Abstract What role does enforcement play in protecting the constitutional authority of international law? Can enforcement be understood as a specifically constitutional practice? I argue here that international law has a greater capacity for constitutional enforcement than sceptical accounts have tended to acknowledge. This argument is anchored in the institutional account of the authority of law offered by Hart and developed by MacCormick. This focuses on the official or administrative perceptions as the determinant of constitutional legitimacy, which offers a way to offset the scepticisms caused by gaps in the constitutional order. This establishes constitutional enforcement as a practice centred on and legitimated by the attribution of role responsibilities, rather than on the direct application or policing of the rules. I illustrate these arguments using the law of the sea, a domain where the functional difficulties of enforcement have always presented a challenge to international law's claim to authority.


The water injection system of an FPSO active in the Gulf of Guinea is to increase injection capacity to levels that are threatening from a flow-induced vibration perspective, such that hydrocarbon recovery can be accelerated. A three-tier method based on the internal guidelines of the system operator has been employed to assess the level of FIV threat expected from the increase in flow rate. A high-level screening analysis is followed by a more detailed approach, modified in this case by introducing knowledge obtained from field data gathered during a comprehensive measurement campaign aboard the FPSO. In particular, the data has been used to calibrate the finite element model of the mechanical layout of the pipework and associated supporting by making use of an optimization technique. The PSD of the flow excitation has been calibrated to match the measured response of the system, with descriptions of the turbulent excitation introduced in elbows by means of PSD functions available in the open literature. The PSDs, once calibrated, are further scaled to the future flow-rates so that they can be used as input to the mechanical response analysis. Though the high-level screening analysis delivers the conclusion that flow rates should be limited, the detailed analysis proves that the expected vibrations will be acceptable.


The genus Eujacobsonia, with its type species E. mirabilis, was described by Grandi (1923, 1924) from three female specimens caught at light in Sumatra. Many more examples from the same locality, Fort de Kock ("Bukittinggi", ca. 100 km north of Padang), were recorded by Grandi in 1928. Eujacobsonia was classified by Grandi in the tribe Sycophagini (Agaoninae), which, as was recently suggested (Wiebes, 1961), should be regarded as a subfamily in the Torymidae. Joseph (1964) accommodated the genus in the nominate tribe Sycophagini, but in the same year (Wiebes, 1964) it was referred to the Otitesellini. Recent material in the collections of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden (RMNH) was reared by Prof. E. J. H. Corner from the receptacles of Ficus depressa Bl. in Selangor, Malaya, and Ficus annulata Bl. in North Borneo. Several light catches from Thailand, North Borneo, and the southern islands of the Philippines were sent to me for identification by the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu (BMH), the Universitetets Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen (material collected by the Noona Dan Expedition 1961-1962 1); ZMC), and by the United States National Museum, Washington (USNM). Thanks are due to Prof. Corner, and to Drs. C. M. Yoshimoto, B. Petersen, and B. D. Burks, for their kind help in making this material available for my study. Eujacobsonia Grandi Eujacobsonia Grandi, 1923, Ann. Mus. Stor. nat. Genova 51: 105 (descr. 9 ; monobasic, type E. mirabilis Grandi) ; Grandi, 1924, Boll. Lab. Zool. Portici 18: 23-24 (redescr. ♀ ) ; Grandi, 1963, Boll. 1st. Ent. Univ. Bologna 26: 362 (latest edition of catalogue) ; Joseph,


Electronic systems are often stored for long periods prior to deployment in the intended environment. Aging has been previously shown to effect the reliability and constitutive behavior of second-level leadfree interconnects. Deployed systems may be subjected to cyclic thermo-mechanical loads subsequent to deployment. Prognostication of accrued damage and assessment of residual life is extremely critical for ultrahigh reliability systems in which the cost of failure is too high. The presented methodology uses leading indicators of failure based on microstructural evolution of damage to identify impending failure in electronic systems subjected to sequential stresses of thermal aging and thermal cycling. The methodology has been demonstrated on area-array ball-grid array test assemblies with Sn3Ag0.5Cu interconnects subjected to thermal aging at 125 °C and thermal cycling from -55 to 125 °C for various lengths of time and cycles. Damage equivalency methodologies have been developed to map damage accrued in thermal aging to the reduction in thermo-mechanical cyclic life based on damage proxies. Assemblies have been prognosticated to assess the error with interrogation of system state and assessment of residual life. Prognostic metrics including α - λ metric, sample standard deviation, mean square error, mean absolute percentage error, average bias, relative accuracy (RA), and cumulative RA have been used to compare the performance of the damage proxies.


DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID PROCESSES FOR PARTICLE COATING/ENCAPSULATION WITH POLYMERS by Yulu Wang This work presents the investigation of particle coating using supercritical fluid processes as novel coating approaches to coat particles from 20 nanometers to 500 microns with different polymers. Particle coating using different supercritical technologies of a modified rapid expansion of a supercritical solution (RESS) for particle coating and a supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process was described. In the modified RESS process for particle coating, experiments were performed using a pilot-scale supercritical apparatus, glass beads as host particles and two different polymers as coating materials. By adjusting temperature and pressure, the polymer nucleated and precipitated onto the surface of the host particles in a precipitation chamber due to the significantly lowered solubility of polymer in supercritical CO2. The glass beads were found coated with poly vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate (PVCVA) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) although the coating was not uniform and not continuously distributed over the surface of the particles. The main part of this work is the study of the SAS process for particle coating. The supercritical fluid worked as an antisolvent in the SAS process instead of a solvent in the RESS. The SAS process is based on the principle of SC CO2 induced phase separation in which the solute precipitates due to a high super-saturation produced by the mutual diffusion between organic solvent and SC CO 2 when an organic liquid solution comes into contact with SC CO2. Systematic study of the effects of process conditions on the coating of particles in the SAS process was performed. The polymer weight fraction and polymer concentration played critical roles in the agglomeration of coated particles and the thickness of coating. Higher pressure facilitated the T g depression, enhancing the agglomeration of coated particles. Operating temperature had no visible effect on the coating effect when the temperature was below T g. The coating quality also was independent of spraying velocity. Surfactants had adverse effects on the coating quality. The application of SAS particle coating process in the design of drug delivery system was studied. A biopolymer of poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA 50/50) and hydrocortisone were selected as the coating material and the model drug, respectively. The hydrocortisone particles were successfully coated with PLGA. At higher polymer loading ratios, the coated drug particles showed sustained release behavior. Higher polymer loading ratio produced higher encapsulation efficiency. DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID PROCESSES FOR PARTICLE COATING/ENCAPSULATION WITH POLYMERS


PURPOSE
To describe subcortical low intensity on T2- and proton density-weighted MR images in early cortical ischemia and to discuss a cause of these findings.

METHODS
Nine patients with early cortical ischemia were studied with proton density- and T2-weighted images, and T1-weighted images at 1.5 T. Gadolinium enhancement was added in six cases.

RESULTS
In all cases there was high to intermediate intensity in the cortex and low intensity in the subcortical white matter (subcortex) on the proton density- and T2-weighted images. No significant signal abnormalities were shown on T1-weighted images in the subcortex; gyriform enhancement was seen in the affected cortex in all of the six patients studied with gadolinium. Of the four patients with follow-up MRs, the subcortical low intensity changed to high intensity in two and remained low in two patients in the chronic stage. Neither hemorrhage nor calcification was seen on CT.

CONCLUSION
Iron accumulation in the subcortex caused by disruption of the axonal transportation and continuous production of free radicals caused by the hypoxic-ischemic state most likely reduces the signal intensity of the subcortex on the proton density- and T2-weighted images. The subcortical low intensity on the proton density- and T2-weighted images is an important diagnostic sign of early cortical ischemia.


Abstract. Safe landing is an important part of the planetary exploration mission. Even fine scale terrain hazards (such as rocks, small craters, steep slopes, which would not be accurately detected from orbital reconnaissance) could also pose a serious risk on planetary lander or rover and scientific instruments on-board it. In this paper, a simple geometric approach on planetary landing hazard detection and safe landing site selection is proposed. In order to achieve full implementation of this algorithm, two easy-to-compute metrics are presented for extracting the terrain slope and roughness information. Unlike conventional methods which must do the robust plane fitting and elevation interpolation for DEM generation, in this work, hazards is identified through the processing directly on LiDAR point cloud. For safe landing site selection, a Generalized Voronoi Diagram is constructed. Based on the idea of maximum empty circle, the safest landing site can be determined. In this algorithm, hazards are treated as general polygons, without special simplification (e.g. regarding hazards as discrete circles or ellipses). So using the aforementioned method to process hazards is more conforming to the real planetary exploration scenario. For validating the approach mentioned above, a simulated planetary terrain model was constructed using volcanic ash with rocks in indoor environment. A commercial laser scanner mounted on a rail was used to scan the terrain surface at different hanging positions. The results demonstrate that fairly hazard detection capability and reasonable site selection was obtained compared with conventional method, yet less computational time and less memory usage was consumed. Hence, it is a feasible candidate approach for future precision landing selection on planetary surface.


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We performed euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamps at insulin infusion rates of 1.9, 4.0, 9.3, and 19.3 mU.kg-1 x min-1 in rats with varying severities of iron deficiency anemia (IDA; mean hemoglobin concentrations of 59, 79, 107, and 137 g/l) to assess the effect of IDA on insulin sensitivity and responsiveness. Glucose appearance and disappearance (Rd) rates were determined using a primed continuous infusion of [3-3H]glucose. Basal plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were similar between the IDA and control rats. Basal hepatic glucose production was significantly (P = 0.0001) elevated in the two most anemic groups (13.6 +/- 2.4 and 12.6 +/- 3.1 vs. 10.6 +/- 2.2 and 10.2 +/- 2.0 mg.kg-1 x min-1). A significant upward shift in the insulin dose-response curves for Rd indicated an increase in peripheral insulin responsiveness in the two most anemic groups while a slight leftward shift was suggestive of an increase in insulin sensitivity in all three anemic groups. Hepatic insulin sensitivity and responsiveness were unaffected by IDA. We conclude that increased glucose utilization rates in IDA rats are due primarily to an increase in peripheral insulin responsiveness.


The violence in Gujarat in 2002 presented a paradoxical phenomenon, namely, a spectacle of violence ostensibly enacted by non-state forces that was covertly and overtly sanctioned by the state. Violence was both spatially localized and physically concentrated on Muslims. Apologists invoked a history of communal conflict and specifically of Muslim provocation, explaining the pogrom of 2002 as having ample precedent and justifiable cause. This paper addresses Ahmedabad's urbanity as an enabling locus for such violence, and draws on historical and ethnographic research to argue that spatial and perceptual practices in the city have combined to ghettoize Muslims, and produce forms of knowledge complicit with structural and episodic violence against them. Such practices (and their discursive uptake) are enabled by political conjunctures that give structurally embedded processes form and visibility. This paper explores the issue of political violence and Muslim vulnerability in Gujarat under the explanatory rubric of the 'Special Political Zone,' an informal analogue to a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the latter being a site exempt from prevailing regulations, purportedly to enhance economic growth. The political ability to endow specific sites with exceptional legal status for economic outcomes implies the 'Special Political Zone,' a site where select laws of the land are voided to ensure specific political outcomes, for example the staging of violence to dramatize the restructuring of the relationship between majority and minority. This paper offers a limited examination of this hypothesis taking Ahmedabad as a privileged site where much of the violence in Gujarat in 2002 was concentrated.


SUMMARY Men who have sex with men (MSM) have an increased incidence of pathogens transmitted by the oro-fecal route. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging cause of acute hepatitis and fecal shedding is observed during primary infection. We investigated whether MSM are at increased risk of HEV infection. Subjects who attended a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Brussels and had an HIV test performed between 1 June 2014 and 15 January 2016 were identified. A total of 576 samples were retrospectively screened for both total HEV IgG and HEV RNA. Samples positive for IgG were tested for IgM. MSM proportion was 31·1% (179/576). Overall HEV IgG prevalence was 9·03% (52/576) and was identical in MSM and heterosexual subjects. Among the IgG positive samples, 2/52 (3·84%) samples (both women) were positive for anti-HEV IgM. No sample was positive for HEV RNA. Age over 35 was the only risk factor significantly associated with HEV seropositivity (OR 2·07; 95% CI 1·16–3·67). In conclusion, MSM were not found to have an increased prevalence of HEV as previously reported in other European countries suggesting distinct dynamics of HEV infection in this group across Europe and increased age was associated with a higher risk of seropositivity.


The effects of verapamil infusion alone and superimposed with captopril on arterial pressure and bilateral renal function were evaluated in 21 two-kidney, one-clip Goldblatt hypertensive rats and in 13 control rats. Verapamil significantly decreased arterial pressure of both hypertensive and control rats. Addition of captopril further reduced arterial pressure in hypertensive rats only. There were significant increases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine flow and absolute and fractional excretory rates of sodium and potassium in the non-clipped kidney. In contrast, these renal indices decreased in the clipped kidney. Superimposed captopril during verapamil infusion did not significantly change function of the non-clipped kidney but further depressed function of the clipped kidney. In control rats, no significant change in GFR occurred in response to drugs. Renal excretion of water and sodium, but not potassium, increased after verapamil. However, the diuresis and natriuresis were less pronounced than those seen in the non-clipped kidney of hypertensive rats. There was a proportionate increase in osmolar clearance and free water reabsorption rate in the non-clipped kidney and the normal kidney. The linear relationship did not change after verapamil infusion. The results suggest that verapamil enhances the excretory function of the non-clipped kidney of Goldblatt hypertensive rats via increased GFR and decreased tubular reabsorption in the proximal and/or distal tubules despite its hypotensive action.


Information exchange in the Emergency Department between patients and providers is critical for safe, effective patient care. The episodic nature of ED interactions between patients and doctors who are essentially unknown to each other makes this communication even more tenuous. The use of Information Prescriptions (InfoRx) is an attempt to provide patients with the opportunity to access evidence-based information via the internet. Our concept is to examine the impact of InfoRx in two common conditions, low back pain in adults and pediatric fever and attempt to measure patient preferences for site of delivery, content presentation and subsequent access of InfoRx from the ED. The results of this study may impact the type of information and method of delivery of healthcare information in the Emergency Department.


Introduction: Textile industry is known as one of the generators that produced a large amount of wastewater pollutants due to the large quantities of water consumed during fabric processing. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of eggshells as adsorbent for removal of pollutants from the textile industry wastewater without treatment. Methodology: The wastewater sampling at the selected area was conducted to identify the characteristics of the wastewater and compare the sample with Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluent) Regulations 1974. Therefore, alternative treatment such as adsorption by using eggshell was investigated with different variables. Result: Based on the result, the wastewater does have a high reading of turbidity, high concentrations of BOD and COD, highly coloured effluents and heavy metals. All the characteristics of textile wastewater violated the permissible limit standard. The optimum condition in the removal of heavy metals and dyes by using eggshell was obtained. As for lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) show the highest percentages of removal up to 100% followed by the manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) which is 91% and 62% respectively. Meanwhile, the removal percentage for the dyes is 80% Conclusion: This study concluded that the textile wastewater containing high concentrations of pollutant including the heavy metals and dyes. In the study, the efficiency of the eggshell powder as adsorbent was identified. Keywords: Adsorption, eggshell, dyes, heavy metals, textile wastewater


This paper presents a method for the vibration of a beam with a breathing crack under harmonic excitation. The infinitely thin crack is characterised by a parameter that takes into account the shape and the depth of the crack. The closed- and open-crack states are both modelled by a modal approach: two sets of equations of motion cast in the modal coordinates of their individual mode shapes. The state change (from closed to open or vice versa) involves the calculation of the modal coordinates associated with the new state from the modal coordinates of the previous state. By imposing the continuity of displacement and velocity the beam at the instant of the state change, the matrix that transforms the modal coordinates from one state to the other is determined and proved to be the Modal Scale Factor matrix. This analytical approach takes advantage of exact nature and mathematical convenience of beam modes and is time-efficient. Forced vibration at various values of crack parameter is determined. It is found that as decreases (crack length increases) the vibration becomes increasingly erratic and finally chaotic.


Factors associated with adiposity in normal weight female adolescents with adequate and high percent body fat: elaborating a risk model. This study was carried out to evaluate the factors associated with adiposity in normal weight adolescents presenting appropriate or high percent body fat, who attended the public schools in Viçosa county-Minas Gerais/Brazil. A total of 118 female adolescents at age range from 14 to 19 years and have already presented the menarche were evaluated. The adolescents were divided into 2 groups: G1 with high percent body fat and G2 with appropriate percent body fat. The following variables were evaluated: anthropometric, body composition, lifestyle and the family history of non-communicable chronic diseases. In subsample, the basal energy consumption was determined by indirect calorimetry. The G1-grouped adolescents showed higher values for most anthropometric and body composition variables (p < 0.001). No differences were observed (p > 0.05) for basal metabolism and metabolism of lean body mass, smoking habit, total energy consumption and protein and lipid as well between groups. When comparing the physical activity level, the G1 adolescents spent more time with 1-level sedentary activities whereas the G2 ones showed higher total caloric consumption with daily activities (p < 0.001). According to risk factors under analysis, the variables related to lifestyle, as distinguishing the use of sweeteners (OR = 13.47), provided higher contribution to excessive adiposity in the normal weight adolescents. The detailed analysis of the body composition as well as the risk factors associated with excessive body fat makes possible the early diagnosis and the development of more appropriate intervention means.


Fairness for those defendants facing the ultimate punishment of death requires that they be afforded zealous advocacy by competent counsel, and that counsel be provided with the resources necessary to effectively represent their clients. Stating that "[o]ur capital system is haunted by the demon of error, error in determining guilt, and error in determining who among the guilty deserves to die," Governor Ryan cited many deficiencies in the justice system in Illinois, including poor lawyering and inadequate resources for defense counsel, in arriving at his decision to commute all death sentences. Over the years the imposition of the death penalty has too often been a function of unqualified counsel or counsel who lacked the resources, including time, funding, and provision of investigative, expert and supportive services, to competently represent their clients, rather than a reasoned decision based on the circumstances of the crime and the background and character of the defendant.


The aim of the study was to assess the possibility of financing development activities in rural communities in Poland in the years 2007-2013. In the paper there were assessed financing capacity of local investments and the scope of realized investment activity. The analysis show that rural communities had higher values of indicators for assessing the ability of financing investment than other types of municipalities. In the analyzed period decreased investment potential of all Polish communities, while their indebtedness increased. Despite the fact that rural municipalities had lower incomes. They implemented higher investment expenditure in relation to the total expenditure than other municipalities. Unfortunately, the level of the executed investments decreased after 2011 in all Polish municipalities.


Abstract: Background. Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients but data on the incidence rates stratified by type of solid organ are limited. Objective. To describe the attack rates and incidence of IA in solid organ transplant recipients, and the impact of universal Aspergillus prophylaxis (aerosolized amphotericin B or oral itraconazole) in lung transplant recipients. Patients. The 2046 patients who received solid organ transplants at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from January 1990 through 1999 were studied. Methods. Cases were ascertained through computerized records of microbiology, cytology, and pathology reports. Definite IA was defined as a positive culture and pathology showing septate hyphae. Probable IA was clinical disease and either a positive culture or histopathology. Disseminated IA was defined as involvement of two or more noncontiguous anatomic sites. Results. We identified 33 cases of IA (28% disseminated) in 2046 patients (attack rate = 1.6%) for an incidence of 4.8 cases per 1000 patient‐years (33 cases/6813 pt‐years). Both the attack and the incidence rates were significantly higher for lung transplant recipients vs. other transplant recipients: lung 12.8% (24 cases/188 patients) or 40.5 cases/1000‐pt year vs. heart 0.4% (3/686) or 1.4 per 1000‐pt year vs. liver 0.7% (3/439) or 2.1 per 1000‐pt year vs. renal 0.4% (3/733) or 1.2 per 1000‐pt year (P < 0.01). The incidence of IA was highest during the first year after transplantation for all categories, but cases occurred after the first year of transplantation only in lung transplant recipients. The attack rate of IA in lung transplant recipients was significantly lower after institution of routine Aspergillus prophylaxis (4.9% vs. 18.2%, P < 0.05). Conclusions. The highest incidence and attack rate of invasive aspergillosis among solid organ transplant recipients occurs in lung transplant recipients and supports the routine use of Aspergillus prophylaxis for at least one year after transplantation in this group.


Controls on the use of food additives can vary significantly from country to country and area to area, having the potential to represent a serious issue to manufacturers of food products and importers who need to purchase ingredients from different parts of the world and exporters intending to sell their products in more than one market. Different factors must be taken into consideration in the development of food legislation related to additives, including technological need and safety. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and its Committees, through the work with the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) are responsible, at international level, for the evaluation of food additives to ensure they are safe for consumption taking into consideration patterns of consumption of the foods in which additives are used. Therefore, the work of the Codex Alimentarius has a severe impact on the development of food legislation worldwide, together with the work of regional bodies, such as the European Union (EU) bodies. The use of food additives also follows trends led by consumer perception. The aim of this chapter is to assess food additive controls and key aspects of international food law or guidance laid down in several countries/regions and international bodies, namely the Codex Alimentarius, the USA, Canada, Japan and certain Far East countries, the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand, with the aim of highlighting some of the main differences.


Fish live in communities, and most fisheries catch multiple species, yet fishery management predominately focuses on single species. In many multispecies fisheries, a variety of species are generally caught together at similar rates. Failure to account for this adequately in management has resulted in serial depletion and alterations to the ecosystem. Ideally, multispecies fisheries management should strive to produce good yields from specific valuable stocks and avoid adverse impacts of fishing on marine ecosystems. Moreover, multispecies management should aim to build resilience to changes in stock productivity and distribution driven by climate change. Here, we present tools and pathways that seven fisheries are adopting to achieve these goals. These case studies – from Mexico, Cuba, and Chile – differ in data richness, governance structure, and management resources. The management systems are also in various stages of evolution from unmanaged to complete management of a single species but transitioning to multispecies management. While various analytical tools and decision-making processes are described in the case studies, a common feature is the use of participatory stakeholder processes to build capacity and socialize the importance of multispecies management. We use lessons from these cases to recommend a multispecies management approach to overcome the limitations of current practices (typically single-species catch limits or large spatial restrictions), using the participatory processes and data-limited assessments to create stock complexes that simplify multispecies management (i.e., the "fish baskets" approach). Indicator species for each fish basket are identified to support the development of fishery performance indicators, reference values, harvest control rules, and management measures to create an adaptive management cycle to enhance the fishery's resilience to impacts induced by climate change and other factors.


Epidemiology education is increasingly recognized as a core science necessary for career preparation throughout the health sector, and graduate epidemiology instruction is continually being reevaluated to ensure students receive appropriate training. Recent work has also focused on the potential for epidemiology to be formally incorporated as a stand-alone discipline in undergraduate education and even integrated into wide-scale high-school science learning. As epidemiology educators, however, we face a tremendous challenge in that we should appreciate differences in students' instructional needs and goals (e.g., concepts and skills) at each educational level. In this article we propose an epidemiology learning continuum for students from high school through graduate school. We call for a student-centered instructional approach to best hone learners' grasp of concepts and skills. Furthermore, we propose scaffolded learning to help epidemiology students to develop more advanced insights and abilities as they progress in the field. This approach will not only best serve the discipline but also is well-aligned with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health's "Framing the Future" initiative for public health education for the 21st century.


Dams are prone to causing negative effects on downstream ecosystems by their potential to alter riverine water quality. In the case of Itezhi-Tezhi Reservoir (Zambia), a nutrient-poor wetland located downstream is affected by low oxygen concentrations owing to the withdrawal of deep reservoir water and by low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads due to reservoir-internal nutrient depletion. We quantified the decrease in oxygen and nutrients by estimating mass balances as well as outflow concentrations by applying a biogeochemical reservoir model. From the mass balances, retention rates of similar to 50% of N and similar to 60% of P inputs were estimated. Hypoxic conditions during similar to 190 d in the outflow may be avoided if 50% of hypolimnetic turbine withdrawal are replaced by epilimnetic water. This optimized scenario yielded five-times higher dissolved N and P output loads. This study presents a generally applicable optimization procedure to minimize effects on downstream water quality.


I. Introduction The Shetland Islands occupy a critical position in the Caledonian mountain area. They lie about 200 miles north-east of the post-Cambrian dislocations of Durness in Sutherland, the same distance north of the Dalradian outcrops of the Banffshire coast, and the same distance west of the metamorphic region of Bergen in Norway. The investigation of their tectonics and metamorphism is required in any synthesis of the Caledonian front. The island of Unst is the most northerly of the group. Its size is about 50 square miles. Its coastline reaches the great length of nearly 70 miles, and, though formed of cliffs usually hundreds of feet high, is for the most part readily accessible. Inland exposures are good, while even where peat partly obscures the solid rocks, as happens with some of the politic gneisses, outcrops are sufficient for the mapping of small divisions. During the field-seasons of 1929 and 1930, I mapped the island on the scale of 6 inches to a mile while a member of H.M. Geological Survey. Since then the material has been worked out at the University of Liverpool. In 1933 I spent three weeks in the island in order to test certain points that had arisen during the laboratory study. I desire to express my thanks to Sir John Flett, Director of the Survey, for permission to complete the Unst work and to present this account. Unst consists entirely of rocks that have undergone one or more metamorphisms under markedly different physical controls. The


A. J. Potter (1918-1980) was one of the most significant composers working in Ireland in the latter part of the twentieth century. This thesis surveys his career and creative achievement, which have not hitherto been subjected to detailed scrutiny. The opening chapter presents a biographical overview: its first part outlines the circumstances of Potter's childhood and early adulthood, including his studies with Vaughan Williams at the Royal College of Music in London, his period of service in the British Army during World War II and his subsequent three-year sojourn in Africa; the second continues the narrative from 1951, when he settled permanently in Ireland, up to his death in 1980. In addition to detailing events of note in his private and professional life, an important subsidiary focus of this section is to depict the impoverished and culturally marginalised nature of Irish musical life at this period and describe the frustrations that these conditions engendered for the composer and his contemporaries. The remaining chapters are devoted to an examination of Potter's major works. Chapter 2 considers four student compositions that were written or conceived in the late 1930s and were subsequently revised when he resumed composing in 1949 after a creative silence of over a decade. Chapter 3 is divided in two parts: the first delineates the salient features of his mature creative aesthetic, while the second provides an account of his later orchestral works. The remaining chapters explore his choral music and stage works, which, in addition to the scores previously described, constitute his most noteworthy achievements.


BACKGROUND
Green, white, and black tea water extracts are rich in phenolic compounds.

OBJECTIVE
The changes in phenolic compounds profiles of green, white, and black tea (GT, WT, & BT respectively) water extracts and their respective yogurt were investigated.

METHOD
Three types of yogurt with tea water extracts were prepared and the phenolic compounds profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method.

RESULTS
The present data found that flavonol glycosides such as kaempferol-3-rutinoside and quercetin-rhamnosylgalactoside or rutinoside were present in WT extract whereas catechin derivatives such as gallocatechin (GC) and epigallocatechin (EGC) were present in GT extract. Moreover, theaflavin-3-O-gallate was observed in BT extract. Many of the catechin and its derivatives detected in the tea extracts were not identified in the tea yogurt samples. However, new phenolic compounds were present in GT-yogurt (i.e. kaempferol-3- rutinoside and quinic acid conjugate) but absent in GT extract.

CONCLUSION
GT, WT, & BT extracts could be used to enriched-yogurt with phenolic compounds which may have antioxidant properties.


Despite the evidence that the human small intestine produces two separate species of apoB mRNA encoding for B-100 and B-48, there is a paucity of data concerning the expression of the latter form in this organ. Using a high resolution immunopld approach, withspecific polydonal antibodies and a panel dmonadonal antibodies (ZD8, 3Al0, 4G3), both forms of apoB (B-48 and B-100) were revealed over entemcytes of pediatric intestinal samples. Intense labeling was observed over microvilli, apical smooth membrane vesicles, multivesicular bodies, the basolateral membrane, as well as the tmm Golgi region. Only low labeling was found over the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). Similar patterns of apoB distribution characterized both duodenal and jejunal regions. The presence of labeling over the Golgi apparatus and rER suggests a synthetic activity of both forms of apoB by the epithelial cells. To test this hypDthesis human in& was incubated with (sH)leucine, homogenized, and subjected to immunoprecipitation for apoB. Immunoprecipitates contained radioactivity mainly in apoB-48 with relatively small amounts in apoB-100 when examined by NaDodSO,-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These findings were further supported by the biochemical determination of apoB-100 and apoB-48 in chylomicron particles isolated from thoracic duct lymph of a human donor. Taken together, our data suggest that the human intestine is able to synthesize and to express the apoB-100. -Levy, E., C. Rochette, I. Londono, C.C. ROY, R.W. Milne, Y.L. Marcel, and M. Bendayan. Apolipoprotein B-100: immunolocalization and synthesis in human intestinal mucosa. J. Lipid Res. 1990. 31: 1937-1946.


Nowadays, social media experience an increase in hostility, which leads to many people suffering from online abusive behavior and harassment. We introduce a new publicly available annotated dataset for abusive language detection in short texts. The dataset includes comments from YouTube, along with contextual information: replies, video, video title, and the original description. The comments in the dataset are labeled as abusive or not and are classified by topic: politics, religion, and other. In particular, we discuss our refined annotation guidelines for such classification. We report a number of strong baselines on this dataset for the tasks of abusive language detection and topic classification, using a number of classifiers and text representations. We show that taking into account the conversational context, namely, replies, greatly improves the classification results as compared with using only linguistic features of the comments. We also study how the classification accuracy depends on the topic of the comment.


The amount of substance and its unit the mole is a basic concept in chemistry. However, previous research has shown that teaching and learning the concept are challenging tasks for both teachers and students. The purpose of this study was to pinpoint the problems which emerge in the teaching and learning process, and provide integrated suggestions for classroom instruction. By means of videotaping and interviews, the case studies explored how the mole is presented and conceptualized in two secondary classrooms in two different countries, Australia and Taiwan. Data analysis was based on a concept map and focused on how two key ideas were presented in the lessons and perceived by the students: (1) the definition of the mole, and (2) the concept of molar mass. The findings show that during the lessons on the mole, most of the time was spent on solving stoichiometric problems. Conceptually, the number aspect of the mole, that is, Avogadro's number, was emphasized; the concept of molar mass was introduced without meaningfully connecting it to the concept of relative atomic/molecular mass. Although the students were able to solve relevant problems, they could not coherently explain the relations among the concepts. Two critical components for a conceptual understanding of the mole emerged: (1) the number aspect of the mole needs to be justified by its mass aspect, and (2) the connection between molar mass and relative atomic/molecular mass needs to be explicitly explained. The two components provide one explanation for students' algorithmic learning and their confusion in learning about the mole, and serve as concrete suggestions for improving classroom instruction. The study once again manifested the significance of teaching for conceptual understanding in science education. It also exemplifies how a concept map of a specific scientific concept can also be a useful analytical tool in educational research. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 181–214, 2016.


Hearing impairment (HI) is the most frequent sensory disorder, with a genetic etiology in >50% of all cases, due to mutations in >44 identified genes. Autosomal recessive inheritance explains the majority, with GJB2 (connexin 26) mutations accounting for 15–50% of paediatric HI. Delayed presentation of HI to 11–60 months in cases of biallelic GJB2 mutations is a concern, necessitating a good audiological follow-up in addition to neonatal hearing screening. Providing a genetic diagnosis in congenital HI has implications for the prognosis, the possible risk of associated medical manifestations, and precise genetic counseling of the family, and should be integrated into the medical examinations done in order to diagnose syndromic features. Large-scale mutation detection methods, such as micro arrays, are promising for wider genetic testing, but few studies on their clinical utility have been published, so far. Limitations of interpretation of genetic test results, combined with significant ethical issues, currently do not justify to institute genetic screening for GJB2 mutations in neonates before a diagnosis of HI is established.


Both acute blood loss and severe infection activate common cellular pathways leading to shock – a pathologic condition characterized by systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Sirtuins, a highly conserved group of NAD-dependent enzymes, play a critical role in cellular survival and many of the benefits associated with sirtuin activation are thought to be secondary to decreased inflammation, reduced oxidative stress, and improved mitochondrial physiology. As such, we hypothesized that sirtuin pathways play a crucial role in shock and could be could be targeted to improve outcomes following acute blood loss and severe infection. In a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments recapitulating hemorrhagic shock and severe sepsis, we explored the impact of sirtuin activation on inflammation, mitochondrial function, and survival. Following decompensated hemorrhagic shock, resuscitation with resveratrol, a SIRT1 activator, significantly improved renal mitochondrial function and decreased oxidative damage. Similarly, resuscitation with nicotinamide monononucleotide (NMN), a key biosynthetic NAD precursor, was found to mitigate inflammation, support cellular energetics and improve both physiologic resilience and survival. In contrast, impaired expression of either SIRT1 or SIRT3 resulted in a pro-inflammatory phenotype with accelerated mortality in sepsis. Interestingly, deletion of SIRT1 did not significantly worsen the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction observed in septic liver, but was associated with decreased CI and CII respiration in kidney. Deletion of SIRT3 did not significantly impact the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction observed in either liver or kidney. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that SIRT1 and SIRT3 play a key role in the pathophysiology of shock. Although further research is needed to determine if SIRT1 and SIRT3 overexpression improves outcomes or if pharmacologically manipulating NAD metabolism in conjunction with sirtuin activation provides added benefit, targeting sirtuins appears beneficial in hemorrhagic and septic shock. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics First Advisor Joseph A. Baur Second Advisor Harry Ischiropoulos


The 'dismemberment' of Hungary as a result of the Treaty of Trianon (1920) was a momentous event. This paper examines the reaction of British geographers to Hungary's dramatic and extensive loss of territory and much-reduced national sovereignty. It considers two works by British geographers, Marion Newbigin (in 1920) and Alan Ogilvie (in 1922), who attempted to explain Hungary's situation following the Treaty. To Hungary's geographers, Trianon ruptured historical associations between nature and nation. Boundaries previously formed upon the Carpathians' natural geography and the hydrography of the Great Hungarian Plain were now replaced by ethnic considerations, even although these proved difficult to effect in practice as the basis of the new boundaries. The paper explores maps produced by Hungarian geographers, and most notably Pal Teleki's 'Ethnographical Map of Hungary' (1919)—the so-called 'Carte Rouge'—which attempted to reveal Hungary's ethnic identity and territorial integrity. The paper then examines Marion Newbigin's 'Aftermath: A geographical study of the peace terms' (1920) and Ogilvie's 'Some aspects of boundary settlement at the peace conference' (1922) as Britain's geographers tried to explain and justify Trianon in terms of post-war geopolitics, ethnic diversity, and linguistic difference. For Newbigin, Hungary's ethnic delimitation post-Trianon was largely dictated by the Western powers (principally by the American delegation to the 1919 Paris peace conference). In his work Ogilvie (a member of the British geographical delegation in Paris) shows that the principles on which Trianon was determined were often compromised in practice. The paper shows how the new geography of Europe and Hungary dictated by Trianon elicited different responses from different geographical communities.


ABSTRACT Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains (VREfm) are critical public health concerns because they are among the leading causes of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is a bisbiguanide cationic antiseptic that is routinely used for patient bathing and other infection control practices. VREfm are likely frequently exposed to CHX; however, the long-term effects of CHX exposure have not been studied in enterococci. In this study, we serially exposed VREfm to increasing concentrations of CHX for a period of 21 days in two independent experimental evolution trials. Reduced CHX susceptibility emerged (4-fold shift in CHX MIC). Subpopulations with reduced daptomycin (DAP) susceptibility were detected, which were further analyzed by genome sequencing and lipidomic analysis. Across the trials, we identified adaptive changes in genes with predicted or experimentally confirmed roles in chlorhexidine susceptibility (efrE), global nutritional stress response (relA), nucleotide metabolism (cmk), phosphate acquisition (phoU), and glycolipid biosynthesis (bgsB), among others. Moreover, significant alterations in membrane phospholipids were identified for some populations with reduced DAP susceptibility. Our results are clinically significant because they identify a link between serial subinhibitory CHX exposure and reduced DAP susceptibility. In addition, the CHX-induced genetic and lipidomic changes described in this study offer new insights into the mechanisms underlying the emergence of antibiotic resistance in VREfm.


Ruboxistaurin (LY333531), a potent and isoform-selective protein kinase C inhibitor, is currently undergoing clinical trials as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications. The present study describes the disposition and metabolism of [C]ruboxistaurin following administration of an oral dose to dogs, mice, and rats. The study revealed that ruboxistaurin was highly metabolized in all species. Furthermore, the results from the bile duct-cannulated study revealed that ruboxistaurin was well absorbed in rats. The primary route of excretion of ruboxistaurin and its metabolites was through feces in all species. The major metabolite detected consistently in all matrices for all species was the N-desmethyl metabolite 1, with the exception of rat bile, in which hydroxy N-desmethyl metabolite 5 was detected as the major metabolite. Other significant metabolites detected in dog plasma were 2, 3, 5, and 6 and in mouse plasma 2, 5, and 19. The structures of the metabolites were proposed by tandem mass spectrometry with the exception of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, which were additionally confirmed either by direct comparison with authentic standards or by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To assist identification by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, metabolites 3 and 5 were produced via biotransformation using recombinant human CYP2D6 and, likewise, metabolite 6 and compound 4 (regioisomer of 3 which did not correlate to metabolites found in vivo) were produced using a microbe, Mortierella zonata. The unambiguous identification of metabolites enabled the proposal of clear metabolic pathways of ruboxistaurin in dogs, mice,


ABSTRACT Iran's policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates how countries with pre-existing challenges manage acute crises. Already economically weakened by international sanctions, Iran's government was forced to consider short-term tradeoffs between public health and social stability in pandemic response, with imminent unemployment and food insecurity used to justify a policy pivot from mitigation to economic continuity. This article investigates the policy responses of Iran's government during the crucial first months of the pandemic, using data obtained through interviews structured around SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and interpreted to elicit insights for policy capacity theory and practice. Explanations for Iran's initially ineffective pandemic response are found to include weakness in economic policy, failure to coordinate public health initiatives, priority of treatment over prevention, insufficient public engagement, and inadequate healthcare facilities. Policy recommendations emerging from the study are comprehensive and coordinated pandemic management efforts, community-based and proactive approaches, targeted economic stimulus, and a clear policy vision for crisis resolution. The discussion integrates policy capacity into explanations and recommendations to illustrate the applied value of the concept in crisis settings characterized by uncertainty and rapid onset.


Machine learning algorithms (MLAs) have recently been applied to predict gene mutations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) under different exposure conditions, with room for improvement in performance. In a bid to improve performance, we hypothesize that incorporating the interactions between genes will help MLAs make better predictions. To investigate this, we integrated protein-coding gene cofunctional networks into a mutation dataset of E. coli exposed to different conditions. Also, we proposed a feature-selection algorithm based on gene cofunctional networks to pick the most relevant exposure conditions. Then, we used the extended dataset to train a support vector classifier, an artificial neural network, and an ensemble of both MLAs. Separate models were trained for each of the protein-coding genes. Validation results showed that our approach improved both the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC). A peak increase of 8.20% in AUPRC was observed. A similar analysis on selected genes, with ten or more mutation points for each gene, also showed improvement in the general performance of the MLAs. Out-of-sample testing on adaptive laboratory evolution experiments curated from the literature provided further evidence of an enhanced mutation-prediction performance, where a maximum 8.74% boost in the AUC was observed. Finally, we highlighted the genes with the most improved and most degraded predictions due to the additional information of the cofunctional genes. This work suggests that the functional relationship between genes may play a role in gene mutation and illustrates how the relationships might help to improve mutation prediction.


In this paper, we describe, in detail, a design method that assures that the designed product satisfies a set of prescribed demands while, at the same time, providing a concise representation of the design that facilitates communication in multidisciplinary design teams. This Demand Compliant Design (DeCoDe) method was in itself designed to comply with a set of demands. The demands on the method were determined by an analysis of some of the most widely used design methods and from the needs arising in the practice of design for quality. We show several modes of use of the DeCoDe method and illustrate with examples.


The need to manage the energy consumption of network infrastructure has been addressed by a significant body of work in recent years. In general, energy management capabilities were developed independently and optimized for particular network layers and node features. The interaction between multiple such green capabilities when deployed simultaneously, as well as potential interactions with other existing functionality such as quality of service functions, need to be managed transparently by the operators. We developed SLIM, the SustainabiLity Information Model for Energy Efficiency Policies, as an addon to the IETF Policy Core Information Model Extension to allow unifying the management of green capabilities throughout the network. We illustrate the flexibility of our approach by presenting a use case and describing an energy management system where SLIM was used.


Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites are increasingly being used in aircrafts especially for wing and tail components and automotive applications. Surface wettability of these thermoplastic composites is poor due to low surface energies causing difficulty in the surface painting process where necessary. To achieve durable painting the composite surface needs pre- treatment to modify the surface wettability, to remove surface contaminants, and loose, friable surfaces for better paint adhesion. Conventional surface treatments such as sand blasting, mechanical abrasion and chemical etching may cause delamination defects and damage to the brittle fibers affecting service life of the bulk composite. These methods also present occupational health, safety and environmental risks. This article reviewed texturing and cleaning of polymer, composites and metallic surfaces for enhancing adhesion performance in general and, in particular, the laser texturing and cleaning which is a potential substitute to conventional surface modification techniques of composites.


For the raising of the Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) nut-bearing and ornamental cultivars, the most important traits are a dense crown, slow growth and precocity. Generative mutations of this kind are eliminated by natural selection, therefore, somatic mutation rsearch is important. Among somatic mutations, the most promising one is the so-called 'witches' brooms' (WB) where crown fragments demonstrate slowed growth and intensive branching. WB occasionally occurs in native populations. According to phytopathology textbooks, WB are caused by various pathogen species (viruses, mycoplasmas, fungi). The WB of this kind are characterized by a sickly look, full suppression of reproductive functions, a short life and a nidus pattern of distribution. There are also WB of different types: with a high vitality and fertility, a long life and sporadic distribution. They occur very rarely (about 1 per 10 000 trees) across the species' range. We investigated 18 trees with WB of this type. The size of WB ranged from 0.3 to 30 m, age varied from 30 to 300 years. Male cones were absent in all WB. Female cone initiation was normal if the WB was located in the top part of a crown. Scions from WB and a normal crown (NC) of the same tree were grafted on identical rootstocks. On average, the height of 7-year-old WB grafts (WBG) was 2 times lower, and the stem diameter was 2 times higher than in the NC grafts (NCG). It was achieved due to the fundamental differences in the shoot system morphogenesis. Here are three principal differences in decreasing order of importance: (i) WBGs were characterized by the absence or near absence of apical dominance. The NCG had no more than 3 orders of branching, and the length of the 1st order axis was on average 5 times larger than the axis of the 3rd order. The WBG had 6-7 orders of branching, and the length of shoots of 5-6th orders averaged 80-90% of the length of the first orders. (ii) At an identical shoot length, the number of lateral buds in the WBG was 3-4 times more. This superiority was achieved in several ways: a greater shoot number per node, the presence of one or even two additional nodes (summer shoot) on many annual shoots, the formation of lateral long shoots outside any nodes (instead of short shoots). (iii) The number of stem units, their length, and annual shoot length in the WBG were 1.5-2 times less compared with the NCG. The first seed cones were initiated in both variants in the year of grafting. However, by the end of 5-7 year period of supervision, the WBG surpassed the NCG in the number of cones by 5-10 times. WB and NC have also been tested on seed progeny (WBP and NCP). In the WBP halfsib families, a clear tendency of splitting into two classes was observed: (1) normal seedlings, statistically indistinguishable from the homogenous NCPs and (2) seedlings with growth essentially slowed down and very intensive branching. The ratio of the two classes was about 1:1. Therefore, the studied WB are a dominant somatic mutation. The principles of using of these mutations in breeding programs are discussed.


The chapter considers the importance of demographic and socio-economic factors as well as cognitive skills to information seeking in a digital library environment. Demographic factors such as age and gender were considered. Younger adults were found to respond positively to the demands of information seeking in the digital environment while their older counterparts are still struggling to come to terms with the changes. In the same vein, studies have revealed that the value placed on technology by men and women varies. While men express high level of confidence in navigating the digital environment, women still suffer low self-confidence in doing same. Identified socio-economic factors that also constitute a barrier to information seeking in a digital environment include income level, level of education, non-availability of ICT infrastructures and epileptic power supply especially in Africa among others. Unwillingness to see one's needs as information needs, inability to articulate one's information needs, unawareness of information sources, low self-efficacy, poor search skills among others were identified as cognitive barriers to information seeking in the digital environment. Based on the findings of this chapter, the study recommends that for persons who are adjudged to be the older generation, it is imperative for them to acquire requisite ICT skills that will make it easier for them to navigate the digital environment. There is also a clarion call on African leaders to provide infrastructures that will enable ICT to thrive as the digital environment is fast replacing the hitherto traditional one.


Commercial pepper spray devices are available that deliver either a coherent liquid stream or an aerosol from the canister. Information is unavailable in the literature regarding either the spray characteristics (i.e., the droplet diameter, velocity, and number density) or the canister-to-canister variability of these devices. Consequently, their performance in delivering the active agent to the target is not well characterized and the amount of material delivered as small, potentially harmful, particles is unknown. This investigation used phase Doppler interferometry (PDI) to measure the size and velocity distributions of aerosol-type pepper sprays. This information was used to obtain preliminary information on the amount of smaller diameter droplets present in pepper spray products currently on the market. This preliminary information could then be combined with toxicity information (expected to become available) to determine whether the potential hazard is sufficient to warrant further study. Thus, characterization of the sprays (i.e., both droplet size and velocity) at the target location is important for this purpose. Each canister was fired repeatedly to discharge its contents in 1 s shots at 1 min intervals until the PDI could not detect droplets. Four different sets of commercially available pepper spray canisters were studied to document the variation in the aerosol diameter distribution from shot to shot. The results indicated that there were significant differences in the spray characteristics for the different canister sets. The number of shots per canister varied among the sets of canisters. The droplet mean diameter was fairly constant per shot for three of the four canister sets (averaging 54.0 µm with a standard deviation of 2.4 µm for all shots from these three sets) until nearly all of the canister liquid contents were expelled. At this point, the values of the droplet mean diameter, streamwise velocity, and number of droplets decreased significantly. The droplet diameters detected varied from a few micrometers (at the detection limit of the optical arrangement) to about 120 µm. For some groups, the diameter distributions were bimodal with peaks at about 10 µm and 40 µm.


Aging of baby boomers and longer life spans had lead to an increasing population of older adults. In the United States population of older adults is projected to double over the next four decades. The older adults are retaining their teeth longer and have more dental prosthesis. Older adults have compromised dental health due to medication-induced xerostomia, age-related gingival recession with exposed root surface, which is more susceptible to caries. Compromised medical health, physical or cognitive disabilities, and high caries risk maintain the existing prosthesis becomes a challenge. Teeth that are retained with the prosthesis are more prone to caries around their margins (recurrent caries). Prevention and treatment of recurrent caries around the margin of dental prosthesis become are challenge. Removing the prosthesis and replacing it with a new one is the only viable therapeutic option. The restorative option is expensive, time-consuming, and requires multiple appointments and involves technical difficulties. Restorative options could be a problem for older adults due to lack of finances, lack of transportation frailty, or lack of access to care. These issues require to treat multiple teeth at the same time, are less expensive, and do not a lot of time in treatment. Prevention becomes an area of paramount important. Prevention and treatment of recurrent caries through chemotherapeutic management can have an advantage of cost-effectiveness, speed and being minimally invasive. The most effective method for prevention to date is considered to be fluoride. In the United States fluoride has been incorporated in many ways like water fluoridation, fluoride mouth wash, dentifrices, and professionally applied fluoride varnishes. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommended the use of fluoride for patients of all ages who are at risk of developing dental caries. With the high success of fluoride, another treatment method using Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is gaining popularity in the United States. We will discuss different preventive therapies for older adults to maintain their dental prosthesis longer.


Rabies in wildlife has been successfully controlled in parts of Europe and North America using oral rabies vaccination, i.e., the distribution of baits containing live-attenuated virus strains. Occasionally, these vaccines caused vaccine virus-induced rabies cases. To elucidate the mechanisms of genetic selection and the effect of viral populations on these rabies cases, a next generation sequencing approach as well as comprehensive data analyses of the genetic diversity of Street Alabama Dufferin (SAD) and ERA vaccine virus strains and vaccine-induced rabies cases from Canada and several European countries were conducted. As a result, twelve newly generated sets of sequencing data from Canada and Poland were added to a pool of previously investigated samples. While the population-based analysis showed a segregation of viruses of ERA vaccine-induced rabies cases from those of SAD Bern original (SAD Bernorig)-derived rabies cases, the in-depth variant analysis revealed three distinct combinations of selected variants for the ERA vaccine-induced cases, suggesting the presence of multiple replication-competent haplotypes in the investigated ERA-BHK21 vaccine. Our findings demonstrate the potential of a deep sequencing approach in combination with comprehensive analyses on the consensus, population, and variant level.


Abstract Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the most common vasculitides of childhood and frequently presents to the emergency department. Although the diagnosis of KD is based on clinical criteria, children who do not fulfill the criteria but have sufficient supportive features of KD are diagnosed as having incomplete KD and warrant the same course of therapy as children with classic KD. The diagnosis of incomplete KD is challenging and requires a high index of suspicion. The purpose of this article is to review presenting features of incomplete KD and the diagnostic approach and management of children in the emergency department.


An oxbow is a remnant meander of a river or stream that has been cut off from present flow as the stream channel has migrated within its floodplain. The remaining depression is often connected to the water table, leaving pools of standing water throughout the year. Regular flooding and land use practices cause sediment and organic material to be deposited in the depression over time. The deposited material reduces the depth of the historic oxbow, limiting its potential for flood storage, nutrient cycling, and off-channel fish habitat. In recognition of the important ecosystem services that they provide, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been restoring oxbows in the Raccoon River Watershed in Iowa since 2002 (Betts 2014). The USFWS, the Nature Conservancy (TNC), Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), Sand County Foundation (SCF), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and other partners have contributed to additional oxbow restorations as an innovative fish habitat improvement and tile line nitrate (NO3) treatment practice. Partners have worked with area producers through a voluntary conservation program to restore a series of oxbows that collect water from tile lines. The practice is intriguing to landowners since water quality and…


Abstract The paper gives insight into the revaluation of popular Gothic aesthetics in Jim Jarmusch's 2014 production Only Lovers Left Alive. Drawing on critical theory and the postmodern theoretical framework, the article suggests that the film transgresses contemporary culture immersed in a "culture of death" that has produced a vast amount of cultural texts under the rubric of "Gothicism." By considering Jean Baudrillard's concept of transaesthetics and Judith Halberstam's writings on contemporary monstrosity, the paper shows that a commodified Gothic mode has lost its older deconstructive functions that operated on the margins of the mainstream. Now entirely focused on the duplication of the same aesthetic codes and signs, Gothic productions conform to the rules of postindustrial culture, enriching entertainment imagery with the neutralized concept of "otherness." Hence, the article engages primarily with Jarmusch's indie aesthetics that goes beyond easily recognizable patterns and generic conventions and allows the director to emphasize that the arts are rejuvenating forces, the antidote to a commoditized environment. Then, the focus is on the construction of main characters—Adam and Eve, ageless vampires and spouses—who thanks to nostalgic theatricality and performance reconfigure the mainstream monstrosity. Ultimately, the article emphasizes that Jarmusch's film, to a large extent, becomes a warning against the inevitable results of advanced capitalism practiced on a global scale.


Academics and professionals nowadays analyse and compare cultures using of a number of cross-cultural models. Those contemporary models are inspired by several scientific disciplines, in particular ethnology, linguistics or sociology. The aim of this historical survey is to expose the European bias of those models. After reviewing the most cited models, the authors researched the country of origin of both the creators of the models and the scientists behind the theories used in the models. Despite the existence of non-European philosophies, the analysis shows an exclusive influence of authors from European (and North American) background, hence validating the postulate of a European bias in the cross-cultural models used worldwide.


This paper presents a novel bidirectional double uneven power (BiDUP) based dc-dc converter and its design and control methods. The proposed converter utilizes two dual active bridge (DAB) converters with different power ratings in a special way to realize zero current switching (ZCS), where both turn-on and turn-off switchings occur under the zero-current condition. A design example of the proposed BiDUP converter is presented for medium voltage (MV) and high-power solid-state transformer (SST) systems where both voltage transformation and bidirectional power flow are required. The main features of the proposed converter are to reduce both the switching losses in power semiconductor devices and the filter inductance requirement simultaneously. To verify the feasibility of the proposed converter, a simulation study on the BiDUP converter based SST in a distribution system is presented. Furthermore, to validate the operational principle of the proposed converter, an experimental study using a small-scale prototype is also presented.


In Norway, the dominance of neo-liberal ideas has resulted in a private planning practice whereby the developer is the principal actor in opaque negotiations between planning authorities and developers. We examine patterns of contact between stakeholders in urban development planning. Based on information obtained from a survey of the 145 most populous municipalities in Norway, as well as from case studies in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, we find considerable interaction between the stakeholders involved in the planning process. The interaction patterns are different for civil society actors and private developers. We find that while developers have contacts with the planning authorities, the civil actors have contacts with the politicians. In the initial phase, i.e. before formal planning begins, this pattern is highly significant. Politicians frequently feel bound by negotiations and agreements that are made by the planners and the developers during the initial planning process.


Micro-perforated film served as modified atmosphere packaging has the function of spontaneously regulating gaseous composition in packaging and prolonging the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, so public attention has been widely received recently. However, to develop high-oxygen permeable films having a tailored property is still challenging. In this work, the container covered by various micro-perforated films were placed in a controlled atmosphere box with different gaseous composition and temperature, and the O2 and CO2 concentrations in the container were tested regularly by the head-space analyzer, thereby the gas transmission rate of the micro-perforated film under different conditions could be calculated. The effects of micro-hole diameter (D), hole numbers (n), the distance between micro-holes(L) and temperature on the gas transmission rate of micro-perforated film were studied. The experimental data showed that when L6D, the influence of the distance between micro-holes could be neglected, and the number of micro-hole on the gas transmission rate is more pronounced than that of the diameter of micro-hole because of the end effects within the same area of micro-holes, besides, the gas transmission rate of the micro-perforated film seems not to be severely affected compared with non-perforated films by temperature from 4℃to 35℃. This work could provide greater reference value for the fresh-keeping application and preparation of the micro-perforated film.


Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of intravenous acetaminophen with combination of suppository diclofenac and incisional bupivacaine on post cesarean section pain. Materials & methods: This was a double blinded randomized clinical trial study. Patients were randomly allocated to the intravenous acetaminophen group (A) and combination of incisional bupivacaine and diclofenac (B) group. Secondary outcomes included: assessment of the time of first request for analgesic, 24 hr morphine consumption, patient's sleep, sedation score (by Wilson criteria), drug side effects (nausea and vomiting and pruritus) and pain intensity during ambulation and global satisfaction of the patients. Data analysis was done by SPSS software. Findings: There were no significant difference between the mean age and mean weight of groups (p value was 0.15 and 0.41 respectively). During this study, pain score (p<0.001) and morphine sparing effect (p<0.001) in group B was significantly less than group A and in group A patient's pain started earlier than group B (p<0.001). Discussion & conclusions: We noted that combination of suppository diclofenac and intraincisional bupivacaine could relieve pain better than intravenous acetaminophen and can be used for post cesarean delivery analgesia with more efficacy than intravenous acetaminophen for an opioid-


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The work in this thesis is concerned with the development
and extension of techniques for the assessment of influence
diagnostics in data that include censored observations. Various
regression models with censored data are presented and we
concentrate on two models which are the accelerated failure time
model, where the errors are generated by mixtures of normal
distributions,and the Cox proportional hazards model. For the
former, both finite discrete and continuous mixtures are considered,
and an EM algorithm is used to determine measures of influence for
each case. For the Cox proportional hazards model, various approaches
to approximating influence curves are investigated. One-step or
few-step approximations are developed using an EM algorithm and
compared with a Newton-Raphson approach. Cook's measures of
local influence are also investigated for the detection of
influential cases in the data.
The validity of the proportional hazards assumptions is
also investigated. The residuals of Schoenfeld are examined for
the possibility of being used to detect time dependence of the
covariates in the proportional hazards model. Estimates to
describe the nature of the time dependency computed from these
residuals are presented.


Two forms of the Guess Who?, a peer-assessment instrument, were administered to 1,095 mildly handicapped learners and 143 teachers. Factor analysis of the student and teacher ratings yielded three factors--disruptive, bright, and dull--for both sets of data. Factor scores for the student and teacher forms were then intercorrelated in a multitrait-multimethod matrix, and the results established the convergent and discriminant validity of the instrument. The finding that teachers could provide valid estimates of student perceptions of the three traits was interpreted as promising for future research.


ABSTRACT Experiments were conducted in an attempt to study the impact of using different organic residues as fertilizers on grain yield, magnitude of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and soil characteristics. Five fertilizer treatments including conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizer, cow manure, rice straw, poultry manure, and sugarcane bagasse were applied in the rice field in 2012. The maximum reduction in seasonal N2O emissions (10–27%) was observed under the influence of rice straw application over conventional N fertilizer. The experiment was repeated for a second season in 2013 with the same treatments for further confirmation of the results obtained during the first year of experimentation. The application of rice straw also showed a slight advantage by increasing grain yield (4.38 t ha−1) compared to control. Important soil properties and plant growth parameters were studied and their relationships with N2O emission were worked out. The incorporation of organic residues helped in restoring and improving the soil health and effectively enhancing grain yield with reduced N2O emission from rice fields.


It is highly desirable but still a challenging task to find a simple, fast and straightforward method to greatly improve the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of a NiCo2O4 catalyst. In this communication, we demonstrate that developing an amorphous borate shell on a NiCo2O4 surface can boost its OER activity in alkaline media. As a 3D catalyst electrode, a NiCo2O4@Ni–Co–B nanoarray on carbon cloth needs an overpotential of only 270 mV to achieve a geometrical catalytic current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH, which is 100 mV less than that for a NiCo2O4 nanoarray. Notably, this electrode also demonstrates strong electrochemical durability, maintaining its activity for at least 100 h. The superior activity of NiCo2O4@Ni–Co–B is attributed to the amorphous Ni–Co–B shell on NiCo2O4 favoring the in situ electrochemical generation of more active species during water oxidation.


With the massive amount of data generated from mobile devices and the increase of computing power of edge devices, the paradigm of Federated Learning has attracted great momentum. In federated learning, distributed and heterogeneous nodes collaborate to learn model parameters. However, while providing benefits such as privacy by design and reduced latency, the heterogeneous network present challenges to the synchronisation methods, or barrier control methods, used in training, regarding system progress and model convergence etc. The design of these barrier mechanisms is critical for the performance and scalability of federated learning systems. We propose a new barrier control technique called Probabilistic Synchronous Parallel (PSP). In contrast to existing mechanisms, it introduces a sampling primitive that composes with existing barrier control mechanisms to produce a family of mechanisms with improved convergence speed and scalability. Our proposal is supported with a convergence analysis of PSP-based SGD algorithm. In practice, we also propose heuristic techniques that further improve the efficiency of PSP. We evaluate the performance of proposed methods using the federated learning specific FEMNSIT dataset. The evaluation results show that PSP can effectively achieve good balance between system efficiency and model accuracy, mitigating the challenge of heterogeneity in federated learning.


In this work, we propose a method for integration of temporal logic formulas into a neural network. Our main contribution is a new logic optimization layer that uses differentiable optimization on the formulas' robustness function. This allows incorporating traffic rules into deep learning based trajectory prediction approaches. In the forward pass, an initial prediction from a base predictor is used to initialize and guide the robustness optimization process. Backpropagation through the logic layer allows for simultaneously adjusting the parameters of the rules and the initial prediction network. The integration of a logic layer affords both improved predictions, as well as quantification rule satisfaction and violation during predictor execution. As such, it can serve as a parametric safetyenvelope for black box behavior models. We demonstrate how integrating traffic rules improves the predictor performance using real traffic data from the NuScenes dataset.


Summary Critical comments on the evaluation of animal welfare by genotype-phenotype relationships in high yielding dairy cows 1. missing phenotypic correlations between the amount of milk yield and disease incidence are not evidence of a good animal welfare. 2. reliable statements on animal welfare require regular additional review of the animal component; corresponding computer programs are available (for example, VCE, special SAS applications). 3. the occurrence of many diseases is connected to a milk yield depression. The simple grouping cows according to the current level of performance (for example, the amount of milk yield in lactation) ultimately means that in different groups have a different morbidity may be. Related conclusions may be biased due to this confounding. 4. in milk production, the regular presence of genotype-environment correlations with respect to a characteristic (e.g., better genotypes obtained a better environment / feeding), and requires special attention, for example, in statistical analysis. 5. Very high milk yields require a highly qualified herd management. This is not regularly ensure in all herds. therefore high yielding  animals are not recommended for all environments. Keywords: dairy cows, milk yield, diseases, animal welfare


Today's complex business environment calls for both collaborative work and creative (novel) thought in organizational operations. This research evaluates small group performance in generating novel ideas with three different types of support: Group Support Systems (GSS) software, Creativity Support Systems (CSS) software, and no computer software support tools. All-female, all-male, and mixed gender groups are compared in these three support settings. A 3 X 3 completely randomized factorial design with repeated measures was used. Consistent with our hypothesis, the results of the study indicate an interaction effect between group support tool and group gender composition. Specifically, this study reveals that same gender groups (both female and male) generate more novel ideas when no computer software support is present. For mixed gender groups, however, computer software support is essential for novel idea generation. Computer software support appeared to mediate the undesirable consequences of group interaction associated with mixed gender groups.


The feminization of care migration in transnational contexts has received a great deal of attention. Scholars, however, have been slow to investigate a similar trend in intranational contexts. This article expands existing research on global care chains by examining the gendered emotional labor of migrant domestic workers pertaining to China's intranational care chains. While the former often foregrounds "racial or ethnic discounting," the latter is characterized by "citizenly discounting" whereby migrant domestic workers are subject to an overarching system of alienation, subordination, and exploitation owning to their second-class rural hùkŏu (household registration) status. Drawing on a participant-observation study of nannies, this article highlights how the intersection of gender and rural-urban citizenship is the key to grasping China's migrant domestic workers' experiences of extensive alienation at the nexus of work, family, and wider society. By delving into a particular set of political, economic, and cultural forces in the Chinese context, the article makes a distinctive contribution to a more nuanced and context-sensitive understanding of the interface of gender, emotional labor, and care migration.


Secure index is the core technology in the full-ciphertext retrieval. In order to appliance the efficient full-text retrieval in the ciphertext state, a streamline dynamic successive trees of ciphertext(SDSTC)index model is proposed. The SDSTC index model which supports queries of substring and dynamic updating of index, has a high recall and precision ratio in retrieval. Giving algorithms of model index creation, retrieval and ciphertext index updating and the analysis of its security and efficiency. Compared with other existing index models, experiments show that the SDSTC index model has good time efficiency and more suitable for areas of ciphertext security of full-text retrieval


Electrochemical CO2 reduction holds great promise in reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, several challenges hinder the commercialization of this technology. Energy efficiency, CO2 solubility in aqueous phase, and electrode stability are among the current issues. In this mini-review, we summarize and highlight the main advantages and limitations that Metal-Organic Frameworks may offer to this field of research, either when used directly as electrocatalysts or when used as catalyst precursors.


OBJECTIVE
Olfactory dysfunction is the most frequently seen non-motor symptom of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). The aim of this study is to analyze selective olfactory dysfunction, and olfactory bulb volume (OBV) in subtypes of IPD, and compare them with those of the healthy controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Our study included 41 patients with IPD and age and gender matched 19 healthy controls. IPD patients were either tremor dominant (65.9%; TDPD) or non-tremor dominant (34.1%; NTDPD) type. All patients underwent neurological, ear, nose, and throat examinations, and orthonasal olfaction testing. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique was used to measure the volume of the olfactory bulb.

RESULTS
A significant decrease in olfactory identification scores was found in the patient group. The patients had difficulty in discriminating between odors of mothballs, chocolate, Turkish coffee and soap. OBV did not differ between the patient, and the control groups. In the TDPD group, odor identification ability was decreased when compared to the control group. However, odor test results of NTDPD, control and TDPD groups were similar. OBV estimates of the TDPD group were not different from those of the control group, while in the NTDPD group OBVs were found to be decreased. In all patients with Parkinson's disease OBV values did not vary with age of the patients, duration of the disease, age at onset of the disease, and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores (UPDRS-m).

CONCLUSIONS
Olfactory function is a complex process involving olfactory, and cortical structures as well. In Idiopathic Parkinson's disease, changes in OBV do not seem to be directly related to olfactory dysfunction.


Liebig's law of the minimum, which states that only one element limits the growth of organisms at any given time, is widely used in ecology. This principle is routinely applied to organisms, populations and communities, but can it really be applied indistinguishably across these different scales? Here we show, by prediction of a resource ratio conceptual model and with an experimental test carried out in microcosms with bacteria that, unlike single species, communities are likely to adjust their stoichiometry to that of their resources. This adjustment results from competitive exclusion and coexistence mechanisms, and is sensitive to the overall diversity of species in the community. It guaranties co-limitation, i.e. simultaneous limitation by multiple resources, at the community scale and optimal use of resources and maximization of community biomass for wide ranges of resource ratios. These results question the applicability of the Liebig's law of the minimum at the community level, and the relevance of ecosystem models relying on this principle.


The research represents the ongoing investigation of the welded joints behavior made of low-carbon low-alloyed steel in the presence of different multiple defects. Following the initial experimental and numerical analyses performed on low-grade steel, a set of experiments were performed with specimens made of steel EN 1.0044 (commercial designation S275JR), along with development of new numerical models. Four combinations were made, including defects like undercuts, excess weld metal, misalignment, weld face sagging and incomplete root penetration, considering that these defects are often encountered in practice, and can appear simultaneously. The finite element method (FEM) was used to simulate the experiments. Tensile properties of the HAZ and weld metal were calculated using strain measurements by the digital image correlation (DIC) method. The finite element method (FEM) results were in good agreement with the experimental ones.


This thesis is a study of the swimming locomotion of the polychaete worm, Nereis diversicolor. Previous research has shown that there are two distinct jet-like flow regions in the wake of a swimming polychaete worm (Hesselberg 2006). In the first section of this thesis, this flow pattern is studied in greater detail using a high resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. A small region close to the wave crest of the undulating worm is recorded and the fluid velocity vector fields are plotted. The close-up PIV results show how the jet-like fluid pattern is formed due to the action both of a single sweeping parapodium and to the interaction between adjacent parapodia, proving for the first time that Gray's (1939) explanation of the propulsion mechanics is in fact correct. The second part of this thesis is focused on the pumping action of the polychaete worm, a behaviour adopted by the worms to create a flow of nutrients through their burrows. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments were performed on tethered polychaete worms, Nereis diversicolor. The tethered worms moved in a gait which was different from that of freely swimming ones. They used a much smaller body wave amplitude, pumping liquid with very high efficiency by cooperative movement of their body and parapodia. In the third part of the thesis, a mechanical model was designed and built. The model consisted of a series of paddle units. Each paddle was driven by a servo motor. Breugem (2008) did a CFD simulation of the paddle model. Similar fluid patterns were generated by the physical model. Reversed flow was found at low Reynolds number (Re) and higher Re situations. The flow direction could be controlled by simply adjusting the beating frequency of paddles. The mechanical model is not sufficient to mimic the pumping locomotion of the worms due to absence of an undulatory movement. The pumping efficiency is low compared to pumping worms.


The post-perihelion coma activity of Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp is monitored at ESO telescopes in La Silla and Paranal since Sept. 1997. Imaging through broadband filters in the visible and near-IR wavelength ranges allows to investigate the evolution of the dust coma, namely the appearance of jets, fans, shells and clouds. Long-term evolution: the comet had a porcupine-like embedded fan coma in autumn 1997 that evolved into a northern fan plus shell pattern in 1998 and remains like this since. Thus, the evolution of the coma structure post-perihelion was similar to that pre-perihelion at about the same heliocentric distances, but is occurred in reversed order. This long-term evolution can be characterized by quasi-continuous dust emission from a few (minimum 4) active regions (producing the fan structures) on the nucleus that is modulated by occasional, repetitive and short-term activity increases (generating shell features in the coma). Outbursts: a number of outbursts and unusual activity patterns occurred in the coma of the comet post-perihelion that are documented through the appearance of complex "palm-tree-like" structures of temporary nature in association with outbursts in the visual lightcurve of the comet and a series of 3 dust clouds resembling "mini-comets" and passing through the northern coma at projected velocities of 30-50m/s. The similarity of coma patterns and cometary viewing geometry from Earth before and after perihelion suggests that some nuclear regions had enhanced long-term activity, possibly driven by super-volatile ices at larger (>10AU) heliocentric distances and that the orientation of the rotation axis of the nucleus did not change much over the past 7 years.


Drilling directional and extended-reach wells continues to gain popularity, high torque and drag become increasingly important issues. Oil-based muds (OBM) and synthetic-based muds (SBM) generally produce a lower coefficient of friction (CoF) than water-based muds (WBM) and brines. However, OBM and SBM's are limited by environmental concerns and high costs. WBM and brines generally give rise to high CoF between the drill string and the wellbore, which translates to high torque and drag and low rate of penetration (ROP). Based on a patented nanotechnology, a first commercial nano-lubricant was developed to provide effective lubrication in sodium and calcium chloride brines. Post extensive laboratory testing, the technology entered a field validation stage consisting of 9 horizontal wells in the Williston Basin of North Dakota. The key challenges drilling these wells was high torque and drag and limited ROP, resulting in high lubricant usage and excessive costs. In all field test cases, the same rig, bit, fluid system and crew were used. Real time drilling data was collected and analysed. Comparing test wells to offset wells, showed that the test wells laterals were drilled 20-50% faster with 4-13% lower torque and 14-25% higher ROP, whilst using 35-58% less lubricant. This all translated to lower NPT whilst allowing these 3-mile laterals to be drilled under 16,000 ft-lb of Torque. With over 120 wells treated to date these positive effects have been shown multiple times. Laboratory lubricity and tribology measurements were also shown to correlate well with field results.


In Kaixiangong village, south-east China, the ordinary villagers seek ways to cope with change and improve their lives by constantly maintaining and managing relationships not only between themselves but also with the state. Fieldwork carried out on social support from state or private sources (1979–96), has been supplemented with material from 1936 to the present. The findings show the majority of villagers' resource-seeking actions are rooted in implicit cultural models and patterns of social relationships, a Chinese model of social relationships and reciprocity; the current situation results from reciprocal influence and accommodation between villagers and the state over a long period.


Background. Carbohydrate 19.9 antigen (CA19.9) has been used in the diagnosis and followup of gastrointestinal tumours. The aim of this prospective longitudinal study was the evaluation of CA19.9 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis hepatitis C virus and B virus correlated. Materials and Methods. 180 patients were enrolled, 116 with HCV-related chronic liver disease (48% chronic hepatitis, 52% cirrhosis) and 64 with HBV-related chronic liver disease (86% chronic hepatitis, 14% cirrhosis). Patients with high levels of CA19.9 underwent abdominal ecography, gastroendoscopy, colonoscopy, and abdominal CT scan. Results. 51.7% of patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease and 48.4% of those with HBV-related chronic liver disease presented high levels of CA19.9. None was affected by pancreatic or intestinal neoplasia, cholestatic jaundice, or other diseases potentially able to induce Ca19.9 elevations. CA19.9 levels were elevated in 43.3% of HCV chronic hepatitis, in 56.3% of HCV cirrhosis, in 45.1% of HBV chronic hepatitis, and in 58% of HBV cirrhosis. Conclusions. CA19.9 commonly increases in the serum of patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Elevation of CA 19.9 is not specific for neoplastic disease and is related to the severity of fibrosis and to the viral aetiology of hepatitis.


Agrobacterium vitis, the causal agent of grape crown gall, can have severe economic effects on grape production. The bacterium survives systemically in vines and, therefore, is disseminated in propagation material. We developed an assay for use in indexing programs that is efficient and sensitive for detecting A. vitis in grape tissue. Initially, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers specific for diverse tumorigenic strains of A. vitis were developed using the virD2 gene sequence. To overcome the effects of PCR inhibitors present in plant tissue, DNA extraction methods that included magnetic capture hybridization (MCH), immunomagnetic separation (IMS), and extraction with the Mo Bio Powerfood kit were compared. The assays incorporating MCH or IMS followed by real-time PCR were 10,000-fold more sensitive than direct real-time PCR when tested using boiled bacterial cell suspensions, with detection thresholds of 10(1) CFU/ml compared with 10(5) CFU/ml. DNA extraction with the Powerfood DNA extraction kit was 10-fold more sensitive than direct real-time PCR, with a detection threshold of 10(4) CFU/ml. All three assays were able to detect A. vitis in healthy-appearing grapevine cuttings taken from infected vines.