The effects of tonic right and left vagal stimulation (RVS and LVS) on electrophysiological properties of the immature myocardium and specialized conduction system were evaluated in 11 neonatal canines pretreated with propranolol (1 mg/kg iv). Electrophysiological studies were performed by recording intracardiac electrograms from multiple endocardial catheters during programmed electrical stimulation. Assessments were made of sinus node function, intra-atrial, atrioventricular (AV) nodal and His-Purkinje conduction, and atrial and ventricular refractoriness in the control state and during RVS and LVS at 4-12 Hz. Vagal stimulation prolonged the sinus cycle length; RVS produced a 38% increase and LVS a 25% increase at 8 Hz (P less than 0.01). There were no changes in the intra-atrial or His-Purkinje conduction times. Comparable increases occurred during RVS and LVS in the paced cycle length resulting in AV nodal Wenckebach, the AV nodal conduction time at a paced cycle length of 340 ms, and the effective and functional refractory periods of the AV node, suggesting symmetrical influences of the right and left vagus on neonatal AV nodal function. Right atrial effective and functional refractory periods shortened significantly during vagal stimulation (ERP, 36% RVS and 23% LVS; FRP, 27% RVS and 15% LVS), and in 5 of 11 neonates, a sustained regular atrial tachyarrhythmia was induced during atrial extra-stimulation. Small yet significant increases were observed in the right ventricular ERP and FRP during vagal stimulation. This study provides information regarding the functional integrity of the parasympathetic nervous system and its potential role as a modulator of the electrophysiological properties of the newborn heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This second edition of this complete parent guide features detailed and precise medical information about solid tumour childhood cancers, including neuroblastoma, Wilms tumour, liver tumours, soft tissue sarcomas, and bone sarcomas. In addition, it offers day-to-day practical advice on how to cope with procedures, hospitalization, family and friends, school, social and financial issues, communication, feelings, and, if therapy is not successful, the difficult issues of death and bereavement. Woven among the medical details and the practical advice are the voices of parents and children who have lived with cancer and its treatments. As many parents have already found, advice from "veteran" parents can be a lifeline. Obtaining a basic understanding of topics such as medical terminology, how drugs work, common side effects of chemotherapy, and how to work more effectively with medical personnel can only improve the quality of life for the whole family suffering along with their child. Having parents describe their own emotional ups and downs, how they coped, and how they molded their family life around hospitalizations can be a tremendous comfort. Just knowing that there are other kids on chemotherapy who refuse to eat anything but tacos or who have frequent rages can make one feel less alone. Parents who read this book will encounter medical facts simply explained, advice to ease their daily lives, and tools to be strong advocates for their child. It also contains a personal treatment summary and long-term follow-up guide for your child to keep as a permanent record.


Author(s): Gambini, Simone | Advisor(s): Rabey, Jan M.; Alon, Elad | Abstract: The continuous growth in the number of mobile phone subscribers, which exceeded 3 billions by 2007 , and of the number of wireless devices and systems, led to visions of a near future in which wireless technology is so ubiquitous that 1000 Radios per person will exist. In this context, ad-hoc area networks between several consumer electronic devices located within a meter of each other will be necessary in order to reduce traffic towards the base station and reduce power consumption and interference generation. As existing air interfaces still both radiate and dissipate an order of magnitude higher power than what this future scenario requires, a new, low-power radio technology must be developed. In this thesis, we develop a low-power transceiver with range of a few centimeters targeted to mobile-mobile data exchange. The same transceiver could also be employed in some implanted applications, as well as in distributed industrial control environments. \ The design of the air-interface for this cm-range communication system at the propagation, system and circuit levels. First, we describe an optimization methodology that enables the designer to choose, for any given antenna design, which carrier frequency results in the maximum receiver Signal-To-Noise-Ratio (SNR). We then show how by using impulse-radio signaling, the chosen high-SNR channel can be leveraged to simplify the radio receiver architecture to the simplest possible RF receiver-consisting only of an RF rectifier. To mitigate the known issues of sensitivity to interference for these rectifier-based receivers, a technique to improve selectivity that uses only baseband processing and requires no RF prefilter is introduced. These techniques are demostrated by a transceiver test chip, implemented in a 65nm CMOS process . The transceiver dissipates 250 amu W in receive mode, and 25 amu W in transmit mode when operating at 1Mbps , and it integrates a timing-recovery loop that achieves jitter lower than 2nS while consuming 45 amu W.This figures correspond to an energy per bit of 300pJ, which compares favorably with current state-of-the art.


You and I lead different lives. While we share a society and a world, our existence is separate from one another. You and I matter individually, by ourselves. My dissertation is about this simple thought. I argue that this simple insight, the separateness of persons, tells us something fundamental about morality. My dissertation seeks to answer how the separateness of persons matters. I develop a precise view of the demands of the separateness of persons. The separateness of persons imposes both a requirement on the justification of first-order moral principles as well as a requirement on the content of first-order moral principles. In specifying these demands, I argue that respecting the separateness of persons requires taking into consideration each person's point of view separately. This requires taking into account the moral relations in which individuals stand to one another. I make use of this relational understanding of the separateness of persons to advance various debates in moral and political philosophy. I argue for a framework to assess to which extent the veil of ignorance can be reconciled with the separateness of persons. I also argue for a new view on the ethics of risk which is a form of contractualism that discounts risks only by their objective risk. Furthermore, I argue for a new solution to the problem of aggregation that is skeptical of aggregation and can set plausible limits to aggregation. Lastly, I provide a new relational agent-based justification for deontological constraints. In addition to answering how the separateness of persons matters, I defend the separateness of persons against challenges. Most importantly, I argue that the importance of the separateness of persons is not undermined even if we believe that our personal identity, i.e. whether we persist as the same person, is unimportant.


In most geotechnical problems, it is too difficult to predict soil and structural behavior accurately, because of the large variation in soil parameters and the assumptions of numerical solutions. But recently many geotechnical problems are solved using Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, by presenting new solutions or developing existing ones. Genetic Programming, (GP), is one of the most recently developed (AI) techniques based on Genetic Algorithm (GA) technique. In this research, GP technique is utilized to develop prediction criteria for uplift capacity of shallow foundations using collected historical records. The uplift capacity formula is developed using special software written by the authors in Visual C++ language. The accuracy of the developed formula was also compared with earlier prediction methods.


Profibus and CAN bus are two kinds of widely used field bus in the industrial control field. However, this two bus protocol conversion devices are not introduced on the market, it can not meet the needs of users. Therefore, the design of a Profibus and CAN protocol translation ngateway is very important. By comparing the OSI reference model, the same points of Profibus and CAN bus can be found, their communication model structure is streamlined by the OSI model, they are only three layers, which makes it possible to interconnect them. This paper designs an embedded protocol conversion gateway, S3C2410 processor is used as main controller, SPC3 and SJA1000 are selected as Profibus and CAN protocol chips. The design has realized Profibus and CAN bus protocol conversion, using this gateway in industrial field can bring certain economic benefits for the enterprise.


Distributional models represent a word through the contexts in which it has been observed. They can be used to predict similarity in meaning, based on the distributional hypothesis, which states that two words that occur in similar contexts tend to have similar meanings. Distributional approaches are often implemented in vector space models. They represent a word as a point in high-dimensional space, where each dimension stands for a context item, and a word's coordinates represent its context counts. Occurrence in similar contexts then means proximity in space. In this survey we look at the use of vector space models to describe the meaning of words and phrases: the phenomena that vector space models address, and the techniques that they use to do so. Many word meaning phenomena can be described in terms of semantic similarity: synonymy, priming, categorization, and the typicality of a predicate's arguments. But vector space models can do more than just predict semantic similarity. They are a very flexible tool, because they can make use of all of linear algebra, with all its data structures and operations. The dimensions of a vector space can stand for many things: context words, or non-linguistic context like images, or properties of a concept. And vector space models can use matrices or higher-order arrays instead of vectors for representing more complex relationships. Polysemy is a tough problem for distributional approaches, as a representation that is learned from all of a word's contexts will conflate the different senses of the word. It can be addressed, using either clustering or vector combination techniques. Finally, we look at vector space models for phrases, which are usually constructed by combining word vectors. Vector space models for phrases can predict phrase similarity, and some argue that they can form the basis for a general-purpose representation framework for natural language semantics.


High dosages of ceftriaxone are used to treat central nervous system (CNS) infections. Dosage adaptation according to the glomerular filtration rate is currently not recommended. Ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics (PK) was investigated by a population approach in patients enrolled in a French multicenter prospective cohort study who received high-dose ceftriaxone for CNS infection as recommended by French guidelines (75 to 100 mg/kg of body weight/day without an upper limit). ABSTRACT High dosages of ceftriaxone are used to treat central nervous system (CNS) infections. Dosage adaptation according to the glomerular filtration rate is currently not recommended. Ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics (PK) was investigated by a population approach in patients enrolled in a French multicenter prospective cohort study who received high-dose ceftriaxone for CNS infection as recommended by French guidelines (75 to 100 mg/kg of body weight/day without an upper limit). Only those with suspected bacterial meningitis were included in the PK analysis. A population model was developed using Pmetrics. Based on this model, a dosing nomogram was developed, using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and total body weight as covariates to determine the optimal dosage allowing achievement of targeted plasma trough concentrations. Efficacy and toxicity endpoints were based on previous reports, as follows: total plasma ceftriaxone concentrations of ≥20 mg/liter in >90% of patients for efficacy and ≤100 mg/liter in >90% of patients for toxicity. Based on 153 included patients, a two-compartment model including eGFR and total body weight as covariates was developed. The median value of the unbound fraction was 7.57%, and the median value of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)/plasma ratio was 14.39%. A nomogram was developed according to a twice-daily regimen. High-dose ceftriaxone administration schemes, used to treat meningitis, should be adapted to the eGFR and weight, especially to avoid underdosing using current guidelines. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01745679.)


Leukemia L1210 ascites cells sensitive to 6-thioguanine were incubated aerobically in a glucose-balanced salts medium supplemented with glutamine in the presence and and absence of the analog. The rates of incorporation and distribution of various iso topic precursors in this system were examined by radioassaying the various fractions of the tumor cells collected on membrane filters. This technic was extremely useful for the rapid assay of incorporation into tumor cells. The incorporation of isotopic precursors represented net synthesis rather than ex change. Thioguanine decreased the uptake of formate-C'4 and thymidine-C'4Hs into the acid-insoluble fraction of the cells by about one-half and one-third, respective ly, but did not affect incorporation of methionine-S35 or acetate-2-C'4. The drug in hibited incorporation of formate-C14 into the nucleic acids, but proteins were only slightly affected. Molar activities of the isolated nucleic acid bases were reduced by the drug.


OBJECTIVE
Hyperlactatemia and base deficit (BD) are markers of adverse outcome after cardiac surgery, and their derangement can be influenced by the use of extracorporeal circulation. The authors hypothesized a better postoperative metabolic profile in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) compared with "on-pump" coronary artery bypass grafting (ONCABG).

DESIGN
This was a retrospective study, with consecutive data collected for 1 year from electronic medical records.

SETTING
Cardiothoracic intensive care unit at a tertiary university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
The study comprised 339 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting (ONCABG [n = 215], OPCABG [n = 124]).

INTERVENTIONS
None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
The metabolic (arterial lactatemia, pH, and BD) and hemodynamic (inotropic/vasopressor support) parameters of OPCABG and ONCABG patients were compared at 7 predefined time points (intensive care admission and the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, and 24th postoperative hours). For each output of interest, mixed-effects linear regression models were used (with time as random-effect to allow for clustering of repeated measures) and adjusted for a predetermined set of covariates. Arterial lactatemia and pH were comparable at all time points; BD was worse in the ONCABG group overall (p = 0.01) and at most time points (except at the 1st and 24th postoperative hours). For the whole period, inotropic support was more common in ONCABG patients (p<0.05), whereas vasopressor use was more frequent in the OPCABG group (p< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Improved postoperative BD values were demonstrated in the OPCABG group, although pH and lactatemia were similar between groups. Inotropic support was less common in the OPCABG group at the expense of more frequent vasopressor support.


Congenital heart defects (CHD) are among the most common birth defects, occurring in 5 to 10 per 100 live births. This substantial variation in the reported epidemiology of CHD is due to differences in applied methodologies. An increasing total prevalence of CHD has been recently reported, mainly due to increase in prevalence of small defects easily diagnosed by echocardiography, as well as an increase in prevalence of conotruncal defects and atrioventricular septal defects.In order to provide a comprehensive epidemiological overview, future studies should use international classification system as well as consistent inclusion and exclusion criteria. Futher studies are also required to evaluate precisely the impact of fetal cardiac diagnosis on the prevalence and outcome of CHD. Epidemiology of CHD provides an overview of the distribution and characteristics of risk factors. Environmental potential risk factors are reviewed as they may provide an opportunity for prevention of some forms of CHD.


Abstract Wet precipitation (WP) is a diffusion-controlled synthesis method, which is often used for synthesizing such compounds as hydroxyapatite (HAp). Since the process is limited by diffusion, the choice of a diffusion model becomes a critical aspect. In this simplistic assessment for a preliminary evaluation of the diffusion model applicability, the Ginstling-Brounstein (GB) equation is chosen and analyzed for the case of spherical particles. The nominal kinetic constant K is a parameter in GB model which describes diffusion and is related to the effective molecular diffusivity. When the value of K is known, it becomes possible to predict the required time to achieve desired conversion and design the synthesis accordingly. The GB model is assessed mathematically using simulations, a parametric study and Yates analysis (2n factorial design). Parameters chosen for a preliminary study are in the range of characteristic values for a laboratory-scale WP synthesis of HAp and are thus representative for the application of the model to practice. It should be noted that the analysis is simplistic and is meant to provide only preliminary information for future research, requiring experimental validation.


One of the most significant developments within English education over the last decade has been the expansion of specialist schools as a means by which to promote diversity and drive improvement. While much research has examined the impact of specialist schools on outcomes such as attainment, little attention has been paid to the schools' demographic compositions or their potential for exacerbating segregation. Gorard and Taylor (2001) reported that specialist schools admitted proportionally fewer children from deprived backgrounds over time. Building on their work, this paper uses data from the Pupil Level Annual School Census and the Index of Multiple Deprivation to examine changing intakes of specialist and non‐specialist schools between 2001/2 and 2004/5. Trends in segregation were not significantly associated with the presence or otherwise of specialist status in a school. However, they were significantly associated with foundation status and the presence of strong and/ or improving examination results. Such schools drew more 'privileged' intakes over time.


Hydrogels as typical hydrophilic materials are promising candidates for designing novel functional materials for anti-fouling, oil/water separation, wearable devices, tissue scaffolds, etc. However, it still remains a challenge to design stable and tough hydrogels for applications in complex environments of high stress, temperature, salt, and pH. Herein, we fabricate a novel seawater-enhanced Agar/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/clay hydrogel (APNC gel) through a facile photo-initiated polymerization process. The APNC gel consists of fully interpenetrating double networks with negatively-charged clay serving as physical cross-linkers. The resulting gel exhibits tough mechanical strength (tensile strength of 0.85 MPa and compression strength of 1.68 MPa) and excellent stabilities for high temperature (100 °C) and high salt levels (20 wt% NaCl). Especially, the strength of the APNC gel is greatly enhanced (up to 5.04 MPa) by seawater, which contains numerous inorganic ions (Mg2+, Na+, K+, etc.). Meanwhile, the APNC gel presents excellent anti-adhesion performance due to the negatively-charged clay. Thus, a hydrogel-coated mesh with underwater superoleophobicity has been designed for oil/seawater separation. The resulting mesh can selectively remove oil from seawater with high separation efficiency (up to 99%). These characteristics demonstrate that the tough APNC gel will be an ideal material candidate for developing functional materials applied in a complex environment.


Background: The anti-bacterial property of silver nanoparticles has been led to increasing use of nanoparticles in medicine, appliances and electronic products. The aim of this study was to assess renal injury using sensitive biomarkers for kidney damage. Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 adult male Wistar rats were injected by nanosilver (50, 100, 200 and 400ppm). Then blood samples were collected and tissue samples from the liver were prepared and studied with silver staining. ANOVA with a P Results: Results showed that different concentrations of urea (P=0.867), creatine (P=0.279) and uric acid (P=0.999) silver nanoparticles on the rate of change has no significant impact. The histological changes in 400 PPm dose of silver nanoparticles can be seen compared with the control group, which probably reflects histological changes in the kidney. Conclusion: Due to the increased use of products containing nanosilver and for the generalization of the findings of this study can be used in the medical field.


Wireless sensor network enables remote connectivity of technological devices such as smart mobile with the internet. Due to its low cost as well as easy availability of data sharing and accessing devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown exponentially during the past few years. The availability of these devices plays a remarkable role in the new era of mHealth. In mHealth, the sensors generate enormous amounts of data and the context‐aware computing has proven to collect and manage the data. The context aware computing is a new domain to be aware of context of involved devices. The context‐aware computing is playing a very significant part in the development of smart mobile health applications to monitor the health of patients more efficiently. Security is one of the key challenges in IoT‐based mHealth application development. The wireless nature of IoT devices motivates attackers to attack on application; these vulnerable attacks can be denial of service attack, sinkhole attack, and select forwarding attack. These attacks lead intruders to disrupt the application's functionality, data packet drops to malicious end and changes the route of data and forwards the data packet to other location. There is a need to timely detect and prevent these threats in mobile health applications. Existing work includes many security frameworks to secure the mobile health applications but all have some drawbacks. This paper presents existing frameworks, the impact of threats on applications, on information, and different security levels. From this line of research, we propose a security framework with two algorithms, ie, (i) patient priority autonomous call and (ii) location distance based switch, for mobile health applications and make a comparative analysis of the proposed framework with the existing ones.


The main purpose of the present research is to empirically scrutinize the relationship between corporate governance (CG) characteristics and environmental reporting (ER) (a component of corporate social responsibility) of firms in Pakistan, through the lens of stakeholder and agency theory. The annual reports of 50 non-financial companies listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for the years 2014–2015 are content analyzed to com- pute the companies' environmental reporting practices. A multifactor model comprising of six elements of CG, i.e. board size, board independence, CEO duality, audit commit- tee independence, proportion of female directors on board and institutional investors is used to assess the impact of CG elements on companies' environmental reporting ini - tiatives. The results revealed that larger board size, higher proportion of independent non-executive directors on the board, partition of the dual role of chairman and CEO and institutional ownership is associated with greater environmental reporting. The results are valuable to both academics and policy makers in Pakistan.


This paper addresses the problem of forming groups in peer-to-peer (P2P) systems and examines what dependability means in decentralized distributed systems. Much of the literature in this field assumes that the participants form a local picture of global state, yet little research has been done discussing how this state remains stable as nodes enter and leave the system. We assume that nodes remain in the system long enough to benefit from retaining state, but not sufficiently long that the dynamic nature of the problem can be ignored. We look at the components that describe a system's dependability and argue that next-generation decentralized systems must explicitly delineate the information dispersal mechanisms (e.g., probe, event-driven, broadcast), the capabilities assumed about constituent nodes (bandwidth, up-time, re-entry distributions), and distribution of information demands (needles in a haystack vs. hay in a haystack [13]). We evaluate two systems based on these criteria: Chord [22] and a heterogeneous-node hierarchical grouping scheme [11]. The former gives a > 1% failed request rate under normal P2P conditions and a prototype of the latter a similar rate under more strenuous conditions with an order of magnitude more organizational messages. This analysis suggests several methods to greatly improve the prototype.


Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is shown to be a sensitive metallurgical characterization technique for metastable phase development during early stage aging of the high purity experimental alloy Al(1.05Cu 1.7Mg) (at.%). It is shown, using 63Cu NMR and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), how room temperature structural evolution proceeds in Al(1.05Cu 1.7Mg) prepared in the form of supersaturated solid solution. The combination of NMR and PALS allows identification of solute aggregate chemistry and defect kinetics during natural aging. Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatsky (GPB) zone formation is detected by NMR within 0.5 h of quench, and the percentage of Cu atoms in GPB zones increases to ~80% within 50 h at room temperature, with the residual 20% of Cu atoms remaining in solid solution. The formation of GPB zones corresponds with the Vickers hardness, in fact the hardness is shown to directly depend on the amount of total Cu partitioned to GPB zones. The vacancy kinetics, as measured by PALS, show an exponential decay in time following the quench with the majority of decay complete within 50 h supporting the notion that early stage hardening by GPB zone formation is controlled by defect concentration and availability.


We propose a method for generating paraphrases of English questions that retain the original intent but use a different surface form. Our model combines a careful choice of training objective with a principled information bottleneck, to induce a latent encoding space that disentangles meaning and form. We train an encoder-decoder model to reconstruct a question from a paraphrase with the same meaning and an exemplar with the same surface form, leading to separated encoding spaces. We use a Vector-Quantized Variational Autoencoder to represent the surface form as a set of discrete latent variables, allowing us to use a classifier to select a different surface form at test time. Crucially, our method does not require access to an external source of target exemplars. Extensive experiments and a human evaluation show that we are able to generate paraphrases with a better tradeoff between semantic preservation and syntactic novelty compared to previous methods.


Inspired by the potential interesting ideas of the danger theory, a novel security evaluation paradigm for network security, it is called DTPSE, is proposed in this paper. Within DTPSE, computer network attacks are regarded as bacterium, which are dangerous, and induce danger signals through simulating cells undergoing injury, or stress or 'bad cell death'; the network evaluation centre can dynamically aware the security risk by fusion the danger signals received from host-based sensors. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed paradigm is feasible. Thus, it provides a novel solution to information security risk assessment.


The paper argues that local government autonomy in Nigeria is attainable on the platforms of democratic imperative (local self-governance); legal/administrative competence; financial innovativeness and responsibility. This paper interrogates and affirms the nexus between decentralisation and local government, zeroing-in on devolution as the taxonomy for guaranteeing autonomy, and ultimately leading to grassroots development. As a qualitative study with reliance on secondary sources of data, the utilisation of Development Theory (in Local Government Studies) as framework for textual analysis of issues/themes, illuminated the discussion, conclusion and recommendations. Findings reveal that constitutional ambivalence, defective federal practice, intergovernmental relations and institutional weaknesses have in several ways stymied local government autonomy and inhibited the developmental roles of local governments in Nigeria. The suggestions proffered are capable of addressing the gaps and problems identified.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of resistance training on body composition and active matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) on biceps and gastrocnemius muscles in rats with high fat diet. We evaluated 32 Wistar rats divided into four experimental groups (n=8/each) according to diet and exercise status: Control Group (C; standard diet), Obese Control Group [C-Ob; hiperlipidic diet (30% of fat)], Resistance Exercise (RE; standard diet) and Resistance Exercise Obese (RE-Ob; hiperlipidic diet). After weaning (day 21), animals were subjected to the experimental diet according to their groups during 24 weeks. A 12-week strength-training period was used, during which the animals climbed a 1.1-m vertical ladder with weights attached to their tails. The sessions were performed three times/week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with 4–9 climbs/session and 8–12 dynamic movements/climb with two rest minutes. Resistance training induced a significant reduction in body mass, fat mass, fat percentage in group RE (p < 0,05). Resistance training increased the activity of MMP-2 on bicpes and gastrocnemius muscle (p < 0,05), favoring thus the tissue remodeling in both groups trained. Finally, the carrying load trained both groups was not statistically different, however, the relative strength (carrying load/body weight) was statistically higher in group RE (p < 0,05). Resistance training promoted significant changes in body composition, MMP-2 activity in the biceps and gastrocnemius and the relative strength. Thus resistance training may be a strategy to minimize the deleterious effects induced by consumption of a high fat diet and the co-morbidities associated with obesity in skeletal muscle.


To determine current immunosuppression regimens and strategies for acute cellular rejection in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients after liver transplantation (LT), questionnaires were sent to 264 LT programs worldwide. Surveys from 81 programs were reviewed. In 27 centers (33.8%) the immunosuppression protocol used in HCV differed from non‐HCV patients. Tacrolimus‐based immunosuppression is utilized in 70 centers (86.42%). Triple therapy using tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and steroids is the most common regimen (41%). Six programs (7.4%) use steroid‐free protocols. In nine centers (11%) steroids are discontinued within a week, 56% within 3 months, and 98% within the first year. At 75% of centers, mild rejection is treated by increasing baseline immunosuppression. Moderate rejection is treated by increasing baseline immunosuppression in 38% of centers, steroid bolus in 44%, and either in 16%. For severe rejection, 46% of centers give bolus steroid, and 16% administer antibodies. Among respondents, non‐US programs use significantly more cyclosporine than US programs (35.6% vs. 2.8%, P < 0.001). Duration of steroid therapy is significantly shorter in US programs than non‐US (10.8 vs. 29.4 weeks, P < 0.001). There is no consensus regarding the best immunosuppressive regimen and rejection treatments in HCV patients after LT. Our results reveal the most prevalent management practices in this difficult group of patients.


The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of canine ectoparasite infestation in pet dogs from the Shiraz area of southern Iran, with no known exposure to insecticides. In all, 160 dogs were examined for ectoparasites in each of the 4 seasons and samples were collected. The most common ectoparasite was Ctenocephalides canis, which infested 22 of the 160 dogs. Pulex irritans was identified on 2 of the dogs and 142 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were found on 13 dogs. Trichodectes canis was observed on 2 dogs and 8 dogs had Hippobosca flies, which were seen mostly in spring. All superficial skin scrapes for mite detection were negative. A significant correlation was observed between increases in temperature and decreases in humidity, and increased ectoparasite infestation (r = 0.26; P = 0.001 and r = 0.23; P = 0.004, respectively). The number of dogs infested with ectoparasites in summer and spring was significantly higher than in winter (P = 0.007).


: Tolerance is defined as "the difference between the maximum and minimum dimensions that can be allowed in terms of product functionality." Company A, a steel manufacturer, follows the textbooks in presetting and managing tolerances so that its processes can flow seamlessly without any adjustments, as long as conditions remain within the range of tolerance. However, tolerance stack-up risk has been observed in the production of high-grade products such as automotive steel sheets because the quality measurements have approached the tolerance limits in several consecutive processes even though the said measurements have stayed within the tolerance range (which means that the products are not classified as defective). On the other hand, Company B (also a steel manufacturer) has been successful in managing tolerance through a method that is entirely different from the textbook model by having its Integrated Quality Control Group adjust the tolerances between processes and adopting strict controls that almost amount to integrated management.


In childhood, mental health problems primarily consist of behaviour and emotional problems. These affect one in every seven children (i.e. 200 000 in Australia). Left untreated, up to 50% of preschool problems continue through the childhood years. Because of their high prevalence, population-based approaches will be needed to reduce their associated burden. The aim of the present study was therefore to identify evidence-based preventive interventions for behavioural and emotional problems of children aged 0–8 years. Randomized controlled trials of preventive interventions for behavioural and emotional problems were located by searching standard clinical databases and systematic reviews. The authors determined which programmes were effective and ineffective, dividing the effective programmes into those with high or low risk of trial bias. Among effective programmes, the most promising for delivery in Australian contexts were identified, selected for their strength of evidence, sample comparability to Australia's population, and programme compatibility with Australia's service system. Around 50 preventive interventions have been evaluated in randomized controlled trials. Most targeted children's behavioural problems, and a few targeted emotional problems. Three US programmes have the best balance of evidence: in infancy, the individual Nurse Home Visitation Programme; at preschool age, the individual Family Check Up; at school age, the Good Behaviour Game class programme. Three parenting programmes in England and Australia are also worthy of highlight: the Incredible Years group format, Triple P individual format, and Parent Education Programme group format. Effective preventive interventions exist primarily for behaviour and, to a lesser extent, emotional problems, and could be disseminated from research to mainstream in Australia, ensuring fidelity to original programmes. Future research should develop programmes targeting emotional problems, and replicate effective programmes for behaviour problems in quality population translation trials. Randomized trial methods in staged roll-outs can determine population cost–benefits for children's mental health without delaying dissemination.


Background: Clinical practice is a vital part of nursing education, and highly valued by student nurses. From a student perspective, the clinical environment can be perceived as stressful and not welcoming. Therefore, the relationship between the student and the instructor is fundamental to the learning process. Peer learning offers students the opportunity to learn from each other. Moreover, it was suggested that academic involvement and interaction with faculty and fellow students increases the time and physical and psychological energy that students devote to the academic experience. The positive effects of peer learning have been described as increased cognitive skills, self-confidence, autonomy, clinical skills and reasoning are highlighted. Furthermore, and perhaps more difficult to evaluate in other educational models, are increased self-evaluating skills, collaborative- and leadership abilities, critical thinking and the opportunity to share the experiences of a fellow student without the immediate interference of the preceptor. Aim : The study aimed to compare the effect of using peer learning versus traditional learning on the clinical performance of critical care nursing students. Methods: The study was conducted at the critical and emergency care nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Damanhour University using an experimental comparative design. 100 nursing students enrolled in the third year were selected randomly to participate in this study. These were divided into two groups randomly. - Group I (study group): consisted of 50 students who were similarly assigned into 10 subgroups of 5 students each and they were learned by their colleagues. Group II (control group) included the other 50 students who were similarly assigned to 2 skill labs in subgroups of 25 students each. Results: The finding of the current study indicates significantly better performance scores among peer learning group. This study revealed that the majority of the study group students were positively satisfied as regarding peer learning. Moreover, the  majority of the students in peer group stated that being taught by their peer increases interaction and collaboration with other students, they can communicate more freely with their peer than with their clinical instructor they don't feel freer to approach the instructor for help than their peer . However, they agreed that the feedback they received from their peers is more helpful and they learn more from their peer than from their clinical instructor. Furthermore, they expressed their belief that peer learning experience was worth the time spent and students felt more comfortable when the performance is being assessed by their peer. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm the results of the previous studies, emphasizing numerous positive effects of peer learning methods in the academic environment. The results of this study also suggest that peer-assisted learning increases the confidence, reduces anxiety and affects the development of students' future responsibilities. Therefore, the study recommends more utilization of this approach in nursing education, with training workshops aimed at changing the attitude of nurse educators towards the use of more innovative models of active learning such as peer learning. Keywords: Peer learning, peer tutoring, traditional method, nursing students, clinical performance.


OBJECTIVE
to report the preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules with the placement of a guidewire oriented by Computed Tomography.

METHODS
the nodules were marked using a needle in the shape of a hook or another in the shape of a Q, guided by tomography. The choice of the location for the marking was the shortest distance from the chest wall to the nodule. The marking procedure was performed under local anesthesia and a tomographic control was obtained immediately at the end. Patients were referred to the operating room. Surgical resection occurred less than two hours after the needle placement.

RESULTS
between February 2017 and October 2019, 22 patients aged 43 to 82 years (mean 62.1) were included. The nodules had diameters that varied from 4 to 30 mm and the distance between the nodules and the pleural surface varied from 2 to 43 mm. The location and resection of the nodules were successfully performed in all cases. The guidewire was displaced in five cases. Five patients presented pneumothorax, with the space between the visceral and parietal pleura varying from 2 to 19 mm. In nine patients, an intraparenchymal hematoma of 6 to 35 mm in length was observed without signs, symptoms, or hemodynamic and ventilatory repercussions. The histopathological study was conclusive in all patients.

CONCLUSIONS
the localization of pulmonary nodules through guidewires proved to be safe, reliable, and feasible in this series of cases. There was no need for surgical intervention to treat complications.


BACKGROUND
The chief resident plays an important role in family practice residencies and is positioned at the nexus of the relationship between the faculty and the residents. It is unknown if program directors and their respective chief residents view this position and the role of training and faculty development similarly.

METHODS
Parallel surveys were sent to all family practice residency program directors and their respective chief residents to explore their perceptions of the importance of the tasks and roles of the chief resident and the effects that perceived training, feedback, and support have on the chief resident's satisfaction.

RESULTS
Fifty-one percent of chief residents and their program directors returned surveys that could be analyzed in parallel. Program directors placed relatively greater importance on the administrative role of chiefs. Mentioned most frequently as problems were balancing administrative duties with other tasks, dealing with personnel issues, and working with the lack of a clear job description. Chiefs who participated in formal training programs and who perceived better burnout prevention were more satisfied with their position.

CONCLUSIONS
A large number of chief residents perceived gaps in the preparation for their position, particularly with regard to administrative skills. These deficiencies are particularly ironic in light of program directors' perceptions that administrative duties are of the highest importance among the tasks assigned to chief residents. Faculty development strategies and a program of burnout prevention for chief residents should be incorporated into each residency.


Emotions are pure human psychological phenomena. An employee is critically affected by their behaviors in the workplace. An employee's emotions and overall temperament have a significant impact on his job performance, decision making skills, team spirit, and leadership and turnover. What employees feel and how they express their emotions affects their performance. Emotions directly influence decision making, creativity and interpersonal relations. This research study analyzes the effects of emotions on employees' job performance and investigates the relationship between anger, interest, and trust of an individual in the work place with job performance. Results showed that emotions in the workplace were considered important in relation to employees' well being and job satisfaction only. Anger often leads to aggressions towards colleagues while sadness leads to dissatisfaction with the job. An emotion like anger, interest trust is not instantaneous, nor is it prolonged like a mood; rather emotion is a brief episode of synchronized changes in mind and body which directly effects the employee's performance.


Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) is performed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to provide a wide range of analytical data ranging from crystallographic orientation studies, to phase identification to grain size measurements. The specimen's plane of polish is oriented at a steep angle, about 72°, to horizontal. While a diffraction pattern can be obtained in less than a second, image quality is improved by utilizing a longer scan time. Grain mapping, however, requires development of diffraction patterns at each pixel in the field and is a much slower process. The quality of the diffraction pattern, which influences the confidence of the indexing of the diffraction pattern, depends upon removal of damage in the lattice due to specimen preparation. Some researchers claim that removal of this damage can only be obtained using electrolytic polishing. This text, however, demonstrates that the use of modern mechanical preparation methods, equipment and consumables does yield excellent quality diffraction patterns without use of dangerous electrolytes and the problems associated with electropolishing. Basically, if mechanical preparation results in quality polarized light images of non-cubic crystal structure elements and alloys (e.g., Sb, Be, Hf, α-Ti, Zn, Zr), or color tint etching of cubic, or non-cubic crystal structure elements or alloys produces high-quality color images, then the surface is free of harmful residual preparation damage and EBSD patterns with high pattern quality indexes will be obtained.


Deoxyribonucleic acid from a streptomycin-resistant mutant of Pasteurella novicida transformed portions of P. novicida streptomycin-sensitive populations to streptomycin-resistant. Similarly, mutants auxotrophic for tryptophan or purine biosynthesis were also transformed to nutritional independence.


The management of early Parkinson's disease (PD) involves the treatment of motor symptoms, and, increasingly, non-motor symptoms. Given the fast pace of clinical research in PD, clinicians are faced with the challenge of integrating the latest findings into the ongoing care of individual PD patients. Part 1 of this 2-part article reviews efficacy and safety data for the newest PD treatment options, as well as for established therapies. Part 2 of the article, presented here, reviews key data relevant to the assessment of potential neuroprotective therapies and the treatment of non-motor symptoms.


Part I of this Note introduces the problem of removal of non-US citizens with HIV/AIDS in the United States to countries where treatment is unavailable, and discusses case law in which the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have recognized a protection from removal that would terminate HIV/AIDS treatment. Part II examines the US domestic legal protections potentially available to non-US citizens in the United States whose removal will terminate their HIV/AIDS treatment, as well as the application of each of these legal protections to those with HIV/AIDS contesting deportation to countries lacking adequate access to HIV/AIDS treatment. Part III argues that while legal protections available to non-US citizens in this situation have proven inadequate, the United States may expand US domestic law to prohibit removal terminating HIV/AIDS treatment. The United States may also apply the American Declaration consistently with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights case law, or recognize a customary international law that compels their protection under the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment or treatment. PROTECTING NON-US CITIZENS FROM REMOVAL TERMINATING HIV/AIDS


An In-Depth, Practical Guide to GPGPU Programming Using Direct3D 11 GPGPU Programming for Games and Science demonstrates how to achieve the following requirements to tackle practical problems in computer science and software engineering: Robustness Accuracy Speed Quality source code that is easily maintained, reusable, and readable The book primarily addresses programming on a graphics processing unit (GPU) while covering some material also relevant to programming on a central processing unit (CPU). It discusses many concepts of general purpose GPU (GPGPU) programming and presents practical examples in game programming and scientific programming. The author first describes numerical issues that arise when computing with floating-point arithmetic, including making trade-offs among robustness, accuracy, and speed. He then shows how single instruction multiple data (SIMD) extensions work on CPUs since GPUs also use SIMD. The core of the book focuses on the GPU from the perspective of Direct3D 11 (D3D11) and the High Level Shading Language (HLSL). This chapter covers drawing 3D objects; vertex, geometry, pixel, and compute shaders; input and output resources for shaders; copying data between CPU and GPU; configuring two or more GPUs to act as one; and IEEE floating-point support on a GPU. The book goes on to explore practical matters of programming a GPU, including code sharing among applications and performing basic tasks on the GPU. Focusing on mathematics, it next discusses vector and matrix algebra, rotations and quaternions, and coordinate systems. The final chapter gives several sample GPGPU applications on relatively advanced topics. Web ResourceAvailable on a supporting website, the authors fully featured Geometric Tools Engine for computing and graphics saves you from having to write a large amount of infrastructure code necessary for even the simplest of applications involving shader programming. The engine provides robust and accurate source code with SIMD when appropriate and GPU versions of algorithms when possible.


Brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) are excellent laboratories for the study of galaxy evolution in dense Mpc-scale environments. We used the IRAM-30 m to observe, in CO(1→0), CO(2→1), CO(3→2), or CO(4→3), 18 BCGs at z ∼ 0.2 − 0.9 drawn from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey. Our sample includes RX1532, which is our primary target as it is among the BCGs with the highest star formation rate (SFR ≳100 M⊙ yr−1) in the CLASH sample. We unambiguously detected both CO(1→0) and CO(3→2) in RX1532, yielding a large reservoir of molecular gas, MH2 = (8.7 ± 1.1)×1010 M⊙, and a high level of excitation, r31 = 0.75 ± 0.12. A morphological analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope I-band image of RX1532 reveals the presence of clumpy substructures both within and outside the half-light radius re = (11.6 ± 0.3) kpc, similarly to those found independently both in ultraviolet and in Hα in previous works. We tentatively detected CO(1→0) or CO(2→1) in four other BCGs, with molecular gas reservoirs in the range of MH2 = 2 × 1010 − 11 M⊙. For the remaining 13 BCGs, we set robust upper limits of MH2/M⋆ ≲ 0.1, which are among the lowest molecular-gas-to-stellar-mass ratios found for distant ellipticals and BCGs. In comparison with distant cluster galaxies observed in CO, our study shows that RX1532 (MH2/M⋆ = 0.40 ± 0.05) belongs to the rare population of star-forming and gas-rich BCGs in the distant universe. By using the available X-ray based estimates of the central intra-cluster medium entropy, we show that the detection of large reservoirs of molecular gas MH2 ≳ 1010 M⊙ in distant BCGs is possible when the two conditions are met: (i) high SFR and (ii) low central entropy, which favors the condensation and the inflow of gas onto the BCGs themselves, similarly to what has been previously found for some local BCGs.


Conducting meetings using Group Decision Support System (GDSS) applications, as a method for brainstorming and decision-making sessions in organizations, has not yet been disseminated and adopted by the majority of either businesses or public sectors. Observations and statistics from the field indicate that organizations have scant interest or no perception at all of this approach for decision-making process. This paper is devoted to investigate the reasons behind the lack of GDSS supported meetings' adoption and, therefore, dissemination by both private and public organizations. It, also, suggests solutions for overcoming challenges encountering GDSS supported meetings' industry. The paper reports on the results of a field study of 22 semi-structured intensive interviews conducted with users of GDSS meeting software, experienced facilitators, technical support experts and managers of GDSS meeting facilities. The research took place in real business environmental settings with interviewees whom used 'FacilitatePro', 'MeetingSphere' and "Spilter" GDSS meeting software. Keywords: Group Decision Support Systems; Competitive Strategies; Marketing. JEL Classifications: C44, D7, M31


This paper joins an effort to build a relational approach to law practice by testing mimicry as a vehicle for building trust in a legal context. Mimicry research indicates that this phenomenon leads to benefits, like greater trust, willingness to help, and satisfaction from interactions, which shows a potential for practical applications in, for example, a legal context. In two experiments conducted in the natural setting of a legal company, the tendency to trust the mimicker on a yet unresearched and deep level, namely putting one's legal future and security in the hands of an attorney, was measured. Both experiments consistently showed a greater tendency to give legal representation to an attorney when she verbally (Experiment #1) as well as both verbally and nonverbally (Experiment #2) mimicked the client. This paper explores the potential of applying mimicry in a legal service environment, focusing on fostering cooperation in professional conversations. Furthermore, the study contributes to the existing literature on mimicry by examining its effect on trust. Possible dangers, future studies and limitations are also discussed.


The new legislation attempting to prevent predatory lending to military service members went into effect in October 2007. While the new rules are a step in the right direction, regulations adopted by the Pentagon do not apply the new usury limit to either banks in general or credit cards in particular. It is unclear whether the thousands of payday lender locations doing business near the gates of military bases will close up shop, offer loans within the legal limit, or search for loopholes in the new regulations that would allow business as usual. For those who hope for civilized limits on commerce with service members and veterans, it remains to be seen whether Congress has succeeded in removing the target from the backs of our nation's military community.


This paper analyzes the effects of aid on health of people in Sub-Saharan African Countries. Used as health indicators for infant mortality rate, crude mortality rate and HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, this analysis uses panel data for a sample of 43 countries over the period of 1990 to 2014. Through assessing the effect of aid on reducing mortality and HIV prevalence, the article examines a central issue with regard to the new global development agenda: Can we still promote health through increased aid? The results tend to show that aid significantly reduces crude mortality and infant mortality rates and HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. They do not validate the presence of decreasing marginal returns. However, the impact of aid on health indicators is not linear. This non-linearity suggests that aid is more effective in reducing mortality and HIV prevalence in relatively poorest countries and in those with relatively lower health expenditure. Thus, health promotion in sub-Saharan African countries through increased aid is possible.


Purpose: Initial briefs (programs) were examined in order to obtain an overview of current practice in documenting the briefing process for new health care buildings in Sweden.
Methodology: An audit instrument was developed and used to examine briefs for the content and quality of information and to determine whether and to what extent the information was comprehensive and patient oriented.

Findings: The results indicate that few strategic briefs make use of evidence to support their statements. Moreover, few briefs had an explicitly patient-focused goal for the project or measurable outcomes.

Implication for practice: This new audit approach can be applied in various organisations and over time to improve the briefing process and create clearer goals and guidelines.

Originality/value: The present study contributes with an audit of written briefs. The question of whether the use of briefing and a systematic brief make a significant contribution to the high quality of design solutions remains unanswered, as is also the case of whether the brief, in general, reflects the briefing process. Despite the recent focus on improving the quality of the briefing process, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the documentation resulting from the briefing process. Studies are needed that employ different approaches in order to accept or reject the assumption that the briefs are an accurate reflection of the briefing process.


Background: Aflatoxin exposure has been shown to cause cell-mediated immune suppression and enhance HIV viral replication. Such immune suppression from aflatoxin can impair resistance to both infectious diseases and chronic infections. Methods: Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a test for trend for opportunistic infections OI) among 141 HIV positive Ghanaians based on quartiles of aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct levels (AF-ALB) were calculated. Findings: HRs were significantly higher for developing symptomatic TB (HR 3.30, 95% CI 1.34–8.11) for those in the highest AF-ALB quartile compared to the lowest. Significantly higher HRs were not observed for other infections investigated. Conclusions: Those with the highest levels AF-ALB from dietary intake have an increased hazard of symptomatic TB but not malaria, HBV, or pneumonia.


Soybean suspension cell cultures were treated by H2O2 or nitric oxide (NO), to assess the mechanism leading to programmed cell death (PCD). Hydrogen peroxide (5 mM) induced PCD. Cells become necrotic at 20 mM H2O2, with cells exhibiting intermediate hallmarks before that (necrapoptotic cells). The level of ATP and of glucose-6-phosphate remained constant in cells undergoing PCD, while it decreased significantly in the necrotic ones. Mitochondria, isolated from 5 mM H2O2treated (apoptotic) cells, showed that succinatedependent oxygen consumption was slightly uncoupled, and the electrical potential difference (DW) weakly decreased. The addition of KCl to the DW formed determined a partial dissipation, which was higher than the dissipation observed in mitochondria from control cells. The addition of cyclosporin A (CsA) to deenergized mitochondria also induced DW formation, due to a K 1 efflux from the matrix, which was decreased in mitochondria from treated cells. The same pattern of response was also observed in mitochondria isolated from 1 mM sodium nitroprusside (NO)-treated cells, exhibiting apoptotic symptoms. In mitochondria isolated from 20 mM H2O2-treated (necrotic) cells, succinate-dependent oxygen consumption was completely uncoupled, DW generation significantly inhibited, and CsA-dependent DW formation prevented. In addition, mitochondria isolated from control cells still underwent swelling, which was partially or completely prevented in mitochondria isolated from apoptotic or necrotic cells, respectively. The moderate swelling was accompanied by a slight rupture of the outer membrane and by a release of cytochrome c. These results point to the involvement of a K 1 ATP channel during the manifestation of PCD induced by H2O2 or NO in plants.


The charging-discharging behavior of lithium/LiClO/sub 4//polypyrrole battery was found to show a different dependence on the thickness of a polypyrrole film cathode prepared at various polymerization potentials. Lithium batteries constructed with a polypyrrole cathode formed at a higher potential show better charging-discharging performance characteristics than those with a film prepared at a lower potential. The electrode kinetics of electrochemically prepared polypyrrole were investigated in an attempt to clarify the interesting dependence of the behavior of Li/polypyrrole battery on the thickness of polypyrrole cathode as a function of formation potential. A potential step chronoamperometry, together with an ac impedance measurement, has evidenced that there is a strong relationship between the doping charges and the apparent diffusion coefficients of polypyrrole electrodes. In practice, the battery performance of Li/LiClO/sub 4//polypyrrole cells was examined by varying the current density. The upper limit of the current density at which the coulombic yield in the charging-discharging curves remains at 100% was found for both thin and thick films of 1 and 5 C cm/sup -2/ film formation charges.


The evaluation of the clinical outcome of patients enrolled in randomised controlled studies should always be accurate and objective. The methods used to assess and report patients' results must consequently be indicated a priori in the design of the clinical experimentation. Major (hard) individual end points currently constitute the gold standard in the definition of outcome measures, yet surrogate and composite end points are spreading diffusely as alternative/complementary outcome measures. Surrogate end points are minor outcome measures that are easier to record and are being adopted instead of major end points. They may be considered acceptable substitutes of hard end points when capable of predicting major events reliably, and when it may be demonstrated that the intervention on such surrogate end points consistently modifies the incidence of the event. In other cases they cannot represent predictive elements of major clinical outcomes. Composite (combined) primary end points may contribute to improve the statistical precision of a clinical trial; moreover, since clinical trials are particularly expensive, their identification permits more limited samples of patients to be enrolled. Their limits include the possibility that the direction in which the different outcome measures composing the combined end point are modified is not the same. Biomedical researchers are called upon to design studies adopting major (hard) end points, rather than solitary surrogate end points, in order to provide really useful information for the care of patients. The selection of composite end points requires notable methodological attention so as to retrieve the most reliable estimates on the efficacy and the effectiveness of treatments.


Repeating earthquakes provide a novel way of monitoring how stresses load faults between large earthquakes. In this thesis, we develop a method and composite criterion for identifying repeating earthquakes in New Zealand and present New Zealand's first long-duration repeating earthquake catalogue. This thesis addresses three primary objectives: (1) develop a method and composite criterion for identifying repeating earthquakes; (2) build a long-duration catalogue of repeating earthquakes for the Raukumara Peninsula; and (3) apply the method and composite criterion in different tectonic settings to investigate whether it can be applied more broadly elsewhere in New Zealand. The systematic identification of repeating earthquakes in New Zealand provides the first step in being able to monitor the state of stresses of New Zealand's active faults in situ throughout the earthquake cycle.  Studies elsewhere, particularly in Japan and California, have developed case-specific criteria for identifying repeating earthquakes. Building on these studies, we develop a method and composite criterion for identifying repeating earthquakes in New Zealand, focusing on seismicity around the Raukumara Peninsula. Our composite criterion states that for events to be identified as repeating earthquakes, two or more events must have a normalised cross-correlation of at least 0.95 at two or more seismic stations, when calculated for 75% of the earthquake coda. Sensitivity to correlation window length, filtering frequency-band and correlation threshold were tested during the development of the composite criterion. These tests indicated that small perturbations to the parameter thresholds did not affect our ability to detect repeating earthquakes using the composite criterion.  By applying our composite criterion to seismicity around the Raukumara Peninsula, we identified 62 repeating earthquake families occurring between 2003 and 2018, consisting of 160 individual earthquakes. These families have a magnitude range of MW 1.5–4.5, and have recurrence intervals and family durations of < 1–12 years. High-precision absolute and relative locations were calculated using manual phase picks and cross-correlation re-picking. Focal mechanisms for 56 of the families were also determined, using P-wave first motions, revealing predominantly strike-slip and normal faulting at shallow depths, low-angle reverse faulting along the subduction interface, and normal faulting in the subducting plate. We compared the timing of the repeating earthquakes to slow-slip events previously identified using geodetic measurements around the Raukumara Peninsula and observed that repeating earthquakes occurred during 26 of the 31 identified periods of slow-slip. We also compared the seismic moment– recurrence interval relationship of the Raukumara Peninsula repeating earthquakes to that of earthquakes near Parkfield, California, identified by Nadeau and Johnson (1998), and observed a similar functional relationship. Slip-rates of the Raukumara Peninsula repeating earthquake families were also calculated using a slip-rate–moment relationship and were found to vary from < 10mm/yr to 80mm/yr.  We applied the method and composite criterion developed for the Raukumara Peninsula to two other locations to ensure it could be applied successfully in other New Zealand regions with different seismotectonic characteristics. Using our workflow, we successfully identified four families in Marlborough, and three families around Fiordland. These families differ from those identified around the Raukumara Peninsula in that they had relatively short recurrence intervals and family durations, of 2 minutes– 15 months. The ability of the composite criterion to identify these families confirms its suitability for further studies of repeating earthquakes throughout New Zealand.


Background: Due to multiple drug resistance against antimicrobial drugs for treatment of infectious disease, investigations to discovering new antibacterial compounds from natural sources have been designated. Objective: According to antimicrobial effects of some Capparis species, this study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the extract and fractions of Capparis cartilaginea and Capparis mucronifolia against 6 bacterial strains. Methods: Aerial parts of the Capparis species were extracted by maceration method using methanol and fractionated separately by liquid-liquid fractionation method. The antibacterial activity of the extract and fractions were studied against 6 bacterial strains using MIC microplate method. Total flavonoid content (TFC) of the extracts and fractions was determined using AlCl3 reagent. Results: The total extract and methanolic fractions of C. mucronifolia were the most effective fractions against the bacterial strains. Methanolic fraction of C. cartilaginea was the most effective fraction with MIC 10.42 µg/ml against Salmonella enterica. The highest antibacterial activity of C.mucronifolia was against Staphylococcus epidermidis with MIC 7.8 µg/ml. Methanolic fractions of Capparis species showed the highest TFC value in AlCl3 colorimetric assay. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the extracts and fractions of Capparis cartilaginea and Capparis mucronifolia have antimicrobial effect against 6 gram positive and gram negative strains. According to the high amount of flavonoids in methanolic fraction of C. mucronifolia, the antibacterial activity may be related to the flavonoid compounds of this plant.


Under multicriteria situations, we define a power mensuration rule and its efficient extension by applying maximal-utilities among level (decision) vectors. We also adopt some axiomatic results to present the rationalities for these two rules. Based on the notions of reduced game and excess function respectively, we introduce different formulation and dynamic results for the efficient extension.


Development of new shallot varieties requires genetic variation of the germplasm. However, information on genetic diversity of local shallot in Indonesia is still lacking. This study was aimed to analyze the genetic diversity of shallot based on morphological characters and ISSR markers for management of genetic resource and breeding program in Indonesia. This study was conducted during October 2014 to September 2015. The 34-shallot genotypes were collected from several regions in Indonesia in the form of the bulb. Twenty four morphological markers and 13 ISSR primers were used in this research. The informative characters to analyze genetic diversity of shallot were foliage cracking, bulb number and bulb morphological characters. ISSR markers generated 103 DNA polymorphic band with the total of 89.57% and the informative primers were ISSRred 4, ISSRred 9 and ISSRred 20. Both morphological and ISSR markers showed 27% genetic diversity and grouped all genotypes into two main groups; however the grouping did not relate to the geographic origin. The largest bulb diameter of 7.54 cm was obtained from Bangkok variety and the highest number of bulb per clump of 27 bulb/clump was produced by the genotype from Pekanbaru. These genotypes can be used as potential parents for shallot breeding program in Indonesia. Keywords: genetic diversity, ISSR markers, morphological characters, shallot


We introduce a query-driven approach (qMIL) to multi-instance learning where the queries aim to uncover the class labels embodied in a given bag of instances. Specifically, it solves a multi-instance multi-label learning (MIML) problem with a more challenging setting than the conventional one. Each MIML bag in our formulation is annotated only with a binary label indicating whether the bag contains the instance of a certain class and the query is specified by the word2vec of a class label/name. To learn a deep-net model for qMIL, we construct a network component that achieves a generalized compatibility measure for query-visual co-embedding and yields proper instance attentions to the given query. The bag representation is then formed as the attention-weighted sum of the instances' weights, and passed to the classification layer at the end of the network. In addition, the qMIL formulation is flexible for extending the network to classify unseen class labels, leading to a new technique to solve the zero-shot MIML task through an iterative querying process. Experimental results on action classification over video clips and three MIML datasets from MNIST, CIFAR10 and Scene are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.


The process and pitfalls of multichip module (MCM) design, including the constraints, tradeoffs, figures of merit, and considerations which make MCM design a unique interdisciplinary challenge are discussed. The MCM must provide the proper operating environment for the chips it contains. It must also fit the constraints of the system in which it is contained. It must be manufacturable, testable, and repairable. The many aspects of MCM design are described, starting with system benefits, then system and MCM partitioning, chip environment, system constraints, and infrastructure/manufacturing issues. >


A time-dependent finite element model was used to reconstruct the advance of ice from a late Glacial dome on northern Quebec/Labrador across Hudson Strait to Meta Incognita Peninsula (Baffin Island) and subsequently to the 9.9–9.6 ka 14C Gold Cove position on Hall Peninsula. Terrestrial geological and geophysical information from Quebec and Labrador was used to constrain initial and boundary conditions, and the model results are compared with terrestrial geological information from Baffin Island and considered in the context of the marine event DC-0 and the Younger Dryas cooling. We conclude that advance across Hudson Strait from Ungava Bay to Baffin Island is possible using realistic glacier physics under a variety of reasonable boundary conditions. Production of ice flux from a dome centered on northeastern Quebec and Labrador sufficient to deliver geologically inferred ice thickness at Gold Cove (Hall Peninsula) appears to require extensive penetration of sliding south from Ungava Bay. The discharge of ice into the ocean associated with advance and retreat across Hudson Strait does not peak at a time coincident with the start of the Younger Dryas and is less than minimum values proposed to influence North Atlantic thermohaline circulation; nevertheless, a significant fraction of freshwater input to the North Atlantic may have been provided abruptly and at a critical time by this event.


Due to the accelerated trend of transferring most of the activities to contracting companies, the rate of indicators related to occupational accidents has grown alarmingly and has led to the discussion of evaluating and selecting construction contractors in terms of health. Safety and the environment are of paramount importance. The presented model was performed by analyzing quantitative studies as well as completing a specific questionnaire and field surveys, and the sample size was determined to be 252 with a 95% confidence level and a 5% error probability. The test method was performed using Cameo and Bartlett test and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of the present study indicate that the highest intensity of impact is related to the human resources criterion and the lowest intensity is related to the planning criterion. The proposed model can meet the growing need of organizations for a comprehensive model of evaluation and selection of contractors.


Abstract The Monte Carlo program PENEPMA performs simulations of X-ray emission from samples bombarded with both electron and photon beams. It is based on the general-purpose Monte Carlo simulation package PENELOPE, an elaborate system for the simulation of coupled electron-photon transport in arbitrary materials, and on the geometry subroutine package PENGEOM, which tracks particles through complex material structures defined by quadric surfaces. After a brief description of the interaction models implemented in the simulation subroutines and of the structure and operation of PENEPMA, we provide an overview of the capabilities of the program along with several examples of its application to the modeling of electron probe microanalysis measurements.


Until recently, the standard method for RNA interference (RNAi)-based reverse genetics in plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) was based on the use of long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This increased the chance of off-target gene silencing through interactions between different short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and non-cognate mRNA targets. In this work, we applied gene-specific knockdown of Mg-pat-10 and Mg-unc-87 of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola , using discrete 21 bp siRNAs. The homologue of Mg-pat-10 in C. elegans encodes body wall troponin C, which is essential for muscle contraction, whereas the homologue of Mg-unc-87 encodes two proteins involved in maintenance of the structure of myofilaments in the body wall muscle of C. elegans . The knockdown at the transcript level, as seen by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis, indicates that the Mg-pat-10 gene was silenced after soaking the nematodes in a specific siRNA for 48 h. At 72 h post-soaking, the Mg-pat-10 mRNA level was similar to the control, indicating the recovery of expression between 48 h and 72 h post-soaking. For Mg-unc-87 the nematodes started to recover from siRNA silencing 24 h after thorough washing. A migration assay showed that for the nematodes that were soaked in the control (siRNA of β-1,4-endoglucanase), 77% of the nematodes completed migration through the column in a 12 h period. By comparison with the control, nematodes incubated in the siRNA of pat-10 or unc-87 were significantly inhibited in their motility. After 12 h, only 6.3% of the juveniles incubated in the Mg-pat-10 siRNA and 9.3% of those incubated in Mg-unc-87 siRNA had migrated through the column, representing 91.8% and 87.9% inhibition respectively compared to the control. In the present work, we demonstrated that M. graminicola is readily susceptible to siRNAs of two genes involved in nematode motility. This is an important contribution to the progressive use of siRNA for functional analysis. Moreover, the application of RNAi in PPNs opens the way for environmentally friendly control of M. graminicola .


The growth of spring break tourism in many destinations has become problematic, predominantly due to the excessive behaviour of college students. This paper examines residents' attitudes toward spring break tourism in South Padre Island (located in Texas, USA) through the lens of community attachment. By understanding the attitudes of residents of the host communities, tourism planners and policy-makers can create policies to shape the character of tourism according to the residents' needs. The findings suggest that, at this point in time, community residents perceive that the benefits of spring break tourism benefits exceed its' costs. Also, the short and intense season of spring break tourism allows residents to better deal with social costs.


Ultrasonic measurements are used in civil engineering for structural health monitoring of concrete infrastructures. The late portion of the ultrasonic wavefield, the coda, is sensitive to small changes in the elastic moduli of the material. Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) correlates these small changes in the coda with the wavefield recorded in intact, or unperturbed, concrete specimen to reveal the amount of velocity change that occurred. CWI has the potential to detect localized damages and global velocity reductions alike. In this study, the sensitivity of CWI to different types of concrete mesostructures and their damage levels is investigated numerically. Realistic numerical concrete models of concrete specimen are generated, and damage evolution is simulated using the discrete element method. In the virtual concrete lab, the simulated ultrasonic wavefield is propagated from one transducer using a realistic source signal and recorded at a second transducer. Different damage scenarios reveal a different slope in the decorrelation of waveforms with the observed reduction in velocities in the material. Finally, the impact and possible generalizations of the findings are discussed, and recommendations are given for a potential application of CWI in concrete at structural scale.


In the present paper a computational analysis of a confined premixed turbulent methane/air jet flame is presented. In this scope, chemistry is reduced by the use of the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) method [1, 2], and the fluid flow is modeled in a RANS context. In the FGM technique the reaction progress of the flame is generally described by a few control variables, for which a transport equation is solved during runtime. The flamelet system is computed in a pre-processing stage, and a manifold with all the information about combustion is stored in a tabulated form. In the present implementation the reaction evolution is described by the reaction progress variable, the heat loss is described by the enthalpy and the turbulence effect on the reaction is represented by the progress variable variance. The turbulence-chemistry interaction is considered through the use of a presumed pdf approach.A generic lab scale burner for high-velocity preheated jets is used for validation [3, 4]. It consists of a rectangular confinement, and an off-center positioning of the jet nozzle enables flame stabilization by recirculation of hot combustion products. The inlet speed is appropriately high, in order to be close to the blow out limit. Flame structures were visualized by OH* chemiluminescence imaging and planar laser-induced fluorescence of the OH radical. Laser Raman scattering was used to determine concentrations of the major species and the temperature. Velocity fields were measured with particle image velocimetry.The important effect of conductive heat loss to the walls is included in the FGM chemistry reduction method in a RANS context, in order to predict the evolution and description of a turbulent jet flame in high Reynolds number flow conditions. Comparisons of various mean fields (velocities, temperatures) with RANS results are shown. The use of FGM as a combustion model shows that combustion features at gas turbine conditions can be satisfactorily reproduced with a reasonable computational effort.Copyright © 2013 by Siemens Energy, Inc.


The optimal operating conditions for the primary end of an integrated steel plant, which essentially comprises of sintering plant, pelletizing plant, blast furnaces, oxygen steelmaking converters and electric arc furnace, are found through a modern technique of optimization, namely, genetic adaptive search (GAS), and also through classical techniques of simplex search with simulated annealing (ASM) and sequential quadratic programming (SQP). A comparison of these techniques shows that GAS outperforms both the classical methods and obtains the lowest cost solution. Based on this study, it is recommended that GAS be used, in preference to other methods, in complex steel plant optimization problems.


A novel magnetic coupler with large air gap is presented. It is developed for the electric vehicle's automatic inductive charger. The new inductive coupler proposed has sufficient exciting inductance even if it has a large air gap. The calculated exciting inductance is 40 /spl mu/H at 2 turns of winding and 5 mm air gap, which agrees well with the measured value. In order to assess the generation of heat caused by the eddy current, the magnetic flux densities in the inductive charger and also a flat iron plate, to which the inductive charger is attached, are calculated. The conversion efficiency with the coupler and a MOSFET full-bridge inverter of 100 kHz is 97% at 8.3 kW output.


The presentation contains the result of a rheoencephalographic study of 67 sons and daughters of the patients with ischemic stroke of a hemispheric localization. Some rheoencephalographic signs testifying to the presence of a cerebro-vascular deficiency in the relatives of the probands were depicted. The use of nitroglycerin sample permitted to reveal in practically healthy relatives certain REG changes which exceeded the normal limits. These shifts were mainly observed in the elder age group of the investigated individuals (above 40 years). The obtained data can promote detection of those individuals who are predisposed to atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease, and to conduct medico-prophylactic measures in due time.


Generative adversarial networks (GANs) represent a zero-sum game between two machine players, a generator and a discriminator, designed to learn the distribution of data. While GANs have achieved state-of-the-art performance in several benchmark learning tasks, GAN minimax optimization still poses great theoretical and empirical challenges. GANs trained using first-order optimization methods commonly fail to converge to a stable solution where the players cannot improve their objective, i.e., the Nash equilibrium of the underlying game. Such issues raise the question of the existence of Nash equilibrium solutions in the GAN zero-sum game. In this work, we show through several theoretical and numerical results that indeed GAN zero-sum games may not have any local Nash equilibria. To characterize an equilibrium notion applicable to GANs, we consider the equilibrium of a new zero-sum game with an objective function given by a proximal operator applied to the original objective, a solution we call the proximal equilibrium. Unlike the Nash equilibrium, the proximal equilibrium captures the sequential nature of GANs, in which the generator moves first followed by the discriminator. We prove that the optimal generative model in Wasserstein GAN problems provides a proximal equilibrium. Inspired by these results, we propose a new approach, which we call proximal training, for solving GAN problems. We discuss several numerical experiments demonstrating the existence of proximal equilibrium solutions in GAN minimax problems.


How does education mediate the relationship between the co-production of environmental knowledge, and the social reproduction of an alternative society? This article draws upon a political ecology of education framework to analyze how schools advance alternative land management strategies and forms of environmental knowledge. Schools catering to grassroots movements can actualize their emancipatory objectives by institutionalizing hybridized conceptions of educational space-time. This article focuses on a vocational high school in a settlement of the Brazilian Landless Workers' Movement. It analyzes a document known as a 'political pedagogical project' (PPP) which details the identity of the school and how it sees itself as a tool for social and environmental justice. Through an analysis of this PPP, my article explores how the school seeks to educate students to critically reflect upon the relationships between political economic processes and landscape change. The PPP also encourages students to be active participants in the development of a regional agroecological science, and cooperative material relations. From a political ecology of education perspective, activist schools are important sites for the coproduction of environmental knowledge and material relations. They have the potential to help students learn critically about the linkages between power, political economy, and land management. Keywords: Landless Workers Movement; political ecology of education; hybridity, political pedagogical project, agroecology


Bone is a complex natural composite material built of organic and anorganic components and very well adapted to the in vivo loading conditions. The material exhibits an excellent damage resistance under static and fatigue loading conditions. This is partially due to self-healing processes, but to a great extent also to its hierarchical microstructure. The investigation of the deformation behaviour and the damage mechanisms on different length scales gives valuable insight into which level(s) of hierarchy influence the fatigue resistance in which way. In the present work, cyclic deformation tests have been performed on cortical bone specimens. On one hand, stress-strain-hysteresis measurements in different types of tests, such as constant amplitude tests, load increase tests, and combined static and cyclic tests, give information on the active damage mechanisms. For example, changes in the development of the stiffness, non-elastic strain amplitude and non-elastic mean strain as a result of different loading velocities and stress levels allow the discrimination between time and cycle dependent damage mechanisms. These results were correlated with microstructural investigations of the damage development on different hierarchical levels by light and scanning electron microscopy.


The Chernobyl accident was the inevitable outcome of a combination of bad design, bad management and bad communication practices in the Soviet nuclear industry. We review the causes of the accident, its impact on Soviet society, and its effects on the health of the population in the surrounding areas. It appears that the secrecy that was endemic in the USSR has had profound negative effects on both technological safety and public health.


Improved performance in the discrimination of buried threats using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data has recently been achieved using features developed for applications in computer vision. These features, designed to characterize local shape information in images, have been utilized to recognize patches that contain a target signature in two-dimensional slices of GPR data. While these adapted features perform very well in this GPR application, they were not designed to specifically differentiate between target responses and background GPR data. One option for developing a feature specifically designed for target differentiation is to manually design a feature extractor based on the physics of GPR image formation. However, as seen in the historical progression of computer vision features, this is not a trivial task. Instead, this research evaluates the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) applied to two-dimensional GPR data. The benefit of using a CNN is that features extracted from the data are a learned parameter of the system. This has allowed CNN implementations to achieve state of the art performance across a variety of data types, including visual images, without the need for expert designed features. However, the implementation of a CNN must be done carefully for each application as network parameters can cause performance to vary widely. This paper presents results from using CNNs for object detection in GPR data and discusses proper parameter settings and other considerations.


Streptococcus faecalis strain DS-5 has been shown previously to contain three plasmids, pAMalpha1, pAMbeta1, and pAMgamma1. Mixed incubation of DS-5 with strain JH2-2, a plasmid-free S. faecalis recipient, results in the transfer of pAMalpha1 (which determines resistance to tetracycline) and/or pAMgamma1. Analyses of recipients carrying various combinations of these plasmids have revealed the pAMgamma1 codes for toxin (hemolysin) production and two bacteriocin activities. JH2-2 strains carrying both pAMalpha1 and pAMgamma1, or pAMgamma1 only, can donate their plasmids to other recipients, whereas strains carrying only pAMalpha1 cannot serve as donors. This indicates that pAMgamma1 actually mobilizes the otherwise nontransferable pAMalpha1.


We investigated the influence of land-use history on roadside conservation values in a typical agricultural landscape of southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Historical information on the development of rural road reserves was collated from recently digitised 19th and 20th century pastoral and parish maps, such as road-reserve age and original survey width, as well as data relating to locations of old fence lines, county or parish boundaries, previous reserves, stock routes and road re-alignments. Ordinal regression statistics showed that road-reserve age and road width were significant predictors of roadside conservation values. Importantly, analyses showed that the first roads surveyed during the pastoral era (1840–1860s) were often of lower conservation value than roads surveyed in the 1870s, when major clearing of these landscapes commenced. Most roads were surveyed at one-chain width (20.12 m); however, pre-1870s historic roads, traveling stock routes (TSRs) and county or parish boundaries were significantly wider, decisions that have indirectly led to higher present-day conservation values. In separate analyses, historical data also formed a useful model to predict the absence of short-lived shrub species. These results highlight the influence and prevailing imprint of historical land-use on current roadside conservation values.


Abstract:  In this study we analyzed the effect of the (TA)7 polymorphism of the UGT1A gene associated with Gilbert's syndrome in G6PD‐deficient subjects during an acute hemolytic crisis (tabic crisis). DNA from 44 subjects originating from the same geographic area in Sardinia was analyzed for the UGT1A promoter polymorphism. The increase of unconjugated bilirubin level during fabic crisis and its relationship with UGT1A polymorphism was evaluated. The UGT1A (TA)7 TATA box variant was found in 9/44 (21%) of the G6PD deficient subjects examined. The median value for unit of increase of bilirubin (mg/dl)/unit of decrease of hemoglobin (g/dl) was higher in variant homozygous than in heterozygous and normal subjects. These findings imply a contribution of the UGT1A polymorphism associated to Gilbert's syndrome to development of the hyperbilirubinemia in G6PD deficient subjects during acute hemolytic anemia.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of decision support through visualization to increase tactile sensations (physical sensations) of clothing products. Gap and Anthropologie e-commerce Web sites were selected, and 160 participants (80 for Gap and 80 for Anthropologie) took part in this study. For each brand, the 80 participants were divided into two groups. One group assessed the material based on the information presented on the current clothing Web site. The other group had additional visual information on the nature of the clothing material. Both groups completed a -6 item questionnaire on their perception of the clothing material. After this, both groups touched the actual clothing material and rated its characteristics. There was no statistical difference in the material perception for the experimental group between using the Web site with decision support and actually touching the material, whereas for the control group there was a significant difference between them.


31 In the present article, we investigate psychological detachment as a moderator of the positive 32 relationship of self-control demands (SCDs) and indicators of psychological strain. Based on 33 the propositions that a) SCDs are a source of work stress, which draws on and depletes 34 limited regulatory resources, and b) psychological detachment facilitates the recovery of that 35 resource, we expected that psychological detachment attenuates the positive relationships 36 between SCDs and psychological strain (ego depletion, need for recovery, emotional 37 exhaustion and depersonalization). We tested our prediction in two different studies with 38 hierarchical moderated regression analyses. Results of the first study (N= 445) provided 39 strong support for our prediction that psychological detachment buffers the adverse impact of 40 SCDs on strain. In the second study (N=426), we replicated our initial findings and tested the 41 theoretical assertion that psychological detachment is more effective in buffering those 42 stressors that deplete limited regulatory resources (SCDs) in contrast to stressors (job 43 ambiguity), which are considered to cause strain through other mechanisms. Contrastive 44 comparisons of the differential interaction patterns of psychological detachment with 45 stressors that induce self-control efforts and job ambiguity, supported our prediction that 46 psychological detachment is more effective in attenuating the adverse effects of SCDs on 47 psychological strain.


ANTIMICROBIAL agents are usually combined with NSAIDs to treat various systemic infections accompanied by fever and other inflammatory conditions. They can also be administered with steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (SAIDs) to relieve suffering caused by inflammation. A pharmacological interaction between the two types of drug has been described in previous studies (Post and others 2002, 2003, Sidhu and others 2010, Ogino and others 2005).

The combined use of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs is common clinical practice in young buffaloes due to enteric and respiratory infections, which are a significant problem and usually result in economic losses in nursing calves (Bukhari and others 2010). This short communication aimed to establish, in this species, the serum concentration-time profile and pharmacokinetic parameters of marbofloxacin (MBF), after intramuscular administration alone and in combination with intramuscular administration of ketoprofen (KPF), flunixin meglumine (FM) or dexamethasone (DXM), and to integrate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data.

Twenty-four, seven- to 15-day-old clinically healthy buffalo calves (mean [sd] weight 60.43 [6.75] kg) were included in the study and randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups. A parallel design was used, taking into account the age of the selected animals. All groups received a 2 mg/kg dose of MBF intramuscularly in the semitendinous muscle. The first group received only MBF, while the other three groups also received a dose of one of three drugs: 3 mg/kg KPF (MBF+KTF), 2.5 mg/kg FM (MBF+FM) or 0.1 mg/kg DXM (MBF+DXM) intramuscularly in the opposite semitendinous muscle. The study was approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina.

Serum MBF concentrations were quantified using HPLC/ultraviolet (Waxman and others 2001). The quantification limit was 0.025 µg/ml and the method was linear up to 15 µg/ml. The mean (sd) precision …