Background Ultrasound surveillance remains one of the main stay in the management of the high risk antenatal patient. However, it contributes significantly to the burden of most Scan departments. The National institute for clinical excellence states that evidence does not support the routine use of ultrasound scanning after 24 weeks. Methodolgy Retrospective Audit of fetal surveillance performed in a Teaching Hospital. Objectives To assess how fetal surveillance scan assisted in the management of selected high risk patients. Results 500 scans were performed in 202 patients. In 54.5% birth weights did not correlate with scan. Findings did not influence care in 78.2% and did not affect timing or mode of delivery in 86%. In 43 patients scan affected antenatal care. 15 patients had further scans. 6 had OGTT and 1 Gestational diabetes was diagnosed. 5 patients required admission. 26 women (13%) were delivered as a result of scan findings including 1 EMCS. 1 ECV was performed for undiagnosed breech presentation. 69% of babies with IUGR had not been picked up by scan. 38% of the 56 smokers had babies whose birth weight was on or below the 10th centile. 75% of women scanned serially for booking late were of ethnic minority origin. Conclusion Ultrasound surveillance is by no means infallible in the assessment of fetal wellbeing. Over half of estimated fetal weights as predicted by scan was inaccurate however it made a significant impact on antenatal care in a good proportion of patients.


In accordance with the 2008 Resolution of the Council of the European Union on "Better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies", the reform of French lycees has included career guidance among its priorities. This reform, which was implemented in 2010, includes lessons on exploring economics for all students in year one ( seconde ) of the French three-year lycee. Will this new feature help to promote career guidance? This research aims to show that academic and vocational guidance is socially controversial, and that the two year one programmes on economics, "SES" (social and economic sciences) and "PFEG" (basic principles of economics and management), provide knowledge and skills from the humanities and social sciences that are useful for the guidance of year one students, even if the teachers involved do not feel directly involved in assisting with career guidance. As career guidance is not a discipline, will effective teachers be those who are able to distinguish between "knowledge that" and "knowledge for"?


The objective of this study was to describe the health problems of a group dementia patients on admission and during residence in a Dutch nursing home and to compare these with figures of patients of 75 years and over from general practice. In 890 nursing home patients suffering from dementia prevalence of health problems on admission and the incidence during the residence were classified by means of the ICHPPC-2-defined. The differences between men and women were studied as was the influence of the season on the incidence during the stay. Results were compared with figures of patients of seventy five year and over from the continuous morbidity registration (CMR) from 'Nijmegen'. The most frequently occurring health problems on admission were: varicose veins of legs, acquired deformation of the spine, presbyacusis, hypertension, arthrosis, COPD, cerebrovascular disorders, heart murmur, cataract and chronic ischemic heart disease. During the residence the following health problems were frequently diagnosed: urinary tract infection, side effect of medicine, constipation, pneumonia, pressure sore, feeding problem, contusion, heart failure, cold and conjunctivitis. There were clear differences between men and women. Especially the incidence of intercurrent diseases showed great differences from the patterns in general practice. Prevalence of health problems on admission to the nursing home home agreed mor with figures from general practice. Respiratory tract infections frequently occurred in winter and urinary tract infections, pressure sores and conjunctivitis seemed to occur more in the summer. Nursing home patients with dementia have a lot of chronic and intercurrent health problems. They differ clearly from patients in general practice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Fragmentation of doubly charged biomolecules, uracil and amino acids, has been investigated using different ab inito Molecular Dynamics Methods. Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory Molecular Dynamics give a description of the non-adiabatic effects, the charge redistributions that occur in the first few femtoseconds and reveal the importance of the chemical environment. The combination of different techniques allow us to interpret the complex multicoincident spectra obtained experimentally when the molecules collides with ions or are excited with synchrotron radiation.


We introduce two tactics, namely the strategically-timed attack and the enchanting attack, to attack reinforcement learning agents trained by deep reinforcement learning algorithms using adversarial examples. In the strategically-timed attack, the adversary aims at minimizing the agent's reward by only attacking the agent at a small subset of time steps in an episode. Limiting the attack activity to this subset helps prevent detection of the attack by the agent. We propose a novel method to determine when an adversarial example should be crafted and applied. In the enchanting attack, the adversary aims at luring the agent to a designated target state. This is achieved by combining a generative model and a planning algorithm: while the generative model predicts the future states, the planning algorithm generates a preferred sequence of actions for luring the agent. A sequence of adversarial examples is then crafted to lure the agent to take the preferred sequence of actions. We apply the proposed tactics to the agents trained by the state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithm including DQN and A3C. In 5 Atari games, our strategically-timed attack reduces as much reward as the uniform attack (i.e., attacking at every time step) does by attacking the agent 4 times less often. Our enchanting attack lures the agent toward designated target states with a more than 70% success rate. Example videos are available at http://yclin.me/adversarial_attack_RL/.


ABSTRACT Australian IR scholars and scholarship have been prominent in framing, informing and contributing to global debates in the field of global environmental politics. This article reviews and analyses those contributions with a focus on the period since 2009. It takes as a starting point research that addresses international or global environmental issues, including those that demand a scalar approach to how the global is voiced and experienced at local and regional sites, and that, in doing so, illuminates key disciplinary concerns and contributes to disciplinary debates. The core of the article is woven around three overlapping sub-fields: global environmental governance, international political economy, and normative IR. It reveals how Australian-based IR scholars working on the environment have engaged with critiques of neo-liberalism, pursued more critical approaches to securitization, expanded the empirical and conceptual basis of how we understand institutional ecosystems, contributed to bringing social justice concerns to the forefront of global environmental politics and theory, and been part of a conversation about environmental challenges in the Asia Pacific region. The article concludes with some thoughts about the future direction of this research and scholarship.


This thesis builds on cognitive stylistics, humour studies and psychological approaches to literature, film and television to explore how the stylistic features of comic novels and short stories may shape readers' experience of comedy. I suggest that our responses to written humorous narratives are triggered by two types of stylistic cue: those which lead to amusement and stabilise our experience of comedy, and those which destabilise it by evoking non-humorous emotions associated with experiencing narrative worlds generally. When presented simultaneously, those cues can trigger complex humorous responses in which amusement is experienced alongside other, often negative, emotions.

In order to investigate how textual elements can influence our emotional experience of humorous narratives, this thesis examines the ways in which stylistic cues affect some of the main experiential features of the narrative worlds of comedy: the moods evoked by the world, our relationships with characters, and our reactions to plot events. Following on from the Introduction and the Literature Review (Chapters 1 and 2), Chapter 3 explores the ways in which stylistic cues may evoke various moods by establishing, reinforcing and disrupting our expectations. Chapter 4 focuses on the role of characterisation in humorous narratives, concentrating on those cues which encourage us to laugh at narrative characters, and those which evoke other, non-humorous responses to them. In Chapter 5, I consider how the presentation of story events affects our experience of humorous plots. I discuss the cues which add humour to the presentation of otherwise problematic events, as well as those which combine humour with more uncomfortable emotions that stem from our reactions to story structures. Chapter 6, finally, provides a summary of the argument and of the contribution to knowledge made by this thesis.

My exploration of the non-humorous side of experiencing narrative comedy offers a key contribution to the study of humorous narratives. By investigating humour as part of a wider narrative world, this thesis moves beyond the analysis of amusing language and towards addressing the complexity of the creation and experience of humour in a narrative world. The interdisciplinary, stylistic-psychological approach adopted here allows for hypotheses to be made not only about the emotional experience of humour in comic novels and short stories, but also about the affective side of narrative comprehension more generally.


Estimation of available bandwidth for an end-to-end network path allows traffic sources to judiciously regulate the volume of application traffic injected into the network. For example, knowing that the available bandwidth is small could be applied at a source for proactive congestion control by preempting low priority traffic. To address bandwidth estimation in future battlefield networks, a study was launched under the ARMY CERDEC multi-functional on-the-move secure adaptive integrated communications (MOSAIC) program. In this paper, novel techniques developed under the MOSAIC program for estimating end-to-end available bandwidth are presented that do not require active probing and are immune to clock offset. The path parameters that are estimated include end-to-end queuing, transmission and deterministic delays, in addition to available bandwidth, narrow link capacity, and path utilization. Furthermore, the proposed techniques are suitable for encrypted wireless networks with strict rules forbidding interactions across a cryptographic boundary between network routers and traffic sources (e.g., red-black networks). Results of simulations that assess the performance of the available bandwidth estimation techniques are reported herein


The Biot theory is used in an attempt to explain the frequency dependence of ultrasonic attenuation, f( alpha ), in cancellous bone. Measurements of f( alpha ) in samples of cancellous bone are compared with values calculated using parameters established from bone samples by statistical histomorphometry. Ultrasonic attenuation in cancellous bone correlates with trabecular bone volume but the Biot theory, although producing qualitative agreement produces quantitative results which are significantly deviant using parameters presently available. At the present time, too many of the Biot parameters are insufficiently defined for cancellous bone, to allow a complete test of the model.


Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients wait months and undergo numerous invasive procedures between the initial appearance of symptoms and receiving a diagnosis. In order to reduce time until diagnosis and improve patient wellbeing, machine learning algorithms capable of diagnosing IBD from the gut microbiome's composition are currently being explored. To date, these models have had limited clinical application due to decreased performance when applied to a new cohort of patient samples. Various methods have been developed to analyze microbiome data which may improve the generalizability of machine learning IBD diagnostic tests. With an abundance of methods, there is a need to benchmark the performance and generalizability of various machine learning pipelines (from data processing to training a machine learning model) for microbiome-based IBD diagnostic tools. Results We collected fifteen 16S rRNA microbiome datasets (7707 samples) from North America to benchmark combinations of gut microbiome features, data normalization methods, batch effect reduction methods, and machine learning models. Pipeline generalizability to new cohorts of patients was evaluated with four binary classification metrics following leave-one dataset-out cross validation, where all samples from one study were left out of the training set and tested upon. We demonstrate that taxonomic features obtained from QIIME2 lead to better classification of samples from IBD patients than inferred functional features obtained from PICRUSt2. In addition, machine learning models that identify non-linear decision boundaries between labels are more generalizable than those that are linearly constrained. Prior to training a non-linear machine learning model on taxonomic features, it is important to apply a compositional normalization method and remove batch effects with the naive zero-centering method. Lastly, we illustrate the importance of generating a curated training dataset to ensure similar performance across patient demographics. Conclusions These findings will help improve the generalizability of machine learning models as we move towards non-invasive diagnostic and disease management tools for patients with IBD.


Absract The paper analyzes melt shop and caster scheduling at special steel maker – Trinecke Zelezarny. The main optimization objectives of melt shop and caster scheduling are defined as: minimization of earliness and lateness of orders, maximization of tundish utilization, minimization of steel grade changes and minimization of mold width changes, minimization of stock, minimization of over grading, management of iron inventory. The following key problems of scheduling are defined: underdeveloped optimization algorithms and insufficient computer performance. Based on this the key provisions of a new method of melt shop and caster scheduling are proposed. The method significantly improves quality of planning. It includes the following three stages: production capacity allocation; heat building; sequencing. An experience of successful practical development and implementation of specialized software solution based on the new method at Czech special steel maker is provided.


: With the statutory health insurance reform act 2000 the German government started to introduce a new hospital funding system based on an internationally used diagnosis related groups (DRGs) system. In June 2000 the German self-administration board (consisting of the German hospital federation, the German statutory health insurance funds and the association of private health insurers), which is in charge of realizing this project, decided to develop the future German (Refined) DRG System (G-DRG) with reference to the Australian Refined DRG System (AR-DRG) Version 4.1. Replacement of the previous German hospital reimbursement system by the new DRG-based hospital funding system is planned for January 2003 on a voluntary basis. From January 2004 on, the change of the reimbursement system is to become mandatory for all hospitals with the exception of psychiatry. The new reimbursement system is intended to not only cover acute hospital care but also parts of early rehabilitation, palliative and sub-acute care. Because of its economic incentives the effects of DRG introduction in Germany will not only be limited to the hospital scene but will also affect rehabilitation.


Users of parallel patterns need to carefully consider many subtle aspects of software design. In particular, implicit relationships with hardware realities coupled with aggressive strategies for optimization are daunting in this domain. This paper proposes a new way to leverage visual cues in HiLPR, a proposed uniform representation for parallel patterns. We show the application of this approach to three design patterns: Sparse Linear Algebra, Pipeline, and Shared Queue. An evaluation of the combination of a pattern's Forces with its Solution within this representation indicates that this approach holds promise in terms of assisting developers in making better-informed decisions about pattern implementation.


The study of mitochondria in situ has recently been facilitated through the use of rhodamine 123, a mitochondrial-specific fluorescent dye. It has been found to be nontoxic when applied for short periods to a variety of cell types and has thus become an invaluable tool for examining mitochondrial morphology and function in the intact living cell. In this report, however, we demonstrate that with continuous exposure, rhodamine 123 selectively kills carcinoma as compared to normal epithelial cells grown in vitro. At doses of rhodamine 123 which were toxic to carcinoma cells, the conversion of mitochondrial-specific to cytoplasmic-nonspecific localization of the drug was observed prior to cell death. At 10 microgram/ml, greater than 50% cell death occurred within 7 days in all nine of the carcinoma cell types and lines of different origin studied, while six of six normal epithelial cell types and lines remained unaffected. Cotreating carcinoma cells with 2-deoxyglucose and rhodamine 123 enhanced the inhibition of growth by rhodamine 123 alone in clonogenic survival assays. The observation of the selective toxicity of rhodamine 123 appears to be unique in view of the absence of selective toxicity reported in vitro for the various antitumor agents currently in clinical use. Preliminary results with rhodamine 123 in animal tumor systems indicate antitumor activity for carcinomas.


A procedure is developed to probe the changes in the functional interactions among neurons in primary motor cortex of the monkey brain during adaptation. A monkey is trained to learn a new skill, moving its arm to reach a target under the inuence of external perturbations. The spike trains of multiple neurons in the primary motor cortex are recorded simultaneously. We utilize the methodology of directed transfer function, derived from a class of linear stochastic models, to quantify the causal interactions between the neurons. We Žnd that the coupling between the motor neurons tends to increase during the adaptation but return to the original level after the adaptation. Furthermore, there is evidence that adaptation tends to affect the topology of the neural network, despite the approximate conservation of the average coupling strength in the network before and after the adaptation.


In the authors' opinion there is no physical reason for a waiting period after total mastectomy before the breast is reconstructed. If the duration of the patient's survival is limited, the sooner the breast is reconstructed the better. The authors do not use silicone implants that may be blamed for the appearance of recurrent tumour but reconstruct the breast with a vertical rectus abdominis myodermal flap immediately after the mastectomy. The flap is an island of skin, fat and muscle extending from the xiphoid to the pubis; it receives its blood supply from the perforators of the superior-inferior epigastric vascular axis on the same side as the mastectomy. The rectus abdominis muscle is the pedicle and carrier of the vessels that feed the ellipse of skin. The flap is doubled on itself and thus forms a cone. It is then passed into the breast area by undermining the intervening bridge of skin. Nipple and areola are grafted onto the flap. This operation enables a wide resection, so that the principles of cancer management are not compromised.


Steel slag and carbon dioxide were used as raw materials to prepare building material by carbonation. Effects of forming pressure on carbonation of steel slag and carbonated depth were studied by pore structural changes before and after carbonation and carbonated region. The results showed that these were visible pore structural changes between non-carbonated and carbonated steel slag, and after carbonation, the porosity of steel slag samples were decreased, the number of fine pore was increased and large pore was opposite. Carbon dioxide gas which was sequestrated by Ca(OH)2 and C3S were combined in CaCO3 crystal, and this process was form surface to interior. Clustered granular crystals were generated in the surface and 12 mm depth of samples, while none in the 20 mm depth of samples, no obvious granular crystal growth. The granular crystals which produced by carbonation filled the pores of the sample, in particular the arrangement of dense granular surface of crystal layer, which may impede the spread of CO2 gas to the depths, and carbonation reaction focused on the surface to 12 mm depth region.


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious public health problem whose prevalence has increased in the last few years. Its progression is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Several factors are associated with the onset and progression of CKD, such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Beyond these factors, there is evidence of a pathophysiological role for inflammation in CKD. Several cytokines and chemokines have been detected in the plasma and urine of patients at early stages of CKD, and have also been related to CKD complications. The expression of these mediators and renal injury may be influenced by drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins and antagonists of cytokine receptors. Modulation of the immune-inflammatory response can become a target for CKD treatment. The aim of this study was to review the scientific evidence on the role of inflammation in CKD, especially the effects of cytokines and chemokines.


It is well known that magnesium alloys have difficulties in room temperature formability because of their HCP structure. As a basic approach to enhance a cold formability, a new combination process including an extrusion followed by a cold equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was attempted. ECAP die has an inner die corner angle of 135 degree, the fillet angle of 45 degree and thickness of 5mm. A finite element analysis with a three-dimensional thermo-coupled elasto-plastic model was also carried out to understand the change of stress and strain during ECAP. Experiments showed that the AZ31 alloy, which is extruded at a ratio of 20 and is heat-treated at 350°C, was successful in a cold ECAP. From the simulated results, it was found that the effective strain gradually decreased from the inner die side (0.533) to the outer die side. This was confirmed by the analytical analysis via von Mises criterion. Furthermore, it also matched well with the experiments, which showed a uniform shear deformation band. It was also interesting to note that compressive yield strength was drastically increased, which is caused by the occurrence of numerous twins spread across the materials during a cold ECAP.


The objective of this article is to explain the ambivalent existence related to actor domination in the collaborative governance. As a precondition for the collaborative governance process, domination is a factor which must be prevented to maintain equality and mutual trust between actors. Therefore, the core question of this article is that is it true that the actor domination has negative effects to the collaboration sustainability? This article was written by using qualitative method. Data were collected with deep interviews, document studies, and literary studies and data were analyzed by using descriptive technique. The case of Lampung province central government displacement in 2004-2016 was made to be a research basis to answer the core question. The research finding showed that actor domination was dilemmatic. The collaboration process was in fact very dependent on the main actor who "control" the collaboration process, both in the planning stage (through Planning Coordination Team) and in implementation stage (through forum of Region Management Agency). This finding was very important because in spite of violating equality between actors, the actor domination in this policy case was beneficial. The inequality which was assumed to produce mutual untruths was not proven. In conclusion, actor domination is an ambivalent; something that must be prevented, but it then becomes a key factor. In what situation this actor domination gives a meaning? This article tries to answer it.


ABSTRACT Background: Studies describing the efficacy of transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (TPED) on shortness of recovery and improvement of postoperative quality of life are limited, especially regarding gender, something that has never been reported before in the literature. The purpose of this study is to evaluate, in accordance with the sex of the patients, possible differences in the health-related quality of life of those who underwent TPED for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A total of 76 patients diagnosed and treated with TPED for LDH with 1-year follow-up were selected and divided into 2 groups of equal number depending on sex. Their quality of life was evaluated by using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey before the operation, then 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. A statistical analysis was conducted, in order to compare the 8 scaled scores of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, each time combining 2 chronological phases for the total number of patients, for each group, and between groups. Results: Fifty-two (68.4%) patients were ≤63 years old, whereas the other 24 (31.4%) were >63 years old (mean ±  SD = 56.5 ±  12.1 years). Apart from the physical function domain, the scores were higher in every visit for the 2 groups, but the change between groups was not significant. Women had a significantly higher increase of physical function score in 3 months after TPED and in the interval 6 weeks to 3 months compared with men. However, in the intervals 3 to 6 months and 3 to 12 months, men presented a significantly higher increase compared with women. Conclusions: Statistically significant improvement of the quality of life for both men and women was observed. Generally, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. With regard to the physical functioning, it appears to be a significant difference that is counterpoised over time. Level of evidence: 2 Clinical relevance Transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic discectomy for LDH does not present major differences in the improvement of quality of life regarding gender.


The thermodynamic characteristics of piezoelectric ceramics are investigated by considering two thermodynamic material property models: isentropically linear and isothermally linear models. Those two models are two possible interpretations of the data on temperature‐dependent linear coefficients of piezoelectric ceramics. Thermodynamic differences of the two models are examined and effects of the thermo–electro–mechanical couplings are evaluated in examples. Application of the thermo–electro–mechanical model to PZT4 shows that the difference observed in the piezoelectric constants obtained by static and dynamic measurements cannot be explained by the difference between isothermal and isentropic processes.


BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to characterize associations among serum proteins, negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) fluid loss, and primary fascial closure (PFC) following emergent laparotomy and temporary abdominal closure (TAC). We hypothesized that high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and NPWT output would be associated with hypoalbuminemia and failure to achieve PFC. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 233 patients managed with NPWT TAC. Serum proteins and resuscitation indices were assessed on admission, initial laparotomy, and then at 48 hours, 96 hours, 7 days, and discharge. Correlations were assessed by Pearson coefficient. Multivariable regression was performed to identify predictors of PFC with cutoff values for continuous variables determined by Youden index. RESULTS Patients who failed to achieve PFC (n = 55) had significantly higher CRP at admission (249 vs. 148 mg/L, p = 0.003), initial laparotomy (237 vs. 154, p = 0.002), and discharge (124 vs. 72, p = 0.003), as well as significantly lower serum albumin at 7 days (2.3 vs. 2.5 g/dL, p = 0.028) and discharge (2.5 vs. 2.8, p = 0.004). Prealbumin (in milligrams per deciliter) was similar between groups at each time point. There was an inverse correlation between nadir serum albumin and total milliliters of NPWT output (r = −0.33, p < 0.001). Exogenous albumin administration (in grams per day) correlated with higher serum albumin levels at each time point: 48 hours: r = 0.26 (p = 0.002), 96 hours: r = 0.29 (p = 0.002), 7 days: r = 0.40 (p < 0.001). Albumin of less than 2.6 g/dL was an independent predictor of failure to achieve PFC (odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–6.61) in a multivariate model including abdominal sepsis, body mass index of greater than 40 kg/m2, and CRP of greater than 250 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS Early and persistent systemic inflammation and high NPWT output were associated with hypoalbuminemia, which was an independent predictor of failure to achieve PFC. The utility of exogenous albumin following TAC requires further study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic study, level III; Therapeutic study, level IV.


Leveraging the increased use of Structural Adhesive in Automotive Body Structure Design has many proven benefits. It is a well-known method used to enable weight reduction in vehicle design and can also drive more efficient structural performance during dynamic safety events. This is increasingly important as vehicle safety standards increase, and as vehicle mass increases due to electrification. Often the benefits of adhesive use are not fully optimized due to unnecessary design redundancies or process driven redundancies. Design redundancy; using both welds and adhesive, is often included because government safety regulations require very robust validation of structures, and when combined with the use of Process Quality Control methods such as Batch Control and Sampling, can infer confidence in the design and process, but don't ensure it. This paper proposes a different and unique approach to Product Design and Process Control, which will create an opportunity to eliminate redundancy, and can unlock significant design and process operational and capital cost savings. To truly ensure Quality Control of the structural adhesive bead, real-time verification along with Adaptive Process Control (APC) of the dispensing process is required. With fully guaranteed quality, design redundancies can be eliminated, and the design and processes can be concurrently optimized. The commitment to APC technology must happen very early in the Program, to enable an early focused design optimization effort to minimize the number of spot welds while maximizing structural adhesive use. Too often, the decision to invest in enabling technology in the manufacturing process, is made without considering design optimization. Also, the high-level decisions that can enable capital investment and operating cost savings are often caught in complex organizational finance processes. APC technology and equipment is purchased by Manufacturing entities, but without the confirmed product variable cost savings being identified early enough, the capital expenses won't be justified or approved. This paper seeks to unravel that Catch-22 issue. Very few vehicle manufacturers are taking this pro-active step to commit to the use of APC technology in dispensing early in a vehicle program. Most OEM manufacturers design products in a very serial development process, design, tool, produce; with limited synergy due to the very rapid design cycle. They are missing a readily available opportunity to eliminate sub-optimization, added cost, added labor, and redundancy. To accomplish full efficiency and optimization, requires very close and early collaboration between the product design engineers and manufacturing engineers, and cross-organizational agreement.


in the search for new renewable energy sources, photovoltaic systems and solar thermal collectors have become more common in buildings. With increased efficiency and demand for energy, solar power has also become exploitable at higher latitudes where snow is a major load on buildings. For flat roofs, one usually expects approximately 80% of the snow to be eroded off the roof surface. installing solar panels would change this since the flow pattern and wind conditions on the roof are affected by their presence. this study shows the erosion of sand particles from underneath solar panels of various configurations associated with different wind velocities. The pattern of erosion is used to determine the relative friction velocity, u*rel, of the wind on the roof. this value is the friction velocity on the roof relative to the friction velocity on a flat roof without solar panels. the experiments, conducted in a wind tunnel, show that the area where u*rel is 0 and where it is expected that sand and snow will accumulate in case of an upwind particle source and decrease with increasing distances between roof and solar panel. it is also shown that a larger gap between the solar panel and roof surface creates larger erosion zones, where u*rel > 1 for both wind directions. since the erosion is closely linked to the air flow under the solar panels, and that higher air velocity increases the erosion, it is likely that a larger solar panel, extending higher into the free air flow would be desirable to avoid snow accumulation on a flat roof with solar panels. if the solar panel has large enough dimensions, the solar panels can be used as a deflector to decrease snow accumulation on flat roofs. With solar panels of the size in the current experiments, a building with a length smaller than the equivalent of x/L = 0.3 would have u*rel > 1 on most of the roof surface and would thus likely have a lower snow load than an equivalent float roof without solar panels.


On March 17, 2015, a geomagnetic storm—the largest of the solar cycle to date— hit Earth and gave many sky watchers around the world a beautiful auroral display. People made thousands of aurora-related tweets and direct reports to Aurorasaurus.org, an interdisciplinary citizen science project that tracks auroras worldwide in real-time through social media and the project's apps and website. Through Aurorasaurus, researchers are converting these crowdsourced observations into valuable data points to help improve models of where aurora can be seen. In this presentation, we will highlight how the team communicates with the public during these global, sporadic events to help drive and retain participation for Aurorasaurus. We will highlight some of the co-produced scientific results and increased media interest following this event. Aurorasaurus uses mobile apps, blogging, and a volunteer scientist network to reach out to aurora enthusiasts to engage in the project. Real-time tweets are voted on by other users to verify their accuracy and are pinned on a map located on aurorasaurus.org to help show the instantaneous, global auroral visibility. Since the project launched in October 2014, hundreds of users have documented the two largest geomagnetic storms of this solar cycle. In some cases, like for the St. Patrick's Day storm, users even reported seeing aurora in areas different than aurora models suggested. Online analytics indicate these events drive users to our page and many also share images with various interest groups on social media. While citizen scientists provide observations, Aurorasaurus gives back by providing tools to help the public see and understand the aurora. When people verify auroral sightings in a specific area, the project sends out alerts to nearby users of possible auroral visibility. Aurorasaurus team members around the world also help the public understand the intricacies of space weather and aurora science through blog articles, infographics, and quizzes. The project holds public engagement events during large storms via social media "hangouts" where anyone can ask our space weather scientists questions on the recent activity. Focused on long-term engagement, we will discuss our strategies for expanding and retaining this new community and lessons learned.


Dielectric properties of the untreated multi-wall carbon-nanotubes/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (MWNT/PVDF) composites are studied. Towards low frequencies,the dielectric constant of a composite with about 2. Ovol% of MWNT increases rapidly and the value of the dielectric constant was as high as 300. However,by a calculation,the percolation threshold of the MWNT/PVDF composites is only 1. 61vol% (0. 0161 volume fraction) of MWNT. Both the large aspect ratio and the high conductivity of the MWNT may lead to the low percolation threshold of the MWNT/PVDF composites. For the percolation composite,the dielectric loss value was always less than 0. 4.irrespective of the frequency. Therefore, the experimental results suggest that the dielectric properties of MWNT/ PVDF composites may be improved significantly without the chemical functionalization to carbon nanotubes.


In this paper, the authors propose a block control scheme using sliding modes, for a double fed induction generator connected to an infinity bus. To estimate the mechanical torque, a nonlinear observer is utilized; additionally, as a viable alternative, to eliminate the requirement on this estimation, an integrator is included. To reduce the effect of parameter variations, the one step delayed disturbance algorithm is used. The stability of the closed loop system is analyzed by the Lyapunov techniques. The applicability of the proposed scheme is tested via simulations.


The physical environment has always been a major concern of inquiry and research for scientists. Yet, throughout history,  it has also been of interest to men of letters. Science has made this inquiry through the pragmatics of scientific methodology involving experimentation, observation, measurement and other procedures so that we may learn about the environment. As for literature, it has been concerned with the environment through a mimetic and exegetical representation.  So, the environment has become a common ground where both literature and science converge  in order to instruct and enlighten us so that we may live in a sustainable harmony with the natural world. In this respect, by arousing our interest, literature contributes indirectly to the enhancement of our environmental sensitivity. Besides its mimetic practice, literature is also involved in various processes of exegesis, which constitute the basis of the current ecocritical theory and gesture to a new field of study. This new field has aptly been called "the environmental humanities." Historically, although the ecocritical theory and its pragmatics have been a recent concern of literary scholarship,  the mimetic interest in the natural world has always been a recurrent fact ever since the beginnings of  literary writings. Indeed,  through its varied representations of nature, literature has enabled us to reshape and broaden our sense of a sustainable environment. Moreover, by problematizing and discussing environmental issues, it has urged us to revisit our cultural values and assumptions about nature and its conservation. Therefore, literary studies with relation to environmental representation in texts can be instructive and upgrade our awareness of the natural world. In this respect, one may wonder whether, for instance, Shakespeare's depiction of the natural world, and his use of ecological settings and landscapes in some of his plays can be read in terms of an environmental awareness.  Hence, this article is an attempt to demonstrate how some of Shakespeare's plays are embedded with ecological implications and subtexts. In this regard, besides brief references to his other plays, especially As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest will be the main focus of the article.


Migratory neural crest cells deliver WNTs from the dorsal neural tube to developing muscle myotubes to promote polarization. During embryonic development, cells of the neural epithelium signal to somites to coordinate differentiation and patterning. WNT1 and WNT3A produced by the dorsal neural tube activate β-catenin signaling in the dermomyotome, a dorsal region of somites that differentiates into muscle cells. β-catenin activates expression of WNT11, and WNT11 activates β-catenin–independent signaling to polarize developing myotubes along the anterior posterior axis. Trunk neural crest cells undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition to leave the dorsal neural tube and migrate ventrally adjacent to developing somites. Serralbo et al. found that neural crest cells carry WNTs from the dorsal neural tube to the dermomyotome. In both mouse and chick embryos, WNT1 localized on migratory cells that were positive for neural crest cell markers. Electroporation of the chick dorsal neural tube with plasmids that encoded factors that either killed neural crest cells or prevented their migration reduced the expression of WNT11 mRNA in the dermomyotome and disrupted polarization of myotubes. glypican-4 is a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan that is related to other glypicans that affect WNT distribution and promote WNT signaling, and the mRNA encoding glypican-4 was expressed in migratory neural crest cells. Knockdown of glypican-4 in the dorsal neural tube by electroporation of short interfering RNAs reduced activation of a β-catenin reporter in migrating neural crest cells, inhibited the expression of WNT11 mRNA in the dermomyotome, and disrupted the polarization of myotubes. Knockdown of glypican-4 in somites did not affect WNT11 expression, suggesting that glypican-4 acts in cis with WNT1 on neural crest cells to activate autocrine β-catenin signaling and may also present WNT1 to cells in the dorsal dermomyotome. Thus, migratory neural crest cells convey critical long-range signals that coordinate development of the ectoderm and mesoderm. O. Serralbo, C. Marcelle, Migrating cells mediate long-range Wnt signaling. Development 141, 2057–2063 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Cultural Rights aims to combine sociology of culture and cultural studies approaches to provide an innovative interpretation of contemporary culture. It develops Walter Benjamin's arguments on the effects of mechanical reproduction by seeing what has happened to originality and authenticity in postmodern culture. One aspect of this culture is that reproduction and simulation have become listless, so that distinguishing what is real from what is fabricated is a problem of daily life for everyone. Celia Lury establishes a clear framework for studying these matters by comparing a regime of cultural rights ordered by copyright, authorship and originality with one defined by trademark, branding and simulation. This move is illustrated through concise and accessible histories of three major cultural technologies - print, broadcasting and information technology - and the presentation of research into the contemporary culture industry. The gendered dimensions of this transformation are explored by looking at the significance of the category of women in the process of cultural reproduction.


The studies of human mobility prediction in mobile computing area gained due to the availability of large-scale dataset contained history of location trajectory. Previous work has been proposed many solutions for increasing of human mobility prediction result accuration, however, only few researchers have addressed the issue of human mobility for implementation of LSTM networks. This study attempted to use classical methodologies by combining LSTM and DBSCAN because those algorithms can tackle problem in human mobility, including large-scale sequential data modeling and number of clusters of arbitrary trajectory identification. The method of research consists of DBSCAN for clustering, long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm for modelling and prediction, and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for evaluation. As the result, the prediction error or RMSE value reached score 3.551 by setting LSTM with parameter of epoch and batch_size is 100 and 20 respectively.


Pheophorbide-a derivatives have been reported to be potential photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this study, photophysics of pheophorbide-a derivatives (PaDs) were investigated along with their photodynamic tumoricidal effect in vitro. PaDs were modified by changing the coil length and/or making the hydroxyl group (–OH) substitutions. Their photophysical properties were studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods. The photodynamic tumoricidal effect was evaluated in the mouse breast cancer cell line (EMT6). Lifetime and quantum yield of fluorescence and quantum yields of triplet state and singlet oxygen were studied to determine the dynamic energy flow. The coil length of the substituted alkyl group did not significantly affect the spectroscopic properties. However, the substitution with the hydroxyl group increased the quantum yields of the triplet state and the singlet oxygen due to the enhanced intersystem crossing. In order to check the application possibility as a photodynamic therapy agent, the PaDs with hydroxyl group were studied for the cellular affinity and the photodynamic tumoricidal effect of EMT6. The results showed that the cellular affinity and the photodynamic tumoricidal effect of PaDs with the hydroxyl group depended on the coil-length of the substituted alkyl group.


We surveyed European infectious disease epidemiologists and microbiologists about their decisions to apply for Ebola response missions. Of 368 respondents, 49 (15%) had applied. Applicants did not differ from non-applicants in terms of age, sex or profession but had more training in field epidemiology and more international experience. Common concerns included lack of support from families and employers. Clearer terms of reference and support from employers could motivate application and support outbreak response in West Africa.


Oral focal mucinosis is a rare clinicopathological entity that represents the mucosal counterpart of cutaneous focal mucinosis or cutaneous myxoid cyst. Th e aetiology is unknown. Oral focal mucinosis is most common in young adults. Th e gingiva is the most common site and the hard palate is the second most common location. A 19-year-old male patient presented with a 2 cm painless mass localized to the palatal side. An excisional biopsy was taken and sent for histopathologic evaluation to our department. Histopathologic findings were a well-circumscribed lesion composed of myxomatous connective tissue that contained bipolar, fusiform or stellate shaped fibroblasts. Th e aim of this study was to bring oral focal musinosis diagnosis to the attention of clinicians and pathologists when considering the diff erential diagnosis of gingival and palatal nodules.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Despite the ability to participate in immune responses and the continuous presence of bacteria and bacterial products, functional responses of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) seem to be muted. Previously, tolerance to Toll-like receptors (TLRs) ligands has been described in monocytic cells. However, mechanisms in the intestine are unknown.

METHODS
The effect of purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) on expression and function of TLRs in intestinal epithelial cells (Colo205, SW480, T84) was assessed by Northern and Western blot and FACS analysis, kinase activity assays, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA.

RESULTS
Expression of TLRs except 10 was detected in primary IEC and TLR1-10 in the cultured cells. Short-term stimulation with LPS or LTA activated proinflammatory signaling cascades in IEC, including phosphorylation of IRAK and MAP kinases and increased IL-8 secretion, whereas prolonged incubation resulted in a state of hyporesponsiveness with no reactivation of the cells by a second challenge with either substance detected. The cells remained responsive to tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Hyporesponsive cells showed no alteration in expression of TLR or signaling molecules but revealed a decrease in TLR surface expression and IRAK activity. Toll-interacting protein (Tollip) mRNA and protein expression were increased in hyporesponsive cells, and overexpression of Tollip in IEC resulted in a significantly decreased proinflammatory response.

CONCLUSIONS
Continuous presence of specific bacterial components results in a status of hyporesponsiveness in otherwise reactive IEC. Down-regulation of TLR surface expression and up-regulation of inhibitory Tollip with decreased phosphorylation of IRAK might all contribute to this hyporesponsiveness.


Objective: In September 2005, the authors explored the relationship between perfectionism and binge drinking in a sample of first-year college students. Participants: The authors recruited 207 first-year college students (76 men, 131 women) to complete the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS). Methods: The authors divided participants into 3 groups on the basis of frequency of binge drinking and conducted multivariate analyses of variance to compare the binge drinking groups on the 3 MPS subscales and the 5 F-MPS subscales. Results: The group with 2 or more binge drinking episodes in the past 2 weeks had higher levels of parental criticism and lower levels of self-oriented perfectionism, but they did not have lower scores on a measure of personal standards. Conclusions: These findings suggest that certain perfectionists binge drink in response to harsh parental treatment and that, at least initially, the pursuit of extreme standards of personal perfection is incompatible with binge drinking. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.


Background: Insurance coverage facilitates access to life‐saving medications for many patients with HIV disease. Thus, the effects of insurance coverage changes, such as the gain or loss of coverage, may be important in explaining patient access and adherence to the medications used in the treatment of HIV disease. Objectives: The study's objective was to examine whether changes in health insurance coverage affect rates of prescription drug use by patients with HIV disease. Methods: Data were ascertained from adults participating in a series of up to six interviews as part of the AIDS Costs and Services Utilization Survey (ACSUS). ACSUS was an 18‐month panel survey of patients in care for HIV/AIDS at 26 sites located in 10 U.S. cities. Poisson regression analyses with generalized estimating equations were conducted to determine the effects of demographic and socioeconomic variables on the acquisition rate of antiretrovirals, antipneumocystics, and antidepressants. The analytic sample consisted of 1566 respondents who provided 6518 interviews. Results: Although changes in insurance coverage were common, complete loss of insurance was reported in only 1.5% of the interviews whereas gaining insurance was reported in 3.3% of interviews. Having no coverage was associated with significantly lower rates of antiretroviral (rate ratio [RR], 0.73), antipneumocystic (RR, 0.58) and antidepressant use (RR, 0.31). Gaining insurance coverage was associated with lower antiretroviral (RR, 0.75) and antipneumocystic (RR, 0.70) use whereas losing insurance was associated with lower antiretroviral use (RR, 0.58). In multivariate analyses, these associations remained. Conclusions: Changes in health insurance coverage are associated with lower rates of drug use for some medications used by patients with HIV disease.


The pathologic physiology of bronchial asthma is manifested by an edema of the mucous membranes and a spasm of the smooth muscle of the bronchi and bronchioles. The air passages become closed, and owing to this closure, there is subsequent difficulty in breathing, particularly in expiration. As a result of prolonged and frequent attacks of this type of dyspnea, the lungs become distended and emphysema supervenes. In the latter condition, the alveoli are distended, causing a flattening of the alveolar wall with consequent narrowing, tearing and even destruction of the capillaries, which results in diminution of alveolar circulation and increased pressure within the pulmonary arteries. Theoretically, this should result in increased work for the right ventricle. This assumption seems to be borne out by Kahn,1who concluded from an electrocardiographic study of fifty cases of bronchial asthma that the majority of his patients demonstrated a state of hypertrophy of


OBJECTIVE
Large variability exists in the improvement in left ventricular (LV) function from beta-blocker treatment. We hypothesized that polymorphisms at codon 389 (Arg389Gly) and 49 (Ser49Gly) in the beta1-adrenergic receptor (AR) gene were associated with LV reverse remodeling changes in response to beta-blocker therapy among heart failure patients.

METHODS
We prospectively enrolled 61 beta-blocker naive patients with systolic heart failure. Patients underwent baseline echocardiography followed by metoprolol CR/XL. The dose was doubled on a biweekly basis up to 200 mg/day or attainment of maximum tolerated dose. Echocardiography was repeated after the patient received the target or highest tolerated dose for 3 months.

RESULTS
Among patients with the Arg389Arg genotype, ejection fraction (EF) increased from 23+/-5 to 29+/-10 (P=0.008). Gly389 carriers did not demonstrate any significant change in EF (22+/-9 to 23+/-11; P=0.45). There was a significant between-group difference in EF by genotype (P=0.04). The Arg389Arg genotype was also associated with significantly greater reductions in LV end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters compared to Gly389 carriers. Patients with the Gly49 variant also had a significantly greater reduction in LV end-diastolic diameter compared to Ser49 homozygotes. Multiple regression analysis modeling revealed that the codon 389 polymorphism was a significant predictor of an improvement in EF and both codon 49 and 389 polymorphisms were significant predictors of final LV end-diastolic diameter.

CONCLUSIONS
Heart failure patients with the Arg389Arg genotype and Gly49 carriers had greater improvements in LV remodeling from beta-blocker treatment.


TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design, www.ted.com/) Talks has been one of the most popular video systems. However, the current TED Talks system expressed its inquired videos as in a two-dimensional (2D) table, which is inconvenient for searching the relationships among videos and tags. This study converts the TED Talks table into a sphere by using optimization techniques to help users search for preferred videos.,There are five phases in this study as follows. Phase 1: Reorganize data of 36 tags and 108 videos; Phase 2: Allocate tags on the TED sphere; Phase 3: Allocate videos on the TED sphere; Phase 4: Develop an online interactive TED retrieval system; and Phase 5: Perform survey and evaluation.,One survey demonstrated that the TED Talks sphere is more convenient for searching videos, as it is more user-friendly because of its graphical user interface, more convenient to use, more useful for retrieving information and can facilitate a more responsive search for users' preferred videos.,The numbers of tags and videos able to be displayed on a sphere is limited by the capacity of an optimization software and hardware.,The proposed sphere system can be used by a large number of users of TED Talks groups.,This sphere systems can also be applied to other fields which use 2D forms to display the relationships among objects.,This study uses an optimization method to convert a 2D form into a 3D sphere to highlight the relationships among numerous objects.


ABSTRACT
Andrewes and Gordon (1907) isolated a species to which they applied the name Staphylococcus salivarius. This has been reisolated (Gordon 1967; Bergan et al. 1969) and by virtue of its biochemical properties and DNA base composition must belong in the genus Micrococcus. Inherent in the change of classification is the question of the specific epithet for the species. The combination M. salivarius would become illegitimate, being a later homonym to another species described by Migula (1900). Also, Andrewes and Gordon's use of the epithet salivarius is found to be illegitimate per se, because the species was named Micrococcus mucilaginosus by Migula (1900). This is substantiated both by our own studies (Bergan et al. 1969) and by additional biochemical criteria listed for M. mucilaginosus by Krasil'nikov (1949). A neotype strain, 5762/67, is proposed for M. mucilaginosus and an emended description of this species is given.


Academic discourse proscribes a particular way of writing that may leave the reader informed but uninspired. There are three intentions for this paper: to create a counter-discourse for academic writing, to illustrate autoethnograpy as a compelling approach to nursing inquiry, and to demonstrate how autoethnography is well suited to research the experience of people who identify as transgender or transsexual. The setting is a doctoral nursing seminar where the student is introducing autoethnography to fellow students. All characters are fictionalized compositions. The writing is in the style of creative non-fiction and illustrates the use of evocative prose and poetry.


This paper considers linear repetitive processes which are a distinct class of two-dimensional linear systems of both physical and systems theoretic interest. Their essential unique feature is a series of sweeps, termed passes, through a set of dynamics defined over a finite and fixed duration known as the pass length. The result can be oscillations in the output sequence of pass profiles which increase in amplitude in the pass-to-pass direction. This cannot be controlled by existing techniques and instead control must be based on a suitably defined stability theory. In the literature to date, the development of such a theory has been attempted from two different starting points, and in this paper, we critically compare these for dynamics defined by a delay-difference equation.


Objective To describe the estimated prevalence and temporal trends of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment patterns, and the association between CKD and potential factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in different demographic subgroups. Research design and methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of adults with T2DM based on multiple US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets developed during 2007–2012. CKD severity was defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2012 guidelines using the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation: mild to moderate=stages 1–3a; moderate to kidney failure=stages 3b–5. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between CKD and potential factors. Results Of the adult individuals with T2DM (n=2006), age-adjusted CKD prevalence was 38.3% during 2007–2012; 77.5% were mild-to-moderate CKD. The overall age-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 40.2% in 2007–2008, 36.9% in 2009–2010, and 37.6% in 2011–2012. The prevalence of CKD in T2DM was 58.7% in patients aged ≥65 years, 25.7% in patients aged <65 years, 43.5% in African-Americans and Mexican-Americans, and 38.7% in non-Hispanic whites. The use of antidiabetes and antihypertensive medications generally followed treatment guideline recommendations. Older age, higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and having hypertension were significantly associated with CKD presence but not increasing severity of CKD. Conclusions CKD continued to be prevalent in the T2DM population; prevalence remained fairly consistent over time, suggesting that current efforts to prevent CKD could be improved overall, especially by monitoring certain populations more closely.


Optical Burst and Packet Switching represent two key paradigms to build bandwidth-efficient IP over DWDM networks. Due to very strict time constraints, one of the major implementation issues common to both technologies is the actual feasibility of the scheduler that is in charge of assigning transmission resources to burst/packets upon request while executing optimized algorithms for contention resolution. This paper demonstrates how a specific formulation of the scheduling problem can be the basis for a cost-effective and practical implementation of the scheduler control logic, resulting in processing times that are greatly reduced and could show very limited dependence on the traffic conditions.


Decentralized Theological Education in Europe" describes tangible steps taken by missionaries to train and mentor "indigenous leaders who train and mentor others" through the Decentralized Theological Education (DTE) program in Europe. They prayed that God would empower this tool for the multiplication of churches and the development of indigenous leadership throughout Europe. "And we have been privileged to see Him do just that, to his glory.


From a geometric viewpoint, quantum nonlocality between two parties is represented as the difference of two convex bodies, namely the sets of possible results of classical and quantum correlation experiments, the latter of which is called the quantum correlation set. Whereas little is known about the quantum correlation set, Tsirelson's theorem (1980) can be seen as the exact characterization of possible pairwise quantum correlations, where mean values of individual observables are discarded. In this paper, we compare two previously shown bounds of the quantum correlation set in the case where two parties have m and n choices of dichotomic observables, respectively. One bound comes from the direct application of Tsirelson's theorem and the no-signalling condition. The other bound, recently introduced by Avis, Imai and Ito, refines the application of Tsirelson's theorem in the previous bound. We show that for any m, n ges 2, this new bound is strictly tighter than the earlier bound. In other words, there are correlations that satisfy Tsirelson's theorem, but are not realizable in a quantum setting.


Typically, three kinds of settings, under which decisions are made, are distinguished, certainty, uncertainty, and risk. In this view, uncertainty is defined narrowly, as a situation, in which the probability distribution is unknown. However, D. Ellsberg's studies showed that ambiguity, defi ned as an intermediate condition between uncertainty and risk, could be considered as the fourth type of decision settings. Seen from this perspective, uncertainty is a more complex notion and it is commonly experienced with regard to important issues other than only total or partial lack of knowledge of probability. Following the review of concepts of uncertainty, we present examples of their impact on everyday life economic decisions that are made in the domains of consumer behaviour, saving, investment, and entrepreneurship. Finally, we present some methods of coping with different kinds of uncertainty.


Preclinical data indicate that α6β4 integrin signaling through Ras homolog gene family, member A, plays an important role in tumor cell motility. The objective of this study was to determine whether the combined expression of α6β4 integrin and neuroepithelioma transforming gene 1 (Net1), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor specific for Ras homolog gene family member A, is associated with adverse clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. Immunohistochemical expression of each protein was evaluated in a tumor tissue microarray prepared from the primary tumors of 94 node-positive patients with invasive breast carcinoma treated with total mastectomy and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy without radiation with a median follow-up of 12.5 years. Associations between staining results and multiple clinicopathologic variables were investigated. Although there was no significant association between α6β4 integrin or Net1 expression and clinical outcome when each marker was considered individually, coexpression of α6β4 and Net1 was associated with decreased distant metastasis–free survival (P = 0.030). In the subset of patients with hormone receptor–positive tumors, coexpression of α6β4 and Net1 was associated with a decrease in distant metastasis–free and overall survival (P < 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively). Although an association between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression and coexpression of α6β4 and Net1 (P = 0.008) was observed, coexpression of α6β4 and Net1 (hazard ratio, 1.63; P = 0.02) and lymphovascular invasion (hazard ratio, 2.35; P = 0.02) were the only factors independently associated with the development of distant metastasis in multivariate analysis. These findings suggest that coexpression of α6β4 integrin and Net1 could be a useful biomarker for aggressive disease in node-positive breast cancer patients. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(1):80–6)


Decompressive craniectomy for uncontrolled elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) from various etiologies including trauma and strokes is a topic that is gaining attention from many clinicians today. Decompressive craniectomies have been performed for the last century; however, only recently randomized studies have confirmed the beneficial and meaningful neurological outcomes of craniectomies. This case report presents an unusual case of an ischemic stroke of undetermined etiology, that morphed into a malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction, causing a life-threatening massive cerebral edema requiring a rapid neurosurgical intervention in the form of a decompressive craniectomy. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1030w


Financial reports are intended to meet the needs of decision makers. Accordingly, timeliness is identified as one of the characteristics of information in financial reporting. To accomplish this objective, financial reports must be available on time to inform decision making. Therefore, financial reports should be published as soon as possible after the end of the accounting period. The usefulness of financial statements is impaired if they are not made available to users within a reasonable period after the reporting date. A company should be in a position to issue its financial statements timely. Ongoing factors such as the complexity of an entity's operations are not sufficient reason for failing to report on a timely basis. More specific deadlines are dealt with by legislation and regulations in many jurisdictions. Because of the fact that the timing of corporate disclosures and the variables associated with this issue have attracted the attention of a number of researchers in recent years. This study examines the relationship between the the timeliness of corporate financial reporting and accounting and auditing related variables of listed non financial companies in Istanbul Stock Exchange for the year 2009 by using chi-square analysis for both consolidated and seperate audited financial statements. The results reveal that, for seperate audited financial statements timeliness of the financial statements are related with the sign of net income, sign of ROA, current ratio and the audit opinion, for consolidated audited financial statements, timeliness of the financial statements are related with the sign of total equity/ total assets and cash flow from operations/interest expense.


This essay argues that the dynamic between flat emotions and transformative flesh in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child engages the strategies and failures of racial liberalism. I define racial liberalism as the US's rights-based approach to racial justice across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that frames racism as a private, psychological drama of emotions. By veering away from strong emotions and the liberal subject and toward affect and materiality, Morrison shifts blame away from individual victims and perpetrators and instead highlights the harm of larger, administratively "neutral" systems like the law and the prison industrial complex.


This study focuses on the perceptions of learning EAP of first-year undergraduates with high ESL proficiency admitted to an English-medium university in Hong Kong. Two in-depth individual interviews were conducted with nine participants and their written assignments were analysed. The data reveal several challenges facing the high achievers in learning EAP. One evident aspect is how to properly cite academic sources. The participants struggled with selecting suitable texts from sources, paraphrasing them, and using them to support their arguments. They also perceived a need to abandon the recited formulaic expressions which may have helped them score highly in the secondary school examination. This study reveals gaps between the English learnt in secondary school and EAP and offers insight into what first-year students need when they transition from secondary school to university studies. It argues that EAP should be made an essential component of first-year undergraduate programmes.


The approaches to the use of catena method of studying the diversity of soil animal communities' arena landscape of the Dnieper River Valley (within the natural reserve "Dnieper-Orelsky" using phytoindication estimation have been developed in the present article. Soil animals ecomorphes have been verified on the basis of main trends variability of environmental conditions which evaluated by means of phytoindication approaches. Monitoring polygon situated in the north-eastern part of the natural reserve "Dnieper-Orelsky". The width of the polygon is 3260 m, height – 2850 m, its total area is 930 hectares. Inside the polygon we selected some five plots: on the slope of the sand dunes at the border the sandy steppe and Acer tataricum shrub; on the slope of the Northern exposure of the Orlova valley in Acer tataricum oak forest with Dactylis glomerata; in terrace near the flood plain on the border with the lower part of the slope, in elm-black poplar forest with Glechoma hederacea; in the waterlogged tributary of river Protoch on the border of the marsh and forest ecosystems; in river Protoch in grass community, in a gradient from the marsh community to steppe meadows. Each plot was represented by 105 squares of size 3×3 m. Squares arranged in 7 contiguous rows of 15 squares in each. Plot size was 21×45 m. Big side plot was located along the visually discernible gradient terrain topography and vegetation cover. In each square we made a description of the vegetation with the assessment of the projective cover with a lag of 10%. In the center of each square we sampled soil of 0.25×0.25 m from which the soil macroinvertebrates have been extracted by hand sorting. The ordination of mesopedobionts communities has been applied to multidimensional scaling procedure based on metrics of Bray-Curtis with provisional data on transformation according to Hellinger. The phytoindication estimation of the environmental regimes have been found to be statistically significant predictors of multidimensional scales that obtained after ordination of mesopedobionts communities. Dimension 1 can be explained by edaphotop nutrient status, dimension 2 can be explained by edaphotop humidity, dimension 3 may be explained by soil aeration, dimension 4 may be explained by quantity of carbonates in soil. Dimensions 5 and 6 have a complex factor nature which is difficult to interpret meaningfully. Environmental assessment regimes using phyto-indicative scales enabled set the value of soil carbonate content and aeration in structuring of soil animals communities. The obtained result makes reasonable provision of new ecomorphes of soil animals such as aeromorph and carbonatomorph. Aeromorphes are ecological group that combines soil animals, preferring similar condition of soil aeration, among which are highlighted in aerophyles, sub-aerophyles, hemiaerofobes and subaerofobes. Carbonatomorphes are ecological group that combines soil animals, preferring similar condition of carbonates content in soil, among which are highlighted in carbonatofobes, akarbonatophyles, hemicarbonatophyles, carbonatophyles and hyper-carbonatophyles. Classic catena approach for biogeocenotic and landscape diversity investigation have been supplemented by the assessment of the ecological regimes through phytoindication and ecomorphic analysis of vegetation. Ordinates of ecological regimes are the gradients of variation of soil animal communities. Information and valuable markers of vegetation (phytoindication scale and ecomorphes) can be used as training variables to assess the indicator properties of soil animal communities. Ecomorphes of soil animals reflect the main aspects of the structural organization of their communities and may serve as valuable indicators of the properties and behaviors of soil as environment of living organisms.


BACKGROUND
 Ten million parents provide unpaid care to a child living with a chronic condition such as asthma, and a higher percentage of these parents are among marginalized communities, including racial and ethnic minority and low-income families. There is an urgent need to develop technology-enabled tailored solutions to support the self-care needs of these parents.

 OBJECTIVE
 To use a participatory design approach to describe and compare Latino and non-Latino parents' current self-care practices, needs, and technology preferences when caring for children with asthma in marginalized communities.

 METHODS
 Participatory design approach was used to actively engage intended users in the design process and empower them to identify needs and generate design ideas to meet those needs.

 RESULTS
 Thirteen stakeholders participated in three design sessions. We described Latino and non-Latino parents' similarities in self-care practices and cultural-specific preferences. When designing technologies for self-care, non-Latino parents focused on improving caregiving stress through journaling, daily affirmations, and tracking feelings, while Latino parents focused more on relaxation and entertainment.

 CONCLUSIONS
 Considerations need to be taken beyond language differences when developing technology-enabled interventions for diverse populations. The community partnership approach strengthened the study's inclusive design.


The purpose of this study was to examine how college students post or share JUUL-related content on social media. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, current JUUL users (n = 667) completed a cross-sectional survey in March of 2019, then 51 participants completed in-person follow-up interviews in April of 2019. Survey questions asked about JUUL-related social media postings and commenting history as well as demographic questions. Interview participants were asked to explain their survey responses and were then shown the survey results and asked for reasons why they and others did not post or comment about JUUL on social media. Qualitative data were coded independently by two coders using NVivo, and analyzed for themes. Survey participant (ages 18-24, mean age 20 years, 50.5% female, and 80.6% white) responses showed 81% had not posted a JUUL-focused comment on social media and had not posted a picture of themselves JUULing in the past year. However, interviewees reported they had continued to post about JUUL on social media but moved away from more public social media accounts (e.g., Facebook); private Instagram and Snapchat accounts were used to post both JUUL use and JUUL-focused content without risk of damaging their personal image to family or potential employers. How social media use questions are asked is critical for understanding college student promotion of JUULing and social norms. Young adults protect their social media presence by not including themselves in JUUL-focused content; thus, the spread of JUULing through private social media like Snapchat or Finstas may not be identified and young adults normalize JUUL use through memes or


st May 2005 to 31 st July 2005. METHODS: Out of 580 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, 428 patients of acute myocardial infarction were selected for the study. The patients were selected on the basis of raised biomarkers (CPK, CKMB, SGOT, and LDH/Trop-T) and one of the two i.e. electrocardiography (ECG) changes or history of chest pain. They were grouped into STEMI and NSTEMI. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 52 years (range 35–75 years). Majority of patients (73%) was male and 27% were females. Out of 428 patients selected for study, 288(67.28%) had STEMI while 140 (32.72%) patients had NSTEMI. Recurrent chest pain was present in 85 (29.51%) patients of STEMI; 45 (52.94%) with ECG changes and 40 (47.05%) without ECG changes. In STEMI group, complications were common, more in patients with recurrent chest pain and evidence of ECG changes as compared to those without ECG changes i.e. 16% and 10% respectively. Mortality was also higher (10.5%) in patients of recurrent chest pain and ECG changes compared to those without ECG changes (6.8%). Among 140 patients of NSTEMI, 48 (34.28%) had recurrent chest pain; 30(62.5%) with ECG changes and remaining 18(37.5%) without ECG changes. CONCLUSION: In NSTEMI and STEMI patients, recurrent chest pain and ECG changes are bad prognostic markers as compared to recurrent chest pain without ECG changes. These patients are more likely to suffer complications and can benefit from aggressive/invasive strategy than patients with recurrent chest pain without ECG changes. In NSTEMI group, complications and mortality are more frequent in patients with recurrent chest pain and ECG changes compared to those without ECG changes.


This paper extends the Kiyotaki-Wright search model of fiat money to allow for divisible money and goods. The extension allows me to examine the standard issues in monetary economics, such as the neutrality and super-neutrality of money, by severing the artificial link in the Kiyotaki-Wright model between the money supply and the number of money holders. It is shown that money is neutral, but not super-neutral. Money growth generates a trading opportunity effect: it changes the fraction of different agents in the economy and hence changes the probability with which agents have a successful match. In addition, money growth has a negative effect on the real money balance that is familiar in Walrasian monetary models. The balance of the two effects can imply a positive optimal money growth rate.


The work of John von Neumann is acknowledged to be of singular importance to the computing field. Yet his work has not been studied to any appreciable degree by historians. This paper focuses on von Neumann's early involvement with the ENIAC and the EDVAC during the years 1944 to 1946 while he was a consultant to the Moore School of Electrical Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania. The paper considers some of the issues relating to von Neumann's influence on the Moore School work, on the stored-program concept, and on the future of electronic digital computers in general.


Background: Cutaneous lymphomas expressing CD56, a neural cell adhesion molecule, are characterised in most cases by a highly aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. However, prognostic subsets within the CD56+ group have been difficult to identify due to the lack of uniform clinicopathological and immunophenotypical criteria. Methods: A multicentre study was conducted by the Cutaneous Lymphoma Task Force of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer to define prognostic parameters and establish diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for CD56+ haematological neoplasms presenting primarily in the skin. Results: Four different subtypes of lymphoproliferations with CD56 expression were identified: (1) haematodermic neoplasm; (2) skin infiltration as the first manifestation of CD56+ acute myeloid leukaemia; (3) nasal-type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma; and (4) "classical" cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) with co-expression of the CD56 molecule. Patients in the first three groups had a poor outcome (93% died) with a median survival rate of 11 months (95% CI 2–72 months), whereas all patients with CD56+ CTCL were alive at the last follow-up. Conclusion: Results show that CD56+ cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorders, with the exception of CD56+ CTCL have a very poor prognosis. It is therefore clinically important to separate CD56+ CTCL from the remaining CD56+ haematological disorders.


Blanching beef for use in home meal replacements (HMR) is an important process that determines the final quality of the beef after the cooking process. Thermal pretreatment also minimizes the change in quality during the main cooking process or storage. In this study, beef samples were washed and sliced, then treated by immersion in boiling water (1-10 min), steaming (1-10 min), or pan-frying in oil (30-240 s). The color after each thermal treatment showed higher L* and b* values and lower a* values compared with the raw beef, except for the pan-frying thermal treatment. The total color difference (∆E) and pH value were significantly increased by panfrying (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the shear force of the beef samples, except for the sample pan-fried for 210 s. The nutritional content of beef was measured as the moisture, protein, fat, and ash contents, which were 69.96, 16.64, 3.49, and 1.13%, respectively, in raw beef. After thermal treatment, the crude protein and fat contents were increased, whereas the moisture and ash contents decreased. The mineral content, including Na, Mg, Fe, and Ca was highest after pan-frying. The heat treatment decreased microorganisms in all the samples. The total bacteria count in raw beef was 4.5-4.7 Log CFU/g, whereas the bacteria count decreased to 2.2-2.8 Log CFU/g after blanching. Thermophilic bacteria, coliform, mold, and yeast not detected in any thermally treated sample.


Recent portrayals of the private sector as the engine of poverty alleviation in Africa's agricultural growth corridors have sparked critique by scholars and activists alike. Land acquisitions by investors are the most criticized, but the private sector engages in corridors in other ways, on which research remains scarce. Idil Ires provides a political economy analysis of whether smallholders prosper when they coordinate with input suppliers, banks, and crop buyers through markets and contract farming in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania. This book will appeal to scholars and practitioners from diverse fields, offering timely insights into a critical debate.


For the purpose of analyzing the experimental results presented in the earlier parts of this series the concept of a two-parameter two-fluid model of superconductivity is developed, and it is shown that current theories are special cases of this model. The greater part of the analysis is carried out by dimensional arguments based on the model. The part played by the resistive mechanism in modifying the surface reactance is discussed, and it is concluded that the temperature variation of inductive skin depth at the lowest temperatures represents the variation of the superconducting penetration depth. The dependence of this quantity on crystal orientation is different from what would be expected from the theory of London & London, and it is concluded that there may be grounds for doubting the validity of this theory, or at least its application to high-frequency phenomena. The dimensional analysis of the resistance measurements shows them to fit reasonably well into the framework of the twofluid model, but the implications of the particular form of the model which is deduced from the results are in disagreement with other general considerations. In particular, the resistance is found to vary too slowly with frequency and with the fraction of normal electrons. The conclusion is drawn that the two-fluid model as formulated here does not give a satisfactory account of the phenomena, and that the detailed theories which belong to this category therefore also fail.


The present study was planned to investigate the effects of some minerals (MgCl2, Na2SeO3, AlCl3, CaCl2) on the expression and translocation of certain apoptotic markers in NaF-administered (at the rate of IC50) rat renal epithelial (NRK-52E) and human osteoblast (hFOB 1.19) cell lines. The NaF IC50 and the non-toxic mineral doses were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. For the biochemical analysis, the cells were collected by trypsin treatment following a 24-hour incubation period, the cells were broken up by the freeze/thaw method, and the analysis was conducted. Caspase 9, 8, and 3 levels and gene expression, and M30 and 8-OHdG levels were determined. Target gene DNAs were propagated with the real time-PCR method. In the MTT studies, it was determined that the cell proliferation in rat renal epithelial cells (NRK-52E) treated with NaF+minerals was higher than that of all the NaF-treated groups and in the human osteoblast cells (hFOB 1.19), the cell proliferation was higher than in all the NaF-treated groups except for the MgCl2 group. The reason why the NaF administration in the NRK-52E cells resulted in an average of a 2-fold decrease in caspase 3 expression compared to the control group could be attributed to the apoptotic effect of NaF based on the time we obtained the RNA. However, based on this time, when the results are assessed based on the NaF and other mineral groups, the NaF-induced cytotoxic apoptosis might have used a pathway other than the apoptotic pathway. Thus, it is considered that minerals could usually prevent NaF-induced apoptosis by a synergistic mechanism due to the ionic character of NaF. NaF+mineral administration protected the NRK-52E cells from apoptosis. In the osteoblasts, on the other hand, it was concluded that NaF+mineral administration may be useful since it inhibits increased apoptosis.


Cooling by vapor compression is currently the most widely used technology for refrigeration or heat pump systems. Vapor compression itself is a 100-year-old technology that uses refrigerants which potentially cause problems to the environment especially related to ozone depletion and global warming. The system also requires a compressor that is a weakness as it dissipates noise and vibrations.

One of the alternative technologies to vapor compression cooling is magnetic refrigeration that works based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) which no longer utilizes the refrigerants. Currently, the magnetocaloric refrigeration system with an active magnetic regenerator (AMR) is considered as the best one to create sufficient temperature span between the cold and hot region for a practical cooling device. However, the active magnetic regenerative refrigerator (AMRR) cannot break the vapor compression cooling dominance yet since it has an inferior overall performance.

The performance can be upgraded with a better heat transfer between the MCM and the working fluid. Compared to a straight channel configuration, a spherical packed-bed regenerator has better heat transfer characteristics since it has a larger heat transfer area over the same volume.
At room temperature, the system should utilize a suitable MCM. Gadolinium (Gd) is one of the MCMs with the Curie point near room temperature (around 293 K). Since Gd is a rare-earth material, it is necessary to search for a replacement for the material. The cheap and non-toxic MnFe(P,Si) compound is a promising candidate for Gd alternative.

This study investigates and compares the performance of an AMRR with spherical packed- bed regenerator made from Gd and four layers of MnFe(P,Si) compound with different (P,Si) compositions, by numerical simulations using commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics. The compound itself is developed by the Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy group of the TU Delft, as reported by their publications. Some interpolations and assumptions of the required magnetocaloric properties are taken to complete the input data.

The model geometry is based on a Gd AMRR experimental device of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The experimental result used to verify the simulation outcome. The study predicts that the AMRR with layered compound has a nearly equal performance to the one with Gd in temperature span wise. On the other hand, the predicted maximum cooling capacity of the system with layered AMR is higher than the system with Gd AMR.


An association of Helicobacter pylori and iron deficiency (ID) was conducted in Kirkuk city on 176 patients attending private laboratories in Kirkuk for the period from 1/8/2016  to  1/4/2017, blood sampling and a data collection survey were performed in 176 patients suffering from digestive problems and disorder ,120 of them with H.pylori, serum ferritin and iron were measured by ELISA and direct enzymatic method techniques respectively. the result showed that 67 (55.83%) of the patients have serum ferritin concentrations below the normal range indicating iron deficiency, 69 (57.5%) of the patients have iron concentrations below the normal range indicating iron deficiency
http://dx.doi.org/10.25130/tjps.24.2019.029


The past several years have seen an extraordinary rise, in civilian access to personal locational technologies from on-board GPS-enabled communication systems in cars to the widespread use of GPS on personal mobile phones. Whether at home or while traveling, individuals have the ability to pinpoint their location with a remarkable degree of accuracy and, in conjunction with mapping software built into phones and cars, can identify not only location but determine direction. Whether on foot, in a car, 100 miles or 25 yards from a destination, one can easily follow, in nearly real time, a route suggested for optimum travel conditions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As newly accessible technologies such as GPS, Google maps, and iPhone apps permeate everyday life, artists are using the technology and the concepts behind it to inspire their creative endeavors. These new technologies have certainly contributed to the current deluge of mapping projects and publications in artistic, theoretical, and literary realms. For example, the inclusion of GPS coordinates in artistic projects can signal an engagement. with the very fundamental questions of what it means to locate oneself in the landscape, and in particular, to locate oneself with an do these coordinates actually tell us? Does 36[degrees]48.229'N, 118[degrees]11.620'W, or the even simpler 42[degrees]30N, mean something to us? Those particular coordinates happen to be from Los Angeles-based Andrew Freeman's "(Manzanar) Architecture Double" series (2005) and photographer Frank Gohlke's collaboration with the poet Herbert Gottfried, "A Line on the Land: 42.30 North and the Massachusetts Landscape" (2002-present). (1) Freeman and Gohlke, working photographically, each incorporated either a full coordinate of latitude and longitude (Freeman) or an indication of latitude alone (Gohlke) in his working process as well as in the textual framing of the image. They reference GPS differently but both toward an end that evokes an intersection of precision with uncertainty, eliciting an unsettling combination of the purposeful and the arbitrary. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was developed as a military navigational system but has been available to civilians for almost a decade. On May 2, 2000, the Clinton White House announced it. would disable the selective availability restriction to civilian GPS units. The restriction had inserted timing errors into non-military transmissions, thereby reducing accuracy as a deterrent to potential enemy threats, but also affected coordinate readings available to civilians. (2) The scientific and commercial benefits and applications of this switch have been tremendous. We are all well aware of some of the commercial civilian applications: GPS technology is integrated into commercial airplanes, private cars, and mobile phones, which reduces the need for even a separate hand-held GPS device. Less well-known applications include measuring seismic activity near fault lines, conducting geologic surveying, and locating mobile phones for emergency services. With roots in radio navigational technologies of the 1940s, GPS became fully operational in 1995 and involves the continuous global orbit of twenty-four active satellites and four "spares." The program, run by the United States Air Force, has monitoring stations in Hawaii, the Kwajalein Atoll in the west central Pacific Ocean, Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, the island Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, Cape Canaveral, Florida, and a Master Control station at Schriever Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Depending on where it is in its 12-hour orbit, each satellite may be closer or farther from a particular user. For example, each time an iPhone user, a driver with an in-car GPS system, a UPS delivery truck, or a geocacher (3) asks for a location, the device "locates itself" by finding and measuring the distance and location of four different satellites, and calculating the amount of time it takes for each satellite signal--radio waves traveling at the speed of light--to reach the receiver. …


The objective of this study was to investigate the microbiological, serological, and chemical properties in raw ground beef consumed in Istanbul. For this purpose, a total of 127 samples of ground beef were obtained from different regions in Istanbul. The mean total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli ,a nd Staphylococcus aureus counts were 1.3 × 10 6 , 3 cfu/g, respectively. Salmonella spp. were found positive in 4 (3.14%) of the ground beef samples. None of the analyzed samples was found to contain horsemeat or pork, but 4 of them contained poultry, and 8 of them contained mutton. Eight (6.29%) of all the samples were classified as fat-free minced beef and 49 (38.58%) of them as fatty minced beef. Consequently, mincemeat offered to consumers in Istanbul has low microbiological and chemical quality. It was therefore concluded that routine controls (microbiological, chemical, serological) on mincemeat have to be performed in this country.


According to the method of weight for height recommended by WHO in 1979. The present nutritional status of 9459 7-10 year old children in 5 prefectures and 3 cities of Guangxi was assessed. The results showed that the deficient nutrition rate was 19.94% and rate of obese children was 1.85%. The latter was lower than that reported by other provinces and foreign countries. The deficient nutrition rate (26.43%) of city children was higher than that of rural children (15.90%), but no statistically significant difference was found between male and female (P greater than 0.05).


Individuals who abuse alcohol and other drugs are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS, although time of greatest risk is unclear. Although many studies have documented decreased sexual risk behaviours following substance abuse treatment, some evidence indicates that sexual risk behaviours may actually increase with sobriety. In this study, individuals involved in a substance abuse treatment programme were asked about their sexual activity for the month prior to treatment and 6 months after treatment. Results showed higher levels of sexual activity, including risky sexual activity, 6 months after discharge from treatment. This increase was found for individuals regardless of whether they were abstaining from substance use at follow-up, with highest levels of sexual activity and risky sexual activity reported by those still consuming alcohol or other drugs. These findings support the need for inclusion of HIV/AIDS prevention and educational programmes during substance abuse treatment.


The quality evaluation of biscuit from wheat-tiger nut composite flour was carried out. Biscuit was prepared from varying proportion of 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60% wheat flour substituted with 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% tiger nut flour respectively. The biscuit samples were analyzed for the chemical composition, physical, sensory and functional properties on the blends. The tiger nut flour addition increased (p<0.05) significantly the moisture content (4.64 – 5.16). Sensory evaluation showed that although there was significant (p<0.05) increase in the nutritional content of the biscuit, the overall acceptability of all biscuit samples decreased with increasing level of tiger nut flour.


The socio-ecological concept in epidemiology, formulated by the author in his earlier works and regarding the epidemic process as a biosocial hierarchical, integral system, can serve as a theoretical basis for the epidemiological surveillance of infectious and parasitic diseases. In accordance with the structure of the epidemic process, the system of epidemiological surveillance is subdivided into the following monitoring levels: molecular, microbiological, clinical, biocenological, statistical and sociological. The functions of epidemiological surveillance should be performed by the existing and newly organized All-Union Centers for the corresponding nosological forms.