Wood is being widely used as a construction material; however, the use of wood has been restricted by building codes because it is combustible. Hybrid building systems involve the use of heavy timber in combination with other materials. A hybrid timber connection is considered as the weakest link in this construction system particularly under fire exposure. Analysis of hybrid timber connections is complicated because the behavior and properties of the different materials are different under fire exposure.
This study aims at investigating the effect of different parameters on the fire performance of hybrid connections between a glulam beam and a steel column by conducting full scale tests and finite element modeling. The experimental part of this research consisted of a series of full-scale tests conducted in compliance with CAN/ULC-S101. Three different types of connections were investigated, Concealed shear tabs, Exposed shear tabs with 2 and 4 bolts and Seated connections with one bolt and without a bolt. Two sizes of bolts 12.7 mm and 19.1 mm were used and each connection was tested for three load ratios 30%, 60% and 100%.
Test results showed that the Seated connection without a bolt outperformed the Exposed and Concealed connections. It was noticed that at 100% load ratio the failure times for all connections were less than 40 minutes. Lowering the load ratio from 100% to 30% increased the failure time by 50 to 72%. Increasing the bolt size reduced the failure time by 20 to 48 %. Reducing the number of bolts from 4 to 2 increased the failure time by 10 to 86% and removing the bolt from the Seated connection increased the failure time by 50 to 125%. The final failure mode was always brittle / splitting of wood, even when ductile failure (yielding of bolts or crushing of wood) was the governing mode in ambient design. Three empirical formulas are proposed by the author to calculate the failure time for design purposes for the three different connections.


BACKGROUND: Echocardiography-based speckle-tracking strain imaging is an emerging modality to assess left ventricular function. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in left ventricular systolic function after cardiac surgery with 3-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking strain imaging and to determine whether preoperative 3D strain is an independent predictor of acute and long-term clinical outcomes after aortic valve, mitral valve, and coronary artery bypass grafting operations. METHODS: In total, 163 adult patients undergoing aortic valve, mitral valve, and coronary artery bypass surgeries were enrolled prospectively and had complete data sets. Demographic, operative, and outcome data were collected. 3D transthoracic echocardiograms were preformed preoperatively and on second to fourth postoperative day. Blinded off-line analysis was performed for left ventricular 2-dimensional (2D) ejection fraction (EF2D) and 3D ejection fraction (EF3D) and global peak systolic area, longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain. RESULTS: 3D global strain correlated well with EF3D. Ventricular function as measured by strain imaging decreased significantly after all types of cardiac surgery. When preoperative EF3D was used, receiver operating characteristic curves identified reference values for 3D global strain corresponding to normal, mildly reduced, and severely reduced ventricular function. Normal ventricular function (EF3D ≥ 50%) corresponded to 3D global area strain −25%, with area under curve = 0.86 (0.81–0.89). Patients with reduced preoperative 3D global area strain had worse postoperative outcomes, including length of intensive care unit stay (4 vs 3 days, P = .001), major adverse events (27% vs 11%, P = .03), and decreased 1-year event-free survival (69% vs 88%, P = .005). After we controlled for baseline preoperative risk models including European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score and surgery type, preoperative strain was an independent predictor of both short- and long-term outcomes, including length of intensive care unit stay, postoperative inotrope score, and 1-year event-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that cardiac surgery was associated with an acute reduction in postoperative left ventricular function, when evaluated with 3D strain imaging. In addition, preoperative 3D strain was demonstrated to be an independent predictor of acute and long-term clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery. The use of noninvasive 3D transthoracic echocardiogram strain imaging before cardiac surgery may provide added information to aid in perioperative risk stratification and management for these high-risk patients.


This is a set of resources aimed at promoting the development of the skills required to successfully identify and generate organic mechanisms in order to demonstrate a good understanding of the underlying chemical principles.
 Students complete a task independently, and then mark their own work as they watch talking mark scheme videos where an expert explains how to get to the correct answers.
 Our research has shown that engagement with these resources is perceived to be highly beneficial by students, and leads to an increase in their confidence to tackle mechanistic problems. If you are a non-UK (or non-A-level) teacher, the terms AS and A2 may be meaningless to you, but the resources should still be useful for anyone studying organic reaction mechanisms. The worksheets are available in Word format, and you should feel free to edit these to meet the needs of your students and the course you are teaching.

You can download the files individually by selecting them on the left and clicking download. Please watch the short briefing video on You Tube and read the teachers' notes carefully. Contact me on email@example.com if you have and questions or comments. Additionally, I would like to thank Henry Pearson for suggesting the format of the alternative self-assessment proformas which you may choose to use with your students.


Recently developed approaches to the hydrodynamic and kinetic modelling of fuel droplet heating and evaporation are reviewed. Two new solutions to the heat conduction equation, taking into account the effect of the moving boundary during transient heating of an evaporating droplet, are discussed. The first solution is the explicit analytical solution to this equation, while the second one reduces the solution of the differential transient heat conduction equation to the solution of the Volterra integral equation of the second kind. It has been pointed out that the new approach predicts lower droplet surface temperatures and slower evaporation rates compared with the traditional approach. A simplified model for multi-component droplet heating and evaporation, based on the analytical solution of the species diffusion equation inside droplets, is discussed. A new algorithm, based on simple approximations of the kinetic results for droplet radii and temperatures, suitable for engineering applications, is discussed.© 2010 ASME


CDM current waveform properties show a strong dependence on pin type and location due to package transmission line effects. I/O pin waveforms have a depressed peak, slower rise time, and increased pulse width compared to power supply waveforms, with the offset increasing with the distance from the package center. Simulations illustrate that the internal current through the ESD protection network on the die can deviate significantly from the external current observed in the CDM system for long package traces.


Moraza M. L., Iraola V. & Alemany C. 2009. — A new species of Ljunghia Oudemans, 1932 (Arachnida, Acari, Laelapidae) from a mygalomorph spider. Zoosystema 31 (1): 117-126. ABSTRACT Ljunghia (Ljunghia) luciae n. sp., associated with mygalomorph spiders, is described on the basis of material from Cyclosternum fasciatum (Cambridge, 1892) (Araneae, Theraphosidae) kept in captivity. Adults with dorsal shield reaching the posterior margin of dorsum and bearing 31 or 32 pairs of setae long and slightly serrate, except setae J5 short (21 podonotal and 11 opisthonotal); 15 or 16 pairs of ventral setae. Male sterno-genito-ventrianal shield with 11 pairs of ventral setae. A key to species of the genus, based on adult females and males, is given.


The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) contains neurons critical for cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and motor control. The activity of these neurons is controlled by inputs from multiple identified brain regions; however, the neurochemistry of these inputs is largely unknown. Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and enkephalin tonically inhibit neurons within the RVLM. The aim of this study was to identify all brain regions that provide GABAergic or enkephalinergic input to the rat RVLM. Neurons immunoreactive for cholera toxin B (CTB‐ir), retrogradely transported from the RVLM, were assessed for expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) or preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA using in situ hybridization. GAD67 mRNA was expressed in CTB‐ir neurons in the following regions: the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS, 6% of CTB‐ir neurons), area postrema (AP, 8%), caudal ventrolateral medulla (17%), midline raphe (40%), ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG, 15%), lateral hypothalamic area (LHA, 25%), central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA, 77%), sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA, 86%), interstitial nucleus of the posterior limb of the anterior commissure (IPAC, 56%), bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BNST, 59%), and medial preoptic area (MPA, 53%). PPE mRNA was expressed in CTB‐ir neurons in the following regions: the NTS (14% of CTB‐ir neurons), midline raphe (26%), LHA (22%), zona incerta (ZI, 15%), CeA (5%), paraventricular nucleus (PVN, 13%), SLEA (66%), and MPA (26%). Thus, limited brain regions contribute GABAergic and/or enkephalinergic input to the RVLM. Multiple neurochemically distinct pathways originate from these brain regions projecting to the RVLM. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:213–232, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Urea fertilizer is a major source of nitrogen, which is one of the essential nutrients for plant growth. Due to its uncontrollable release, this chemical can be wasted easily by leaching and volatilization that can adversely cause the contamination to the environment. In this work, a controlled-release material for urea fertilizer has been prepared by using degradable polylactic acid. Unlike other conventional controlled-release system, the resulting material is able to provide an efficient supply of urea fertilizer, without causing further contamination to the environment from residue material, as polylactic acid can be degraded in the environment. Micron-size particles of polylactic acid coated urea were prepared by employing atomizing technique. Effect of the preparation conditions; urea/PLA composition, PLA concentration, and pressure of atomizing gun on the particle size of material are investigated. The urea release rate of these samples is then studied by employing UV-Visible spectrophotometer. In addition, the effect of preparation conditions on shape and morphology of sample is determined by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).


Fractional sample interpolation with finite impulse response (FIR) filters is commonly used for motion-compensated prediction (MCP). The FIR filtering can be viewed as a signal decomposition using restricted basis functions. The concept of generalized interpolation provides a greater degree of freedom for selecting basis functions. We developed a generalized interpolation framework for MCP using fixed-point infinite impulse response and FIR filters. An efficient multiplication-free design of the algorithm that is suited for hardware implementation is shown. A detailed analysis of average and worst case complexities compared to FIR filter-based interpolation techniques is provided. Average bitrate savings of around 2.0% compared to an 8-tap FIR filter are observed over the high-efficiency video coding dataset at a similar worst case complexity.


The intensification of pig production is considered a risky activity for the environment when the generated pig slurry is not adequately treated. In addition, intensive agriculture practices where pig slurry is applied to the cropland could cause nitrate leaching, salinization, and soil pollution (heavy metals and pathogens), thus the development of an eco-friendly system for pig slurry treatment is essential to avoid undesirable environmental impacts. The main objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of an integrated purification system (IPS) for treating pig slurry. The system included a pretreatment module (raw pig slurry tank, phase separator, aeration tank, and settlement tank), constructed wetlands (CWs) that included an unplanted cell and a planted cell, and a storage pond (SP). Pig slurry samples from the pretreatment modules, CWs, and SP were collected in triplicate and physic-chemical and microbial analyses were performed. Results showed that the pretreatment modules decreased the total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the liquid fraction. Higher total nitrogen removal was reported in the planted cell, which decreased from 4.0 g L−1 to 1.9 g L−1 in the inflow and outflow, respectively. Total efficiencies over 85% were found in the planted and unplanted cells for TSS, Kjeldahl nitrogen (KN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and TP. Microbial parameters were eliminated after the treatment in the planted cell. Therefore, the results indicated that filtration (pretreatment), purification (constructed wetland), and bioremediation (storage pond) constituted an appropriate IPS for treating pig slurry.


An upper Neoproterozoic to Ordovician Laurentian margin sedimentary sequence in the Newfoundland Appalachians records a cycle of ocean opening and closing. U-Pb dating by ion microprobe of 341 detrital- zircon grains from six samples from this sequence yielded ages from 3592 ± 5 Ma to 572 ± 14 Ma. Three of the analyzed samples are from rift-related formations, two are from drift-related formations, and one is from a foreland-basin unit. The U-Pb data allow grouping of the zircons into four major age components: (1) Archean grains with a maximum age frequency between 2850 and 2600 Ma, (2) Paleoproterozoic grains ranging from 1950 to 1750 Ma, (3) Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic grains ranging in age between 1450 and 950 Ma, and (4) Neoproterozoic grains ranging between 760 and 570 Ma. The relative proportions of these four age components vary among samples. Mesoproterozoic detritus is present in all samples, whereas Neoproterozoic detritus is restricted to two of the three rift-related samples. Two samples— one from a rift-related formation and one from a drift-related formation, but both lying at the base of their stratigraphic column—lack Paleoproterozoic and Archean detrital zircons. Potential source regions for the detrital zircons occur within the Laurentian hinterland: zircons of Archean age correspond to the age of rock units formed during major magmatic and tectonothermal pulses in the Superior craton, zircons with Paleoproterozoic ages correspond to the ages of orogenic belts marginal to the craton (e.g., Ungava, New Quebec, and Torngat), Mesoproterozoic zircons correspond to the ages of lithologies from the Grenville orogen, and Neoproterozoic zircons are the age of rift-related igneous activity along the Laurentian margin that is now preserved within the Appalachian orogen. The youngest grains in the rift-related sedimentary rocks yield ages of 580–570 Ma and provide a maximum age for accumulation of the Newfoundland sedimentary sequence.


A general data movement technique was described by D. Nassimi and S. Sahni (1981) which often leads to efficient parallel algorithms on distributed-memory architectures for a wide class of problems. In this paper, by using the same arguments that was used to prove correctness of this technique, we show that the data movement operations involved may be reduced by a constant factor under some assumptions. We show also that this technique and the optimization can be utilized to embed arbitrary trees in the hypercube and the q-dimensional mesh by using a similar algorithm of the randomized flip-bit algorithm, described by F.T. Leighton (1992). We show that these embedding algorithms embed any M-node tree in N-PEs hypercube or N-PE's q-dimensional mesh with load O(M/N), which is optimal for all M.


Tests are conducted in a commercial air-blast interrupter. The arc foot motion on the nozzle surface and the arc behavior are studied after contact separation for currents up to 25 kA rms. Arc short-circuiting between the arc column and the nozzle surface, and the distribution of the current in the arc foot during normal motion of the arc in the nozzle and during arc clogging are measured using special probes embedded in the nozzle.


Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ) is one of the key parameters in modeling solute and water movement in the vadose zone. Field and laboratory measurement of K s is time consuming, and hence is not practical for characterizing the large spatial and temporal variability of K s As an alternative to direct measurements, pedotransfer functions (PTFs), which estimate K s from readily available soil data, are being widely adopted. This study explores the utility of a promising data-driven method, namely, genetic programming (GP), to develop PTFs for estimating K s from sand, silt, and clay contents and bulk density (D b ). A data set from the Unsaturated Soil Hydraulic Database (UNSODA) was considered in this study. The performance of the GP models were compared with the neural networks (NNs) model, as it is the most widely adopted method for developing PTFs. The uncertainty of the PTFs was evaluated by combining the GP and the NN models, using the nonparametric bootstrap method. Results from the study indicate that GP appears to be a promising tool for developing PTFs for estimating K s The better performance of the GP model may be attributed to the ability of GP to optimize both the model structure and its parameters in unison. For the PTFs developed using GP, the uncertainty due to model structure is shown to be more than the uncertainty due to model parameters. Moreover, the results indicate that it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve better prediction and less uncertainty simultaneously.


We describe a trainable symbol recognizer for pen-based user interfaces. Symbols are represented internally as attributed relational graphs that describe both the geometry and topology of the symbols. Symbol recognition reduces to the task of finding the definition symbol whose attributed relational graph best matches that of the unknown symbol. One challenge addressed in the current work is how to perform this graph matching in an effi- cient fashion so as to achieve interactive performance. We present four approximate graph matching techniques: Stochastic Matching, which is based on stochastic search; Error-driven Matching, which uses local matching errors to drive the solution to an optimal match; Greedy Matching, which uses greedy search; and Sort Matching, which relies on geometric information to accelerate the matching. Finally, we present promising results of initial user studies, and discuss the tradeoffs between the various matching techniques.


The aim of the present work is to study the influence of the partial substitution of Si by Ge on the formation of the apatite-type La9.33Si2Ge4O26 phase by mechanical alloying and subsequent annealing. Powders of La2O3, GeO2 and SiO2 were dry milled in a planetary ball milling at increasing rotation speeds of 150, 250 and 350 rpm and milling times up to 50 h. The resulting mixtures were subsequently annealed at increasing temperatures up to 1100 °C. Single phase apatite-like La9.33Si2Ge4O26 was obtained during mechanical alloying at high rotation speed. The higher the rotation speed the lower was the time required for the lanthanum germanosilicate phase formation. For the samples in which complete reaction between initial phases did not occur during milling, La9.33Si2Ge4O26 was always obtained during the annealing process. The more severe was the mechanical alloying process the lower was the annealing temperature required for the apatite phase formation. The formation of apatite phase during mechanical alloying did not provoke significant changes in densification behavior of the milled samples. The addition of GeO2 as raw material promotes a faster formation of the apatite phase as compared to the results obtained using only La2O3 and SiO2.


Background As one of the most essential technical components of the intensive care unit (ICU), continuous monitoring of patients' vital parameters has significantly improved patient safety by alerting staff through an alarm when a parameter deviates from the normal range. However, the vast number of alarms regularly overwhelms staff and may induce alarm fatigue, a condition recently exacerbated by COVID-19 and potentially endangering patients. Objective This study focused on providing a complete and repeatable analysis of the alarm data of an ICU's patient monitoring system. We aimed to develop do-it-yourself (DIY) instructions for technically versed ICU staff to analyze their monitoring data themselves, which is an essential element for developing efficient and effective alarm optimization strategies. Methods This observational study was conducted using alarm log data extracted from the patient monitoring system of a 21-bed surgical ICU in 2019. DIY instructions were iteratively developed in informal interdisciplinary team meetings. The data analysis was grounded in a framework consisting of 5 dimensions, each with specific metrics: alarm load (eg, alarms per bed per day, alarm flood conditions, alarm per device and per criticality), avoidable alarms, (eg, the number of technical alarms), responsiveness and alarm handling (eg alarm duration), sensing (eg, usage of the alarm pause function), and exposure (eg, alarms per room type). Results were visualized using the R package ggplot2 to provide detailed insights into the ICU's alarm situation. Results We developed 6 DIY instructions that should be followed iteratively step by step. Alarm load metrics should be (re)defined before alarm log data are collected and analyzed. Intuitive visualizations of the alarm metrics should be created next and presented to staff in order to help identify patterns in the alarm data for designing and implementing effective alarm management interventions. We provide the script we used for the data preparation and an R-Markdown file to create comprehensive alarm reports. The alarm load in the respective ICU was quantified by 152.5 (SD 42.2) alarms per bed per day on average and alarm flood conditions with, on average, 69.55 (SD 31.12) per day that both occurred mostly in the morning shifts. Most alarms were issued by the ventilator, invasive blood pressure device, and electrocardiogram (ie, high and low blood pressure, high respiratory rate, low heart rate). The exposure to alarms per bed per day was higher in single rooms (26%, mean 172.9/137.2 alarms per day per bed). Conclusions Analyzing ICU alarm log data provides valuable insights into the current alarm situation. Our results call for alarm management interventions that effectively reduce the number of alarms in order to ensure patient safety and ICU staff's work satisfaction. We hope our DIY instructions encourage others to follow suit in analyzing and publishing their ICU alarm data.


Present study was conducted to establish Tryptophan (Trp) needs of Xinyang greenshell laying hens by evaluating its effect on laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and the immune functions. A total of 525 laying hens, 28 weeks of age, were randomly allocated to five treatment groups, each of which included 5 replicates of 21 hens. Hens were fed the basal diet based on corn and soybean meal for 12 weeks. L-Trp was added to the control diet at 0.0 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08%, respectively, to achieve 0.15, 0.17, 0.19, 0.21 or 0.23% Trp. Laying rate, average egg weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly increased by Trp levels from 0.19 to 0.23%. Dietary Trp from 0.17 to 0.19% increased egg internal quality (albumen height and haugh unit) rather than external quality. Supplementing with Trp increased glutathione peroxidase and total superoxide dismutase activity, total antioxidative capacity concentration and decreased malondialdehyde concentration. Serum IgA concentration increased at 0.21– 0.23% dietary Trp, while serum IgM increased linearly in response to dietary Trp levels. We suggest that the optimum level of dietary Trp was ranged from 0.19 to 0.21% for Xinyang green-shell laying hens under the current study conditions.


Lactoperoxidase (EC 188.8.131.52) catalysed the oxidation of NADH by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of either thiocyanate, iodide or bromide. In the presence of thiocyanate, net oxidation of thiocyanate occurred simultaneously with the oxidation of NADH, but in the presence of iodide or bromide, only the oxidation of NADH occurred to a significant extent. In the presence of thiocyanate or bromide, NADH was oxidized to NAD(+) but in the presence of iodide, an oxidation product with spectral and chemical properties distinct from NAD(+) was formed. Thiocyanate, iodide and bromide appeared to function in the oxidation of NADH by themselves being oxidized to products which in turn oxidized NADH, rather than by activating the enzyme. Iodine, which oxidized NADH non-enzymically, appeared to be an intermediate in the oxidation of NADH in the presence of iodide. NADPH was oxidized similarly under the same conditions. An assessment was made of the rates of these oxidation reactions, together with the rates of other lactoperoxidase-catalysed reactions, at physiological concentrations of thiocyanate, iodide and bromide. The results indicated that in milk and saliva the oxidation of thiocyanate to a bacterial inhibitor was likely to predominate over the oxidation of NADH.


We focus on the problem of estimating the change in the dependency structures of two $p$-dimensional Gaussian Graphical models (GGMs). Previous studies for sparse change estimation in GGMs involve expensive and difficult non-smooth optimization. We propose a novel method, DIFFEE for estimating DIFFerential networks via an Elementary Estimator under a high-dimensional situation. DIFFEE is solved through a faster and closed form solution that enables it to work in large-scale settings. We conduct a rigorous statistical analysis showing that surprisingly DIFFEE achieves the same asymptotic convergence rates as the state-of-the-art estimators that are much more difficult to compute. Our experimental results on multiple synthetic datasets and one real-world data about brain connectivity show strong performance improvements over baselines, as well as significant computational benefits.


Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) for allogeneic HSC transplantation but reconstitution of T cell immunity remains problematic even with double UCB transplantation (dUCBT). This is related to the small T cell numbers of the UCB graft, the naive nature of these T cells and often the use of ATG as part of the conditioning regimen. Consequently, UCBT recipients are susceptible to viral infections that require intact T cell immunity for their containment. Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is a gammaherpes virus that is transmitted orally. EBV initially replicates in a lytic cycle in the epithelium of the oropharynx and then establishes a latent state in memory B cells. Reactivation of EBV from latent to lytic cycle is mediated by physiologic stress of the memory B cell pool and by defects in antiviral T cell immunity, and can cause aggressive lymphomas known as post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in immunocompromised hosts. The specific immunological correlates of EBV reactivation in adult UCBT recipients have not been examined. In the present study we attempted to distinguish immune reconstitution profiles in UCBT recipients who developed EBV viremia from those who did not, in order to better understand the immune profile of UCBT recipients who control gammaherpes virus reactivation. Thirty-one patients with hematologic malignancies received dUCBT with melphalan, fludarabine, ATG conditioning and tacrolimus plus sirolimus for GvHD prophylaxis. EBV viral load was determined on a weekly basis after dUCBT. Immunophenotype of peripheral blood lymphocytes, serum cytokine levels and T cell receptor excision circle analysis (TREC) values, were examined prior to and at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after UCBT and were compared between EBV viremic and non-viremic patients using the Wilcoxon-rank sum test. During the first 12 months after dUCBT, 14 of 31 (45%) patients developed EBV viremia and four (13%) developed PTLD. At one month after dUCBT, patients who developed EBV viremia displayed higher numbers of CD19+ B cell numbers (p=0.04) and CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (p=0.03) compared with patients who never became viremic. Surprisingly, development of EBV viremia correlated with increased numbers of CD3+ (p=0.04), CD4+ (p=0.015) and CD8+ (p=0.021) T cells. This finding was counterintuitive, as one might expect better quantitative peripheral T cell reconstitution in patients with recovering immunity and no EBV reactivation. One mechanism of impaired immune reconstitution after UCBT is skewing towards a late effector memory T cell phenotype, a stage in which T cells are incapable of mounting protective immune responses. We examined whether development of EBV viremia was associated with altered naive versus memory T cell distribution. We determined that patients who developed EBV reactivation had higher numbers of memory cell subsets (CD4+CD45RO+, p=0.0023; CD8+CD45RO+, p=0.019) at two months after dUCBT. Neither development nor control of EBV viremia correlated with TREC recovery, which occurred after the time period of EBV viremia. We were unable to identify EBV-specific T cells in any patient group due to the very low T cell numbers during the time of viremia. However, analysis of repertoire diversity by deep-sequencing on PCR-amplified CDR3 regions of the TCRb gene using the ImmunoSEQ assay showed a more diverse TCR repertoire, as determined by higher entropy (p=0.03) and lower clonality (p=0.03), among patients who did not develop EBV reactivation, compared with those who developed EBV viremia and PTLD. Assessment of serum levels of SCF (a c-kit ligand), IL-7, thrombomodulin, VEGF and angiopoetin-1 showed that patients without EBV viremia had significantly higher levels of SCF (p=0.0001) and IL-7 (p=0.05), at 1 and 2 months after dUCBT, compared with patients who developed EBV reactivation and PTLD. SCF-mediated signaling via c-kit is integral to the homing and longevity of uncommitted hematopoietic stem cells whereas IL-7 is a critical factor for survival and homeostasis of naive T cells. Together our findings suggest that control of EBV reactivation after dUCBT might be linked to the support of naive T cell homeostasis, which enables maintenance of a diverse TCR repertoire.

![Graphic][1]

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif


A novel spray forming process was developed to produce large billets, wide plates or thick tubes with excellent microstructures and high cooling rates. Its uniqueness lies in a combination of the wide-range reciprocating movement and the swing scan of a gas atomizer, and the externally forced cooling of substrate during this spray deposition procedure. Its basic concept is that both good sticking and rapid solidification can be achieved if droplets with high liquid fractions impact a cold substrate, spread fully and then deposit on the surface. In order to control and optimize this new process, the thermal histories of droplets and deposits for spray forming of aluminum alloy billets were simulated with a set of new numerical models. Through shortening spray distance and raising melt superheat properly, the liquid fraction of droplets before deposition will increase and their spread on the deposit surface can improve for good sticking. Simulation results show that the optimal liquid fraction of droplets for deposition is about 0.2 higher than that in the conventional Osprey process. Its optimum spray distance is about 0.25m, which is nearly half as that in the Osprey process. In addition, this new process increases the mushy layer area and the specific surface area of heat extraction during deposition. Together with the forced cooling of substrate, it results in higher cooling rates. A high-quality large billet can be obtained by controlling the atomizer movement, the droplet liquid fraction and the deposit surface temperature properly in this new process.


Nutritional Positive Deviant (PD) infants grow 'bigger' and 'faster' than other infants living in a similarly socio-economically deprived environment. Certain positive feeding and care giving practices adopted by mothers of PD infants enable them rear better nourished and active infants. Limited data is available on using PD mothers as counselors encouraging appropriate and feasible infant feeding practices (IFP) in India. Hence, the present study was undertaken. The study was conducted in a slum of Delhi (India). Twenty-Five infants aged 6-12 months were weighed. Three infants with normal weight for age status (as per Gomez classification) were classified as PD infants. A PD inquiry (PDI) was conducted on current IFP in these families to identify PD behaviours adopted and determinants for the same. PD behaviours identified included: feeding modified family pot (energy dense) complementary food at least two times a day , supervised bowl feeding by the mother and father support to the mother in infant feeding and care giving. Two, of these three PD mothers volunteered to discuss the benefits of PD behaviours they had been practicing with the other 22 members of the group. The strategy promoted collective dialogue and discussion to try the PD behaviours through weekly group discussions over a period of four weeks. After four weeks, feeding modified family pot food with addition of 1 teaspoon of ghee (milk fat) in food (10/22), feeding an extra mid-day cereal snack (12/22) were PD behaviours adopted by other members of the group (22). It can be concluded that i) behaviours requiring least preparation time were easily adopted and ii) PD mothers can be effective counselors to encourage appropriate IFP.


Ginzberg explains how the core components of our health care system -the community hospital and physicians who have long practiced in a fee-for-service mode -are under attack, and he indicates the factors that make it uncertain whether the destabilization will slow down or accelerate. Moreover, can key health care centers maintain their leadership in a time when new dollars for health are scarce? How will the floundering state of foundations affect medical care in local communities? In his final chapters the author zeroes in on the special concerns of the public: high-need patients (including those suffering from cancer, catastrophic illness, and the infirmities of old age, or those who are mentally ill or chronically poor), nursing shorages, unsuccessful cost containment, and lack of consensus within the medical triangle about the major issues on our nation's health


We find that capital renting makes up one fifth of US capital expenditures, and it increases during downturns. Further, we present cross-country evidence that output losses after financial crises are smaller where renting is more prevalent. To understand these findings, we build a general equilibrium model with borrowing constraints and with the option to rent or buy capital. The countercyclicality of rentals occurs because their supply increases, as renting serves as an additional means of savings when credit markets malfunction. Moreover, demand also shifts towards rentals as they become relatively cheaper. By absorbing excess savings, renting mitigates financial crises.


Mobile payments are an emerging trend and an alternative to traditional payment methods. Mobile payments involve the usage of the mobile phone to handle credit transfers during purchase of goods and peer to peer money transfers referred to as mobile wallet service, instead of depending on bank cards and cash. In this scenario, while the mobile wallet industry still being in its infancy there exist a few drivers of mobile wallet solutions aiming to create a de-facto standard in the mobile market. The major drivers of mobile wallets can be attributed to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), banks and web based companies. In this report we would compare the motive behind every driver's intent to enter the mobile payment market and the challenges associated in providing the wallet service to the market and assimilate the similarities and differences that exist among them. The key technical aspect behind the comparative analysis involves a standard set of factors on which the analysis would be based upon. The results obtained from the comparative analysis emphasizes on the significance behind the origin of industry of each mobile payment driver. The results also enlighten the varied yet partially coinciding objectives of each mobile payment driver. The approach adopted to conduct this research is primarily through analyzing different origin industry based mobile wallet drivers, and then generalizing the data based on the researched use case models. The comparative analysis performed is based on the generalized data obtained by studying the use case under each mobile payment driver. Further, to predict the future marketing strategy of each driver, ansoff matrix is employed to devise the roadmap. Finally the main objective of the investigation is answered, which is finding out the reasons behind the entry of different industry origin drivers into the mobile payment market and the challenges faced by them.


INTRODUCTION
The issue on the mode of blood motion in the bloodstream, where the arterial and venous flow is significantly different, has been of greater concern recently. However, the conclusions are largely based on the analysis of the geometric orientation in the wall of arteries of smooth muscle elements. The aim of our study was to examine the characteristics of the prominent configuration of cardial cavities and arterial vessels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The material for study were specimens of human heart, rabbit aorta and arterial microvessels of rat salivary glands, examined by injection and corrosive methods, scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS
Specific attachments are to be involved to transform the laminar flow of blood into the turbulent one. We hypothesize that appendages in the atria and muscular trabeculae of heart in the ventricles with particular orientation to the bloodstream from the atria into the aorta and pulmonary trunk should be assigned to such attachments. The longitudinal axes of the auricles are at the right angle to the axial blood flow from the atria to the ventricles. Compound relief of the right auricle is caused by the pectineal muscles and compound relief of the left auricle by the coral-like processes. Vortex flow is formed due to configuration of such relief in auricular systole, which is superimposed on the main bloodstream from the atria to the ventricles, making it turbulent. Ventricles of the heart, due to contractive activity of muscular trabeculae are the place of origination of vortex motion of blood in the initial parts of pulmonary and systemic circulations. Muscular trabeculae in the left ventricle have right-handed helical path with large slope of turns from the apex of the heart to its base, whereas in the right ventricle they are of left-handed flabelliform orientation from the cardiac apex to cardiac base. Such position suggests that the turbulence of blood flow, originating in the cardial cavities, is dictated by the need for even mixing of blood corpuscles while moving on the arteries. We believe that consumed energy could be enough for overcoming a resistance in the main arteries, in the wall of which there is a lack of active contraction elements. Intimal relief of the rabbit aorta is representad by the distinctly pronounced folds, longitudinally oriented on the steep spiral. They acquire especially steep (whirlpool or vortex) nature in the area of the opening into the intercostal arteries, which, as it is well known, in contrast to the aorta, are assigned into the arteries of the mixed type. Minor arterial microvessels (metarterioles-like type) have similar internal relief of the wall, which must extrude into the inner lumen of nuclear zones of endothelial cells. But the motion of blood in the arterial microvessels will greatly depend on the wave myogenic activity of smooth myocytes in their wall. Specific orientation of smooth muscle elements in the arterial microvessels is directed onto the formation of turbulent blood flow, contributing to its better mixing and ten-time increase in the intensity of metabolic processes. Сonclusion: The findings show that the conditions of hemodynamics in the great blood vessels suppose turbulent motion of blood that emerges in the cardial cavities, which is necessary for even mixing of blood corpuscles and their orderly distribution in homogeneous erythrocytic mass that would have been impossible in conditions of laminar motion of blood.


OBJECTIVES
The prognostic impact of immunophenotypic markers in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is controversial.

METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the value of CD34, CD117, CD7, and CD123 expression in a consecutive series of 592 adult patients with de novo AML.

RESULTS
CD34+ measured as a percentage (≥2.88%) and CD34 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) (≥146.79, arbitrary units [AU]) expression had a prognostic impact in terms of overall survival (OS; P = .005, P = .003), leukemia-free survival (LFS; P = .011, P < .001), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR; P = .014, P =. 001). The percentage of CD117+ cells (61.29%) was associated with shorter LFS (P =. 043), and CD117 MFI (≥284.01 AU) was associated with a shorter OS (P =. 033) and LFS (P =. 028). In the multivariate analysis, high CD34 MFI retained the independent value as predictor of LFS and CIR (P =. 012; hazard ratio [HR], 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-2.28 and P =. 045; HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01-2.46).

CONCLUSIONS
CD34 positivity threshold with prognostic relevance is low (3% positive cells). Immunophenotypic findings in AML probably could only be fully exploited after a complex analysis that takes into account unconventional thresholds and the MFI.


Children have good potential so that they can develop through interaction activities with the surrounding environment. Children can also determine Islamic financial products and services according to their needs, understand the benefits and risks, understand their rights and obligations, and believe that the selected service products can improve children's welfare in accordance with Halal principles and are profitable. Sharia law. Islamic financial literacy, meaning knowledge, skills and beliefs that can influence and improve the quality of financial management decisions to achieve prosperity. with faith, morality, and sharia. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the appropriate role of the relevant parties. The research method conceptually explores the strategic role of various related parties in the development of Islamic financial literacy education among early ages. Sources of information varied with interviews and utilized additional information as logical examination articles, books and applicable reports. The examination is calculated by the systematic review method. Children need Islamic financial literacy education because they need support and direction from each of the four conceptual strategic roles in order to achieve Islamic financial literacy from an early age.


Hundreds of protein posttranslational modification types have been reported across diverse organisms, however we still lack methods to systematically predict, or even prioritize, which modification sites may perturb protein function under specific cellular contexts. This protocol describes a method to detect the effects of site-specific protein phosphorylation on the thermal stability of thousands of native proteins in live cells. This mass spectrometry-based protocol measures shifts in overall protein stability in response to site-specific phosphorylation sites. The resulting dataset can enable discovery of intrinsic changes to protein structure as well as extrinsic changes to protein-protein, and protein-metabolite interactions, and can help prioritize site-specific study in a high-throughput and unbiased fashion. This approach takes several days complete, can be performed with multiple samples in parallel and is applicable to diverse organisms, cell types and posttranslational modifications.


This study determined the prevalence of dry eye (DE) symptoms and clinical diagnosis over the age range of the human lifespan, the correlation of symptoms with diagnosis, and factors associated with DE. Data was abstracted from WatES, a retrospective file review (n=6397) of patient examinations at the University of Waterloo Optometry Clinic. The prevalence of DE symptoms and diagnosis were determined overall, in five year age groups and for individual symptoms. Using logistic regression, each symptom was analyzed for a significant association with DE diagnosis. Ocular and systemic factors, and common medications were analyzed for association with DE symptoms or diagnosis. Of all patients (0-93 years) 543 (8.5%) presented with DE symptoms. Prevalence within age groups was greatest for patients 30<35 (11.4 %) and 75<80 years (13.7 %). DE was diagnosed in 1140 patients (17.8%). Prevalence increased by 3.0% per year of age. No sex-related differences in meibomian gland dysfunction as a function of age were found. Less than half (43.5%) of symptomatic patients were diagnosed with DE. The following symptoms were associated with a DE diagnosis: dryness (OR= 7.56, 5.30-10.77 95% CI), injection (OR=3.62, 2.04-6.43 95%CI), burning/stinging/soreness (OR=2.67, 1.69-4.23 95%CI), and watery eyes/tearing (OR=1.66, 1.12-2.45 95%CI). Anterior blepharitis (OR=2.46, 2.05-2.95), being female (OR=1.24, 1.06-1.40 95%CI), contact lens wear (OR=1.34, 1.06-1.70 95%CI), and environmental allergies (OR=1.18, 1.00-1.41 95% CI) were statistically associated with a diagnosis of DE. In summary, specific presenting symptoms predicted DE diagnosis, DE was diagnosed in patients of all ages, and its prevalence increased steadily with age.


Zinc adsorption by goethite in the presence of 0.1M sodium chloride was found to occur at pH values well below the isoelectric point of the goethite when the surface was positive and the zinc in a cationic form. This confirms data already presented by Forbes et al. (1976). The presence of phosphate or zinc on the goethite surface was found to increase slightly the adsorption of zinc and phosphate respectively. Depending on the pH value, the total adsorption could be larger than for either ion in the absence of the other and the capacity of the surface for each of the ions. As suggested by Stanton and Burger, a surface complex may be formed.


Cardiolipin (CL) is a unique phospholipid found in mitochondrial inner membrane. It is a key component for mitochondrial function in both respiration and apoptosis. The level of CL is an important parameter for investigating these intracellular events and is a critical indicator of a number of diseases associated with mitochondrial respiratory functions. 10-Nonyl acridine orange (NAO) is the only fluorescent dye currently available for CL detection. However, the performance of NAO is far from satisfactory in terms of selectivity and sensitivity. In this work, we report an aggregation-induced emission-active fluorogen, TTAPE-Me, for CL detection and quantification. With improved sensitivity and excellent selectivity to CL over other major mitochondrial membrane lipids, TTAPE-Me could serve as a valuable fluorescent sensor for CL quantification. The use of TTAPE-Me for the quantification of isolated mitochondria is also demonstrated.


Coastal wetlands are ecosystems that provide multiple benefits to human settlements; nonetheless, they are seriously threatened due to both a lack of planning instruments and human activities associated mainly with urban growth. An understanding of their functioning and status is crucial for their protection and conservation. Two wetlands with different degrees of urbanization, Rocuant-Andalién (highly urbanized) and Tubul-Raqui (with little urbanization), were analyzed using temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, granulometry, fecal coliform, and macroinvertebrate assemblage variables in summer and winter. In both wetlands marked seasonality in salinity, temperature and sediment texture classification, regulated by oceanic influence and changes in the freshwater budget, was observed. In the Rocuant-Andalién wetland, the increases in pH, dissolved oxygen, gravel percentage, and coliform concentration were statistically significant. Urbanization generated negative impacts on macroinvertebrate assemblage structure that inhabit the wetlands; greater richness and abundance (8.5 times greater) were recorded in the Tubul-Raqui wetland than in the more urbanized wetland. The multivariate statistical analysis reflects the alteration of these complex systems.


The contributions of community-based initiatives towards achieving various sustainability aspirations have been increasingly acknowledged in recent decades. Several national and state level environmental strategies in Australia have extensively promoted such initiatives in order to further sustainability agenda. For example, community gardens are community groups run and managed by local residents as a response to global issues such as climate change, peak oil or concerns over pesticide residues in food produce. Similarly, Friends groups in general are established by local residents in order to care for the degraded or threatened bushlands and wetlands. However, little attention has been paid to the viability of community-based sustainability initiatives (CBSI) themselves. This paper responds to this gap and explores the viability of two different CBSI in Perth with a lens of social capital. In one case study, the majority of the respondents in Hilton, WA considered that a community garden would not only enhance the suburb by adding a "community feel" to the neighbourhood but also foster intra-group social capital by promoting additional activities in green spaces and become more resilient to global environmental issues. The other case study relates to one of the local environmental groups known as Friends group in Kenwick, WA which not only relied on intra-group social capital towards organising activism against a plan to develop nationally significant wetlands but also utilised inter-group social capital towards restoration and ongoing management of the wetlands. Based on above case studies, this paper contends that government strategies that promote on-the-ground sustainability work may benefit by taking into account the significance of intra-group and inter-group social capital for the viability of CBSI.


This study was conducted to investigate the sources of fine and coarse airborne particulate matter in an urban environment in Nigeria. A total of 278 samples were collected over a twelve-month period from two industrial areas (Kudenda agricultural processing AP and Refinery industries NNPC) in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria for PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 on nuclepore polycarbonate filters using a Gent sampler. Elemental concentrations and black carbon analyses were performed using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and optical transmissometry respectively. The annual average concentrations for PM2.5 at each site (Kudenda and NNPC) were 135.7 µg m –3 and 37.2 µg m –3 and for PM2.5–10, concentrations were 269.2 µg m –3 and 97.4 µg m –3 , respectively. These values exceeded the Nigerian Annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 15 µg m –3 for PM2.5 and 60 µg m –3 for PM10. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to identify sources and quantify their contribution to pollutants at the sampling sites in one of the most industrialized cities in Nigeria. Four sources were resolved for both PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 and were identified as: Residual oil 49% (17.16 ± 0.04 µg m –3 ), Soil 29% (10.36 ± 0.26 µg m –3 ), Continental dust 18% (6.20 ± 0.18 µg m –3 ), and Motor vehicles emissions 4% (1.56 ± 0.02 µg m –3 ) for PM2.5 while that for PM2.5–10 were Soil 50% (27.37 ± 1.03 µg m –3 ), Continental dust 21% (11.55 ± 0.26 µg m –3 ), Vehicular emissions 18% (9.87 ± 0.03 µg m –3 ), and Petrochemical 11% (6.23 ± 0.02 µg m –3 ). About 82% and 79% were attributed to anthropogenic sources for both fine and coarse samples, respectively. Continental dust was associated with northwesterly and northerly regional transport. Residual oil combustion was the predominant fine PM source and was attributed to fuel oil combustion for power generation and process energy within the local industrial areas. Although transported continental dust is an important source, the majority of the airborne PM in this industrial area was the result of local emissions.


BACKGROUND
Striated muscle has been shown to be capable of taking up and expressing foreign genes transferred in the form of naked plasmid DNA, although typically with a low level of gene expression. In the case of genes that encode secreted proteins, however, low transfection efficiency may not preclude bio-activity of the secreted gene product. Accordingly, we investigated the hypothesis that intramuscular (IM) gene therapy with naked plasmid DNA encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could augment collateral development and tissue perfusion in an animal model of hindlimb ischemia.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Ten days after ischemia was induced in one rabbit hindlimb, 500 micrograms of phVEGF165, or the reporter gene LacZ, was injected IM into the ischemic hindlimb muscles. Thirty days later, angiographically recognizable collateral vessels and histologically identifiable capillaries were increased in VEGF transfectants compared with controls. This augmented vascularity improved perfusion to the ischemic limb, documented by a superior calf blood pressure ratio for phVEGF165 (0.85 +/- 0.05) versus controls (0.64 +/- 0.05, P < .01), improved blood flow in the ischemic limb (measured with an intra-arterial Doppler wire) at rest (phVEGF165 = 21.3 +/- 3.9 mL/min, control = 14.6 +/- 1.6 mL/min, P < .01) and after a vasodilator (phVEGF165 = 54.2 +/- 12.0 mL/min, control = 37.3 +/- 8.9 mL/min, P < .01) and increased microspheres in the adductor (phVEGF165 = 4.3 +/- 1.6 mL.min-1.100 g of tissue-1, control = 2.9 +/- 1.2 mL.min-1.100 g of tissue-1, P < .05) and gastrocnemius (phVEGF165 = 3.9 +/- 1.0 mL.min-1.100 g of tissue-1, control = 2.8 +/- 1.4 mL.min-1.100 g of tissue-1, P < .05) muscles of the ischemic limb.

CONCLUSIONS
Ischemic skeletal muscle represents a promising target for gene therapy with naked plasmid DNA. IM transfection of genes encoding angiogenic cytokines, particularly those that are naturally secreted by intact cells, may constitute an alternative treatment strategy for patients with extensive peripheral vascular disease in whom the use of intravascular catheter-based gene transfer is compromised and/or prohibited.


We propose a programming model for distributed concurrent systems with mobile objects in the context of a process calculus. Code mobility is induced by lexical scoping on names. Objects and messages migrate towards the site where their prefixes are lexically bound. Class definitions, on the other hand, are downloaded from the site where they are defined, and are instantiated locally upon arrival. We provide several programming examples to demonstrate the expressiveness of the model. Finally, based on this model we describe an architecture for a run-time system supporting concurrent, distributed computations and code mobility.


&NA; Both an increase in convergence and an increase in accommodation result in a decrease in the apparent size of objects of a fixed retinal image size (micropsia). The present study demonstrates that the accommodative micropsia produced by a minus sphere lens is due to the retinal image minification introduced by the lens and to the change in convergence accompanying accommodation. The accommodative act itself apparently does not result directly in micropsia.


: The distal non-traumatic ulnar nerve compression syndrome can be dividded into two types: -i) the proximal (paralytic) type caused by compression in the "Loge de Guyon", with involvement of both the superficial sensory and the deep branch, including the motor branch to the hypothenar muscles, and, ii) the distal, more common, purely motor type (the deep ulnar branch syndrome) with paresis of the interossei and the adductor pollicis, and less commonly of the hypothenar muscles. Whereas the proximal type has various causes, particularly pressure and occupational trauma, the distal type is almost exclusively the result of extra-neural ganglion cysts. An accurate diagnosis is made possible by electromyography and nerve conduction studies. The sensory nerve action potentials, distal motor latency to the hypothenar and adductor pollicis muscles, and the corresponding muscle action potentials after nerve stimulation are pathologically altered, according to the type of lesion. Although spontaneous recovery may occur, operation is the treatment of choice, provided that simple pressure palsy is eliminated.


In many applications including security, surveillance and place recognition, camera angle-invariant object retrieval is required. Generally, for shape-based angle-invariant image retrieval, we need an object image at every angle where the shape of the image changes. Moreover, if we want to guarantee image rotation, we need to consider all possible shapes resulting from image rotation. These two rotations will generate a huge image database. If we simply apply existing indexing schemes to this database, serious performance problems will occur due to database size and redundancy. In this paper, we propose a new indexing and matching scheme for shape-based camera angle-invariant image retrieval, focusing on two types of camera movements: horizontal rotation and fixed rotation. To reduce the space requirement for indexing a huge database, we used two levels of indexing structures: static indexing for horizontally rotated images for horizontal angle invariance, and dynamic indexing for fixedly rotated images for rotation invariance. Based on the proposed indexing scheme, we implemented a prototype image retrieval system. We showed by experiment that our proposed scheme can achieve much better performance than competing methods.


To study time trends in maternal mortality in the United States and to attempt to compare the risk of cesarean with vaginal delivery, information from the Professional Activities Study of the Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities for 3 years—1970,1974, and 1978—was reviewed. For all deliveries, mortality per 100,000 deliveries declined from 25.7 in 1970 to 14.3 in 1978. For vaginal deliveries, mortality per 100,000 deliveries declined from 20.4 to 9.8. For cesarean deliveries, mortality per 100,000 births decreased more than for vaginal deliveries, from 113.8 to 40.9. Mortality for deliveries with no mention of complications, lacerations, or uterine rupture declined significantly from 1970 to 1978. Mortality for deliveries complicated by dystocia or malpresentation declined significantly from 1970 to 1974, but failed to decline thereafter. Mortality for deliveries complicated by a previous cesarean or by antepartum hemorrhage did not decline significantly from 1970 to 1978. For all complications with a sufficient number of vaginal and cesarean deliveries, except deliveries complicated by malpresentation or antepartum hemorrhage, mortality was at least twice as high in cesarean as in vaginal deliveries. Based on a comparison of mortality after a previous cesarean with mortality for all vaginal deliveries and for vaginal deliveries with no complication, the authors conclude that cesarean delivery is probably neither less than 2 nor more than 4 times more hazardous than vaginal delivery.


Objectives: Variability in the interleukin-8 gene (IL-8),
encoding a proinflammatory chemokine, was recently associated
with Behcet's syndrome, disease with recurrent oral ulcers as
one of its symptoms. The aim of this study was to analyse four
single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-8 and its receptor
2 (CXCR2) in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)
and healthy controls. Methods: Totally, 238 subjects were
enrolled in this case-control study: 64 patients with RAS and
174 healthy controls were genotyped for SNPs in IL-8 (−251A/T,
+396T/G, +781C/T) and CXCR2 (+1208C/T) by a method based on PCR
using 5′ nuclease TaqMan® assays. Results: The allele and
genotype frequencies of studied polymorphisms between RAS
patients and healthy controls were similar (P>0.05), with the
exception of statistically significant differences in IL-8 +781
TT vs. CC+CT genotype frequencies between both groups (P0.05).
However, IL-8 A(−251)/G(+396)/C(+781) haplotype was
significantly more frequent in patients with RAS (P0.02;
OR=4.2; 95% CI=1.3-13.8) than in healthy controls. Conclusions:
Our study indicates that the IL-8 gene variability may affect
susceptibility to RAS in the Czech population.


Despite of increased attention on maternal health in recent decades, the disability and suffering of obstetric fistula patients remains a neglected issue in global health. Most instructive in this respect, is the continuous leakage of urine as well as the physical, emotional and social suffering associated with it, which has a profound impact on women and men's livelihoods. Considering the suffering of families associated with this disease, it was found imperative to evaluate the prevalence of obstetric fistula on women of Kaptembwa Nakuru, and appraise the impact on the well-being of women and how their experiences have shaped their identities and families. The study was conducted using cross sectional study with qualitative and quantitative components to explore the prevalence, experiences and impact of obstetric fistula. Grounded Theory was used to investigate the prevalence of obstetric fistula in kaptembwa and explore how the condition has impacted on the affected women and their families. Obstetric fistula prevails amongst women aged between 25 -39 years. The injury may occur at either the first (28%), second (23.9%), third (19.7%) or fourth (28 %) pregnancies. The difficulty of assessing the exact numbers of women affected with obstetric fistula was attributed to it being an embarrassing and humiliating medical condition in our communities, which leads the affected women into silent isolation. Obstetric fistula has far reaching effects on physical, social, economic and psychological impact on affected women, their husbands, children and friends. The foul odor emanating from affected women leads to humiliation; sever social-cultural stigmatization and thus, inability to perform their gender roles. Hindrance from participating in gainful income activities has led them into despair and begging. In order to combat this debilitating disease, community education that informs on the potentially risks of obstetric fistula particularly amongst people residing in rural areas and informal settlements areas is a must. Essential information includes danger signs during delivery and rapid access to caesarean section delivery for cases of obstructed delivery. Access to affordable fistula repair must also be provided in the County health centers.


Expression of a [beta]-amylase gene of Arabidopsis thaliana (AT[beta]-Amy)is regulated by sugars. We identified a mutant, hba1, in which the level of expression of AT[beta]-Amy in leaves of plants that had been grown in a medium with 2% sucrose was significantly higher than that in wild-type plants. Higher than wild-type levels of [beta]-amylase in hba1 plants depended on the presence of 1 to 2% sucrose or 1% glucose in the medium, whereas leaves of mutant plants grown with higher levels of sugars had [beta]-amylase activities similar to those in leaves of wild-type plants. The hba1 phenotype was recessive and did not affect levels of sugars and starch in leaves. It is proposed that expression of AT[beta]-Amy is regulated by a combination of both positive and negative factors, dependent on the level of sugars, and that HBA1 might function to maintain low-level expression of AT[beta]-Amy until the level of sugars reaches some high level. Results of crosses of hba1 plants with transgenic plants that harbored an AT[beta]-Amy:GUS transgene with 1587 bp of the 5[prime]-upstream region suggested that HBA1 affects expression of AT[beta]-Amy in trans. The hba1 plants also had growth defects and elevated levels of anthocyanin in their petioles. However, sugar-regulated changes in levels of several mRNAs other than [beta]-amylase mRNA were unaffected in hba1 plants, suggesting that only a subset of sugar-regulated genes is under the control of HBA1.


A mathematical model of sulfur transfer in a moving metal and slag melts has been developed. Sulfur is transported simultaneously both by diffusion and by laminar natural convection of the melting metal and oxide fluxes. The diffusion of sulfur is described by the 2nd Fick's law. We have computed the distribution of sulfur in the metal and slag phases and the concentration changes of sulfur in the volume of the metal and slag phases, both functions of space and time. Numerical results are provided to show the validity of this approach.


Trends of globalization very often cause the emergence of phenomena that asymmetrically affect the overall sustainability of the transport system. In order to predict certain situations and potentially be able to manage the transport system, it is necessary to manage risk situations and traffic safety in a timely manner. This study has conducted an investigation which implies defining the level of safety of a total of nine sections of two-lane roads. The main aim of the paper is to create a new multiphase model consisting of CRITIC (The CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation), Fuzzy FUCOM (Full Consistency Method), DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), and Fuzzy MARCOS (Measurement Alternatives and Ranking according to the COmpromise Solution) methods for determining the level of traffic safety on road sections under the conditions of uncertainty. In order for the created model to be adequately applied, eight parameters were created, and they were classified through four inputs and four outputs. To calculate the significance of the inputs, the CRITIC method based on the symmetric correlation matrix was used, and taking into account the nature of the outputs, the Fuzzy FUCOM method based on averaged values using the fuzzy Bonferroni Mean (BM) operator was applied to determine their weights. To determine the degree of safety, the DEA model was created. After that, the Fuzzy MARCOS method was used in order to determine the final ranking of the remaining five sections of the road network. Finally, the verification of results was performed through three phases of Sensitivity Analysis (SA).


A computer program package for the storage, change, and compa- rison of restriction maps is described. The programs are intended to detect overlaps between relatively short (about 10-40 kb; abbreviations ref.2) maps and to merge the overlapping fragments into large restiction maps. They run on a 16-bit-microcomputer with limited memory and addressing capability. Due to the restricted reliability-of restriction maps compared with DNA sequence data a particular storage method was used. The source code of the programs is freely available (+).


Introduction: The histoarchitecture of the tunica media of the Atriopulmonary Junction (APJ) has not been extensively studied and yet the tunica media is the backbone, which provides the structural strength for optimum function. This study therefore strives to unravel the structural components of the tunica media of the APJ. Methods: The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Histological studies were done on tissues from the APJ of 20 hearts using light microscopy. The proportion of elastic fibers in the tunica media of the APJ was determined using the point intercept method by dropping a grid in ImageJ software. Results: The smooth muscle cells were concentric and more prominent in males extending the entire extent of the tunica media compared to females where they were confined to the intimal side of tunica media. The collagen bundles were mainly longitudinal. The elastic fibers showed a diverse pattern of organization and side and sex differences in orientation and quantity. Conclusion: Gender and regional variations in the histology of the tunica media of the pulmonary veins suggest a mechanism for controlling hemodynamic forces at the APJ.


This study empirically examines the relationship between the Internet, mobile-cellular and service trade in South Korea From this perspective, the main objective of this study is to identify key de-terminants of service trade over the period from 1990 to 2018 by using the modified gravity model To do this, the study employs ordinary least squares methods and estimates the unknown parameter in a log-linear regression model The study recognizes that South Korea is more likely to engage in service trade if it uses the Internet and mobile-cellular as a communication tool The empirical results show that the Internet and mobile-cellular have a significant positive effect on service trade, service exports and imports respectively In addition, the study also shows strong evidence for the causal relationship between service trade and GDP, trade openness However, the Internet and mobile-cellular variables have a quantitatively small effect on service trade because the study uses the aggregated data for service trade Therefore, to achieve greater positive results of the Internet and mobile-cellular on service trade, future research needs to utilize a disaggregated trade data in services On the other hand, as the Covid-19 outbreak has changed people's lives and disrupted international trade, expanding access to the Internet and increasing usage are expected to play a more crucial role in enlarging service trade in the future © 2020, Innovative Information Science and Technology Research Group All rights reserved


Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for an estimated 1.6 million deaths worldwide every year. While rapid detection and timely treatment with appropriate antibiotics is preferred, this is often difficult due to the amount of time that detection with blood cultures takes. In this study, a novel quantitative PCR assay for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae was developed. To identify novel targets, we analysed the pneumococcal genome for unique, repetitive DNA sequences. This approach identified comX, which is conserved and present in duplicate copies in Streptococcus pneumoniae but not in other bacterial species. Comparison with lytA, the current 'gold standard' for detection by quantitative PCR, demonstrated an analytic specificity of 100% for both assays on a panel of 10 pneumococcal and 18 non-pneumococcal isolates, but a reduction of 3.5 quantitation cycle values (± 0.23 sem), resulting in an increased analytical detection rate of comX. We validated our assay on DNA extracted from the serum of 30 bacteraemic patients who were blood culture positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae and 51 serum samples that were culture positive for other bacteria. This resulted in a similar clinical sensitivity between the comX and lytA assays (47%) and in a diagnostic specificity of 98.2 and 100% for the lytA and comX assays, respectively. In conclusion, we have developed a novel quantitative PCR assay with increased analytical sensitivity for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which may be used to develop a rapid bedside test for the direct detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in clinical specimens.


This paper proposes an analysis of the social contract as a vital a priori concept needed in thinking about the prevention of political totalitarianisms. After analysing its conceptual foundations out of the dynamics of Western metaphysic, it demonstrates how the social contract for the 21st century cannot be a mere continuation of the contractualism of the 17th century. The most important shift in contractual thought is the insight that the individual (and his contractual will) cannot be taken as the foundation of the state organism. To understand the relationship between the individual and general will, against which it is possible to consider contractualism for the 21st century, the paper draws on Hegel's concept of the civil society (Bürgerliche Gesellschaft). This allows for overcoming the impasse of contractualism in thinking about the state, while at the same time keeping the initiative of the autonomous individual at its core. A legitimate state must incorporate countless channels through which the thinking of autonomous individuals passes into the life of a state. It is precisely the keeping alive of this sphere that guarantees that the state does not slide into a totalitarian pattern.


Introduction. According to Section 6 of Article 393 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, in case of violation of obligations by the debtor on refraining from doing certain actions (negative obligation), the creditor, regardless of damages, is entitled to demand an appropriate preventive action if it does not contradict the essence of the obligation. In practice, there are questions about the relationship of this provision with Section 3 of Article 328 of the Civil Code. The purpose and objectives. The author aims to substantiate that the norm of Section 6 of Article 393 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation should be applied taking into account Section 3 of Article 328, according to which none of the parties of obligations under which the counter performance provides no right to demand on court performance, without giving due obligation from it for the other party. Otherwise, the debtor is obliged to refrain from certain actions, even if the lender does not fulfill its reciprocal obligation. Methods. We used scientific methods of cognition and special legal methods. Results. The study analyzed the doctrinal and normative sources of domestic and foreign law. Application of results. The results of the study can be applied in the judicial interpretation of norms of Section 6 of Article 393 of the Civil Code. Conclusion. The right binding imposition of legal relations of the debtor's unconditional obligation to refrain from certain actions, regardless of the performance or non-performance lender reciprocal obligation would be contrary to mutually binding obligations. The use of Section 6 of Article 393 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation as a way to protect the violated rights of the creditor without examining the issue of the performance by the creditor of its reciprocal obligation will lead to infringement of the rights of the debtor in good faith and would deprive the latter method of self-defense rights under Articles 12, 14 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, as well as the possibility of failure to fulfill its reciprocal obligation to the moment of execution by the creditor of their obligations.


Despite the rapid advancements in consumer electronics, the data transmitted by sensing devices in a smart home environment are still vulnerable to anomalies due to node faults, transmission errors, or attacks. This affects the reliability of the received sensed data and may lead to the incorrect decision making at both local (i.e., smart home) and global (i.e., smart city) levels. This study introduces a novel mobile agent-based cross-layer anomaly detection scheme, which takes into account stochastic variability in cross-layer data obtained from received data packets, and defines fuzzy logic-based soft boundaries to characterize behavior of sensor nodes. This cross-layer design approach empowers the proposed scheme to detect both node and link anomalies, and also effectively transmits mobile agents by considering the communication link-state before transmission of the mobile agent. The proposed scheme is implemented on a real testbed and a modular application software is developed to manage the anomaly detection system in the smart home. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme detects cross-layer anomalies with high accuracy and considerably reduces the energy consumption caused by the mobile agent transmission in the poor communication link-state situations.


 firstname.lastname@example.com ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to compare the physical and sensory characteristics of crackers obtained by three different methods. To obtain the crackers by the first method, the dough was allowed to ferment for 16 h at 26 0 C. In this method, fat (shortening) was added in the form of an oil-based semi-finished product. The second formulation differs from the first formulation by the time of fermentation (2 h) and the way in which the oil was added. Using this method of cracker production, fat was added in the form of lumps in the dough itself. The difference between the third and the first two methods was the raising agents used (the third method uses NaHCO 3 and the first two pressed yeast) and the lack of fermentation. The following were examined: temperature and pH before and after fermentation, fermentation loss, thickness, diameter, volume, color and sensory characteristics of the crackers obtained. The results showed that the temperature during fermentation increases and the pH decreases. The crackers obtained from the dough, which fermented for 2 hours, had the greatest thickness, diameter and volume. From the sensory analysis, it became clear that the crackers obtained by first method was the most


A persistent infection with varicella-zoster virus was established in the Mewo human melanoma cell line. This persistently infected cell line went through periodic crises of virus-induced cell killing and then recovery. Analyses of viral DNA derived from the persistently infected cultures revealed that novel viral nucleic acid rearrangements had been generated. These viral DNA sequences were derived from a specific region of the inverted repeat sequence of the genome flanking the short unique genome segment. The novel DNA was of various lengths, each generated by tandem duplication of an approximately 2760 base pair sub-sequence of the normal viral inverted repeat. These novel sequences were inserted into an otherwise apparently normal genome.


Team-Based Learning (TBL) maximizes class time for student practice in complex problems using peer learning in an instructor-guided format. Generally entire courses are structured using the comprehensive guidelines of TBL. We used TBL in a subsection of a veterinary course to determine if it remained effective in this format. One section of the class was taught the material using PowerPoint based lectures. The other group was taught the same material by the same instructor using TBL. All students took the same examination on the material at the end of the course and again 18 months later. There were no differences in the course examination or course grades but grade distributions differed; TBL grades were more widely distributed and female TBL students outperformed male TBL students. TBL students scored significantly higher on the repeat examination. Objective student engagement was high and students were


The objective of this study was to examine changes in sailors' physical characteristics during three different time periods immediately before the 1996 New Zealand Olympic trials, as a result of a newly introduced sport science programme. Twenty five (19 male and 6 female) Olympic development squad members volunteered as subjects and completed fitness tests at different times between April 1995 and March 1996 after being administered with individualised physical training programmes. Statistically significant improvements were observed in body weight, sum of skinfolds, flexibility (assessed using a sit-reach test), aerobic endurance (assessed using a maximal effort 2500 m rowing test) and strength (assessed as the maximum number of push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups that could be completed in 2 minutes) over the three time periods. Thus, physical training was effective in improving many aspects of sailors' fitness, especially early in the sailing season as a result of pre-season training. Physical performance correlated poorly with both light and heavy wind racing performance. The results suggest that individually tailored training programmes will increase sailing specific fitness. However, it is impossible to know what proportions of racing performance can be attributed to physical fitness, skill, talent, and technology, therefore the effect of physical training on racing performance is difficult to determine.


In this thesis, the learning of conventional curriculum mathematics in indigenous Māori schools is conceptualised as a site of struggle within the wider context of a national New Zealand education system. For example, the research literature documents the effects of inadequate mathematics education resources, detrimental impacts on the nature of traditional Māori language and cultural practices, and concerns about under-achievement of Māori students in mathematics and access to powerful societal knowledge. The thesis aims to uncover a causal mechanism for the struggle with mathematics education in one Māori school.  Empirical data about mathematics learning activities are examined using a theoretical perspective strongly influenced by Dialectical Critical Realism. The methodological frameworks are based on Basil Bernstein's sociology of education, Systemic Functional Linguistics and Legitimation Code Theory. Using these theoretical and methodological tools, empirical data are related to deeper-level ontological determinations which underpin practices in the Māori school.  The major conclusion of the thesis is that struggle derives from two conflicting ontological determinations about the nature of a person. Mathematics education tends to construe people, and create subjectivities, in terms of their knowledge. The ethos of the Māori school considered in this thesis tends to construe people, and create subjectivities, in terms of their genealogically-embedded, unique, material and spiritual natures.  Based on this conclusion, the thesis indicates some potential consequences and future developments of mathematics education in Māori schools. These developments may be thought of in general terms as a disengagement from current relations with mathematics education, an establishment of autonomy, and a re-engagement with mathematics on different terms.


Abstract Purpose: This study investigated differences in impairment, activity limitation, participation restrictions and psychological distress between participants using ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) as recommended, participants who did not use AFOs as recommended and participants who did not know recommendations for use. Method: Adults (n = 157) fitted with an AFO by an NHS Orthotic Service in Scotland completed a postal questionnaire that measured impairment, activity limitations participation restrictions and psychological distress using scales from the RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 41% of participants used their AFOs as recommended, 32% did not use their AFOs as recommended and 27% did not know the recommendations for use. Participants using AFOs as recommended reported lower levels of impairment and activity limitations, indicated by higher energy levels (p = 0.005), higher physical functioning (p = 0.005), lower role-limitations due to emotional problems (p = 0.001) and lower levels of anxiety (p = 0.003) compared to people not using AFOs as recommended. Conclusion: Health professionals need to ensure whether patients understand the recommendations for use of their AFO. Additionally, the results of the study support the value of evaluating patients' psychological well-being to gain a better understanding of AFO use. Implications for Rehabilitation Participants who reported using AFOs as recommended had significantly lower levels of impairment, activity limitations and anxiety compared to those who did not use their AFO as recommended. In this study, 27% of participants did not know recommendations for use of AFOs. Health professionals should give consideration as to how information, regarding wearing instructions and use of AFOs, is provided to people who are prescribed AFOs. Psychological outcomes in orthotics are rarely assessed. However, this study demonstrates there is a value in measuring psychological outcomes in orthotic management.


A comprehensive national climate policy needs to provide both producers and consumers with incentives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Too often, policy discussions focus on emissions reduction among producers. This limited perspective fails to take into account the complex relationship between emissions production in one region and consumption demands in another. All economic production requires both a producer and a consumer. If no consumer for a good or service exists, then that good or service will not be produced. We understand the producer's role in generating Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, but often forget the consumer's role. In this paper, we explore both the conventional production-based emissions accounting as well as consumption-based accounting, wherein all of the emissions generated in order to produce a final consumption good are allocated to consumers of those goods. Production and consumption are not a simple case of cause and effect. Rather, production emissions diverge strongly across Canadian provinces while consumption emissions tend to be similar. Significant interprovincial and international trade flows in emissions enable this pattern. Recognition of these trade flows provides important insights for the development of Canada's national climate change strategy. Interprovincial trade flows provide a strong argument in support of Canada's forthcoming national carbon price. By ensuring the large majority of emissions in Canada are similarly priced – regardless of where they are produced – it minimizes the risk of interprovincial carbon leakage (where companies avoid the carbon price by relocating to a jurisdiction with weaker climate measures) and increases the likelihood that Canadian consumers will face an incentive to adjust their demand of domestically produced carbon intensive goods. Implementation of a national carbon price must make allowances for production sectors with significant international trade flows in emissions, or risk damaging that trade. Higher costs for Canadian producers can have a detrimental effect on competition in these sectors, resulting in less demand for Canadian products domestically and internationally. It can also lead to international carbon leakage. The resultant increase in global greenhouse gas emissions defeats the purpose of enacting stringent regulations in Canada. Striking a balance requires that the federal government create complementary policies that reduce the burden of a national carbon price on trade-exposed Canadian producers while still providing incentives for them to invest in reducing their emissions. In Canadian sectors with minimal trade exposure – i.e., those with emissions that are largely produced and consumed within Canada – it is best to focus complementary policies to a national carbon price on achieving additional emissions reductions. The utilities, personal transportation and residential sectors are all good targets for these types of complementary policies. Another important policy question is how to equitably divide the burden of meeting Canada's national emissions reduction target across the provinces. This does not lend itself to simple solutions. Some provinces have significant hydroelectric resources, providing them with a non-fossil fuel electricity source that leads to lower emissions. An approach that mandates similar emissions intensities per capita across Canada will be to those provinces' advantage. However, there is also a historical approach to burden sharing that puts the provinces with lower emissions at a disadvantage. This allows a province like Alberta to have higher emissions levels because it has always had them. The best model for distributing Canada's emissions reduction target is a hybrid one that all provinces can support without any of them feeling they are at a disadvantage. There is a strong case for granting all provinces an equal right to consumption emissions as a starting point. However, a final emissions allocation must come with the recognition that a province's consumption is often supported by production emissions outside of that province. Drafting climate policy can be fraught with consequences that come from focusing on one side only of the production/consumption equation. Where consumption drives emissions is as important as where they are produced. A balanced policy that reflects the implications of domestic and international emissions trade flows is the best and fairest way for Canada to contribute to reducing the world's greenhouse gas emissions.


The regulation of metabolic gene expression is fundamental to maintaining energy balance. Changes in substrate availability can alter metabolic gene expression, in order to modify the utilisation of nutrients appropriately. Metabolic gene expression can also be dysregulated in disease states. The work in this thesis examines several situations in which energy balance or metabolic substrate supply was altered, and investigates how metabolic gene expression adapted and contributed to the phenotypes observed following these interventions. All experiments in this work looked at metabolic regulation from a human perspective; with either biopsy material or cells cultured from biopsy. These experiments included;

1. The influence of postprandial fat-oxidising capacity during a calorie restricted diet of either high- or low-fat content in obese subjects.

2. Transcriptional profiling of adipose tissue in obese subjects with high- or low-postprandial fat oxidising capacity

3. High-glucose treatment of primary human myotubes (as a model of hyperglycaemia).

4. Increased PDC activation and hence carbohydrate oxidation in vivo, through administration of dichloroacetate.

Postprandial fat-oxidising capacity did not affect weight-loss during a calorie restricted diet, and there was no affect of diet composition. However, changes in metabolic gene expression were observed between groups over the course of the 10-week intervention. The groups which showed the greatest changes in gene expression were the low fat-oxidisers on a high fat diet and the high fat-oxidisers on a low fat diet, possibly due to a mismatch between diets and fat oxidising capacity, which required greater adaptation. Covariate analysis revealed interactions between gene expression and other phenotypic parameters. SREBP-1c showed a relationship with FFA concentrations and insulin-resistance, whilst HSL and apM1 were associated with FFA concentrations and Insulin resistance respectively, which underlines the importance of looking for underlying structures in data.

Transcriptional profiling of adipose tissue in obese subjects with high- or low-postprandial fat oxidising capacity, revealed significant differences in the expression of metabolic genes, and highlighted the importance of several transcripts; including RXRA, SREBP-1c and GLUT4 in determining the phenotype of adipose tissue. The major differences observed in gene expression between high and low fat oxidizers indicated that genes involved glucose metabolism and lipogenesis rather than beta-oxidation were the major processes that differed between the two groups. Genomic data indicated that the expression of these genes was not influenced to a major degree by polymorphisms within the population.

High-glucose treatment of primary myotubes, demonstrated the significance of ChREBP and some of its targets, in inducing the expression of lipogenic enzymes, which may be linked to the accumulation of intramyocellular triglyceride. However, these data also indicated the potential for the cell to initiate protective mechanisms, of substrate handling and lipid clearance, in response to carbohydrate oversupply. Conversely, increasing PDC activity and hence carbohydrate oxidation without altering substrate availability via infusion of dichloroacetate, did not alter the expression of metabolic genes in skeletal muscle. This reflects a capacity to deal with acute changes in the activity in metabolic genes without altering their expression.

In conclusion, the studies from this thesis show that important differences in metabolic gene expression can be observed during situations where energy balance and substrate availability are altered. However, flexibility within the metabolic networks means that acute changes can be countered without the need for induction or suppression of metabolic genes, and that during chronic alterations in nutrient supply, rapid adaptations and protective mechanisms are activated.


In a 12-month study 132 patients injured in agricultural accidents were treated at the Accident Service of Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. Agricultural machinery and implements were concerned in 50% of the accidents and animals in 10%. The state of immunity against tetanus of these patients was found to be extremely low, only 9% being fully immunized, and 56% having never received a course of prophylactic adsorbed tetanus toxoid. While prevention is obviously the only real solution to accidents of any nature, legislation is not enough to achieve this, and the final responsibility lies with the farmworker to ensure that all safety precautions are followed.


Exercise training (ET) represents a non-pharmacological treatment that can attenuate or even reverse the process of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), by stimulat-ing protein synthesis, angiogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects that are involved to enhance the performance and improved quality of life. Despite the benefits of exercise, the intricacies of their underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been recognized as a major regulatory network governing gene expression in several physiological processes and appeared as pivotal modulators in a myriad of cardiovascular processes under physiological and pathological conditions. However, little is known about ncRNA expression and role in response to exercise. Here we review the current understanding of the ncRNA role in exercise-induced adaptations focused on the cardiovascular system and address their potential role in clinical applications for cardiovascular diseases.


The present work shows a brief review of some natural sources used to produce metallic nanoparticles and leaves the issue open for further discussion and new investigations. The use of nanoparticles has gained an increased attention due to its potential application as a drug delivery medium. The nanoparticle drug delivery characteristics can be engineered to obtain a certain rate or localization, increase the drug load per particle, among others. Some plants have biomolcules for specific functions as reduction and stabilization of the particles formed inside. These biomolecules are for example polyphenolic compounds, hydroxyflavons, oxalic acid, terpenoids and many more. Even the exact nature of the bioreduction of metal ions is not completely understood, the production and investigation of metallic nanoparticles formed in plants have been increased on last 10 years. A wide variety of sizes, 5-150 nm, and shapes, spherical, triangular, rods, hexagonal, have been obtained in plants and fruit extracts. The plant Phaseolus vulgaris (beans) was used to form silver nanoparticles through bioreduction of Ag (I) to Ag (0) in the living plant. Two groups of plants were used. One group of plants grew at garden soil and the other in cotton. To determine the nanoparticles formed in plants, they have been analyzed by using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). In both cases, a solution of AgNO3 was added initially in a concentration of 0.01M then the concentration was changed to 0.1 mM.). In stem and leaves silver were found as Ag (0). The XAS spectra were adjusted for more accurate results. Plants may reduce the valence of silver and form nanoparticles. The TEM images show that the average particle size is 18 nm, showing in various forms and a greater number of them in the leaves of plants grown in soil. Results also indicate that nanoparticles obtained from the stem and leaves have different forms and they can affect the soil pH.