oxidative stress) induced by compensatory growth negatively affected subsequent performance, while decelerated growth reduced the damage levels and so later performance was less affected.
Under food manipulation, there were similar patterns: compensatory growth (i.e. accelerated growth) negatively affected locomotor and reproductive performance and the time until the breeding season altered the effects on performance (Chapter 4). To further examine trade-offs between growth rate and fitness parameters such as future reproductive investment and rates of senescence, I developed four theoretical models of increasing complexity with different growth-damage scenarios, ranging from assuming that the animal maximises growth regardless of any costs, through assuming a relationship between growth rate and mortality risk, to assuming growth leads to damage accumulation and that the animal is able to apportion resources between somatic growth, gonadal growth and investment in repair of damage. The models predicted that growth trajectories strongly influenced future reproductive investment irrespective of body size at the time of breeding, presumably due to the effects of damage accumulation in the run up to the breeding season; the predictions of the most complex model were closest to the experimental data on egg production (Chapter 5).
Lifespan was different among treatment groups and also influenced by early growth trajectories. Compensatory growth negatively affected lifespan whereas 'negative' compensatory growth extended lifespan. Lifespan in female sticklebacks was positively related to egg production. Male sticklebacks lived for a shorter time when they showed less growth between their first and second breeding seasons, and a greater change in the duration of having a red throat between the first and second breeding season (an indicator of reproductive senescence). The costs of compensation were strongest when the perceived time until breeding was shortest (Chapter 6).
Consequently, this thesis shows that environment conditions in early life have substantial effects on subsequent performances and lifespan. Moreover, results in this thesis strongly support the time-stress hypothesis, that is the time available until the onset of a key life history event, in this case reproduction, influences outcomes.


Background Gene panel testing has become the norm for assessing breast cancer (BC) susceptibility, but actual cancer risks conferred by genes included in panels are not established. Contrarily, deciphering the missing hereditability on BC, through identification of novel candidates, remains a challenge. We aimed to investigate the mutation prevalence and spectra in a highly selected cohort of Greek patients with BC, questioning an extensive number of genes, implicated in cancer predisposition and DNA repair, while calculating gene-specific BC risks that can ultimately lead to important associations. Methods To further discern BC susceptibility, a comprehensive 94-cancer gene panel was implemented in a cohort of 1382 Greek patients with BC, highly selected for strong family history and/or very young age (<35 years) at diagnosis, followed by BC risk calculation, based on a case–control analysis. Results Herein, 31.5% of patients tested carried pathogenic variants (PVs) in 28 known, suspected or candidate BC predisposition genes. In total, 24.8% of the patients carried BRCA1/2 loss-of-function variants. An additional 6.7% carried PVs in additional genes, the vast majority of which can be offered meaningful clinical changes. Significant association to BC predisposition was observed for ATM, PALB2, TP53, RAD51C and CHEK2 PVs. Primarily, compared with controls, RAD51C PVs and CHEK2 damaging missense variants were associated with high (ORs 6.19 (Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC)) and 12.6 (Fabulous Ladies Over Seventy (FLOSSIES)), p<0.01) and moderate BC risk (ORs 3.79 (ExAC) and 5.9 (FLOSSIES), p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion Studying a large and unique cohort of highly selected patients with BC, deriving from a population with founder effects, provides important insight on distinct associations, pivotal for patient management.


Hōnen, the founder of the Jōdo School of Buddhism in Japan, came to a strong conviction of the efficacy of the nembutsu through his deep personal experience, in which he realized that he would be incapable of mastering the Buddhist teachings and practices. Although Hōnen refrains from urging the nembutsu practitioner to focus on the mental components of the nembutsu, a close reading of his texts reveals that he has a systematic view of a psychological process that the nembutsu practitioner must go through in order to recite the nembutsu properly. I argue that Hōnen's account of a deep, dynamic psychological structure of the nembutsu practitioner exhibits a strong parallel to psychological factors in the preconditions of religious experience elucidated by James in his Varieties of Religious Experience. Moreover, interestingly, Hōnen's religious conviction of the Jōdo belief being grounded in his own emotionally infused personal experience accords well with James' contention regarding religion in general. James' psychological analyses of religious experience provide an illuminating framework in which we can understand the significance of the psychological process of the nembutsu practitioner expounded by Hōnen in his teachings of the nembutsu as well as the importance of Hōnen's own personal experience.


External (environmental) factors affecting the speciation of birds are better known than the internal (genetic) factors. The opposite is true for several groups of invertebrates, Drosophila being the outstanding example. Ideas about the genetics of speciation in general trace back to Dobzhansky who worked with Drosophila. These ideas are an insufficient guide for reconstructing speciation in birds for two main reasons. First, speciation in birds proceeds with the evolution of behavioral barriers to interbreeding; postmating isolation usually evolves much later, perhaps after gene exchange has all but ceased. As a consequence of the slow evolution of postmating isolating factors the scope for reinforcement of premating isolation is small, whereas the opportunity for introgressive hybridization to influence the evolution of diverging species is large. Second, premating isolation may arise from nongenetic, cultural causes; isolation may be affected partly by song, a trait that is culturally inherited through an imprinting-like process in many, but not all, groups of birds. Thus the genetic basis to the origin of bird species is to be sought in the inheritance of adult traits that are subject to natural and sexual selection. Some of the factors involved in premating isolation (plumage, morphology, and behavior) are under single-gene control, most are under polygenic control. The genetic basis of the origin of postmating isolating factors affecting the early development of embryos (viability) and reproductive physiology (sterility) is almost completely unknown. Bird speciation is facilitated by small population size, involves few genetic changes, and occurs relatively rapidly.


Abstract Instantaneous intake is central to the understanding of large herbivore foraging strategies and rangeland ecology. Unfortunately, its measurement under field conditions remains challenging because of the difficulty of estimating bite mass. The hand plucking method provides a simple, noninvasive method of estimating bite masses and thus instantaneous intake of grazing herbivores. However, many authors questioned its accuracy and interobserver repeatability. In this study, we tested the accuracy and the repeatability of the hand plucking method using four observers and two herbivore species (i.e., cattle and goats). We compared hand plucked bite mass estimates to actual bite mass of bites taken by the herbivores on natural patches of grass. Training of the observers was fundamental to obtaining accurate bite mass measurements. The mean daily accuracy of the observers' bite mass estimates increased from 60–80% to 80–94% within 5 d. After training, the relationship between bite mass estimates and actual bite mass was linear and not significantly different from a Y  =  X relationship. This means that individual bite mass estimates were centered on the real values and thus positive and negative errors canceled each other when combined. As a result, estimates of cumulative intake over about 10 feeding stations had accuracies of over 95%. Furthermore, neither the observer identity nor the herbivore species affected the accuracy of the measurements. The categorization of bites into different size categories proved to be essential in achieving accurate measurements. When observers are trained, hand plucking is a reliable and accurate method of estimating bites mass and instantaneous intake of grazing herbivores. This has important implications for rangeland research and management, as hand plucking is often the only practicable method available for estimating instantaneous intake of free-ranging herbivores.


This article describes the predicative verbal system of Catalan Sign Language (LSC) as it is used by Deaf people in the province of Barcelona. We also present a historical perspective of the research on this topic, which provides insight into the changes that have taken place over the last few decades in sign language linguistics. The principal differences between these languages and oral ones include the visual character of their linguistic units and the use of the space in front of the signer (neutral space) to describe events of the real world. This space is broadly exploited in the verb structure, which constitutes a complex gestural form that accumulates most of the information in the sentence and the discourse as a whole. For this reason, since the 1970s, descriptions of these verb systems have attracted the attention of numerous researchers.


Endoscopic diagnostic procedures have become part of the comprehensive care provided by many primary care physicians, and when these physicians interact with third-party payers, they must correctly report the endoscopic services they have provided. Included in this review are commonly used upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure codes; corresponding reimbursement values from one state's Medicare and Medicaid program; lists of diagnosis codes used in reporting upper and lower endoscopy services; and instructions for reporting visits and intravenous anesthesia associated with endoscopy procedures.


Classic works of Karlin and McGregor and Jones and Magnus have established a general correspondence between continuous-time birth-and-death processes and continued fractions of the Stieltjes-Jacobi type together with their associated orthogonal polynomials. This fundamental correspondence is revisited here in the light of the basic relation between weighted lattice paths and continued fractions otherwise known from combinatorial theory. Given that sample paths of the embedded Markov chain of a birth-and-death process are lattice paths, Laplace transforms of a number of transient characteristics can be obtained systematically in terms of a fundamental continued fraction and its family of convergent polynomials. Applications include the analysis of evolutions in a strip, upcrossing and downcrossing times under flooring and ceiling conditions, as well as time, area, or number of transitions while a geometric condition is satisfied.


Yaba-like disease virus (YLDV) is a yatapoxvirus, a group of slow-growing poxviruses from primates. Analysis of the growth cycle of YLDV in tissue culture showed that maximum virus titres were reached 3 days post-infection and at this time only 3.3 % of infectious progeny was extracellular. The intracellular and extracellular virions have different buoyant densities and are separable on CsCl density gradients. They are also distinguishable by electron microscopy with the extracellular virions having an additional lipid envelope. In YLDV-infected cells, thick actin bundles with virions at their tips were seen protruding from the cell surface, despite the fact that YLDV lacks a protein comparable to Vaccinia virus A36R, which is required for VV-induced actin tail formation. In addition to these observations, the YLDV gene Y144R was characterized. This gene is predicted to encode a transmembrane protein containing three short consensus repeat (SCR) motifs common to members of the complement control protein family. Antibody generated against recombinant Y144R recognized products of 36, 41 and 48-55 kDa in YLDV-infected cells and purified extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) but not intracellular mature virus (IMV). Y144R protein is a glycoprotein with type I membrane topology that is synthesized early and late during infection. By immunoblot, indirect immunofluorescence and immuno-cryoelectron microscopy the Y144R protein was detected on the intracellular enveloped virus (IEV), cell-associated enveloped virus (CEV) and EEV. This represents the first study of a YLDV IEV, CEV and EEV protein at the molecular level.


Dissolved concentrations of trace elements in water samples from the Bayelva river in Spitsbergen have been determined. Samples have been collected in the very beginning and very end of the runoff season, otherwise denoted as spring and autumn. It has previously been indicated that levels of mercury, lead, copper, cadmium, chromium, zinc and nickel are higher during snow melt than after. The hypothesis that arose on the basis of these data was that atmospherically deposited elements accumulate in the snowpack throughout winter. The aim of this study was to further investigate this indication by comparing spring and autumn levels of trace elements. In this case the very early spring and very late autumn. These transitional periods i.e when runoff is just starting, and ending emerged as an interesting and not extensively researched time in the runoff season of Bayelva. Levels of trace elements found in this study have been compared to data from previous years (2009-2016), to see if differences between spring and autumn can be seen over time. Parameters such as pH, conductivity, redox potential and turbidity have also been measured, and samples for analysis of dissolved organic matter have been collected. Levels of trace elements are low, and comparable to what has been seen by other studies in Spitsbergen and mainland Norway. The autumn data in this study shows higher levels than what has been seen in Bayelva before, and concentrations increased simultaneously with decreasing turbidity and increasing conductivity. Levels Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, and Zn are all significantly higher in the spring of 2017 than the levels in previous autumns. Thereby the hypothesis that was previously proposed could be kept. It seems that said elements accumulate in the snowpack throughout wintertime, signaling their atmospheric origin, possibly due to long range transport of anthropogenic pollution.


A STUDY OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF PHYSICIANS TOWARD VICTIMS OF SPOUSE ABUSE. Ramani N Garimella Old Dominion University, 1999 Chairman: Dr. Stacey Plichta The purpose of this study is to measure the knowledge and attitudes of physicians toward victims of spouse abuse. All 150 practitioners in the specialities of emergency medicine, family medicine, obstetrics-gynecology and psychiatry, in a large area general hospital are included in the sampling frame; 76 responded (RR= 51%). Knowledge and attitudes were measured using the Physician Survey on Spouse Abuse. Rosenberg's Tripartite Model of Attitude formed the theoretical basis for this study. Participants were 72% male, 90% white, 88% currently married, with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 7.99). Mean years in practice was 14.61 (SD = 7.71); 63% were in private practice, and 47% practiced in suburban areas. A minority, 21% had no course content on spouse abuse and majority, 81% were not trained in spouse abuse prevention following graduation. Only 27% secured a pass on the knowledge quiz. 68% had positive summary attitude measure. 70% had a positive overall belief, 97% had positive beliefs about physician role, 65% had positive beliefs about victims, and 30% had positive beliefs about resources. 11% had a positive affect score. 84% had positive verbal statements of behavior, 22% had positive behaviors on frequency of suspecting abuse. 50% of the respondents identified 5 or less victims in the past year. Whites had significantly less positive summary attitude measure, beliefs about physician role, and affect scores. Older physicians had significantly less positive overall belief scores, beliefs about victims and identified fewer victims of abuse. Females Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. were significantly more likely to pass the knowledge quiz and they were also more likely to hold positive beliefs about victims of abuse. Married physicians were significantly less likely to pass the knowledge quiz and to have less positive affect scores. Family practitioners were least likely to behave positively toward victims of abuse. Physicians with fewer years in practice were more likely to have positive beliefs about victims. Speciality was the strongest predictor of attitudes. Physicians seem to hold most positive beliefs, are less likely behave positively toward victims of abuse and are even less likely to feel positive about providing services to victims of abuse. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. at the lotus feet o f Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and to my parents Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.


ABSTRACT There are two mammalian genes that encode isoforms of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT), a key rate-controlling step in membrane phospholipid biogenesis. Quantitative determination of the CCT transcripts reveals that CCTα is ubiquitously expressed and is found at the highest levels in the testis and lung, with lower levels in the liver and ovary. CCTβ2 is a very minor isoform in most tissues but is significantly expressed in the brain, lung, and gonads. CCTβ3 is the third isoform recently discovered in mice and is expressed in the same tissues as CCTβ2, with its highest level in testes. We investigated the role(s) of CCTβ2 by generating knockout mice. The brains and lungs of mice lacking CCTβ2 expression did not exhibit any overt defects. On the other hand, a large percentage of the CCTβ2−/− females were sterile and their ovaries exhibited defective ovarian follicle development. The proportion of female CCTβ2−/− mice with defective ovaries increased as the animals aged. The rare litters born from CCTβ2−/− × CCTβ2−/0 matings had the normal number of pups. The abnormal ovarian histopathology was characterized by disorganization of the tissue in young adult mice and absence of follicles and ova in older mice, along with interstitial stromal cell hyperplasia which culminated in the emergence of tubulostromal ovarian tumors by 16 months of age. Grossly defective CCTβ2−/− ovaries were associated with high follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormone levels. Male CCTβ2−/0 mice exhibited progressive multifocal testicular degeneration and reduced fertility but had normal FSH and LH levels. Thus, the most notable phenotype of CCTβ2 knockout mice was gonad degeneration and reproductive deficiency. The results indicate that although CCTβ2 is expressed at very low levels compared to the α-isoform, loss of CCTβ2 expression causes a breakdown in the gonadal response to hormonal stimulation.


Environmental dating tracers (3H, 3He, 4He, CFC-12, CFC-11, SF6) and the natural response of spring (hydrochemistry, water temperature, and hydrodynamics) were jointly used to asses mixing processes and to characterize groundwater flow in a relatively small carbonate aquifer with complex geology in South Spain. Results evidence a marked karst behavior of some temporary outlets, while some perennial springs show buffer and delayed responses to recharge events. There is also a general geochemical evolution pattern, from higher to lower altitudes, in which mineralization and the relation Mg/Ca rises, evidencing longer water-rock interaction. The large SF6 concentrations in groundwater suggest terrigenic production, while CFC-11 values are affected by sorption or degradation. The groundwater age in the perennial springs deduced from CFC-12 and 3H/3He point out to mean residence times of several decades, although the difference between both methods and the large amount of radiogenic 4He in the samples indicates a contribution of old groundwater (free of 3H and CFC-12). Lumped Parameter Models and Shape-Free Models were created based on 3H, tritiogenic 3He, CFC-12, and radiogenic 4He data in order to interpret the age distribution of the samples. The resulting groundwater-age distributions evidence the existence of two mixing components, with an old fraction ranging between 160 and 220 years. Some dating parameters derived from the mixing models and their correlation to physicochemical parameters permits to explain the hydrogeochemical processes occurring within the system. All these results prove that large time residence times are possible in small alpine systems with a clear karst behavior when the geological setting is complex, and they highlight the importance of applying different approaches, including groundwater dating techniques, to completely understand the groundwater flow regime within this type of media.


Tool steels have important participation in the worldwide market of steels. They are used by metal-mechanical industry as cutting tools, molds, punches, etc. Because the use is of great responsibility, it is important to discuss the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties. The starting material was powder of a commercial tool steel with the composition (wt%) 2.5%C, 5.25%Cr, 0.9%Si, 9.75%V, 0.5Mn, 1.3%Mo and balance Fe. The samples were obtained by hot isostatic pressing (hip) process, and than were austenitizing at 1120°C and submitted to tempering in the temperature range varying from 430° to 550°C. The aim of this work was to evaluate the correlation between heat treatment, microstructure and mechanical properties. Results of toughness and hardness are presented.