The purpose of this retrospective study is to describe the radiographic morphology of the lesser trochanter as well as possible enthesiopathies of the iliopsoas muscle in Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs and Bavarian Mountain Hounds. The normal shape of the lesser trochanter appeared radiological triangular in German Shepherd Dogs and blunt or bump like in Rottweilers and Bavarian Mountain Hounds. Changes indicating an enthesiopathy presented as periosteal blurrings, variation in shape or in isolated bone opacity proximomedial to the lesser trochanter and were categorized into four groups. Three aspects were of special interest: general frequency of radiographic signs of enthesiopathy and potential correlation to sex or to hip dysplasia. In total 736 radiographic studies from Rottweilers (n=311), German Shepherd Dogs (n=133) and Bavarian Mountain Hounds (n=292) have been evaluated. Changes of the lesser trochanter are present in 105 (14.2%) of the radiographic studies. In Rottweilers and Bavarian Mountain Hounds enthesiopathy is significantly correlated to hip dysplasia as dogs classified as "C", "D" and "E" were merged as one group. Regarding gender disposition no correlation was found. Computed tomography (CT) was additionally available in nine dogs and confirmed radiographic findings. The results of this study could be of major interest in the selection process of service, working and sports dogs as enthesiopathies of the iliopsoas muscle occurring in adolescent dogs might act as a life-long weak points, but additional data is needed to evaluate clinical relevance


Thrombocytosis is frequently encountered as an incidental laboratory finding since isolated thrombocytosis is often asymptomatic. Even though thrombocytosis is benign and self-limiting in most cases, it can at times result in thrombosis or hemorrhage. The most common type of thrombocytosis is reactive (secondary) thrombocytosis and can be due to infections, trauma, surgery, or occult malignancy. Since thrombocytosis is a known risk factor for thrombosis, it is commonly a concern for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. Much less common are hemorrhagic events associated with thrombocytosis. Studies have shown that when hemorrhage is present in patients with thrombocytosis, it is most often seen in the setting of chronic myelogenous leukemia and essential thrombocythemia. In essential thrombocythemia, the overall risk of bleeding and thrombosis is 0.33% per patient-year and 6.6% per patient-year, respectively. In the general population, the risk of bleeding and thrombosis is 0% and 1.2%, respectively. The present study is a case report of an 83-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with hypertension and headache, who was then found to have significant thrombocytosis (platelets >1,000×109/L) and acute right intraventricular hemorrhage without any signs of neurological deficits, or evidence of vascular malformations or mass. We present this case report for review and discussion of some of the challenges and considerations associated with the management of such patients.


Tax sociology investigates the fundamental relationship between taxation, State and society. This article presents a literature review and issues on the sociopolitical side of tax sociology. Several social representations are considered : "contribution-tax", "exchange-tax" and "obligation/constraint/tribute-tax", but the elaboration of a typology of the tax State emphasizes "contribution-tax" paid by possibly altruist citizen to finance public policies. In the framework of fiscal democracy, the issue is to establish a tax social contract about social, political and territorial/environmental functions of the interventionist tax State, in a critical dialogue with economic analysis. The typology of tax deviance, inspired freely from the labelling theory, shows that tax political legitimacy is essential, and that the cognitive rationality approach accounts for the taxpayer's decision: indeed, the taxpayer does not (solely) react in accordance with the utilitarian self-interest approach. The conclusion suggests a short debate on the effects of economic globalization on the sociopolitical autonomy of State.


This is on the whole a most readable book, though it does suffer a little from the inevitable repetitions associated with multiple authorship. There are 15 chapters, some dealing with basic pulmonary physiology, others concerned with the development of the lung, and the surfactant system. The rapidly expanding field of fetal homoeostasis and breathing movements in utero is not neglected, and there are excellent and thought-provoking sections on the control of breathing and the complex forces operating between the alveoli, interstitial space, lymphatics, and the pulmonary capillaries. The lung is regarded not only as an organ of gas exchange but also as having a vital role to play in the battle against the mechanical, chemical, and infective forces that assail us. Throughout the book there is a good balance between basic physiology and its practical application. The price may well deter the individual paediatrician but it would certainly be a valuable reference work for academic departments and is an excellent source of information for those who want to 'catch up' in this field.


Amoebiasis is an infectious diseased caused by parasitic one-celled protozoan called Entamoeba histolytica. Numerous protozoa also can inhabit the gastro-intestinal tract of human. Majority of these protozoa are non-pathogenic commensals or only causes disease under certain circumstances. Morphologically, E. histolytica, the invasive form, share the same characteristic with the nonpathogenic form, E. dispar. Both strains can be distinguished by using DNA identification. Many previous researches in Malaysia only reported infection with E. histolytica infection. Therefore in this study we tried to classify infection among the aborigines in Cameron Highland as true E. histolytica or E. dispar by Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (Nested PCR) and Restriction enzyme (RE) digestion. Results showed that 31 samples were positive by microscopic examination, however of these 28 (13.2%) samples were positive for E. histolytica and 12 (5.6%) samples were positive for E. dispar by molecular tools.


The phenomenon of ionic wind has been known about for centuries: by applying a voltage to a pair of electrodes, electrons are stripped off nearby air molecules, and the ionized air collides with neutral air molecules as it moves from one electrode to the other. The effect is easy enough to produce that it often appears at science fairs, and may even have a future in spacecraft propulsion. However, exactly what causes ionic wind is still an open question.


Influence of "animal hypnosis" on the process of development of motor polarization dominant created by the action of DC anode on the cortical sensorimotor area was studied in rabbits. It was shown that "animal hypnosis" induced at the dominant optimum elicited long-term (up to 2-4 days) inhibition of motor reaction of the "dominant" limb to sensory test stimuli. Motor polarization dominant was inhibited rather than eliminated by the "animal hypnosis", since after extinction of trace processes of "animal hypnosis" the motor "dominant" reaction could be recovered solely by the test stimuli without repeated DC application.


In multiuser MIMO downlink communications, it is necessary to design precoding schemes that are able to suppress co-channel interference. This paper proposes designing precoders by maximizing the so-called signal-to-leakage-and-noise ratio (SLNR) for all users simultaneously. The presentation considers communications with both single- and multi-stream cases, as well as MIMO systems that employ Alamouti coding. The effect of channel estimation errors on system performance is also studied. Compared with zero-forcing solutions, the proposed method does not impose a condition on the relation between the number of transmit and receive antennas, and it also avoids noise enhancement. Simulations illustrate the performance of the scheme


This study was aimed at evaluating crab shell chitosan as absorption enhancer in ciprofloxacin tablet formulation using the ex-vivo model. Six batches of ciprofloxacin tablets containing varying concentrations of crab shell-derived chitosan ranging from 0 to 5% w/w at 1% w/w intervals were produced. Batch CTS-0 containing no chitosan served as the control. The crushing strength, friability, disintegration time, dissolution profile and permeation profile of all the batches were determined. Friability was not significantly affected but the crushing strength and disintegration time of tablets decreased with increase in concentration of chitosan. There was no significant difference in the cumulative percent drug released in 1 h but the cumulative percent drug permeated in 4 h increased with increase in the concentration of chitosan. It increased from 68% (when no chitosan was added) to 81.8% (when 5% w/w chitosan was incorporated). The polymer caused a faster onset of drug release but the eventual total drug released was not significantly influenced. It also improved the permeation of the released drug. This study correlates with in-vivo bioavailability study because the usual oral bioavailability of ciprofloxacin without absorption enhancer is 70%. Hence, crab shell chitosan at concentration of 5% w/w could increase the absorption of ciprofloxacin from 70 to 82%. The study suggests the use of the chitosan at this concentration to improve the absorption of ciprofloxacin. Key words : Crab shell chitosan, ciprofloxacin, dissolution, permeation, absorption.


A MEMS based, thermally tunable optical filter, hybridly assembled with a fibre based input/output, is presented. The filter is based on a Fabry?Perot interferometer employing a silicon cavity and silicon based dielectric Bragg reflectors and is fabricated as a free-standing membrane. The filter membrane is fixed to the substrate through micromachined suspension arms, which act as a thermal isolation. Wavelength tuning is achieved through thermal modulation of the cavity's optical thickness using thin film resistors. The filter characteristics measured were a full width at half-maximum value (FWHM) of 1.19?nm at a wavelength of 1530?nm and a finesse exceeding?1000. The tuning efficiency of a single-cavity filter with Bragg mirrors based on silicon nitride and silicon dioxide was measured to be 51.9?pm?K?1. Measurements of static and transient electrothermal behaviour were performed on filter membranes, resulting in maximum temperatures of 700??C and thermal time constants of 5.14?ms. The assembly technique relied on the alignment of optical fibres with the filter array using a novel silicon optical bench approach.


Purpose: Paclitaxel synergized radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, enhancing therapeutic effect in studies in mice with human xenografts. Paclitaxel was also observed to increase tumor uptake in imaging studies of 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-m170 in patients with breast and prostate cancers. Further evaluations of tissue-cumulated activities, therapeutic indices, and pharmacokinetics were done using data for patients with breast and prostate cancer and for mice with human breast cancer xenografts. Experimental Design: In radioimmunotherapy trials, 12 patients with breast or prostate cancer were given two imaging doses (5 mCi each) of 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-m170 1 week apart. Five of these patients were given a single dose of paclitaxel i.v. (75 mg/m2) 2 days after the second dose of 111In. In a subsequent study, athymic mice with human breast cancer xenografts were given 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-ChL6 alone, or in combination with daily paclitaxel i.p. (300 μg) one or more times. Pharmacokinetics were studied for at least 6 days in patients and 5 days in mice. Cumulated activities were determined for tumors and normal tissues. Results: Tumor-cumulated activity for every patient in the paclitaxel-treated group increased for the second dose of 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-m170. The median ratio of cumulated activities in tumors for imaging dose 2 to those for dose 1 was 1.0 (0.8-1.3) in patients that were not given paclitaxel and 1.3 (1.2-1.4) in patients given paclitaxel. Normal tissue-cumulated activities were not different for the two doses. Mice given paclitaxel 1 day after 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-ChL6 also showed an increase in tumor-cumulated activity, 22.9 (± 1.3) versus 19.4 (± 3.3) μCi h/g/μCi (P = 0.05). Cumulated activities of normal tissues were similar for all groups of mice. Conclusions: Paclitaxel given 1 to 2 days after 111In-DOTA-Gly3Phe-monoclonal antibody increased the tumor-cumulated activity in patients and in mice with epithelial cancers and did not alter cumulated activities in normal tissues.


This study aimed at developing contextualized lesson plans integrating writing in mathematics using the pupil's mother tongue. It also aimed at determining pupil's improvement in the writing math activities for a period of one month. A Grade 3 class with 31 pupils was purposively selected because of its heterogeneous composition. Using a comparative-descriptive design, this study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data from pupils' weekly writing outputs, pretest, posttest and transcripts of classroom observations and interviews. Five lesson plans were developed using the backward curriculum design based on the K to 12 curriculum standard. The data revealed that the pupils made significant improvement in their writing math performance irrespective of ability group. However, the high-performing pupils made significant learning gains compared to the developing pupils. In-depth analysis of outputs showed improvements in pupils' writing mathematics skills. Most pupils organized their ideas even after the question prompts have been removed on the last week of implementation. This study claimed that the use of scaffolding, contextualization, and mother tongue helped pupils in their writing and improved mathematical reasoning.


Cyclic redundancy codes (CRCs) are widely used in network transmission and data storage applications because they provide better error detection than lighter weight checksum techniques. 24- and 32-bit CRC computations are becoming necessary to provide sufficient error detection capability (Hamming distance) for critical embedded network applications. However, the computational cost of such CRCs can be too high for resource-constrained embedded systems, which are predominantly equipped with 8-bit microcontrollers that have limited computing power and small memory size. We evaluate the options for speeding up CRC computations on 8-bit processors, including comparing variants of table lookup approaches for memory cost and speed. We also evaluate classes of CRC generator polynomials which have the same computational cost as 24- or 16-bit CRCs, but provide 32-bit CRC levels of error detection, and recommend good polynomials within those classes for data word lengths typical of embedded networking applications


This work opens with a development of the notion of "Unfathomed Knowledge", which Bartley makes clear by using it to explain such recent scientific advances as the development of drugs for the treatment of AIDS, and by showing its implications for such far-flung fields as the Marxist theory of alienation, the sociology of knowledge, patent law, and morality. Unlike other critics of higher education such as Allan Bloom, Bartley is not concerned primarily with the transmission of tradition. Rather, he contends that the university is gravely hampered in its prime goal of contributing to the growth of knowledge. Claiming that "epistemology (ie the study of the growth of knowledge) is a branch of economics (ie the study of the growth of wealth)", Bartley charges that Western universities find themselves in a grave intellectual depression induced by the economic principles around which they are organized. Bartley describes how outdated assumptions and institutions virtually force some of the most idealistic and high-minded of men into protectionist "intellectual cartels", which inhibit innovation and lead to immoral, uncritical, and untruthful behaviour on the part of their members.


ABSTRACT An azobenzene derivative containing a dimethylchlorosilane end group was chemically attached to a flexible polymer substrate to create permanent photo alignment layer. The commercially obtained polymer substrate (overhead projector film) was characterised and found to contain cellulose acetate as the main component. Surface functionalization of the substrate was confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, water contact angle (CA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Photo-isomerisation behaviour of the azo-layer on the polymer substrate was additionally confirmed by UV-diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV-DRS). Further, the azo-modified flexible substrate was analysed for the orientation of the bulk liquid crystal (LC) sample and tuning the LC orientation by utilising photo-switching behaviour of the azo-layer on the substrate. Graphical abstract


A module is a group of closely related proteins that act in concert to perform specific biological functions through protein–protein interactions (PPIs) that occur in time and space. However, the underlying organizational principles of a module remain unclear. In this study, we collected CORUM module templates to infer respective module families, including 58,041 homologous modules in 1,678 species, and PPI families using searches of complete genomic database. We then derived PPI evolution scores (PPIES) and interface evolution scores (IES) to infer module elements, including core and ring components. Functions of core components were highly correlated (Pearson's r = 0.98) with those of 11,384 essential genes. In comparison with ring components, core proteins and PPIs were conserved in multiple species. Subsequently, protein dynamics and module dynamics of biological networks and functional diversities confirmed that core components form dynamic biological network hubs and play key roles in various biological functions. PPIES and IES can reflect module organization principles and protein/module dynamics in biological networks. On the basis of the analyses of gene essentiality, module dynamics, network topology, and gene co-expression, the module organizational principles can be described as follows: 1) a module consists of core and ring components; 2) the core components play major roles in biological functions and collaborate with ring components to perform certain functions in some cases; 3) the core components are conserved and essential in module dynamics in time and space.


Background: Spirometry via telehealth (telespirometry) involves remote monitoring of lung function, which is useful to detect pulmonary changes and increase continuity of care for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Purpose: This systematic review aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of telespirometry assessments for paediatric and adult CF patients. Method: A comprehensive search of health-related databases (CINAHL, Emcare (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), PEDRo and Scopus) was conducted. For inclusion, patients had to be clinically diagnosed with CF and studies could be of any study design or level according to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) evidence hierarchy, had to use telespirometry devices for lung function tests, and be written or translated into English. The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT) was used to assess study quality, while also accounting for potential sources of bias encountered during the review process. Data was exported and summarised using the population, intervention, comparators, and outcomes (PICO) framework in Microsoft excel, to provide clinical recommendations. Results: Fourteen studies were included, with participants ranging from 5 to 44-years-old. Thirteen trials were performed domestically, while sample sizes and baseline patient characteristics varied. Nine studies analysed a control and intervention group. All studies varied in the intervention regime and clinical support provided. Collectively, the literature indicated poor patient adherence to telespirometry, which acted as a barrier to gauging its efficacy. Although appearing to be effective in detecting pulmonary deterioration, inconsistencies in pulmonary exacerbation (PEx) criteria were identified and lack of significant improvements in pulmonary outcomes were observed. Conclusion: Poor quality literature and small sample sizes increased risk of bias and restricted the application of the results to clinical practice. The current evidence base is limited by minimal experimental studies, lack of standardised telespirometry protocols, and criteria for PExs and poor patient compliance. Recommendations: At this stage, telespirometry for CF monitoring should be used by motivated and rurally/remotely located patients to complement in-person consults until its uptake is improved and accuracy and clinically efficacy can be ascertained.


In recent years, sociological research on cosmopolitanism has begun to draw on Pierre Bourdieu to critically examine how cosmopolitanism is implicated in stratification on an increasingly global scale. In this paper, we examine the analytical potential of the Bourdieusian approach by exploring how education systems help to institutionalize cosmopolitanism as cultural capital whose access is rendered structurally unequal. To this end, we first probe how education systems legitimate cosmopolitanism as a desirable disposition at the global level, while simultaneously distributing it unequally among different groups of actors according to their geographical locations and volumes of economic, cultural, and social capital their families possess. We then explore how education systems undergird profitability of cosmopolitanism as cultural capital by linking academic qualifications that signal cosmopolitan dispositions with the growing number of positions that require extensive interactions with people of multiple nationalities.


The Key Aspects books, each of which has won a Book-of-the-Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing, are designed to move the ideas and findings of nursing research into the practice setting. Each volume distills dozens of studies into a readable, jargon-free format with immediate relevance to nursing practice, and includes suggestions for implementation.


The merger of HM Commissioners of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in 2005 stands out as one of the most instantly recognisable reforms of the UK Civil Service in recent times. A good deal has been written about the consequences of the merger, but we focus in this chapter on the period immediately before, culminating with the publication of the ' O ' Donnell Review ' and its recommendations that the old departments be merged and that key elements of the policymaking process be transferred to HM Treasury. We portray the merger as a collection of connected reform processes, embracing some although not all of the ideas for administrative change that were current in the early 2000s. The content of the reforms was not entirely revolutionary and shows strong continuity with previous and indeed subsequent initiatives. Yet the merger had a signifi cance and scale that justifi es its reputation as a landmark change in the UK tax system, as well as an ideological coherence as a belated application of market-inspired techniques to the tax authorities.


The article traces the evolution of the legal competences of the European Union (EU) in international investment regulation from the Spaak Report (1956) to the Lisbon Treaty (2009). It focuses on the question why and how the EU gradually acquired legal competences in this key domain of global economic governance. The analysis suggests that Commission entrepreneurship and spill-overs from other EU policies were the most important factors fuelling the extension of the EU's legal competences. The Member States, on the other hand, sought to prevent a competence transfer. European business – arguably the main stakeholder – was mostly uninterested or divided regarding the EU's role in international investment policy. The findings have implications for our perception of business lobbying in international investment policy and potentially for the legal interpretation and delimitation of the EU's new competences.


ONE SIGN OF HUMAN ARRIVAL on Pacific Islands is the presence and ecological impact of commensal plants and animals that are not capable of independent dispersal (Flenley 1989; Kirch and Ellison 1994; Kirch et al. 1991; McGlone et al. 1994). Recent research on the Pacific Rat, Rattus exulans, suggests that DNA-based phylogenies of extant populations can provide a model for prehistoric human mobility in the Pacific region (Matisoo-Smith 1996; Matisoo-Smith et al. 1998; Roberts 1991). Rattus exulans was transported intentionally by ancestral Polynesians, who valued it as a food source, and its remains are found in early archaeological layers throughout Polynesia. This rat cannot swim more than a few meters in open ocean (Spenneman and Rapp 1989), and its behavior and habitat preferences suggest it was an unlikely stowaway (Matisoo-Smith 1994; Williams 1973). Like other rodent species, R. exulans has a rapid generation turnover and, with little competition for resources, viable populations establish quickly and grow rapidly (Holdaway 1999). Although European contact and exploration in the Pacific resulted in the introduction of two more rat species (R. rattus and R. norvegicus), hybridization among these three species does not occur. Though a R. exulans-based model of monitoring prehistoric Polynesian voyaging has been questioned on grounds of intentionality of transport and the possibility of dispersal and evolution of the rat without human intervention (Anderson 1996; Langdon 1995), testing the model depends not on a priori assumptions but on evaluation of the patterns of variation uncovered by genetic analyses. However, synchronic patterns of variation are always open to multiple interpretations as to the historical processes that produced them, as has been demonstrated in the human mtDNA out-of-Africa debate (Brown 1980; Cann et al. 1987; Vigilant et al. 1991). (For an in-depth discussion of mtDNA, see Cann [1988] and for ancient DNA see Hagelberg [1993] and Richards and Sykes [1995]). One way to constrain the number of possible interpretations is to introduce a diachronic genetic perspective through the analysis of ancient DNA (Krings et al. 1997). The study described in this article focuses on an analysis of genetic variation of 15 archaeological and 8 modern samples of R. exulans from the Chatham Islands. These samples are compared with 7 modern samples from Raoul Island, in the Kermadecs, and 50 modern samples from New Zealand. By combining the genetic perspectives afforded by ancient and modern samples, a clearer understanding of the population history of Chatham R. exulans can be obtained, which in turn can be interpreted in light of other information available on the prehistory of that island group. In addition, a more thorough understanding of the Chatham situation is useful in interpreting a contrasting genetic pattern observed in the Kermadec Islands and New Zealand. The Chatham Islands lie approximately 950 km due east of the South Island of New Zealand ([Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fig. 1). The group consists of two main islands, Chatham Island and Pitt Island, and several smaller uninhabited islands. They lie in a westerly zone of subtropical and sub-Antarctic convergence and are regularly exposed to frontal low-pressure systems, making the islands a difficult and dangerous location to travel to and from (Levison et al. 1973). The date of Polynesian discovery of the Chathams is unknown, but estimates vary from A.D. 800-1000 (Sutton 1985) to around A.D. 1450 (Anderson 1994; Irwin 1992; McFadgen 1994; McGlone et al. 1994). Archaeological and linguistic evidence supports a New Zealand origin for Chatham Island colonists (Clark 1994; Sutton 1985). [Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Kermadec Islands lie approximately 1000 km northeast of New Zealand, nearly halfway between New Zealand and Tonga. The four islands were uninhabited when Europeans first arrived in 1788 (Johnson 1995), but there is clear evidence in the form of archaeological sites, and the presence of R. …


We have reported previously that i.v.t. beta-endorphin increases the release of immunoreactive Met-enkephalin but not Leuenkephalin or dynorphins from the spinal cord. To determine if the effect is specific to beta-endorphin, the present investigation tested i.v.t. beta-endorphin, its analogs and other opiate agonists with different opioid receptor activities for their ability to release Met-enkephalin using an intrathecal perfusion technique. Human beta-endorphin and its analogs, human beta-endorphin-(1-30), -(1-29) and -(1-28) which have an identical amino acid sequence in the NH2-terminus showed reduced stepwise potencies in releasing Met-enkephalin. The results correlated well with their analgesic potencies. Des-Met5-camel beta-endorphin (64 micrograms i.v.t.) which does not have a complete sequence of Met-enkephalin in its NH2-terminus but still retains 20% of camel beta-endorphin analgesic potency caused the spinal release of Met-enkephalin. Morphine (mu opioid receptor agonist, 40 micrograms), D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin (delta opioid receptor agonist, 80 micrograms) and U-50488H (kappa opioid receptor agonist, 160 micrograms) injected i.v.t. were unable to cause any release of Met-enkephalin. High-performance liquid chromatography after Sephadex G-50 gel chromatography indicated that the immunoreactive Met-enkephalin in the spinal perfusate released by i.v.t. beta-endorphin had a retention time identical to authentic Met-enkephalin. Intraventricular injection of Met-enkephalin, 4 nmol (2.3 micrograms), caused little increase of Met-enkephalin immunoreactivity in the spinal perfusate, whereas 4 nmol of i.v.t. beta-endorphin caused a marked increase of Met-enkephalin in the spinal perfusate. Inhibition of peptidase by i.v.t. aprotinin and bacitracin does not prevent the spinal release of Met-enkephalin induced by i.v.t. beta-endorphin. It is concluded that the release of Met-enkephalin was specific to beta-endorphin and the results were not due to cross-immunoreactivity of beta-endorphin or its metabolites.


Abstract Objective Chronic diseases often have long durations with slow, nonlinear progression and complex, and multifaceted manifestation. Modeling the progression of chronic diseases based on observational studies is challenging. We developed a framework to address these challenges by building probabilistic disease progression models to enable better understanding of chronic diseases and provide insights that could lead to better disease management. Materials and Methods We developed a framework to build probabilistic disease progression models using observational medical data. The framework consists of two steps. The first step determines the number of disease states. The second step builds a probabilistic disease progression model with the determined number of states. The model discovers typical states along the trajectory of the target disease, learns the characteristics of these states, and transition probabilities between the states. We applied the framework to an integrated observational HD dataset curated from four recent observational HD studies. Results The resulting HD progression model identified nine disease states. Compared to state-of-art HD staging system, the model 1) covers wider range of HD progression; 2) is able to quantitatively describe complex changes around the time of clinical diagnosis; 3) discovers multiple potential HD progression pathways; and 4) reveals expected time durations of the identified states. Discussion and Conclusion The proposed framework addresses practical challenges in observational data and can help enhance the understanding of progression of chronic diseases. The framework could be applied to other chronic diseases with the help of clinical knowledge.


Abstract Seasonal polyphenism, in which different forms of a species are produced at different times of the year, is a common form of phenotypic plasticity among insects. Here I show that the production of dark fifth-instar caterpillars of the eastern black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes, is a seasonal polyphenism, with larvae reared on autumnal conditions being significantly darker than larvae reared on midsummer conditions. Both rearing photoperiod and temperature were found to have individual and synergistic effects on larval darkness. Genetic analysis of variation among full-sibling families reared on combinations of two different temperatures and photoperiods is consistent with the hypothesis that variation in darkness is heritable. In addition, the genetic correlation in larval darkness across midsummer and autumnal environments is not different from zero, suggesting that differential gene expression is responsible for the increase in larval darkness in the autumn. The relatively dark autumnal form was found to have a higher body temperature in sunlight than did the lighter midsummer form, and small differences in temperature were found to increase larval growth rate. These results suggest that this genetically based seasonal polyphenism in larval color has evolved in part to increase larval growth rates in the autumn. Corresponding Editor: T. Kawecki


This paper presents and experimentally evaluates a quasistatic mechanics-based model that describes the shape of concentric tube robotic (CTR) arms when they are eccentrically arranged along an also-flexible backbone. The model can estimate the shape of both the backbone and CTR arms, and can accommodate an arbitrary number of CTR arms arranged in an eccentric position with regards to the backbone's neutral axis. Experimental evaluation with a prototype system on the benchtop highlights the promise of the end-to-end proposed modelling approach, as the error between model and experiment is around 11% of the manipulator's overall length. The theory is the first step towards modeling multi-arm concentric tube robots, a class of continuum robots that is increasingly being considered for single-port surgical applications.


We describe a new scalable method to fabricate large-area hybrid superhydrophobic surfaces with selective adhesion properties on silicon (Si) nanowire array substrates by exploiting liquid-medium-dependent capillary-force-induced nanocohesion. Gold (Au) nanoparticles were deposited on Si by glancing angle deposition followed by metal-assisted chemical etching of Si to form Si nanowire arrays. The surfaces were dried in either deionized (DI) water, 2-propanol or methanol to vary the capillary forces exerted on the Si nanowires during the drying process in order to tune the extent of clustering of nanowires and hence the adhesion properties of the resulting superhydrophobic surfaces. Here, we exploit the combined effects of surface tension and Young's contact angle to modulate the degree of clustering of the Si nanowires during capillary-force-induced nanocohesion. These surfaces were chemically modified and rendered hydrophobic by fluorosilane deposition. Drying in DI water resulted in small clusters of nanowires which produce a low-hysteresis superhydrophobic surface that mimics a lotus leaf. Drying in methanol resulted in large nanowire clusters that lead to a high-hysteresis superhydrophobic surface. Further, we demonstrate the ability to fabricate both small and large nanowire clusters by controlling the drying of the nanowire arrays in order to selectively define and modulate adhesion of water on the same superhydrophobic substrate. The simplicity of our process to tune surface wettability on single substrates paves the way for future applications in lab-on-chip devices and platforms for chemical and biological analyses.


The purpose of this study is to develop a net design for the stern fishing system of surrounding net using a lampara net. First, experiments were carried out using the model lampara net on the sinking motion under static water condition, and on the closing characteristics of the opening area on the lead line and side shape of the model net under the flow of water.The sinking speed of the model net was different according to the measuring point on the lead line. The depth of the lead line gradually became shallow as the flow velocity increased. The closed time of the opening area on the lead line was different according to the given flow velocity. When the model net moved about the same length of the float line, the opening area on the lead line was almost closed.


Context: A previous study has shown that software developers who are experienced with using design patterns hold some conflicting opinions about three of the more popular design patterns: Facade, Singleton and Visitor. Aim: To identify the characteristics of these three patterns that have caused them to generate such differing views. Method: We employed a qualitative follow-on survey of those developers who had taken part in the earlier survey about design patterns. Results: We received 46 usable responses from a possible total of 188, with nearly 85% of respondents having six or more years of experience with design patterns. Of these, 27 also provided comments and descriptions of experiences about the patterns, which we categorised. Conclusions: All three patterns can easily be misused and in each case, the consequences of misuse are regarded as being particularly significant.


In an unprecedented experimental investigation, a binary, a ternary and a four-component hydrocarbon mixture at different pressure have been studied in a nearly convection free environment to understand the thermodiffusion process. Experimental investigations of the mixtures have been conducted in space onboard the spacecraft FOTON-M3. The experiment objective was to measure the thermodiffusion coefficient for multi-component hydrocarbon mixtures. Then the experimental results have also been used to test a thermodiffusion model that has been calibrated based on the results of previous experimental investigations. Results showed a good agreement with current theoretical results except for the four-component system where discrepancies were found and discussed.


The author replies below: I take note of the letter from Dr Berry. The trial Dr Berry refers to is the only study that has produced a negative result in relation to the use ofhomeopathy in arthritic conditions. The comments in my editorial pertaining particularly to the design of studies within homoeopathy are relevant here, in that the study was carried out by conventional physicians and the methodology was poor. While I accept that there is no perfect clinical trial, Dr Berry must realize that there were major methodological problems with his study, and that it is the only negative study so far reported in the field of rheumatology. Inevitably there will be negative studies in homoeopathy, as there are in conventional medicine. This does not, however, justify his comment. I have tried to illustrate with the aid of three seminal papers that the case for homeopathy is answered clearly, conclusively, and in an elegant scientific manner. I could have referred to many more equally good studies, but you simply would not have had space to print the information! The scientific evidence is, I am afraid, clear. Homeopathic medicines have a greater effect than placebo. This cannot be negated by the odd negative study, which is statistically inevitable. However the case for homeopathy clearly remains unanswered in Dr Berry's mind, inspite of evidence to the contrary, and there is little I can do about that. G LEWITH Centre for the Study of Complementary Medicine 51 Bedford Place, Southampton SOl 2DG


This paper concerns the first-person retrospective novel, one in which a narrator tells a story about his or her own past. My reasons for using this term rather than more common ones like 'the confessional novel,' 'the memoir novel' or 'the personal novel,' are linked to my appreciation of its qualities. Unlike multiple first-person narratives (Wuthering Heights or Conrad's Marlow tales, for instance) the first-person present-tense fiction (like the diary novel or the journal novel) this narrator is looking back on the past after a period of has elapsed. These distinguishing features-the retrospective dimension, the narrator's autonomy-combine, I think, to give the first-person retrospective novel a peculiar rhetorical power. In what follows I want to explain this assertion, first by proposing that the form of the first-person retrospective novel invites us to read it in a particular way, and second by undertaking a reading of Iris Murdoch's The Sea, the Sea in light of my conclusions.


Ni-Zn ferrites are magnetic ceramics that are widely used in electric and electronic components. Among Ni1-xZnxFe2O4 ferrites, Ni0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4 is known to be the one of highest magnetic permeability in lower frequencies. This work is divided into two parts: the first part deals with the influence of sintering temperature and forming conditions on the microstructure of Ni0.3Zn0.7Fe2O4 ferrite. The second part deals with the influence of sintering temperature and environmental variations of temperature on the complex magnetic permeability of such ferrite. The ferrite studied in this work was fabricated by means of the conventional ceramic method. Complex magnetic permeability between 100 kHz – 100 MHz is discussed in relation to sintering temperature. The influence of environmental variations in temperature (-40 oC to +50 oC) on the complex magnetic permeability of the ferrite sintered at 1300 oC is discussed.


1. The connexions between stretch receptors of the wings and motoneurones innervating flight muscles have been studied anatomically and physiologically. 2. Filling with cobaltous chloride shows that the single neurone of a forewing stretch receptor has a complex pattern of branches within the mesothoracic ganglion and branches which extend into the pro- and meta-thoracic ganglia. The single neurone of a hindwing stretch receptor has extensive branches in the metathoracic ganglion and branches in themesothoracic ganglion. The branches of both receptors are confined to the ipsilateral halves of the ganglia. 3. A stretch receptor gives information about the velocity and extent of elevation of a wing. 4. Each spike of a forewing stretch receptor casuses an EPSP in ipsilateral mesothoracic depressor motoneurones and an IPSP in elevators. The connexions are thought to be monosynaptic for the following reasons. The EPSPs in the first basalar (depressor) motoneurone follow each spike of the stretch receptor at a frequency of 125 Hz and with a constant latency of about 1 msec. In a Ringer solution containing 20 mM-Mg2+ the amplitude EPSP declines gradually. The IPSP'S upon elevators have similar properties but occur with a latency of 4-6 msec. 5. The connexions therefore comprise a monosynaptic negative feed-back loop; elevation of the wing excites the stretch receptor which then inhibits the elevator motoneurones and excites the depressors. 6. A hindwing stretch receptor synapses upon metathoracic flight motoneurones in the same way, causing EPSPs in depressor and IPSPs in elevator motoneurones. 7. No connexions of either fore- or hindwing stretch receptors have been found with contralateral flight motoneurones. 8. Interganglionic connexions are made by both receptors. For example, both fore- and hindwing stretch receptors cause EPSPs upon the meso- and metathoracic first basalar motoneurones. 9. Stimulation of the axon of a stretch receptor with groups of three stimuli repeated every 50-100 msec thus simulating the pattern which it shows during flight, causes subthreshold waves of depolarization in depressor motoneurones. When summed with an unpatterned input, the stretch receptor is able to influence the production of spikes in motoneurones on each cycle. During flight, it is expected that the stretch receptor will influence the time at which a motoneurone will spike and hence have an effect on the amplitude of the upstroke and upon the phase relationship between spikes of motoneurones.


Under very short pulse loads in range from 25 to 100 μs, crack tip plasticity a head of the crack tip in the mode I condition was investigated by discrete dislocation dynamics. The obtained dislocation array parameters such as the number of dislocations, dislocation distribution density, crack tip opening displacement and plastic zone size increase with the magnitude of stress intensity factor, KI and pulse durations. The numerical results were well compared with the experimental ones.


In most of researches in resource allocation for wireless networks, uplink and downlink problems are considered separately, especially when resources for uplink and downlink are statically partitioned, as in FDD and static TDD systems. However, even in those systems, joint resource allocation for uplink and downlink can improve system efficiency and we study this issue in this paper with the concept of the user-level utility function. In most cases, a user has a two-way communication that consists of two sessions: uplink and downlink sessions and its overall satisfaction to its communication depends on its satisfaction to each of its sessions. To model user's overall satisfaction to its communication, we define a user-level utility function, which is defined as a function of its session-level utility functions. We then formulate and solve the optimization problem with user-level utility functions for cell-level resource scheduling that jointly considers uplink and downlink resource allocation. Simulation results show that our cell-level scheduling in which resource allocation in both uplink and downlink is done jointly outperforms link-level scheduling, in which resource allocation in each of uplink and downlink is done separately in most cases, especially when the asymmetry between uplink and downlink is large.


The Western North Pacific (WNP) is the most favorable area in the world for the generation of tropical cyclones (TCs). As the most intense weather system, TCs play an important role in the change of ocean environment in the WNP. Based on many investigations published in the literature, we obtained a collective and systematic understanding of the influence of TCs on ocean components in the WNP, including sea temperature, ocean currents, mesoscale eddies, storm surges, phytoplankton (indicated by chlorophyll a ). Some ocean responses to TCs are unique in the WNP because of the existence of the Kuroshio and special geographical configurations such as the South China Sea.


: Catecholamine metabolism was evaluated by daily urine excretion in patients with Parkinson's disease of tremor (18 patients) and rigid (14 patients) types. The group included 16 untreated patients. According to urine analysis, most informative peripheral markers for dopamine metabolism proved to be DOPA excretion, 3,4-dioxyphenylacidic acid (DOPAA) level and DOPA/DOPAA ratio. In the initial disease stage, a marked decrease of free dopamine and noradrenaline as well as dopamine metabolism intensification with corresponding DOPA/DOPAA ratio decrease were found. Significantly lower DOPAA and DOPA excretion was detected in patients with predominance of akinesia and rigidity types compared to tremor ones. In contrast to untreated patients, those treated with drugs containing dopamine revealed correlations between daily urine DOPA excretion as well as DOPA/DOPAA ratio with neurological symptoms severity.


Respiratory muscle training has been proposed as a beneficial means of improving respiratory muscle function and performance in athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of a 6-wk specific respiratory muscle training program on the performance and respiratory muscle function in highly-trained rowers. Sixteen national representative rowers (8 males and 8 females) were assigned to either an experimental (RMT) or control (CON) group for 6-wks of respiratory muscle training. RMT consisted of 30 breaths (inspiratory and expiratory = 1 breath), twice daily using a commercially available respiratory muscle training device. Athletes performed a series of pulmonary function tests and an incremental VO2 max test prior to and following the experimental period. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the physiological, performance, perceptual or pulmonary function measures between RMT and CON following the training period (P>0.05). However, when comparing RMT to CON using magnitude based inferences, there was a "likely benefit" to perceived dyspnea (mean ±90%CL: -1.4 ±1.4 arbitrary units), mean heart rate (-4.1 ±4.7%) and maximum minute ventilation (-5.6 ±6.3%) during exercise. The results suggest that respiratory muscle training had little effect on exercise performance or pulmonary function in highly-trained rowers despite trends toward improvements in the perception of dyspnea and a decrease in maximum ventilation and mean heart rate during exercise.


Some stochastic differential games are formulated and explicitly solved in the special unitary group SU(3). This Lie group is probably the most elementary simple Lie group of rank two, that is, the Cartan subalgebra has dimension two. The game is to influence the roots of SU(3) which are directly related to the eigenvalues of an element in SU(3). The group SU(3) has particular interest in physics because the Gell-Mann matrices are generators for SU(3) that mediate Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) which is also known as the Strong Force. Since the radial parts of Laplacians for higher rank Lie groups have a similar structure as the radial part of the Laplacian for SU(3), stochastic differential games for SU(3) are important to understand for extensions of possible solvable stochastic differential games for other Lie groups.


OBJECTIVE
To compare results and outcomes following laparoscopic and tension-free open inguinal herniorrhaphy.

DESIGN
A prospective, nonrandomized trial of a single surgeon's experience.

SETTING
A large university hospital.

PATIENTS
The study included 100 patients with 116 hernias. Patients were offered open hernia repair or, if medically suitable for general anesthesia, a laparoscopic hernia repair. Fifty-seven patients underwent open repair and 43 patients underwent laparoscopic repair.

INTERVENTION
Laparoscopic repair was performed using a transabdominal preperitoneal mesh technique. Open hernia repair was performed using a mesh-plug technique in which the hernia sac was reduced and held in place by a cone of mesh. The floor was covered with a second piece of mesh that encircled the cord and was sutured at the internal ring; it was held in place under the external oblique without sutures.

RESULTS
Patients undergoing open repair were older than those undergoing laparoscopic repair. The distribution of hernia types was similar. The laparoscopic operation took longer than the open operation (mean [+/- SD], 1.9 +/- 0.4 hours vs 1.6 +/- 0.4 hours; P < .05), was more expensive ($4165 +/- $1154 vs $2985 +/- $1682; P < .05), and required more postoperative admissions (28% vs 3.5%). There were three recurrences in the laparoscopic group and none in the open group. Patients undergoing laparoscopic repair consumed the same amount of narcotic analgesics as did the group undergoing open repair and had discomfort for the same amount of time. Patients undergoing laparoscopic repair returned to work sooner than did patients undergoing open repair (5.6 days vs 10.3 days; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic hernia repair returns patients to the workplace faster than open hernia repair despite a similar analgesic requirement. The laparoscopic repair costs more and has a higher recurrence rate than open repair. Laparoscopic repair is most suitable for bilateral hernias. Further investigation of this technique is required before its wide-scale application can be recommended.


Hyperventilation reduces partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) in the blood, which results in hypokalaemia. Hypokalaemia helps the development of the life-threatening torsades de pointes type ventricular arrhythmia (TdP) evoked by repolarization delaying drugs. This implies that hyperventilation may assist the development of proarrhythmic events. Therefore, this study experimentally investigated the effect of hyperventilation on proarrhythmia development during delayed repolarization. Phenylephrine (an α1-adrenoceptor agonist) and clofilium (as a representative repolarization delaying agent inhibiting the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current, IKr) were administered intravenously to pentobarbital-anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated, open chest rabbits. ECG was recorded, and the onset times and incidences of the arrhythmias were determined. Serum K+, pH and PCO2 were measured in arterial blood samples. Clofilium prolonged the rate corrected QT interval. TdP occurred in 15 animals (TdP+ group), and did not occur in 14 animals (TdP- group). We found a strong, positive, linear correlation between serum K+ and PCO2. There was no relationship between the occurrence of TdP and the baseline K+ and PCO2 values. However, a positive, linear correlation was found between the onset time of the first arrhythmias and the K+ and PCO2 values. The regression lines describing the relationship between PCO2 and onset time of first arrhythmias were parallel in the TdP+ and TdP- groups, but the same PCO2 resulted in earlier arrhythmia onset in the TdP+ group than in the TdP- group. We conclude that hyperventilation and hypocapnia with the resultant hypokalaemia assist the multifactorial process of proarrhythmia development during delayed repolarization. This implies that PCO2 and serum K+ should be controlled tightly during mechanical ventilation in experimental investigations and clinical settings when repolarization-delaying drugs are applied.


It has become commonplace to assert that autonomous agents will have to be built to follow human rules of behavior–social norms and laws. But human laws and norms are complex and culturally varied systems; in many cases agents will have to learn the rules. This requires autonomous agents to have models of how human rule systems work so that they can make reliable predictions about rules. In this paper we con- tribute to the building of such models by analyzing an overlooked distinction between important rules and what we call silly rules —rules with no discernible direct impact on welfare. We show that silly rules render a normative system both more robust and more adaptable in response to shocks to per-ceived stability. They make normativity more legible for hu- mans, and can increase legibility for AI systems as well. For AI systems to integrate into human normative systems, we suggest, it may be important for them to have models that include representations of silly rules.


The COVID-19 financial response brought a seismic shift in the allocation of authority between Congress, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve. According to the classic division of labor, Congress claims the "power of the purse" or the constitutional authority to appropriate public funds; the Treasury holds responsibility over the spending and taxing that puts those orders into effect; and the Federal Reserve engages in money creation as part of its role making monetary policy and acting as lender of last resort. Drawing on that theory of separated powers, the essay reconstructs the traditional ways of thinking that distinguished money creation by the Fed from the congressional power of the purse. Most notably, approaches to the Fed have downplayed the distributive implications of its money creation powers by casting them as merely a stabilizing force, either backstopping private lending in times of panic or maintaining the health of credit markets more generally. We then analyze the COVID-19 liquidity facilities at the heart of the Federal government's response to the current crisis. Established by the Fed, these facilities are shaped in non-transparent ways by the Treasury's authority to protect the Fed from losses. With only $450 billion in congressional appropriations, the facilities are anticipated to lend $4.5 trillion, an amount the size of the 2019 federal budget. In our view, the facilities collapse the traditional narrative that distinguished Fed money creation from congressional appropriations. We conclude that that traditional narrative was problematic from the start. Congress's inability to take responsibility over Fed credit support calls for a more structural reform in our financial system- one compatible with democratic governance and distributive justice.


1. A method is described for the chromatographic preparation of ox growth hormone. It involves chromatography of an extract of anterior pituitary lobes on DEAE-cellulose, followed by rechromatography on a dextran gel of low cross-linkage (Sephadex G-100). 2. The product is highly active in growth-hormone assays, and is obtained in good yield. It was homogeneous by several criteria, but showed some heterogeneity on starch-gel electrophoresis. 3. The molecular weight of the hormone was estimated from its behaviour on gel-filtration columns under various conditions. Evidence that the hormone may dissociate into sub-units under some conditions is presented.


Abstract This paper develops and applies techniques to describe and analyze spatial patterns and controls of seawall construction on Puget Sound Lowland shores, Washington State. The main objectives are: (1) to further develop a methodology that statistically differentiates between sequential, clustered, or random patterns of seawall installation; (2) to apply the cumulative pattern assessment methodology to three drift cells in Thurston County that are representative of those typically found along the Puget Sound; and (3) to identify physical and human controls of seawall construction and patterns by analyzing differences for 109 properties in a variety of relevant drift-cell factors, including direction of sediment transport, slope stability, vegetative cover, land use, and property owner experiences and motives. Property-level information was gathered using a combination of on-site field surveys, property assessment records, aerial photograph/map analysis, and property owner questionnaires. The aerial photo analysis showed that shore protection has greatly increased in each drift cell over the last 33–45 years, increasing from 4–15% to 71–83%. Dates of bulkhead installation, as well as the direction and distance of protected sites relative to the first protected sites within each drift cell, were analyzed using a Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Additional statistical analyses did not identify many significant differences in shoreline characteristics or hazard experiences between shoreline reaches that might help explain patterns in seawall installation, with some exceptions, such as differences in shore protection, erosion experiences, and beach types. Similarly, statistical analyses comparing protected and unprotected properties identified few significant differences or associations, primarily related to improved acreage, backshore uses, historic slumping and recent slope failure, and upland/slope vegetation types.


Objective: To investigate the natural history and outcome of fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum diagnosed by routine ultrasound scanning at 18–23 weeks' gestation. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study of all cases of fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum diagnosed at 18–23 weeks of gestation. All cases were referred to one of two tertiary centres for further management of suspected fetal structural abnormality. A computer search was made to identify all cases of fetal corpus callosum agenesis and the records of these patients were examined to determine the incidence of other defects and pregnancy outcome. Results: There were 138 cases of fetal agenesis of the corpus callosum. Of the 32 (23.2%) cases of fetal aneuploidy, trisomy 18 (n = 22) was the commonest. Even in the absence of aneuploidy, a significant number of cases were associated with other fetal brain abnormalities. There were 93 terminations of pregnancy, 4 intrauterine deaths and 1 neonatal death. Thirty cases were known to be liveborn and another 10 were lost to follow-up. Of the neonates delivered 2 or more years ago, approximately 50% have evidence of significant developmental delay. Conclusion: The outcome of antenatally detected talipes is mainly dependent on the presence or absence of other defects. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is significantly associated with chromosome abnormalities and other structural brain anomalies. In contrast to the published evidence, our data suggests that the outcome of isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum is associated with a guarded long-term neurodevelopmental prognosis.


Effective management of tree-hollow-dependent wildlife is enhanced by detailed knowledge of the trees used for shelter and breeding. We describe the characteristics of 52 den trees and hollows (cavities) used by the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) in the south-west of its geographic range. We compared the following attributes of den trees to reference trees: tree height, diameter at breast height, hollow entrance height, hollow entrance diameter, cavity diameter, cavity depth, cavity roof height and cavity wall thickness. Dens and reference trees showed a highly significant multivariate difference (P < 0.001), with these variables explaining 64% of the variance. Univariate analyses revealed that hollow entrance height was significantly different between den trees (9.0 ± 0.5 m) and reference trees (5.5 ± 0.3 m). While not significant, den trees tended to have narrower hollow entrances, deeper cavities and thinner walls than reference trees; cavities used by yellow-bellied gliders, on average, measured 36.8 cm deep and 18.0 cm in diameter, and had entrances 10.6 cm in diameter. These observations should assist forest management for this species.


Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)predilects in women in child-bearing period,who unavoidably face problems of procreation. Nowadays, pregnancy is no longer looked as contraindication in SLE patients. Pregnancy may induce or even aggravate SLE, and SLE could affect the process and outcome of pregnancy, even lead to abortion, fetal death, stillbirth, fetal growth restriction or induce the development of neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE). So it is important for clinicians to learn the changes in immunology and hormone levels in women with SLE that may contribute to pregnancy and fetus, to be knowledgeable about the indication for SLE patients to be pregnant, to apply effective immunosuppressants and right care, and to control patients' condition so as to ensure normal pregnancy and childbirth.

Key words:
Lupus erythematosus, systemic;  Pregnancy;  Immunosuppressive agents


From a linguistic perspective, 'truth' is undoubtedly a pragmatic notion, as the truth of an utterance is not determined solely by its linguistic meaning, but is dependent upon the context in which it is uttered. Although pragmaticists have devoted some theoretical attention to factual truth, truth that is not established through comparison with an observable external reality remains comparatively under-theorised. This paper focuses on a particular kind of truth that falls within this category, namely non-fictional narrative truth. "Narrative truth" is defined as a judgement of verisimilitude accorded to the meaning of a narrative as a whole. This narrative meaning is neither rationally nor empirically verifiable, but rather arrived at by a hermeneutic process. The paper argues that certain criteria previously identified as influencing hearers' perceptions of testimony also contribute to the creation of an impression of narrative truth. It then examines the position of these criteria within Gricean and relevance-theoretic pragmatic accounts of interpretation. Using as an illustrative example a transcription of a testimony presented to South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the paper considers whether behaviour deemed 'cooperative' in typical conversational interaction is sufficient to yield an impression of a narrative's truth in this particular domain. A principal finding is that adherence to the standard Gricean 'recipe' for cooperative conversational behaviour, with its prioritisation of truthfulness, fails to yield an impression of narrative truth. Relevance theory, on the other hand, which places equal emphasis on the form and content of utterances, more easily explains why the truth of certain kinds of narratives may be questioned. However, the criterion of relevance is also found to raise some complications, as what counts as 'relevant' differs across speakers and cultures. The paper concludes with a contemplation of the ethical issues raised when certain kinds of narrative are deemed 'untruthful' and remain figuratively unheard.


A numerical model of time-dependent gas shielded metal arc is described, which was developed in order to make clear the kinetics of arc plasma together with metal transfer. It is possible to calculate and visualize time-dependent temperature and fluid flow field of argon shielded metal arc plasma with the grow-up and the subsequent detachment of the liquid metal drop at the wire tip. Numerical calculation shows that the arc shape in globular transfer abruptly changes at the moment of metal drop detachment. Whereas, the spray transfer arc seems to be stable and almost does not fluctuate with metal transfer.


The critical reading and discussion by the discusser is appreciated. It shows the interest of the geotechnical community on this subject and gives the technical paper an additional perspective.

One comment from the discusser relates to an obvious mistake having been made in the paper: the load test results shown in Figs. 7(a and b) in the paper "Main results of an instrumented load test with removable extensometer" do not match with those shown in Fig. 7(c). This is because they have not been taken from the same load test results, and the writers wish to apologize for any misunderstanding. In fact, the goal of Fig. 7 was merely to show the principle of an instrumented load test and the general shape of the load-displacement and load-depth curves. For sure, the displacement at the shaft on Fig. 7(c), if taken from the same load test results should be somewhere between the head displacement and the tip displacement.


The paper analyses the inter-district inequality of per capita incomes in Maharashtra for the period 2001-2009 and finds that inter-district inequality rose for the period 2001-05 and subsequently declined. Though it has been rising, it is at a lower level than that observed for 2001-05. This has been accompanied by shifts in the relative ranking of different districts across the income distribution. Data does not point to the convergence of per capita incomes across districts. The historical composition of incomes, in particular the share of the tertiary sector in GDP, is an important predictor of divergence in districts per capita incomes.


This article reports on the process evaluation of the training of facilitators for the Adolescent Social Action Program, a health education program in Albuquerque, New Mexico that trained college students and adult volunteers to work with middle school students. From the process evaluation data collected throughout a four-year period (1995-1998), data relevant to training are described: facilitator characteristics, facilitator training, curriculum implementation, and use of the program's model designed to promote critical thinking and dialogue. Results indicated that, though most facilitators reported the training was sufficient to enable them to implement the curriculum, they did not completely do so, especially as groups reached their final sessions. Facilitators covered the core curriculum content, but often failed to follow through with the more abstract activities. The need to perform and report the process evaluation in time to provide ample opportunity for trainers and curriculum designers to make appropriate adjustments is discussed.


In 21st century organizations, the need for empowering approaches to leadership, such as coach and facilitator of dialogue has been advocated and the traditional command-and-control management challenged. A concept characterized by dialogue and inclusive and responsive forms of communication as well as involvement in decision-making is "communicative leadership", used since a decade in Swedish private and public organizations. This study analysed how leaders perceive the contribution of communicative leadership to employee empowerment in a multinational business organization. Findings illustrate that leaders' communication strategies in relation to employee participation, engagement and empowerment diverge in important ways. A communicative leadership strategy including an informal bottom-up approach involving dialogue and responsive communication behaviours invited employees to make their voices heard and participate in decision-making, and thus contributed to a higher level of employee empowerment. The findings of this study contribute to extend and modulate previous research on the outcomes of leaders' communication, particularly transformational leadership communication behaviours. A communicationbased conceptualization of employee empowerment is contributed, including employees' abilities to voice concerns, influence work in dialogue and take individual action.


Suicide prevention is for the most part seen in terms of reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors for suicide, and having a suicide plan is considered to fall on the side of risk. Although it seems likely that the role of a suicide plan in a person's life is more complex than this, there is to date little research exploring first-hand descriptions of suicidality in order to understand this role. The purpose of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects of having a suicide plan. Secondary, thematic analysis of data from a qualitative study aiming to understand first-hand experiences of the feeling of being suicidal was carried out. Having a suicide plan can function to reduce the immediate experience of suicidal distress through 1) providing a sense of control, and 2) relieving mental effort. Having a suicide plan provides a sense of control by: being 'able to act'; 'having an option'; and, 'having an obstacle'. Having a suicide plan relieves mental effort by: providing resolution; reducing the need to control mental urges; fixing the future, where uncertainty about the future is relieved; and, things not mattering as much. Having a suicide plan can be a protective factor against suicide as well as an indicator of risk. Our analysis suggests that an exploration of both the costs and benefits to someone of having a suicide plan would inform appropriate intervention design for people in suicidal distress.


Attraction of tephritid fruit flies to light and its role in fly biology and management have received little attention. Here, the objective was to show that western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), is attracted to white light in the presence and absence of ammonia, an olfactory cue used with traps. Laboratory tests were conducted inside a 0.23 m cage with a halogen or light-emitting diode (LED) bulb hung ~2 cm above a trap with or without an ammonium carbonate lure; flies were released in the cage opposite from the light. Fly captures on yellow or clear traps with white light from both bulb types were greater than on controls, and greater at higher than lower light intensities whether ammonia was present or not. Adding heat without additional light near traps did not increase captures, indicating light rather than heat from bulbs attracted flies. In the field, light from LED and halogen bulbs did not enhance fly captures on ammonia-baited yellow traps, but light from halogen bulbs did enhance captures when there was no ammonia, although captures were lower than when ammonia was added. Results show that bright white light is attractive to R. indifferens and suggest orientation towards it may induce behaviors that positively affect fly fitness, such as mating and foraging. However, stronger light-associated stimuli than those used here may be needed to enhance fly captures on ammonia-baited traps under field conditions.


The adsorption of potassium onto a clean silica surface has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The fracture surface of silica was cleaned by Ar+ sputtering and exposed to potassium metal vapor for 10-s intervals up to 50 s, resulting in 0.2 to 2 monolayer coverage. High-resolution XPS spectra were recorded for the K 2p, O 1s, and Si 2p photoelectrons at each potassium exposure. Potassium uptake curves were generated from peak areas which suggest the mechanism of adsorption. Curve synthesis techniques were employed on the O 1s spectra to identify the various chemical states present. A decrease in a reactive state is observed as the number of nonbridging oxygen states increases. Angleresolved XPS was also used to determine the relative position, with respect to depth, of these reactive sites, showing that they are at a higher concentration near the surface.


Abstract. Building roof contours are considered as very important geometric data, which have been widely applied in many fields, including but not limited to urban planning, land investigation, change detection and military reconnaissance. Currently, the demand on building contours at a finer scale (especially in urban areas) has been raised in a growing number of studies such as urban environment quality assessment, urban sprawl monitoring and urban air pollution modelling. LiDAR is known as an effective means of acquiring 3D roof points with high elevation accuracy. However, the precision of the building contour obtained from LiDAR data is restricted by its relatively low scanning resolution. With the use of the texture information from high-resolution imagery, the precision can be improved. In this study, an improved snake model is proposed to refine the initial building contours extracted from LiDAR. First, an improved snake model is constructed with the constraints of the deviation angle, image gradient, and area. Then, the nodes of the contour are moved in a certain range to find the best optimized result using greedy algorithm. Considering both precision and efficiency, the candidate shift positions of the contour nodes are constrained, and the searching strategy for the candidate nodes is explicitly designed. The experiments on three datasets indicate that the proposed method for building contour refinement is effective and feasible. The average quality index is improved from 91.66% to 93.34%. The statistics of the evaluation results for every single building demonstrated that 77.0% of the total number of contours is updated with higher quality index.


A study was conducted to describe instructors' attitudes toward and use of assessment methods in postsecondary technical and occupational classrooms and laboratories. Data were collected through a questionnaire mailed to a random sample (n.318) of all postsecondary technical and occupational instructors in Ohio. Results indicated that instructors tended to use information from paper-and-pencil tests most often in making instructional decisions, followed by information from performance assessments and informal observations. Postsecondary instructors tended rarely to use information from standardized tests, portfolios and essay methods. Instructors neither agreed or disagreed that they faced potential constraints while conducting assessment activities. More than four-fifths of the instructors reported a positive attitude toward assessment and more than one-half considered themselves very competent in assessment. Marketing instructors used portfolios more often in making instructional decisions. Two program areas (marketing and business) were the primary users of essay methods. Instructors' attitudes toward assessment were found to explain 11 percent of the variation in use of performance assessment and 4 percent in use of portfolios. The perceived competency level of instructions in assessment contributed to about 3 percent of the variation in use of portfolios. (Contains 14 references.) (KC) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** TECHNICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS' PERCEIVED USE OF STUDENT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION IN MAKING EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS A Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Vocational Education Research Association New Orleans, LA, December 10-13


Teachers form one of the most important human resources that any nation can boast of,
for any effective and efficient human capital development the quality of teachers have a
major role to play. Teachers have a major role to play in a country's human resource
development. The study objective was to investigate influences of schools' board of
governors in recruitment of teachers in Kajiado County. The study intended to fill the gap
of making contributions that will enrich the existing recruitment process in a manner that
will maintain public confidence and integrity of teaching process and Teachers Service
Commission.
The study used descriptive study design. The target population of this study was all
secondary school teachers within Kajiado County together with the respective Board of
Governance, using stratified random sampling. A pilot study will be carried out to pretest
the research instrument before its actual administration.
Data was collected mainly by use of questionnaire method. The questionnaire consisted
of structured, open and closed ended questions. It comprised of two sections. The first
part will seek to obtain general information on the respondent's characteristics.
The second part was devoted to the identification of influences of effectiveness of the
schools' board of governors in recruitment of teachers.
Data was analyzed mainly by use of descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in
form of tables and charts.


Peculiarities of the mechanism of intercellular regulation capable of initiating nonhomogeneous spatial structures in different experimental bacterial systems are analysed. A model of band formation of bacterial density in agar-stabilized bacterial system with opposite gradients of the substrate and oxygen is suggested. It is shown that for the appearance of spatial structures in the bacterial systems a time delay in the cell response to the external signal is of principal importance, as well as the hysteresis of transitions between differentiated bacterial states.


Banks can create liquidity precisely because deposits are fragile and prone to runs. Increased uncertainty makes deposits excessively fragile, creating a role for outside bank capital. Greater bank capital reduces the probability of financial distress but also reduces liquidity creation. The quantity of capital influences the amount that banks can induce borrowers to pay. Optimal bank capital structure trades off effects on liquidity creation, costs of bank distress, and the ability to force borrower repayment. The model explains the decline in bank capital over the last two centuries. It identifies overlooked consequences of having regulatory capital requirements and deposit insurance.


1. The associations of six environmental factors with vegetative attributes on a species-rich Syrian grassland were investigated during 2 years with contrasting climatic conditions using an unreplicated factorial experiment. The six factors were (i) phosphate supply (nil or 25 kg ha -1 P 2 O 5 ) ; (ii) grazing severity (0.8 or 1.7 sheep ha -1 ); (iii) pre-existing growth conditions as defined by initial biomass (low or high); (iv) pre-existing stone cover (low or high); (v) final stone cover, modified by the addition or removal of stone to 20% or 80% stone cover; and (vi) experimental protection or non-protection from grazing. 2. 127 species were present, 56 of which were legumes, 21 grasses and 50 other species. The most common species were Trifolium campestre, T. tomentosum, T. stellatum and several species of Bromus and Avena. Overall, the frequency of only a minority of species was changed by environmental differences. 3. Initial growth conditions (as measured by initial biomass) most affected subsequent performance, although the effect was less marked in the second year. Pre-existing stone cover also resulted in large differences in subsequent growth, greater stone cover reducing growth, probably because it was associated with shallow soil and low soil fertility. Experimental addition of stones increased biomass, probably because the stones protected the vegetation from grazing. Individual species differed in their response to both pre-existing and added stone cover, the most frequent species being the most affected. High stocking rate reduced the biomass of most species, and application of P 2 O 1 increased it. Protection from grazing increased plant cover but individual species differed in their response. An abundance of stones was not necessarily harmful, and some species were favoured by their presence. 4. It is concluded that Mediterranean grasslands are less fragile than they appear since they have mechanisms that buffer them from environmental change. These mechanisms include the presence of a long-lived seed bank and certain adaptations such as the production of abundant small seeds and early flowering, but continued over-grazing clearly results in degradation.


This paper investigates whether South African households and small businesses can take advantage of the country's substantial wind resources to produce their own power from small-scale wind turbines in a viable way. The viability of small-scale wind turbines is assessed by means of a financial analysis based on the internal rate of return method. The recently announced wind feed-in tariff will not affect the viability of consumer-based small-scale wind turbines considered in this paper since such turbines are used to displace electricity consumption from the grid rather than supplying electricity to the grid. Thus the benefits of such wind turbines' output is valued at the grid power tariff which is saved rather than at the wind feed-in tariff rate as electricity arbitrage opportunities are non-existent because of the smallness of the turbines. The analysis found the turbines to be viable in only a few of the windiest locations in South Africa. As the competiveness of the turbines is seriously challenged by the relatively low coal-based electricity tariffs in South Africa the financial analysis also considers alternative scenarios where the turbines are supported by financial mechanisms, namely: a tariff subsidy; a capital subsidy and revenue from carbon credits. The analysis reveals that a tariff subsidy of about R1.45/kWh or capital subsidy of about R30,000/kW will be more effective in boosting the viability of consumer-based small-scale wind turbines in areas with winds of at least 5m/s. Thus, if the government's goal is renewable energy expansion in the country, there is a need for subsidizing all producers of renewable energy including those who produce it for their own consumption as they equally contribute to that goal. A tariff subsidy is however likely to be met with both political and public resistance if it means that consumers have to cross-subsidize the tariff. Also, the significant funds required for capital subsidies might not be freely available. An alternative solution would be granting soft loans to potential wind turbine buyers. Ultimately, the removal of distortionary support to coal-based electricity generation will go a long way in enhancing the viability of small-scale wind turbines.


The core of my dissertation is devoted to a re-interpretation of the
history of the liberation movement in South Africa in two critical periods
of its development. The first I call in short 'the 1940s' but shall be
referring more specifically to the years between 1939 and the rise of
apartheid in 1948; the second I call 'the 1950s' but shall refer to the
years between the emergence of apartheid and the defeat of the liberation
movement in 1964. Both the 1940s and the 1950s were marked by fierce class
struggles which brought with them hopes of a new democratic order in South
Africa; both closed on the sombre note of defeat for democracy and triumph
for the forces of reaction and racism. Motivated by a dissatisfaction with
prevailing interpretations, I shall explore what went wrong in these years
in order to deepen our understanding of the political culture and social
base of the liberation movement. I have focussed on these two historical
periods because I see the basic parameters of the contemporary liberation
movement as set by the class struggles which occurred within them. My
central hypothesis is that, although class relations do not on the whole
manifest themselves directly on the surface of the liberation movement,
they have nonetheless been the crucial determinants of its pattern of
evolution. My introductory chapter will be devoted to a theoretical
discussion of the relation between nationalism and socialism in the South
Africa liberation movement. It was written after the historical research
and its ideas reflect a considerable change of mind which resulted from the
research; the ideas expressed within it provide a necessary foundation for
understanding what I wish to say through the substantive history. My final
section will be an attempt to outline the major lessons which I draw from
the history of these class struggles; it focusses on what I see as the
unresolved conflict between the two traditions of 'radical liberalism' and
'insurrectionism' which run through the history of the liberation struggle
and on defining what I see as the 'absent centre' of this history: social
democracy or more accurately the social democratic movement of the working
class.


OBJECTIVE
To adapt into Spanish three scales measuring frequency (SWFS) and motivation for social withdrawal (CSPS and SWMS) and to develop a scale capable of assessing the five motivations for social withdrawal.

METHOD
Participants were 1,112 Spanish adolescents, aged 12-17 years. The sample was randomly split into two groups in which exploratory and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses were performed separately. A sample of adolescents in residential care (n = 128) was also used to perform discriminant validity analyses.

RESULTS
SWFS was reduced to eight items that account for 40% of explained variance (PVE), and its reliability is high. SWMS worked adequately in the original version, according to CFA. Some items from the CSPS were removed from the final Spanish version. The newly developed scale (SWMS-5D) is composed of 20 items including five subscales: Peer Isolation, Unsociability, Shyness, Low Mood and Avoidance. Analyses reveal adequate convergent and discriminant validities.

CONCLUSIONS
The resulting SWFS-8 and SWMS-5D could be considered useful instruments to assess frequency and motivation for social withdrawal in Spanish samples.


abstract:Dhaka's National Assembly building, designed by Louis Kahn, was built over several turbulent decades as East Pakistan fought for autonomy and became the new country of Bangladesh. Conventional critical narratives situate the National Assembly within Kahn's biography, treating Bangladesh as an empty canvas on which Kahn could enact design philosophies developed over his career. I contend that architects and critics are not the only arbiters of a building's meaning, and that local and political context should not be ignored in a building's historical narrative. There is ample recent scholarship decentering the Western canon, to which the National Assembly belongs, in architecture history, theory, and criticism. This article calls for decentering the architect as well, and acknowledging that the client's agenda, historical context, local interventions, popular perception, and the ongoing use of a building all influence the many layers of meaning architecture acquires over time. Continuing to perpetuate the myth of the lone artistic genius doggedly pursuing his creative vision gives unfounded agency to the individual architect alone. Design has agency and buildings shape worlds, but buildings themselves are shaped by complex collective actions, not singular visions. As a Western architect called to build on a grand scale in Asia, Kahn is an early example of a now prevalent trope. This research establishes a template for understanding this kind of work in context, and acknowledging the crucial role played by local actors in shaping each project and determining the project's cultural significance over time.


A prevalent claim is that we are in knowledge economy. When we talk about knowledge economy, we generally mean the concept of "Knowledge-based economy" indicating the use of knowledge and technologies to produce economic benefits. Hence knowledge is both tool and raw material (people's skill) for producing some kind of product or service. In this kind of environment economic organization is undergoing several changes. For example authority relations are less important, legal and ownership-based definitions of the boundaries of the firm are becoming irrelevant
and there are only few constraints on the set of coordination mechanisms. Hence what characterises a knowledge economy is the growing importance of human capital in productive processes (Foss, 2005) and the increasing knowledge intensity of jobs (Hodgson, 1999). Economic processes are also highly intertwined with
social processes: they are likely to be informal and reciprocal rather than formal and negotiated. Another important point is also the problem of the division of labor: as economic activity becomes mainly intellectual and requires the integration of specific and idiosyncratic skills, the task of dividing the job and assigning it to the most appropriate individuals becomes arduous, a "supervisory problem" (Hogdson, 1999) emerges and traditional hierarchical control may result increasingly ineffective. Not only specificity of know how makes it awkward to monitor the execution of tasks, more importantly, top-down integration of skills may be difficult because 'the nominal supervisors will not know the best way of doing the job – or even the precise purpose of the specialist job itself – and the worker will know better' (Hogdson,1999). We, therefore, expect that the organization of the economic activity of specialists should be, at least partially, self-organized.
The aim of this thesis is to bridge studies from computer science and in particular from Peer-to-Peer Networks (P2P) to organization theories. We think that the P2P paradigm well fits with organization problems related to all those situation in which a central authority is not possible. We believe that P2P Networks show a number of characteristics similar to firms working in a knowledge-based economy and hence that the methodology used for studying P2P Networks can be applied to organization studies.
Three are the main characteristics we think P2P have in common with firms involved in knowledge economy:

- Decentralization: in a pure P2P system every peer is an equal participant, there is no central authority governing the actions of the single peers;
- Cost of ownership: P2P computing implies shared ownership reducing the cost of owing the systems and the content, and the cost of maintaining them;
- Self-Organization: it refers to the process in a system leading to the emergence of global order within the system without the presence of another system dictating this order.
These characteristics are present also in the kind of firm that we try to address and that' why we have shifted the techniques we adopted for studies in computer science (Marcozzi et al., 2005; Hales et al., 2007 [39]) to management science.


Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is an autosomal dominant (NIPBL, SMC3, and RAD21) or X‐linked (SMC1A and HDAC8) disorder, characterized by distinctive craniofacial appearance, growth retardation, intellectual disability, and limb anomalies. In 2005, the Spanish CdLS Reference Center was started and now we have more than 270 cases in our database. In this special issue, we describe some of the unique or atypical patients studied by our group, whose clinical features have contributed to the expansion of the CdLS classical phenotype, helping clinicians to diagnose it. We include the case of a male with unilateral tibial hypoplasia and peroneal agenesis who had a mutation in NIPBL; we also describe one patient with a mutation in NIPBL and somatic mosaicism identified by new generation sequencing techniques; we also include one patient with CdLS and Turner syndrome; and last, an interesting patient with a duplication of the SMC1A gene. Finally, we make a short review of the splicing mutations we have found in NIPBL regarding the new knowledge on the physiological variants of the gene. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This chapter reports the recent progress made on antennas, phantoms, and bodycentric propagation at millimeter-waves. It provides a review of recent achievements on experimental and numerical body modelling, wearable antennas for off-body and on-body communications, and body-centric propagation at millimeter-waves. The chapter discusses the numerical and experimental modeling of the human body and describes antennas for off-body communications and their interaction with the human body. From the electromagnetic viewpoint, human skin can be considered as an anisotropic multlayer dispersive structure made of three different layers, namely, epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat layer. Experimental and numerical phantoms have been described. These phantoms play a key role in the understanding of wearable antenna performance, propagation mechanisms on the human body, and absorbed power in the human body. The chapter discusses the on-body propagation, and describes several antenna designs specifically developed for on-body communications. © 2016 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. All rights reserved.


Objective
Tissue engineering aspires to create organs and tissue from autologous cells, which mimic the function of native tissue as closely as possible. However, before a tissue engineered valve can be implanted, various experiments on the performance of the valve are necessary. Information regarding the reaction of a cell layer to different stimuli enables the prediction of the reaction in vivo. A minimal invasive implantation procedure might have effects on the cell layer.
The transcatheter valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimal invasive procedure to implant an aortic valve. Escpecially for older and morbid patients the minimal invasive approach decreases postoperative morbidity and mortality. Currently available valves for TAVI are biologic valves with a limited durability. Younger patients in particular would benefit from a tissue engineered valve with a potentially longer durability and growth potential.

Methods and Material
Aortic homografts (n=4) were first decellularized and then recellularized with fibroblasts (FB) and endothelial cells (EC). The cells were harvested from saphenous veins, which were collected during aortocoronary bypass operations. After valve recellularization, a TAVI simulation was performed. The homografts were crimped for 10 min and then expanded using a catheter balloon. A dynamic bioreactor enabled the simulation of pulsatile flow conditions. The valves were exposed to increasing flow rates over the period of three days (d1 = 1 l/min, d2 = 1.5 l/min, d3 = 2 l/min). After all processing steps, the final testing samples were taken and analyzed. Cell layer topography was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An immunohistochemial (IHC) analysis enabled the assessment of the cell layer, structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammation reaction.

Results
SEM evaluation of the samples after perfusion displayed an inhomogeneous cell layer. EC staining demonstrated a damaged cell layer. The IHC analysis of FB presented a similar result, with the exception of the ventricular side of the aortic valve leaflet. This part of the leaflet retained more of the earlier seeded FB.

Conclusion
The cell layers on the homografts, especially the EC layer, took considerable damage during the crimping and perfusion procedure. Interestingly, the ventricular side of the aortic valve leaflet seemed to have sustained less damage compared to the arterial side. A tissue engineered construct for TAVI has to
withstand the strains of the implantation and perfusion process. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the damage and to develop a procedure which enables a safe transportation of the tissueengineered valve.


Oxygen electrochemistry plays a critical role in clean energy technologies such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, but the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) severely restricts the efficiency of these devices due to its slow kinetics. Here, we show that via incorporation of lithium ion into iridium oxide, the thus obtained amorphous iridium oxide (Li-IrO x) demonstrates outstanding water oxidation activity with an OER current density of 10 mA/cm2 at 270 mV overpotential for 10 h of continuous operation in acidic electrolyte. DFT calculations show that lithium incorporation into iridium oxide is able to lower the activation barrier for OER. X-ray absorption characterizations indicate that both amorphous Li-IrO x and rutile IrO2 own similar [IrO6] octahedron units but have different [IrO6] octahedron connection modes. Oxidation of iridium to higher oxidation states along with shrinkage in the Ir-O bond was observed by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy on amorphous Li-IrO x, but not on rutile IrO2 under OER operando conditions. The much more "flexible" disordered [IrO6] octahedrons with higher oxidation states in amorphous Li-IrO x as compared to the periodically interconnected "rigid" [IrO6] octahedrons in crystalline IrO2 are able to act as more electrophilic centers and thus effectively promote the fast turnover of water oxidation.